> The Centurion Project > by TheEighthDayofNight > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1: The Anomaly > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry Day 1099 I swear, the worst thing about the end of the world is the absolute crushing boredom. What few books I do find are either worn to shreds, have been used as toilet paper, or are fucking romance novels. Why the hell are there so many intact romance novels? Cause that’s what I’m thinking about in the day to day, fucking romance. Right. Gotta say though, romance novels make for excellent firewood. Frog legs never tasted so good. Still, besides burning that scourge off the face of the earth, there is absolutely nothing to fucking do at the end of a day. I can’t carry what few books I do want to read, and this notebook only has so many pages to write on, so I don’t want to fill it with bullshit. Whatever, gonna close this entry out to save space. I swear that if the next house I find has romance novels in it, I’m gonna burn it to the ground and dance on its ashes. Elias breathed heavily into his hand, trying vainly to remain silent while he caught his breath. The miles had not been kind on his worn body, and despite the burning in his chest, he wished only that he had more energy to keep running. As he peered through the dead shrubs that were his makeshift cover, a pair of torches stabbed through the muggy night, their light weaving and bobbing between the blasted trees. As they grew closer, the sound of panting covered up his own hard breathing. A pair of skinny men in makeshift armor burst through the trees, then paused, their faces contorted with anger and exhaustion. The larger of the two began to look around while the smaller one nearly collapsed to his knees, hands gripping his chest. “How does that bastard move so fucking fast in all of that damn armor? Shouldn’t we be able to see his shiny ass for fucking miles?” the small one said through desperate breaths. “Maybe if you would shut up for a hot minute, we could try to hear his clanking, but every five steps you either start howling like a dying dog, or start bitching like a slave.” the larger one replied. His eyes scanned the trees, passing briefly over Elias’ hiding spot. The man seemed oblivious to his presence. Elias shifted his hand down to the gladius hanging on his left hip, a plan forming in his mind. If he was fast enough… “Hey, don’t get on my shit because you were too stupid to catch the fucker when he was still in the camp.” The small man pointed a finger at the larger man accusingly. “It was your watch! You were supposed to be watching! Yet the fucker still got by and lit the boss’s place on fire! You ask me, she should whip you to teach you a lesso-!” The large man grabbed the smaller one by the throat and lifted him into the air. Both torches dropped to the ground, extending the shadows. Elias tensed, balancing on the balls of his feet. His eye twitched as he licked his cracked and bloody lips. The large man shook the smaller one viciously. “Another word out of you and I tell the boss that you got your throat slit by the wanna-be roman," the large man threatened, "or maybe I tell her the truth and she rewards me for wringing your neck, you stupid worm.” Elias moved fast, his gladius slipping from its sheathe as he sprang from his cover. The small man’s eyes widened, and his mouth flapped, trying desperately to convey a warning around the larger man’s crushing grip. Too late. The sharp steel of Elias' gladius tore through the back of the large man’s neck, and stabbed through his throat, a spray of blood covering the small man’s face. In one smooth motion, Elias ripped the sword out of the gaping wound, and dipped around the larger man, his sword stabbing through the smaller man’s ribs as he dropped from the large man’s grip. A wet gasp escaped the small man’s throat as he slid from the sword, collapsing to the ground in a growing puddle of blood. Elias said nothing as the two men bled out silently. He swiftly grabbed their dropped torches and approached the large man, whose eyes had already begun to glaze over. Elias kicked the man’s hands away from his throat, then extinguished one of the torches in his neck. He grimaced, his nose turning against the smell of cooking meat, but he remained silent as the light died down and darkness crept in. He dropped the smoldering torches into the crimson puddle, letting them sizzle as he rolled them, making sure that all of the embers were dead. As darkness once again became absolute, Elias bent over and briefly cleaned the blood from his sword on the worn clothes of the larger man. As he sheathed the blade, a whimper came from a few feet away. Elias squinted and rose quickly to his feet, barely making out a crawling form on the ground. Elias drew his dagger from its sheathe at the small of his back and approached the form quickly. The man reached up a weak hand in defense, which Elias batted away. He plunged the dagger deep into the base of the man's neck. Elias gazed at the corpse briefly before his eyes darted upward, searching for any more light sources amongst the trees. Upon seeing nothing, Elias moved as quietly as possible back to his hiding spot. He shifted the dead brush aside and retrieved his pack and scutum. Elias slid the heavy pack onto his back, and after ensuring it was balanced properly, slid the large rectangular shield over his arm. Elias had only a split second to bring said shield up as he dropped into a crouch. Two arrows thudded into the sturdy wood while a third glanced off his helmet, leaving a long scratch along its side. Blinding, artificial light filled the clearing, and Elias blinked rapidly to get his eyes to adjust to the bright whiteness. “Take your time Mr. Eagle! Believe me when I say I have made plenty of room in my busy schedule just for you,” said a female voice. Elias scowled, but said nothing. He glanced behind him, noticing another arrow sticking out his pack, as well as two men with compound bows standing at the end of the white light, their faces blank. Both had arrows nocked and pointed directly at his head. Elias assumed that similar men were stationed around the light source, with the source of the voice likely standing right behind it. “Poke that big feathered head of yours out Mr. Eagle, we are all very excited to see the face of the great “legend” himself,” the female said, her tone mocking him. Elias slowly rose to his feet, keeping his shield tight to his chest. He squinted at the source of the light; what he thought looked like a spotlight wired to a car battery. A tall woman with short brown hair stepped in front of the light, casting a shadow over Elias, allowing him to see his ambushers properly for the first time. There were at least twenty that he could see, all wearing black armor that looked more protective and uniform than the rags the first two had been wearing. Each and every one of them also had some sort of ranged weapon, most with bows, though at least two had throwing knives. Unfortunately, every single one of those weapons was pointed at him, including the shining revolver pointed at his chest by the brown-haired woman. She smiled at him. “I take from the grim expression on your face that you have finally come to terms with how absolutely fucked you are.” Elias didn’t reply. She seemed to take his silence as confirmation and laughed loudly. She took a step forward, and the rest of the ambushers tensed up, as if expecting Elias to take a leap forward to cut her down. The woman noticed and waved them away. “Oh, do relax gentlemen, we have Mr. Eagle here at our mercy. If any of you miss at this distance you should be more afraid of what happens if I catch you, rather than our new friend.” She turned back to face Elias, her smile still stretched wide over her face. She rubbed her chin and her eyes narrowed as she stared at him. “I have to say, I expected you to be older. Oh, I’m sure you have the scars to be an old battle-hardened soldier, and the death glare, you have that down pat, very intimidating.” She paused and tapped her chin with her revolver. “But you don’t have any lines on your face. Hell, if I was a few years older you could probably be my son. My tall, strong, attractive son.” Her eyes seemed to scan up and down Elias’ body in a hungry fashion. Her grin seemed to momentarily grow wider, before disappearing all together. She sighed. “As it stands however, you are no child of mine, and while I would love to see how you handle in bed;” her eyes became momentarily hungry again before her face contorted in anger, “you burned my bed, as well as my house, and that has not only made me look weak in front of the other raider bosses, but as made me look weak in front of my own men. That I will not abide.” The revolver lifted, and she pulled back the hammer. “You have done me a small kindness by already executing the idiot responsible for letting you in my camp in the first place, so, I will return the favor. Drop your weapons, and surrender, I will make your death quick and only a little painful. Resist and I cut you open like you did to those morons in your little village.” Elias growled softly, drawing a sadistic laugh from the woman. She took another step closer. “Did you think we wouldn’t find out about that Mr. Eagle? I don’t know what kind of fairytale you have been living in, playing dress up, hunting down the big mean raider tribes, but let me state this clearly so that it might shatter your little bubble. You are not any kind of hero. You are not noble, and you have saved nobody. All of your little friends are dead, and by the end of tonight, you will be too. I have heard of the work you did back east, and I wish that I had caught you fresh off of that little rampage.” Her grin returned, and her eyes showed Elias a mean sadistic streak that she was only barely holding back. Elias slid his hand into one of the pouches on his belt. He slid his forefinger through the pin. “But unfortunately,” she snarled, “you have decided to play pretend and hunt down my men. That ends now.” She took a third step forward. “Take off the sword, drop the shield, and kneel.” Elias paused for a second; it wouldn’t be convincing if he immediately gave in, and then he slid the scutum off of his arm and dropped it to the ground with a thud, the handles facing up. A small cylinder went unnoticed as he dropped it with his right hand in the shadow of his legs, the noise of the shield covering its fall. The woman grinned. “Good boy, now the sw-…” The world rang as Elias slammed his eyes shut and ducked, his foot popping his shield up. He felt the whistle of arrows flying over his head, and then he was off, sprinting toward the two bowmen that had been standing behind him. Drawing his gladius as he ran, he slammed the one on the left with his shield, the satisfying crunch of bone cutting through the ringing in his ears. Elias cut a quick line across the second man’s neck, and the man collapsed trying to hold both the wound at his throat, as well as his blinded eyes and ringing ears. Elias saw a bullet impact a tree as he sprinted past, the sound of the gunshot only barely catching up as he sprinted away. He could tell his hearing was coming back when he heard the woman cry out; “You fucking morons! Get after him!” Branches slapped Elias’ face as he ran. He kept his shield close to his body to make sure it didn’t snag on any of the passing brush. Behind him, feet pounded desperately, and the raiders cried out in pain as they blindly stumbled in the dark. Elias tried to keep his breaths deep as he ran, but he knew he wouldn’t make it far before he needed to rest. Ignoring the fact that he was carrying almost forty pounds of gear on his back alone, he was already exhausted. He couldn’t quite remember the last time he had slept for longer than an hour, and he hadn’t eaten anything other than moldy deer jerky and water for the last three nights. He needed an out fast if he wanted to survive. Arrows began to fly overhead as the raiders got their bearings. Elias dipped under a low hanging branch and winced as an arrow embedded itself in the wood where his neck had just been. He didn’t dare stop to dwell on it, and he sprinted onward. As the raiders began to gain on his heels, Elias noticed a dim light in front of him. Drawing one of the two fragmentation grenades from his belt, he pulled the pin and dropped it in his trail. A moment later, an explosion and a cry split the air. Elias sprinted on toward the light, hoping the downed raider would by him a few precious seconds. Elias burst through a break in the trees, and the light grew brighter, emanating from over the side of a ledge. Elias glanced back at the approaching torchlight for only a second before he approached the cliff-side. His heart sank as he looked down. At the end of a thirty-foot drop was the green, writhing light waves of an anomaly. Elias had only seen one in his life, but it paled in comparison to the one before him. The anomaly he had seen had been the size of a fist and had floated harmlessly by as he hid in a tree stump to stay out of its way. Even a small one like that had lit up the clearing he had been crawling through. This anomaly was easily the size of a bus and gave off a sickening green glow, like the light it was made from was poisonous. The landscape around the entity was blasted and charred, with no life anywhere near it. Elias had heard many stories about the effect’s anomalies could have. No two did the same thing. Not one of those stories had said anything about the effects being positive. Melted flesh, people turned to ash, even one wild story of a man vomiting up his lungs. Ultimately, it was not the miracle he had been hoping for. Elias spun around; his shield raised to protect his chest. His gladius rested on the steel frame; its point aimed at the woman as she burst through the trees with her raiders in tow. The raiders quickly set up another arc, their arrows pointed at Elias’ head once more. The woman glared at him, her eyes promising a long, painful death. “Nowhere left to run now,” she growled. “Last chance, drop your weapons.” Elias remained silent, trying to think of a plan, any plan. The only thing he could come up with was to flip his middle finger up at the woman. The woman snarled, her face a brilliant shade of red, visible even in the dim torchlight. “Kill him. Now.” Elias roared and began to charge, but was stopped as an arrow embedded itself into his chest plate, knocking him off balance. A second arrow found its way into his right shoulder, and a third bit into his calf. Elias crouched behind his shield and ripped the arrow from the armor protecting his shoulder. Two more arrows thudded into his shield. Taking a firm grip on his gladius, Elias began to get to his feet, poking his head above his shield. He stood just in time to see the head of the sledgehammer that came swinging into his chest. His scutum took the worst of the hit, but the force of the swing was more than enough to shove him off his feet. Elias staggered backward, desperately trying to regain his balance, only to find there was no ground under his right leg. Elias cried out as he fell from the cliff face. The green light of the anomaly below seemed to grow infinitely brighter as he fell into its sickly embrace. Green light arced above his head, and what felt like a million fires crept across his skin, his very soul ablaze with pain. His cries of shock quickly turned to screams of pain. As his body twisted and bent out of shape, Elias watched darkness creep in, as if in slow motion. The ground approached all too quickly however, and Elias welcomed the peace of death. > Chapter 2: The Lone Centurion > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry Day 1123 This is probably a stupid question to think about now, but I wonder if most people know what it's like to get stabbed. Maybe if most people knew is a better question (since ya know, most people are kind of absolutely fucking dead). Still, I have got to say, not a huge fan of it, especially if you get stabbed anywhere in the chest. Barring the fact that you’re probably gonna die cause the chest is where the heart and lungs are (kinda important), but it just feels like you’re gonna die even if you aren’t. Your heart pounds, you can’t remember how to breathe right cause your flipping shit thinking “oh no! I’ve been stabbed!” Overall, it is not a pleasant experience. If anyone ever reads these fucking things, being stabbed; 1/10. Much more fun to light your arm hair on fire, 'cause at least that grows back. Elias felt the breath drive itself out of his lungs as his back impacted the unforgiving ground. He saw stars as his head connected shortly after. He groaned and fumbled at the clasp of his helmet. As soon as he unhooked the clip, he tossed the plumed helm to his left as he clutched the back of his head, trying to make the sharp pain go away. He felt something wet on his fingertips, though if it was sweat or blood, he couldn't tell. Elias mentally stopped for a moment, then ran his fingers through his hair again, wincing as he grazed what was no doubt a concussion. Pain. Dead people didn’t feel pain. Elias opened his eyes and was greeted with the sight of dark foliage above his head. That wasn’t right. The anomaly had cleared the landscape around it; he should have seen the same starless skies as always, not leaves. Elias rubbed the back of his head; if his head hurt, then he may have hallucinated the whole thing as a result of some tragic head injury. The attack, the bloody revenge, the chase. All a figment of his imagination. For a second hope flickered in his chest, and Elias attempted to sit up to take stock of his surroundings, only to be driven back down by a sharp pain in his right lung. As he stared at the arrow protruding from his chest plate, Elias quickly made the realization that his stupid optimism was dead wrong. He sighed and laid back. So much for that thought. It had all happened, including the part where he had been driven off a cliff and into an anomaly. How he wasn’t dead was a mystery. The fall alone should have broken his spine, and that didn’t take into account the anomaly, which should have torn him apart in a horrific and violent manner. So why was he still breathing? The why and how of his survival could wait for now, Elias decided. He needed to be more concerned with the what and where. The first thing being the pair of what’s currently sticking out of his chest and leg respectively. Elias looked around, and spotted his pack lying a few feet away. Moving carefully to avoid agitating the arrows, he scooted along the ground on his backside. Those few feet exhausted him, and he struggled to breathe in a way that wouldn’t drive the arrow in his chest any deeper. Already he could feel it poking at his lung when he took too deep of a breath. Elias dragged his ruck sack to his side and briefly touched the pair of arrows sticking out of it. He opened the top flap and began carefully rifling through the bag’s contents, guiding himself primarily by touch. He was lucky, one of the arrows had gone clean through the bag without piercing anything, stopping only when it had hit the armor on his back. He quickly snapped the head off of the arrow and withdrew the shaft from his ruck, discarding it to the side. He then pushed aside his spare tunics and underwear, and found where the second arrow had embedded itself. The arrow had fully impaled his worn copy of Sun Tzu, and the tip of it poked at his rolls of gauze; perfect. Elias retrieved the gauze, choosing to leave the second arrow where it was; he could always deal with it later. Elias dragged himself so that he was propped up on a tree, then decided he would deal with the most dangerous injury first. If he messed it up, at least he would die in less pain than if he started with the leg injury first. He withdrew his lighter from its pouch on his belt, flicked it to life, then balanced it in his lap. With the small flame as his light source, he got a slightly better look at the wound in his chest. The arrow itself was embedded at least to the head; but Elias couldn’t really tell with his armor obscuring it. Blood seeped from the wound, so he knew it made some sort of contact. The odd thing was that the fletching of the arrow looked lightly charred, like someone had left it a little too close to a campfire. Didn’t matter. He could study it further once it was out his chest. Elias had some cursory medical training, but how to take care of an arrow the right way was beyond him. He imagined the tip was barbed, which made simply pulling it out a fantasy. Even if he managed to not gouge a hole in his chest, it would ruin his mail and plate armor. As he weighed the merits of sacrificing his armor for his health, his hand brushed the arrow shaft, sending a jolt of pain through his chest, stopping his breath short. Elias choked for a moment before he was able to fully come back to his senses. Yes, removal was definitely out. Which left the second option, break the shaft, bind the wound, and pray that he found a kind enough soul to remove the head properly before some freak accident drove it all the way into his lung and he drowned in his own blood. Elias took as deep of a breath as he dared before he placed his right hand firmly around the shaft where it protruded from his armor. He gritted his teeth as another jolt of pain shocked through his chest, but ignored it and grabbed the rest of the shaft in his left hand. He counted to three, but broke the shaft on two. He squeezed his eyes shut and panted hard as he rode out the wave of pain that followed, coursing from his chest to his leg and back up again. Elias waited a few seconds before he opened his eyes again to look at his handiwork. His right hand was still firmly holding the remains of the arrow in place while his left clutched the shattered shaft. Blood seeped through his fingers, but ultimately, the head of the arrow didn’t feel like it was any deeper in his chest. Elias dropped the broken shaft and did his best to pack gauze into the wound in a way that he would be able to move without driving it deeper. Once he was satisfied that the arrow wasn’t in immediate danger of killing him, he turned his attention to the one in his calf. Somehow, the arrow had slipped past his leg guard without damaging it. It had only just barely stuck in his leg If it had been any farther to the right, it may have flat out missed. As it was, removal was much easier, especially given that the tip was already beginning to poke out of his flesh. Gritting his teeth, Elias pressed on the fletching and pushed the arrow the rest of the way through his skin. Once the blood-soaked head was fully out, Elias snapped off it off and pulled the shaft out the entrance of the wound. He then quickly bound the leg tightly, using the last of his gauze roll to do so. Elias did his best to wipe the blood from his hands on the grass, and then, grabbing his lighter, he made his first attempt to stand. He used the tree at his back as a brace, and pushed himself to his feet, his left-hand clutching at his chest. That simple action was enough to drive the breath from his lungs. His injured leg held his weight, but just barely. He needed a safe place to rest, and he needed it badly. Even if he had somehow escaped from the raider gangs pursuing him, hungry animals would be able to smell his blood for miles and would relish at the chance for an easy meal. In his current state, that was all he was, a meal. Using the dim light from his lighter, Elias repacked his bag and then dragged the ruck back to where he had left his helmet. Beside the discarded helm sat his scutum, its steel boss reflecting his pitiful light source. Elias dropped his ruck next to it and moved to retrieve his helmet. Blackness swamped his vision as he overbalanced, and his leg gave out beneath him. Elias collapsed, his face quickly meeting the dirt, his breath wheezing as sharp pain arced across his body. Long, agonizing coughs coursed through his chest as he tried vainly to recover. Briefly, Elias tasted blood in his mouth. Eventually, after several painful minutes of coughing, Elias could breathe again. He was much worse off than he had initially thought. His body wouldn’t hold out long enough to find shelter. Elias rolled over and took a deep breath. Not bothering to find his lighter, he blindly fumbled for the straps on his bag, and upon finding it, he dragged it to his side. He then slid his left arm through the straps of his shield and laid it over his chest, the right side resting on his ruck sack. With this single piece of protection, Elias quickly drifted off into a dreamless sleep. ***** Bright sunlight stabbed at his eyes as Elias awoke with a ragged cough. It sounded wet, and he couldn't help but notice that each and every cough made the arrow stab just a little deeper into his chest. He wheezed as he brought his breathing under control. Shoving his shield off of his chest, Elias covered his weary eyes with his hand. He didn’t move for several minutes, and had it been a perfect world, he imagined that he wouldn’t move ever again. But as things stood… With a groan, Elias sat up, his hand drifting to his chest wound. In the morning light, the center of the bandage glistened red, but so far it hadn’t soaked completely through. The bandage around his leg was in a similar condition. He knew that he should change the bandages, but if he remembered correctly, he only had two rolls of gauze left. He grunted as he scooted his ruck onto his knees, his mind occupied with trying to remember what he had left. Better to check than to guess. Elias opened the bag and methodically removed everything inside. In total, Elias still had all of his armor, his shield, and his gladius, as well as a single hand grenade. From the bag came a spare tunic and underwear, a full change of “normal” clothes, steel toed boots, and a pair of worn sandals. Toward the bottom of the bag sat his journals, most of them damaged in some way. Out too came Sun Tzu, and the Complete Roman Army, as well as his other rolls of gauze. These he stacked on top of his sandals. Elias froze when his hand drifted across a familiar piece of cloth. His throat tightened as he removed his old legion standard, its brilliant golden eagle shining despite the bloodstains painting it. He took a deep breath, and with great care placed it on top of his stack journals. He looked away from the bit of cloth for a moment, taking several more deep breaths before continuing his check. With the inner pockets empty, Elias moved onto the outer pockets, finishing his inventory by emptying the small pockets, which contained a half empty flask of whiskey, four cigarettes, a pair of binoculars with one functioning lens, and a bag of moldy jerky. His canteens were gone. The pocket that had held them was scorched beyond recognition. Elias bit his tongue in thought for a moment, then quickly repacked his ruck sack, his first task clear. A healthy person could die of dehydration within days, and with his wounds leaking as they were, water needed to be a priority. As he moved to cinch the top of his ruck, Elias slipped the grenade from his belt and tucked it between his spare clothes. It was his last one, and he needed to conserve it for an emergency. With his pack whole again, Elias got to his feet slowly. He tied both his shield and helmet to the ruck sack, then, with great care, Elias slid the straps over his shoulders, tightening them so that it would move as little as possible. He did one last gear check, and then set off in the direction of the rising sun. The raider camps had been to the west, and he needed time to rest and refit before he began harassing them again. East was the best option. As he walked, Elias shut out all noise as he tried to listen for the sound of rushing water. He also kept an eye out for any game trails that might lead to fresh water. While animals had a tendency to be rare, those that struggled on needed to drink. Hours passed before Elias spotted a dirt path winding through the forest. He slipped into the brush by the side of the trail, and crouching as low as his injuries allowed, investigated the trail. The path was well worn, with dozens of animal tracks crossing it. To his eyes, it looked almost akin to one of the old hiking trails that still clung on in the long abandoned national parks. This trail however, contained no distinguishable shoe prints. What confused Elias was that it did seem to have hoof prints similar to that of a horse. Elias had never seen a live horse before, since by the time he was out in the world by himself, most had been eaten or ridden to death. His only knowledge about them came from the books he scavenged. He gazed up the trail, his eyes following it as it winded deeper into the forest. Maybe some extremely lucky people had holed up in the forest and just lived off the land, keeping the horses alive against the odds. Elias frowned and stared back at trail in front of him. That thought didn’t completely explain why there were no human prints. In theory, they would need to walk at some point, and when they did, they would follow a trail like the one before him. Unsure of what his findings meant, Elias decided to play it safe, and retreated into the trees, getting so he could only barely see the trail. He then followed it to his left, the terrain slowly declining. Easier to find water in lowlands, he reasoned. Elias walked for less than half an hour along the trail, stopping frequently to catch his breath. Initially, he had been able to ignore his wounds, the adrenaline he felt in his quest for water more than enough to keep him going; but the longer he walked, the more agitated the injuries became. The one in his leg had become especially painful, blood finally soaking through the bandage. A red stream trickled down his leg and had begun pooling in his sandal. Elias leaned against a tree as he checked the injury, ensuring that the binding wasn’t slipping. He ran his fingers over the blood-soaked bandage with a look of disgust, cursing his luck. He had wanted to save his extra gauze for once he found water, but with the blood seeping through as much as it was... Elias swore silently again. If he had a stable source of clean water, he could always boil the bandages and use them over and over until he found someone who could help him, but the wound wouldn't be ignored and couldn't wait. He shook his head in exasperation at the state of the bandage, sighing as he began to slide his ruck off. Elias held his breath and froze as the pack was half way off his shoulders. He had thought he had heard… there. The sound was almost covered by the birds whistling in the trees, but he could just faintly hear voices, and what sounded to him like laughter. If anyone was that care-free, that likely meant they were settled nearby. If they were settled that meant they had a water supply. A trace of a grin flashed across his face as an optimistic thought crept in. If they were happy enough to laugh, they may be healthy enough to do so, which meant they just might have the medical supplies, or if his luck held, a doctor, that he so desperately needed. Elias left the trail and instead followed the sound of the noise. He had to pause occasionally to relocate the sound, but after a few minutes, it was loud enough that he was able to track it easily. He quickened his pace, ignoring the sharp jolts of pain shooting up his leg and through his chest. Ahead, the trees lightened, the sun all but erasing the shade the forest provided. Elias stopped short of these trees, intelligent thought returning. He had no idea what kind of people he was about to sprint headlong into. As far as he knew, the raiders had broken camp when they didn’t find his body and that laughter was them celebrating their escape from him. His eyes narrowed at the thought, and he crouched low. Elias withdrew his broken binoculars from his belt and crept forward, moving from tree to tree. In front of him, the trees broke, and a cursory glance displayed green fields surrounding a watering hole. Elias picked a tree on the edge of the forest line and crouched behind it so that only his head could be seen. He then brought his broken binoculars to his eyes and took in the landscape. He started with what was far away. Over a small hill, Elias saw what he thought were thatch rooftops, indicating a town of some kind. That was a good sign. Raiders didn’t create towns, and they certainly didn’t build them from nothing. The hillside itself was covered with thick green grass, greener than anything he had seen in ages. It looked almost untouched. Below the hillside sat his target, the shores of the most beautiful pond he had ever seen. He finally acknowledged the aching dryness in his mouth with a lick of his dry lips, and he almost started forward, just barely curbing his desperate thirst with the knowledge that he still hadn’t put eyes on the source of the voices. Almost as if on cue, Elias spotted a small herd of horses sitting in the shade of a solitary tree. The colors on them seemed strange though. From all he had heard and read about, horses had largely natural color tones, ranging from muted reds to an array of deep browns, but these horses were all wrong. The colors ranged widely, two were white, but their manes were purple and blue respectively. Another was as blue as the sky, with an array of different colors decorating its head and back like a rainbow. Finally, a bright pink one seemed to bounce around in the shade chasing what looked like a small lizard, while a purple one sat relaxed on a blanket reading a book. Elias coughed in disbelief and slipped fully behind the tree. He checked his wounds, as well as his pulse. The bandages had been soaked clean through, but his pulse was still strong, nowhere near where it needed to be for him to be experiencing vivid hallucinations. Everything seemed to click into place, and Elias felt his eyes widen as he looked around. He hadn't noticed, he had just been so focused, but he realized how different the forest around him looked. Not a single tree looked malformed or damaged in any way. All of the grass, including the patch under his feet was lush, showing no signs of being browned with radiation. The air itself was bursting with the sounds of birdsong, something that only happened on the rarest of occasions. The sun itself seemed brighter, unobscured by the grey smog of a blasted world. The sky was so blue it was almost painful to look at. The air even smelled cleaner. Elias froze for a moment, his mind struggling to process what his senses were telling him. He spun back around and brought his binoculars back to his eyes, seeking out the multi-colored horses again. Most of them were watching the pink one, except for the white one with blue hair, who seemed to be looking around for potential threats. The pink one seemed to be convulsing in a strange manner. Elias felt the breath in his chest stop when he realized that the pink horse was pointing directly at him. There was nothing but forest around him, and one of the legs was pointed right at his chest. Hundreds of yards away and the horse was just pointing at him. The rest began looking in his direction, but none seemed to have the unnerving focus of the pink one. Moving as quietly as possible, Elias slipped back from the edge of the trees. He crawled backwards on his belly until he felt he had put enough distance between himself and the treeline, then he got to his feet and made a beeline deeper into the forest. Water was now a secondary priority. Whatever creatures those were, they weren’t normal horses. Maybe they existed in a pocket of radiation and had mutated to have enhanced senses. A wild guess, but he didn’t know, and he didn’t care. What mattered was getting far away, then he could focus on finding water. > Chapter 3: Surviving The Night > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry Day 1402 There are probably about a million different “survival guides” out there, but let me say, most of them are absolute shit. They’ll feed you some crap about how a human can survive weeks without food. Maybe that’s true if you consider breathing “survival”. Lemme tell you something though, a working man can only go about a week without food before he starts to get crazy. When you’re really hungry, you’ll start trying to eat anything, even if you know that it ain’t any good. About noon yesterday I saw this bony looking guy, had to be almost 50. Anyway, I haven’t eaten in two days, but this guy, he looked like he hadn’t eaten in two weeks. I watch him as he wanders around my shelter, but he doesn’t try to get in, simply looks at the boards and ignores it. I almost threw up when he found my shit bucket lying on the ground and went to work. I’ll spare the details, but needless to say that bucket was clean once he was done with it. Winter is always a fucking time to try and survive, but damn if I’m ever that desperate, the only thing I’m gonna bite down on is a bullet. Elias groaned as he gently eased his feet into the stream. His sandals would need to be replaced soon. Normally, they protected his feet just fine for a long day of walking, but today, he had more than one blister on his foot where the shoe had been worn to nothing. The cool water provided temporary relief though, and Elias was more than happy to rest for a few minutes to give his bloodied, aching limbs a break. While he hadn’t had to go far to find the stream, he had kept walking alongside it until the sun was setting to ensure that he wasn’t being pursued. After hours of only himself and the birds, he decided to finally go about cleaning his wounds. He started by washing the caked blood from the previous night from his hands. After he was relatively satisfied that his hands were clean, he set to work unwrapping the bandage from his leg. Elias grimaced as blood dripped from the wound into the stream. The day’s movement had not been kind, and the wound had only barely begun to scab around the edges. The rest was a vibrant red mess that hurt more than Elias would have liked. Filling his hands with water, he did his best to clean the wound, washing away any dirt that may have slipped under the bandage. Once it was clean enough, Elias used part of his other roll of gauze to bind the wound again. He then gingerly prodded at the wound in his chest. The bandage was in much better condition than the one that had decorated his leg, but it was still a bright red, and he knew it needed changed. He took his time with this bandage, slowly peeling back the layers to save himself as much pain as possible, until after several minutes, the bloody red of the arrowhead touched the air. As soon as the last of the bandage pulled free, Elias immediately began wrapping it up with fresh gauze. He had no idea if it would make the wound worse trying to wash it, so, with caution in mind, he bound it tight once again. With his wounds bound, Elias dropped the soiled bandages to his side and laid back, content to let his feet cool in the stream. The sky was clear of any clouds and was painted in a stunning array of oranges. The air was still warm, and Elias believed he could get away with another night without a fire or shelter. For the first time in years, Elias felt truly relaxed, and he began to doze, the babbling of the stream like soft music in his ears. His eyes closed for what felt like a moment, and then a twig snapped. Elias’ eyes snapped open and his hand shifted immediately to his gladius. The sky was still devoid of clouds, but it was clear that darkness had fallen long ago, and now Elias was out of his element. Whatever was in the woods behind him was likely nocturnal, and likely had the advantage of being able to see him clearly. Elias removed his feet from the stream and slid on his sandals, not bothering to dry his soaking, wrinkled feet. He could worry about the blisters after he managed to outrun whatever it was that was watching him. Elias stood up and strapped on his ruck, making sure that his shield was ready for use on his left arm. He squinted into the darkness of the forest, trying to spot the tell-tale glare that told him he was being watched. Spotting nothing, he instead looked for the ideal direction to run in. He was thankful that it was so clear; it allowed the moon to give him just a touch of light to make out the stream bank. Following his gut instinct, Elias moved upstream, making sure to stay well clear of the trees. While the moon could guide him in the open, the trees would make it too dark to see, easily concealing anything that might have deadly intent. Elias hadn’t walked a hundred steps away from his napping spot when he spotted a pair of dark forms darting from the trees out the corner of his eyes. He dropped to ground, rendered breathless for a moment as the arrow drove itself a bit deeper into his body as his chest smacked the ground. As he regained his breath, he watched the pair of forms. Green eyes stared back at him and Elias tensed, ready to fight if he had to. Elias felt his jaw almost drop in shock when the two creatures looked away and began scanning the ground where he had been laying moments before. 'They have to be fucking with me,' he thought. There was simply no way that he hadn’t been spotted. He was wearing shiny silver armor for fucks sake. Even at night he glowed like a disco ball. Yet for some reason, the two creatures ignored him completely, instead choosing to sweep his former campsite. Elias, not wanting to throw away his absolutely stupid luck, began to crawl backward through the grass, doing his best to keep a low, silent profile amongst the vegetation. Even though the grass came up to his eyebrows, Elias knew that he was still far too visible, and the fact that he hadn’t been spotted was a miracle. He froze when the horn of one of the creatures lit up in a deep red glow. In the light of its horn, Elias could clearly tell what the creatures were. They were just like the horses from earlier, though the colors were much more muted. The one with the horn was a bluish grey, while the other was almost black, with what looked to Elias like wings. Both were dressed in layered blue armor, including helmets with plumes not unlike the one decorating his own helm. If his memory served, he was staring at a unicorn and a pterippus according to Gallic and Greek mythology respectively. Both of which were armed, armored, and actively searching for him. As distracted as he was with analyzing the horses, he had failed to realize what was suspended in the aura of the unicorn. Elias grimaced and silently cursed himself for being so stupid. Painted even redder by the aura of the unicorn, the blood-soaked bandage that had been on his leg hours ago seemed to mock him. The bandage floated closer to the nose of the pterippus, who sniffed at it. Elias felt his eye twitch. He needed to move, and fast. The breeze was slight, but he was upwind of the pair of horses. Elias slowly inched his gladius from its sheathe, his eyes following the pterippus. He had no way to kill it if it got in the air. As it stood, he was going to have to move fast to even consider grounding the flying beast. He took as deep of a breath as he could and tensed, ready to make his attack, when the pterippus took flight, quickly disappearing over the trees. Elias’ gaze shifted quickly to the unicorn. The red aura was gone, as was the bandage. The unicorn scanned the ground where he had slept, likely looking for anything else that would make Elias easier to track. Elias began to crawl backward again, his eyes scanning the top of the trees for any sign of more pterippi. If he could get far enough away, he could make a dash for the cover of the forest, then he wouldn’t have to… “Please don’t move.” Elias froze and his grip on his gladius tightened. The unicorn was staring right at him, just like the pink one had earlier. Now however, the unicorn was close, and its eyes were glowing bright green. His fight or flight response was in overdrive, but his body simply couldn’t decide which one. On one hand, it was one opponent, and he might still have the element of surprise if he moved fast enough. On the other hand, this was an unknown enemy with unknown capabilities and an unknown amount of reinforcements nearby. Either way he looked at it, Elias was not in a good spot. Elias felt his eye twitch again as he watched the unicorn speak. “You are injured, the bandages tell me that much. Believe me when I say we just want to talk. All you need to do is wait until the princess gets here, then we can see about getting you fixed up.” Watching the words come out of the unicorn’s mouth was a surreal experience. A fairytale creature was speaking in perfect English and not only did it want him to stay and talk more, it wanted to help him as well. 'Maybe I have gone insane,' Elias thought for a moment. Shrugging off the thought, Elias began to slowly crawl backward again. It was idiotic, but maybe the unicorn was bluffing, attempting to flush Elias out of his hiding spot. That hope was dashed when his foot tapped against a wall that matched the color of the unicorn’s magical aura. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be. We just need to know why you were spying on Ponyville today. Then we can help you. You’ve left a trail of blood in your wake; you can’t possibly keep running as you are.” Elias ignored the unicorn’s words, and steeled his mind as he sprang into action. Flight was now out of the question, he was trapped. That left one option. With a shout, Elias was on his feet and sprinting at the unicorn, his armor glistening in the moonlight. The unicorn was slightly surprised by his sudden attack, but not as much as Elias would have liked. He swung his gladius at the unicorn’s neck, only to have the blade smacked away by a sword wrapped in a red aura. That aura failed when his scutum cracked into the side of the unicorn’s head. The unicorn’s helmet flew free, the strap snapped by the force of the blow. It hit the stream with a splash. The unicorn crumpled to the ground and the wall of energy behind Elias dissipated. Elias crouched next to the unicorn’s still body, his chest heaving. It had happened in seconds, but that brief bit of action had burned clean through his energy. His limbs felt fragile, and the wound in his chest ached with renewed pain. Elias noticed the rise and fall of the unicorn’s chest and briefly considered slitting the creature’s throat. As he got to his feet, he sheathed his gladius, deciding against it. If these creatures were organized, they likely took priority in caring for their wounded, he reasoned. A wounded body could stop three to four more, leaving less to pursue him. Elias stepped over the unicorn and began to walk downstream. It was likely that the pterippus had also spotted him, and would know that he had been retreating upstream. Better to go downstream and attempt to throw them off. He walked as fast as he could, doing his best to ignore the pain in his leg. Elias didn’t make it far before he saw a brilliant red flare light up the night sky behind him. It painted the shadows around him crimson, and Elias knew that even though he had managed to get away, his temporary lead would soon vanish. Walking onward, he scanned the landscape for any place he could set an ambush. Running wasn’t going to work on his busted leg, and Elias wasn’t one to crawl in a hole to hide; he needed a good place to take a stand. The stream to his right began to run faster as he walked, the noise covering the sound of his armor nicely. The night seemed to grow darker as he walked, and he squinted harder to continue making out the landscape around him. Elias had a creeping feeling that the shadows of the trees were hiding an unknown threat. He did his best to quicken his pace, pushing past the pain his injuries were causing him. He briefly considered crossing the stream in an attempt to throw an pursuit off his scent but decided against it. It had had already gotten much faster, with the water rushing ahead to some unseen drop off. If he stepped in the fast-moving water on his bad leg, he would no doubt be swept away. Paranoid and attentive as he was, Elias was still unprepared when several dark forms peeled away from the trees, their quick, diagonal movement making clear their intentions. He gritted his teeth as he began to run, doing his best to stay ahead of the sprinting creatures. Elias assumed that they were more of the armored horses, but didn’t bother wasting time checking, instead focusing on keeping his balance. His leg was screaming at him to stop, any healing it had done in the past few hours squandered as he ran. It took mere seconds for the horses to catch up. Unlike the unicorn, they said nothing, and instead seemed focused purely on running Elias down. Elias grimaced as he made a split-second decision and cut the straps to his ruck, letting the heavy bag fall away. The sum total of his life hit the ground, acting as a minor hurdle for the horses, who didn’t slow down as they leapt over it. Still, without the weight of his ruck on his back, Elias was able to pick his pace up a bit more, keeping just out of the horses’ reach. Elias briefly considered turning to throw his scutum at the horses, going so far to even look back and pick out a target, but decided against it; he would need it when the inevitable fight came. While he was looking back however, he failed to notice that the ground he was running on ended abruptly. He had only an instance to realize his mistake as he pitched over the side of a steep cliff, the thundering of a waterfall echoing to his right. The first hit hurt, his left arm snapping in two as he hit a stone outcropping. The second hit hurt worse as his chest impacted, driving the breath fully from his lungs. The third hit didn’t hurt much at all, but was by far the worst of the three as Elias began to sink, his armor acting as an anchor. Elias clawed desperately at the murky, dark water, his lungs already on fire. His luck held however as his sandals touched the silty bottom of the waterfall’s plunge pool. Elias tried not to panic as he walked forward, using his good arm as a paddle as he moved toward the shallow shoreline. Blackness tinted the edge of his vision as he struggled against the weight of his armor and the crushing pressure his lungs were under. Elias gasped desperately as he flopped out of the water. Using his right hand, he dragged himself forward until only his sandals were still in the water, and then he simply collapsed. Each breath ended with a cough, and Elias struggled to breathe as he hacked up a stream of liquid from his lungs. 'Funny,' he thought, 'I don’t remember swallowing any water.' His shield was long gone, likely lost when he broke the arm. Luckily, his gladius had remained in its sheathe, meaning he still had at least a bit of protection. On his hands and knees, Elias fell into another coughing fit, this one more painful than the last. Elias tasted blood in his mouth, and he spit out a thick glob of it into the grass. Elias put a hand to his chest as he struggled to take another breath, and that’s when he noticed. The bandage covering his chest wound was gone, and he could no longer feel the tip of the arrow with his fingers. Another coughing fit shook his body, and Elias felt his chest tighten as he desperately tried to take a breath. More blood welled up, pouring out of his nose as well as his mouth. He clutched at the chest wound, praying that maybe if he could contain the blood, he could breathe again. Elias gave himself credit. When the horses impacted the ground in a half circle around him, he was on his feet, sword in hand within an instant. He kept his gladius pointed at the center of the semi-circle, ready to strike if any of them got too close. For a moment, the change in position allowed him to get half a breath of air before his chest tightened again. With his other arm broken, he couldn’t even try to stop the blood pouring from his chest, let alone figure out how he was going to remove the arrowhead so that he could breathe again. Time was as short as the amount of air he still had in his lungs, practically non-existent. Maybe it was the shock, the fact that he couldn’t breathe, or the fact that he was certain that he was going to die, but Elias didn’t even flinch when a horse substantially larger than the rest stepped out of the shadows and lit the surrounding area blue with an aura from its horn. While most of the horses were a good foot shorter than he was, this one matched his height at six-foot even. On any other occasion, Elias imagined that his brain would tell him that this was a leader of some kind. As it stood, all of the alarm bells in his head were screaming at him to breathe as coughing shook his body once again. On the last cough a spray of blood left his mouth, and he fell to one knee. The large horse seemed to take this as a sign to move forward, which Elias quickly warded off with a growl and a half-hearted swing of his sword. The motion brought out more coughing and Elias wheezed as he fell to his hands and knees once more. Any attempt to draw breath made him choke, and the spots in his vision were steadily consuming it. Only vaguely did he realize that the horses were talking. “Princess, I really don’t think you should too get close to that thing. It is still armed and clearly does not want help.” Elias felt a chunk of flesh fall out of his mouth with the last cough. He managed to get a foot underneath his body, but as soon as he put any weight on it, he collapsed completely, choking in agony as he rolled onto his broken arm. His gladius fell away, disappearing into the growing darkness. He seemed to remember the moon being brighter. “Captain, it is clear that the creature is in great pain and is simply scared. As far as we know, it is dying. I will not condemn an innocent creature to suffer in such a manner, call forth a healer.” Elias realized that he was freezing. Odd considering how warm it had been earlier. He curled into a ball, cradling his broken arm. He had extra clothes in his ruck though. He could use those to warm up, get a fire going, the works. It would be a regular camping trip. “Princess, if I may, it has already assaulted a guard and was caught spying on several of the Elements. It clearly has some sort of malicious intent.” Elias stared blankly at the horses. They were talking. They weren’t supposed to be, but they were. The books he read said they didn’t. He had never seen one in real life though, so what did a book know? “Captain that is enough. Malicious or not, we will not be able to tell if the creature dies. Call forth a healer immediately while I attempt to stabilize it.” Elias felt his throat squeak as it searched for air. His chest grew tighter and tighter with each little gasp. It was so cold. He desperately wished it wasn’t. Elias felt something roll him onto his back. It was so much warmer, he wanted to curl around it, let the warmth soak into his very core, but he found that he couldn’t move. None of his limbs would respond, neither would his head. He also realized that he couldn’t see, the world completely black. His last sense to go was his hearing. Elias heard one sentence before he passed out. “Do not worry little one, you are safe now.” > Chapter 4: Recovery > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry: Day 1470 Town of Eastwood That’s the third settlement this week. Raiders rolled in, enslaved or killed the townspeople, I rolled in a few days later and butchered them all. One of these days people are going to figure out that they are never safe. I just hope the raiders don’t figure it out before I kill them all. Ammunition is starting to run low, even with what I’ve been picking up from their corpses. I need to find an alternative soon. Maybe after I catch up to those traitors, I can look into it. Still, Eastwood is burning, survivors, 0. Elias coughed it into his arm. His eyes burned as he tried to peer through the smoke, desperate to find the battlefield again. Above him, the treetops were beginning to catch fire. Using his arm as a shield against the smoke, he advanced, using his gladius to cut through any burning brush that got in his way. 'Have to find them,' he thought. 'Have to get them away from here.' Elias heard a scream to his right. He paused and tried to look in that direction, but saw nothing except fire. Another scream rent the air, this one distinctly female. He took a deep breath, then set off at a sprint. He did his best to skirt the areas that were burning, but after he was almost crushed by a burning log, he decided to ignore the pain in his feet and just push through. As he dipped around a particularly large tree, a pair of faceless men swung bats at his head. Elias dipped under one swing, and caught the second one on his left arm. Elias did his best to ignore the sickening crunch and the wave of pain that attempted to overwhelm him. His gladius cut through the throat of the man who had broken his arm, and the man collapsed with a bloody gurgle. Elias spun around just as the other man hit him in the arm again. Elias screamed this time, but it was a scream of both pain and rage. Elias kicked the man in the chest, sending him stumbling back into a tree. Elias then screamed again as he plunged his gladius deep into the man’s stomach. The sword embedded itself in the tree, but Elias didn’t care. Using his good arm, he grabbed the man’s chin and forced his eyes up. And then the face changed. Elias yelped as he leapt backward. The man was gone. The only sign he had been there at all was Elias’ still bloody gladius embedded in the tree. Elias stood in shock for a moment. He had just killed… Another scream echoed in his ears and Elias sprinted toward the sound, leaving his gladius in the tree. He stumbled several times, almost collapsing in agony more than once, but he pressed onward. Anything to be away from that face. The ground changed when he wasn’t paying attention. Elias rolled down a steep hill, only stopping when his chest slammed into a stump. He coughed into his hand, barely registering the red covering it. He staggered to his feet and looked around. The smoke was gone, as was the heat of the flames. If anything, the forest was quiet, peaceful even. A light, white mist decorated the ground amongst the tall pine trees. Elias fell to his knees when the scream appeared right beside his head. Over and over again. Scream after scream, so many different screams. A woman first, then a man’s scream. Cries of agony, pain, grief. So many screams. Elias shut his eyes as tight as he could and tried to cover his ears. Still the screams got through. They happened in his head, interrupting his thoughts, tearing him apart from the inside. He couldn’t take the screaming. He couldn’t take… It all stopped at once. Everything was quiet again. Elias didn’t want to open his eyes. He knew only one silence that was so heavy, so deep. It was a never ending pressure that crushed his chest, but he just couldn't open his eyes. He didn’t want to see it again. Didn’t want to bear witness anymore. His eyes opened anyway. Elias looked across the desolate battlefield. Not even the birds wanted to disturb its silence. So many bodies. In the distance, the standard was raised high, its bearer wearing a smile on his face that Elias could see even from so far away. They were all smiling. Every single one. He could see every face, could remember every single one. Elias tried to forget. Tried to erase their names from his mind. Tried to invent terrible lies to make it so he wouldn’t remember this time. They would start to speak if he remembered. Elias almost smiled when a sword tore through his chest. Elias shot awake, a hand clutching the wound in his chest. His eyes were wide as he tried desperately to get his breathing under control. He was covered head to toe in sweat, and if he had been wearing any clothes, he was sure they would have been soaked clean through. It was that oddity that allowed Elias to bring himself fully out of his night terror. Gradually, he got his breathing under control to a point that he noticed it didn’t hurt to take deep breaths anymore. Elias flopped back, his head hitting a pillow. He used his right hand to brush the sweat from his brow and he left the limb there, allowing the solid feeling of his hand to focus his mind. After a few more deep breaths, Elias began to take stock of the room he was in. It was dark, the large windows clearly indicating that it was nighttime. Moon beams filtered into the room, allowing enough illumination for him to see a short row of empty beds beside him. 'An infirmary,' Elias thought to himself. IV stands sat next to all of the beds, including the pole that sat next to him. The line attached to the bag dangled to the ground, and Elias could just barely see a blood-stained needle on the floor. He looked at his arm, quickly finding the leaking hole that the needle had occupied moments before. He moved to staunch the bleeding with his left hand, only to find the entire arm suspended in a cast. Elias looked back and forth between his bleeding arm and his broken arm, debating what his next course of action should be. At that moment, a unicorn opened the door at far end of the infirmary and their eyes met. The horse’s eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight, and Elias didn’t want to blink for fear of the creature suddenly appearing at his side like some kind of wraith. The unicorn flipped an unseen switch and brilliant yellow light suddenly blinded Elias. He tried to raise his arm to cover his eyes, but the unicorn was already by his bedside, Elias’ arm gripped firmly between its hooves. The sensation was strange. Although there was clearly nothing that should allow the hooves to grip him, it felt like a pair of hands were wrapped around his arm. The unicorn tsked and Elias watched as a bandage floated off of a nightstand he hadn’t noticed. “Looks like you blew the vein. I really don’t want to put another IV in this arm if I don’t have to.” The unicorn was male if his voice was any indicator. Elias did his best to memorize different details about the apparent doctor. Yellow fur covered the horse, but Elias had expected this, the books he had read giving him a basic description to work off of. Horses had fur, and these ones should be no different. The similarities ended there, however. Ignoring the obvious horn sticking out of his head, the unicorn was smaller than normal horses. Elias estimated that the top of its head would come up to the top of his stomach while standing. The eyes of the horse were large, taking up most of the space on the unicorn’s face, and oddly, they both faced forward, giving his face an almost human like quality. The nose was also smaller than he thought it would be. Finally, the unicorn was wearing a white coat, which Elias found that he wasn’t entirely shocked by. After all, the horses from before had been wearing armor. The horses from before… In a mild state of delirious panic, Elias attempted to jerk his arm away from the unicorn, drawing a confused look from the horse. “You aren’t in any pain, are you?" It asked. "I thought I had put a powerful enough numbing spell on your arm so you wouldn’t feel it.” Elias winced as he tried to formulate the words in his mind. “Don’t trust,” he said in a low growl. His voice was a bit hoarse, and the front and back of his sentence dropped off. The words that he had spoken sounded forced, like his tongue didn’t quite remember what proper speech felt like. It had been months since he had spoken last. He had yelled many times, sure, but he hadn’t shared any words with anyone. There was simply no need, but now that there was, his tongue needed to warm up to the task. The unicorn’s brow furrowed. “May I ask why?” he asked. “Pursued by armored ones,” Elias said slowly. His voice sounded lower than he remembered. “Don’t know why, just wouldn’t leave me be.” Elias winced at his rough speech. It was coming back slowly, but he would need a bit of practice if he wanted to sound vaguely intelligent. The unicorn laid a hoof on Elias’ shoulder. Elias felt his eye twitch as he looked at it. “Look at me,” the unicorn said. Elias’ eyes shifted to the unicorn’s face, and he saw… concern? “You are safe here. If you had truly done something terrible, the princess wouldn’t have brought you in for healing. Nopony is going to hurt you.” Elias didn’t believe him. He couldn’t. It was a fever dream. Nothing was that simple, that easy. “I attacked them. Hurt at least one,” Elias said. The unicorn smirked. “Who? Thunder? All you did was leave a big welt on his thick skull. He was madder that he lost his helmet than the fact that you hit him. He’s fine now, back to guard duty the same night.” Elias didn’t believe that. He had snapped necks with the hits like that. Sure, that unicorn had still been breathing when he had left him, but it should have been weeks of recovery at least. It had to be a lie. Make him let his guard down. Still, they couldn’t know he was aware of their attempt at deception. Elias didn’t know what they intended for him, but he had to play his cards right, or he wouldn’t get a chance to escape. He laid back against the pillow and relaxed his arm. “Where am I?” he rasped. The unicorn seemed to take his relaxation as a good sign and resumed work on his arm. “You’re in the castle medical ward. You’ve been here for two days now. It gave me quite the scare when Princess Luna brought you in all torn up like you were. I’m one of the best ponies in the business for battlefield medicine, but I haven’t seen wounds like that in all my time as a doctor.” Elias noticed that the unicorn omitted any actual locations, confirming his suspicions. It was a sham; they were hiding something. He watched out of the corner of his eye as the unicorn finished wrapping his arm. The unicorn then levitated the clipboard into one of his hooves. “Still, the princess couldn’t have timed it any better. I was just finishing organizing the supply room when she came in. I had all the tools I needed to fix you up ready in a snap. Once we got that armor of yours off, it didn’t take long before we got that nasty arrowhead out of your chest.” As he looked at the large bandage on his chest, Elias once again realized he was naked, his privates free for the world to see. Knowing any attempt to cover them would simply bring attention to his nakedness, he turned his head to the unicorn and asked; “Where are my clothes?” The unicorn looked up from his clipboard and scrunched his nose. “I’m afraid we had to cut away the shirt. We couldn’t get the wound clean with it in the way. Your undergarment is intact, however. We removed it to ensure that it wouldn’t interrupt circulation. I can get it for you if it would make you more comfortable.” Elias nodded. “I’d appreciate that.” The unicorn smiled a bit and trotted off to retrieve Elias’ underwear. Elias simply stared at the ceiling, a plan taking shape in his mind. If he was lucky, the razor blade he had sewn into the waistband was still there. It wasn’t a substantial weapon, but it was better than nothing. It took only a few minutes before the unicorn returned; the underwear suspended in his magic. Elias began to swing his leg out of the bed, but stopped when the underwear disappeared from the unicorn’s aura, reappearing around his crotch. He eyed the unicorn, who smiled back at him. “That spell’s pretty easy for getting clothes on. It is a lot harder to do under surgical stress. I’m sure the princess will be more than happy to help you find a tailor to get you new clothes once you’ve talked in the morning.” Elias did his best to hide his grimace. Morning couldn’t be more than a few hours off. He needed more time to think. Still, the unicorn couldn’t be allowed to figure out what he was thinking. Elias gave a single tired nod to the horse and turned to his side. The unicorn sighed and began to walk away. “Sleep well. And remember, you are safe here.” The light clicked off, and Elias waited until the unicorn’s footsteps faded from earshot. Then he counted to a hundred. Then he did it again. After the two hundred counts had passed, Elias flipped to his back and used his right hand to feel along the seam of his underwear. It should be right where the tag used to… there. Elias didn’t remove the blade, he wanted to keep it hidden for now. He would need time to make an escape plan, and in truth, all he needed to do was convince these “princesses” that he wouldn’t do anything. Elias briefly rubbed the bandage covering his chest wound. It didn’t hurt much, which he considered a positive. He had no idea what the condition of his leg was, but he had a strong feeling that he could run if he had to. His eyes drifted shut as his exhaustion took over once more. He was in the woods again. The treetops were burning, as was the brush in the distance. Heavy smoke obscured the space between the trees. A scream tore through the forest. Elias hesitated for a moment, then sprinted in the opposite direction. He ignored the wall of flames that rose up to oppose him. He ignored the pain he felt as his hair began to burn, his arms charred from the heat. Another scream echoed through the woods, sounding just as close as it was before. Elias tripped over an unseen root and collapsed to his knees, his chest burning from the exertion. He looked at his hands, expecting to see burns, but instead found them perfectly fine. They looked as healthy as normal. Elias looked up and found that he was in the same clearing as before. The fire was around him, but distant. He looked up as a third scream tore through the air. The tops of the trees were burning. Elias remained on his knees until he heard a fourth scream. He decided to match it with a scream of his own. Maybe if he could drown it out… Elias opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Briefly, he felt like he was being smothered, and then he caught his breath. A scream. Closer this time. Elias drew his sword. “What do you want from me?” he screamed into the fire. Nothing answered. Elias stared into the trees, daring anything to appear. A twig snapped behind him. Elias spun around, sword at the ready, only to find the scene different. The woods were silent, a light mist crawling across the ground. Elias felt his breath quicken. He shook his head, clutching his sword with both hands. He wanted to run, to yell, anything that would keep the screams at bay. He even considered gouging his ear drums out, but he knew it wouldn’t work. Then the screams would simply be in his mind. This time, they started as a whisper. Elias spun wildly, trying to find the source. A figure slipped through the fog, a shadow that Elias saw only out of the corner of his eye. He searched the mist, looking for anything. He took a cautious step forward, only to be driven back immediately by a scream in his face. Elias could almost feel the heat of someone’s breath behind this one. He reflexively tried to cover his ears, but then decided to try a different approach. Elias roared at the scream, cutting the air in front of him with his gladius. The noise stopped immediately, and Elias grinned. Was that all he needed to do? Elias bit his tongue to hold back a scream of pain as the gladius dropped from his grip. He clutched at his right hand, which was now bleeding profusely from a deep gouge in his palm. It looked almost as if it had been cut by a pocketknife. The screams took advantage of his momentary weakness, and returned in full force. Elias searched for his gladius, but found that it had disappeared. He was defenseless. He couldn’t make them go away anymore. Elias pressed his hands to his ears, knowing that it wouldn’t help. He screamed again. He didn’t care that it didn’t help. It just felt right that he should add his own voice to the hell trapped in his ears. Elias momentarily winced at the sound of his voice. It sounded like he had been screaming for hours; his throat felt raw. Then he heard it. A voice was cutting through the screams. It felt more real than the rest. Less familiar, but more at the same time. Elias latched onto that voice, and used it like a scythe, cutting through the screams as he dragged himself back to reality. Elias escaped the night terror slowly this time, his senses coming back one at a time. The first was sight. The room spun in brightly lit circles, but eventually his eyes were able to focus on the face in front of him. It was the unicorn from before, he was talking. Elias shook his head, his eyes wide. He couldn’t hear a thing the unicorn was saying. Touch came back second. Elias felt his chest heaving, his throat burned, and his right hand was in agony. Elias lifted his damaged arm, quickly noticing an alarming amount of blood dripping down his arm. His hand was covered in lacerations, and it didn’t take him long to see the razor blade suspended deep in his palm. A hoof grabbed his face and pulled it back so that his eyes met the unicorn’s. His hearing came back in a rush. His desperate breathing, his heart thudding away; he even thought he could hear the blood rushing to his injured hand. On top of all of that was the unicorn, trying desperately to calm Elias down. “You are safe!” the unicorn said, his voice almost at a yell. Elias could tell that he had been repeating those words for some time. Only vaguely could he remember hearing them in his dream. Elias leaned his back against the nightstand at his back and stared at the ceiling as he slowed his breathing. He tried to pinch the bridge of his nose with his left hand, only to find the motion blocked by the cast. Elias let the arm drop to his lap and closed his eyes. “I’m fine,” he whispered to himself, over and over again. He counted to a hundred before he opened his eyes, swallowing roughly. His eyes fell on the unicorn in front of him, who at some point had stopped speaking and was instead just staring at him, concern obvious on his face. Those wide eyes searched Elias’ face desperately, looking for some sign that he wasn’t out of his mind anymore. Elias felt his eye twitch momentarily before he shook his head and leaned back again. “I’m fine,” he repeated, as much for himself as for the unicorn before him. “It was just a dream.” “That was no ordinary dream,” a voice said. Elias’ eyes quickly found the source, a blue horse with a long horn and wings. Beside her stood an even taller white horse, again with a horn and wings. The pair seemed to be some sort of mix between a unicorn and a pterippus. Both had looks of concern painted clearly across their faces, mixed with something that Elias was all too familiar with, suspicion. His eyes flicked momentarily to the razor blade in his hand, then back to the pair of horses. For some reason, Elias couldn’t hold their gazes. He shook his head before letting his eyes settle on the empty bed next him. “I’m fine,” he repeated, his voice sounding a bit more confident. His eyes flicked back to the pair of horses, who both held doubt in their eyes. Elias’ eyes finally fell on the unicorn in front of him, who didn’t look like he believed Elias for a moment. Elias let out a long breath, his chest finally steady. “I’m fine,” he said with finality. The unicorn looked like he wanted to argue the point, but he instead nodded silently and set to work on Elias’ hand. Elias winced as the unicorn’s aura forcefully removed the razor blade and floated it out of Elias’ sight. Elias silently cursed himself at that. His one out had been discovered only because he couldn’t keep control of his dreams. A stupid mistake that might cost him everything. Elias bit his tongue as the unicorn applied antiseptic to his hand. He watched the doctor work, studying how his hooves functioned like hands, even without the extra digits attached. He became distracted from this however, when he felt a strange, warm sensation across his body. It almost felt like a sheet was dropped on him, and then it disappeared, the sensation vanishing instantly. Elias’ eyes narrowed and immediately shot to the pair of horses standing above him. “What did you just do?” he asked. The white one smiled. “I simply cast a warmth spell little one. You are shivering, and I thought it would make you more comfortable.” Elias didn’t believe a single word. “I don’t believe you,” he said. The white horse’s smile fell slightly and the blue one shifted just a bit closer, almost in a protective manner. Internally, Elias panicked. Why had he said that? He had been tortured dozens of times, and had resisted a variety of truth drugs as well, lying was second nature and his thoughts were always closely guarded. What had they done to him? Luckily for Elias, the unicorn finished bandaging his hand before his traitor tongue could spew any more of his thoughts to the world. “Let’s get you back into bed,” the unicorn said as he moved to Elias’ side. Elias brushed the unicorn off and attempted to get to his feet on his own, only to be driven back down as his vision swam. The room spun as pain coursed through his body. The unicorn once again moved to Elias’ side, and slid under Elias’ arm. Elias grimaced as the unicorn helped him up. He felt frail, like his legs were going to give out at any moment. Coupled with all of his injuries, Elias wasn’t confident he could stand unsupported, let alone put up a fight if he had to. Still, when the unicorn tried to move him toward the bed, Elias resisted, electing to remain standing. He took a deep breath and met the gazes of the two horses in front of him. They were both watching him closely, likely looking for any sign that he intended to attack them. Elias took a deep breath and rattled his brain. His diplomacy skills were extremely rusty, to the point where he believed that any attempt he made to get out of this situation peacefully would be met with stiff resistance. Yet, these creatures had taken the time to patch him up, and since he had woken up, they hadn’t explicitly tried to threaten him. That at least meant that they weren’t an immediate threat. Elias took another deep breath. “I believe that we have gotten off on the wrong foot,” he said slowly, choosing his words carefully. “I am naturally a… cautious man, and with recent events I think you can understand a bit of… paranoia on my part.” The white horse’s smile returned slightly. The blue one however, still looked wary, and kept a close eye on Elias’ movements. “I apologize if my actions have caused any harm, they were merely acts taken in desperation. It was not my attention to spread havoc to those who did not deserve it.” Elias winced, and rubbed at his chest wound briefly. All of this speaking was agitating it, his lungs were unused to the motion of taking breaths between sentences. He’d been alone for far too long. He pressed forward regardless. “I am willing to co-operate with you as much as I can, at least as payment for saving my life. However,” Elias felt his gaze harden as he locked eyes with the white horse. “I will not do so under any sort of compulsion. I may be a stranger in this place that I do not yet know or understand, but I can tell when someone is messing with my mind. Trust is a two-way street; I will offer mine only if I am afforded it in return.” Elias flexed his injured hand, trying not to flinch as pain flashed through it. “If you are willing to meet that demand, then I will do my best to remedy any… mistakes committed on my part. Alright?” Elias extended the damaged hand shakily. His body felt close to giving out, and it showed. His hand quivered in the air as he fought to keep it suspended. Elias did his best to ignore his exhaustion however, and instead tried to hold the white horse’s gaze. Her eyes fell in thought for a moment, before she nodded slowly. Elias watched her horn light up, and immediately felt the affect as she stripped her “spell” away. While he did feel a bit colder, he also felt more in control, as if his thoughts were his own once more. The white horse met his eyes again, a smile still on her face. “I too must apologize little one. I can become rather protective of my ponies, and I will do anything to ensure their safety.” The white horse raised a hoof and tried to gently grasp his hand, but Elias flinched anyway, the pain of the fresh cuts causing his hand to briefly spasm. Elias didn’t let the pain show on his face. “You are right however," she continued, "we must trust each other if we wish to build a better relationship for the future. I promise to you that I will do my very best to make sure that you are treated with fairness as long as you are our guest.” She turned to the blue one. “This reminds me of a friendship lesson Twilight sent the other day,” she joked. “Imagine what she would think if she saw this!” The blue one smirked for a second, but still watched Elias closely. Elias extended his hand toward her as well. “And you?” he asked. The blue pony took longer to respond, her eyes holding much deeper suspicion than the white one. 'That or the white one is better at hiding it,' Elias thought. After several tense moments, the blue one also nodded slowly before firmly taking Elias’ hand. Elias bit his tongue, ignoring the force behind the handshake. “Very well," the blue horse said in a low tone. "But be warned, any action taken to harm our subjects will be met with swift retribution.” It was clear that the blue one was not nearly so free with her trust, and she was more than willing to let Elias know. Her piercing eyes never blinked as she spoke. As Elias’ hand dropped back to his side, the unicorn spoke up. “Princess, with your permission, I think that that is enough for today. He is clearly in great pain and needs more rest before his next healing session.” As he said this, the unicorn tried to nudge Elias toward the bed. Elias shrugged him off again. “I’m fine, it’s just pain, I can ignore it.” The unicorn looked at him incredulously. “Ignore it?” he sputtered. Elias nodded and shrugged. “Life is pain,” he said. “What’s a little more?” Elias looked to the tall ponies. “In fact, if I get my gear back with a bit of food and water, I can be out of your hair by sundown. Point me toward the nearest patch of wilderness, and you’ll never see me again. You have my word.” The white pony shook her head, the smile still on her face. “That won’t be necessary. You are more than welcome to stay as our guest until you are fully healed. I would not be doing my duties as princess if I sent you into the Everfree in your current state.” Elias filed that information away quickly. He had no idea what the “Everfree” was, but it sounded important, perhaps even a good hiding spot if he ever needed it. More importantly, she had called herself a princess, which meant that as long as she was in the room, he was likely being watched closely. His eyes darted around the room, looking for cameras, or any hidey-holes where a guard could be waiting in case he made any sudden moves. Elias didn’t search for long, however. Instead, his eyes quickly found their way back to the princess. Her eyes were studying him, though her face didn’t show it. In all likelihood, she was doing the same thing he was, watching every movement, stealing what information he could get from what few words were spoken. Elias inclined his head. “My thanks then, Princess…?” The pony’s smile seemed to widen, which Elias took as a good sign. It wouldn’t hurt to build some positive affinity for now. 'Especially after what she just witnessed,' Elias thought. “I am Princess Celestia,” she gestured with a wing toward the blue pony, “and this is my sister, Princess Luna.” “Elias,” he replied simply. “And I am Doctor Steel Scalpel,” the unicorn butted in. “Now that introductions are out of the way, Princess I really must insist that Elias gets more rest before you talk more. Even with the healing spells, he is still badly hurt, and shouldn’t be on his feet.” The unicorn emphasized the last part of the sentence by pushing Elias closer to the bed. Elias opened his mouth to speak, but Scalpel cut him off. “I swear if you say “I’m fine” one more time I will knock you out and strap you to the bed until I say that you’re fine.” Elias raised an eyebrow, and his gaze flicked back to the princesses. Both now had smiles on their faces, Celestia especially. “I believe that Doctor Scalpel is correct, our questions can wait until you are better rested.” Turning to Scalpel she asked, “Would it be possible to have Elias well enough for conversation by tonight, say around dinner time?” Scalpel nodded. “Yes Princess, I believe I can have him in a better state by then, if he begins resting immediately.” As he said this, Scalpel gave Elias a death glare and another nudge toward the still empty bed beside him. Elias glared back, but relented, grunting as he lifted his leg onto the bed. He flopped into the bed, dragging his injured leg up beside him. Elias briefly felt each of his ribs poking out with his fingers, then decided to simply rest his hands on his chest. Once he was settled, he looked back up to the princesses. Celestia still had a smile on her face, while Luna had returned to watching him with suspicion. Elias felt his eye twitch. Celestia needed to be watched closely. Nobody honest smiled that much. Suspicion, and even outright hostility he could understand, they were the standard emotions anyone felt when confronted with the unknown. But not happiness, or whatever that smile was hiding. The unknown meant danger, and only the insane or those with malicious intent smiled at danger. Still, Elias kept his thoughts from his face, maintaining his normal serious frown. “It has been good to see you awake Elias; I believe I speak for both of us when I say that I am eager to talk with you more,” Celestia said. “Doctor, once you have finished with today’s healing session, the guard outside can escort Elias to his room to prepare for dinner.” Scalpel nodded and gave a slight bow. “Very well Princess.” Celestia gave a slight nod to Elias and then began making her way toward the door, with Luna following in tow. The blue pony shot a quick glance over her shoulder at Elias, but said nothing as the pair left the infirmary. As the doors closed, Elias felt Doctor Scalpel’s breath on his arm. He slowly turned his head, and met the pony’s rage filled eyes. “What,” Elias said. “What? WHAT?!?” You had me sneak in a bucking razor blade? Are you mad? What, we’re you going to try to fight your way out of the castle with it? Attack the princesses perhaps?” Elias shook his head. “That’s not what the razor is for,” he replied. “And just what is it for then? What could possibly possess you to carry a razor blade in your clothes?” “How many toes do I have?” Elias asked. The question halted the anger radiating from the unicorn momentarily. “Why? What does this have to do with the razor?” Elias pointed toward his feet. “How many toes do I have? Go ahead, count them.” Scalpel looked at Elias’ feet and counted, then shook his head and said, “Eight. I count eight toes.” Elias nodded. “Alright, now count how many fingers I have.” The unicorn looked at him incredulously, but counted Elias’ fingers as well. “Ten.” Elias nodded again. “Normally, those numbers match, used to match for me as well. Then I got captured by some less than savory individuals. They beat me half to death, then burned the bottoms of my feet so I couldn’t walk. When that wasn’t enough to get me to rat out the settlement I was working for at the time, they took a toe from each foot. Made me eat them too.” Scalpel paled visibly, but said nothing. Elias continued. “I got lucky. A real bad storm rolled in that night and as their tents began to wash away, I crawled into a flooded stream and let it carry me down river. After that, I decided not to rely on luck, and made a contingency so that I would never be held in a situation like that again. The razor is that contingency, a simple but effective out.” Scalpel shook his head at Elias' words. A look of clear disgust sat on his face as he began to gently press on the injured areas of Elias' body, checking for further damage. “I'm going to just ignore what you're implying and focus on what's important. Why did you cut up your hand like that? Surely your nightmares would have caused an issue before today.” Elias looked away. “That wasn’t supposed to happen. It's never gotten that bad before.” “Do you need somepony to talk to about it? I’m sure Princess Luna would be more than happy to…” “No,” Elias replied sharply. “They’re just dreams. They’ll fade in time.” “Elias, that isn’t healthy.” Elias snorted. “Because I’m just the pinnacle of health. It’s fine; nothing I can’t handle alone.” He said the word ‘alone’ with force. Scalpel sighed. “If you say so. We can talk more on your “dreams” later. Right now, let’s heal your physical wounds. Lie back, this may hurt a bit.” > Chapter 5: Introductions > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry: Day 1345 There is nothing quite like clean clothes. Especially when they don’t have any holes in them (which nowadays, big surprise, everything has holes). Found an abandoned mall the other day, largely picked clean, except there was this closet in the back of the shoes store. Cracked that fucker open and there it was, an apocalypse treasure. Not only was it all in good shape, it was all men’s clothes. No more tearing dresses apart to make patchwork t-shirts for this guy. Set myself up with about a dozen new shirts, some new shoes, pants, the works. Even got this really nice trench coat, it’s gonna be fucking excellent come winter. Torched the rest though. Anyone still out there can eat shit. Hope they freeze. Elias scanned every inch of the hallway as he walked along, making mental notes of distinguishing markers, trying to find a path that would lead to an exit. After spending several long, painful hours with Doctor Scalpel healing his wounds, Elias was able to walk unaided, though his arm was still in a cast. Because of his incident with the razor, Scalpel told him that he had to pick what was going to take priority for healing. The gaping, painful cut on his hand was chosen, so Elias would have to wait until the following day to be healed fully. Still, he felt physically better than he had in weeks. Elias flexed his hand, looking briefly at the scars that now marred the lines that crisscrossed it. The wounds looked years old, and they were as rough and calloused as the rest of his hand. It was a miracle, but for the horses, it was nothing special, with Scalpel saying as much. "Elementary level magic," he had called it. Elias clenched his hand and looked up from his new scars. He stared at the back of the pterippus guard he was following, investigating his appearance. He was dressed in gold armor, and wore a short sword on his hip, while a blue-plumed helmet sat atop his head. What surprised Elias, however, was how little the armor actually covered its user. While he could imagine that the ponies would value speed over armor integrity, it didn't explain why they didn’t fashion a mail-based armor that would allow them maneuverability with mild protection for the entire body, rather than heavy plate on just some areas. From what he could see, the shoes the pony wore did nothing to protect its legs, while its underside was completely exposed. Coupled with how open the helm was around the throat, the armor seemed almost ornamental. Elias was brought out of his inspection by the pterippus stopping in front of a simple wooden door. The pony pulled a set of keys from beneath his armor and unlocked the door. “Here are your quarters. The bathroom is through that door there,” he said gesturing at the far wall. “Dinner isn’t for a few hours, so you’ll have plenty of time to get comfortable. I’ll be out here if you need anything.” Elias slowly walked into the room, his eyes searching every inch of it. At the center was a large bed with pristine crimson sheets. Above that, a simple chandelier gave light to the room. The walls were lined with an assortment of dressers and empty bookcases. Elias looked at his feet, only beginning to notice the plush carpet beneath his grimy toes. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been on clean carpet. “Sir!” Elias flinched and turned around. The pterippus was standing behind him, a concerned look on his face. “Are you alright? If the room isn’t to your liking, I’m sure Princess Celestia wouldn’t mind if you wanted a different one.” Elias blinked, then shook his head, trying to fight away the daze he found himself in. “It’s fine. It’s just… different.” The pterippus looked doubtful, but didn’t press the issue. “If you need anything at all, I will be right outside,” the horse said before slowly closing the door behind him. Elias stared at the closed door for a moment, then shifted his gaze to the open doorway that the pterippus had gestured to. It had been years since he had used anything with real plumbing. If these ponies were intelligent enough to develop IV’s, they had to have running water. His desire to shower briefly overwhelmed his natural paranoia, and Elias quickly found himself standing in the white tiled bathroom. Elias stood slack jawed for a moment. It was so clean. The walls shined with artificial whiteness, and Elias could see exactly where he had walked, the black dirt from his feet standing out vibrantly against the tiles. To his left sat a deep tub, the water steaming and decorated with crimson flower petals floating lazily atop the water. He ignored the fragrant tub in favor of the shower to his right. The pair of shining silver shower handles drew him like a siren song. Elias began to strip off his underwear, only to realize that he was still wearing a cast. While his mind damned the thing from preventing him from tasting heaven, his eyes searched the bathroom for something to cover it with. It took him seconds to find a bag sitting on one of the counters with a small note sitting atop it. For covering your cast. Simply place your arm inside, then tighten the strings. When you are finished bathing, pull on the strings and it will slide off. Dr. Scalpel Elias picked up the bag and inspected it. It was made of simple black cloth, with gold colored string rimming the opening. Elias re-read the note, then gingerly put his arm in the bag. He waited for a moment for some kind of magically induced pain, but the bag remained nothing more than simple cloth, sitting limply on his arm. Elias gave it another once over, then pulled on the strings. Before he could tie them together, the whole bag tightened, wrapping tight around the cast. The strings pulled away from his fingers and formed a small knot as he watched the bag work. It formed an almost perfect outline of his arm, and while it didn't let him have access to his fingers, he had few doubts that it would come off. Elias gave his arm an experimental shake, and when the bag didn’t move, he felt a faint grin spread across his face. He didn't understand it at all, but it was interesting, and incredibly useful, and more importantly, it meant he could bathe. Elias quickly lost his underwear, walked into the shower, and following the symbols on the handles, he fell into bliss. Scalding hot water fell onto his face, burning away weeks of built up grime. Sweat, dirt, blood; all of it bled away and down the drain. Elias simply stood under the water, letting it blast across his body. The heat relieved months of stress from his battered muscles. It was bliss. After several minutes of pure relaxation, Elias let out a long sigh and got to work. Taking the bar of soap from its dish, he scrubbed down his body, taking extra time to clean out his arm pits, and under his nails. He ignored the flashes of pain when some of the dirt took hair and dead flesh with it. Elias took his time, he hadn’t bathed properly in at least two months, and the buildup was severe. Places he didn’t think dirt could reach were caked in it, and before long the soap bar was whittled down to nothing. Once he thought himself clean enough, he rinsed off, then turned off the blessed water and stepped out of the shower, taking a towel from a hook on the wall. After drying himself off thoroughly, Elias pulled the string and the bag slid smoothly off his arm. To his surprise, the cast looked cleaner, and the dirt was gone from beneath his fingernails. He looked inside the bag, but saw nothing out the ordinary, no signs of any of the dirt that should have been on his filthy hand. Shaking his head in mild amazement, Elias set the bag back on the counter and wrapped the towel around his waist. Before he could move toward the doorway, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror above the sink. Elias winced as he inspected himself. He was already a skinny guy on a good day, but now he could see each of his ribs distinctly. His dark auburn hair hung almost to his shoulders, with several strands attempting to cover his sunken, bloodshot eyes. Elias briefly stroked the thick stubble on his face. While it wasn’t enough to be considered a beard by any standard, it was still thicker than he had ever had before. He briefly considered looking around for a razor, then shrugged, deciding to let it be. The hair served to fill out his cheeks a bit and make him less emaciated than he was. Besides, it wasn't like the horses would trust him with another razor blade after his incident in the infirmary. Moving lower, Elias gently touched his newest scar. It was a small scar, only about the size of his pinkie finger, but a deep one, and despite the magic Scalpel had performed, it was still tender. He prodded at the mark with a wince, taking great care not to agitate it, while also checking just how deep the brilliant red scar ran. He mentally prodded himself to stop after a few moments, and he forced his hand to drop to his side. Elias looked back up into his eyes, quickly seeing the same usual simmering anger hiding just below the surface of his blue eyes. Elias sighed and moved away from the mirror. He didn’t want to go down the path his mind usually followed when he saw his reflection. It would simply destroy the wonderful mood that feeling clean had given him. Instead, he left the bathroom, relishing how much lighter he felt. Everything felt sharper, and even his breathing seemed easier. Instead of a black layer of dirty, his pale skin had made a new appearance, looking almost soft at first glance. Elias imagined that he positively glowed with cleanliness as compared to his un-bathed self, and damn did he feel it. The wonders of a proper shower. Basking in the sensation, Elias calmly re-examined his surroundings. He blinked in surprise when he noticed his armor sitting on a stand in the corner next to the bed. How had he missed it the first time? Elias quickly made his way to the armor stand, and found all of his equipment there, including his gladius. He withdrew it from its sheathe and inspected the blade. Someone had tried to clean it, but there were still flecks of blood up and down the blade. The edge was slightly dulled as well, and the blade lacked its normal sheen. Elias slowly re-sheathed the sword and inspected his armor. It too had been cleaned, but the armor needed drastic repairs if he intended to use it again. The plate had several deep holes, while bits of chain mail hang on by single links in some places. Elias lightly touched one such place, wincing as his action caused a small patch of chain mail to finally give up its fight to stay attached. The chain holding it on snapped, and the chain fell to rest at the base of the stand. Elias mentally made a note to locate new tools for armor repair before kicking the patch of chain mail away. Below the stand sat his ruck, with a clean, mended tunic laying atop it. Elias moved it to the bed before searching through his ruck for a clean pair of underwear. After he found them, he pulled out his spare sandals as well. His original pair was nowhere to be found, and in all likelihood were beyond repair anyway. He had been using them for months, and bleeding all over them did nothing to help their quality. After dressing, Elias set to work. Using a hand towel and a basin from the bathroom, he scrubbed at his gear, eradicating the dirt and blood that clung to it like glue. He started with his ruck, which was the easiest to clean, then went through each individual piece of armor, some dirtier than others. He made sure to be careful around the damaged portions of his cuirass, but more than a few pieces of chain mail fell free at his soft touch. His gladius he saved for last. The sheathe was never easy to clean, and the blade needed special attention if he wanted to sharpen it properly. As Elias scrubbed away a particularly stubborn bit of dirt, he paused and stared at the blade in his hands. What was he doing? He had all the tools necessary to escape, to disappear into a forest and never be found, yet here he was worrying about cleanliness. His eyes darted up and around the room, looking for anything that might be affecting his mental state. It was clear that the magic of the ponies had some measure of reality involved, as was evidenced by his freshly healed wounds. It wasn’t a stretch to imagine that magic could be used to make him docile and weak. But then again, why would they do that? From what he had seen, the pony creatures held no true malicious intent. Even though they had pursued him, almost to death, they had still mended his wounds, and then had given him all of his belongings back, including a weapon. It was a level of trust that made Elias both uncomfortable and curious at the same time. That curiosity gnawed at the back of his head, whittling away at his ingrained suspicion. Elias drew the whetstone from his ruck and began sharpening the blade. He had to find out more. It was all too strange; it flew in the face of the paranoia that had kept him alive for so long. He needed more information before he made any decisions. Being rash would do nothing to help him in the long run. With a mental confirmation on his plan, Elias focused on the maintenance of his gear. A clean knife is a longer life. Elias ran his rag up and down his gladius, and then gave the blade a few experimental swings. Satisfied, Elias set the blade in its sheathe on the bed and stood up. A knock sounded off from the door just as Elias finished strapping on his sword belt. He sheathed his pristine, sharp blade as it opened, revealing the same pterippus guard from before. The pony smiled. “You’re certainly looking better. A good bath can fix any issue, am I right?” The pterippus chuckled for a moment, which then trailed off into nothing when Elias continued to stare at him in silence, his frown prominent on his face. The guard cleared his throat nervously. “I-if you are ready, the princesses are waiting.” Elias nodded and began to move toward the door, then paused as his hair fell into his face. That wouldn’t do. Elias turned back to his ruck, digging through it. He had to have spare rope somewhere. The remainder of the coil sat at the bottom of the ruck, and Elias had to tug to pull it out. He briefly measured out an appropriate length, then with a smooth motion, he drew his dagger and cut the rope in two. Elias pulled back his hair as best as he could with the cast, then tied it into a loose ponytail. A single strand fell into his face, but Elias ignored it, satisfied that he looked presentable enough. If anything, he was just grateful that he was clean for once. He faced the guard once more, sheathing his dagger behind his back as he did so. The pterippus seemed much more tense now, likely made very aware by his little display that Elias was armed. Elias smiled internally. 'Good,' he thought, 'let them fear. It simply provides me with another tool should I need it.' Since his tunics lacked pockets, Elias clasped his hands behind his back. The motion felt a bit odd with the cast around his arm, but he made it work, doing his best to ignore the twinges of pain he felt in the limb. “Ready?” the guard asked. Elias nodded silently, and the pterippus left the room, with Elias close behind. As they walked, Elias again made mental notes of the layout of the hallways, noting which ones seemed familiar and which ones were foreign. Within thirty steps Elias was out of familiar ground and in uncharted territory, so he began memorizing the way back to his room, from there he was confident he could plot out an escape route. While doing this, Elias also occasionally watched the pony leading him. Every couple of steps, the pterippus would throw a glance over his shoulder at Elias, and as soon as he noticed that Elias was watching him, his head would snap forward, almost as if he was ashamed of getting caught. Elias thought it odd, but ultimately disregarded the action. If it didn’t factor into his escape plan or into his diplomatic measures, then it didn’t matter. It didn’t take long for the pair to come upon a tall door, which Elias assumed led to some sort of formal dining area. The pterippus said a few words to the guards, then quickly slipped through the doors, indicating that Elias should wait outside for the moment. The pair of guards by the door remained silent, their eyes boring into Elias as he leaned against the wall, his thumbs tucked into his sword belt. He was glad for the weight of his weapons. They were a comfort in an increasingly unfamiliar situation. Elias kept his mind off all of the oddities however; panic at the irrational would help no one. Elias sniffed, and scratched his nose, using the motion to disguise his eyes as he looked at the pair of guards. One was a pterippus, though the wings seemed different. While Elias couldn’t tell precisely from a distance, they looked almost like the wings of a bat. The other had neither wings, nor a horn. Both were grey in color, and wore blue armor that looked vaguely familiar. Elias bristled when it clicked. The armor was nearly identical to the armor of the ponies that had ambushed him, and in the end, had also captured him. A thousand thoughts flashed through Elias’ mind, all of them violent. He sighed and rubbed at his eyes, dismissing the thoughts immediately. He needed to suppress that part of himself for now, put all of it as far from his mind as possible. The ponies seemed to forgive and forget quickly, he would have to at least pretend to do the same if he wanted to establish any positive relationships with them. The guards exchanged a glance as they watched Elias, but they said nothing. Elias took a deep breath and stared at the wall, letting all of his thoughts fade into oblivion as he zoned out, letting his mind grow calm. Before he could fully relax, the doors opened. The sudden burst of noise caused Elias to flinch, but he was able to keep his hand from grabbing his sword handle. Another pony dressed in blue armor, minus the helmet, stepped out, whispering to the pterippus guard. Then she turned to Elias with a grin. “If you’re ready, the Princesses are waiting.” Elias nodded silently and pushed off the wall, following the pony through the doors. On the other side was a small, brightly lit dining hall. A simple round table sat at its center, with a large set of glass doors leading into darkness at the far end. Elias had no doubt that the doors led outside, making them an easy exit. Perfect. At the table sat three familiar ponies, along with one he did not recognize. The foreign purple unicorn watched him intently, a scroll and quill floating next to her head. Elias already didn’t like the pony. He took the empty seat next to Steel Scalpel, who looked up and smiled as Elias sat down. No doubt the unicorn was there for Elias’ “comfort” since he had been the one to drag him from his night terror. Unfortunately, Elias did note that he felt slightly more relaxed in the presence of the pony. His mind subconsciously identified him as a potential ally. His frown deepened as he tried to raise emotional walls to keep everyone at a distance. It would not help to get attached now. The guard took the seat to Elias’ immediate left, her eyes glancing to the princesses before settling on Elias. Elias pretended not to notice. He kept his right hand in his lap, leaving his casted hand on the table. Celestia smiled brightly, and Elias couldn’t tell if the expression was genuine or not. Either way, he needed to act appropriately if he wanted this to go well. Nothing was free, especially not medical care. He had no doubt the ponies would have some sort of price for what they had “given” him, and he needed to be careful if he wanted to limit his debt as much as possible. “You are certainly looking refreshed Elias,” Celestia said. “I take it your room is to your liking?” Elias nodded slowly. “It’s certainly… nicer than what I’m used to.” The act of speaking seemed to drive the purple unicorn wild. Her quill and scroll began moving furiously, writing at breakneck speed as the unicorn spoke, practically shouting at Elias as words poured from her mouth like a flood. “You said it was nicer than you were used to, meaning you aren’t used to the royal treatment, so you must live somewhere that’s simpler than Canterlot. But you were in the Everfree forest, so maybe you lived in the forest wherever you came from. Where was that by the way? Ooh, and how did you manage dimensional travel? What’s magic like where you’re from? I bet it is a simply fascinating place, do you have family? Friends? What’s the culture like? I bet its-…” The unicorn silenced immediately when Celestia placed a wing on her back. Elias let out a long breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. A quick glance down saw that his entire body was tensed up, ready to spring into action. His casted arm was braced against the table, ready to flip it as a distraction. His right hand was firmly gripped around the hilt of his gladius, a sliver of steel already out of the sheathe. Elias looked up, quickly noticing that the rest of the table was also tense, ready to answer any moves he made. Elias took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He let his gladius slip fully back into its sheathe, then relaxed in his seat, placing both of his arms on the table, with his casted arm over his right one. Once he had mentally calmed himself, Elias opened his eyes again and looked up, remaining silent. Celestia nudged the purple unicorn, who smiled sheepishly at him. “Sorry, I guess I got a bit excited. It’s not every day that you get to meet a new species after all. I’m Twilight,” she said, extending a hoof over the table. Elias stared at the appendage in hesitation for a second, then reached out with his right hand and shook it firmly. “Elias,” he replied simply. After he let go, Twilight seemed to stare at her hoof for a moment. Her nose then quickly became buried in the roll of paper, the feather working furiously. Celestia sighed, but smiled. “I must apologize for my protégé, she tends to be overenthusiastic in her academic studies.” Her eyes settled on the muttering purple unicorn. “Despite her progress in making friends, she can relapse into her old ways of study first, and be personable second.” Elias shrugged, the motion exposing some tension in his shoulders. He rubbed at it with his fingers as he tried to ease the strain. “It’s fine. I’m not exactly a personable guy myself,” he said as he worked loose the knot of muscle. Scalpel watched him with a look of fascination. “Is there something the matter Elias?” he asked, curious. Elias winced as he pressed harder, trying to force the muscle to loosen. “Not at all. Just an old injury that flares up occasionally,” he replied. “How old?” the unicorn asked. He looked like he wanted to rise from his seat, but Elias shot him a look to make him stay in it. That seemed to make Scalpel even more concerned. “Have you had somepony properly look at it? A physical therapist perhaps?” Elias chuckled and let his hand drop. The tension was still there, and likely would be for some time. “There aren’t a lot of therapists where I’m from,” he said. “And the injury is maybe four years old. Dislocated my shoulder and had to put it back in myself.” Elias felt a twinge of pain from the memory. “It didn’t go well,” he said finally, cutting off any further conversation about it. Celestia seemed to notice the dramatic shift in tone, so she cleared her throat and smiled as she drew everybody’s eyes to her. Elias rolled his left shoulder one more time, wishing he could clench his casted arm. He would just have to suffer through the pain. “Let’s put off formal introductions until after we have eaten, shall we?” Celestia said. Once she received nods in agreement, her horn lit up and the far door opened swiftly, but silently. Elias was glad it was quiet, the sudden motion was more than enough to put him on edge, but if it had slammed open, he might have reacted poorly. Elias chastised himself mentally. He was being far too jumpy. All thoughts were washed away when the smells hit him. He swallowed roughly as his worn, abused nose took in scents that weren’t horrifying for once. An abundant mixture of different smells seemed to reach out. Some were sweet, similar to the pre-packaged candies he had spent many a day eating as his only meals. Others were more natural, and as the team of service ponies began setting and uncovering dishes, Elias spotted one large pot that looked like it was filled with tomato soup, a childhood favorite of his. Several large baskets of freshly baked bread were set upon the table, as were two large bowls full of greens. Elias eyed these bowls carefully, spotting what he thought was grass amongst the leaves of lettuce. Something to be avoided. The coup de grâce was when one of the severs gently set a silver covered platter directly in front of Elias, swiftly unveiling a steaming piece of well-done steak. Elias’ eyes widened as he studied it, comparing it to the pictures he had seen on menu’s and in cook books. He had been far too young to have steak when the world ended, so he had never actually eaten any before the cow herds died out. The closest substitute he had ever was the flank of a scrawny deer that had already been half gnawed on. The steak was nearly triple the size of that, and smelled wonderful, the meaty scent completely overwhelming his senses, including his sense of caution and paranoia. Elias swallowed roughly and looked up, finding everyone looking at him with expectation. “Is something the matter Elias? Steel Scalpel and I assumed you were a carnivore based on your physical features.” Elias nodded slowly as his eyes drifted back to the tantalizing piece of meat before him. “Omnivore actually,” he said absently. He felt his hand twitch. He could almost imagine how it tasted; how tender it would be. Elias warred with himself for control. One half wanted to take it apart bite by bite, savoring it, learning everything he could about how meat should truly be prepared. The other wanted it eaten, and wanted it eaten two minutes ago. Elias cleared his throat, and pointed at the steak. “That’s real?” he asked, well aware of the dangers of fake meats. Celestia nodded, her face a mix of a cautious happiness. Elias wondered briefly if he should be paying more attention to the white pony, but he couldn't focus. Not with the steak in front of him. “That it is Elias. We host many foreign dignitaries here that are carnivores. If you would like something else…” Elias shook his head and reached for the silverware to his right. It was a bit mis-sized, but it would more than suffice for his intentions. He put the fork in his left hand, since he couldn’t well make cutting motions with a casted arm. The knife slid through the steak like it was passing through water, and Elias quickly found a bite sized piece waiting in front of his eyes. When he bit down, a shudder passed through his body. Had he any less control, Elias was sure that he would have cried. It was the single best thing he had eaten. Not just since the end, but ever. The tenderness, the flavor, the perfection of the temperature, warm enough to be noticeable, but not burning hot, coupled with the perfection of the juice that poured out as he chewed. It wasn’t enough to be overwhelming, but it was in no way dry or tough. The first genuine smile he had in months touched his face as he sat back in momentary bliss. For a moment he even forgot where he was, then his mind clicked back as he realized that he was being stared at. All of the ponies had a range of amused expressions, with the most severe being from the guard to his left, who was trying to hide a snicker behind a hoof. Elias cleared his throat and sat up. “T-thank you. It’s very good. Best I’ve had in… awhile.” he said, not willing to meet their eyes as he tried to hide his embarrassment. “I’m glad,” Celestia said, her tone warm. “I shall make sure to give your compliments to the chef.” It seemed to be a que, because the ponies all began taking food, stacking it on their plates. As they began to eat, they also began to chat with each other, talking about day to day events that Elias had no interest or context for, so he simply listened, remaining silent as he did his best to eat slowly. The steak was incredibly rich, and if he scarfed it down too quickly, his stomach would rebel. He had no wish to be stuck up all night with meat sweats and stomach pains. It didn’t take Elias particularly long to become full. While he had managed to polish off the steak, he didn’t even bother trying to take from any of the other dishes. This inaction seemed to draw attention. “Are you feeling alright Elias?” Celestia asked, cutting through the mild conversations. “I hope that we have not made you ill. He nodded, content to leave his cast on the table, while his right hand rested on his stomach. “I’m fine. Just have to be smart. Limit myself.” Celestia looked to Scalpel, who shrugged while giving a nod of agreement. “If he’s anything like a pony, he needs to introduce himself to real food slowly.” Scalpel side-eyed Elias. “I got a look at what he had been eating, and it only barely qualifies as edible. Most of it was beginning to rot.” Elias shrugged. “I made do,” he replied. Scalpel scoffed. “If you hadn’t already begun limiting your intake, I would think you delirious. Describing your condition as starving would be an understatement. With your permission;” he turned to Celestia, “as well as yours Princess, I’d like to run some tests for vitamin deficiencies, as well as run through some questionnaires to determine an appropriate diet." He turned back to Elias. "I am genuinely surprised that you have as much energy as you do, because all physical indicators should put you in a bed with an IV for the next month.” “I’m fine. If I can walk, I can run. If I can run, I can fight. I don’t need to be any healthier than that,” Elias grunted in response. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw both the guard and Luna nod in agreement. Scalpel opened his mouth to protest, his irritation visible, but Celestia cut him off with a small shake of her head. She quickly steered the conversation away again. “So, Elias, I know this all must seem like a substantial change, but I am curious, you have not asked much of us. Do you know anything about Equestria?” Elias shook his head. “Nothing besides the name now. As for your… peoples, I only have my knowledge of old Greco-Roman myth, and I am going on the assumption that that information is… inaccurate at best.” Twilight poked her head out from behind the scroll, and Elias realized she hadn’t stopped writing since they had spoken last. Including while eating. “Your species has myths about ponies?” she asked through a mouthful of lettuce. “I was under the impression that you came from a different dimension, or at least a different world.” “As far as I know I am,” Elias replied. “And the myths are just that, myth. They were made by people trying to explain strange events around them, to give meaning to otherwise uninteresting lives. There was no evidence of anything other than standard breeds of horse and pony on earth. Certainly, no unicorns or pterippus’.” The ponies seemed confused by the Greek word. Twilight began furiously scribbling again, while the guard asked; “What is a petrippa… pertipp…" She frowned as her tongue tried to figure out the Greek word. Her muzzle curled in disgust when she couldn't figure it out. "The second one that isn’t unicorn.” she spat out finally. “It’s Greek for winged horse,” Elias recited off, his mind thinking back to the book he had read it in. He didn’t remember the name, just the cover, which had a hoplite looking out over the sea on it. He had kept that book for three years, had memorized it twice. He lamented he didn’t still have it; having dropped it in one of his “homes” due to its weight. It was a very easy, comforting read, something that had been very stable during some very turbulent days. “Pegasus was the famous pterippus," he continued, "and there was some contention over which name is correct.” “Greek?” Twilight asked, not looking up from her notes. “Are you a Greek?” Elias shook his head. “No, I just studied the Greeks intimately. They were a mighty society while they lasted. Some credit them with the formation of western civilization, though I am more of the mind that the Romans hold that title.” Elias wasn't sure if he could believe his eyes fully, but he was fairly sure that Twilight’s hair began popping out at all angles as the intensity of her writing increased. “Gah! So many cultures, so much information, and we haven’t even started!” she cried out. “Slow down! I can’t keep up!” Celestia laid a wing over the unicorn. “Twilight, there will be ample time for cultural study later. I promise that you won’t miss a thing.” Elias felt his paranoia rush back in, and his body tensed slightly. The way she said it indicated she intended to keep Elias around, maybe against his will. A small part of his mind whispered that he was being insane to shove away creatures that were truly looking after him, but he crushed it. The meal had made him weak; it had gotten him talking. He hadn’t tasted anything amiss with it, but then again, he had never eaten a steak, he didn’t know what to look for. He shifted slightly in his chair, making a mental note to keep a bit quieter and more concise with his answers. Celestia didn’t seem to notice his shift in posture, and she smiled brightly as Twilight calmed down slightly, going so far as to set the scroll down for the moment, though the quill was still suspended in the air. “If you do not mind Elias," the white pony said, "I think it would be best if we all introduced ourselves and set about business before we begin comparing tales. I shall begin; I am Celestia of the Sun, Princess of Equestria.” She nudged Twilight lightly, and the pony grinned sheepishly. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, personal student to Princess Celestia, and the Element of Magic.” Elias had no idea what the “Element of Magic” was, but the way she said it indicated that it was of some importance. Perhaps a weapon of some sort? He tucked the thought away as Scalpel went next. “Doctor Steel Scalpel, Canterlot Castle’s lead surgeon.” The pony to his left went next. “Captain Nightshade, leader of the lunar guard.” “Luna of the Moon, Princess of Equestria.” As Luna spoke, her eyes seemed to bore into Elias, as if presenting a challenge to match the power of their titles. Elias bit his cheek, a bit of long unused pride rising in his chest. “My name,” he started slowly, “was Elias William James Bright; Commander of Legio I Americana. Now, it is simply Elias.” Luna’s stare seemed to intensify. “Why did you not tell us your full name earlier?” she asked accusingly, “did you not agree to be completely honest with us?” Elias matched the stare evenly. “I told the truth; you asked for my name, and I gave what it currently is. If you want me to list the names I’ve been given, I’ll be talking until the sun rises,” he shot back. Luna’s stare quickly became a glare, and her jaw clenched. Before she could say anything, Celestia butted in. “That won’t be necessary Elias,” she said, trying to keep the conversation calm. She shot a quick glare at her sister that Elias almost missed, before turning back to him with what he surmised was supposed to be a calming smile. It was starting to unnerve him how much the ponies smiled, and he actually preferred the angry glares of Luna. That was more of what he was used to. “So you are, or at least were in a military?” Celestia asked. Elias exhaled deeply as he stared at the wall in thought. “Yes and no,” he responded. “If we are going by the standard definition for a military, then no; my legion was recognized by no nation, mostly because there were no nations left to recognize us.” He drummed his fingers on the table. “Technically speaking, we were a high functioning militia force, of which, I was both founder and commander.” That seemed to raise a few eyebrows. “You founded an army?” Nightshade asked. “All by yourself? That seems… How did you arm them? How large was it?” Elias shrugged. “In desperation, people will follow those who are confident. Most of the time, it leads them to the scum of the world who prey on the weak to look strong. At the time of my legion’s founding, I was better than that. With a few friends at my back, we had a noble goal, take back the wastelands. Arming was simply a matter of scavenging up enough materials and manuals to teach ourselves. While I studied military doctrine and strategy, others worked as blacksmiths, or carpenters. We made do.” Twilight raised a hoof, her face re-obscured by the scroll as the writing began anew. “If you don’t mind me asking, how much of your world was this “Wasteland”? Is it like the Badlands just outside of Equestria?” “I haven’t seen that much of your world to make a complete comparison, but…” Elias paused, combing through his recent memories of the day he had spent in the woods. “Here, the sun shines; almost too brightly. The sky is still blue. The trees, the grass it’s all…” He fumbled for the word. “Alive. On Earth, most of the world isn’t like that. There are a few oases that provide food and clean water, but the rest? It’s just gone.” “Dead,” Elias finished flatly. His eyes became vacant as he stared at the table. The dining room fell eerily silent. Nobody said anything. Elias took a deep breath, then re-focused back in, drawing his thoughts back from the darker corners of his mind. He looked up to find everyone staring at him once more, a range of emotions evident on their faces; primarily empathetic grief. Twilight broke the silence. “What happened?” she asked bluntly. Celestia shot her a rebuking glare. “Twilight that is hardly appro-.” Elias raised his hand slightly to stop the admonishment. “It’s fine. It happened years ago.” He sighed, his eyes staring at the table once more, though now they had an intensity behind them. “These days I don’t even feel a sense of loss. As bad as they were, the wastelands were home for half my life. I was a child when the world died.” Elias chuckled without humor. “The sad part is that I cannot honestly remember what it was like to be a kid. It makes me feel old.” Elias adjusted in his seat, sitting taller so his voice wouldn’t be as growly. As the textbooks said; proper professional orators practice perfect poetic posture precisely. He had only read that line once and somehow it had stuck like a cancer in his head. “I was thirteen when it happened. I was already… scarred at the time because of an incident that happened the year before, so I almost didn’t notice.” He chuckled again. “So wrapped up in myself that I almost slept through the end of the world. It’d be funny if it wasn’t so pointless.” Elias picked up the unused spoon from his napkin, spinning it between his fingers, admiring the glint as he continued. “Earth was a planet of eight billion people, a million cultures; both old and new, forgotten and thriving. There were hundreds of countries, most with their own language, whether an original one, or a spin of a common tongue.” “Eight billion?” Twilight asked in awe. “How did they all get along?” Elias frowned. “They didn’t,” he replied. “Never have, and now they never will.” He looked up from the table and matched Celestia’s eyes, who was listening with rapt attention. “Something you have to understand about humans is that we are a violent species. It’s how we’ve always been. From the first caveman to figure out fire could be used as something more than a heat source, to the animals that figured out how to create weapons that could snuff out millions in a second. Human ingenuity shined brightest when it came to learning new ways to kill each other. Our best inventions have been born from war. We are flightless, but we found a way to travel hundreds of miles in minutes because we wanted planes that couldn’t be shot down. We saw the stars above our heads and decided we wanted to get closer, so we took a weapon of war and we did it. We went to space, touched our moon.” Elias smiled wistfully. “I only wish that I could have been born just a bit earlier. To see such a feat would have been…” His voice trailed off as he imagined it. A long-suppressed part of his mind rose, but was quickly quelled. Elias set the spoon down gently as he dragged himself back on track. “Anyway, the most powerful nations, my own included, hoarded weapons that could extinguish life on an untold scale. The idea was that if they had enough, they could deter others from using them.” Elias scratched his head and smiled. “And that worked?” Nightshade asked. While she was much better at concealing her curiosity and shock than Twilight or Scalpel, Elias was able to detect more than a little of both in her voice. He chuckled and nodded. “Surprisingly enough, it did for a while. Until it didn’t.” All humor vanished from his face. “Some fat idiot from some dictatorship in the middle of nowhere that nobody thought was a threat decided he didn’t care about the consequences of his actions; so, he pushed a button.” Elias snapped his fingers. “And like that thirteen million people were dead. So, the nightmare began.” Elias sighed, rubbing his thumb on a callus on his middle finger. “I won’t share the details, suffice to say that all of the worst fears about the weapons came to light within seconds. Nobody would take a step back and pursue a smart solution. It was far too late for that.” Elias felt his eye twitch as he watched Twilight write. He had kept the detail about nukes deliberately vague, hopefully enough so that nobody would even attempt asking about them. Twilight was writing down everything he was saying, and while he had no doubt that Celestia kept her on a short leash, others who read her notes may not be so restricted. He wouldn’t be responsible for a nuclear holocaust. Elias looked away from the purple unicorn and back to Celestia. “It took minutes. The human race went from the mightiest species in the solar system, a species who dreamed about touching the stars, a species who consisted of masters of every art, of every craft; we went from eight billion people to just over five million, scattered across a dying, blasted globe that held less life with each day.” Elias scratched his scalp again. “My family and I, we were in the middle of some nowhere forest. We liked how quiet it was, how peaceful. The quiet only made it louder when the ground began to shake, and the sky turned white. The screams were haunting. We were miles outside of the nearest town, yet we still heard the screaming. Then we saw the smoke. Then we smelled it.” He smirked. “I can’t think of one good reason why a thirteen year old kid should know what a dead body smells like, but there it was.” “The death of a species,” Elias said hollowly. “And I got a front row seat.” He sighed and looked up again. The table was dead silent. All of the ponies occupying it were completely stunned. For the first time since he had sat down, Twilight’s feather was still, its scratching silent as well. Even Luna’s face, which had borne a gaze of constant suspicion since they had met in the infirmary, was painted with pure shock. Celestia was the first to recover, albeit very slowly. Her eyes locked with his. “I… don’t know what else to say but to give you my sincerest apologies Elias. For something so horrible to happen, especially when you were still so young… I can’t imagine the pain you must carry." Elias shrugged and tore his eyes away from her sad gaze. “I moved past that a long time ago. I’ve learned that you can’t dwell on the past. Otherwise, it haunts you to the point you can’t function. At some point, you simply… stop. Stop thinking about it, stop caring about it. It’s just the way it is.” “B…. but so many.” Twilight stammered. “How… how do you stop caring?” Elias shrugged. The motion felt stiff. His body was beginning to tense up. He had no doubt in his mind why. “You just don’t. You can’t grieve for everyone. It will kill you; I’ve watched people simply die from grief. The only way to keep going, to survive, is to kill first; even if that means killing the part of yourself that cared.” “It’s cold,” Elias said. “I understand that, but I can honestly tell you that I wouldn’t still be breathing if I didn’t cut away most of my emotional ties. It’s the way it had to be.” The feather and the paper dropped to the table as Twilight slammed a hoof down. “You can’t simply cut off your emotions,” she said angrily. “And you shouldn’t either! It’s heartless.” Elias’ eyes flicked upward, staring at her in barely concealed anger. A familiar fire was building in his gut, and Elias tried to take a deep breath to keep his mind calm. He couldn’t lose control now. “It isn’t a matter of should or shouldn’t. It is a matter of necessity. I did what I had to. I cut away what I needed to.” That evidently wasn’t enough for the pony. “What about your family? Or your friends?” she asked, her voice beginning to rise. “Did you cut them away too? Were they left behind? Or did you never care?” Elias was on his feet before he even knew he was in motion. He felt his eye twitch as his rage built. “I buried my family,” Elias snapped back. Twilight flinched visibly, cowering back. Her mouth flapped as she tried to express regret, but it was far too late for that now. “Both of my parents, both sisters. Gone. Dead. When you lose that much, when you have to dig the graves, then come talk to me about what you should and shouldn’t do with your emotions.” Celestia slowly stood, trying to remain unthreatening as she attempted to calm him. “Elias, please. I am sure that Twilight did not mean-…” “No!” Elias shouted, slamming his fist into the table. “I have lost everything! Everyone I have ever known is gone. Dead and buried and I will never get to see them again; only to be accused of not caring enough by someone who could never approach the level of suffering on any given day in an entire lifetime!” Elias slammed the table again, savoring the pain in his hand. His ears were ringing, like someone held church bells next to his head. His heartbeat led the way in the chorus of ringing, providing the rhythm for the maelstrom consuming his rationality. “I carry the weight of thousands on my back. Every memory, every person, every grave I have had to fill, it fills every space in my soul. Every thought is twisted by someone I have lost; every action I take I wonder what could have been if I had been strong enough to save them.” He hit the table for a third time. “I will not sit here and be accused of not caring when I have not gotten a single peaceful night of sleep in years that isn’t plagued by some memory of someone I cared about screaming as they meet an awful end.” Elias closed his eyes, his fist resting on the table. He took a shaky breath. “I will not,” he repeated quietly, his voice at a whisper. Elias’s voice caught at the back of his throat. A wave of emotions that he had been keeping at bay for months rushed to the front of his mind like a hurricane. His eyes grew wet in a way that they hadn’t in years. His chest shuddered as he struggled to breathe. “I need air,” he whispered, shaking his head. Elias took a deep breath and straightened to his full height. “Do those lead outside?” he asked, pointing to the doors at the far end of the dining room. “They do,” Nightshade answered dumbly. Elias nodded. “If you’ll excuse me.” Elias quickly moved around the table and strode across the room, opening the doors wide as he stepped into the cool night. > Chapter 6: Reflections > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry Day 1490 I am insane. I have to be. I saw this light floating by a few days ago, I ignored it, thought it was just my mind playing tricks because I was hungry, but two days ago I started seeing someone creeping around my house. Kept looking at the doors and the windows, like he was trying to get in. When I got outside, nothing. No trace, not even a dusty footprint. Maybe he left though, was just too curious for his own good. What keeps messing with me is that I swear I saw his face, just for a second, when he looked up. He looked just like me. There has to be a reason, right? I haven’t seen anyone in three weeks, and the first guy I see... It has to be my imagination, right? Right? Elias stormed into the silence of the night, the slapping of his sandals the only source of noise. His mind was on fire. He wanted to scream. His frustrations, his anger. He wanted to yell into the empty black of the night sky, just to hear the sound. He wanted to thrash about, destroy something, slam his arms on something till they snapped, anything. He needed to feel something. Elias did none of that, and instead grimaced in silence until he stumbled upon a marble railing overlooking a sheer cliff. He took a deep breath and leaned against the rail, his eyes staring into nothing as he tried to sort through his thoughts. He growled and screwed his eyes shut. He tried to visualize his mind, to lock away the memories that had been dragged from the dark holes where he kept them. The more he tried control his thoughts, the more they got away from him. Past fears, and doubts slowly rose up, and Elias’ breath quickened. He gripped the rail with his good hand as he tried vainly to keep control. In a wave, everything that had happened hit him like a ton of bricks, driving the air from his chest. Elias struggled to breathe as his thoughts began wreaking havoc in full force. The losses of the past few months, the injuries he had tried to shrug off, the absolute absurdity of the situation he found himself in. Talking, magical ponies. He had to have gone insane again. Last time was nowhere near as vivid, nor as outlandish, but it had to be his mind failing. He had no other way to rationalize what had happened over the past few days. Just as Elias felt he was going to pitch over the edge, he heard footsteps behind him, and his mind cleared like a bucket of water had been tossed onto a campfire. Elias shook his head and tried to mentally prepare for what was coming. “Oh, bravo Elias! Well done!” Elias screwed his eyes shut. “Shut up,” he growled. A hand planted itself firmly on his back, shaking his shoulder. “Why? You did great! An opportunity for a fresh start and you throw it away like you always have. Your determination to remain alone is truly commendable.” Elias slapped the hand away and whirled around to face himself. “Fuck off. You aren’t real, and even if you were, you have no idea what I have to live with, nobody does.” Other-Elias clapped his hands and laughed. “Ah, but see that’s just it! Nobody knows! And yet here you are, treating the people who took you in, free of charge I might add, like they are the enemy, despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary.” “What evidence?” Elias snapped. “Chasing me off a cliff? Nearly getting me killed?” “First off, the guard told you that they just wanted to talk, and you attacked him,” Other-Elias said, counting the points on his fingers. “Second, you ran off that cliff because you weren’t paying attention.” He extended another finger, “And third, even after all that, they still kept you alive and patched you up. Does that really sound like they were honestly trying to kill you?” Elias didn’t reply, simply spinning back around to stare out into the night. Other-Elias clapped and laughed again. “Ha! You can’t even refute me! How low have you truly fallen?” Elias spun around and tried to backhand Other-Elias, but his hand passed right through his grinning face. “Very nice Elias. You already said I’m not real, and yet you’re going to try and hit me? You really are pathetic these days huh? Striking imaginary enemies, driving away potential allies for perceived slights, truly the epitome of modern man.” “What would you have me do?” Elias shouted, throwing his arms out wide. “How else am I supposed to act? Why do I even keep going anymore? What is the point of all this?” Other-Elias chuckled and shook his head. “If you’re asking for the answers to the mysteries of life like why we’re here, you’re gonna need to look elsewhere bud. If you are genuinely asking for advice on how to un-fuck this situation however, that I can help with.” Other-Elias paused, crossing his arms. Elias waited in silence for a second before crossing his own arms. “Well? What “advice” do you have for me oh wise one?” he snapped sarcastically. Other-Elias stared at Elias for a second, his face becoming serious. “I think it’s very simple. Change.” Elias stared at him in disbelief. “That’s it? Change? Are you fucking kidding me? That’s your big premier advice?” Other-Elias shook his head and sighed. “You asked why you keep going, and honestly, there is no answer for that. You have no reason to keep breathing. We got our revenge months ago, we just kept attacking those raiders because it was something to do. Now, that’s gone. We have nothing.” Other-Elias moved around Elias and leaned against the rail, his eyes staring up at the moon. “All of that is the past though. We can’t go back, and even if we could we shouldn’t. There’s nothing for us but death back on Earth.” Elias sighed and leaned on the rail next to him, his eyes staring at his hands. “So, what do I do? You said change, but how? How do I go forward from where I am now when I lack purpose?” “That’s what needs to change first," Other-Elias replied. "I have a good feeling that the ponies were going to offer… something. A job maybe, I don’t know. Whatever it is though, it is a chance. Right now, the only purpose we have is to find a purpose. Something worth fighting for.” Elias smirked. “And here I was thinking you were gonna tell me some BS about laying down the sword and becoming a farmer.” Other-Elias gave him a deadpanned look. “Us becoming a farmer is about as likely as us going to the moon.” Elias sighed and rested his forehead on the railing. “How do I fix what I’ve just broken? How am I going to go back in there and not look like a deranged, violent psychopath? How do I even go about convincing myself that I’m not out-of-my-mind crazy? I can’t keep control. I’ve tried with little success because I simply don’t know how to keep sane.” Other-Elias laughed. “Oh, I’m sure you’ll figure something out. We’re smart like that. You want my advice though? I would open your eyes and stop talking to yourself.” Elias took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Other-Elias was gone, was never there in the first place. Elias didn’t bother looking around. He had spent weeks trying to find evidence that Other-Elias was something more substantive than his imagination, but had always come up short. The fact that he had somehow followed Elias through the anomaly confirmed the fact that the being didn’t exist outside of the boundaries of Elias’ mind. Before he could think of a solution, Elias’ ears caught the subtle footfalls of somebody who was trying to sneak around, but was terrible at it. He didn’t even bother turning around; he had a sneaking suspicion who it was anyway. “You can come out. You’re not fooling anyone Scalpel.” The footsteps fell silent, as if Elias hadn’t already called the pony out. Then he heard a sigh and the unicorn walked carefully onto the stonework before the balcony. Scalpel walked to within a few steps of Elias before he stopped. Elias could imagine a few of the things running through the pony’s mind, none of them likely good. He braced himself, ready for the dismissal, the hostile words that were surely brewing. He’d been thrown out of much worse places for much less. He was surprised when Scalpel asked; “Are you alright?” Elias smiled mentally, chuckling. ‘No,’ he thought. “I’m fine,” he replied aloud; his expression blank. Scalpel sighed, and trotted up beside Elias. He braced his forelegs against the rail, joining Elias in looking out over the dark landscape. “Do you want to talk about it?” Scalpel asked. Elias shook his head. “I think I have shown everyone how I handle talking about it.” Scalpel snorted and leaned his chin against the rail. “I guess so, but I think Ms. Sparkle was way out of line. Anypony with eyes could have seen that it was a touchy subject. I should have stepped in, should have pushed the conversation somewhere else. For that I’m sorry.” “For what?” Elias replied, side-eyeing the pony. “You owe me nothing. I am more than capable of looking after myself." He exhaled deeply and looked out again. He could see lights dotting the landscape, clusters of brightness in an otherwise featureless landscape. Elias did his best to ignore the pony beside him, he had no interest in talking. Scalpel looked at him. “How long have you been alone Elias?” Elias started at the sudden question. It was a deep one too. Scalpel seemed to notice the increase in tension, so he reached out with a hoof, gently touching Elias’ cast. “You don’t have to answer if you feel uncomfortable,” Scalpel said softly. “I just want to help, and I believe that a bit of background information is important so that I don’t make things worse.” Elias shrugged off the pony, turning his shoulder away to close himself off. Irritation flashed in his mind, and Elias considered telling the pony to leave him be. That small voice at the back of his head recommended a different method, so Elias settled for the middle ground. “What am I doing here Scalpel?” he asked. “Why are you trying to help me? I’ve already done more than enough to be driven away, so why do you ponies seem to care so much?” Scalpel smiled. “Because that’s how ponies are Elias. It’s in our nature.” Elias scoffed. “I guess that’s where we differ. Humans aren’t kind. Humans don’t care. They’re vicious, nasty creatures whose sole goal in life seems to be to destroy.” He rubbed at the palm of his hand. “I am no different, so you’re much better just leaving me be.” “I don’t believe that Elias. If that were true, you would not be haunted as you are,” Scalpel said. “If you truly only valued destruction, you wouldn’t study cultures, you wouldn’t tell stories about flying humans. We have not known each other for long Elias, but I have no doubt that you have much to share, and I have hunch that most of it isn’t destructive in anyway.” Elias grunted in response, but remained otherwise silent. He wished he could find something to look at in the dark, but his eyes simply couldn’t see far enough. So, Elias looked up, trying to study the stars, trying to compare them to the stars he saw far too little of on Earth. Scalpel tapped him gently on his cast. Elias looked to the pony, most of his anger gone, replaced by a feeling of tired depression. The pony smiled though. “If you don’t mind me asking, did you want to fly before the… “end”?” Scalpel asked. Elias shook his head. “No,” he said blankly, thinking to end any conversation before it started. Scalpel looked at him curiously, evidently having other ideas. “But what about all of that stuff about seeing the stars? You sounded absolutely fascinated by it.” Elias shrugged. “I’ve done a lot of reading. Nothing more. I used to be curious, but that is gone with everything else. Drop it.” Scalpel frowned. “Talking about your interests is a good way to cope and move past trauma. It is better to be open about yourself rather than to bottle it all up.” Elias felt his eye twitch as his irritation changed to anger. He turned to the pony with a tight-lipped expression. “You’re right, I should be more open.” Elias threw his arms wide. “What would you like to know? Favorite color? What I had for breakfast yesterday perhaps?” Elias winked and tapped his nose, giving the pony a false smile. “Oh, I know, how about all the ways I’ve killed people? Would you like to know the number? Perhaps you would like to know which ones deserved it and which ones didn’t?” Scalpel took a step back, fear flashing briefly across his face. Elias snorted, letting the act drop. “No,” he said flatly. “I don’t need to be more open. I think I need to stay as silent and isolated as I can. For the betterment of others,” he finished with a sneer. Elias leaned against the rail again, looking out into the dark once more. He could see the lights of faraway towns and hamlets, wondered what they were like. His imagination was of no use, as ugly and bent as it was, so Elias dismissed the wishful thinking from his mind and sighed. “Why are you out here Scalpel? It can’t be for my charming personality.” The pony matched his sigh. “No,” Scalpel agreed. “Princess Celestia sent me to see if you would come back inside. She has admonished her student and wishes to continue where we left off.” Elias smirked. “Where we left off was me shouting, having a small panic attack, and then storming out. Why you? Why not the guard? Surely an armed pony would have a better chance of bringing me back if I said no.” Scalpel shrugged. “Princess Celestia thought you might be more comfortable if a friend came to talk with you.” Elias’ eyes narrowed. “Then we’re back to square one, why did she send you?” “W-well I thought…” Scalpel stammered. Elias straightened and fixed the pony with a stare. “You thought you were my friend?” he asked. Scalpel nodded, and Elias noticed his tail wag slightly. “You aren't,” Elias said with finality. He felt a measure of satisfaction in watching the pony visibly droop. If he could be cruel enough, he would drive the good doctor away, ensuring his future safety. The small voice at the back of his mind tried to protest, but Elias shoved it away. It would be better for all. “Listen closely Doctor Scalpel, we are not, and we will never be friends. I do not have friends because my friends end up in early graves.” He took a step forward, and was pleased to see Scalpel take a step back. “I have no friends; I have no family. I will never have either. That is better for me, and better for everyone else, because that means nobody gets hurt by my actions, but me.” Elias snorted. “Do the smart thing and stay as far away as possible. You’ll live longer.” Then he turned away, not waiting to see the pony’s reaction. Elias leaned back against the rail, waiting to hear the retreat of footsteps. After waiting for nearly a minute, Elias looked to his side, and found that the unicorn was still standing there. He was watching Elias intently, as if studying him, working out the right thing to say. Elias grimaced; he didn’t need the pony getting ideas. “Go back inside Scalpel,” Elias said with force. “I’ll go back when I’ve figured out what I’m going to do next.” The pony remained in place. Elias growled. “Go damnit!” he shouted, shocking Scalpel into motion. He watched the pony bolt into the trees, his footsteps moving briskly away. Elias snorted and turned back to the open air once more. He counted to twenty before the second pony dropped from the branches of the trees. “That wasn’t very nice of you Elias,” Nightshade said as she walked from the shadows. “Yeah?” Elias said without turning around. “Good. Maybe he’ll take my advice and stay away from me. It’s better for his health.” Nightshade snorted in reply. “I’m sure you are the authority on what is healthy Mr. Gaping Chest Wound.” Elias looked over his shoulder at the pony. “Don’t act so flippant Captain. If my memory is correct, you were to one who wanted me to choke on my own blood yes?” Nightshade frowned, giving Elias a reason to smile. “That’s what I thought. Chin up though, you were absolutely right.” He faced forward. “You should have left me to die.” The pony remained silent for a moment, before Elias heard chuckling behind him. He scowled and shoved off the rail, turning around to find Nightshade barely concealing her laughter behind an armored hoof. Elias tucked his thumbs into his sword belt. “Something funny?” he asked flatly. Nightshade nodded, pointing at Elias. “Yeah,” she snickered, “I’m looking at a joke right now.” Elias smirked. “Cute. But unless I’m mistaken, one of us is a wastelander with enough blood on his hands to fill an ocean, while the other is a pony who looks like they have less fight in them than some of my meals. Spare me your contempt.” Nightshade giggled. “You really are sad. Believe me, you don’t have my contempt, just my pity.” Elias frowned. “Then spare me that as well. I no more need your pity than I need Scalpel’s “friendship”. I’ll find my own way, alone. Just like always.” Nightshade shrugged, tilting her head slightly. Elias didn’t like the smirk still decorating her face. “You could, but you are going to have a devil of a time convincing the princesses to let you go free. You’ve shown an unwillingness to be peaceful with their ponies, and I’m afraid that’s a big no no. Kindhearted we may be, but not so kind to let a threat walk away free of charge.” Her smile widened slightly. “Besides, alone? Really doesn’t seem to work out for you big guy. Especially not when you go running off cliffs without wings. I kind of figured a new species would be smarter than that.” Elias shrugged, using the motion to disguise his hand moving toward the hilt of his gladius. “Tends to happen when one is chased off a cliff. I wished to be left alone, but I was pursued. I did what I thought would aid my escape, and I’ll continue to do so now.” Nightshade sighed and tossed her mane, showing Elias yet more arrogance. The sight infuriated him. It was a clear sigh than she didn't take him seriously. “As much as I am loving this conversation, I have a job to do here. You are coming back inside, now. Princess Celestia is a big believer in second chances, so I suggest making a good impression this time. Now let’s go.” Elias felt his thumb dance on the hilt of his gladius. “No,” he replied simply. Nightshade closed her eyes and sighed again, holding a hoof up to her face in exasperation. “Please don’t make me beat you into the ground to get you back in. I really don’t want to do that paperwork again.” Elias shrugged. “I have made myself abundantly clear. My best-case scenario is wandering into a forest to live out as many days as I can bear before dying. Alone. I don’t need help from anyone, not from Scalpel, not from your princesses, and not from you. I don’t need your second chances.” The small voice in the back of his head screamed at him to stop, but Elias didn’t listen. Why he had even considered Other-Elias’ advice was a mystery now. He felt his blood begin to boil as his body prepared for the fight he knew was coming. Nightshade sighed for a third time before slamming her hoof down. “Alright, I’ll tell you what Elias, if you can beat me in a duel, I’ll convince the princesses to let you walk into your stupid forest and wander like a fairy until you drop from another stab wound. Buck, I’ll pull the chariot to drop your ungrateful ass there.” Elias smirked. “Where’s the rest?” he asked, knowing that it didn’t matter. He’d been fighting hand-to-hand for years. While she had the advantage of wings and a smaller, likely faster, body, he knew he had the reach to swat her out of the air. A few well-placed hits would be enough to bring her down quickly. Nightshade smiled broadly. “If I win, you are going to come back inside with me. If I win in three hits, you have to accept whatever the princesses offer, and you have to play nice.” “Really?” Elias said with a deadpan look. “Play nice? What am I, a child?” “You certainly act like one,” Nightshade shot back. Elias sighed and shook his head, waving his casted hand. “What does playing nice entail?” “Eager to lose?” Nightshade taunted. Elias glared at the pony. “A smart fighter knows the stakes before going into combat. It makes them fight harder. I wouldn’t expect a soft pony living in opulence to know anything about fighting though.” Elias drew his gladius in one long motion, the steel glinting in the moonlight. Mirroring the motion he used with his shield, he balanced the blade on his cast. Nightshade flared her wings and bent low to the ground. “I am going to enjoy putting you flat on your ass.” “Bold talk, but I have yet to hear your little stakes if you take me down in three hits,” Elias replied evenly. In truth he didn’t care, but mentally planning out his attack would be important if he wanted to get the drop on his undersized foe. The two began to circle each other. “If I take you down in three hits, you have to apologize to Doctor Scalpel. You hurt him more than I think you intended; pushing him away was one thing, but I didn’t like the look in his eyes. He took it personally.” Elias scoffed. “That isn’t my issue. Next.” Nightshade gritted her teeth. “Next, you are going to answer Ms. Sparkle’s questions. I will be nearby to ensure she doesn’t overstep, but she won’t leave anyone be until she gets as much information out of you that she can. We’ll stick to human cultures.” Elias clicked his tongue. “Is that it? Apologize and act as a living textbook? It seems like a gross misuse of a wager.” Nightshade shrugged. “Those stakes are good enough for me. Besides, you have no idea what that purple terror can do. Besides the princesses, she is likely the only pony in Equestria I don’t want to pick a fight with. Standing between her and new information is a mistake nobody wants to make.” Elias stopped, spreading his feet into a wide stance. “Deal then. I am eager to be away from this place. It is far too nice and peaceful. I will be much happier when I am sure that nobody will get hurt on my account.” “Besides yourself, right?” Nightshade asked, her hooves twitching as she made slight adjustments to her own fighting stance. Elias nodded and let his face go blank. He made sure to watch her eyes as they both stood completely still, waiting for the other to make a move. The pony’s eyes seemed to flash in the low light. Elias took a deep breath before he rushed forward, leading with a hard slash at her face. Nightshade dipped back, exactly like Elias intended. His cast punched out, acting as a makeshift mace as he tried to knock the pony over the head. As it approached contact, Nightshade seemed to disappear, vanishing from sight instantly. Elias let the swing follow through and used his overbalanced state to roll forward, sliding to his feet and back into a defensive stance, his gladius flat in front of his chest. Their swords clashed together with a flash of sparks, allowing Elias to see a brief look of determination in Nightshade’s eyes as she gripped a short sword in her teeth. Elias drilled her in the throat with his knee, wincing slightly when it cut against the edge of her chest plate. The pony wove her way back, the sword sliding into an unseen sheathe as she coughed. She glared at Elias. “That’s a dirty move,” she spat between coughs. Elias reset his stance, once again balancing the blade on his cast. His knees bent as he waited for his opponent to strike back. “There’s no such thing between combatants. To lose is to die, so all is fair for survival.” Nightshade growled, falling back into the stance she used before. Her serious expression then turned into a smirk, and she disappeared once more. Elias narrowed his eyes as he looked for signs of movement. She wasn’t just fast; she was turning invisible. That made things more challenging. He held his breath, trying to listen for sounds of movement. All he could hear was his mild tinnitus. Elias gasped in pain when he felt a blade run across his calves. He staggered forward, spinning in a circle as he swung his sword in all directions to ward off a second attack. He found his balance, resetting his stance as he slowly backed toward the rail. If he could cut off a direction of attack, he could better predict the strikes of his silent, invisible foe. He felt his rump bump against the stone railing, and Elias scanned the balcony, waiting for a sign of an incoming strike. “Two,” said a voice, only a whisper in his ear. Elias whirled around, swinging at the air behind him. He heard a giggle, then felt a sharp sting in his good hand. Blood poured out of a long wound on his arm, making his grip on his gladius slick. Elias growled, mentally cursing himself. He had forgotten she could fly. Nightshade chuckled as she gently set down on the ground, her wings quickly tucking against her sides. “Give up yet?” she said mockingly. “I’ll die first,” Elias snarled. He rushed forward again. It had worked the first time, and she wouldn’t use the same strategy to dodge twice. If he took a swing to his left or right, he would have a fifty-fifty chance of hitting her. It wasn’t his best strategy, but he was beginning to realize he was out of his element in this fight. He wasn’t a duelist; he was a scrapper. He needed to get close and stay close. He relied heavily on his armor for protection, and without it or his shield, he was far too exposed. As Elias prepared for the pony to move right or left, he was mildly surprised when she turned around. That surprise lasted until her hooves drilled into his chest, cracking at least two ribs as the force sent him flying backward, his sword flying from his grip. He felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder as he hit the rail, and knew instantly that he had dislocated it. Elias tried to ignore the pain signals his body was sending him. He tried to push himself back to his feet, but he was far too slow. He felt the familiar prick of a blade at his throat, and he glared at Nightshade, who stared down at him smugly. “And that's three. Looks like you are going to get a lot of practice playing nice.” Elias smirked and pressed forward against the point of the sword drawing blood from his throat. Nightshade pulled back a step, removing the sharp object. “Says who?” Elias said, a sadistic grin on his face. “Are you going to kill me if I refuse?” He looked to the bloody tip of the sword, then back to Nightshade. She looked at the blade as well before sheathing it. “No," she answered, "but you made a binding agreement with a member of the Lunar Guard. Such agreements can be enforced by any means, including magical compulsion.” She smiled widely. “Try to get out of this and the princesses can make you do anything and everything with the wave of a horn. You’ll be a little model citizen within a week, serving tea and doing the housework.” She made the mistake of remaining too close, and Elias let his anger do his thinking as his hand shot out, grabbing her by the throat and yanking her in close. “Threaten my mind again and you will learn intimately what I keep hidden away,” he growled, holding her eye contact by force. He felt a pair of stabs this time, his eyes flickering down to a pair of extremely sharp knives digging into his throat, drawing yet more blood. He tightened his grip, pressing against her windpipe. She squeaked as her air was cut off, but she didn’t waver. As the pair of knives began to press in deeper, Nightshade was yanked from his grip, the blades vanishing as he too was swept into the air. The pair quickly found themselves before an angry looking Steel Scalpel, who looked between them with a glare on his face, his horn aglow. “What the buck are you two thinking?” he said, his voice just below a yell, yet no less angry than if he had been shouting at the top of his lungs. “Dueling on castle grounds? What we’re you going to do? Fight till one of you died?” He looked to Elias. “I understand that you may not have had an easy life Elias, and I can understand anger and suspicion and a wish to remain isolated, especially in the face of an entirely new world, but I would think somebody of your intelligence would be able to tell when to pick your fights. We aren’t your enemies, so stop treating every action we do to help as an insult. It’s beneath you.” His head flicked to Nightshade. “As for you Captain, really? You had to pick a fight with someone who has only just gotten out of the medical ward? Has sparring with the other guards become too boring? You are making a fool of yourself out here and I have no idea how I am going to explain your injuries to the princesses.” Scalpel straightened, his face becoming calm. “This is what’s going to happen next. First, Captain Nightshade will apologize to Elias for challenging him to a duel when he expressed the wish to remain alone to think.” He shot a glare at the pony when she opened her mouth to protest. Her mouth clamped shut and she crossed her hooves, looking away in anger. Scalpel smiled slightly. “Then, Elias will apologize to Captain Nightshade for being a poor sport.” “No, I won’t,” Elias said. “I am not beaten until I say I am. The only time I will admit defeat is when I die.” Scalpel growled. “Elias, don’t play games, I am no longer in the mood. We both know you lost. You will fulfill the agreement you foolishly made with Captain Nightshade because we both know it’s the right thing to do, and despite your anti-social nature, we both know you are a human of strong morals. You have not done anything wrong yet. Do not start now by breaking your word.” Elias wanted to shoot back an angry retort, but he found that he had none. Scalpel was right. He had given his word, and had lost fair and square, as much as he hated to admit it. He could feel the streams of blood running down his neck, could feel his arm dangling from its socket. He sighed in defeat, staring at the ground. “Fine, just let me down so we can get this over with.” Scalpel nodded; his expression neutral as he gently lowered Elias to the ground. 'At least he’s kind enough not to gloat,' Elias thought. Elias tried to remain standing when his feet hit the ground, but he only lasted long enough to settle on his backside, his calves screaming as the deep cuts made themselves known. Elias applied pressure with his right hand to the wounds on his neck, while he watched Nightshade remain in the air, still suspended in Scalpel’s aura. She shot him a glare as she flailed and flapped about. “Let me down Doc! I already said I’d apologize!” Scalpel shook her a little in his magical grip. “I’m not done with you yet Captain,” he said. “Are you honestly telling me it was a smart decision to threaten another creature’s mind? Elias had every right to be angry about that, and I’m surprised he was restrained as he was! You should be ashamed of making a threat like that!” Nightshade huffed. “He doesn’t take us seriously Doc. I needed to get through that thick skull to make sure he knew we aren’t just something he can push around.” “You did that when you bucked him into a stone railing Captain!” Scalpel shouted. “He was merely trying to salvage his pride, and you threaten his very being? What were you thinking?” “I…” she drooped, and her ears flattened, “wasn’t. Sorry Doc, I guess I got carried away.” She looked to Elias and sighed. “And sorry to you too Elias. That was cruel of me. Nopony should or ever will mess with your mind in Equestria. I was just frustrated that you were challenging the agreement we made.” Elias shrugged with his right shoulder. “It doesn’t matter. I was an idiot for trying to go back on my word. I’m sorry for doing that.” He left his apology there, had no other words to say that would make him look like less of an ass. Both Scalpel and Nightshade seemed to accept the apology, and Scalpel gently lifted the guard to the ground. Scalpel then trotted over to Elias, brushing his hand aside as he looked at the neck wounds. He tsked as he looked at the weeping cuts. “I have no idea how I’m going to explain this,” he said, gently prodding the small holes with his hoof. The unicorn sighed as he lifted a roll of bandages from his white coat, wrapping them firmly around Elias’ throat, moving on to his arm, then his legs. Every once in a while, he would shoot a glare at Nightshade, who was watching from a few feet away. “Did you really have to cut his legs Nightshade?” Scalpel asked as he bit off the white bandages, already colored red with blood. The pony shrugged, grinning at Elias. “No, but he kicked me in the neck. As far as I’m concerned, we’re even.” “You can hide bruises in your fur Captain. How am I going to hide bandages across three different limbs and his neck?” Elias braced his left arm against the stone ground. He felt a jolt of pain shoot up it as he braced his shoulder with his right hand. Setting it was going to really hurt. “You aren’t going to hide it,” he said as he mentally worked up the courage to go through with it. “Then what are we going to tell the princesses?” Scalpel asked. “I don’t think you two would want the truth being told first, and while I’m not one to lie to the princesses…” “So, don’t,” Elias said. The anticipation was only making it worse. He just needed to do it in one motion, just like before. Except for the part where he did it wrong and nearly crippled his left arm. He would like to avoid that if all possible. “I’ll do the talking," he continued, "and you two can just nod along with me. I am an excellent liar. They may suspect, but they won’t have evidence to the contrary unless one of you two says something.” Elias took a deep breath and pressed his cast against the ground. Scalpel looked at him with concern. “Elias, I can do that for you. I can even cast a pain reduction spell if you’d like.” Elias met Scalpel’s eyes and shook his head. “There’s no need for that,” he said simply, keeping his face even despite the immense pain he was in. “I got better at doing this a while ago. It doesn’t even hurt anymore.” Scalpel looked at him with a mixture of doubt and belief, as if the two were trying to decide who was right. “Really?” he asked hopefully. Elias shook his head. “Nope.” And then he shoved down. A wave of pain rushed over Elias, and for a second, he was halfway between blacking out or throwing up. He briefly considered both. Then he let out a long breath and sat up, cradling his arm as the pain subsided to a dull roar. He swallowed roughly as he met Scalpel’s eyes once again. The pony had an expression of horror. “Why would you do that?” he asked incredulously. Elias shrugged, rolling his shoulder gently as he made sure it was properly in place again. “To show you that as long as you play along, I can lie well enough. Just don’t chip in and we’ll be fine.” Scalpel sighed. “We are all going to be in so much trouble for this, but we’ll do it your way.” He eyed Elias’ cradled arm. “I don’t have a sling on hoof, but we can go to the medical ward once we are done speaking with the princesses. Would you like a painkiller spell?” Elias shook his head and grunted as he tried to roll to his feet. He pretended not to notice the slight nudge that Scalpel gave him when his balance almost failed. Standing shakily on his re-injured legs, Elias scanned about for his fallen gladius. Nightshade poked his side with a hoof, the blade in her teeth; a peace offering. Elias sighed and took it gently, giving her a gruff ‘thank you’ before sliding the gladius back into its sheathe. He paused in place for a moment, before he looked to Scalpel. “Hey, uh, Doctor?” Scalpel looked up at Elias expectantly. “Yes Elias?” Elias thumbed his cast as he looked away from the pony. “Sorry. About earlier. I shouldn’t have driven you away like I did.” Scalpel blinked in response. “Apology accepted Elias. I can sense there is a 'but' coming however.” Elias nodded in agreement, looking back to Scalpel as he exhaled deeply. “The but is that the message still holds true. We are not friends. We can’t be, not if you wish to live a long, happy life.” Scalpel sighed, then shook his head as he smiled. “Alright Elias, I’ll keep that in mind. For now, I will agree with you. We aren’t friends, but I don’t think that will always be the case. This is not your wastelands, all of the rules that apply there do not apply here. Equestria is a peaceful nation. All I ask is that you keep an open mind and don’t drive away ponies who wish to be friends with you.” Elias shrugged. “I make no promises. But…” He paused then nodded in agreement. “I’ll try.” Scalpel smiled. “That’s all I ask.” Elias looked away, back toward the trees and doors beyond that held his immediate fate. Part of his mind was trying to cook up a suitable lie that he could feed the princesses to explain his injuries, while another part was fighting with the small voice at the back of his skull that was trying to justify an emotional attachment to Steel Scalpel. Elias sighed, feeling a nasty itch appear under his cast. “Let’s get this over with.” > Chapter 7: The New Guard > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry Day: Bite Me (870) All work and no play makes me a dull boy, but any play makes me a dead boy. Is it better to be dull or dead? I should ask Jimmy. He’s been swimming in the swimming hole for hours. He can hold his breath for a very long time. The concrete must help. I’ll fish him out before he gets wrinkly, make sure he knows I’m not going to ground him for stabbing me in the hand. “Are you honestly trying to convince my sister and I that you sustained these injuries during a, quote; “human cultural sharing ritual”?” Luna asked in disbelief. Elias couldn’t blame her, it wasn’t his most believable lie, but he had few options. The best lies were small and contained a measure of truth. There was no semi-honest answer that would dismiss the bandages on his legs and neck. “I am trying to convince nobody of anything,” Elias responded blankly, meeting her eyes with a bored stare. “You asked what happened, I answered. I’ve been hurt much worse sharing my culture with other humans; these are glory wounds, nothing I haven’t suffered before.” Luna turned her glare on Nightshade, who was standing at a rigid attention, her face blank as she tried not to sweat. Elias frankly enjoyed watching the ponies back up his lie with their silence. He had no doubt one, if not both would talk to the princesses in private to tell the truth, but right now, they were following him blindly. He could say anything, and they would agree. They were in far too deep to back out now. “Is all of this true Captain? You were merely sharing cultures with our guest?” Luna asked accusingly. Nightshade wisely remained silent, and Elias let her suffer for a moment before butting in by clearing his throat. The blue princess glared at him as he spoke. “Princess, it is tradition for none of the participants to speak of the cultural sharing. It is meant to be a rather intimate ritual between…” Elias paused as he tasted the word in his mouth. He didn’t like it, even as he said it with a calm voice. “friends.” Twilight groaned and slammed her head into the table. “I can’t believe I missed out on more human culture! I’m missing all of the good stuff!” She had been surprisingly open to conversation with Elias despite his outburst. She had offered a tentative apology; which Elias had accepted at the prodding of Steel Scalpel. He made sure to add the condition to steer clear of any subjects he didn’t wish to discuss, but he promised to tell as much as he could, fulfilling his deal with Nightshade. The thestral had grinned at him mockingly before she had drawn Luna’s ire. Said ire which was now being thrown around the room as Luna tried to pry the truth from the human and the two closed lipped ponies. As he had assured the two ponies, the princesses couldn’t disprove his statements, and with the silence of their subjects, along with the occasional groan from Twilight, they were forced to concede. Elias could tell neither of them were happy about it, with Luna pointedly glaring at all three suspects while Celestia simply frowned in disappointment, looking primarily at Scalpel and Elias. “Very well,” the white alicorn said slowly. “If you are sure that nothing negative has happened we can move along to other matters. Though I will be talking with each of you individually to ensure that all is truly well. I have no wish for grudges amongst my subjects.” Elias wanted to point out that he didn’t fit into that category, but he tactfully remained silent. He had no desire to have the princesses find out the truth immediately, and being overly mouthy would only lead to more pressure. It would be better to let the events fade from memory a little before they could figure the truth out. He shifted his weight between his feet, his legs aching as dull pain began to set in. While he had no doubt that Luna would enjoy watching him suffer, Celestia seemed to notice his discomfort, and she gestured toward the empty seats at the cleared table. “Please, let us begin anew. We still have much to discuss this evening.” They all resumed their previous seats, though Elias noticed that both Scalpel and Nightshade scooted their chairs just a bit closer to him. Luna had an almost predatory look on her face as she scanned the faces of the two obviously guilty ponies. Elias’ calm, almost bored demeanor acted as a calming agent however, and the lie was believed… for now. “I believe it would be better for all if we steered our conversations toward the future, rather than the past, agreed?” Celestia said. Everybody responded with silent nods, and Celestia smiled. “Excellent.” She faced Elias directly. “Elias, the… events of tonight have only strengthened my resolve to help you.” Elias bit his cheek, suppressing the irritation he could already feel rising in his chest. Although a large part was directed at the ponies for pitying him, a small portion of that anger was directed at himself. Why had he made such a stupid bet? It didn’t matter what Celestia said, he would have to accept; that, or shoot the last bit of character he had left in the face. Elias really didn’t like that option; he had tried it once. Never again. “My sister and I have discussed several potential solutions,” Celestia continued. “First, we have already begun researching a method by which to send you back to your world. While we pursued this avenue, you would stay as our guest within Canterlot Castle, and hopefully we could help you resolve your issues with your emotional distress.” Elias shook his head. “I wouldn’t waste your time. I was brought here by a freak accident; something called an anomaly. They usually disappear after contact with a living creature, so it is likely gone.” He shrugged. “Besides, I have nothing waiting for me on Earth but pain and death.” Celestia inclined her head. “I had surmised as such, but I did not want to assume and keep you trapped here.” 'And yet, here is exactly where I’ll be trapped,' Elias thought, biting his tongue. He briefly considered bolting again, but that small voice at the back of his mind yelled at him to keep his word. Elias sometimes wished he could physically slap that voice. “Another solution we discussed was a... parole of sorts,” Celestia said. Elias raised an eyebrow in response, but Celestia quickly continued. “I am not accusing you of a crime,” she said, trying to allay his fears. “Yet,” Luna growled. Celestia shot her a glare before continuing, turning back to Elias. “We merely wish to see if you are compatible with our ponies. Through what I am sure is no fault of your own, you have been traumatized, and as such may not realize when you are being too… aggressive.” Elias smirked. “You can just say that I’m a violent anti-social threat. I don’t mind. If I didn’t have keen self-awareness, I would have gone insane. Humans are supposed to be social creatures. Certain circumstances have made me an outlier.” Celestia seemed to hold onto only the social creatures bit, because she sat up slightly. “Then this solution may work the best. I would like to send you to Ponyville with Twilight. Once there, she will assist in educating you on pony society while you are re-socialized. Her friends are marvelous ponies, and I am sure they are more than capable with helping you find peace.” “What would I do for housing and food?” Elias asked. “Ooh! You can stay with me!” Twilight said excitedly. “We can stay up for hours talking about humans and you can help me study and then we’ll organize the library! I always need an extra pair of hands when tidying up.” Elias felt his eye twitch as he watched the overly excited unicorn ramble. That solution died quickly in his mind. He had already disliked the notion of being forced into a society, but doing so while being at the mercy of Twilight and what was quickly becoming an obsession of hers; he’d rather not. Elias looked back to Celestia. “Did you have any other solutions? I don’t think I’m the peaceful library type.” Celestia sighed, shaking her head at Twilight’s antics. “Indeed. The third solution is to take you on as a guard here. This solution would allow Doctor Scalpel and Luna to closely monitor, and assist, your emotional state. You would need to sign a service contract, but your full room and board would be covered, along with a stipend paid weekly.” “How long would this contract be for?” Elias asked, already solidifying in his mind which option he would take. If anything else, being a guard would be an excuse to remain constantly armed. He didn’t care how peaceful ponies saw themselves. He’d be dead and buried before he walked around without his gladius. “The standard guard contract is five years,” Celestia replied. “Though, we could modify yours to be based upon your physical and mental state. If both Doctor Scalpel and Luna determine that you are emotionally stable, I would have no issues with allowing you to find a different place in our society at your discretion.” Given the look he was receiving from Luna, Elias knew he was going to be stuck with the five-year contract. He could already sense a grudge forming against him. It was funny, all things considered. “What does being a guard entail?” he asked, making sure he knew what he was getting into. Nightshade was actually the one to answer, her voice only slightly robotic as she spoke. “It depends on which service you choose, but in sum; you would be involved in twelve-hour shifts with an assortment of positions. We would need to ensure you have complete combat and duty training, but ultimately you are a watcher; waiting for something to go wrong so that you can respond in a quick and efficient manner.” “While the Guard acts as Equestria’s primary military body,” Celestia continued, “it is solely based here in Canterlot and acts more as a peacekeeping force. Most disputes are solved by our ponies themselves or, in extreme cases, during our day and night courts. It is very rare that any threats require a… violent response.” Elias smirked, pointedly looking at Nightshade and Luna. “Really? How interesting.” Luna sniffed, sticking her nose in the air. “You are a special case Elias. My guards attempted to confront you in a non-violent manner, and you responded by assaulting them. What followed was merely insurance that you wouldn’t remain a threat.” Elias shrugged in dismissal. “I’m not blaming you; it isn’t dissimilar to how I would have responded. Next time though, please just do me the favor of stabbing me to death. Nearly drowning isn’t nearly as fun as it’s cracked up to be.” Luna pushed back her seat, her voice rising as she jabbed a hoof at him. “That would not have occurred if you had simply remained in place! Instead you ran along like a mare in heat with your tail between your legs as you tried to escape.” Elias tilted his head, trying to appear calm when in truth he wanted to laugh. He couldn’t be bothered to get angry; this was starting to get kind of fun. He hadn’t had a good verbal sparring in a while, and it would seem that Luna had a bit of an anger issue. Her buttons were easy to push. Who was he to waste an ideal situation? “I was merely making a tactical withdrawal to a better position to fight an unknown enemy that outnumbered me. What would you think when creatures straight out of a story book came by your campsite and started sniffing your bloody bandages? It isn’t my fault your version of introductions comes at the point of a sword in the dead of night,” Elias responded. “Brought about only because you decided to act like a sneak thief in the middle of the day!” Luna shouted. Elias glanced over to Celestia, who was shaking her head slowly, her face one of exasperation. Evidently this wasn’t the first time this had happened. Elias cocked his head. “I apologize for being delirious, I seem to recall having an arrow in my chest. My judgement tends to suffer when I’m bleeding my life away.” Luna scoffed. “Please, you have the dramatic sense of a foal. If you were truly that injured, you should have approached Ponyville on the main path and received proper medical care. Instead you ran and cowered like a child.” Elias felt a grin spread across his face. “You’re accusing me of being a child, yet one of us is shouting at the top of their lungs, in front of her subordinates and sister no less, while the other is a human merely trying to learn more about his new environment. Who would you say is acting childish now Princess?” Luna turned beet red. Her mouth opened and Elias heard an impressive intake of air. He braced himself for a shout, but was blindsided when it came from Celestia instead. “ENOUGH!” she shouted, slamming her forehooves into the table, nearly upending it. All of the ponies jumped, while Elias tried to contain his amusement. This was far too easy. Maybe he did have a place here. A little bit of trouble making never hurt anyone, and it had been a very long time since he had had the opportunity to make innocent mischief. Celestia took a deep breath and settled back into her seat, her face calming visibly as she brought her flash of anger under control. She looked first to her sister, shaking her head slightly as she spoke. “Luna, you should be ashamed of yourself. To be so easily goaded; I thought we had worked on this,” Celestia admonished. Luna looked down as she sat in her chair, occasionally shooting a glare at Elias when she thought nobody was looking. Celestia then looked to Elias, and shook her head in disappointment. “As for you Elias, I cannot pretend to be happy with your words, but I also cannot punish you for them. Do note that should you accept a position in the guard, such behavior will not be tolerated.” Elias nodded, keeping his face calm as he responded. “Of course, Princess. My apologies. I always found that a bit of argumentative banter eased tensions.” “Why do I severely doubt that?” Scalpel muttered. Celestia gave Scalpel a look that told Elias she agreed with him, but they all let the subject drop. Calm and dignified once more, Celestia said; “There are three guard branches, though the Royal Guard is off limits until you serve a full year within one of the regular guard forces, as well as pass a series of exams.” “And the other two?” Elias asked. He leaned forward in his slightly, his recently unused curiosity beginning to rise. Elias felt mentally cluttered, like his mind was stuck between two points. One was trying to warn him to remain cautious, to only learn enough to get done and get out. It advised him to drive the ponies away, to remain aloof until whatever service he was due was up, then run as he had planned earlier. The other half wanted to relax, to let go of his suspicions so it could learn. It wanted to find a library, to see what books they had. A new world meant new cultures to study, new civilizations. He relished his knowledge of ancient Greek and Roman life, and he really wanted to see how this world stood up in the face of human empires. It wanted to joke, to play, to see and experience. All of that could be done by using this chance as a tool for future interests. Elias decided to lean toward the latter voice. Escape was a solid back up, and remaining aloof would have benefits for keeping certain ponies away, Elias felt his eyes flick to Luna before flicking back to Celestia, but he had an opportunity here. If nothing else, learning more could be used as a weapon. Satisfied with his mental justification, Elias listened carefully as Celestia continued to speak. “The Solar Guard is my personal branch,” she said. “They are led by Guard Captain Shining Armor, and operate from dawn till dusk, guarding the daylight hours. It is the largest of the three guard forces, and I am sure that you would be able to make many friends if that should be your wish.” Luna, her temper cooled in the moments of passing talk, continued where Celestia left off. “As for the Lunar Guard, it is a much smaller force, but no less powerful. You have already met Captain Nightshade, and should you choose this branch, you will act as guardian of the night,” she smiled sinisterly, “with me of course. It will also allow us to… get to know each other better.” Elias gave her an unimpressed look before turning back to Celestia. “I’m assuming there is some sort of paper I’ll have to sign?” he asked. She seemed to perk up in her seat as her smile brightened. “Are you sure you’ve already decided? We would be more than happy to allow you to rest for a few more days so that you could think about this. It is no small decision.” Elias shrugged, trying not to look at Nightshade as he spoke. “I’ve already told myself that I would accept what I could get, and this is going to be the best option. Signing a few years of my life away for peace of mind isn’t so bad. I’m young. I’ll have plenty of time after.” Celestia nodded. “Very well Elias. I shall have the appropriate documentation prepared before your first training session. Shall I put you down for the Solar Guard then?” “The Lunar Guard actually,” Elias replied calmly. “WHAT?” Luna shouted, her hooves hitting the table. Elias heard Scalpel sigh and saw a small pouch float into Nightshade’s waiting hoof, the pony keeping a straight face as she tucked it away in her armor. The motion went unnoticed as Luna began to rant. “This is unacceptable!” she said, pointing at Elias. “You merely wish to be a member of my guard to make a mockery of it! To tarnish its name and uniform! I shall not allow it.” Elias frowned, meeting the seething pony’s eyes with his calm ones. “I will do no such thing. Though I may forget myself from time to time, I am still a man of my word, and whatever terms and rules your contract has, I shall follow them to the best of my ability.” Elias straightened in his seat, erasing the slouch he had been maintaining lazily. “I have no interest in bringing your guard shame Princess. I shall treat whatever position I am given with the same respect as I would my own legion. If you do not believe me-…” Elias stood, unsheathing his sword. He flipped it in his hand and offered the hilt to Luna. “then take this and let’s end this farce here and now. I have no interest in being some sort of passive subject, and I will not continue a life lived in shame. If my word isn’t valued, then my life lacks meaning. If you don’t believe me, take up my sword, and let’s talk no more.” As he finished, he gently tossed the blade, letting it clatter to a stop just in front of Luna. Her eyes flickered back and forth between Elias’ calm face and the sharp blade glistening before her. Elias could see the shock in her eyes, and he imagined that it was mirrored on the faces of the other ponies. The words were a bit melodramatic, as was the action of giving her his sword, but it served its purpose. If nothing else, it was a full commitment that should get the ponies to trust him. Exactly as he needed them to. “Elias, I don’t…” Luna started. She seemed unable to continue, so Elias gestured to the sword. “Princess, for a man, his word is his life. If he does not honor it, he doesn’t deserve to live, and is no longer a man. Only those who are insane or cowardly willingly break their word.” “And which are you?” Nightshade asked. Elias shrugged, the motion drawing pain from his arm. He re-cradled it as he answered. “I don’t know anymore,” he replied simply. "but I believe I will soon have an opportunity to figure that out." Nightshade frowned, and Elias could tell she didn’t really accept the answer, but she wasn’t important right now. Elias looked back to Luna, who was now solely staring at his gladius. “I have given the choice to you Princess,” he said. “My life is in your hands. That’s how much I believe my word is worth.” Luna frowned in thought, and Elias could practically see the gears turning behind her eyes. For a split second, Elias thought he could see a smile on her lips, then the moment passed as she raised her head, her face a calm mask. The gladius lifted into the air in her blue aura, and Elias watched as it spiraled through the air. “Are you sure about this human?” she asked him carefully. “Will you be able to devote yourself to the night, and by extension me? Your duties shall not be light.” “No challenge has put me down yet,” Elias replied. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep moving forward.” The blade settled in the air above his head, its edge pointing down. Luna’s eyes were locked with Elias’, both of them unflinching. “Will you swear to have no fear? Will you pledge to give your life for others should it become necessary?” Elias smirked. “I’ve already survived my worst nightmares, and therefore I fear nothing. I’ve been living for myself for a while now. It might be a good change of pace to die for others.” Luna tilted her head slightly, and this time Elias was sure he had seen her smile. Not in a mocking fashion either, but a genuine smile. Odd. “Very well then.” The gladius descended swiftly, fast enough that he felt the air cut as it stopped just short of his tunic. Elias didn’t so much as blink. The blade gently alighted on his left shoulder, then his right. “I dub thee Guardsman Bright,” Luna said, her tone rising slightly as she made her proclamation, “official member of the Lunar Guard. Serve thy position well Guardsman, I shall be watching you closely.” Elias’ gladius flipped smoothly in the air, the hilt now facing him. He inclined his head slightly as he took the offered blade, sheathing it quickly. The rest of the ponies stomped lightly; what Elias assumed was their version of clapping. Either way, it made him uncomfortable, and Elias quickly sat back down, supporting his arm once more as he tried to avoid eye contact with all of the smiling ponies. He felt his face flush slightly in embarrassment, and he pushed hard to suppress the emotion. It was supposed to be a display of grit and fortitude, yet the ponies were acting like it was a congratulatory affair was foreign to him. Mostly, he just didn’t like the positive attention. His actions seemed to win him favor with Luna though, because her glares at him ceased, replaced by a calm mask, hiding her emotions carefully. Nightshade leaned over. “Nice job,” she whispered in his ear. ***** Elias walked behind Luna; their pace leisurely as they walked through the castle corridors. Thanks to Doctor Scalpel, his arm was in a proper sling now, though Elias had rejected the use of any kind of painkiller, medicinal or otherwise. He wanted to keep his head clear. He had to make rational, well thought out decisions, and he couldn’t let the ponies effect how he thought. While he was going to be stuck with the them for the long haul, he didn’t intend to change much. He had to remain stand-offish, even it meant alienating a few people. Without looking back or so much as a single mistep, Luna said; “So, Guardsman, while I do believe you are sincere in your pledge to perform your duties to your fullest, I must say I am curious. Your armor and weapons seem to indicate that you would prefer fighting in daylight, yet you chose the night. May I ask why?” “Unfortunately, that armor was made for me during my time as a legion commander,” Elias replied. “Normally, you would be correct. When fighting with a unit trained as mine was, daytime is the best to organize and fight battles.” Elias felt a smile at the corner of his mouth. “The armor is supposed to shine in the sunlight; a visual intimidation factor if you will.” His thoughts quickly soured. “When what happened happened, I was left with only my armor. I kept wearing it even though my strategies changed. I chose the night guard because I have had an abundance of practice striking from darkness.” He shrugged as he brought his rogue emotions back under control. “Also, I like it better than the day. Sunlight is great and all, but the quiet doesn’t seem so unnatural at night.” “I apologize Guardsman. It is likely no small thing to witness the death of one’s species,” Luna replied. “It wasn’t just my species Princess; it was all of them. Humans killed the whole planet. What still lives won’t be doing so for long. It’s why I know I won’t go back. I’d rather take my chances in mysterious fantasy world than my own.” Luna snorted, and yet the action somehow seemed dignified. “Our world is fantastical? Nonsense. You are the one who speaks of touching stars. We are tame by comparison.” Elias eyed the back of her head. “Ignoring the radical difference in species, you have the natural ability to fly and to use magic. Real magic, not card tricks, genuine magic. Humans have no such thing. I would say actual magic weighs in favor of being more fantastical.” Luna scoffed. “Please Guardsman, all creatures have innate magic. Your species must have simply missed or ignored the signs of your world’s magic.” Elias shrugged, looking at the wall pointedly as they walked. “I guess you could be right Princess. For instance, having thumbs is awful useful, one could say it’s the magic finger, though there might be some debate on that.” He titled his head slightly as he looked back at the pony. Luna sighed and stopped, turning around with a disappointed look on her face. “Guardsman, as much as I enjoy your nigh flippant tone; you will act like a professional while in my guard. I shall tolerate no less.” Elias bit back a retort that he wasn’t technically a guard yet, but the look on her face helped him drive the comment away. He didn’t know precisely what it was, but he just didn’t like seeing Luna look at him like that. It reminded him of… Elias blinked, widening his eyes so that the memory would stay buried. He couldn’t afford another panic attack so quickly. Elias let the small voice at the back of his mind have the reigns for a moment. He bowed his head, lowering his eyes. “Sorry Princess. I’ll get it under control.” Her eyes narrowed at his quick submission, but she nodded and turned back around, resuming her quick stride. Elias followed close behind. The rest of the walk was in silence, with Elias unwilling to give anything more than short, non-descriptive answers. As they arrived at a door, that to Elias looked the same as any other, Luna stopped, turning to him once more. “Before we enter this room,” she said, indicating the doorway with her hoof, “the gryphon that resides here is a bit, how do I put this properly… eccentric,” she finished. Elias was a bit more in shock that she had mentioned another fairytale creature. Clearing his throat, he asked; “Respectively Princess, are there any other mystical creatures I should know about? Do you perhaps keep a dragon nearby? Maybe a hydra or two? Should I be expecting a minotaur on an afternoon jog perchance?” “These creatures are all fantastical to your world as well?” she asked in reply. Elias nodded. “From an assortment of different cultures.” He sighed, blowing some hair from in front of his eyes. “They’re all real, aren’t they?” “Quite,” Luna answered with an amused smirk. “Though you are unlikely to find any within our borders, especially not in Canterlot.” Elias sighed, his face downcast as he thought, his mind struggling to grasp the situation as it slowly unfolded. Evidently his mood was readable. “Are you all right Guardsman?” Luna asked, a frown on her face. Her tone also became slightly more concerned, which Elias found mildly irritating. He didn’t need pity. The small voice helped him suppress the urge to lash out, and Elias answered the question truthfully. “Just beginning to realize how out of my depth I am Princess. It’s… a lot to process. I’ll probably have to do some reading so that I don’t induce another panic attack from mental strain alone.” “Guardsman, if you still need further time to recover, it is not a sign of weakness,” Luna said. “I am quite willing to delay your entrance to the Lunar Guard in favor of you being better adjusted.” Elias shook his head slowly. “No, no. I’m… I’ll get better faster if I get to work. I’ll just need to borrow some books; if you don’t mind of course,” he added, looking back to Luna. She eyed him carefully, but nodded. “The Royal Library is always available for all guards. I shall be sure to take you there before our tasks tonight are completed.” “Thank you, Princess,” Elias said, his mind drifting off as he laid out what he would look for. He would start with some sort of cultural book, or maybe something on local fauna, He could then expand to history, and if he was truly free to look up what he wanted; local weaponry. Magic had to have an impact on warfare, and Elias would need to have intimate knowledge of it if he wanted to learn how to counter it in the future. His mind snapped back to the present like a bowstring. He gestured to the door with his good arm. “You were saying about the gryphon?” he asked leadingly. Luna sighed, staring at the door with a look that Elias assumed was trepidation. “Let us finish our business here quickly. I do like Anyon, but when he is working, he has a nasty tendency to be abrasive. It can be distasteful.” She sighed again and pushed open the door, letting out a wave of heat and noise from the room. She walked confidently in, and Elias followed, letting the door close behind him as he squinted. He did his best to let his eyes adjust to the sudden change in both light and heat. Where the corridor had been a bit cool, the room was sweltering. Elias saw several furnaces running at full steam, their light painting the walls with hot oranges and reds. And that was just in the front area of the room. The back area was blocked by a simple wooden barricade that ran from the floor to the ceiling, with only a door and a bathtub sized opening in the middle. Through said opening, Elias spotted rows of dark blue armor across from rows of bright gold armor. In the center sat more furnaces, as well as a myriad of tools hanging from the ceiling. It all looked disorganized and tightly packed, so tightly packed that nothing should have been able to move about. Yet skittering throughout it all like a madman was a gryphon, straight out of a fairy tale. Elias noted however, that this one seemed rougher than those drawn in any book he had seen. Its head feathers were black, though whether that was from its natural color or the soot hanging in the air, Elias couldn’t tell. As it flipped back and forth between a workbench and hammering a glowing sword, Elias noticed that one of its eyes were missing, with a long scar over the socket in its place. All of this he observed in the second that it took Luna to walk to the opening which acted as a storefront for the blacksmith. She cleared her throat loudly. “Anyon? I am here for the special request.” Without looking up from his work, the gryphon answered. “Princess, ah already said ah cannot make a bed that bounces for ya. It cannot be done! The frame won’t take the strain! There just ain’t a material out there that can take the abuse an alicorn can throw at it! I know ya like jumpin' up and down on it, but it cannot be done!” Luna’s ears twitched in embarrassment, her eyes flicking to Elias as she gauged his reaction. Elias kept a passive look on his face and he feigned looking around the smithy, pretending to be uninterested in what the gryphon had let slip. Luna cleared her throat loudly as she looked back to Anyon. “I am not here about… that request Anyon,” she said, her eyes flicking back to Elias again. She leaned forward a bit, as if trying to shield the already exposed information from him. “That was supposed to remain private!” she hissed. The gryphon spun around, abandoning his work as his eye found quickly found Elias, who stared back. “Ach!” the gryphon squawked, his eye flicking back to Luna. “You didn't tell me you were bringin’ him! The armor’s almost ready, ah just have to wait for the enchantments to settle.” Elias looked to Luna, his face showing his confusion. “Armor?” he echoed. “What’s wrong with my old set?” Luna opened her mouth to respond, but Anyon scoffed first. “Ignorin' the fact that it’s the wrong color, yer “old set” is dung. Ah’ve seen hatchlings with better skill out the egg then who’er made that.” Elias growled and his hand clamped onto the hilt of his sword. “My best friend made that armor,” he said, his eyes becoming dangerous. Anyon scoffed again. “Yer friend’s an idiot and needs to find himself a new craft if he intends to live with himself. Ah wouldn’t arm my cat with that low-grade mish-mash rubbish.” Elias felt his hand freeze as he began to tug his sword free. His eyes quickly fell on Luna, who’s horn was lit up. She ignored him in favor of glaring at Anyon, who currently had his beak clamped shut in a blue aura. “That is enough. I will not have either of you instigating a fight. We have already had one of those tonight.” she said, pointedly looking at the bandages wrapped around Elias’ legs. “You two will cease this folly at once, am I clear?” She looked to Elias apologetically. “Your old armor was quite fine Elias, but it simply does not meet the needs of your new position. Please, let us not have violence again, it is not fitting this night.” Elias scowled, but he let his hand drop away from his gladius. Anyon waved a claw at his entrapped beak, and Luna released him. The bird scratched it before staring at Elias. He rubbed at his chin as he looked the man up and down. “Princess Luna’s right. Yer old set was missing enchantments, and it wasn’t made from good ol’ Equestrian steel.” Almost as an afterthought, he added, “Ahm sorry ‘bout yer friend, ahm sure he did his best.” The gryphon extended a claw of peace to Elias, which Elias simply glared at. Anyon snorted. “Fine, be like that.” He turned his shoulder to Elias as he looked to Luna. “I don’t know where ya keep finding these strays Princess, but they could learn a thing or two about manners afore you bring ‘em in ‘ere.” “Someone should teach you some manners, buzzard,” Elias spat in Latin, carefully tucking his thumb into his sword belt. “I didn’t carry that armor for this long to have some raggedy bird spit on it.” “I already said I’m sorry youngblood,” Anyon snapped back. “Take the damn apology so we can both move on from this.” The pair froze as they stared at each other in shock. Luna looked between them in confusion. She didn’t understand the tongue in which they spoke, but it was clear they understood each other. Anyon was the first to recover, his glare fixed intently on Elias. “How in the world do you know the old tongue?” he questioned sharply. “I would ask you the same thing,” Elias responded, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the gryphon. “It is an old tongue, but a human one. Latin. The language of conquerors.” Anyon shook his head, and Elias noted some of the black, now clearly soot, fall off with the motion. “Nay. That is the language of kings. Rex loqueris. Gryphon leaders have been speaking that tongue for ages to each other to counter any who would plot against them.” Elias looked at the gryphon curiously. “If that’s the case, then how do you know it? This workshop of yours doesn’t look like much of a kingdom to me.” Anyon laughed. “Aye youngblood, that it's not. No, ah used to live far from ‘ere in Gryphonia, as the king’s personal blacksmith!” His chest feathers fluffed out with pride. “And being the best blacksmith meant ah was privy to everything, even a language that was meant for a special few.” “So why are you here now?” Elias asked. “That sounds like something you would never leave for anything.” Anyon nodded in agreement, then rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “It was. But… ah may or may not have shared a nest with the king’s wife, if you catch my meaning.” Elias blinked in shock. “You gave up your position as the king’s personal blacksmith, a life likely filled with more luxury in a single day then I’ve seen in my entire life, just to fuck his wife?” Elias asked slowly. “Guardsman!” Luna said, aghast. Anyon only laughed. “The youngblood knows his words! About time someone with some class started creepin’ ‘bout this place." He smiled and shrugged at Elias. "Anyway, just about. Ya gotta understand, she was the fairest catch in the land, and since he’s king, she had an awful tendency to get real lonely…” Elias shook his head in disbelief. “Nobody gets that lonely.” “Ah was younger then ya daft idiot!” Anyon screeched. “An’ even if ah wasn’t, ah coulda still wooed her with my handsome charms.” He puffed his chest out again and combed back his dusty, black feathers. The gryphon then looked to Elias, who just stood, one eyebrow raised as he subtly shook his head again. His eye flicked to Luna, who was doing her best to suppress a smile as she shook her head in a firm 'no'. Anyon sighed and let the façade drop. “Ah yer right. Ah’m an old bird now. She’d want some youngblood stud like yerself.” He shrugged, his rugged demeanor returning in full. “Still, back then ah was a bit more foolish and hotheaded. Much like yerself.” Elias sneered at him silently as Anyon continued. “Ah was with the fair lady for some time, oh and the things she could do…” he stared wistfully into the air. Luna sighed and sent a light shock through her horn, making the gryphon jump. He continued instantly. “One day the king came home early, and well, there ain’t no fightin’ the king, so ah gave her a kiss and flew the coop.” Anyon gestured toward Luna. “The princesses were kind enough to offer me sanctuary in exchange for my smithin’ talents, so ah changed my name and now ah’m here in Canterlot to stay. Have been for some time now.” Elias looked to Luna. “And this king was just okay with that? You can’t expect me to believe he never found out.” Luna smirked. “He found out within a week. You must understand King Steel Talon is not a bad king, in fact he excels at the position, and has done so for as many centuries as my sister and I have ruled Equestria. His work simply keeps him busy, and every wife he takes begins to be neglected as duty overtakes personal life. It is why my sister and I do not take lovers.” “That seems like a rather bleak life,” Elias said. Luna shrugged in response. “Such is the fate of near immortals. We are viewed as gods by some. This is a false premise of course, but regardless, remaining ageless despite the millennia passing does tend to leave one to isolation. Only in recent times has the world become peaceful enough to even consider such personal trivialities. Tell me Guardsman, would you seek out love on your world as you try to carve civilization from the wilds?” Elias thought about the question for a moment before shaking his head. “No, I guess not. I always saw other people getting together, but never really…” “Found the time?” Luna finished. “Yeah,” Elias said. “I was always too busy keeping things running.” Luna nodded. “Precisely. Now spread that existence over centuries. Your duties become your life at some point, it is… calmer that way.” Luna’s voice drifted off, and Elias almost felt like he should ask her if she was alright. He instead decided to push the conversation forward. “So how did you end up getting away with it?" he asked Anyon. "If he knew that quickly, there must have been some sort of repercussions.” “Aye,” the gryphon said, nodding. “There was. Even though the princesses took me in, ah had already lost the eye at that point, and King Talon made me swear off any rights ah had as a gryphon. As far as everyone back home is concerned, ah died.” Luna perked up slightly at the reassertion of the original conversation. “As for us, we gave the gryphons a small bit of territory on the edge of our borders. It was merely a ceremonial gesture. Talon saved face by making a permanent diplomatic treaty with Equestria, while we got a superior arms smith. I do not fault my ponies and their efforts, but…” “Only two species know how to make real armor,” Anyon cut in. “And it’s gryphons and minotaurs. If ponies get all their fancy spells and such, we get the magical know how to enchant any piece of metal we come across. It’s in our blood,” he said, his pride returning. Anyon’s eye seemed to twinkle as he smirked and winked at Elias. “Besides, ah got the better deal for it anyway. None of them feather heads appreciated my armor fully. Here’s much better. Nobody can even challenge my craftwork, nobody dares!” he proclaimed loudly. Elias grunted in response, only slightly impressed. “Guess it worked out then.” Anyon winked again. “Oh aye. Ah get everything ah could ever want. Peace, quiet, three square meals, all the best materials I could want…” He paused as he smirked broadly, “and opportunities to chase after those young and spry pegasi always flying ‘bout the place. Haven’t caught one yet, but when I do…” Luna sighed and rubbed her eyes with a hoof. “Anyon, can we please get back to the task at hoof. Elias has accepted a place in the Lunar Guard and needs his equipment.” “Course he does!” Anyon shouted, charged with excited energy. “That’s why ya came to me! It won’t be long now, was workin’ on the shield just before ya came in, had to make sure the improvements were right.” Elias’ face twisted slightly as he felt anger rise again. “Are you going to tell me my scutum is worthless too?” Anyon shook his head. “Nay youngblood, that shield is a piece of real craftsmanship. If it’s made by the same friend, he shoulda been a carpenter. The wood's a bit different than ah’m used to, it’s a bit tougher and less pliant, but otherwise it’s just well used. You’ve seen a few fights, haven’t you?” Elias nodded silently, and after a moment, Anyon continued. “Ah took the liberty of making some improvements. Put a couple fortifying enchantments on it, gave it a fresh coat of paint. I’ll double check to make sure I did the right branch first. I had an inkling ya would go with Princess Luna, but ya never know.” He scratched his feathers, sending more soot into the air. “I do got one question for ya though.” He turned around and began rifling through a stack of what looked like scrap material. Only once he fully buried his head in the stack did he find what he was looking for, and he drew out a long, familiar piece of material. “Now ah understood why you got two sets of handles, especially now that ah see ya, by what is this doodad for? Ah couldn’t figure the reason you had it.” Anyon laid a long piece of leather on top of the counter, and Elias picked it up, lightly touching the holsters with his thumb. “It’s for holding pilla,” Elias replied, wistfully staring at the worn strap. “I, and my legionaries would carry two each for throwing. They were carried on the shield for easy access.” He carefully laid the strap back down. “I lost mine some time ago. One broke in half, while the other went down in the chest of a man who fell into a river. I haven’t had time to make new ones.” Anyon frowned in thought. “Ah’m afraid ah ain’t familiar with that word youngblood. Ya wouldn’t happen to have a design ah could look at? Ah can do my best to recreate from words, but if ya want the real thing, ah need somethin’ to look at.” Elias looked at the gryphon, his mind alight with curious possibilities. “Am I allowed to get something like that made?” He looked back to Luna. “I can’t imagine you would want me to have non-uniform weaponry.” Luna shrugged. “You will not be an orthodox guard,” she replied. “If you require additional equipment to perform your duties in the best manner possible, I see no issue with Anyon creating these pilla. I shall be interested to see how they function.” Elias looked back to Anyon. “I have a book back with my gear. It should have everything you need.” “Stop by anytime,” Anyon said. “New weapons are always good fun.” His eyes fell to Elias’ waist. “Ya mind if ah take a look at that youngblood?” he said pointing at the sword hilt. Elias followed the gryphon's claw to his gladius, and his hand gripped it tightly. “What do you want it for?” Elias asked, his voice dripping with paranoia. Anyon sighed in exasperation. “Maybe to hit ya on that stubborn skull of yers.” The gryphon beckoned Elias to hand the blade over. “Come on now, ah jus’ want to take a look. It’s the only bit ah haven’t got a peek at.” Elias didn’t budge. His eyes stared back and forth between Anyon’s eyes and his outstretched talon. “Don’t give me that look youngblood!” Anyon squawked. “Ah ain’t gonna break it, ah just wanna look. A blacksmith can tell a lot about someone on how they treat their blade.” Elias stared at the gryphon’s waiting hand, his thoughts racing for a second. He sighed as he found he agreed with the old buzzard’s logic, so he unbuckled his sword belt, laying it all gently in Anyon’s waiting palm. The bird gave him a grateful nod before he began to turn the sword belt over in his talons. He gently spread apart the belt, and Elias watched tensely as the bird pulled out a small magnifying glass from some unseen drawer. Elias twitched; he felt naked without his blades on his hip. Still, he controlled himself while Anyon slowly went over the belt, piece by piece. He began by drawing forth Elias’ knife, a blade that was as long as the distance between the tip of his middle finger and his wrist. The gryphon ran a claw up and down the glistening blade before setting it down on the counter without comment. Anyon then held the belt up, studying each part of it before he grasped the sheathe of Elias’ gladius. The blade came from its sheathe smoothly and soundlessly. Elias felt a flash of pride as Anyon cooed at the blade, spinning it slowly as its pristine edges flashed in the light of the furnaces. “Now this here’s a piece of craftsmanship. Did yer friend make this one as well?” Anyon asked, looking to Elias before his eyes drifted back to the blade, studying its sharp edges. He seemed hypnotized by it. Elias nodded as he answered the question. “It was the last piece he made. He started with my armor, and then ended with my sword. It took him two months working for sixteen hours every day to make all that armor and weaponry. My gladius came last. A gift. He was really proud of it, said it was his best piece of work.” Anyon nodded in agreement. “It shows. Ah take everything ah said back. This… this is real work.” He swung the blade through the air experimentally before looking to Elias again. “You the one keepin’ it sharp and clean?” Elias snorted before he nodded. “I trust nobody else to do it right.” “Good answer,” Anyon said. He tapped at the base of the blade, flipping it over as he looked closely at the hilt. “Leather around wood around steel,” he muttered. “The hilt is custom?” Elias nodded. “Yeah, I had a knife like that, and that hilt made it easier to transition to sword play.” Anyon nodded silently as he ran a claw across a chip near the base of the hilt. “It’s seen use.” “Yes it has,” Elias said solemnly. “Too much if you ask me.” Anyon smiled at the statement as he flipped the blade again, once more analyzing the sharp point. “Another good answer. A good sword should never see too much fighting. A good fighter always approaches conflict with an open hand.” He looked to Elias, saying; “If’n you don’t mind, ah’d like to take a crack at this. It’ll just take a minute, and ah swear you’ll like the results.” Elias frowned, wished desperately for the sword belt back; but he nodded. “Just… be careful. That sword is one of the only things I have left.” Anyon nodded and gave Elias a grin. “Don’t worry youngblood, it’s a beauty of a blade; it’s just missing those special touches only a gryphon can give it.” The bird spun around, quickly pulling down half a dozen tools as he shoved the gladius into a furnace. Elias couldn’t even pretend he didn’t flinch when the whole gladius, hilt and all was sealed behind that steel door. HE shifted on his feet and his thumb messed with his sling. His whole body felt like a bundles of nerves as his eyes ached to see his gladius returned unharmed. Luna seemed to be watching his movements carefully, but for once Elias didn’t care what information he might be giving away with his body language. He wanted his sword back. After the longest ten-count in existence, Anyon withdrew the heated blade from the furnace, quickly pouring a vial of liquid over the hilt as he whispered something at the sword. Elias saw a light haze spread over the blade before settling into it. The gladius took on a light glow before it looked like normal once more. Anyon then looked over his shoulder. “She got a name youngblood?” the gryphon asked as he reached for another vial. “Gavin called it the Reaper,” Elias responded. Anyon scoffed. “That’s pretentious. And the sword is a she youngblood, ah’m surprised one like yerself who gives her such care would treat her as anything less.” He poured the second vial over the sword, this time carving runes in the liquid with his talons. “Nah, she’s gonna be a little Feather on yer hip youngblood. Perfect for a stud eagle such as yerself.” Elias flinched as his blood ran cold. ‘They don’t know. They don’t know.' He repeated mentally, trying to remove the shock from his system. Luna frowned. “Are you all right Guardsman? Does that name mean something?” Anyon looked over his shoulder. “If ya don’t like it ah can always make somethin’ different. Blade's whatever ya want her to be.” Elias shook his head far too quickly. “No, it’s fine. There is nothing wrong with Feather. It’s a fine name. Speaks to the lightness of the swing.” Anyon smiled as he went back to the sword. “Aye, that it does. A good slashing weapon this is, though ah imagine she's a thrusting sword too. Fantastic design.” Elias swallowed nervously, pointedly not looking at Luna as she eyed him with all the carefulness of a cat watching a mouse. Her eyes eventually flickered away, staring at the floor as if trying to break down the sentence to find what had brought out Elias’ nerves. He couldn’t let her figure it out. He cleared his throat loudly as he shifted is weight between his feet. “If you don’t mind my asking, what exactly are you doing?” Elias asked, motioning to his gladius with his good hand. Anyon grinned as he raised the blade into the air. He moved back toward the counter and passed the sword to Elias. “See for yerself youngblood.” As he picked the blade up, Elias noticed instantly that the hilt felt different in his hand. He gave it an experimental swing in the air as he looked at the blade, studying it for differences. When he didn’t find any, he looked back to Anyon. The gryphon grunted, and with a bit of effort, he lifted a stone block onto the counter. Anyon patted the top of the block and grinned at Elias. “Give it a swing youngblood. Ah wanna make sure ah ain’t losin’ my touch.” Elias opened his mouth to protest, but found that he had more than a bit of confidence that the gladius, Feather, would be just fine. He swung the blade as hard as he could at the left corner of the block. Likely due to his exhaustion, his aim was slightly off, cutting out a bigger chunk of the rock than he had intended. Elias’ eyes widened when the blade didn’t jar back, but instead cut clean through the stone, the corner sliding to the ground before shattering into a hundred pieces. Elias felt the chips bite into his feet, but he didn’t care; he felt hypnotized by the sword in his hand. The blade was unmarred, and in truth looked sharper than ever. In awe, Elias looked back Anyon, who nodded with a satisfied grin. “Gryphon magic youngblood. Ain’t nothing that can beat it. Little Feather can cut through just about anything unenchanted and more than a few things that are. She’ll never dull either. It’ll take a mountain of force to break her, but don’t go trying, or you’ll succeed.” Elias swung the blade through the air again. “There’s something else. It feels… easier to swing her.” He looked to Anyon. “If that makes sense.” The gryphon chuckled. “That’s just a little confidence enchantment. It ain’t nothing compared to some of the endurance spells the unicorns got stirring about, but you’ll get a few more swings out of her, don’t ya doubt.” “I…I don’t know what to say,” Elias stammered. Anyon smiled broadly, a playful wink in his eye. “Well, a pony might say thank you or some such; you though? Ah imagine you’ll call me an old buzzard and say how little Feather there isn’t worthy to wipe your arse.” Elias mock laughed. “Ha ha, very funny. Thank you, and fuck you.” “Ah mah ears!” Anyon squawked, his tone clearly mocking Elias. “So vulgar, and in front of the princess no less!” He flopped onto the ground dramatically. “Oh, you’ll be sent to the sun fer sure!” Elias looked to Luna with a deadpan look, and she simply sighed and shook her head. “Anyon, when will the rest of Guardsman Bright’s equipment be ready?” The gryphon popped up, his one eye still staring at Elias. “Ah the youngblood can come fetch it in a day or two. If he’s gonna be carryin’ a sword like that, he needs the armor to match. I got a few ideas in mind. He gonna be wearin’ the red all the time?” Elias looked to Luna and shrugged, leaving the decision to her. The alicorn looked to Anyon. “No, I shall see him to a tailor. In uniform he shall wear a standard blue, but out of uniform..." She paused and her eyes seemed to linger in disgust over his tunic. "He is in a drastic need for new clothing.” Anyon nodded in agreement as he pushed Elias’ sword belt forward. Elias didn’t need a second invitation. As he began to strap it on with one hand, which was no easy feat, Anyon snorted. “Ah’m surprised that the youngblood isn’t struttin’ his stuff. That raggedy thing don’t do a thing to make the mares come to him.” Elias looked down at his clothes. He pinched the well-worn fabric between two fingers before he looked back up. “What’s wrong with this? It’s my favorite tunic.” Anyon snorted. “It’s got no protection youngblood. That thing couldn’t stop a breezie.” “It isn’t meant for protection from attacks,” Elias responded. “It’s meant to prevent chaffing under armor and to help keep me covered.” “From what?” Luna asked curiously. Elias looked between them, quickly noticing that they were both in fact, nude. Great. He flapped his arm as he tried to think of how to justify casual clothing to two species of nudists. He finally seized on the similarity between the two creatures. “You both have fur. I don’t. My clothing helps keep me warm, and keeps bugs and such off my back.” Anyon squinted. “Ah guess you are a hairless thing. Still, ah’m an old coot and ah can tell that yer little dress ain’t impressing nobody.” Elias felt his face flush slightly. “It isn’t a dress,” he growled. “Of course it isn’t,” Luna scoffed. “A dress would not look so wretched. That “tunic” looks like a potato sack.” Elias opened his mouth to protest, looking to Anyon for help. The gryphon’s grin broadened. “Don’t worry Guardsman, ah think ya look pretty in yer dress.” Elias’ mouth flapped in fury as he tried to think of a retort that wouldn’t make him look even more foolish. He jabbed a finger at the gryphon, then shook his head and spun away with a growl, quickly leaving the room as anger, and no small amount of embarrassment overtook him. > Chapter 8: The First Week > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry Day 768? 769 probably I didn’t do much today. Tried to scavenge, but the weather was too cold. I got robbed last week. Somebody got in and took all of my clothes, so now all I have is what’s on my back. I decided to lay bait and set up a nasty trap that I saw in an old book. It’s called a Pun Stick Trap, I think. Doesn’t matter, I made sure to sharpen the stakes nice and pointy. I have a bottle of bleach stashed nearby too. If I’m lucky I will catch them alive. Payback is gonna be a bitch. Elias scratched his head as he stared blankly at the wall. The prison cell was a bit chilly, but he honestly didn’t care much. He had begun slipping into apathy after the second day, but this little visit just made it worse. In truth, he wished the cell as a bit more run down and dank. It would at least give him something to do, something to complain to himself about. Instead he was stuck in a perfectly maintained stone cell, each grey wall as featureless as the next. The steel bars were in pristine condition, with not even a spot of rust on them. Elias groaned in boredom, unable to find anything to occupy his mind within the picture-perfect cell. ***** His week had been a tidal wave of anger and irritation, with each new day bringing something new to further drive a spike into his forehead. After he had left Anyon and Luna cackling behind him, he had waited in the corridor, shutting off their mockery as he studied his sword, swinging it through the air as he tested its weight, ensuring that it hadn’t changed enough to throw him off balance if he got in a fight. Luna had eventually come out of the blacksmith’s room, and she offered no apology for her mockery. Instead, she had remained silent while she led him around the castle, showing him important locations. The armory, the cafeteria, the training grounds. The last stop had been the castle tailor, who had looked upon Elias’ tunic and sandals with greater disdain than Luna or Anyon. She assured both Elias and Luna that he would have an array of new clothing and shoes that would be just as functional as his current gear, while also being more durable and, quote “more befitting a member of the guard”. Elias wasn’t wearing any of that clothing yet. Despite the fact that the unicorn had finished within twenty-four hours, Elias was still unsure about it. It looked far too soft to take the punishment he submitted his clothing to. When asked, he had said he was saving it for when he started his guard duties. Elias closed his eyes as his head thudded against the stone wall. That day was now likely farther away, and he couldn’t tell if he was angry that he couldn’t get it over with already, or glad that he didn’t have to interact with anyone yet. After the visit with the tailor, Luna had dropped Elias by his quarters, somewhere around seven in the morning, giving him a small schedule for the next night. Nightshade was supposed to stop by his room promptly at 6 p.m. to wake him; with the intention of getting his body naturally prepared to sleep during the day. Unfortunately for her, Elias was gone by that time, his night terrors driving him awake almost as soon as he fell asleep. Using the map on the back of his schedule, Elias found his way to the library at the bright and early hour of 11 a.m. He was surprised when he found Twilight there, and was even more surprised when she just silently waved when she spotted him. He had expected the pony to jump him for more information, but she simply continued reading, letting the human go in peace. It didn’t take Elias long to get lost in the long row of books, and he picked out several small books on simple subjects, primarily history. He then settled against a bookshelf and began reading, losing track of time as he tore through page after page. He didn’t even look up until he began hearing a series of pops. When he did, he saw a series of purple flashes. To his credit, Elias only jumped a little when Twilight appeared beside him; with a very angry looking Nightshade beside her. That had been the first time he had gotten yelled at by the thestral, a species he had learned about in a biology book that had snuck its way into his stack. Throughout the dressing down, Elias couldn’t help but watch Twilight curiously as she went through the stack of books he collected. As Nightshade’s tirade lengthened into tens of minutes, the unicorn would disappear with a book, then return with three, setting them beside his pile before combing through it once more. By the time Nightshade had finished, the stack of books was nearly as tall as he was, and had been split into three separate stacks. Twilight however, looked completely satisfied with herself, perched atop the books as she waited for Nightshade to stop. When she did, the thestral looked at the stack in awe. “I don’t remember that many books being there before,” she said. Twilight smiled. “I just added in a few references and newer versions of some of the books Elias had picked out.” She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “I’ve kinda had a whole list prepared if we ever came into contact with a foreign species, and I may or may not have filled out that list so that Elias would have the basic level knowledge of Equestrian history, culture, as well as flora, fauna, and pony biology.” “That’s the basics?” Nightshade asked, dumbfounded. “I haven’t read that many books in my entire life.” Twilight scoffed, waving her hoof dismissively. “Maybe not all at once Captain, but this include stuff that gets taught to colts and fillies in school. Elias is starting with no knowledge! He needs everything! He’s got so much homework to do!” Elias flinched at the word homework. He enjoyed reading as much as he enjoyed breathing, but homework? It had been the only bullet he had dodged in the apocalypse. All of his schooling was self-taught past an elementary level; it allowed him to pick up a myriad of useful skills, as well as to study what he enjoyed, like ancient Mediterranean and European cultures. There was no homework though. If he became disinterested with a subject, he abandoned it. Still, Elias knew he had an out, and it was in the form of a sling on his arm. “Twilight, there is no way I can carry all of that,” he said, pointing to the cast decorating his forearm. The unicorn scoffed again. “Just put it in your enchanted saddlebags. All guards have them. I know because Shiny gave me his old set when he got promoted.” “Guardsman Bright hasn’t been issued his saddlebags, nor has he received much of his equipment,” Nightshade responded. She glared at the man. “In fact, we are supposed to be getting that equipment now, if Guardsman Bright had been in his room on time!” Elias gestured to the long shelves and the blank walls. “There are no clocks in here! How am I supposed to keep track of time, count?” “You are supposed to use your standard issue pocket watch Guardsman!” Nightshade snapped back. “This was all covered in your training manual.” Elias placed his hand on his hip. “Do you mean that standard issue watch I haven’t gotten yet, or perhaps the training manual, which I also haven't received?” Nightshade opened her mouth to respond, then stopped. She flushed red in anger, mostly because she knew he had gotten one up on her. “If you had been in your room this entire time instead of wandering around you would have been on time!” she shouted. Then she reached beneath her armor, drawing forth a blue and black watch, handing it to Elias. “Here. It's magically synced with every other watch in Canterlot Castle. This is how you will stay on time at all times. It also acts as an alarm system if there are any major security threats.” Elias clicked it open with his thumb, noting a flashing blue light on the inside face. “Is that meant to be the alarm?” he asked, flipping it around to show the flashing light to Nightshade. The thestral looked away in embarrassment. “It is. I… may or may have not sounded an escape alarm when you weren’t in your room. I should alert the all clear before you get pounced.” Elias clicked the watch closed, wrapping the chain around his sword belt before he tucked it into an empty pouch. “Escape? So I'm a prisoner then.” Nightshade rubbed her nose with a hoof. “Technically you’re an escaped mental patient until Doctor Scalpel and Princess Luna clear you. You are free to wander wherever you like, I just…” Her ears drooped. “I panicked when you weren’t in your room. It is my responsibility to keep track of all the guards, and I thought you had vanished, maybe losing it after everything that’s happened. Sorry.” Elias felt conflicted. On one hand, he felt intense anger for two reasons; the first of which was that he was considered a mental patient and a flight risk. The second was that even if that was an honest excuse, he was still being treated like a prisoner. There was no trust. The small voice at the back of his mind was screaming at him to just accept it, to think of it like the parole it was. He hadn’t earned their trust yet, and therefore he should wait before getting angry. Elias decided to listen to this voice, partly. He clamped down his emotions and put his usual grim expression on his face, leaving his voice neutral. “It’s fine,” he responded curtly. “Let’s just get started. What are we supposed to be doing first?” After that, Elias took all of the books to his room, with help of course, and then he and Nightshade made their way to the medical ward. He was greeted by an enthusiastic Scalpel, who hadn’t even noticed the fact that they were nearly an hour late. Elias was quickly dragged onto a bed, where Scalpel began his healing treatments, all while directing a pair of nurses that ran about pell-mell preparing what Elias imagined were a series of tests. His eye twitched when he saw some of instruments that got laid out, but he wouldn’t show weakness. If these were standard for ponies, he was more than capable of taking it. Once the healing was complete and his arm was free from both its sling and cast, the tests started with a questionnaire. An in-depth questionnaire. That alone took two hours. The questions ranged from how he was physically feeling, to his medical history (of which there was none), to what he liked to do for fun. More than once Elias had to pass a question, either because he had no answer, or because he didn’t want to address the answers he had. The longer the questioning went on, the more irritated he got, which Elias had no doubt also went down on the sheet, which just further fed into his anger. When Elias reached the point where he felt like he was going to snap, Scalpel moved on. He had Elias strip of his clothes, and unfortunately that meant all of them. Elias and Scalpel had a shouting match when the pony told him he had to lose the briefs as well, and while Scalpel had said that it was purely for medical reasons, Elias pointed out that Nightshade was still in the room. The thestral had only grinned in response, saying nothing as Scalpel forcefully asserted that she was supposed to be there. Elias didn’t believe him for a second. In a dastardly act of privacy invasion, Scalpel had eventually just teleported the underwear away, leaving Elias with no clothes and a flushed face. He grumbled while the unicorn did his tests, moving quick and efficiently through them. It was the only reason Elias didn’t strike the pony. After poking and prodding and collecting some extremely private and vile samples, Scalpel gave Elias his briefs back, which Elias had back on in under a second. After that, it had been relatively standard as Scalpel poked and prodded at Elias’ numerous scars, as well as his extremely visible ribs. Everything he said was written down, and the questions came again, less personal, and therefore easier to answer. Scalpel asked him about his dietary needs, and while Elias wasn’t an expert on the “perfect” diet, he had a fair grasp of what he needed. As the tests seemed to be winding down, Elias felt like he was in the clear. He had managed to stay relatively calm, and he had only one close call. That was until… “So Elias, let’s talk about the markings on your back.” Scalpel said, gesturing for Elias to take a seat in a stool in the center of the room. Elias sat down, but he did so hunched over, clasping his hands in front of him. His paranoia spiked up. “Which ones?” Elias asked. “Be aware, some of those stories won’t be told.” Scalpel nodded as he sat in a rolling chair and rolled around to Elias’ back, his warm hooves lightly prodding at several different spots. “Only answer what you feel comfortable with Elias. I don’t want you to be unhappy in anyway. This is just so I can begin to get an idea into some of your past traumas. It will help me come up with several therapy strategies that may ease the effects of your night terrors non-magically.” Elias sighed and nodded. Strictly speaking that was something that he wanted. He didn’t know enough about magic yet, and he certainly didn’t trust anything that affected his mental state. “Fine. Pick one and let’s get this done.” “Let’s start with the biggest marking. Not the why, but the what.” Scalpel said, his hoof running down a scar that Elias knew cut the red eagle tattoo in two. “It seems to be in the style of a cutie mark, but of course the location is all wrong and it lacks any magical signature whatsoever. Furthermore, I wouldn’t say it is an Equestrian tattoo, because while weak in magic, they still emit something. The only comparison I can make to this marking would be to an unnaturally abnormal birthmark, or, in likelihood, it is similar to minotaur rune tattoos. If it’s that… I would like to know why you would submit to that kind of physical torment.” Elias looked over his shoulder. “First I need to know what these rune tattoos are. How are they put on?” Scalpel sighed as he prodded the edges of the tattoo. “Minotaurs use a needle, a small hammer, and berry ink to quite literally carve runes into their skin. It is a very painful and permanent process. Equestrian tattoos are much safer, and more importantly, removable. No risk of infection, no regrets if you don’t like it afterwards. Drunk bets can be removed in a flash.” Elias snorted and turned back forward. “It’s not quite as ugly as you described; humans use actual ink, but yes. It is similar to the minotaur rune tattoos. Needle and all. The whole piece took hours to complete.” Scalpel sighed. “I was afraid you would say that. Is there any particular reason you did this to yourself?” “Then? Because it was the reward I gave my legionaries for completing their training. The legion symbol and the names of every single legionnaire. Two hundred names.” Elias smiled for a second, then his eyes fell, and he looked down at his hands. “Now it serves as a reminder. That’s I’ll say about it.” Scalpel nodded, and Elias felt his hoof on a particularly nasty scar near his left hip. “And this one? It appears to be a brand, but I highly doubt that it is self-administered. Hopefully not another reward.” Elias bit his cheek. “Nope. A nasty group, killed three hundred people in four separate settlements. I tracked them down and got captured unfortunately. It was the same group that took a few toes. When I escaped I returned, killed most of them and then b-…” His jaw snapped shut, nearly biting the tip of his tongue off in the process. He rethought the rest of his statement. “I executed the rest as well. Nobody does what they did and gets away with it. There are some lines that you never cross, and they did so and never looked back. They got what they earned.” Elias could feel Scalpel’s frown at his back. The unicorn didn’t press the issue however, merely stood and gestured for Elias to re-dress. He did so swiftly, wincing slightly as his recently healed chest wound pulled, the tender flesh still not entirely mobile. As Elias slipped on his sandals and looped on his sword belt, Scalpel gestured he re-take his seat. Elias sat, this time facing the unicorn. Scalpel sighed as he looked at his clipboard notes. “I really don’t know what to say to you Elias. It's clear that none of this is your fault, I just wish I knew more about your developing years.” He noted Elias’ scowl but continued. “Being unwilling to talk about it tells me enough Elias, I have no more questions for you today. This is my recommendation, however; first, we should bring your physical state back. Nothing about your body appears healthy. I will know specifically what needs remedy when the tests come back, but right now you are sleep deprived, dehydrated, and teetering on the edge of starvation. How you kept going in this state, adding injuries along the way I might add, is a testament to your endurance if nothing else.” Scalpel looked to Nightshade. “He isn’t performing any duties this week, and if he’s still this skinny by the end of the week, he won’t do any next week either.” Elias groaned. “I’m fine. Sitting around doing nothing will make my mental health worse, not better.” Scalpel glared at him. “Tough. Use the time to fulfill your promise to talk with Ms. Sparkle about Earth cultures. Find a hobby, since you seem to lack any other than,” he flipped a few pages on his clipboard up, “reading and combat training.” He looked at Elias. “Those aren’t hobbies. I mean, reading is, but that can’t be your whole day. You need to socialize, find something physically relaxing to do. Keeping mentally occupied is one thing, but you need to be emotionally occupied as well. Otherwise, all we’re doing is putting a band-aid on a broken bone.” Elias looked at the pony for a second, trying and failing to hold his gaze. He looked away as he stood. “Thanks for the checkup Doc, but I’m fine. I just need something to do. Everything fades with time.” Scalpel sighed. “That’s not true and we both know it Elias, just… nothing physically strenuous. If nothing else, we’ll fix your body before it gives out. It won’t last at this pace for long. Make sure to eat something, I know you skipped breakfast.” Nightshade snorted as she pushed her way out of her seat. “Don’t worry Doc, I’ll make sure he gets healthy,” she smiled sadistically at Elias. “Even if I have to hurt him to do it.” The rest of that first day had included four meals, all of which were far too large for one person to eat, after which he was met by Twilight and Luna in the library. Twilight spent the first four hours asking question after question, made worse when Elias went off on one tangent or another about some minuscule aspect of human culture. Each word seemed to spark a dozen new questions, and by the time she simply collapsed from exhaustion around midnight, she had a stack of notes that would fill several books. Elias hadn’t even gotten started, and what he did talk about was primarily ancient cultures, not really his own. He was going to be talking for the rest of eternity before that unicorn was satisfied. After that, he and Luna simply sat and stared at each other as a pair of guards stole the sleeping Twilight away, taking her mountain of notes with her. As an hour rolled by, followed swiftly by another, Elias began to grow irritated. Luna just sat and stared at him, not blinking for minutes at a time. Whenever he opened his mouth to speak, to ask what the purpose of the exercise was, she would merely raise a hoof for silence. And so, Elias brooded, sorting through what he knew and didn’t know, as well as what he still wanted to know. What he knew was slim, but he did have cursory knowledge of ponies now, or at least those that operated around the castle. Professionalism was first for them, though for most friendliness wasn’t far behind. While Elias was a curiosity, he wasn’t treated with outright fear or disgust. Evidently a bipedal, largely hairless creature wasn’t the strangest thing that they had seen. He couldn’t tell if that was a positive thing or not. Did it tell him that they were numb to oddities, and were therefore prepared, or did the friendliness demonstrate weakness that indicated they were completely unprepared if a real threat appeared? Elias zoned back in, his eyes still staring into Luna’s as she stared back. The princesses at least seemed cautious enough. If anything, that bit of paranoia on her part was comforting, if at the same time it was irritating as they kept him trapped here. If it was an attempt at reconditioning him, it was the strangest form he had seen. He had been beaten, burned, starved, cut, drowned, beaten some more, but brainwashing by… friendship? Was that the game here? Elias slid out the handy pocket watch he had been given and checked the time. Fifteen till six. They had been sitting and doing nothing for nearly six hours. Elias sighed and replaced the watch before he looked back to Luna, who had watched the action with disinterest. “Princess, if I may, what is the purpose of this?” he asked, for once uninterrupted. “This time could have been spent doing something useful.” Luna tilted her head. “Such as?” Elias gestured to the books surrounding them. “Reading? Or getting started on whatever,” he pulled out the schedule he had been given and read the last entry on the list, “emotional dream therapy is. I won’t pretend to understand what that is and will just assume that thrown together sentences like it are magic speak that I don’t and will never understand.” Luna tilted her head. “Dream magic is accessible to all sentient creatures Guardsman. With careful practice, even you could access it with ease. As for the therapy session, that is what we have been doing. You have stated previously that you require action to keep your darkest thoughts at bay, and yet we have sat in silence for hours without a major negative reaction. I must say I am impressed Guardsman. I thought you would speak up sooner than this.” She looked to the bookcases. “Or at the very least find something to read. Doing nothing can be quite dull if one does not know how to do it properly. Elias raised a finger and opened his mouth, then closed it. He ran a hand through his stubble a few times as he tried to suppress his anger. She was mocking him, as was the voice at the back of his head. He wanted to stab it. Instead of committing bodily harm to a piece of his psyche, Elias dropped his hand and straightened in his seat. “With your permission, can I go back to my room now?” Elias asked. Luna nodded calmly. “Of course, Guardsman. I shall see you again tomorrow night.” So had ended the first day. Elias entered his room, stuck halfway between overwhelming frustration and confusion. On one hand, it hadn’t gone poorly, and he had kept control of himself. On the other hand, he had accomplished nothing. Idling about and talking brought him no satisfaction, no sense of accomplishment. Even scavenging had its ups, but everything he had done was just pointless. At least Elias felt so. Regardless, he removed the covers from his bed and curled up on the floor, feeling more comfortable without the support of the feathery mattress. The second day began much the same as the first, with Elias awake before noon due to his night terrors. Instead of going to the library (since it appeared Twilight had delivered the library to him), Elias decided to do some physical training. After dropping off the Roman military book with Anyon, he collected his old armor and made his way to the practice field. Being the middle of the day, it was empty, so Elias was free to do as he wished. He began with laps around the track, trying to get strength back into his healed legs. After sweating through his tunic in the afternoon sun, Elias stripped the cloth garment off, keeping only his sword belt, sandals, and briefs on as he ran through stance drills. While unpractical for a solitary fighter, Elias enjoyed the familiarity the maneuvers gave him. At the very least he got his muscles working as he swung his sword and blocked with an imaginary shield at invisible foes. As it became near to the time that Nightshade would come looking for him, Elias began to pack up his equipment when Anyon had flown down from the castle, a thick bundle in his arms. “Ah youngblood, thought ah might find ya here!” the gryphon squawked excitedly as he landed. Elias watched as Anyon held the bundle in one arm while he hobbled about quickly on the other three. Despite the obvious impediment, the gryphon moved quickly, likely well practiced at the maneuver. The old bird smiled widely as he let the bundle flop onto the table next to Elias’ armor. Undoing a length of rope, Anyon quickly spread the bundle apart, revealing Elias’ shield, as well as half a dozen brand new pilla. Elias carefully eyed the shield as he picked it up, inspecting it with both hands. Anyon grinned proudly. “Ah made sure to get that done first. Ah’ll have yer armor done by tomorrow, no doubt. Just had to make a few extra improvements to make it like yer sword. How’s the little Feather handling by the way?” Elias tilted his head as ran his thumb along the shields edge. “She hasn’t had to kill anyone yet, so I would say pretty good.” Anyon grinned. “Aye that’s good.” The gryphon remained silent while Elias looked over his shield. Elias flipped it over, looking at the steel boss on the front. He could faintly see runic outlines embedded in the steel, glowing slightly when he got close. When Anyon noticed Elias’ focus he said; “Standard hardening enchantment. That boss should never tarnish or dent. It would take a mighty big swing to even scratch it.” Elias nodded silently, holding the shield out at arm’s length so he could look at the full picture. The bright red and yellow was gone, replaced by a mixture of dark purple, blue, and some accents of silver. The designs, however, remained intact. Elias looked to Anyon. “Are the legion lightning bolts a Lunar Guard standard?” The gryphon scoffed. “Nah, but none of the ponies are holdin' shields either. Ah got permission from the Princess to make yer gear special, so ah’m gonna make it special. Besides, it’s a bit o’ home ain't it?” Elias nodded as he thumbed the lightning bolts that ran diagonally across the scutum. He was unused to seeing the shield unmarred. He had gotten scratches on it the day it was made. Now though, it positively gleamed in the sun as it sat ready for use. Anyon scoffed and motioned for him to hurry up. “Come on now. Shields ain’t for gawking, they’re for wearing, try it on.” Elias smirked and flipped the shield back over, gripping the steel horizontal handle. “Actually, this shield is for holding. The straps are for carrying it.” Anyon came around Elias and looked at how held it from behind. Anyon cocked his head. “But yer bracin’ it with yer wrist. That ain’t a very sturdy grip.” Elias nodded. “Not alone, but when you hold it like this,” he turned his body, so his left side was facing out. The edges of the shield laid against his shoulder and his knee, “your whole-body acts as a brace. In formation it makes it an incredibly strong form.” Elias turned again, centering his grip on the scutum handle. “When you’re in single combat, the shield can be punched with,” he said, swinging the shield through the air. Elias grimaced as the motion sent a flash of pain up his left arm, but he ignored it as he reset his stance. Elias looked to Anyon, who was regarding him with curiosity. “Does that make sense?” Anyon frowned and stroked his chin. “Ah guess. Ya seem to know what yer talkin’ about, it just looks a bit odd for me. Maybe ah’m just old.” Elias shrugged. His eyes quickly fell to the pilla, and he set the shield down, carefully picking up one of the long javelins as he inspected it. He looked down the shaft, making sure it was perfectly straight. The weight felt right, perfectly balanced with weighted steel on both ends. Anyon looked cautiously at Elias as he ran his hands up and down the javelin, feeling for any inconsistencies in the wood. “Ah tried followin' yer book as best ah could. The design ya wanted was easy to recreate, didn’t take me more than a few minutes to make casts for the heads. If’n you don’t mind me askin’, what were there other types of these…” The gryphon paused before he snapped his claws. “Pilla! That was the word. Feels kinda weird.” Elias nodded in understanding. Latin was by no means an easy language to learn, and if there was a language here that was already nigh identical, he could understand why new words might be difficult. “Well," he started, falling into his lecture mode, "the Romans always worried about their enemies taking their pilla from the dead and then using them against other Romans. So, they put in intentional faults into each pilum. Initially it was just the weakness of the heads, they used soft metals so the tip would bend and break, but eventually they developed designs that had the shaft break on contact, while another had additional weights to encourage an enemy to drop his shield. It was an ingenious move. Worked fairly well too.” Anyon nodded in understanding. “Sounds smart. Hope ya didn’t mind, but these ain’t got no faults.” Elias smiled as he sent the javelin spinning through his fingers. “No issue at all. Nobody knows how to throw these anymore, except me of course. If somebody could throw one of these back at me, then they deserve to kill me.” Anyon scoffed. “Don’t let the princesses catch ya sayin’ that. They’ll try to make ya soft with their friendship and such.” Elias looked at the gryphon. “Says the guy who’s been living under their roof for how long?” Anyon glared at him. “Ya know what ah meant youngblood. Just fer that little remark, ya gotta put on a show now.” Elias looked around, suddenly becoming self-conscious. While they had been speaking, the day guards, as well as a few night guards had begun filtering onto the training grounds. Very few of them were actually training, however. Primarily, they were staring at him and Anyon. Elias grabbed his watch from his sword belt and checked the time. Twenty minutes to six. He turned to Anyon. “Look, I’m going to be late, and Nightshade flipped out last time…” Anyon just laughed. “No excuses youngblood. Ah rushed these pilla of yours out, and now ah wanna see how it’s done. Ya don’t even gotta put yer fancy dress back on, just show me how there used. Ah’m curious.” Elias opened his mouth to protest, then decided against it. It would be faster to just nail a target and be done. Elias grabbed his shield, sliding two pilla into their sheathes. He then grabbed a third in his hand as he turned around, searching for an appropriate target. He quickly spotted a trio of straw dummies. Elias let out a shrill whistle, then pointed to his targets with his pilla. Any ponies near the dummies moved away, while the rest watched intently. As Elias gauged the distance, he leaned over to Anyon. “What would you say that is, two hundred feet?” The gryphon cocked his head, making it so his one eye was facing the dummies. “Ah’m thinkin’ two-fifteen.” Elias rolled his shoulder as he rotated the pilla in his hand, his fingers curling carefully around the shaft. “I was thinking more of two-twelve.” Elias took a single step forward with his left foot as he pulled his right shoulder back. His right foot came down next, and as his body curled over the limb, he let the pilla go, his arm extended fully. Like a bullet, the spear sang through the air, taking the dummy in the head. Its “neck” snapped in two under the force, and the spear carried it off. Elias rolled his shoulder as he drew another pilla from his shield. He winked as he gauged the second target. “Two-eleven.” The second pilla tore through the dummy’s torso, impaling it firmly. The shaft of the spear bounced slightly as the force was distributed throughout the target’s “body”. Elias didn’t notice, he had his eyes already on the third target, and the third pilla sat in his hands, ready to fly. “Two-eleven, minus two inches.” This pilla struck the post that served as the dummy’s neck. Elias suspected that whatever Anyon enchanted the javelins with helped, but the spear cut clean through, and the head rolled away as the spear clattered against the stone wall. Elias winced as he lightly massaged his shoulder. He turned back to a stunned looking Anyon as he set the shield down with the rest of his equipment. “Now imagine charging into a line of soldiers that can all throw like that. A pilum is a nice tool in the right hands.” Elias said. His hand was a bit scraped from gripping the second pilla too tightly. He had meant for that one to take off the target’s head as well, but they didn’t need to know that he had missed. As he rubbed at the minor scrapes on his hand and prepared to go and retrieve his pilla, he heard a shout ring across the training ground. He sighed as he looked at his watch. That little demonstration had cost him. Like a bat out of hell, Nightshade glided down, impacting a few feet from Elias, a look of fury on her face. “Damnit Guardsman! You are on explicit orders not to conduct strenuous activities, and here you are at the training grounds, throwing spears!” the thestral shouted at him. Elias sighed, and he straightened. “Captain, I was just running some standard exercises, I didn’t believe they would be considered strenuous.” Nightshade glared up at him. “I didn’t ask what you believed Guardsman. This is the second time you have not been where you should be. If I hadn’t seen a lot of idle hooves!” she shouted, pointedly looking at all the guards watching the confrontation. When they all scrambled to look busy, Nightshade nodded in satisfaction before turning back to Elias. “If I hadn’t seen all of these guards standing about, I would have sent out another escape alarm. You need to focus Elias. I understand that you may feel bored, but you if you keep pushing yourself like this…” She sighed, her eyes looking down. “Look, you are a few bad days away from being strapped to a bed so that Scalpel can control every aspect of your life until you are deemed healthy.” Nightshade looked up to Elias, and he couldn’t help but see the sympathy that her orange eyes held. “I get it Elias, I really do. You need to move, you need to keep busy, I get it. I am more than sure you have your reasons. But have you considered that maybe all of this is for your benefit? We’re just trying to help you get better, even if you don’t want to admit the problem.” Elias looked away. “I know what the problems are. I don’t sleep. I have anger problems. I got it. I’m an anti-social, potentially sociopathic freak. Too dangerous to be left alone. I’m a risk.” Nightshade glared at him, then just shook her head in disappointment. “Get your gear Guardsman. We have a schedule to keep.” The rest of that day had been a blur. After the “incident” at the training field, another guard had been assigned to watch Elias. If he hadn’t felt like a prisoner before, having a constant shadow sealed it. It didn’t help that the pony seemed to have some animosity toward Elias, though he had no idea what he did to cause it. In truth he didn’t care, and Elias made it painfully obvious that he was ignoring the pony. The rest of the afternoon was spent with Twilight in the library, once again talking about Earth until his face turned blue. Once more the notes piled high, and once more the purple unicorn passed out somewhere around midnight before she quit. Elias rubbed at his eyes when Luna began to silently stare at him once again, repeating her “technique” from the previous day. Except today’s stare was less of a calm gaze, and more of a hardened glare. Elias responded by not even looking at her, instead finding interest in the far wall. It was somewhere around three when Luna spoke. “Why were you at the training grounds today Guardsman?” Elias barely registered the question for a moment, and when he did, he looked at her, tilting his head slightly as he sat up in his chair. “For the same reason I came to the library yesterday. I need to keep myself occupied. Whether it is physical or mental, I have a drive to do something.” He shrugged. “The training grounds was merely a way for me to start getting in shape again. I’m not a very useful guard if I don’t keep my training up.” Luna frowned. “Nor are you a useful guard if you keel over and die. It has been iterated several times that you need rest, and yet you seem both keen to avoid it, as well as unwilling to accept help in finding it.” Elias shrugged. “I get enough rest to get by. As long as I find food, which thanks to you hasn’t been an issue, I’m fine. I can keep going for as long as I need to. My throws at the training ground prove that at least.” “That is what concerns me most Guardsman. Despite clear mental, physical and emotional deterioration, your body seems completely intact, ignoring your injuries and deficiencies. It is most unnatural, and it concerns me to say the least.” “Then why give me this?” Elias said, tapping his gladius. “Why give me any of it? Why the whole guard business? Why the fancy room, and the medical treatment, and the food. Why? I don’t get it. Of everything that has happened since I’ve gotten here, I still haven’t figured that last part out.” His tone shifted, becoming more aggressive as his anger grew. At what, he did not know, but Elias could feel the rage boiling in his gut. “Why? Why do you care? Why does anyone care? What have I done to earn any of this?” he snapped. “Nothing Guardsman,” Luna replied calmly. “You have not earned the treatment you have received.” Elias threw his hands up. “Then why am I receiving it? Why am I the one who gets to sleep safe and sound every night, instead of literally anyone else who is more deserving? Why do I get to go to bed with a full stomach when I know damn well that somewhere on Earth, a hundred go hungry? Why the hell is it me?” he shouted. Elias was on his feet now. He held his angry glare at Luna for only a second before he turned away, holding a hand over his mouth as he mulled. He opened his mouth more than once as he began to say something, then shuttered the thought away, crushing it brutally as his thoughts tried to keep anything important tamped down. Eventually he just grunted in anger. “Princess, if you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone.” Luna nodded. “Of course, Guardsman. I shall see you tomorrow night.” ***** That brought Elias to now. He stared out through the cell bars as he heard a door slam shut. Voices echoed through the dungeon, and he briefly wondered how much of that anger was directed at him. Elias smirked, closing his eyes once more as he sat. Apparently trying to leave the castle with nothing more than a bundle of rope and a knife left a bad, almost suicidal impression on the guards. His flippant disregard for their questions likely didn’t help. He hadn’t made it more than twenty steps outside the gate before he was lifted in a magical aura and lifted back inside, quickly deposited in the cell when he began playing with the knife by tossing it in the air. Maybe it could have been viewed as childish, but Elias didn’t care. If he wanted to act childish in this insane environment of talking ponies and magic, he would do so. It wasn’t like he got to live through most of his childhood anyway. Elias heard a deep sigh and he cracked open his eyes to find Luna standing in the cell doorway, her face covered with a disappointed stare. “Hello Princess,” Elias said cheerfully. “Come to visit the "suicidal" monkey?” Her gaze hardened. “That was a very foolish action Guardsman. You could have been seriously injured.” Elias snorted. “Please tell me you don’t honestly believe what the gate guards said. If I really wanted to die, I had an arrow in my chest less than a week ago. I could have more than solved the issue then.” Luna sighed, the disappointment dripping from her tone. “Elias, is this truly what you want? To sit in a cell? Wasting the rest of your days tortured inside while the world continues around you?” Elias shrugged, giving no verbal answer. Another sigh came from Luna. “What exactly is this supposed to prove Elias? And to who?” she asked. “What do you have to gain from this behavior? I will not pretend to know your tragedies, but whoever you lost, is this the life they would have wanted from you?” Elias smiled; he knew that would be dragged out against him. He looked to Luna; the smile wide on his face. “Yes, I think they would,” he replied smugly. “Because I am still, and will always act as a protector, even if nobody else can know what they are being protected from.” He gestured to the cell walls around him. “This is where I belong Princess. This or a grave. Not because of what I’ve done, but because of what I know.” He chuckled darkly and stared at his legs. “Knowledge is power,” he said mockingly. “And I have knowledge that could bring about the end of your world, just like it did mine. If a cell is what it takes to remain silent, then so be it. Torture and solitude aren’t new to me.” He scratched the back of his head and laughed. “Even if both are willing and of my own design.” He didn’t look back up, didn’t feel like listening to the judgements of Luna. She no doubt had more to say, but Elias didn’t want to hear it. He knew he was right. Some things should never be shared, and for him, that was over half of his life. Elias did look up when he heard the door shut, with the pony princess inside the bars, rather than out. Elias watched the key turn in the lock, before disappearing altogether. He looked at Luna with a sigh. “What are you doing Princess?” he asked. She sat down beside him, far enough away that they weren’t touching, but close enough that he could feel her body heat. She settled until she was comfortable, then she looked at him. “I am waiting with you. Despite your wishes to remain alone in a cage, I shall not let you. This is supposed to be a punishment. So, you shall remain here, with me, until I decide you are fit to be out on your own again.” Elias shook his head and looked away. “You are the ruler of a nation. Is this really the best use of your time?” he asked. Luna laid her head on the stone floor and closed her eyes. “I can perform much of my duties from here. The important ones at least. Captain Nightshade will handle the rest, and if she needs my presence, then she will push off the work until we are free from this place.” Elias smirked. “Your solution to the mentally deranged human that would rather sit in cell than go to therapy, is to lock yourself in with him?” He chuckled as he looked at Luna. “How are we supposed to get out Princess? I don’t have a key, and I have none of the tools I’d need to pick the lock.” “The door is keyed to your magical signature Elias. It shall open when you touch it.” Elias’ grin widened. “And how precisely is that supposed to work when I have no magical signature?” he asked. Luna scoffed. “All living things have a magical signature, from the ponies to the grass. Even a creature from a different realm should have a magical signature.” Elias raised an eyebrow. “Really? How much are you willing to stake on that?” He got to his feet, and walked to the cell door. He reached a hand out, but stopped short, looking back to Luna. “Are you really one hundred percent certain that this door will open? Because I am one hundred percent sure that it won’t.” Luna frowned at him. “I do not appreciate your doubt of my abilities Elias. I can cast a magic detection spell as well as anypony, and I identified your signature as soon as Doctor Scalpel finished his initial healing sessions. That door is keyed to that signature.” Elias didn’t break eye contact as he firmly grasped the bar and tried to rattle it. The steel didn’t so much as budge. The anger in Luna’s eyes turned to disbelief. She shot to her feet. “That’s impossible, I am quite certain I did it right!” She got close to the bars and watched him intently, motioning for him to pull at the sealed door again. So he did, to the same result. Elias wanted to laugh as he saw her eye twitch in disbelief. “B-but I scanned you!” she shouted. “I have used that spell a hundred times! I know the signatures of every pony in Canterlot Castle!” Elias chuckled as he moved away from the bar, resuming his seat on the floor. He threw his hands over his knees as he watched the pony try to figure out where she went wrong. Elias already had a theory, but he wanted to see how long it took her. When she began to mumble to herself and pace, he decided to throw her a bone. “When did you do your scan?” he asked simply. Luna looked at him, her eyes narrowed. “I do not see how that matters. The time does not impact the spell result.” “No, but I imagine who is nearby, say, casting healing magic might,” Elias replied smoothly, his smile poking back out. “Now I’m no expert on magic, but I think we can both logically work out where you found my “magic signature”.” Luna stopped, then looked between Elias and the cell door, then back to Elias as the realization dawned on her. Elias could almost see the pieces falling together in her eyes. “I-I scanned Doctor Scalpel!” she cried out at the top of her lungs. “I detected his signature from the healing spells and identified that as your signature! We shall be stuck here for days!” She let off a string of what Elias assumed were expletives in some sort of old pony tongue. Elias let her freak out for a moment before he spoke again. “Can you not send some sort of message out with your magic? Perhaps to whoever is on guard of these cells?” Luna moaned and thumped her head against the wall. “Nay, these dungeons seal off all magics save for the ambient ones, and we haven’t had a permanent guard here for centuries. They were designed specifically to contain my sister and I, as a precaution of course. Being the most powerful beings in Equestria is a threat, and we wanted to never be without a failsafe.” “And yet I’m viewed as insane for trying to isolate myself,” Elias muttered. Luna scoffed as she resumed her pacing. “You might have knowledge that you deem forbidden, but your physical prowess is limited. My sister and I raise and lower the sun and moon. It is hardly comparable.” Luna stopped, then pounced on Elias like a cat, startling him as she got right in his face. “Of course! When I fail to lower the moon, ‘Tia shall come looking! It is the perfect escape plan!” Elias tried to lean away, but found stone blocking his skull. He cleared his throat. “Ah, Princess…?” Luna seemed to come down from her excited high, quickly realizing what she was doing. She hopped back, combing her flowing hair with a hoof as she fell back into her normal, professional demeanor. Elias spotted a tinge of red on her face as she refused to meet his eyes. “My apologies Guardsman, I may have been overenthusiastic.” Elias nodded dumbly. “Right. It’s fine. Sunup shouldn’t be too far off.” Luna settled onto the stone floor once more, huffing as she laid her chin on the floor. “I cannot believe I made such a foolish mistake. A foal should have noticed the similarities in magical signatures.” She gave an exasperated groan at the ceiling. Elias resumed staring at the wall, but found that he had nothing left that he wanted to think about. Boredom was his ultimate enemy, as it allowed dark parts of his mind freedom, so he looked at Luna, who was still pouting on the floor. Elias looked away, didn’t know how to start a conversation. What did he have to talk to a pony princess about? He stared back at the wall, his gaze boring into the smooth grey material. The only thing of note on the wall was the fact the wall itself was featureless., and therefore worthless for occupying his mind. Elias didn’t know why it was suddenly hard to just, not think. He had been fine for hours before Luna had decided to initiate her scheme. Speaking of the devil, she huffed again, and Elias caught her glance at him, though it occurred in less than a second. When Elias began to shift his eyes forward again, she sighed loudly. Elias remained silent. Luna sighed louder, and her wings fluttered slightly. Elias crossed his arms across his chest, confident he could wait the pony out, whatever she was doing. He closed his eyes as he listened to Luna take in a long gulp of air, before loudly exhaling, shifting about as she did so. Elias scratched his head as he tried to tune the pony out. Eventually, once she stopped her squirming and sighing, Luna shot up, glaring at Elias. “Guardsman you are supposed to ask if I am alright!” Elias looked at her with one cracked eye. “Why?” Luna crossed her hooves. “Because this is a lesson to teach you about being a good friend. If nothing else, it is a lesson about checking on your princess.” Elias raised a finger. “First, we aren’t friends, we do not know each other at all.” He raised another finger. “Second, we won’t be friends, because I don’t make friends anymore. I learned that lesson enough times.” He lifted a third finger as he closed his eye and faced forward once more. “Third, I can see you, right next to me, completely safe and sound. You are uninjured, and besides the means of the cell, you aren’t even restrained. You’re fine, and if we want to really be technical, I’m not even a guard yet.” He dropped his hand and exhaled deeply. He could feel Luna staring at him, though he couldn’t tell what emotion was on her face. When he opened his eyes to check, he saw a halfway between anger and sadness. “We are not friends?” she asked. Elias sighed. “No, and for good reason. Besides our names, what do we know about each other?” he looked at the pony. “Do we know each other’s birthdays? Our favorite hobbies? Our deepest fears? No. We know none of that. At best you are my teacher/therapist/boss.” He snorted. “At worst you’re my warden. Though,” he paused and gestured toward the closed cell doors, “I am rather interested in your warden strategies. Locking yourself with a potentially dangerous human seems like a tactical error to me.” The anger evidently won out, because Luna’s next statement was at a furious yell. “I know what I am doing Guardsman! Maybe being locked in here with you was an elaborate part of my strategy to get you to open up so that we can help you!” Elias chuckled. “And how is that strategy working out Princess? Yielding the results, you wanted?” Luna growled at him. “It would be if there wasn’t a stubborn human who refuses aid in the way.” The anger suddenly disappeared from both her tone and posture as she laid back down, scooting closer to Elias. He eyed her carefully, and she flashed a smile in return. “So Guardsman, you have pointed out several faults in my plan, so I shall thank you by getting to know you better that we might be better friends.” “We can’t be better friends if we aren’t friends at all,” Elias said. Luna huffed. “Fine, have it your way Guardsman. Then I am merely inquiring information so that I may be able to understand if you are a safety hazard or not for my subjects. Does that suffice for a reason?” Elias sighed and rubbed at his face. Morning couldn’t come soon enough. “On two conditions. One, if I don’t want to answer a question, I’m not answering it. Second, I’d like to ask some questions in return.” Luna perked up and clapped her hooves together. “Excellent! A marvelous first step Guardsman! We shall be friends before the sun rise!” Elias waited in silence for the first question. When it didn’t come, he cracked open his eyes to find Luna sitting directly in front of him with a wide, creepy smile on her face. Elias really didn’t like that smile. “Princess, what are you doing?” he asked. “I am sitting in front of you Guardsman,” she said back, her voice chipper. “That doesn’t seem like a good first question, but to each their own I suppose.” Elias resisted the urge to smack himself in the face. Luna adjusted as she sat up taller, sitting straight as she looked at the slouched human. “So Guardsman, when is your birthday?” Elias stared at her. “Really?” Luna tutted. “Now Guardsman, you already got a question. It is my turn, and I wish to know your birthday.” “Fine. July 14th.” Luna pouted. “Unfortunate, your birthday has already passed this year. The celebrations are most enthusiastic, and there are wonderful moon pies. A shame.” She looked up, her smile returning. “What is your next question Guardsman?” “You said something about ambient magic? What is it?” Luna pondered the question for a second before answering. “Well, to begin, there are three ambient magics; song, dream, and life. All sentient creatures are capable of accessing the first two at any time, while the third exists in everything. From the stones to the trees to the ponies, everything has life magic, even if only in small amounts.” Elias nodded. “Except me,” he said, pointing a thumb at his chest. Luna frowned and shook her head. “I simply made a mistake when detecting your magical signature Guardsman, that does not mean that you have no signature. As I said everything has ambient magic within, that includes you.” Elias shook his head. “I’m afraid not. On Earth there is no dream magic, I won’t even ask what song magic is, and there is no life magic. We simply…” he shrugged. “don’t have anything. Human “magic” is just illusions and parlor tricks. Looked like fun, but it’s all sleight of hand.” “That cannot be true,” Luna denied adamantly. “It is a definite rule of existence. The sun and moon require magic for motion, friendship has magical power, and everything has magic within! It is fact.” Elias chuckled. “Then I’m going to put you for a spin when I say that the sun doesn’t move, at least not on Earth. Maybe here it needs to be controlled, but on my world, we rotated around it. It’s what gave us the seasons.” Luna scoffed. “Your world sounds ludicrous. It sounds like the perfect home for Discord, so random and directionless.” She paused, then added, “No offense Guardsman.” Elias shrugged. “None taken. Maybe if things had been more coordinated humanity might not be in its death throes. Let’s move on.” Luna nodded in agreement before smiling again. Elias was beginning to become unnerved by that smile. It seemed like it was trying forcefully to be genuine, but failing miserably. “So Guardsman, what is your favorite hobby?” Elias sighed and ran his hand over his face. It was going to be a long night. ***** Luna watched Elias sleep intently, taking note of every little movement his face and hands made. They had questioned each other back and forth for hours, with her questions focusing on the surface personality of Elias, while his questions tended to focus on historical events, along with minor aspects of pony culture. Eventually, the human began to grow visibly tired, so Luna had stopped, telling the human to sleep while she managed the dream realm. A minor falsehood, since Equestria only very rarely had any nightmares that needed intervention, but it got Elias to lay back and attempt sleep. It was usually obvious when a being started to dream, and Luna intended to find out the mystery of the human’s night terrors. When she had first seen the human in the light of day, writhing in terror on the floor of the infirmary, she had been surprised when she was unable to touch his dreams. She could sense them, could find the emotional turmoil, but she had been completely unable to pierce the barrier around his mind. It had manifested like a hurricane, pushing her magic away with powerful gusts of wind and violent strikes of lightning. Few creatures could force away her magic like that, and all of them were evil or extremely powerful, usually both. Hence her initial… caution regarding the human. Only when he began to show the signs of immense mental trauma did she begin to lower her guard, theorizing that his mind was simply strong against intrusion due to walls he had established within himself. It wasn’t unheard of, just incredibly rare. His hand twitched. Luna watched intently as his face twisted, just a little. His upper lip curled, and his eyes seemed to screw tighter. She settled herself next to the human, keeping her horn pointed directly pointed at his forehead. Luna watched patiently, and the signs grew steadily more aggressive. Both of his hands were twitching constantly now, curling and flexing as if he was holding something. His lips were curled into a snarl, and his body seemed tense, his muscles flexing. His breathing came faster as a low growl issued from his throat. Luna closed her eyes and channeled her dream magic, focusing it through her horn as she targeted the mind of the human in front of her. She quickly opened her eyes, seeing the starry plane of the dreamscape. Finding his nightmare wasn’t hard, the swirling maelstrom of torment standing out like fire in a haystack amongst the peaceful dreams of her subjects. She approached it slowly, studying its tall walls intently. She probed the edges lightly, seeing if minor calming magic would assist in lessening the storm, but then her magic sputtered out, and she remembered that her direct magics were blocked by the cell she resided in. She growled in frustration. She had gotten complacent since her return; she would need more practice for complex situations such as this one. She walked around the perimeter of the dream, trying to see inside. Usually she could force the dream apart, creating a hole to slip inside so that she could either view, or interject herself if it became too serious. The second option usually destroyed the dream, and made her job harder, so she preferred the first option, as it allowed her to integrate herself within the dream to naturally calm the pony in need. Since she didn’t have her normal magic on hoof however, she would be forced to poke a hole with her own manifestation, or let the dream run its course. Luna prodded the wall with her hoof, feeling it bite back in retaliation. The pain was minor, so Luna pushed forward, submerging her entire foreleg into the black cloud. For a moment it seemed to calm, then it struck back violently. With a yelp, Luna jumped back, rubbing her lightly scorched foreleg. She glared at the wall; her eyes tinged with anger now. A single nightmare thought it could defeat her? She would show it, and when she did, it would be crushed beneath her hooves. Luna went headfirst this time, ignoring the minor shocks and jolts she received as she pushed through the cloud. She kept her head down as the wind whipped at her face. She felt a dozen small shocks race across her body as she walked forward, driving to make her quit. She wouldn’t falter, this was her duty as princess! Nopony, nobody had a nightmare that she couldn’t save them from. So, Luna ignored the pain as she trod forward. She covered her eyes and tried to look ahead. Faintly, she saw a small glow, like an ember from a fire. Luna grinned in victory and redoubled her efforts. So too did the maelstrom. Hail and rain joined the wind and lightning, striking her over and over as she pushed onward. She began to hear whispers as well; though she could not make out a single word they said. She did her best to ignore them, and the light grew brighter. Luna roared as she charged forward, ducking through the hail that pelted her from all sides. The maelstrom vanished all at once. The wind, the rain, the lightning, the hail, all of it simply stopped. Luna took a moment to breathe as she looked back. Behind her was featureless, not like the star filled skies of the dreamscape, but simply empty of anything but the faint red light emanating from in front of her. For some reason, Luna felt a twinge of nervousness. This had never happened before, and unlike usual, she did not have a secure method to leave. Should she really be here? Was it safe? She scoffed as she swung her head forward, dismissing the notions. She was Princess Luna, Keeper of the Night. She controlled dreams with the same authority that she controlled the moon. Nothing had the power to stop her here, even without her alicorn magic. Luna walked forward, scanning the featureless landscape for anything of note. Besides the light, it remained empty, another abnormality. When she usually grew close to a nightmare’s source, some features became clear. It allowed her to begin to theorize what the dream was about, as well as determine a way to resolve the hidden issue behind it. The touch of nervousness returned, whispering to Luna that she was out of her element. She scoffed once more and increased her pace to a fast trot. The light was growing closer. When she finally reached the source, Luna was surprised to find it all emanated from a small hole in the dreamscape. No larger than a dinner platter, it showed her a forest on fire, the very treetops aflame. Through the smoke Luna spotted a trio of figures, two featureless, while the third was very clearly Guardsman Bright. She watched in horror as the two featureless humans jumped Bright. She heard a cry of pain, as well as an awful snap as a bat one of the men carried cracked into Bright’s arm. The guardsman roared in rage and pain back at them, and Luna watched as his sword tore through one with savage efficiency, the body disappearing as soon as it hit the ground. The second man swung again, hitting Bright’s now broken arm. Luna flinched at the second cry of pain. Bright didn’t let the agony overwhelm him however, and he quickly turned the tables, impaling the second man through his stomach, leaving him hanging on a tree. Guardsman Bright stumbled away in horror, and Luna noticed that the featureless man suddenly had a distinguishable face, but then it was gone. Bright stumbled away, clutching his arm as he ran through the burning woods. Luna saw no more enemies for the guardsman to fight, and decided that now would be a good time to intervene. She prodded the hole gently, feeling surprise when it suddenly disappeared. The landscape around her became black, with no light emanating from anywhere. She lightly tapped her chest regalia, and the ambient glow from the crescent emblazoned on it gave her something to see with. She frowned when she saw nothing but darkness around her. “You shouldn’t be here.” Luna whirled around. That voice had been right in her ear. She could feel the heat from whoever said it. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to see in the dim light. “Show yourself,” she said into the void. “I am Princess Luna and I intend to help Guardsman Bright with this nightmare!” “You shouldn’t be here.” She whirled around again. Again nothing. She was being mocked. “I demand that you reveal yourself!” she shouted. “This is a nonsensical farce and I will not tolerate it!” “It isn’t safe,” a whisper said. “You shouldn’t be here,” another echoed. Luna felt the twinge of nervousness return, but crushed it. If she lost control of her own emotions, she would not be able to help Bright with his. She picked a direction and walked forward, determined to find another gap in the dream, while at the same time distancing herself from the voices. It didn’t work, they followed her, growing in number. “It isn’t safe, you need to leave.” “You shouldn’t be here.” “He isn’t well, he isn’t safe.” Luna growled as she pressed her ears against her head. “Cease your inane babble,” she said. “I care not about safety; no dream can hurt me.” “It isn’t safe. You're not safe here.” “You shouldn’t be here, it isn’t safe.” “He isn’t well. This isn’t safe.” “Help him.” Luna stopped, her ears flicking up. One of the voices had said something different. She strained as she tried to hear it again. Unfortunately for her, the other voices had other ideas. “You are not safe. Get out.” “He isn’t well. He is a threat.” “Kill him. It’s what he deserves. Kill him.” “You will only be safe once he is dead.” “Save him. He is lost.” “Save him?” Luna called out into the black. “Save Elias? Who is speaking? Is he alone here?” “Die. End yourself. It is the only way.” Luna took a step back, they were targeting her now? “Jump off the bridge. There is nothing left for you.” “Just fall damn you. Quit! You deserve nothing less than agony!” “Do it you failure. Death is the only way, and it’s all you have earned. Collect your reward!” The voices rose to a shout, and Luna felt like they battered her more than the maelstrom ever did. “Look at what you have wrought! Is this what you wanted? All of this pain? All of this blood?” Luna took another step back, her ears pinned to the side of her head. “Take a look damn you!” a voice shouted in her face. “Look at your kingdom of ashes and bones! See the consequences of your actions!” Luna took a third step, her eyes closing as she shook her head. “Stop,” she said quietly. “Don’t you realize you fool? How many? How many are dead because of you?” “You’ve just lost your way. You’ll find it again.” “Look! How many friends are dead? How many will never see another sunrise? Was it all worth it? Open your eyes and look! Look at what you’ve done!” “You’re a monster! Look! Look at the bodies! Look at the blood!” Luna channeled a hidden reserve of rage and spread her wings. “ENOUGH!” she shouted, her voice shocking through the darkness, forcing it, and the voices away. She took deep gulps of air in as she settled her mind. How had they known? This was Bright’s dream, how had they known about… Only when the cries reached her ears did she realize that they didn’t know. They couldn’t. They weren’t talking to her. Luna slowly turned around, seeing a small human child, curled in a ball. He wore unfamiliar clothes, but that hair was unmistakable. Luna crept up to the weeping child, not wanting to startle him. “Guardsman Bright? Elias?” she asked carefully. The child curled up tighter, whimpering softly. “Go away. It isn’t safe here. He isn’t safe.” Luna knelt next to the child. “Who isn’t safe? Elias please, it is Princess Luna, I am trying to help you. This is a nightmare.” The child just shook his head. “Please leave. He isn’t safe. I can’t…” The child sobbed and his face disappeared within his jacket. Luna got close to the child, touching him gently. “It is alright Elias, I am here. I can help.” “No,” the child replied. “Nobody is safe from him. He’s…” The crying stopped instantly, and the child looked out from his jacket with terror written clearly on his face. He stared at Luna. “Leave. He’s coming. I can’t keep you safe. You need to leave.” Luna stood, her eyes scanning the darkness. “There is nothing here that can harm me child. Whatever demon ails you, I shall defeat it, then you will see all is well.” The child grabbed her regalia. His eyes pleaded with her desperately. “Please! You need to leave! He’s an animal, a monster! Nothing can stop him! You aren’t safe!” Luna scoffed and looked away, but then the grip became stronger. Suddenly the child became a much older Elias, almost similar to the one she was familiar with. He was clean shaven however, and his hair was much shorter. “Princess you have to leave! This isn’t something you can fight! Run! Run damn you! It’s for your protection!” Elias paled and looked out into the darkness. His hands slipped from her regalia. “He’s here,” he said softly. Then he vanished. Luna looked around, searching the darkness. “Guardsman Bright? Where have you gone?” she called. A human shape suddenly appeared at the edge of her regalia light. Luna squinted as she tried to make out the face. She took a step forward, recoiling when she felt something warm and wet on her hoof. A quick look showed her thick red blood. A pool spread slowly toward her, and then Luna noticed the bodies. Each had a distinct face, and their vacant eyes seemed to bore into her soul. Luna felt fear, not nervousness, but true fear. She shouldn’t be here. She should have left. Swallowing roughly, she looked at the single standing figure before her. He took a step forward, and Luna was able to clearly see that it was Elias, though much younger than she had seen. His thin limbs were covered in red, as was much of his chest. It dripped off of him, contributing to the steadily growing puddle at her feet. In one hand he held a long knife, while the other held a bloody hatchet. His pants were soaked clear through, and they too were simply red. Only his face was partially visible, though long blood splatters painted that as well. Luna took a step back when she met his eyes. She saw only rage and death there. No recognition, nothing even vaguely intelligent, just hatred. A storm kicked up around them, and lightning flashed behind the human. Luna felt bile rise in her throat as she saw horrifying images of blood and meat. A stack of dripping heads. Piles of burning corpses. She threw up when she saw a human with his back flayed apart. The man before her began to laugh, loudly and cruelly. He took a step forward, and as he approached, Luna saw another flash of lightning behind him, illuminating a red eagle made of bones and blood. Luna heard a cry from behind her and she saw Guardsman Bright, decked out in the full armor she had first found him in, charging the crazed man. Sword in hand, he shouted as he swung at the man’s head. The knife came up, knocking the sword aside, and the crazed man embedded the hatchet in Bright’s chest. He cried out in pain, and he stabbed the crazed man in the thigh, his sword locking against a bone. The crazed man just laughed at the wound and headbutted Bright in the face. As Bright fell back, the man crudely yanked the hatchet from his chest, and Luna saw a gush of blood fall from the wound. Clutching his chest, Bright tried to stagger toward her, but collapsed, his sandaled feet slipping in the blood beneath him. His blue eyes found her, and she saw such desperation in them. “Please…” he begged weakly. “I can keep him here, but I have to do it alone. You need to run aw-…” His sentence was choked off by the hatchet embedding itself in the back of his skull. Luna watched as the light left his eyes and Bright disappeared, leaving her alone with the demon of a man. She began to channel a spell to return her dream manifestation to her body, but her horn fizzled out. The cell. The man cackled madly as he stepped over the pile of bodies. The hatchet twirled in his grip. Luna felt her fight or flight response kick in, and she growled, lowering her head. She was a princess; she would not back down against a lone foe, no matter how horrifying and brutal. With a cry, she charged, her horn aimed at his chest. The man’s laugh reached a fevered pitch. She never stood a chance. As he sidestepped her charge, the hatchet came down on her wings. Luna cried out in agony. She shot awake, flapping back until her spine hit the cell bars. She quickly began feeling at the base of her wings, making sure that they were still attached and whole. Her pristine blue feathers felt like silk in her hooves, and she sighed with relief. She then looked herself over, seeing no blood, nor any evidence of damage from the maelstrom. Despite what it had felt like, it had all just been a dream. Taking another deep breath to calm her frazzled nerves, she settled into a calm sitting position, finally looking over to Guardsman Bright. Elias had put his hands around his head and scrunched up his eyes as he took long, deep breaths. He rocked back and forth slightly. Luna watched in concern; had he reached a breaking point? Was it something she had done? She didn’t think she affected anything, but had she? Did it have to do with that blood covered Elias she had seen? She had no answer. The man remained silent for nearly a minute before his hands dropped and his eyes opened. He looked past Luna, staring dazedly at the wall. “So, uhm… we were still trading questions, right?” Elias asked. Luna nodded, her eyes trying to catch his. Elias ran his tongue over his dry lips. “Was it your turn or mine?” he asked. “Yours,” Luna responded simply. Elias nodded, his eyes glazing as if in thought. Luna watched him intently. She wasn’t sure if he was still piecing things together, or if he had simply forgotten his dream. Eventually, he seemed to shift slightly, and Luna leaned forward, eager to hear the question he had come up with. “Princess… why do you want to be my friend?” He looked at her, his eyes betraying his exhaustion. Luna felt a bit startled by it. It wasn’t like he hadn’t asked it before, but it was his tone. He sounded… beaten. Like he had just been on the losing end of a duel. And maybe he had. She had seen his other selves disappear, leaving only that horrible Elias behind. She scanned his face, searching for signs of rage or hatred. No longer did she see the intense anger, nor the intentionally flippant disregard for the feelings of others. She didn’t even see that hidden desire to keep other’s safe, even at the cost of his own sanity. All she saw was pain. Suffering. She realized this was the most defenseless she had seen him. Not even screaming in horror at demons only he could see was quite as vulnerable as this. “Because…” she started to reply, then stopped. His eyes waited expectantly, and Luna knew this was an important moment. Saying the wrong thing could set him back, she had succeeded in getting him to open up, if only slightly. He was primed, he just needed something to anchor the right feelings in his mind. But those horrible images… Luna frowned when she came to the realization that she wasn’t that anchor. She was jaded right now, had seen too much that hadn’t been intentionally shared. If anything, she felt like she had violated the privacy of his mind. She needed someone else to form that first friendship, then she could open him fully. After that, she imagined he could heal, but right now, he was right. Those images… That man… He needed to stay isolated until he decided to reach out. She had no doubt that that man was something significant from Bright’s past, could even be a past incarnation of himself, but she knew that he wasn’t truly evil, at least no more so than she was when she was Nightmare Moon. The other Elias’; trying to warn her, trying to help her. One had actually “died” doing so. Clearly it was much more gray than good and evil, and Luna knew that she could figure it out in time and with effort, but forcing him forward would only make things worse, would only drive his walls up higher. To tear them down, Luna had to acknowledge that they worked, that they kept a threat contained. She sighed deeply, looking at the floor before she continued. “I wanted to be your friend because I believed that it would help you. I believed if I could get you to open up to me, or Captain Nightshade, or Doctor Scalpel, then we could quickly and simply fix your issues.” She looked up to Elias, saw him still focused intently on her words. “I have realized however, that forcing friendship upon you, trying to contain you, will only make you shut out others more. There is no simple fix. I apologize that it has taken a lengthy… meditation to realize this. So, I relinquish. You are free to go about your daily life free of interference.” Elias blinked. “Just like that? Does that mean none of this guard business?” Luna scoffed. “Nay. You signed a contract, and you shall fulfill it. Five years of service, as agreed upon. We still need to ensure that you are not a danger to our ponies, and so far, I am not impressed.” She tilted her head. “But, you may start your duties as soon as you wish, and provided you fulfill said duties to the best of your ability, I shall ensure that Captain Nightshade doesn’t try to restrict your wanderings.” Elias nodded, biting his cheek. “That’s fair, I guess. Could I start tonight I wanted?” Luna nodded. “Of course, Guardsman. Check with Captain Nightshade for your posting. She shall see to your duty schedule.” They heard a door slam open, and Luna watched as said pony sprinted into view. “Speak of the devil and he shall appear…” Elias muttered. “Princess I am so sorry; I didn’t realize you got trapped down here!” Nightshade said, glaring pointedly through the bars at Elias. “You really wouldn’t let her out to at least lower the moon? What’s wrong with you?” Luna raised a hoof to silence the thestral. “Do not blame Guardsman Bright, Captain. I mis-synchronized the aura spell. It is keyed to Doctor Scalpel, not Guardsman Bright. Do you still have the spare key I gave you?” Nightshade nodded and she quickly had the key in the lock and the door opened. Luna stood, a little bit too quickly, and she looked back to Elias. The man hadn’t moved. His legs were tucked against his chest, and his eyes seemed to have become vacant again. Nightshade looked to her in question. Luna sighed, nervously approaching the still human. “Guardsman? Are you prepared to leave?” she asked softly. He remained still, his eyes staring into nowhere. Luna prodded his hand lightly with her hoof. The physical contact seemed to jolt him, and he blinked several times before his eyes focused in, focusing on her. Luna saw the pain and exhaustion retreat as he seemed to come alive. He blinked again as his legs untucked and his body relaxed slightly. “Sorry Princess, did you say something?” he asked. “I asked if you are ready to leave Guardsman,” Luna said softly. Elias blinked again, then looked to the open cell door. He nodded and pushed himself to his feet, his joints cracking as he stood. Luna noticed him wince several times, but he put no voice to the pain he was feeling. She wondered if he thought that was for the protection of others as well. Either way, it didn’t matter for now. She made a mental note to write down everything she had seen in the dream. Once he began opening up to other ponies, she would be able to help him further, but right now, he needed to go out on his own. Luna sighed internally as he and Nightshade began to discuss his duties. She had failed, for now. But she would succeed in time. She didn’t want to imagine what would happen if she couldn’t. > Chapter 9: Adjustment > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry Day 1100 Found myself in an old town today. Funny enough, it hadn’t been turned into glass, and in fact looked intact on the surface. Of course, three years of absolutely no maintenance will tear down any structure not made of stone, so several buildings were filled with flooded garbage and the like. Slim pickings, but I made do. The good news was that there were no romance books. The bad news was that the reason there were none was because the town library was coated in twenty feet of mud. I didn’t realize I was on the roof until I saw the sign down the mud pile. A shame really. I’ve been thinking about taking a library and (after purging the scum of the earth books) making it a home away from home. I certainly need another stockpile. I may be young (never again a kid though) but I’ve got some ideas that may bear fruit for putting a piece of the world back together. If for no other reason than to make up for some of the stuff I’ve done. We’ll see. Three weeks had passed, and throughout them, Elias noticed several things. First among them was that he was wrong. Working didn’t help. It didn’t hurt, but it didn’t put him at ease at all. That fact surprised him more than anything. When in the wastes, he had always found that moving on had warded off the nightmares, exhaustion had been his greatest ally. Yet even when he fell into bed, barely able to move his body, he still woke up only hours later, either sweating holes through the sheets, or with his voice blown out, usually both. Luckily for anyone around him, his room had silence spells that kept his night terrors to himself. Every day Elias woke up hours before he was supposed to be up, as well as hours before his body got full rest. It resulted in him being irritable, more so than usual. What made it worse was that Elias realized that he had been absolutely wrong about his isolation. Not that it didn’t help; but when he was on his own, and therefore in control of what he did throughout any given day, he had complete control. He stopped when he wanted, and he moved when he wanted. Scavenging provided a measure of reward to all the effort, but here, why was he doing it? His obligation was there, but otherwise... it provided nothing for him other than three meals a day and a constant roof over his head. While he didn’t want to seem ungrateful for living in the greatest luxury he had experienced in his life, he also despised every second of it. He wished to go find that forest he had woken up in and explore it. This world was fresh and alive, yet here he was shuttered away, working the nights and sleeping away pieces of the day. It only made his self-reflections worse. Other than that, boredom was a constant companion. Elias found temporary solace in learning and training, but at times it only seemed to make him angrier. Each swing seemed to strike with furious, deadly intent. Very few of his “fellow” guards had interest in sparring with him. While initially he had issues getting around their magical abilities, Elias had learned their weaknesses quickly. Pegasi and thestrals were fast and could fly, but they tended to rush their fighting, getting exhausted quickly. Elias merely had to land a hit or two before they went down, and since he was loaded with heavy armor, he could weather whatever hits they landed. His night guard armor was enchanted to re-direct magical attacks, so they were forced to engage him up close. Unicorns were more complex, since their magic could overwhelm the simple enchantments in his armor. The first time, Elias had no way to stop the unicorn from simply floating him ten feet above the ground before dropping him outside the dueling ring. When he faced the same unicorn again, Elias did so with a pouch full of sharp rocks. He had nailed the unicorn in the eye and had carried her wailing body outside the fighting bounds, before then taking the pony to the infirmary. While she was fine, she also held a grudge, and Elias found his midnight meal turned into hay more than once. It had only stopped when Nightshade watched it happen one night while she had been yelling at Elias for bleeding on the carpets. He didn’t have meal problems after that. Earth ponies were substantially stronger than he was, yet also only slightly slower. These were his hardest fights, and more often than not, he ended up fighting them with sheer brutality, swinging as hard as he could at the weak spots in their armor. Most of the times this strategy worked, until he was just a hair too slow, and wound up with massive bruises on his chest from being bucked into a wall. His visits to the infirmary were frequent, and in truth, Elias found that he enjoyed them, even if he got yelled at by Scalpel every time he limped in, leaving a red trail in his wake. Overall, Elias hated being a guard. Isolation only worked when it was complete. Witnessing social interactions and not being involved rubbed him wrong. While he had no interest in making friends, he also had no interest simply repeating a cycle of work, eat, and half sleep. It also embarrassed him to admit that he had no idea how to make friends. Clearly the methods of providing food, shelter, and safety wouldn’t work here, since all three were plentiful. He thought to ask the ponies he knew, but quickly found that they had resumed life as it was before he arrived. Nightshade quickly became Captain Nightshade. Back talk was a punishable offense, and Elias didn’t much enjoy cleaning bathrooms he didn’t even use. Luna was far out of his reach, and the only times he saw her was when he stood guard in the night court. During these times his job was to remain silent and do nothing. No help there. Whenever he tried to approach her outside of work, she was either busy, or she found an excuse to avoid him. She had been giving him a colder shoulder than before, and Elias suspected it had something to do with their time in the prison cell. He had no idea what had occurred in there that had so thoroughly driven her away, but since he had no evidence of what transpired, and she was a pony princess while he was just a human, he had no method to confront her about it. Twilight ended up leaving after the first week, her interest only barely satisfied, but enough so that she could return home. Elias had no interest in writing letters to the hyper-enthusiastic pony, so that end was dead as well. Only Steel Scalpel was left, but Elias needed an injury as an excuse to speak with him. After the fourth consecutive visit in a single day several days ago, Scalpel had gone off as well, and not in the usual bickering, scolding manner. He had gotten truly angry, screaming at Elias for getting hurt so often. As he tore into the man, Elias couldn’t help but feel like the pony had grown tired of seeing him, and he had left the infirmary with his head down. The next day when he got cut down the length of his right arm, Elias had patched it himself, using the last roll of bandages from his ruck. That had earned him another scolding from Nightshade, but he still didn’t visit the infirmary. Even now the cut was still healing, a thick scab running up and down his arm, occasionally cracking and leaking blood when he over-stretched his arm. It was also extremely tender, and Elias had an even more difficult time sleeping than before. Elias growled as his pilla skittered off the ground to the left of the target. He rolled his shoulder as he tried to massage away the pain in his shoulder. That had been another recent addition. With his improving physical health, his nerves seemed to become more sensitive, likely because more of them were alive and kicking. Injuries that he thought were long gone had sprung up, resulting in days where it hurt to roll out of bed. Something that someone at the ripe old age of nineteen shouldn’t be experiencing. He still refused pain dulling magic though, he didn’t trust it. The more he read on magic, the more conflicted his thoughts became on the subject. On one hand, it was an incredibly tool, both for healing, as well as a weapon. He had watched some of the unicorns practice. They could obliterate targets with a number of things, and at massive ranges too. On the other hand, he had no real protection from it. His armor helped, but only against the minor stuff, like conjured lightning or mind magic. And only weak mind magic as well. Besides, he would have to go back to the infirmary to get anything significant in terms of healing, and Elias now had a good reason to avoid the place. Elias resisted the urge to scratch his arm as he grabbed another pilla, taking a deep breath as he stared down the straw dummy. He bounced the pilla in his hand for a moment, then he sent it flying through the air. This one stuck the dummy in the chest, hitting a few inches above the center of the target. Elias grunted in semi-satisfaction as he reached down to grab another pilla. As he scooped up the last one, he noticed a pony a few feet away, just... watching him. It wasn’t like the usual staring. Usually, he got one of three looks. The first was disgust. Elias assumes it was due to his species, though in truth it could have been a number of things. These he dismissed out of hand, only looking at the pony enough to memorize their faces as he made them look away with his much harsher glare. He saved each face for later. Elias never forgot a potential enemy. The second type was the curious ones. They just wanted to know more about how the new creature worked. These took only a few minutes to get bored or driven away. Elias was not pleasant to be around, a fact he knew and had made no attempts to change. For the best. It was suffering, but he was better off alone. If only he could get himself to realize that. Finally, there were the “bullies”. For some reason, certain guard members saw him as a threat. Not a physical one to be feared, but a threat to their station, to be bullied into submission. Elias had no idea why they acted like schoolyard children, but he largely ignored them. If anything, he found their attempts to “torment” him funny. If he ever became irritated, they were usually scared away by a few harsh words, simple and easy. Human threats were so much more violent and colorful than pony ones. It also didn’t hurt that Elias meant every single one and had the capability to carry them all out. This pony however, a blue pegasus, was looking at him with what he could only describe as childlike joy. Elias blinked a few times as he focused on the target in front of him, rather than the pony to his left. Elias took a deep breath as he emptied his thoughts and focused. This time when the pilla hit the target, it tore through the center of the target, “killing” it perfectly. As he followed through with the throw, he heard a little ooh, and he glared at the pony. The pegasus seemed to ignore his gaze as he looked at the targets, his tail swishing on the ground. Only after a few moments of complete silence did he realize that Elias was staring at him. The pony jumped, yelping as he did so. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt you! I just thought you looked cool!” The pony stood up rapidly, but Elias put up a hand to stop him. The pony froze in an awkward squat. Elias motioned for him to sit, and the pegasus did so slowly. “I just want to know why you’re watching.” Elias said. “You seem more... engaged than anyone else.” The pegasus grinned sheepishly. “Sorry, I just thought what you were doing looked really cool and wanted to get closer. And it is!” He said in a chipper tone. “The way you move, and you almost never miss, and all of it without magic? It’s so cool! How do you do it?” “Practice,” Elias responded simply. The pegasus nodded excitedly, as if waiting for something else, some further wisdom. Elias didn’t have anything, so he merely pointed to all of the pilla sitting down range and grunted as he moved to gather them. The pegasus remained in place, his happy face still shining in the late-afternoon sun. Elias tried to ignore the pony as he collected his pilla, pulling and tugging at some that were more stuck in the targets than others. As he snatched them up, he heard hoofsteps behind him, and Elias assumed the pony had left. Only when he scooped the last spear into his arms and looked back to the rest of his equipment did he realize that it had actually been the sound of three ponies walking up to the pegasus, who seemed to be intentionally avoiding their eyes. Elias frowned, speeding up his stride as he got closer. “So, you’re hanging out with another freak now? Come on Flash, can you suck any more as a guard?” Elias recognized the lead pony, a snow-white unicorn in gold armor. It was one of the “bullies”. One of the more persistent ones too. Elias had so far threatened him with a beating and a broken leg, along with a jab about glue that went far over his head. Elias’ frown deepened. “Didn’t I tell you to not be within two hundred feet of me?” Elias said as he walked up, letting his pilla drop onto their cloth wrap. The unicorn’s friends flinched back, but the center pony remained still, a wide grin on his face. “Guardsman Bright! How good to see you! Looking as sociable as ever I see.” “Spare the words and get lost White Shine,” Elias snapped. “I gave you a warning, and if I have to put some muscle behind my words to make sure they're followed, then I will.” White Shine took a step back, putting a hoof in the air. “No need to be hostile Bright! We were merely saying hello to our friend!” The unicorn looked to the pegasus that was doing his best to vanish without actually doing anything other than looking sad. “Isn’t that right Flash?” Elias snorted. “You having friends is about as likely as me growing a horn. Get lost Shine. I won’t tell you again.” White Shine scoffed. “You do not own this castle Guardsman, and you would do well to remember that I am actually a pony while you are a filthy-“ Elias kicked sand into the unicorn’s face. He crossed his arms across his bare chest as the pony sputtered, choking on the dust that easily slid into every open hole and crack. His friends looked at Elias in shock, as did the pegasus. Elias waited silently. As White Shine cleared his face, he glared at Elias, pointing a hoof. “Princess Celestia will hear about this!” he screamed, spitting dust out of his mouth, “She’ll throw a freak like you in the dungeon for assaulting me!” Elias bent down so that he was at eye level with the pony. “Go ahead Shine. We both know she’ll interrogate every single witness under a truth spell. I’ll include your “friendly” behavior very clearly. With luck, we’ll share a cell. Then you’ll have all the time in the world to learn about human prison culture.” Elias grinned sadistically. White Shine gulped and finally backed away, a small look of fear springing up in the pony’s eyes. He gestured to his stooges and they made a hasty departure. Elias waited until they were out of sight before he bent down to collect his pilla. He didn’t make it far before the pegasus pounced on him. “That was so great!” the pegasus shouted in his ear. “They can’t even do anything back; they’ve been bothering me forever! My name is Night Flash! Do you want to be my friend?” Elias shoved the pony off roughly and jabbed a finger at him. “First things first," he snapped as the pegasus frustratingly landed lightly on his hooves, "don’t jump on me. I’m not a bed and you are not a dog.” The pegasus grinned sheepishly, his big brown eyes still bright and happy. “Heh sorry. I got a bit excited.” Elias dusted himself off, only partially successfully due to the dirt clinging to his sweat. Elias grimaced at it as he tried to wipe it off on his underwear. He looked at the pegasus as he did so. “Got a name?” “Guardspony Night Flash!” the pegasus said excitedly. Elias squinted at the pegasus. “You’re a guard? Why do you put up with that bull then?” he said gesturing over his shoulder to where the bullies had fled. Night Flash looked at his hooves as his smile dipped. “It’s just easier to let them say what they want sometimes. I tried fighting them once, but they outnumbered me, and they beat me up. I ended up spending two months in the infirmary.” “And you didn’t report that because?” “They threatened to get me banned from the guard, and then blacklisted. White Shine has some powerful family members that could hurt my, and by extension my family’s reputation in Canterlot. I don’t want to burden them with that, so I just let him get away with it.” Elias stacked his pilla, wrapping the now dusty cloth around them. He’d clean it later. “Let me know if it happens again. They’re punks, and cowards. Any show of force will turn them away. Use their status against them, if they want to blacklist you, threaten to take your story to the newspapers. They seem to love controversy in noble families. You might also try to see if their parents would disown them. That would be a treat.” Elias pulled the rope right and swung the bundle over his shoulder. Night Flash was looking at him in shock. “H-how do you know all that?” the pegasus asked. “The rumors I heard said you didn’t know anything about pony culture.” Elias shrugged. “I read a lot.” He strode toward the table where the rest of his gear waited. He needed to take another shower before his shift started. He really didn’t want another lecture on hygiene. Ponies didn’t know what dirty meant. He had half a mind to stop showering all together to prove a point. Unfortunately, it was far too relaxing, and Elias knew he would never willingly go without the luxury again. Damn it, he was becoming weak. Soft ponies and their wonderous showers with that heavenly hot water. Elias let the bundle thud onto the table as he grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat away. It was always sunny and warm in Equestria, and if the books he had read were in anyway true, that was intentional. The pegasi evidently scheduled rain for most evenings, while keeping it dry, warm, and sunny during the day. It had taken him less than a weak of waking up early to get a nice tan in the late afternoon sun. Night Flash popped up beside him, his wide eyes flashing with excitement as he tried to look at both Elias and all of Elias’ gear. He oo’ed softly and Elias watched as he slowly reached out a hoof, like a cat about to push an object off a table. Elias softly nudged his scutum, moving it closer to Flash’s extended hoof. As soon as his hoof came into contact with the steel frame of the shield, he oo’ed softly again, then looked to Elias, as if asking permission. Elias gestured at the shield as he grabbed his sword belt, looping it around his waist as he kept an eye on the pony. “Go ahead. I highly doubt you can break it just by looking at it.” Flash’s tail swished and his eyes seemed to grow even more excited. How, Elias had no idea. He had thought the pony was as happy as he could be, but it seemed this one contained boundless happiness. With a quick flap of his wings, Flash was on the table, walking around the shield as he inspected it. Elias watched the pony as he looked at the shield, occasionally prodding it as he circled it. Elias blinked and looked away, focusing on putting his belt back on. As he listened to the pegasus coo softly at the shield, Elias tied all of his armor together with a rope. It would make it easier to carry it back to his room without getting it dirty. Tucking his tunic in his belt, Elias shouldered the armor and the bundle of pilla. Night Flash held up the shield, still in awe. He had the handle facing him, and he looked between it and Elias. “How do you carry this thing? It’s huge!” Night Flash tried to lift the shield from the table, trying to balance on his hind leg as he tried to stand. As he began to pitch backward, Elias grabbed the edge of the shield, catching it, and him in one motion. The pegasus grinned sheepishly again. “Sorry.” Elias flipped the shield so that its face laid flat on the table. He pointed to the steel handle crossing the shield horizontally. “I hold that to fight.” He then pointed to the two leather straps running vertically. “And those to carry it on my back.” He then grabbed the steel handle, bracing the shield against his body as he began to walk away. Night Flash hopped down from the table and followed him. “So how long have you been in Equestria?” the pegasus asked. “A month,” Elias replied shortly. “Wow!” Flash said. “Have you gone out exploring? Where have you visited?” “I haven’t gone anywhere,” Elias said. “I was brought to Canterlot when I was hurt, and so I stayed here after making an agreement with the princesses.” Flash looked at him in awe. “You met the princesses and you’ve only been here a month? That’s amazing! I’ve lived in Canterlot all my life and I’ve only met them once at guard graduation.” “Uh huh,” Elias said, already becoming irritated with this conversation. He had no idea why. “You said you’re a guard? Where’s your armor?” he asked. “Oh, I’m not on duty tonight!” Night Flash replied. The pegasus bolted ahead for a moment, grabbing the door for Elias. He grunted a thanks as he tilted his body to fit through. Elias heard the door close, and then Night Flash was at his side once more, trotting along with glee. “Captain Nightshade wanted to see me for an incognito assignment for tomorrow night. There’s some kind of big rave going on downtown, so she wants some guards who can blend in there. She says I can get along with anypony, so I’ll do great!” Elias had no issue believing that. His mind froze for an instant, paranoia creeping to the front. Why was he still talking to this pony? He was making small talk, an oddity if he ever experienced one, especially for him. Elias felt himself tense up, and he looked down at the pony trotting blissfully at his side. Night Flash hummed quietly, as if completely at peace with the world. “Hey, do you mind if I ask you some questions?” Night Flash asked. “No,” Elias replied, immediately cursing himself silently. Why did he say yes? “Thanks!” Night Flash replied in his chipper tone. “I just wanted to see if any of the rumors are true. First question, do you eat ponies?” Elias blinked. “Why would you be talking to me if you thought I ate ponies? Actually, better question, why would I constantly be around ponies if I ate them?” Night Flash shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe you’re like a snake and only have to eat a pony every once in a while. Or maybe you’re like a vampony and just have to drink pony blood.” Elias didn’t begin to have time to unpack either of those statements. “I eat meat, not ponies. I make a point of not eating anything that talks,” Elias replied. He had never been desperate enough to attempt cannibalism, and he liked to think that he would never become desperate enough. Eating something that talked back to him? That had irrefutable proof of intelligence? No, he’d die first. That counted for ponies too, misshapen though they may be. If it sounded human, then it wasn’t food. Night Flash seemed happy enough with the answer. “Cool, so you’re kind of like a gryphon. That’s really the only rumor I cared about.” Elias thought the pegasus would fall into silence. Instead, Night Flash threw him for a loop when he asked; “Can we be friends?” Elias stopped. His room was just ahead, maybe thirty seconds of walking. He could just bolt, leaving the question unanswered. The issue with that plan was that the pony might come asking again later. It wasn’t a good option. That left him with two options, yes or no. The small voice at the back of his mind screamed yes, while the paranoid center calmly shook its head no. Even if he wanted a friend, he had to push the pony away, for his own good. “No,” Elias said forcefully, resuming his walk. It took less than a second to feel the absence at his side. He couldn’t see the pony, but Elias had already seen enough crying ponies to imagine the sight; the fuzzy creatures always seemed to cry. It was a pitiful image. The whimper that hit his ear a second later didn’t help. Elias sighed as he stopped again. He knew he shouldn’t look back. It would make him soft; he knew what was waiting. His paranoid voice screamed at him to keep walking. It was for the pony’s safety. The voice at the center of his mind was shouted down as the voice at the back became louder, shouting for sympathy. Things were different here, if he was willing to reach out. He didn’t have to tell his story, it said, but he did need to change, or the same thing would happen again. Cruel that his mind knew how to feed on its own paranoia. Taking a deep breath, he half turned. He saw Night Flash turning, walking away slowly with his head downcast and his wings drooped, dragging at his sides as he walked. Elias felt like slamming his head into the wall. “Wait,” he said. Night Flash’s head perked up instantly, and he looked at Elias with hope in his eyes Elias felt a second urge to just walk away, but this one he suppressed. It may have taken months to accomplish, but he was finally getting lonely. He wouldn’t last long without someone to talk to. The pony before him might just be that person. “Look, Night Flash was it?” The pegasus nodded, a smile touching the corners of his mouth. Such optimism. It felt foreign that it was directed at Elias. “I’m not a good person. I cannot be anymore clear about that. But… let’s talk about this in private. I won’t flat out tell you no, and doing so was cruel and I’m sorry for that, but I won’t say yes either. How much time do you have before you need to see Captain Nightshade?” “I can see her any time tonight,” Night Flash answered. The pegasus was perking up significantly now. His wings were once again tucked at his sides, while the tears were gone from his eyes. Elias had no idea how his emotions bounced back and forth like that, nor really why his rejection had caused such an intense reaction. It didn’t matter, Night Flash didn’t seem to care as long as the carrot of friendship still hung in front of him. Elias took another deep breath, then waved to the pony. “Come on. My room isn’t far, we’ll talk about this more there.” Night Flash quickly found his way to Elias’ side once again, though this time slightly more subdued. Elias noticed the pegasus frequently glancing up at him, and Elias did his best to avoid eye contact. Still, it felt… better to have someone next to him. More comfortable than walking through the halls alone. They remained silent until his door came into view, as well as an irritated looking Nightshade. Internally, Elias groaned. 'Not again,' he thought. “Guardsman Bright, I seem to distinctly remember giving you a watch for the purpose of being on time, and yet here we are playing this game again.” She blinked in surprise when she realized he wasn’t alone as usual. “Guardspony Flash, I thought you were off today.” The demeanor of the pegasus at his side changed immediately. Snapping to attention the pegasus had a serious poker face, revealing nothing. Any traces of emotion vanished from his body language, and his voice seemed to drop an octave as he responded. “I was just stopping in to see you Captain about the concert tomorrow night. I wanted to report that everypony is ready and on standby to meet up outside by eleven-thirty. It should go smoothly.” Nightshade nodded. “Excellent. I have full faith in you Flash; you’ve done stellar work in the past, and I expect the same going forward.” Her gaze turned to Elias, and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes when her nose curled in disgust. “Do I need to remind you again about the cleanliness standards Guardsman?” “No Captain,” Elias said, sighing. “I was coming back to cleanup before my guard shift. I must-“ “Actually Captain, Guardsman Bright was just showing me how some of his tools worked,” Night Flash cut in, surprising Elias. “He was beginning to pack up when I interrupted him. It’s my fault Captain.” Nightshade looked between the two. Her eyes narrowed at Elias, who simply met her with a dead look. Nightshade snorted. “Alright then. Make sure to have yourself cleaned up and presentable Guardsman Bright, you’re on throne room duty tonight. I won’t have you stinking in public.” Elias nodded silently. The thestral gave him and Night Flash one more once over, then snorted again as she turned around to walk away. “Carry on you two.” Elias waited until she was out of sight before moving. He glared down at Night Flash. “What was that?” he asked. The pony shrugged. “You did the same thing for me; buck, you helped me much more. Besides, it was all true. You were finishing up, I delayed you.” Elias accepted the reasoning. Technically they were now even. He had helped the pegasus, and now he had received help in return. “Alright then, what was that change in attitude though? You seemed… well incredibly serious. Given how you’ve acted around me so far, that isn’t what I expected.” Night Flash shrugged again. “When I was still in training I kind of developed a second personality for when I’m on duty. He does all of the heavy lifting and serious stuff so that I can have all of the fun!” As he said the last word, he hopped, fluttering his wings slightly as he spun in a circle. “It’s just my way of separating work and life.” Night Flash grinned sheepishly when he realized Elias was still watching, albeit with an eyebrow raised. “Sorry,” he said. “No need for an apology,” Elias replied. He fished a key from his sword belt and fitted it into his door. As he began to turn the key, he stopped, looking over his shoulder. “Oh, and uh, thanks for that. You saved me a lot of trouble.” “No problem!” Night Flash said, his chipper tone back in full. Elias unlocked the door and quickly pushing it open into his dark room. He flipped the light switch as he walked past, and let the bundle of pilla drop from his shoulder. It hit the ground with a thud, and was followed quickly by his scutum. His armor he laid on his bed, setting it down gently. He then took out his tunic from his belt and threw it over the armor before taking a seat on the edge of the bed. He gestured for Night Flash to take the one chair in the room. The pegasus dragged the chair until it was directly in front of Elias, then settled in it. Elias ran a hand through his hair, scratching the back of his head as he thought how to start the coming conversation. He really needed a haircut, his hair was at his shoulders now, and crawling steadily down. That didn’t matter now though. He had to get this done the right way. Elias looked back up to Night Flash, who waited expectantly, already at the edge of his seat. Elias scratched his nose as he spoke. “Let’s start with the obvious then, you want to be my friend?” Night Flash smiled and nodded. “Yup!” “May I ask why?” Night Flash shrugged. “I like having friends, and I don’t like it when I see ponies without friends. Everypony should have at least one friend.” Elias bit his cheek. “You don’t know anything about me though. I could be anyone, could have done anything, and you don’t know. That’s all right with you?” Night Flash thought for a second, then nodded briskly. “Yup!” Elias sighed. He couldn’t do this. He should have played his cards with Nightshade or Luna. At least they had the common sense to be wary. Despite his obvious capability to be completely serious, Night Flash seemed to want to not care. “Look, Night Flash…” Elias paused, then growled in irritation. He wasn’t good at being emotive. Best to just rip off the band-aid. “Look, if you want to be friends with me, I have rules. These are for both your well being, as well as my own. I’m just going to list them, and if you decide you still want to be friends afterwards… then done. We’ll be friends, and I will do my best not to let you down. If not, then we will leave on even terms and be done with each other. Agreed?” That seemed to get the pony’s attention. His serious demeanor returned, and he simply nodded once, silent. Elias put up a finger. “First, don’t ask about my past. As far as you and the rest of the world are concerned, my life started a month ago. Anything before that is off limits unless I talk about it first. This is my biggest rule, and if it’s broken, then I’m sorry, but I won’t speak to you again. Simple as that.” Night Flash nodded. “Alright, can I ask personality questions though? I do want to get to know you better, and you can just tell me if I overstep.” Elias nodded. “That sounds good.” He noticed the pegasus shift nervously in his seat. Elias quickly realized the body movement as the same one the pony had made earlier when he had pounced on him earlier. That needed to be stopped before Elias reacted in the wrong way. “Rule two,” he said, extending another finger, “No physical contact. I’ve noticed that ponies like being in contact with one another, but I’m not like that. Earlier, we both got lucky that I didn’t try to stab you. This is really just a safety concern. I’m jumpy, always. So, no touching until I can lose some of my… old habits.” Night Flash stopped squirming and nodded. “What about hoofshakes and pats on the back?” he asked. Elias pondered the question for a second, rocking his head back and forth as he decided. “Only if you talk to me first. You seem like a genuinely nice guy, and I really don’t want you to end up with a knife through your hoof.” Night Flash nodded again. “Engage vocally and then light friendly motions. Got it.” “Rule three,” Elias sighed deeply, “I have issues. Bad ones. I can’t promise that I’ll always act rationally. I am paranoid, I have nasty anger issues. I’m not a social person, and I can be cold. On top of that, I’m out of my natural environment. Not just because you are a different species, but because all of this,” he said, gesturing to room around them, “is new to me. The world I came from was rough and you had to be rougher to survive in it. It’s left me with some nasty scars that I’m trying to heal, but it will take more than a month to do so. Those old habits I just mentioned don’t end at being jumpy. I apologize in advance if I do anything to hurt you, and if you ever feel the need to stop being friends, I get it. I’m not an easy guy to be around.” “If I can be stop being your friend, that means were friends, right?” Night Flash asked. Elias looked at the pony nervously. The pegasus was beginning to squirm in his chair again. “If you follow my rules and still want to… yes. I suppose we are.” The squirming intensified, and for a second, he thought the pegasus would pounce him anyway. He tensed in anticipation, making sure his hands were near his lap rather than his sword or dagger. He was surprised when a hoof came out in a slow motion. Elias’ eyes flicked between the outstretched hoof and Night Flash’s eyes. “Rule number two friend.” The pony grinned, and upon seeing Elias' nervous expression, the smile softened into something dangerously approaching caring. “I do really want to be your friend Guardsman,” he added, keeping his earnest grin on his face. Elias nodded, and he felt a smile touch his own face. He shook the hoof with his hand, gripping it firmly. “All right Night Flash. Friends it is.” Night Flash smiled broadly. “Great!” He hopped down from the chair and slid it back across the room. “I hate to duck out on you when we just met, but I promised my parents I would have midnight meal with them.” Elias waved the pony’s excuse away. “Don’t worry about it. I have to clean up and get to work anyway. And… thanks Flash. It means a lot that you are willing to try being my friend despite me being, well me.” Night Flash smiled. “It’s no problem! Like I said, everypony needs a friend, even if they aren’t a pony. Do you mind if I bring some of my other friends to mid-meal in a few days?” Elias silently dreaded the question. A single friend was one thing, but several all in the span of a few days? It seemed like too much. Elias mentally slapped himself. He was a warrior and he couldn’t conquer social interactions? To hell with that weak part of his mind. A good fighter knew balance. Elias nodded to Night Flash. “Just make sure they know the rules. I don’t want to cause problems between you and your friends.” Night Flash waved the statement away. “Psh, I don’t think you will. They’re great ponies, you just have to meet them first!” Elias checked his watch. Twenty minutes. It would be fast, but he could still make it. He looked up to force Night Flash out, but found the pony already outside his door. Upon making eye contact, the pegasus waved. “See you later friend!” he shouted as he ran down the hallway. Elias sat in dumbfounded silence for a second, then he felt a smile creep across his face. He felt the voice in the back of his head fall silent for once, satisfied that he had done something… good. Actually good. Elias rose from his bed, slowly approaching the door and closing it softly. His mind gave him a good memory for once, of friends long past, their eyes bright like those of Night Flash. Elias smiled wistfully, then cleared his head as he moved to get ready for his guard shift. > Chapter 10: Making Friends > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry Day 2019 It finally happened! Thirty people! I found thirty whole people! This isn’t just some stray, they all stick together, and they already know how to fight! I tried to get closer yesterday, but they have a few firearms, so they shot at me, probably thought I was some sort of raider or other animal. If they only knew. We’re near an old town for the night, and they even have the discipline to cover their campfire, they’re perfect! I’m going to try approaching them noisy like at dawn. Tristan always tells me to approach people with open hands, I really hope I can get them to the community. 30 people! That’s almost as much as I’ve found in the last month! I really hope I can make friends with these people, can’t tackle the world alone! I know, I’ve tried. Elias sat alone at what he called lunch, but what most of the ponies called mid-meal. Exactly at midnight, and noon, the entirety of the guard went off shift for an hour, all packing into the massive room that made up the mess hall. Elias thought it would be massively inefficient and slow, but the cooks always matched the rapid influx of guards, feeding the long lines within minutes. The food was always hot, and always tailored to the needs of whoever it was given to. Before Elias sat a half-eaten plate of spaghetti, a meal he had become quickly familiar with. Since most of their more exotic foods required hay, Elias usually had something simple; pasta, a lettuce-based salad, and occasionally a plate of meat. Pasta was the most common however, since ponies ate the exact same ingredients. In truth, it was always good, but Elias wished he could eat something more diverse. A long untouched part of his mind wondered if they could make hotdogs. Elias pictured a pony pressing a dozen mystery meats into one link of sausage, then shook his head. A steak was one thing, but ground meats were entirely different. In his hands, Elias was re-reading a book on the short, but evidently brutal, Nightmare Wars. It was one of the only periods of great physical turmoil in all of Equestria’s written history. Thousands of years passed without war, and Elias, despite his studious disposition, quickly found himself bored trying to learn it all. It didn’t help that the copies that Sparkle had given him included useless information, such as the price of peaches during a few centuries of peach shortages, during which time apples made a rise to power as Equestria’s number one fruit. Elias really wished he didn’t know that. He took another bite of his spaghetti, savoring a chunk of tomato that waited in the sauce. If he had known what was coming, he wouldn't have taken a bite at all. “Hey Red!” Night Flash shouted across the mess hall. Elias inhaled quickly, and as a result, the treasonous tomato lodged itself in his windpipe. Elias shoved the book from his lap as he bent over, slamming his fist into his armored chest. That was the reason. He had always wondered why the ponies took off their armor to eat, and now he was learning firsthand why. The steel was blocking his attempts to dislodge the demon fruit in his throat. As Elias sent a damning curse to tomato crops everywhere, he felt a hoof slam into his back. The red fruit from hell hit his plate, and Elias dragged in a ragged breath as he coughed loudly. Night Flash poked his head into view as he patted Elias’ back. Concern was written clearly on the pony’s face. Elias glared at him. “First, thanks for that. Second, why the fuck did you call me that Night Flash?” The pegasus cocked his head. “I thought Red was your name, because of the big mark you have on your back. I assumed it wasn’t a cutie mark, but you never know.” Upon hearing Red used as his name again, Elias ran a hand through his hair. While choking, his brain had temporarily forgotten, but now it hit him in a wave. Elias felt his vision blur, and heard an immense ringing in his ears. The concern on Night Flash’s face deepened. “Are you all right? Was it something I did?” the pony asked. Elias held up a finger. “J-just…” He took hold of his functions for a single moment to say; “Give me a second. I need to freak out.” Then his head was hidden in his arms. Elias panted violently as his eyes darted around the now dark space. The ringing became whispering, tinged with distant screams. His hands felt sticky, and he felt overwhelmingly hot. He bit his lip as he tried not to cry out in pain. His legs were on fire, and he could smell the burning hair. Liquid rolled down his arms, it was in his hair, on his face. He could taste the blood… Like a bucket of cold water, it all vanished. The blood he tasted was from where he was biting into his lip. His hands were hot and sweaty, so was his neck. That’s what was running down his back and arms. The rest wasn’t real. It simply wasn’t. Elias took a deep breath and looked around. It was darker than his arms could have made. To his right something fuzzy pressed against his side. A quick look saw Night Flash staring back, watching him intently. Elias blinked once. “W- what happened?” “I saw you eating and said hi, using the name Red. You responded in shock and began choking, which I helped fix. You then asked why I used the name again, and I made the mistake of saying it again. You then said you had to freak out and curled up. You looked panicked, so I covered and am still covering you with my wings.” Elias looked up, and confirmed that, indeed, wings were causing the darkness around him. Elias took another breath. “I didn’t do anything else?” he asked. Night Flash shook his head. “Nope. You just started whispering to yourself and started sweating. That’s it.” Elias nodded. He took a few more breaths to ensure that he was back being mentally stable, then looked back at Night Flash. “Sorry about that. That name used to… It was bad. It’s been a very long time since I’ve heard it.” “What should I call you then?” Night Flash asked. “I’m sorry assumed, I’ll ask next time, but for now, is Bright okay?” Elias thought for a second. He couldn’t do this every time he heard one of the most common colors in existence. He needed to be desensitized, and maybe Night Flash was just the pony to do it. “No,” Elias said. “I want you to call me Red. I need to get past this, and the only way to do that is to hear it every single day from somebody I’m beginning to trust.” Elias looked at Night Flash. “Only you get to call me Red though. If anyone else does it, shut them down. I’m taking a big personal step allowing you to do it, and I won’t let just anyone say that name. Okay?” Night Flash nodded and smiled. “You got it Red.” Elias flinched, but he kept control this time. Whether that was because he just finished a panic attack, or because he had allowed himself to be comfortable and let Night Flash in a little, Elias didn’t know. Still, it was a start. “Thanks for this Flash.” Elias said pointing up to the wings still covering the pair. The pony nodded and smiled. “That’s what friends are for.” Elias and Night Flash sat up, with the pegasus tucking his wings back under his armor. Almost as an afterthought, Elias slugged the pony in the shoulder. When he gasped in pain and looked to Elias, Elias pointed a finger at him. “That’s for making me freak out.” He then surprised the both of them by giving the pony a quick two second hug. “And that’s for having my back.” Night Flash rubbed his shoulder, but smiled widely, his goofy grin spreading across his face. Elias grimaced in response, trying to resume his attitude as the big mean human. It didn’t help that they had an audience. Night Flash plopped down next to Elias while the other three ponies took seats across the table, with all three staring at Elias. Night Flash smiled brightly. “Red, meet my friends, Ice Blossom, Scarlet Shield, and Book Binder!” The first two, a pair of pegasi; one with red fur and a brown mane, and the other with light blue fur and a white mane, glared at Elias. The third, a unicorn with light green fur and a red-violet mane, looked at Elias curiously. Night Flash smiled at Elias. “We’ve been friends since training! They’re the best ponies I know!” Elias rolled his jaw. He wanted to snap at the pegasi that were giving him a death glare, but decided not to, extending his hand to Book Binder. “Elias.” She smiled widely and shook his hand. “Book Binder. Night Flash hasn’t stopped talking about you for the past two days.” Elias side-eyed the pegasus who seemed suddenly interested in his food. “Anything good?” Book Binder snorted. “Only good. From your fighting styles, to your weapons, to your help with White Shine. Thanks for that by the way. We all have issues with that bully, and we can’t touch him because of his family connections.” The center pegasus, Scarlet Shield stopped glaring at Elias for a second, turning to Night Flash. “Wait, this is the guy you were talking about? I thought you were talking about a weird pony, or a gryphon or something, not this…” his voice trailed off as he noticed Elias watching him. The human motioned for the pony to continue. “Well go on, I would love to hear what people think about me. Tells me the kind of reputation I need to uphold.” Elias waited silently as the pony stammered for an answer. The pony ducked his head down and wisely began to eat his food. Elias nodded. “Right.” Elias reached under the table to grab his fallen book. The table fell into an awkward silence as the ponies ate, each now pointedly looking away from Elias, save for Night Flash who was munching happily. Elias supposed the pegasus was happy with baby steps. Elias began to read again, picking up where he left off, particularly the difference in battle strategy between the Equestrian and Nightmare forces. According to the book, Nightmare Moon, a figure Elias needed to research more about later, was the superior strategist, outmaneuvering Celestia with smaller, more maneuverable forces. She won every battle, inflicting horrible losses on the princess, yet Celestia had numbers at her back. Elias drew a comparison between the Equestrian history and the story of Hannibal of Carthage. Hannibal rarely lost a battle, but he had no way to get more troops, while the Romans threw army after army at him. The same thing had happened to Nightmare Moon. Eventually, Celestia had turned the tables and had ambushed Nightmare Moon, using some kind of weapon to drive the pony away. The book said that Nightmare Moon was banished to the moon, but Elias attributed it to dramatic flair. The author seemed to take quite a few narrative liberties, especially at the part where it said Nightmare Moon was gone for a thousand years. That just seemed silly. Elias then stopped reading and looked around him. He was currently sitting in a room full of talking, magical ponies. Silly had nothing to do with it. Elias nudged Night Flash, who was slurping away at a particularly long pasta noodle. The pony stopped mid-swallow, and looked to where Elias was pointing on the page. “That isn’t true, is it?” Elias asked. Night Flash sucked in the rest of the noodle, smacking his lips in satisfaction before he answered. “It’s true alright!” Flash said. “Princess Luna came back after a thousand-year banishment, fought the Elements of Harmony, then got blasted! All of the evil left her, and now she’s back to being a princess like the old days!” Elias stared at the pony. “That would imply that both Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna are well over a thousand years old.” Flash nodded. “Yup! Alicorns live for a really long time. If I remember grade school right, it’s because of all of the magic they require to raise the sun and moon. Nopony really knows how old they are, but most ponies just assume they’re immortal.” Elias sighed and closed the book, setting it on the table. “And there goes my sanity again. Nothing here makes sense.” Elias scratched at his eyebrow as he rested his head in his hands, glaring at the book. “And I am clearly not reading the right material to get educated.” Elias watched with dulled fascination as the book was lifted in a mint green aura. While it was interesting to watch magic function up close, Elias was quickly growing tired of not understanding it. The thought had crossed his mind to abandon any area of study that involved magic, but evidently all areas of study involved magic. Book Binder floated the book in front of her eyes, then tutted as she inspected the cover. “Well here’s your issue; sompony in that library gave you an ancient tactics book when what you need is a non-pony basics primer.” She rifled through her saddle bags, and Elias quickly found two books floating in front of him. One looked relatively normal; A Non-Equestrian Guide for All Things Equestrian. The second book however, looked like something he used to find in abandoned day-cares, complete with rainbow colored unicorns on the face. Gingerly, Elias took both of the books, setting down the one he was actually likely to read, while he turned the bright pink one around. “Really? What is this for, three-year old’s?” Book Binder shrugged. “Basically. I borrowed it from my baby cousin. It’s got some useful things in it though. I can’t imagine you’ve gotten a proper school education since you’ve been here, so it might help you catch up.” Elias opened his mouth to reply, but he just sighed and flipped the book back around before setting it on top of the guidebook. “Thanks.” He said with a dead voice. He extended his hand, motioning for the tactics book. “I’d like that back though. It’s a great read save for the parts I lack context for.” Book Binder seemed a bit shocked. “You’re the one who chose this out?” she asked, passing the book to Elias. The man nodded. “Yep. It helps me put things into perspective. I studied a great deal of different military tactics some time ago. Greek, Roman, Celtic, Germanic, the works. It’s how I learned my ancestral history, I thought it would work here too.” He arranged the books into a stack, intentionally obscuring the child’s book. “But, unfortunately, as all things seem to work in this place, knowledge of magic is required to some degree.” Elias spread his hands. “Clearly I am lacking severely in that department being a non-magical creature.” Scarlet Shield seemed to perk up slightly. For the first time since he had started eating, his head rose, looking at Elias. “You like studying military tactics? How do the armies on your world fight?” Elias felt Night Flash shift nervously. He looked over to pony, who was watching him intently. Technically speaking, that was a violation of rule number one, but Elias really didn’t care. Night Flash was biting his lip, as if Elias was a hand grenade, waiting to go off at the slightest provocation. Elias pretended for a moment that that wasn’t the case, and answered the question. Fighting was a subject he enjoyed talking about. Certain fights however… “Depends where and when. I’ll stick to the historical period most similar to Equestria. My personal favorite, the Romans, fought in long shield walls with heavy armor. It’s where I actually take all of my fighting techniques from.” And then he was off. Twilight had wanted to know about human culture; music, food and art. His focus areas, Roman oration and combat, were barely touched. Now Elias felt like he could actually talk about something. It helped that his audience seemed to become more in awe with every question answered. Elias and Scarlet Shield practically fed off each other’s excitement, with each ancient battle strategy bringing about more questions. Elias talked about what strategies worked and what strategies didn’t. He talked about the massive armies and the even more massive battles that spanned the Mediterranean Sea. Lunch ended far too soon. Even as they disposed of their trash and collected their gear Scarlet Shield and Elias talked back and forth, with the pony asking lightning fast questions while Elias gave abridged answers, with the promise for the full versions when they had time. As they began to part ways, Elias found himself unwilling to tear himself away from the conversation. Only at the prodding of Night Flash did he shut up with a final wave to Scarlet, who seemed just as uneager to stop as the human was. As Night Flash and Elias walked to their post for the night, Elias felt a bit… springy. He felt lighter in step, and for once Elias caught an honest smile that remained on his face for more than second. It had been a very long time since that had happened. As soon as he realized the fact, his temporarily dormant paranoia reared its nasty head, and Elias felt the mood slip away. A dozen suspicious thoughts sprang to the forefront of his mind, and while he could tell that he was being ridiculous, he couldn't drive the thoughts away. Was he being used for strategical information? Was this all a ruse to get the secrets of humanity out of him? The ponies had seemed almost antagonistic at the beginning of the meal, yet by the end one had him practically spilling his guts. As he and Night Flash assumed their posts, Elias frowned, feeling more than a little bit confused as the two voices in his head warred with each other. ***** The end of that shift found Elias pacing in his room. Back and forth, back and forth. Standing completely still for six more hours had done nothing to help his paranoia, and now it was back in full force. He eyed the mattress to his bed, underneath which his journals were hidden. He had been re-reading old entries to make sure he stayed on his toes, but he couldn’t remember if any of the entries were about trust. A memory of blood flashed in his mind, and Elias quickly shoved it away. Every time he had been betrayed; he had lost his mind. He doubted that anything coherent could be found in those entries, certainly nothing that would help him now. Elias felt the presence as soon as it appeared in his room, and he scoffed loudly when he saw Other-Elias sitting calmly on his bed. “Great, now you show up. Where were you earlier?” Other-Elias cocked his head. “Trying to make sure you didn’t do something stupid. If you haven’t noticed, you seem to lack full control over your emotions.” Elias stopped momentarily to glare at Other-Elias before he resumed his pacing. “And I wonder why that is,” Elias said. Other-Elias smirked. “Maybe if you would just listen to me once in your life, we might not be having these issues.” “I tried listening to you once, a lot of people died. A lot of friends,” Elias replied. Other-Elias scowled. “There is no way to anticipate the actions of cowards. I gave you all the information I had and made a decision based on that. How was I supposed to know that-…”? “Don’t you dare speak that bastard’s name!” Elias bellowed . The specter raised his hands. “Fine, fine. I had no way of knowing that would happen. Blaming us for counting on him is like blaming yourself for falling into that damn light show and ending up here. There was no way to predict what would happen.” “I’m shocked that you aren’t happy we fell face into an anomaly with a gaping chest wound. You seemed keen to make light of the situation a few weeks ago.” Other-Elias sighed. “Look, I understand the paranoia; being unnaturally suspicious kept us alive and safe for a while, but the evidence is clear that you don’t need to think like that anymore! Look around us Elias! We’ve been in the same room for nearly a month and nothing significant has happened. Sure, we’ve had minor lows, but look at all the ups! Food that is hot and provided three times a day, no charge. We have new equipment that requires less maintenance. We have all the books we could ever want. We have a bed and a room, and both are in no danger of collapsing into a filth ridden pile of rot.” Other-Elias pointed to the bathroom. “I don’t think I have to mention the fully functioning heated shower. I don’t know about you, but bathing in mud puddles again does not sound like a good time to me.” Elias growled in frustration. “But what if it’s all a game? You know what we have in our head. We have enough knowledge to let them figure out modern weaponry. Jumping from gunpowder to nuclear armaments would take them a few years max! What if this is all a bid to get human military technology to… to…” “To what?” Other-Elias laughed in disbelief. “Elias, they have a grand total of one war in their history books. One. It shouldn’t even count because it was a civil war. The ponies solve all of their problems with diplomacy. Why should we be any different?” Elias glared at the man. “We’re a problem that needs solved now?” Other-Elias looked at him with a deadpan expression. “We wouldn’t be having this conversation if we were anything less than a problem that needed solved. Even in the end times, people who talked to themselves like this were considered madmen. Just because we mostly have a handle on it doesn’t make it better. We’re clinically unstable, at best.” Elias silently mouthed his words in a mocking manner. When Other-Elias simply crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, Elias clamped his mouth shut. “All right then mastermind, how do we go about this? We what, trust them with our very soul?” Other-Elias shrugged. “I don’t see why we can’t continue like the end of lunch today. The rules you made are pretty solid, just stick to those. Let everything we like talking about be free game.” Elias shook his head and turned away as he changed his pacing pattern, pacing between the bathroom and the front door. “No, no. What if I let important stuff slip? What if I let them in too close and they get killed? We lost our mind last time, hell, every time we lost somebody important. If that happens here…” Other-Elias sighed. “You are really over thinking this Elias.” From nowhere came a piece of paper and a pen. Other-Elias drew out a quick sketch on his lap. “Here’s what you need to do, plan the battlefield, write it down if you have to. Plan out a conversation in detail, leave nothing untouched. Build a castle of subjects and stories that we like. Set them up in a maze that would take a master to work through. Each gate passed should be darker than the next. Start with the surface level stuff; cultural stuff, army logistics, everything. Then make the interior of the keep about the end times and the wasteland. A bit nastier and more personal, but still just the surface.” Elias stopped pacing and stared at the page in Other-Elias’ hands. Unable to read it upside down, he moved to the bed, sitting beside the man as he watched over his shoulder. Other-Elias continued, shading the “keep” in. “After that, move on to atrocities; this is where you test their mettle. If they can listen without reacting too severely, then you make the decision to let them in closer, but if they get emotional in a way we don’t like, shut the gates, draw closed the bridges and leave them stranded. Keep them outside where it’s safe, then we know for certain that they won’t survive being our friend and we can cut emotional ties early.” Other-Elias handed the pen and the finished drawing over to Elias. Once in his hands, the image became clearer, as did the lists associated with each fortification. He had set up a multilayered castra, with each wall consisting of a list of subjects that he could man the barricade with. Elias twirled the pen in his right hand. “I guess that works. But what happens if someone makes it all the way in-…” Elias looked up to find that he was alone. His right hand was stained with ink, largely due to the quill he was spinning in his fingers. The paper was clear though, his handwriting labeling his social battle strategy out in detail. Elias sighed. It could work. He needed to make sure he was read up so he could hold a two-way conversation, rather than the semi-lecture he had shared with Scarlet Shield. Elias frowned, wandering over to his desk. On it sat the books Binder had given him. Part of a friendship was mutual trust, right? His instincts said yes, trust in others judgement was a positive. Elias picked up the primer, thumbing it open briefly as he checked the reading level. It was largely pictureless, and the words were about the standard for a dime-novel. With the thickness of the book, Elias set it aside. He would need a few days and likely intense study to fully grasp whatever the book held. That left the other book. Elias made sure his door was locked, and then barricaded before he even touched the frilly pink book. Why he was having such an adverse reaction to the book, he did not know. He had once worn a shirt made entirely out of cut up dresses and sun hats for three months, how could a children’s book be his mental match? Elias scowled, shoving away his trepidation. Stopping only to wipe his hand free of ink, Elias quickly snatched up the book, opening the cover to the first page as he walked back to his bed. He was surprised to find that it had a table of contents. A Pony’s Guide to Making Friends Chapter 1: Starting out Chapter 2: Trust Chapter 3: Boundaries Chapter 4: How to handle rough patches Chapter 5: The importance of forgiveness Chapter 6: Friendship is Magic Elias shook his head at the last chapter title. If that wasn’t the most cheesiest line he had ever read. He had half a mind to toss the book back on the desk and be done for the day, but the now large voice in the back of his mind poked at him to at least read a chapter. Elias sighed, standing up to grab a sheet of paper and another quill. If he was going to suffer, he had to take notes so that he would only read it once. ***** Elias rubbed at his eyes. He checked his watch; still thirty minutes before his shift began. What should have taken him less than hour had instead turned into an all-day project. A stack of notes sat on the desk at his side, covered front and back with comments and ideas for further areas of study. He had read through what he had termed the “friendship” book at least seven times now, each time combing through it carefully, noting minor details that he needed to clarify through questions or other sources. Overall, Elias felt overwhelmed. Pony society seemed so simple on the surface. Elias had thought human societal norms would apply, but he was incredibly wrong. As he had gone through the friendship book, he had used the primer as a constant cross-reference, both answering questions while raising hosts of new ones. When he thought he understood a social norm, suddenly it was different for each type of pony. He had believed had almost figured it all out until he hit that sixth chapter. Then magic came into play, and Elias dove straight off the cliff, hitting the bottom of a well that would take him days of reading to climb out of. On top of that, a migraine had begun to form somewhere around noon and hadn’t retreated. Elias had tried to walk away from the reading, but the pressure behind his eyes continued to build. It eventually spread to his nose and throat, and Elias found himself blowing his nose and coughing, which only seemed to make the headache worse. With a groan, Elias checked his watch again. Fifteen minutes till he needed to be in the main guard room. He pushed back from the desk, standing up quickly. Too quickly. The room swam and Elias had to grip the desk to keep his balance. A cough wracked his chest. Elias growled as he tried to ignore whatever his body was trying to tell him. He attributed it to his lack of sleep and staggered to his armor stand. Quickly donning the armor and sword belt, Elias scooped up his shield and a single pilla, sliding it into a sheathe as he left his room. Elias began to sweat profusely as he approached the guard room. He had to wipe his brow several times to keep it dry. His tunic was so drenched with sweat that it clung to his chest, almost as if he had been swimming. His shield felt heavy in his hand, like it had been loaded down with lead. Elias blinked rapidly as he tried to clear his vision. Elias stumbled as he reached the guard room doorway, clinging to the frame with his open hand. His legs shook, and Elias felt aches in his elbows that he was sure weren’t there before. He leaned against the doorway for a second as he caught his breath. Once he felt slightly, but not really better, Elias pushed off the frame and walked into the guard room, looking for the closest seat possible. Luckily, Night Flash was a step ahead of him. The pegasus waved, smiling as he and Book Binder sat in the very first row, with a single seat saved for Elias. Elias gave a half-wave back, then did his best not to stumble about as he walked the few steps to the seat. He pulled the chair out far enough to sit in, then flopped down, taking off his helmet and setting it on the desk before him. Elias then leaned his elbows against the desk as he held his head. The pressure was reaching a peak, hammering away furiously at his forehead. He felt something touch his arm, looking over to find Night Flash looking at him with concern. “Are you all right Red? You’re looking kind of pale.” Elias nodded in response, opening his mouth to answer. Instead of words, a long, ragged cough tore through his chest, and Elias quickly found himself struggling to breathe as he covered his mouth with his hand. The hoof shifted from his arm to his back as Night Flash gave him pats to try and relieve the coughing. It eventually stopped, and Elias blinked dumbly as he stared at a spattering of blood in his palm. He quickly rubbed it on his tunic and sat up, hiding the hand under the desk. He swallowed roughly, tasting iron in his mouth as he looked at Night Flash. The pegasus was frowning. “Are you all right? You look like you’ve come down with something. There’s no shame in taking a day off if you got sick.” Elias shook his head. He was feeling slightly better after the coughing. His chest felt a bit looser, and while the headache was still getting worse, he felt substantially cooler. “I’m fine,” Elias responded. “I just need to get to work, and I’ll be right as rain.” As soon as Elias finished speaking, another bout of coughing welled up in his chest. His eyes and nose streamed as he fought to breathe once more. Elias cursed silently at his body. It wasn’t enough that he was barely functioning mentally, his body had decided today was the day to give up the ghost? Elias swore up and down at his rotten luck. If he was going to die of nothing at all, he really wished it had happened a long time ago, not when he had an opportunity to get himself together. Elias clamped down on his stomach as he felt bile rising his throat. Whether this was a new symptom, or just a result of the coughing, he had no idea, but he would not be vomiting today. Especially not with almost the entirety of the Lunar Guard watching. While Elias didn’t care about their opinions of him, he wasn’t going to open himself to ridicule. With supreme effort, Elias was able to stop coughing for a moment, taking short breaths through his nose to avoid irritating his throat and chest further. He cleared his throat aggressively, rolling the mucus up and down as he tried to remedy the sudden ailments. Night Flash looked like he was going to ask if Elias was okay again, but at that moment Nightshade walked in. The entirety of the Lunar Guard shot to their feet, and stood at a rigid attention, save for Elias, who swayed as if pushed by a breeze. Being at the front did him no favors for hiding his condition, and being the only human in the room likely didn’t help either. Nightshade stopped directly in front of the man, scowling at him. “Guardsman Bright, nice to see you’re on time, but frankly, you look like you slept in Tartarus yesterday. Is there a good reason you cannot stand at an appropriate attention?” Elias cleared his throat for a final time, trying to make his voice sound normal but failing miserably. “No reason at all Captain. Just didn’t get a lot of sleep last night,” he rasped. Night Flash cleared his throat as well, drawing Nightshade’s attention. “I think Guardsman Bright is sick Captain. He’s been coughing something fierce and he came in all sweaty and stumble-y.” Elias growled, letting the flash of irritation he felt at Night Flash carry away a bit of the pain from his headache. “I’m fine. Guardspony Flash doesn’t know what he’s talking about. It’s just exhaustion, nothing I haven’t dealt with before. I can still do my job.” Nightshade looked at him with a deadpan stare. “Bright, you can’t stand straight, and you haven’t stood straight since I got here. Flash, take him to the Doc to get checked out. It might have something to do with that nasty looking gash on his arm.” Elias shook his head in denial as Night Flash began to move to pull him to the infirmary. “I said I’m fine,” he asserted forcefully. “A cough and a headache aren’t enough to stop me from doing anything.” Nightshade exhaled heavily. “All right Guardsman, if this is the game you want to play. Stand before me on the floor and we’ll test if you’re “fine”.” Elias shoved the seat back with his legs, and then took a few confident steps to get around the desk. On the third step, he was on his knees, vomiting violently on the floor. It was initially yellow in color, but the second heave brought out a torrent of red. Elias tasted more iron in his mouth, and he heard several ponies call out for a healer. He tried to push himself up on his hands, but his legs gave out, the weakness returning. Instead of pushing himself to his feet, Elias collapsed completely onto his side. His hand spasmed before his eyes, and his vision quickly blurred before he fell away into blackness. ***** Blackness met him when he woke up. Elias couldn’t open his eyes. For a split second, he panicked, wondering if falling had made him blind. Only when he rubbed his eye lids and felt a thick film of crust did he realize that they were simply still shut. He quickly scraped the crust from both of his eyes, opening them slowly. The familiar ceilings of the infirmary met his tired eyes. Elias groaned and tried to sit up, only for a firm pair of hooves to gently push him back down. Looking to his left, Elias saw Steel Scalpel. He flinched when he met the unicorn’s eyes, and for a second he didn’t know why. Then he remembered. Scalpel evidently did too, because his ears drooped, and he looked down. Elias tried to say something, but the only thing that escaped his throat was a dry cough. Scalpel sat up, lifting a cup of water with a straw to Elias’ mouth. “Drink. You need to keep your fluids up,” Scalpel said gently. Elias accepted the water without protest, drinking as fast as the straw would allow. Once the glass was empty, Elias released the straw and Scalpel floated it to rest on top of the nightstand. He then fluffed out Elias’ pillow, gently prodding the man to lay back. Elias did so silently, trying to get a bearing on his situation. His entire body hurt; not in the familiar over exhaustion manner either. It felt like he had been drained of every liquid he had and was left a dried-out husk filled with meat and bones. He looked over to Scalpel, who was still watching him with sad eyes. “What happened?” Elias asked, his voice barely above a scratchy whisper. “You passed out in the guard room after vomiting up an unhealthy amount of blood,” Scalpel responded simply. “That was two days ago. You’ve been here since.” Elias closed his eyes, shutting out the light for a second. Using more than one sense at a time hurt right now. “Why?” Scalpel exhaled deeply. “It’s complicated. Let’s start with the obvious; you haven’t been sleeping well, and Night Flash indicated that you pulled an all-nighter before the incident. Is that true?” Elias nodded silently. “Your body was already in desperate need of rest Elias. You’ve been pushing yourself physically every night and you haven’t been getting enough rest during the day. Staying up all day simply forced your body to start shutting down. That’s just the first cause, yet it’s more than enough to kill some ponies.” Elias monitored weakly for him to continue. “I’ve been having sleeping issues for years; I know it wasn’t that. What else?” Scalpel sighed. “The book you spent the entire night reading was coated in live Pony Flu cells. Normally it only affects children of all races. Everyone gets it once and then they’re immune for life. Your immune system was completely free of antibodies to it, so it attacked with vigor. Being exhausted made your response weaker than it should have been, and finally, your body was already busy trying to fight a different infection.” Elias opened his eyes when he felt Scalpel reach across his chest to tap on his right arm, and more specifically, the now healed scar that ran down it. Because he had nowhere to hide the limb, Elias turned away from Scalpel, unwilling to meet the pony’s eyes. The unicorn sighed again. “Elias… Why didn’t you come in for this? This could have killed you given long enough. You were at risk of blood poisoning, and if you had gotten the flu a day later your immune system would have been too compromised to function. What should have been a series of minor inconveniences turned into something very real, and…” Scalpel stopped, and Elias heard the pony whimper. The pony buried his muzzle in his hooves as he cried. “Oh Celestia, it’s my fault,” the pony sobbed. “I yelled at you for coming in and I almost got you killed.” Elias felt a twinge in his chest, and it took a prod from the voice at the back of his head to realize it wasn’t a physical twinge. Maybe it was the delirium, but Elias reached out a hand toward Scalpel, an idea forming shakily in his head. The pony stopped instantly when Elias began scratching him lightly behind the ear. “Isn’t your fault Doc,” Elias said softly. “I shouldn’t have been getting banged up so often. I put too much pressure on you.” Scalpel sniffed, rubbing his nose as he looked at Elias’ chest. “It wasn’t about the stupid injuries for you though. Sure, you got hurt and sure you needed help, but primarily, you were here to talk to me. You were reaching out in your own way, and how did I respond? By blowing up at you. I drove away your first attempt to make a friend. It is absolutely my fault.” Elias noticed that the pony made no move to stop the ear scratching. If anything, Scalpel seemed to relax more and more as Elias continued. Interesting information. He could use that later for… Elias stopped himself mentally. For what? For once, no voices snapped back at him. Both the voice in the back of his head, as well as the voice in the center were silent. It had been years since he had felt alone in his own head, even for a moment. It felt… clean. Like he wasn’t sharing it with a pair of rabid dogs anymore. His thoughts, at least for the moment, came from just him. Those thoughts told him that running wasn’t an option anymore. His grand plan to live alone in some forest shelter didn’t mesh with how he felt now. He had no plan. No contingency for the future, no wall to throw up in the face of life. Life that he had the opportunity, right now, to change for himself. He hoped for the better. There was only one way to find out. Elias stopped scratching behind Scalpel’s ears, and the pony looked up at him. “I think…” Elias paused, nervousness popping up for a second. He quickly ran through what he wanted to say, then, confident in his course, continued. “I think we shouldn’t lay blame here Doc. What happened happened, and I think we should just move on.” Scalpel sniffed again. “You don’t blame me?” he asked. Elias smiled slightly, then resumed scratching the pony’s ears. Unknowingly, Scalpel cooed softly, bending into Elias’ hand. Elias made a mental note. He would need to do more research to make sure this wasn’t seen as a romantic act; he didn’t want to send to wrong message. Still, it felt right, and he had a strong feeling the friendly message got across. “Not at all. I’d like to ask a favor though.” Scalpel sighed and smiled, his eyes closing. “Anything. I want to make it up to you for yelling at you. You were hurting and I just got so mad that you kept getting hurt. I should have talked to you about it, and I can’t express how sorry I am for that, and I hope you can forgive me.” “I will if you’ll be my friend,” Elias responded. Scalpel’s eyes opened, and he put a hoof on Elias’ arm, gently pushing away the hand from his ears. “A-are you sure? I-I don’t want to intrude, and I know I hurt you by…” Elias just smiled silently at Scalpel and the pony’s voice tapered off. Scalpel slowly smiled back, and Elias saw tears on the corners of his eyes. “Okay Elias. Friends it is.” The unicorn shifted nervously for a second, and Elias rolled his eyes. He opened his arm. “Get it over with you fuzzy monstrosity.” Scalpel smiled, and like a cat, he carefully pounced on Elias, landing mostly on the bed, but still wrapping Elias in a hug. Elias scoffed, trying to deny how nice the hug felt. “I swear, everybody has been staring at me with that look in their eyes for weeks.” Scalpel stepped back, hopping off the bed and returning to his seat. “It’s pony nature to try and hug someone that looks unhappy. If friendship wasn’t magic, I would imagine that hugs would be.” Elias grimaced as if in pain and rolled over onto his side, facing away from the pony. “All right, that’s enough niceness for a lifetime. I’m going back to being a violent, anti-social human.” Scalpel smiled at his back. “It’s too late Elias. We’ve gotten our hugs in you now. First, we make friends with you and give you hugs, then we find you a special somepony to cuddle with. Before you know it, you’ll be a healthy, happy member of Equestria.” Elias groaned and tried to cover his ears. “I should punch you. I should throw this bed out of that window and jump. I feel like I should fight a bear just to compensate for what you just said. You can’t possibly make this day any lamer.” Elias swore he could hear Scalpel smirk. “Maybe not, but I know two ponies who can. They should be arriving any minute now.” As he said that, the door to the infirmary slammed open. Elias looked over his shoulder and saw Book Binder staring at him, her eyes wide. Night Flash was right beside her with the same expression. They both looked like they had just run a few miles in full armor. Elias looked to Scalpel, who smiled back. His horn lit up, and their night guard armor disappeared from their bodies. The pair of ponies didn’t even seem to notice. They simply rushed at him in a flying sprint, pouncing onto the bed. They both chose a side, Binder to his left, and Flash to his right. Unlike Scalpel’s respectful, soft hug that had lasted only a few seconds, these two decided to lock onto Elias, hugging him tightly as they nuzzled into his sides. Elias felt himself flush red as he realized he was unable to maneuver his arms to pry the fuzzy attackers free. He would have to result to diplomacy. “Get off of me you two!” he growled. The words had the opposite affect than he had in mind. Both of their grips tightened as Book Binder cried in his ear. “No! You need hugs! I won’t let you die on us!” Elias looked helplessly to Night Flash, hoping the pegasus would have common sense or reason. He evidently had neither. “We won’t let you go Red! I have to break rule two to make sure you’re safe. Our friendship is worth that!” Elias looked to his last ally in the room. “Doc! Help me!” he said desperately. Steel Scalpel smiled. “Elias, as both your doctor and your friend, I assure you that you are perfectly safe. In fact, this can only help you. It’s best to just accept your situation.” “You traitor!” Elias shouted back. As the pair of snuggling ponies settled down, they also both relaxed. Binder tucker herself under his arm, pressing firmly into his side as she set her head under his chin. Night Flash spread his wings out slightly, covering most of Elias’ chest as the pony got comfortable, his muzzle resting next to Elias’ ear. It took the man a second to realize that the maneuver was strategic. Now he couldn’t move his head to glare at either of them. Book Binder’s horn sat dangerously at his throat. It wouldn’t be a threat unless he resisted. The clever bastards. Elias huffed, blowing a stray piece of hair from his face. “I am going to ask this calmly once. Please get off, I don’t need to be hugged. I’m fine.” Elias heard Book Binder sniff softly and he mentally groaned. He had already helped one crying pony today, wasn’t that enough? “No, you’re not fine Elias,” she whimpered softly. “I gave you a book covered in flu germs. I could have killed you!” “But you didn’t,” Elias protested. “I just got a little sick, that’s all.” Book Binder sat up and glared at him with tears in her eyes. “That’s not the point you big idiot!” she shouted at him. “What kind of friend infects another friend with a deadly virus the first time they meet?” She sniffed and looked down. “I hurt you really badly, and if it weren’t for Night Flash and Doctor Scalpel you might have died.” She sniffed again, wiping at her muzzle as she whimpered; “I’m a terrible pony.” Elias felt his heart palpitate. This was the most emotional contact he had had in well over a year, and he felt like it was going to overwhelm the strained muscle. If he didn’t already know how soul crushing absolute loneliness could be, he imagined he would wish for it back. That, however, was not an option Elias wanted to take. If he wanted to ensure it didn’t return, he needed friends, and these ponies were his best, and likely only, option. He had to do the right thing, even if it stabbed at a core part of his being. Book Binder eeped in surprised when Elias grabbed her and pulled her close to his chest. He waited for her to resettle before he spoke, her big eyes watching him intently, still rimmed with tears. “Let’s start with the obvious Binder; you’re not a terrible pony. You had no way of knowing the book was covered in germs. You said it was your cousin’s, when was she sick with the flu?” “Three weeks ago,” Book Binder responded softly. “See, I would think any germs would be dead by then. Either way, aren’t all the adults in Equestria already immune to the Pony Flu?” She sniffled. “Yeah, I guess so.” Elias smiled. “So, do you really think I would blame you for making an honest mistake? I certainly didn’t expect to contract a violent, potentially killer case of the flu overnight. What would my grave read? Here lies Elias Bright, he died because of a pink children’s book?” Book Binder giggled and smacked him lightly over the head. “That isn’t funny.” She sighed. “But no. I guess you wouldn’t blame me. I’m still sorry Elias. If just one more thing went wrong, you could have died.” Elias shrugged. “You can’t live on ifs. If you sit here all day pondering what could have been, you’ll never move forward.” Book Binder smiled and nuzzled his ribcage. “I guess you’re right. Thanks Elias. You are far too nice.” He groaned loudly. “Don’t say that. Give me another poison book. Put another arrow in my chest. Anything but calling me nice.” She giggled. “You’re the nicest human I’ve ever met,” she said, mocking him. “Standing up to bullies, saying nice things, being so forgiving. You’re a big softy.” Elias tried to push himself up to run from the soft, kind ponies, almost succeeding as the pair of ponies at his side protested, unable to stop him. The unicorn traitor reared his fuzzy head however, and Elias quickly found himself pinned under three fuzzy ponies, with Steel Scalpel resting calmly on his chest. “I’ll come for all of you!” Elias growled. “Nowhere will be safe! I’m Elias Bright damnit! That name should inspire fear!” Night Flash stuck his tongue out at Elias. “Tough, we only know you as a friend now. And there is nothing you can do to get rid of us.” Elias smiled at the pony’s words, content to remain silent for a moment. Only when he heard a snore at his side did he realize that he made a mistake. He blinked and looked at the pony on his chest, then to the one at his left, then finally to the one at his right. All three had fallen asleep, smiling in contentment. Elias thought about prodding them awake, then decided against it. He felt wonderfully warm, as if covered by a living blanket. His own eyes drooped, and Elias sighed softly as he let sleep claim him peacefully. > Chapter 11: Lessons in Recovery > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When Elias woke up, he found himself alone. It was to be expected though, and while he found that he enjoyed having the ponies around him for a night, he didn’t want to make a habit of it. If he was going to have friends, he had to push himself even harder now. He had to make sure they were safe, even in a world that seemed naturally inclined to harmony rather than conflict. The only way to do that was to remain on edge. Elias felt the voices in his head again, but this time they worked together. The voice at the back laid plans to make sure he kept his friends nice and close, while the voice at the center began brainstorming about the worst things that could happen. The more terrible scenarios he thought about, the more he could prepare for them. With his mind working at full steam, Elias rolled over. A tall stack of books sat on the nightstand beside his bed. On top of it all was his sword belt and a small, folded piece of paper. Wincing slightly as he stretched his arm, he snatched the note from atop his sword belt and read it. See you after shift! Make sure to get plenty of rest! -Love, Flash and Binder Elias snorted softly at the “Love”, but carefully refolded the piece of paper, tucking it in a pouch on his belt. He then rifled through his pockets for his watch, clicking it open to check the time. It was half-past midnight. Six and a half hours until they visited. As he replaced the watch in his belt, Elias thought about what he should do with the time. He leaned back against the pillows and stared at the wall as he let his mind wander. What he couldn’t do was get up and train. He had no idea what treatment they were giving him, but he still felt weakness in his arms and legs, along with a myriad of associated aches and pains that wouldn’t let him stand for long, let alone sling pilla and swing a sword. The books were an option, but Elias found that he didn’t have any particular interest to read at the moment. Since he lacked writing materials, he also couldn’t make lists about his intentions for the future. Elias frowned as he stared at the wall. “Red?” Elias blinked and looked to his side. Book Binder and Night Flash were both staring at him with looks of concern. Elias blinked again and looked to the windows where sunlight was filtering through. Elias looked back to the ponies in confusion. “What time is it?” he asked. “It’s almost seven thirty,” Night Flash responded cautiously. “Are you all right? You were just kind of staring into nowhere for a minute there.” Elias scratched his head, running his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, I’m fine. I was just thinking,” Elias said absently. Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, Elias blinked for a third time, finally focusing his vision on the pair of ponies. No master in small talk, Elias asked; “So, uh… How was work?” Night Flash and Book Binder exchanged a glance, then they both shrugged. Night Flash nimbly hopped onto the bed and settled on Elias’ right, his muzzle resting on Elias’ stomach. Book Binder set her saddlebags down and took the seat to his left as she started to talk. “It was pretty much the same as usual for me. Light combat training, then a whole lot of cataloging scrolls. I found you some more books though! When we went to your room to clean it of all the flu germs, I organized the little library you have in there. I noticed that a whole bunch of them were advanced editions, so I picked out better editions that didn’t include all of the theoreticals about magic. I don’t know how you got some of those tomes though. There were some rare ones in there. Did you pick them all out yourself?” “No, Princess Celestia’s protege did it for me,” Elias said. A flash of fear raced through his mind. “How thoroughly did you go through my room?” he asked. “If this is about the notebooks under your bed, don’t worry, nopony even touched them. I had them in front of me long enough to use the purifying spell, and then they went right back under the mattress.” Elias felt a breath he didn’t know he was holding escape his chest. He looked down, a trace of shame hitting him. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have thought you would do anything.” He felt a hoof on his arm, and he looked up to find Book Binder’s eyes gazing at him intently. “Hey, don’t feel bad about it. Everypony has something they don’t want to talk about. You told Flash when you became friends that you wouldn’t talk about it, and he told me the same rules. I don’t know the reason behind those rules, and I don’t really care about it. We’re your friends Elias. You can take all the time you need; we know you’ll open up when you feel ready. If that day never comes, so be it. We’ll be your friends anyway. Until you say otherwise, we will follow your rules as best we can.” Elias pointedly looked at the pegasus laying on his stomach. Book Binder stuck her tongue out at him. “No physical contact is a silly rule. Hugging is like breathing for ponies. You’re just going to have to suck it up.” As she said this, she nuzzled his hand. Elias wouldn’t be beaten however, and he began scratching her ears softly, just like he had done with Steel Scalpel. The unicorn cooed softly, and unfortunately; she had another card left to play. She climbed onto the bed, laying at Elias’ side with her head resting on his chest next to Night Flash’s. As soon as she settled, she seized Elias’ hand, pressing it harder against her head. “Oh, that is nice!” she said, her ears flicking as she pressed against him. She grabbed the hand and shoved it toward Night Flash. “You’ve got to try this Flash! It’s like he gets all of the spots that always itch but you can never reach.” Night Flash looked at Elias, who calmly used his secret weapon, a second arm. Returning his left hand to Book Binder, he also began scratching Night Flash behind the ears. The pegasus had a much more noticeable reaction. He whimpered softly and his hind leg began thumping against the bed. Like a dog, he rubbed against Elias, his tail twitching in excitement. Flash’s eyes sprang open and he grabbed Elias’ hand, holding it out in front of him. “By Celestia these are great! It’s like a gryphon hand, but without the talons. It gets everything!” Night Flash smiled brightly at Elias. “I know you probably won’t get a cutie mark Red, but if you did, you would definitely have one with ear scratching as your special talent.” Book Binder grunted softly. “I’ll say. Best ear scratch I’ve ever had.” Night Flash nodded in agreement, then settled again, letting Elias resume his ear scratching. Elias sighed as he leaned back, content to scratch the ponies for a moment. Book Binder hummed happily, while Night Flash curled into a little ball. Elias made sure to file the moment, as well as the feeling he had in his chest, deep in the recesses of his mind. He would cherish it, and use it as fuel. Careful to not let the mental tension spread to his hands, Elias combed through the scenarios the paranoid half of his mind had cooked up. Some he discarded out of hand as being too ludicrous, while others he kept to the side as likely situations. Each and every one would be looked over and prepared for. For the little ponies at his side. As all good things did, the moment soon ended. With one last rub against his arm, Book Binder climbed down from the bed. Elias silently lamented the fact that the ponies were leaving, but he knew they couldn’t, nor wouldn’t always be at his side. They likely had lives outside of the castle. Elias frowned when he realized that he didn’t know anything about them or their outside lives. He would need to remedy that in the future. Night Flash rose as well, and Elias let his hand drop to allow the pony climb down. He was pleasantly surprised when the pegasus merely shifted sides, laying down against Elias’ left side, his muzzle facing Book Binder. The unicorn smiled at the two, then reached down to her saddlebags. Elias knew he didn’t have nearly the same sense of smell as the ponies, but he shared Flash’s excitement when he smelled, then saw the two compact dishes Book Binder pulled from her bags. With it came a tall cup, sealed at the top, and filled with a particularly nasty looking grey sludge. Elias watched in horror as the ponies got the food, while he got saddled with the sludge. He looked to Book Binder. “What is this? Why don’t I get real food?” he asked. Book Binder opened her dish, revealing a steaming plate of hay fries. While Elias knew that he couldn’t eat them, it didn’t mean that his stomach didn’t want to try. Maybe they were made of hay, but they smelled so good. Book Binder smiled. “Because you are still sick. Until Doctor Scalpel clears your infection and your flu, you have to eat these protein & vitamin shakes to keep your strength up. It’s the exact same thing everypony gets when they get the Pony Flu as foals. I think yours has a bit of meat mixed in it if it makes you feel any better.” Elias looked at her suspiciously. He unscrewed the lid, opening the cup as he took a small sniff at the sludge. He recoiled in disgust. “Come on, that’s just on purpose!” he said as he tried to ward away the smell. Night Flash smiled happily as he crunched away at a pair of tasty looking tacos. “It’s not that bad Red, we all did it!” Elias felt his eye twitch as the pegasus crunched the shell again. “Just do it in one gulp!” Elias held the cup up to the pony’s eyes. “There is almost a quart of this stuff. How am I going to get that down in one go?” Night Flash stared at the sludge for a second, then shrugged as he bit into his taco again. Elias sighed as he eyed the cup, then he looked over to Book Binder. “Can I at least get a bucket just in case?” Book Binder stared him down, her plate of fries untouched. She was watching him intently, waiting for him to drink it. He imagined she would force him if he pressed the issue. She would try. With a look of disgust, Elias re-screwed the top and set it on the nightstand. Book Binder frowned and immediately levitated it back to his hands. “Elias, this is serious. If you want to get better, you need to drink this.” Elias crossed his arms and stared at her. “I have eaten many things, some of which I am not proud of. That, however? No. I will not.” “Elias, you are making this a much bigger problem than it needs to be.” “I really don’t think I am,” Elias said. “For Christ’s sake, you could at least make it look more pleasant, food dye perhaps? Everything in Equestria seems to be either colorful or fuzzy.” He curled his lip as he eyed the cup with disgust. “This little drink of yours seems to be on the verge of the latter. I will not drink it. Low as they may be, I have standards.” Night Flash sighed as his tacos were levitated away to rest on another bed with Book Binder’s fries. Elias carefully noted their location as he tensed up, ready to make his move. If they wanted to play, he felt more than game. Maybe he was still being affected by the flu, but he had a fair idea what was about to happen next, and he felt positively giddy about it. Book Binder got out of her seat, her horn sending a sheet of paper away with a flash of light. “Elias, you will drink your medicine. This is not up for debate.” Elias grinned at her. “You’d be surprised how untrue both of those statements are.” With a flash of motion, Elias threw his blanket over Night Flash as he slipped from the right side of the bed. He took the cup with him as he rolled, hitting the floor with a grunt. He then got to his feet, ducking around the bed as he made for the door. As he expected, Elias found himself lifted in Book Binder’s magical aura, so he responded by throwing the cup across the room. This left the unicorn with a decision; keep him suspended, but lose the “medicine”, therefore voiding the point of the exercise, or, she dropped Elias, allowing him a chance to escape while catching the cup and its fowl contents. She chose the latter with a loud gasp. Elias hit the floor and immediately bolted toward the door, only stopping to snatch a blanket off of one of the beds. He was naked again, and he had enough dignity to not run back to his room without some sort of covering. He hit the infirmary doors at a run, wrapping the blanket around his waist as he bolted left. It was the roundabout way, but it might buy him time to lose the pair of ponies before he hid in the safety of his own quarters. Just as he turned the corner, he heard the infirmary doors slam open. “Elias! Get back here! You are sick and you need to rest and take your medicine! I promise that if you drink all of it, we’ll give you extra hugs before we leave.” A part of his mind was tempted to turn back, but Elias knew better than any, even a portion of his mind, that hugs were bad. They had already made him too soft, and running would be the only solution to stay out of their fuzzy clutches. That, and that cup looked horrifying. He wanted no part of what was inside. Trying to remain as silent as possible, Elias crept along the carpeted floors, his foot falls silent compared to the average pony. It helped that he was lighter than normal. Footfalls quickly began to echo behind him, so Elias picked up the pace, trying his best to remain quiet. His body wasn’t going to last at a dead sprint, so stealth was his only option. He neared the next corner, just as Book Binder came around the last one. “You!” she shouted, pointing a hoof at him. Elias bolted immediately. He heard the unicorn give chase, likely trying to get in range to levitate him again. “Elias, you get back here this instant!” she called. “What is wrong with you people?” he shouted over his shoulder. “Whatever happened to soup when you got sick?” He gripped the corner with his fingertips and swung himself around. He spotted a door an arm’s length away, so Elias seized the handle and quickly flung the door open. Dipping inside, he closed it behind him just as quickly. He made sure to let the door jamb slip close quietly, as to hopefully throw Book Binder off his tracks. The room was pitch black as soon as the door closed. Elias held the handle with both hands. If she tried to open it, he would imitate a lock, keeping it securely closed. With hope, she would pick a different door in the hallway so that he could slip out and back to the infirmary. Then the tacos would be his. After that, he would slip out again and hide out in his room, bolting the door so that he could rest in peace, without fear of sludge drinks. In one ear, Elias listened to the sound of hoofsteps approaching slowly outside the door. In the other, Elias realized he heard rustling. He bit his tongue and looked over his shoulder. A pair of green eyes stared sleepily back. “Who is there?” a very familiar, yet groggy voice asked. Elias winced; she was being far too loud. “Would you believe me if I said nobody?” he whispered back. “Just a note, give me a minute, and I won’t be here at all.” Luna sat up, rubbing at her eyes. “Ah, Guardsman Bright, it tis only you. It is a surprise, though not necessarily an unwelcome one. Might I ask why you are in my quarters at this hour?” she paused for a moment. “And why are you naked?” As Elias’ eyes adjusted, he could very clearly see that, yes, these were indeed Luna’s quarters. He had caught a glance inside once while on guard duty. Due to the darkness, he couldn’t really see any significant details, but the fact that the princess was sleeping in the room was more than proof enough. The hoofsteps in the hallways had slowed down slightly. Elias prayed that Luna would stop asking questions. “Just trying to avoid being poisoned by friends, you know how it is.” he hissed at Luna. “As for the naked, they keep taking my clothes in the infirmary. I know ponies don’t need clothing, but I do, and I’ve really got to talk with Doctor Scalpel about not stripping me down every time I’m admitted.” The hoofsteps stopped in front of the door. He could hear Book Binder muttering to herself; likely she recognized the door, but she didn’t try the handle. Elias listened carefully as the steps retreated, moving further down the hall. Excellent, a few more seconds, and he could bolt. Unfortunately, Luna got out of her bed, and the lights flicked on. The princess smirked as she beheld the sight that was a sickly Elias, clutching a door handle, while half-naked. Elias imagined he would laugh too if the roles were reversed. “That is excellent news Elias,” Luna said. “Making friends is a wonderful thing, especially two who care about you so much.” Elias didn’t like that tone in her voice. She was mocking him, biding her time. Elias didn’t want to find out what she was planning. He listened to a door open in the hallway. A few seconds more… “Unfortunately, Guardsman, Doctor Scalpel thought this might happen, and as such he has delivered contingencies to everypony around the infirmary.” Elias watched in horror as she produced a full crate of the awful looking sludge from underneath her bed, all packed away into quart sized jugs. Elias looked at Luna, who was smiling widely. He ripped open the door swiftly and darted out. “What is wrong with all of you?” he shouted as he bolted again, now with two ponies hot on his tail as Book Binder gave a cry of victory as she began to pursue him once more. “I can’t be this important!” He rocketed around the corner again, this time almost tripping on the carpet as he slid, hitting the wall. He pushed off and ran the opposite way, quickly flying past the hallway leading to the infirmary. Luna and Book Binder took the corner much better than he did and set off in hot pursuit. Elias was losing ground, he knew it. They were in much better shape than he was, and there were two of them now. Make that three. Night Flash poked his head around a corner ahead of Elias, smiling widely as he blocked the path. Elias had one card to play in this situation, and while it would hurt later, it would be miles better than drinking that foul liquid. “Night Flash, if you don’t block me, I’ll give you a hug later, no complaints!” Elias shouted. The pegasus perked up, his grin widening. “Really?” he asked as his tail wagged. Elias glanced over his shoulder; the two mares were getting closer. “Yup! Anytime, no questions asked!” Night Flash flapped into the air in excitement as he cheered. Elias ducked under the pegasus and sprinted onward. As he began making his getaway, Book Binder slowed to scold Night Flash. “Flash! We can always take hugs from Elias. That’s what friends do!” Night Flash smiled sheepishly. “But Bindey, a freely given hug always feels better!” Elias grinned as he saw a window ahead. The infirmary should be on the first story, so if he jumped, he could disappear into the gardens. With no linear hallways to trap him, he could hide without limit. They’d give up eventually, or at least so he hoped. Elias quickly undid the latch and flung the window open, hopping on the ledge as he looked down. His eyes widened and his grip on the wall tightened when he realized the window opened, not to the gardens, but to the edge of the several thousand-foot drop that made up Canterlot Mountain. Elias quickly realized that he had made a tactical error, and that was made more clear when he looked back to find a pony already closing in. Luna grinned savagely at him. “No more running Guardsman. The chase has been most exciting, but it is over. Surrender yourself that we might help you get better.” Elias looked between her and the pool of water at the bottom. Technically speaking, he had done this kind of thing before, although the last time almost killed him. Elias weighed the option in his mind. As he took the time to think, Book Binder and Night Flash caught up. Book Binder smiled. “Oh, cool! Thanks Princess, that drop is huge, he’ll never jump from that height.” Elias’ eyes narrowed and he glared at the unicorn. “I should jump just to prove that I can.” Book Binder scoffed. “Don’t be silly Elias. Running is one thing, and admittedly a lot of fun, but that’s actually dangerous. We don’t want you getting hurt.” Elias spotted the cup of sludge carefully hidden behind her back. His mind was made up. He smiled, gave them a two fingered salute, then leaned backward out the window. He didn’t even fall a foot before he was wrapped in blue magic. Elias mentally cursed himself. He forgot they could do that. As he was pulled back into the window, Elias at least had the dignity not to squirm. Luna was still smiling, while Book Binder and Night Flash were not. As soon as Luna set him on the ground, Book Binder jumped on him, pinning him to the ground as she smacked the back his head. “Really?” she shrieked in his face. “You would rather die than take some icky medicine?” Elias smiled slightly. The motion seemed to make the unicorn angrier, so he dropped it. “There was water at the bottom, I thought I could make it,” he said meekly. She smacked him again. The second time it actually hurt. Book Binder got right in his face, and Elias noticed tears at the corners of her eyes as she yelled at him. “This isn’t funny Elias! You could have gotten seriously hurt!” She whimpered softly as she looked away. “I-I thought you were jumping so we wouldn’t have to be friends anymore. I was so scared for you.” Elias blinked in surprise. This wasn’t just friendly concern; he had actually scared her by jumping. Mental clarity seemed to finally reach the man, and he blinked as he looked at the still open window he had almost, no, had leapt out of. The true stupidity of his decision, as well as how it must have looked struck him, and a horrible feeling spread through his brain. He sighed, and pulled the pony close, wrapping her in a light hug. “Hey now, I wasn’t running from you, I just… I thought this would be fun. I still want to be friends with you.” She sniffed once. “I- I thought maybe I had gone too far. I broke your rules, and I-…” Elias shushed her softly. “Book Binder, don’t worry about my rules. I just made a dumb decision is all.” He chuckled slightly. “I think I might still be a little sick.” She looked up at him with those big, tear-filled eyes, wiping her muzzle as she sniffed. “More than a little,” she said. Elias smiled. “You’re probably right, more than a little. I’m sorry Book Binder, I don’t know what came over me. It won’t happen again.” She sniffed and nuzzled his bare chest, using her magic to pull his arms tighter around her. “Better not,” she mumbled. Elias felt his eyes fall on the cup for a moment. A smart man would realize that he still had an opportunity to be rid of the foul stuff. The window sat ready, and now the cup was in arms reach. A single motion could send it flying. As he looked at the still saddened pony in his arms, Elias sighed, grabbing the cup with one hand. He lightly poked Book Binder in the side. The pony looked up at his face, then to the cup, then back to his face, her eyes becoming hopeful. “I’ll drink it, on one condition,” he said, putting a finger up. Book Binder’s tail wagged slightly. “What is it? I want to see you better Elias, and I’ll do a lot to see it happen.” Elias grimaced as he eyed the cup. The sludge inside seemed to mock him. He looked back to Book Binder, who smiled enthusiastically. Elias sighed. The things he had to do to get by. “Can I at least get some soup to wash it down?” The drink was every bit as disgusting as it looked, but as agreed, the next one would come with tomato soup. Elias took a small bit of satisfaction in that win. The rest of the morning was spent chatting away about nothing, with Night Flash and Book Binder rotating who sat in the bed with Elias, and who sat in the chair, telling a story, or occasionally even reading from the stack of books on his nightstand. Throughout it all, while he did enjoy the company, a thought gnawed at the back of his mind. Why had Book Binder displayed such anger and grief when he jumped? They had known each other for maybe a day, and had shared less than a hundred words with each other, yet she acted like he was a lifelong friend that she had made many significant memories with. It puzzled him, as she didn’t seem nearly so outwardly innocent as Night Flash. The pegasus was very clearly a forgive and forget kind of pony, but Binder didn’t seem like that. She seemed much planned out, as if every action had significance, as opposed to Night Flash, who seemed to flow from one place to another, happy with his situation as long as he had his friends. The pegasus in question was sprawled across Elias’ lap, his wings splayed out as he snored and twitched in his sleep. Since the pair had the next day off, they had decided to make an extra-long visit out of the morning. The result was two tired ponies, though Book Binder actually stayed awake. She was simply laying against Elias’ side, smiling as Night Flash kicked in his sleep. Elias scratched her ears softly. “Hey Book Binder?” Her head perked up and she looked at him. “Yes Elias?” she asked curiously. Elias sighed as he thought how to best phrase the question. When nothing nice popped into mind, he decided to just say it as concisely as possible. “Why are we friends?” Book Binder frowned; her eyes downcast. “Oh,” she said softly. She kneaded the mattress under her hooves. “I-if you don’t want to be, I get it and…” Elias bopped her lightly on the nose, causing her to squeak in surprise. She looked back up at him with big eyes. “That isn’t what I asked,” Elias said firmly. “I just want to know why you beat yourself up so much when we haven’t even known each other for that long. We’ve had a total of three conversations, yet here you are, taking care of me when I’m sick. I couldn’t ask anyone to do this, yet you did it without being asked. I just want to know why.” Book Binder sniffed, then shrugged as she laid her head back down. “I don’t know,” she replied. “It just feels like the right thing to do.” Elias snorted at the non-descriptive answer. “But why? Why me?” he asked. Book Binder pressed a bit closer. “For me, it’s a couple reasons. First, despite what everypony might think or say, I don’t think you’re some sort of bad guy.” Elias opened his mouth to respond to that, but Book Binder cut him off, not even bothering to turn around. “Not a word mister. I don’t care what happened in the past. Right now, you are a good guy. I can see that clearly, and Night Flash can too. It’s why we’re both trying to care for you so much. It’s plain for anypony to see that you’ve been hurt. I don’t need to know why, or how, I just now that it has happened, and now you are trying to do better. That’s what matters to me. You looked after Night Flash, even though you had no reason to. You became a guard, instead of whatever else the princesses offered you.” She pressed her muzzle into his side softly. “That’s more than reason enough for me. Night Flash is only a little bit different, because he believes everypony deserves friends, and so he tries to make friends with anypony who doesn’t have one. It is the single best thing about him. He just tries so hard; it’s why I love him.” She froze in horror as she uttered the words. Night Flash twitched softly, but he continued to smile as he remained asleep. Book Binder whirled around, crawling up Elias’ chest so that they were nose to nose. “You can’t tell him I said that!” she whispered harshly. “He doesn’t know yet!” Elias blinked. “All right,” he said slowly. “But why doesn’t he know? You two seem to get along well enough from what I’ve seen.” Book Binder’s tail swished back and forth. “I know, I know, it’s just… I want him to come to me. Traditionally the mare is supposed to approach the stallion, but Night Flash is different.” She whimpered softly, and her eyes fell. “I don’t want to scare him off, and I think that if I try to court him, he’ll run away.” She sniffled. “I don’t want to lose him.” Elias stroked her mane softly. This was getting out of hand. He had no idea what that kind of love was like. Platonic love between friends? Sure, he had experienced some of that. Marital kind of love though? Completely foreign. He never had the time, nor the interest. Still, he had tried reading one of those romance novels once upon a time, so some of those lines should work, right? “Hey, that won’t happen,” he said, trying to sound as comforting as possible. “Night Flash is a good guy, and I have no doubt he shares your feelings. Just…” Elias struggled as he tried to think of the right thing to say. He mentally snapped his fingers as an idea came into his head. “Try to think of it like a minefield.” Book Binder tilted her head slightly. “A minefield? Why should I treat our potential love life like a minefield?” “I… didn’t say that right. Look, imagine it like this. Night Flash is on one side of the minefield and a serious relationship with you is on the other end. What you have to do is lead him carefully through the minefield by dropping hints and clues to lead him to the conclusion you want.” Elias could see the metaphor rapidly disintegrate before his eyes. Book Binder stared at him like he was stupid. Elias sighed in exasperation and threw up his hands. “I don’t know, I’m not a love guy. Coming to me for advice about this kind of thing is about the worst place to ask.” Book Binder snickered and rubbed against his side. “You’re funny Elias. Sometimes you seem like this old grizzled pony, like Princess Celestia, and yet other times, you seem like a little baby the way you have no idea what you’re doing. It’s adorable.” Elias raised an eyebrow as he tried to cross his arms across his chest. Unfortunately, there was a pony smiling up at him. “Care to rephrase that?” he asked, trying to sound angry. Book Binder stuck her tongue out at him, completely unconvinced. “Nope!” she chirped cheerfully. Book Binder pressed against his side as she stared at Night Flash. “Can you keep this a secret though? I don’t want him to get scared of me. I’d rather have a secret crush on him forever and still be friends then have him know and never talk to me again.” She sniffled softly. “It would break my heart.” Elias nodded. “Your secret’s safe with me Book Binder, but I think you should tell him. The longer it sits, the more it will hurt. Trust me, I know.” Book Binder nodded in understanding. “Thanks Elias. It means a lot.” She climbed off his chest, snuggling back at his side. This time however, she put her head on Night Flash’s belly, snorting softly into his fur. The pegasus giggled in his sleep, rolling over so that his wing draped over Book Binder’s body. The unicorn cooed happily, and closed her eyes. Elias shook his head as he watched the unicorn fall asleep. Watching the two sleeping ponies, he smiled, feeling a bit warmer inside. This was swiftly replaced by a cold feeling, and though he couldn’t see him, Elias knew he was there. “You know we have to do everything in our power to keep them safe, right?” Other-Elias whispered in his ear. Elias bit his cheek. “A bit late for you to be cautioning me,” he whispered. “Weren’t you the one who recommended this kind of decision?” “Of course I did, and it paid off in spades, but that doesn’t mean we’re not us, and that we aren’t physically more capable than these ponies. They might have weird powers, but we have the nerve and the strength to do the job right. We know how best to keep them safe. For any price.” Elias nodded, for once in complete agreement with the phantom. “For any price,” he whispered. > Chapter 12: Short Days > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry Day 2130 Training is going awesomely! Two hundred volunteers, who would have thought I could get that many? I have to be honest though, I’m nervous that so many of them are friends. All of my officers (ha! I have officers!) are close friends, and not just because they’re my friends, but because in all honesty, they are the strongest ones. Nobody outshines them in fighting, running, marching, or in following orders. Now, maybe that’s because I’ve been talking about this idea for a month or two (or more, I can’t remember) but man are they good! David even got a bunch of the recruits to march in time! I already have a really good feeling about this. If he did that in a day, we’re going to be marching against raiders by the end of the month. Look out world, the new Romans are coming! Elias stretched his arms toward the ceiling, pressing as hard as he could to release the tension built up in his arms. It had been a full week of bed rest, and he was back in his room, preparing for the “light” duties that Nightshade had laid out to work him back into the schedule. He had a guard outside his door to ensure he didn’t go anywhere near the training field. Steel Scalpel had made sure that Elias had no opportunities to revisit the infirmary on business. Elias had half a mind to show the unicorn that he could get hurt doing anything, but decided against it. It wouldn’t be, he curled his nose in disgust, friendly, of him. With the return of his health came the return of many other things, such as the night terrors, and his normal aggressive, bitter personality. While isolated, Elias felt the same as he ever did, focusing on improving either his physical prowess, or his store of knowledge to remain distracted. In this department, he was met with only mild success. Most aspects of pony culture were still completely lost on him, as was anything involving magic. He tried again and again to read up on both, but always found his mind wandering elsewhere, usually a history book that sat under the initiate magic tome. While the Equestrian’s lacked many notable wars, other species were not so gentle. Dragons, gryphons, diamond dogs, zebras, minotaurs, and some sort of nasty creature called changelings were at a near constant of warfare with each other. Part of Elias wished to go travel to some of the faraway lands, going so far as to ask Luna if they ever did ventures to foreign capitals. While she admitted they did, she also told him they were a rarity and were only ever diplomatic missions in times of crises. The answer wasn’t what Elias had hoped for, but he made note of places he’d like to visit once his guard contract expired. That line of thinking had brought him to where he was now; a bestiary in hand as he made his way toward the cafeteria. Breakfast awaited, as did his two friends. Elias was mostly happy with the idea of having close friends again, though that ever-present voice in the center of his mind whispered to watch the shadows, to keep them so close that nothing could ever hurt them. Elias kept the voice low, but made sure it didn’t disappear completely. A bit of paranoia on Night Flash and Book Binder’s behalf wouldn’t hurt anyone. Speaking of the pair, Elias smiled as he saw them waiting outside the cafeteria entrance. He found it a bit strange that the massive double doors were closed though, usually they were thrown wide during mealtimes to accommodate the influx of guards. As he got closer, his suspicions grew when he noticed the two trying very hard to remain still, shaking their heads slowly at him as they kept their mouths clamped shut. Elias let his hand fall to his gladius as he scanned the hallway around them, searching for any threats. Everything seemed normal save for the cafeteria doors, which remained closed. Elias raised an eyebrow as he looked between the shut doors and the two ponies, who were shaking their heads even more vigorously. Elias pressed his ear to the door, and faintly heard… singing? Elias side-eyed the two ponies. “Is everything alright in there? Did something happen?” Night Flash whimpered and shook his head as he tried to hide his eyes behind his hooves. Book Binder made the mistake of opening her mouth, and instead of the normal, spoken answer he expected, Elias was met with singing. “We won’t lose again!” she sang loudly, her eyes holding nothing but hatred for Elias. She tried to block her mouth with her hooves, but Elias was in for a second shock when Night Flash sang next, evidently giving in to the unseen pressure that was acting on the both of them. “Together we can win!” Flash sang back, looking not at Elias, but at Book Binder. Whatever force acted on them, Book Binder, upon seeing her oblivious lover singing, gave in completely. She alighted on Elias’ shoulders long enough to smack him upside the head, then the two raced into the cafeteria. The doors swung open widely, and Elias was treated to not one, but two of the guard branches singing wildly at each other. He watched Flash and Binder join the Lunar Guard, their voices added to a chorus of ponies trying to motivate themselves for some “big game”. The Solar Guards, on the other hand, were enthusiastically patting themselves on the back at their unbeaten win streak. Lacking any context whatsoever left Elias confused, especially given that he could hear instruments, despite seeing none. Of all the things he had seen in Equestria, the sight before him was by far the strangest. “Ah, I see the guard is conducting their annual competitive musical number,” Luna said. Elias jumped slightly, the alicorn having appeared from nowhere. She smiled at him widely, which unnerved Elias even more. He scratched the back of his head as he remained fixated on the hundreds of ponies performing coordinated dance moves at each other. “The what?” Elias asked. “Every year the Solar and Lunar guards fight head to head in a number of competitions based on veterancy.” Luna sighed. “Unfortunately, my sister’s guard usually comes out on top due to their raw strength.” She smiled and perked up, looking at the blue clad ponies that danced and flapped around each other. “But it looks like my ponies are in top form this year. Perhaps we can win one of these exercises!” And then she turned to him, her smile still wide. Elias stared blankly back. Luna nodded with her head toward the musical number, still staring at him. Elias raised an eyebrow, looking to the musical number, then back to the blue princess before him. “What?” he asked. Luna’s smile wavered slightly. “Do you not wish to join with your compatriots?” Elias smirked and shook his head. “In what, singing? Absolutely not. If there is one thing I have never done in my adult life, it is sing. I imagine my voice sounds something like a drowning dog mixed with a bucket of hot gravel. Completely unpleasant for any and all involved.” Luna scoffed. “Musical harmony magic will make any damage to your vocal cords void. While in song, everyone is always exactly where they need to be. In tone, coordination, and lyric.” Elias looked back to the musical number as he watched a trio of thestrals do coordinated barrel rolls through the air. “I guess that explains how this was thrown together without practice,” Elias noted. “I’ve got nothing for you though. I already told you I’m not magical. No “musical harmony magic” for this guy,” he said, jabbing a thumb at his chest. Luna huffed. “I have already told you Guardsman Bright; all creatures have ambient magic. I merely mis-calibrated a spell. Go on, sing! Let the harmony flow through you!” She smiled again as she finished her proclamation. Elias snorted and remained silent, crossing his arms. As the two guard branches went at each other in song, Elias waited, completely still. His inaction evidently agitated Luna, because she began to prod him in the side. “Why aren’t you singing yet?” she mumbled to herself. She prodded his plated ribs. “Is it because you never had a first song? Can age be a factor?” Elias shook his head. “Princess, I already told you, humans don’t have magic. People who sang on Earth had years of careful practice. This kind of thing,” he said, gesturing to the musical number in front of him, “only happened with months to years of practice. And that was before everything went bad. Any old human can't just sing.” Luna frowned as she prodded his ribs again. “I don’t believe that Guardsman. Perhaps a mild education on the use of ambient song magic will help you find your voice.” She cleared her throat, and Elias at least did her the courtesy of looking at her while she spoke. “To start, whenever a being feels an immense deal of personal harmony or strife with those around them, they break into a song that flows from the heart, relieving magical tension in the body. It is quite a wonderful experience, very relaxing.” Elias snorted. “I doubt that. Book Binder and Night Flash were out here trying to wait out the song when I found them. They were doing their damndest to not move at all. When I talked to them, they looked like they were forced to participate. I think Book Binder is going to kill me when this is over. You should have seen the look she gave me.” Luna nodded in understanding. “Of course. When musical harmony such as this becomes regular, a few ponies will attempt to avoid it, but in truth, they could no more have avoided the song than we could avoid breathing. Any being with association to the subject of the music is compelled to join in. I am shocked that you have been able to resist this compulsion. I have never met a creature who could do so.” Elias sighed and shook his head. “There is no compulsion Princess, I’m trying to tell you. I’ve got nothing. No ambient magic whatsoever.” Luna scoffed at him again. She prodded his ribs for the third time. “Nonsense. Every creature, no matter their level of harmony magic, has to sing when called upon. It is a fact of reality.” “Every creature huh? Does that mean Anyon had a song then? What was it about, a sword?” Luna sighed as she kept prodding at his ribs. “Unfortunately, yes. I was involved. That song took nearly an hour to complete. All because we forgot a few steel shipments in a row. Anyon felt underappreciated, and it took me that long to convince him otherwise. He is a stubborn creature.” She growled and sat down, using both of her forehooves to prod at Elias’ ribs. “Much like you. Why won’t you sing?” Elias sighed at the pony’s antics. “It isn’t going to happen Princess. I don’t sing. Maybe you’re just weird for all of this magic nonsense.” Luna scowled. Her horn charged up and she tried to send a shock into his side. Elias felt a slight tingle as his armor absorbed most of the electricity. “We are not the weird ones here Guardsman, you are. Do you not have any inclination to sing?” she asked, looking at him with her green eyes. “You are filled with strife; would singing about it not bring you closure? It certainly helped me when I returned from being Nightmare Moon.” Elias had read about that the other day. Evidently the Elements of Harmony were a weapon, like he had suspected, that could be used to imprison, or “cure” magical beings of evil. Luna, who had called herself Nightmare Moon, had been purged of her “jealousy” with the weapon, and had returned to Equestria only a few years ago. Still, while interesting, Elias knew it had nothing to do with the subject on hand. “I’m going to have to go with a firm no. Even if I practiced beforehand, and felt this “harmony” magic you keep telling me I should have, I wouldn’t. I don’t sing.” Luna changed tactics and began prodding him in the gut. “Elias, your voice is likely beautiful, give it a chance. Feel all of your conflict in your heart, and let it soar through you throat!” She prodded his stomach again. “Do it. Sing for me.” “No,” Elias replied flatly. She growled and glared at him. “Elias, release your harmony magic and sing!” “Absolutely not, there is no such thing.” “I know that isn’t true,” Luna replied adamantly. “Sing for me.” “No! I already told you I don’t sing,” Elias snapped. Luna titled her head and smiled. “I can make it an order if that will encourage you.” She straightened her posture, sticking her nose in the air, and assuming the regal stance that she used in the throne room. “Guardsman Bright I order you to sing for me at once.” Elias scoffed in response. “First, it is within the code of conduct to refuse absurd orders; and this qualifies, second they just finished up, so I’m getting breakfast.” Luna’s head snapped to the cafeteria where the ponies were already settling back into their seats as the two sides glared over their shoulders at each other. She looked back to Elias, who winked and smiled as he walked forward, book in hand. Luna pouted, calling after him. “I will look into this matter further Guardsman Bright! Do not believe that you have won this day! One of these days you shall sing!” Elias shook his head as he got in line. He felt a fuzzy body on his shoulders, followed quickly by a hoof against his head. “How could you do that to your friends?” Book Binder said in his ear, her play anger clear. “I thought you cared about us?” Elias smiled. “How was I supposed to know that would happen? Humans don’t have “song” magic. Hell, we don’t have magic.” Night Flash looked at him, his mouth agape. “What?” he shouted. “You never have to sing if you don’t want to?” Elias nodded, noting that Flash’s observation had drawn a bit of attention. Elias raised his voice accordingly. “Humans have no magic to speak of, and therefore, we do not feel compulsions to do things like sing and dance unless we want to.” He glanced behind his head at Book Binder. “If we feel any internal strife, we do what normal people do; fight about it, talk about it, or suppress it.” Book Binder snorted, resting her head on top of his. “That sounds dumb and unhealthy. Usually musical harmony is a wonderful experience.” She glared darkly across the room at the Solar Guard. “Usually.” Elias gave the serving ponies a nod as they loaded him down with a steak and a healthy dose of mashed potatoes. He also grabbed him Book Binder’s plate of salad greens and a flower sandwich. Out of the corner of his eye, Elias noticed that Night Flash gave him a funny look. It had only been a glance, but it looked like the pegasus had a mix of sadness and joy on his face. Elias frowned, wondering if he should ask the pony if something was wrong. Book Binder directed him to a table, that while largely empty of ponies, was covered in a wide spread of papers and what looked to Elias like battle maps. Scarlet Shield looked up, and upon spotting them approaching, he smiled widely. “Great! You’re here, I can’t wait to see what you have to say about the exercise this year.” Book Binder hopped off of Elias’ shoulders, and took her tray as she cleared a small part of the table to set it down. “Where’s Ice Blossom?" the unicorn asked as she sat down. "She’s usually with you Scarlet." Scarlet Shield smiled. “Didn’t you hear? She passed her Royal Guard exams today!” he said excitedly. “They already did the induction ceremony and everything. Now she’s a big-time guard!” Scarlet pointed to where the Royal Guard sat as a single group. Elias realized that he had never actually noticed the ponies, especially not their armor. While Flash, Binder, and Shield waved at the white maned pony at the other table, Elias studied the ponies around her. Unlike the seemingly happy-go-lucky ponies he found around him, these ponies seemed much closer to him in terms of personality. They talked only amongst themselves, occasionally casting a glare at anyone else who got too close. He saw many faces that looked like scowling was their default expression. Their armor was jet black with red and gold accents. The plumes on their helmets were also gold, and the plumes seemed to shine across the room at him. Elias blinked when he realized that every single member of the Royal Guard was wearing armor. Unlike the rest of the guard, they evidently didn’t take it off before coming to eat. Interesting. Ice Blossom whispered something to one of the ponies at her side, who gave her a single nod. He caught Elias staring at them, and glared at the human. Elias smirked and didn’t let his gaze waver as he stared back. He then pointedly looked back to his food as he began to eat, breaking eye contact on his terms. He occasionally glanced at the Royal Guards between bites, making sure they knew that he looked where he damn well pleased, and that he wouldn't be intimidated by mean glares. Ice Blossom smiled widely at whatever the pony said and came trotting over to their table. Scarlet, Night Flash, and Book Binder smiled as she approached, but looked between each other nervously. Elias frowned. A nasty thought occurred, and he wondered what Flash and Binder would do if he attacked the pegasus if she said something he didn’t like. A threat was a threat, and he would deal with anything swiftly, friend or no. He watched her carefully as she approached. Her smile seemed innocent enough, as did her gait. Elias waited silently as she called out to the ponies around him. “Bring it in guys! I got permission for a one-time rule break!” Ice Blossom shouted with glee. The nervous atmosphere vanished from the table, and Binder, Flash, and Scarlet leapt to their feet, all wrapping around the armored pegasus as they cheered excitedly. Elias feigned interest in his meal, which wasn’t difficult due to the always expert preparation of the steak. One eye and one ear remained up as he watched them carefully. Book Binder peeled back from the hug first, in awe as she looked at Ice Blossom’s armor. “Oh my gosh, that is so cool!” she gushed. “It looks so good on you Blossom! So how was it? Was it as hard as they say?” Ice Blossom smiled and tapped her nose. “You know I’m not allowed to say Binder! You gotta do it yourself to find out.” Book Binder gave a fake pout, then hugged her friend again. “Oh well, I have to get as many of these in as I can.” She pulled back and danced on her hooftips. “I can’t believe you’re a Royal Guardspony now! It’s so exciting!” Scarlet groaned and face-hoofed. “Agh, but now we lost one of our best pegasi for the big exercise! We’re going to be short this year!” Ice Blossom stuck her tongue out at the pegasus. “So you only like me cause of my skills Shield? I’m hurt.” Scarlet flushed red and rubbed his hoof abashedly. “Sorry,” he mumbled. Ice Blossom rolled her eyes and dragged the pegasus closer. She gave him a peck on the cheek, making him blush even redder. “Don’t worry fly boy, I know you didn’t mean it. Besides, the Lunar Guard has a wild card this year!” Elias blinked when he realized she was pointing at him. He stared at the four blankly. Night Flash titled his head. “I guess you’re right,” the pegasus said. “Red is really good at throwing those spear things, and we’ve never seen him really fight.” Scarlet however, looked much happier. “Who cares about that, Bright has a whole world of military tactics!” The pegasus leaped at Elias, stopping only because his chest impacted the table. The rough impact did nothing to deter the excited pegasus. He scrabbled across the table, scooping up a dozen sheets of paper, shoving them all at Elias. “I need everything!” Shield pleaded. “We only scratched the surface at lunch the other day, and I need everything to make the best plans ever! Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!” Elias sighed when the pegasus fluffed himself up, putting on a very nasty set of puppy dog eyes. Second only to crying, ponies were extremely adept at making eyes that made any soul cave due to their combined sadness and cuteness. He suspected it was the way they stayed war-free for so long. It looked like a kitten that had its tail stomped on. Elias scratched the back of his head with his fork. “Sure, just come by my room after shift. We can work on it then. Be warned though, I may start to lecture you about ancient military history. I tend to get off track.” Scarlet scoffed. “Don’t threaten me with a good time. Thanks Bright! We’ll show the sun butts this year!” The pegasus hopped down from the table, trotting happily back to Ice Blossom like a cat who had just caught a fish. She rolled her eyes, and smacked the happy pegasus with her wing. “You’re ridiculous, I swear Scarlet. Anyway, I just wanted to make sure we’re completely good before the rules start getting enforced. You guys know how it is.” Book Binder sighed. “Yeah, no physical contact, no talking to the each other during shifts. Do you still get Sundays off for swimming?” Ice Blossom grinned. “As if I’d miss out swimming circles around the three of you! We’ll make sure to catch up fully on Sunday. If you don’t mind though, I’d like a private word with Guardsman Bright.” Elias’ eyes narrowed, and he set down the piece of steak he was about to eat. Flash, Binder, and Shield looked nervously between the two. Night Flash in particular seemed antsy. “Red isn’t in any trouble, is he?” Ice Blossom bumped him playfully in the hips, the motion indicating that they should begin to move away. “No, he’s not in trouble.” She side-eyed Elias. “At least not yet. It’s just something small, don’t worry about it. It’ll only take a second, then we can get one more hug for the road!” She nudged Night Flash again. The pegasus looked to Elias, as if checking if he was all right. Elias bit his cheek and nodded for the pony to go. Night Flash frowned, but he, Binder and Shield moved away. Elias braced his elbows on the table. “So Royal Guardspony Blossom, what can I do for you?” Elias asked. She took a seat at the table, staring at him evenly. He had to admit; she had an excellent poker face. “Let’s be frank with each other Elias, I saw that little look you gave me as I came over. Technically, I could use it to court martial you, especially since you decided to glare at Captain Chaser when he caught you looking.” Elias shrugged. “Then do so. I analyze threats, and while I don’t personally have a lot of experience with you, relationships have a nasty habit of souring when somebody moves up in rank. I don’t know your past relationship with those three, but they’re my friends now too. I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure their safety, including going against Royal Guardsponies.” She snorted. “Do you really think you could take on even one Royal Guard? We’re the best of the best for a reason.” “There’s always a bigger fish,” Elias responded. “It isn’t about whether you can win, it’s about whether you should try to.” Ice Blossom grinned. “That’s what I like to hear.” She spread her hooves. “I have to admit, I was a bit nervous when Night Flash befriended you, but I can see, like usual, he knew what he was doing.” She extended her hoof across the table. “Let’s agree to stay out of each other’s way, and be good friends to those three, huh?” Elias nodded silently. He took the offered hoof and gave it a few solid shakes before letting his hand drop. “So, we’re good?” he asked. Ice Blossom snorted. “Good enough. Don’t expect a hug from me.” Elias grinned, then nodded his head toward the Royal Guard table. “And what about the guy with the grey hair who’s still giving me the stink eye?” Ice Blossom took a quick glance over her shoulder and smirked. “Captain Chaser won’t give you any issues. I’ll smooth his feathers out. That or call Mom on him.” Elias raised an eyebrow. “Brother?” Ice Blossom nodded. “Older brother. Helped prep me for the exam. He can be a bit protective. And hot headed.” She sighed and looked over her shoulder again. “You know, he might just try to pick a fight with you. Just be ready for that. He’s fast.” Elias snorted and picked up his fork. “Everybody here is fast for me. I’ll figure it out, or worst comes to worst, get my ass kicked so that Scalpel can yell at me again. That’ll be a treat.” As he ate the bite of meat, he gave a whistle to Flash, and motioned for the trio of waiting ponies to come back over. They did so quickly, closing the distance in a second. Book Binder gave Ice Blossom one last hug, then walked around the table to plop down next to Elias, leaning against him. Elias noticed that look on Night Flash’s face again, a healthy mix of sorrow and joy. Ice Blossom noticed too, and she looked at Elias questioningly. Elias stole one of the sheets of paper from the table and scribbled a quick note on it, then folded it before passing it to the pegasus. She opened and quickly scanned the note. Within less than a second, she refolded it with a smile on her muzzle. She gave Night Flash and Scarlet Shield one more hug each before giving them one last wave as she walked back to her own table. Her entire demeanor changed as she walked, and once she sat down, Elias noticed that there wasn’t a trace of any emotion but anger. The grey maned pony quickly whispered in her ear, and she whispered a response. Elias tried to follow their mouth movements, but his attention was quickly dragged away by Night Flash. “So, what were you two talking about?” he asked. Elias noticed that his voice seemed off, like he was forcing the happiness into it, rather than just naturally being his chipper self. “Nothing big, just making sure we saw eye to eye. I have to ask though, what’s the rules about the Royal Guard? What, you aren’t allowed to talk with her anymore?” he asked, gesturing in Ice Blossom's direction. Night Flash nodded. “Yep,” he said simply. “Royal Guardsponies aren’t supposed to interact with either of the other branches unless absolutely necessary. They also always have to wear their armor, and they always have to look serious. I guess it comes with being the most elite ponies there are.” Elias’ eyes flicked back to the Royal Guard table. Ice Blossom was eating and chatting with the other guards, but that grey maned pony was still watching him. Elias frowned. The look the pegasus was shooting his way reeked of a problem waiting to happen. The only thing he could do was be prepared and wait. He cleared his throat as he looked away. “So, this big exercise everybody is going on about, what is it?” Book Binder groaned loudly. She pushed off of Elias and put her head on the table as she tried to cover her ears. “I don’t even want to think about it right now,” she whined. “It’s awful every year!” Elias looked to Night Flash and Scarlet shield, who both nodded grimly. “We always get creamed by the Solar Guards,” Scarlet said. “Basically, every year since Princess Luna returned and took over the Lunar Guard, her and Princess Celestia have held a competition. It’s broken down by time spent with the guard, so we’re the lowest group. For the past three years we have been against the same group of ponies, and every year we lose. The Solar Guard gets all of the big, flashy ponies. Since we have to be more subtle when we go out, we lack in the power department.” Elias sat in thought for a second. Likely the reason they were losing was due to poor use of their abilities. A strategy issue he could fix, but that was for later. “So, what, is it a big battle, or a series of obstacle courses?” Scarlet dragged out a map from the bottom of the pile. Spreading it on the table, he said; “It changes every year. The team captains will be given a map of the arena once we get there. We then have half an hour to set up our plan, then we fight! We do that three times, unless one team wins the first two rounds.” The pegasus drooped slightly. “We haven’t ever gotten past the second round.” Elias stroked his stubble in thought. “Who’s the team captain? I would assume that it isn’t Captain Nightshade.” “Uh-uh.” Scarlet responded. “The captain is randomly chosen from any of the guards who volunteer. I’m really hoping I get it this year. With your human tactics at our side, there’s no way we can lose!” “Is that so?” an arrogant, familiar voice said. Scarlet drooped, and Night Flash suddenly found great interest in his plate. Book Binder stiffened at Elias’ side, but she kept her head hidden in her hooves. Elias calmly stared at the white unicorn that was ruining his meal. White Shine leaned down next to Scarlet. “Ooh, look at all of these notes! It’s a shame that it takes more than a few books and some fancy maps to make a plan. It also takes intelligence, as well as the power to execute the plan. Do you want to know which one you’re lacking Shieldy?” Elias calmly stabbed another piece of beef, making sure he caught the unicorn’s eyes as he ate it. White Shine flinched slightly, but his asinine grin didn’t waver. He leaned over to Night Flash. “How about you Flash, are you going to be team captain this year? I can’t wait to see you in the arena.” Elias sniffed, drawing White Shine’s eyes again as ate another piece of beef. The unicorn’s lip curled up in disgust. “Do you have something to say monkey, or are you truly just that disgusting of an eater?” Elias smiled. He stabbed another piece of beef and offered it to the unicorn. “Want some White Shine? It’s nice and juicy. The cooks here do an excellent job, it never tastes like it’s been dead for more than an hour. Best meat I’ve ever eaten.” White Shine blanched and turned a shade of pale green. He shook his head vigorously. “N-no. Ponies don’t eat meat,” he said, clearly flustered and put off his bullying game. Elias smiled as he shrugged and put the piece of meat in his mouth, savoring it as he let the unicorn watch. Elias then made a big show of swallowing it. It had gotten a bit quieter in the cafeteria, and a quick glance showed Elias that the Royal Guardsponies were watching him very intently. His eyes flicked back to White Shine, and he smiled widely, making sure that his canines were showing. Elias embedded the fork in the wooden table as he shot to his feet, grabbing White Shine by the throat. His smile vanished in an instant, and the cafeteria fell quiet just as quickly. Elias curled his fingers around White Shine’s neck, keeping his grip just tight enough to restrict a bit of air flow. If the unicorn stopped panicking, he would find that he could breathe just fine. Elias dragged the pony over the table and held him so that they were nose to nose. “I will say this once, and only once. You are going to leave my friends and I alone, permanently. If I catch you coming near any of them with anything less than smiles and kind words, the next piece of meat on my plate will be your sorry ass.” The unicorn tried to kick him, so Elias shook him aggressively, tightening his grip so that more air was cut off. White Shine gasped and stopped flailing. Elias made sure that the pony made eye contact, ensuring that the unicorn saw his death in Elias’ eyes. Lowering his voice to a whispered growl, Elias said; “I dare you to cross me you pathetic piece of shit. I don’t care who you’re related to, if I ever find out that you did something to these ponies, or their families, there is no force in Equestria that will save you from me. Are we clear?” White Shine nodded and tapped on Elias’ arm, begging for release. Elias snorted and dropped the pony, letting him fall to the ground with a thump. White Shine was on his feet and scrambling away in an instant. Elias waited until the pony made it to the doors before he sat back down. Elias cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulder; reaching across the table had been a stretch and the grabbing motion had agitated his left shoulder again. Elias winced in pain as he massaged it lightly, then decided it would be better to just ignore the pain and he set about eating again. When he looked up, Binder, Flash, and Scarlet were all looking at him in awe. Elias took another bite of his steak. The last one unfortunately. He made sure to savor it completely. When he looked back up from the plate, the trio of ponies were still staring at him. Elias sighed. “All right, what did I do wrong this time?” Then he saw the look in their eyes. Elias slowly set down his fork. Night Flash’s rump began to waggle. Elias held up his hands. “Now guys, just… wait.” The three exchanged a single glance, and then smiled ferally at Elias. He briefly wondered if it was too late to go back to being an anti-social loner. As three fuzzy bodies dragged him from his seat, he smiled and decided that yes, it was. > Chapter 13: Preparations > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry 2221 Legio I Americana is fully up and running! I am so excited! All the gear is done, spring is coming, and we’ve been training together for months. It’s going to work! I’ve been reading like crazy to make sure I know every tactical decision in the book. I’m gonna be the best commander there ever was and- Elias looked up from his journal, snapping it closed at the sound of a knock at his door. He checked his watch; Scarlet had decided to run home to grab some more notebooks, and Elias wasn’t expecting him back for another hour. Elias cautiously slid the journal back under his bed and crept forward, keeping his left hand near his sword hilt. The knock sounded again; a bit harder this time. Elias frowned as he thought about who it could be. He had already gotten yelled at by Nightshade, and then Luna for “assaulting” a guard. They had let him off with a warning though. Since there were plenty of witnesses to White Shine’s behavior, his response was declared justified, with the note that he would be in serious trouble if he did it again. Elias had taken it with silence, content in the knowledge that if the worm decided to try that stunt again, he wouldn’t be let off the hook with light strangulation and verbal threats. Next time meant a severe beating, and if White Shine was stupid enough to come back for thirds, that meant death. Any threats Elias made would be put to action. He made sure to always use punishments he knew how to carry out, and luckily for him, that library was vast and detailed. If it wasn’t Nightshade or Luna, then who? As the third set of knocks echoed through his room, Elias lightly gripped his gladius and flung the door open wide enough for him to see who it was, while also hiding the blade. Elias blinked in surprise when he saw Night Flash standing outside, a depressed expression on his face. The pony looked up at Elias, putting on a fake smile. “Hey Red, can I come in? I wanted to talk to you about something.” Elias nodded and let the door open fully. “Sure, Night Flash, I’ve got time.” The pegasus nodded in thanks and then walked into Elias’ room, looking around only briefly before he settled on the desk chair. Elias watched Night Flash as he shuffled about. His wings; normally kept tucked at his sides, were drooping toward the floor. His fur seemed ruffled, a far cry from the tidy fur of a few hours ago. His mane had the same effect, and it looked clumped in some places. A slightly closer look saw that the fur underneath his eyes was matted, as if he had been crying. Elias felt fury. If that unicorn did a damn thing, he was going to skip step two, and move straight into pinning his ass to the training grounds with a pilla. Elias crossed the room and quickly sat down on the edge of his bed. Night Flash didn’t look at him. “Was it White Shine again?” Elias asked, trying to keep anger from his voice. Night Flash shook his head. That put Elias’ anger off, bringing him back to confusion. Then who had caused such strife with the pegasus? Elias clasped his hands together, and tapped his foot as he waited for Night Flash to say something. When the pegasus remained silent, still staring at the floor, Elias frowned. “You said you wanted to talk about something Flash, and if it isn’t White Shine, I’m afraid I’ve got no idea what it is. Who’s got you beating yourself up?” “You,” Night Flash whispered. Elias blinked, then opened his mouth to speak. Almost immediately he closed it. After another moment, he sighed. ‘Well that didn’t take very long,’ he thought to himself. “Ah, I…” Elias rubbed the back of his head. “Well I can’t say I’m happy about this, but if you don’t want to be friends anymore, I said I’d understand. I’ll make sure to leave you be from now on.” The words cut his soul like a knife, but Elias pretended not to notice. He was a man of his word after all. Night Flash looked at him in shock, however. “Nononono!” the pegasus stammered. “That’s not what I meant. I still really want to be friends with you Red!” Elias felt a twinge of relief as he looked up at the pegasus. “Then, what? What is this about Flash?” Night Flash sighed and looked downcast. “I just… I wanted to come give you my blessing for courting Book Binder. She seems to really like you, and…” The pegasus sighed again, and Elias noticed tears at the corners of his eyes. “I don’t want any hard feelings between us. I don’t know if you knew, but I have a huge crush on her, I just… I thought she felt the same toward me, but she’s never asked me out!” he sniffed. “She seems like she likes you though, so I won’t stand in your way.” Elias sat in dumb silence. Then he smiled. Followed quickly by a small chuckle. That was quickly followed by a laugh, then several more. It took a little warmup, but Elias was soon rolling with laughter. Night Flash growled at him in an unusual display of anger. “This isn’t funny Red! She’s really important to me!” Elias gestured for the pegasus to move to the bed. “Come over here you fuzzy monster. It’s not funny yet, but it will be. Come here.” Night Flash hesitated for a second, but slid off the chair, moving to the bed. As he sat beside Elias, he looked at the man carefully. Elias did the same back, but he couldn’t help but laugh at the pegasus again. The pout Night Flash gave in response didn’t help. Elias threw an arm around the pony. “Look, Flash…” he chuckled again. “Bud, go ask her out. She isn’t courting me; she’s waiting for you. I shouldn’t be telling you this, but you two are clueless about each other. I’ve known you for a little over a week, and I already know that neither of you would make the first move without a poke to do so. Book Binder told me that she’s worried she’ll scare you away by doing things the traditional way. She wants you to ask her out.” He’d have to apologize to Book Binder for revealing her secret, but ultimately, Elias knew it was for the best. It wasn’t even a noteworthy secret anyway, and the revelation would bring her what she wanted, so all in all, it would be a net positive. Night Flash mulled in silence, then looked up to Elias with his big eyes. “Really?” he asked hopefully, his tail swishing slightly. Elias smirked and shook his head. “Yes. Really. I doubt she’s even expecting anything special. Do something you always do with her and drop the question. Make it seem like any other day.” Night Flash grinned at him goofily. That look returned to his eyes, and Elias quickly got to his feet. He pointed at the pony. “No, not twice in one day! I’m already getting soft enough without being constantly hugged! I’m a warrior damn it!” Night Flash stared at him with his goofy smile. He shifted, and ruffled his feathers, sitting prim and proper now. He tilted his head slightly. “Red, I would like to redeem that one willing hug. No complaints, and a full snuggle.” Elias sighed, then he cursed his past self for even offering such a thing. He had to give credit to Night Flash, the pony knew when to use his opportunities. Elias moved back to the bed and sat down, extending his arms out to the pony. Night Flash’s butt waggled, and he sprang at Elias, wrapping him tightly in a hug. Elias was surprised when it lasted only a few seconds. Night Flash pulled away quickly, bouncing up and down on the bed. His wings fluttered in excitement as he cheered. “She likes me! She likes me!” he chirped as he bounced around. Elias watched the pegasus bounce and chirp happily with a smile. He decided he liked watching happy Night Flash much better than the sad one. It was a big thing to be willing to part with his crush for a friend, that wasn’t lost on Elias. Mid-air, Night Flash froze, and flopped lamely to the ground as he missed the bed entirely. His head poked back up in an instant, staring at Elias. “What should I get her? Should I take her Doughnut Joe’s? It’s where we first met… but it’s so informal! Should I do it today? Tomorrow? How about next week?” Night Flash's muzzle twitched as he stared with wide eyes at Elias’ chest. “What am I gonna do? I want it to be special because well, she’s gonna be my special somepony!” Night Flash stopped staring at Elias’ chest, and looked up to his eyes. “What would you do Red? Have you ever had a special somepony?” Elias shook his head. “No, and I won’t have one. Friends are one thing, but that’s a bit… serious for my taste. Besides, you think any girl is going to want to go anywhere with this ugly face?” he asked, pointing to his unevenly haired face. He made a mental note to shave; perhaps if he was clean shaven, he'd feel marginally better. “No," he continued. "No, I’m better off sticking to what I’m good at. I’d recommend you look to somebody with a bit more experience in matters of the heart.” Night Flash frowned as he stared at Elias. “All right Red, if you say so. I think you should stay open minded to the idea of a special somepony though. It took you no time at all to make three great friends!” The pegasus paused for a moment. “Actually, you made four! Doctor Scalpel counts!” Night Flash’s tail wagged back and forth. “And that’s only in a couple weeks! Imagine if you found a special somepony! You could go on dates and move out of the castle; it would be great! Plus, you get somepony who likes some of the stuff you like, and you have somepony to share everything with. There are no downsides!” Elias snorted. “I’ll keep that in mind. Still, you’re better off asking somebody else for dating advice, because I don’t have any human experience, let alone any practice with pony dating. I imagine there are some important cultural differences.” Night Flash nodded thoughtfully. His eyes lit up and he gasped as he had an idea. Leaping to his feet, Night Flash bolted toward the door, then he stopped and sprinted back, hugging Elias forcefully. “Thanks Red, you’re the best friend a stallion good ask for.” Elias patted the pony on the back. “Sure Flash, just trying to catch up for what you and Book Binder have done for me. You may not think so, but I owe the both of you.” Night Flash smiled. “No, you don’t, but thanks for being a good friend anyway. I think the future is going to be bright. Pun intended.” Elias groaned and shoved the pony away from him. “Get out. No puns around me. Nope, we’re done here today.” Night Flash laughed and trotted to the door. As he opened it to leave, he turned, a smile still on his face. “See you bright and early for breakfast tomorrow!” Elias groaned again and grabbed a book. The door was already closed by the time it was in the air. Elias flopped back as it hit the door and decided to doze. It would suffice until Scarlet Shield got back. ***** After an exhaustive morning of talking about human battle strategy, Elias had to drag his feet to make it to the cafeteria. Unlike the usual mornings where he got at least a few hours of sleep before he was jarred awake by a night terror, a morning with Scarlet Shield was far worse. The pony’s energy seemed inexhaustible. It had been after one in the afternoon before Elias blacked out the first time. He had managed to shake himself awake, and had continued right where he had left off, until twenty minutes later when he blacked out again, this time collapsing onto his bed. When he woke up, it was to Scarlet trying to tuck him in. Elias had tried to get back up to continue, but the pony had easily pushed him down, telling Elias to sleep with the promise that they would pick up where they left off the next morning. When Elias woke up with twenty minutes to get to his shift, he scrambled madly as a burst of adrenaline raced through his system. Unfortunately, that boost immediately faded once he was at his post. The rest of the night was a blur that Elias only woke up from when he was taking his morning meal. As he staggered away from the food line, he quickly spotted Scarlet, still pouring over maps, next to a very close Book Binder and Night Flash. Elias did his best not to fall into a seat, doing so only long enough that he could push his food, a bowl of tomato soup, out of the way of his collapsing face. As his head thudded to the table, Elias heard Book Binder giggle. He cracked open an eye, quickly locating the unicorn pressed tightly against a grinning Night Flash. Elias made note of a blue feather tucked behind her ear, wondered vaguely if that had been there before, then decided he didn’t care. He closed his eyes again, praying for once that sleep would take him. The noise of the cafeteria left him unable to sleep however, so Elias grunted, rolling his head so he could look at the pair easier. “Took my poor advice I see,” he said. Night Flash nodded enthusiastically. “Yep! Thanks, so much Red. I convinced Book Binder to go to breakfast with me, then I asked her to be my special somepony over her favorite doughnut!” Book Binder sighed softly. “It was the best thing ever. I couldn’t have wished for a better first date.” She stuck her tongue out at Elias. “And for somebody with so many secrets, you stink at keeping them.” Elias raised a finger. “Your secret was dumb and made Flash think you were courting me. Me telling him brought you together, so now you can both be happy. If anything you should be thanking me. You two would have danced around the issue for months.” Book Binder rolled her eyes, then grinned mischievously. “Okay Elias. I’ll thank you alright, with a big, snuggly hug.” Elias flipped up a different finger as he pointed it at the unicorn. “I am too tired to deal with you today.” Elias snorted and rolled his head, glaring with one eye at Scarlet. The pegasus didn’t seem to notice for a moment. When he noticed, he just stared back. “What?” he asked. Elias didn’t say anything, just continued glaring at the pony. Scarlet looked to Flash and Binder, then back to Elias. “What?” he asked. A bit of nervousness tinged his voice. Elias continued to glare in silence. Book Binder snorted and prodded the back of Elias’ head. “Hey, be nice. He’s not used to dealing with old ponies like yourself.” Elias turned his withering glare to her. “I’m not old,” he grumbled. She stuck her tongue out at him. “Well you’re certainly no spring chicken. I don’t know anyone our age who has all of the physical issues you do. Aching joints, grouchy when you don’t sleep, picky diet. Admit it Elias, you’re not just a human, you’re an old human.” “I’m 19.” he grumbled as he faced the table, closing his eyes again as he felt his exhaustion attempt to overtake him. He welcomed the black abyss of sleep, and in truth couldn’t wait to get off shift so he could collapse into bed. Scarlet could stuff it for an evening. Elias would probably just throw his copy of Sun Tzu at the pony. That should keep him more than busy. Book Binder poked the back of his head. “Hey, I didn’t catch what you said, how old are you?” Book Binder asked. Elias grunted, but didn’t respond. This resulted in another prod to the back of his head. He could hear Night Flash snickering, while also whispering into Book Binder’s ear to leave him be. The unicorn didn’t listen however, and continued to poke the back of Elias’ head. “Come on, at least give me a hint, a birthday maybe? We’ve talked so much, and we still don’t know any of the good stuff!” “I already told Princess Luna. Go ask her.” Elias grumbled softly. He felt Book Binder huff and shift closer. “Can you please say that again? Your old man voice is grumbly, and I can’t hear it.” Elias sat up as he squinted at her. She merely smiled back, so innocent and sweet. If it was anyone else, he might have smacked her upside the head as she was so fond of doing to him. “I said I already told Princess Luna. Ask her.” Elias then let his head thud back to the table. Book Binder gasped. “My my, and what situation has our big strong Elias gotten himself into where he’s telling the princess his birthday?” She was mocking him, that much was clear. He had the upper hand however, being an angry, bitter troublemaker constantly gave him a wealth of stories, even in Equestria. “Got thrown in the dungeon, she decided she would try to make me open up, so she keyed the door to my magical signature so that it would only open when I opened it.” He smiled broadly. “Joke was on her, because I don’t have any magic, though she doesn’t believe that. She got locked in there with me, so to pass the time until someone came looking, we asked each other questions.” Elias tilted his head so that he could look at Book Binder while he smirked. “So, since you want to know, I already told someone. Go ask Princess Luna. She knows more than most.” Book Binder sat still for a moment, then smacked Elias in the back of the head, sticking her tongue out at him. “You’re mean Elias. You know I’ll never do that.” Elias nodded. “Exactly. Win win for me.” Book Binder huffed again. She looked back to Night Flash. “Can you get him to tell? You know his weaknesses, right?” Night Flash shrugged. “I don’t know anything. All I know is that he lies about whether or not he likes hugs, and he doesn’t like not sleeping.” Elias glared at the pegasus, while Book Binder eyed the human with a huge grin. “Elias, is there something you are hiding from us about hugs?” she asked innocently. Elias scowled in reply. “No. I don’t like physical contact of any kind. Rule number two exists for a reason. Night Flash is just love struck and is associating his feelings for you with me.” Night Flash snorted. “I think I can tell when somepony likes a hug or not. I hate to throw you under the carriage but…” “I’ll kill all of you.” Elias said, burying his head under his arms. “No one will find the bodies.” Book Binder laughed and Elias heard her walk around the table. The unicorn climbed on top of the bench, and then on top of Elias. She settled her fluff on his head, and the man glowered at the two pegasi that were barely containing their laughter. “Book Binder, get off,” Elias said, trying to sound angry. The fuzzy being draped over his skull shifted as she found balance on his head and shoulders. Her chest fur pressed warmly into his hair. Book Binder tsked. “Night Flash I think you’re right! Our old, grumpy human just says all of things he does to make himself look tough! I think we need to hug him more to make him show his true self to the world! We’ll make him a soft, cuddly-…” Elias pushed himself up quickly, and Book Binder somehow remained perched on his head. As he reached up to remove the unicorn to teach her a lesson about calling him soft, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia walked into the cafeteria, followed swiftly by Captain Nightshade and Captain Shining Armor. The cafeteria burst into motion as everyone silently snapped to attention. That included Elias and Book Binder, who, unfortunately for the both of them, didn’t climb down before she did so. The result was a new kind of plume as two hooves found purchase in his hair, while the other pair balanced on his shoulders. She stood at her best attention, though Elias knew that her face matched his own; absolutely crimson with embarrassment. Elias was already one of the tallest creatures in the room, and having a waist high unicorn on top of him drew eyes like a magnet. Including those of two guard captains, and two princesses. Luna snorted once as she walked forward, waving a furious looking Nightshade back with a wing. Elias and Book Binder were both forced to remain absolutely still while the princess approached. If either of them moved, they would draw ire. Whatever Luna intended to do; they would both just have to suffer through. Luna stopped sharply in front of Elias, her eyes glancing up to Book Binder only briefly, before she looked to his face. She seemed to ponder what she wanted to say for a second, then smiled slightly. Elias hated that cheeky smile. “Guardsman Bright, I believe I like your new hat, is it custom?” she asked playfully. Elias rolled his tongue in his cheek. Too late to be anything but smart back. “It’s just some local fair. A friend recommended it,” he replied, glaring at Night Flash. The pegasus wisely decided not to meet his eyes. Luna noticed, but decided not to comment. She smirked as she faked studying the “hat”. “I must say, it is very soft looking. Is the fur real?” “It is, though the “hat” is not quite finished. It’s fur still needs some preparation before being presentable to the general public.” He heard Book Binder sharply intake air. Elias had no doubt she’d try to make him pay for that jab later, but right now, she deserved it. Luna nodded, as if he had just told her some revolutionary thing. “Quite. Do be carefully not to ruffle the fur too much however, you wouldn’t want such a fine hat flying away.” Elias snorted. “I have a friend who will take very good care of it. He recently became an expert on this particular hat.” Luna smiled. “That sounds wonderful; give him my congratulations.” Her smile dropped and her nose came up. “Despite how wonderful that hat is, I will have to ask you to remove it Guardsman. It is against regulation to wear it indoors.” “Of course Princess.” Elias scooped the pony off the top of his head, and Book Binder issued a small eep as he held her under one arm. Now able to look at her face, Elias was happy to note that she was painted a lovely shade of bright red. She refused to meet anyone’s eyes, including Luna’s. She seemed to wait expectantly for Elias to set her on the ground, and when that didn’t happen, Elias felt the pony trying not to squirm in his grip. Luna snorted again as she smiled and turned away. “Carry on Guardsman.” As she walked back silently to the entrance where her sister and the two guard captains were waiting, Book Binder began to squirm slightly. “Elias, put me down! You’re making a scene,” she whispered as softly as she could. Elias smirked. “No, I don’t think I will,” he replied, equally as soft. “If you don’t want even more attention, I suggest you stop. You haven’t even begun to see a scene yet.” Elias and Book Binder noted a glare from Nightshade, and with another small eep, Book Binder stopped wriggling about, falling completely still. She flushed red again, and Elias had no doubt she would be teased for days to come. Good. Luna nodded to Celestia as she moved to her side, a small smile still on her face. Celestia looked around the still silent cafeteria. With great dramatic flair, she cleared her voice, then smiled warmly. “I am glad to see all of you well on this fine morning. Our announcement is a brief one, but extremely important. As you all may know, we will be conducting the Royal Assessment Training Exercise soon, and I am pleased to announce that it will be two weeks from today.” Elias saw Scarlet stiffen and begin to sweat out of the corner of his eye. Throughout the cafeteria, there was a small tone of hushed whispers as the guards discussed the upped timetable. It was more than loud enough for Nightshade to hear. “Quiet, the lot of you!” she snapped. “Show some respect before I have the lot of you running laps of the castle grounds!” The whispering stopped. The thestral gave a slight nod to Celestia. “Please, continue Princess.” Celestia smiled. “Thank you, Captain.” To the guards, she continued speaking. “I realize this is sooner than many of you have anticipated, but I assure you it is with good reason. Over the course of the winter this year, your guard training will be increased in preparation for a royal wedding this spring.” Celestia inclined her head toward the white unicorn at her side. “Our very own Captain Shining Armor will be married in early April, and as such, we hope to have all of our guard branches at full strength for security purposes.” The alicorn smiled widely. “Which brings me to my second announcement. Captain Armor and Captain Nightshade have already taken the names of everypony who wishes to volunteer for team captain, but this year’s exercise will have an extra stake. Due to Captain Armor’s marriage, he will be promoted and moved elsewhere, vacating the position of Solar Guard Captain. Anypony who wishes to submit an application is expected to volunteer for exercise captain.” This brought out another round of whispers, significantly louder this time. Celestia waited for a few seconds before she cleared her throat, waiting for the guards to quiet down again. “Regardless if you are chosen or not, your performance during the exercise will be monitored closely by myself and Luna, so do your very best!” She smiled broadly, as she and Luna turned, leaving the cafeteria. Nightshade stepped forward. “Anypony who still wants to volunteer for team captain will do so by noon today with either Captain Armor or myself! That is all.” Then she and Armor left as well. The cafeteria immediately burst into excited chatter. Elias noted several ponies follow immediately after Nightshade. That was overshadowed by the now flailing pony under his arm. “Let me go Elias!” she said, smacking his chest with her hooves. “I can’t believe you wouldn’t put me down the entire time!” Elias snorted as he set the indignant pony on the bench. She crossed her hooves and turned away from him. Elias looked to Scarlet and Flash. Scarlet was already busy pouring over his maps again, his vigor renewed. Flash just smiled at Book Binder and Elias. As Elias sat back on the bench, he said; “That’s what you get for trying to hug me in public. Serves you right.” Book Binder stuck her tongue out at him. “You just need to be more open to public displays of affection,” she replied. Book Binder then sighed and turned to face him. “But I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have tried to force hugs out of you. It wasn’t the nice thing to do. Friends?” She extended her hoofs, smiling innocently. Elias scoffed. “Really? You’re apologizing for trying to force a hug by asking for hug?” Book Binder huffed and crossed her hooves. “Fine, be like that. One of these days you’re going to beg me for a hug.” The unicorn scooted under the table, popping up next to Night Flash. The pegasus extended his hooves to Book Binder, who smiled widely. The two embraced, and as they did so Book Binder stuck her tongue out at Elias again. “See? Night Flash is a proper gentlecolt! He gives me hugs whenever I want or need them.” “Anything for my special mare,” Night Flash said as he gave her a peck on the cheek. Book Binder flushed red and swatted at the pegasus. Night Flash ducked under the swing. He wrapped his wing around the unicorn and pulled her close. Elias rolled his eyes at their antics and grabbed his plate, checking the temperature of his soup to see if it was still edible. Finding it lukewarm, Elias shrugged and began to drink it. He was about halfway through the bowl when he noticed Night Flash giving him a funny look. Elias set the bowl down and wiped his mouth. “What?” he asked. Night Flash laughed. “Are you going to volunteer for team captain or what? I asked you twice.” Elias frowned, his mind suddenly alight. “No. No I’m not,” he said quickly, his voice raising ever so slightly. Scarlet poked his head up from the maps. “Aw, come one Elias, you should do it! I’m going to, and you have more knowledge about human battle tactics, you’d be great!” Elias shook his head. He ran a hand through his hair. “No. If whoever gets it wants my help with a plan, then I’ll act as a tactician, otherwise, I want no part of leading anything.” Night Flash and Book Binder both frowned. Elias felt like he could feel stares on his back, and he struggled to ignore them. To ignore everything. He took a deep breath as he tried to keep calm. Scarlet pressed again, however. “But don’t you have experience in battle? All of the rumors say you used to be some big commander of something. Don’t you want to do that again?” “No!” Elias shouted at the pegasus, his anger flashing to a peak in a heartbeat. His fist slammed into the table. “I already said I want no part in leading anything! I said that, so drop it!” Elias panted, and he felt sweat stream down his back. He stared at the table, and he felt his vision blur slightly as he began to hyperventilate. Trying to keep control, he pointed a finger at Scarlet. “I- I said I didn’t…” Elias swallowed roughly. His hands began to shake violently. “I… just…” Elias wrapped his hands around his head as he rocked on the bench. He closed his eyes as he felt that familiar mix of anger, sadness, and worst of all, panic well up in his chest. Even with his eyes shut, Elias felt the room spin. He felt a fuzzy body on top of his back almost immediately. It was swiftly followed by a second one, pressed against his arms. Elias heard whispers, and for a second, he thought his panic attack was growing worse. He pulled back slightly, trying to find a way to close his ears. Only when the body to his front moved close again did he realize that the whispers were emanating from someone else, rather than from within his head. “Come back to here and now Elias. You’re with us, and just us,” Book Binder whispered softly in one ear. “We’ve got your back Red, nobody here but us and you,” Night Flash whispered in the other. “I… I can’t… not again…” Elias whimpered softly. Book Binder ran her hoof through his hair. “Shh…” she whispered. “It’s all right, nobody is going to make you do anything you don’t want to. Put it out of your mind. Just focus on our voices and those terrible hugs you hate so much.” Elias snorted as he felt a part of his mind disappear back into its dark hole. “I should smack Night Flash for that comment,” Elias said, his voice still shaking a bit. The pegasus on his head shifted slightly. “Why do I get smacked? I didn’t say anything.” Elias felt Book Binder press a little tighter against him. “Don’t worry Honey, it’s just how Elias shows his love for us. Think of it as an aggressive thank you, with his hand.” Elias cracked his eyes open, and Book Binder smiled back at him. Elias quickly noted that they were under Night Flash’s wings again, and looking up saw the pegasus smiling down at him, though that did not erase the look for concern in Flash’s eyes. Seeing the pegasus looking at him upside brought a slight smile to Elias’ face though, and it certainly helped when Book Binder began sticking her tongue out at him. Elias sighed, letting his head thud to the table. “I’ve really got to start getting a handle on this.” Book Binder nuzzled his arm softly. “Maybe there’s nothing to get a handle on. Healing is slow, and I imagine whatever is causing these panic attacks is recent and painful. I won’t pretend it will be easy, but we’re going to be at your side the entire time, alright? Night Flash and I will never leave you alone with this.” Night Flash settled his muzzle into the crook of Elias’ neck. “She’s right Red, you’re never getting away from us. It’s what friends are for.” Elias smiled. “Thanks, you two. I don’t think I can say in words how much I’m glad I have you both.” He reached out and scratched Book Binder behind the ear. The unicorn sighed softly, pressing against his hand. “Mhm, you don’t need to when you can do that.” Elias felt Night Flash sink slightly on his head. “Now hold on, don’t I get any-…” He was interrupted as Elias’ other arm curled up, catching him just behind his left ear. The pegasus relaxed completely, his leg kicking Elias in the side. “Ah, that’s the stuff,” he said happily. Elias snorted. He continued to scratch the ponies for a minute before he stopped, pushing up to be released. Night Flash slid off of his back, but instead of moving around the table to sit by Book Binder once more, the pegasus settled next to Elias, leaning on the human. Book Binder levitated his food over, and the two began to eat quietly. Elias took a deep breath and brought his own meal close, eating it despite its cold temperature. When he looked up from the soup, he found Scarlet staring at him. Tears rimmed the pony’s eyes, and his mouth hung open, as if he was struggling to say something. Elias stared at the pony for a moment, tight lipped as he quelled a bit of anger. Technically speaking, the pegasus had triggered the panic attack, and therefore should be punished for it. Elias let out a loud exhale. No, that wasn’t right. While he wasn’t as close with Scarlet as he was with Binder and Flash, he was still a friend. He just needed a lesson in the rules. “Scarlet?” The pegasus gulped and looked away. “Yeah?” Scarlet asked carefully. “Let’s start with the obvious, first, that was completely your fault, but you also had no idea that would happen, so I don’t blame you. Ok?” Scarlet nodded and sniffed. “I’m sorry Elias, I didn’t know, and I shouldn’t have talked about it and-…” Elias held up a hand to stop the pony from rambling. “I already said I don’t blame you, so an apology isn’t necessary. The second thing is this; just avoid the subject in the future. I’ll try to keep stuff like this from happening, but I probably won’t be able to catch it all. If it happens, it happens, and as you saw, we already have something in place to help me get out of the panic attack, all right?” Scarlet nodded again. “Ok Elias. Do you need me to join in next time?” Book Binder smiled widely. “Absolutely! The more the merrier! Especially since you haven’t had one of his ear scratches yet! It will just make Elias more comfortable!” Elias raised an eyebrow at the unicorn. “Only if you’re comfortable with missing out on scratches occasionally.” Book Binder looked at him inquisitively. “Why is that?” Elias responded by wiggling his fingers. “I only have two hands. That means two ponies get scratched, not three.” Book Binder sucked air in through her teeth. She looked to Scarlet. “On second thought, maybe Night Flash and I will handle it. We wouldn’t want to break Elias’ rules.” Elias snorted while Night Flash grinned silently. The three began to eat again, with Scarlet looking noticeably less depressed, though his eyes would occasionally drift to Elias’ hands. When the human caught him for the third time, Elias snapped. “That’s right, I almost forgot. Book Binder, smack Scarlet Shield for me please.” Without even looking up from her meal, the unicorn drilled Scarlet in the back of the head. The pegasus yelped and rubbed at the welt with his hoof. “Hey! What was that for?” he whined. Elias pointed a spoon at his face. “For freaking me out. It’s only fair since I smacked Night Flash when he did it. Think of that as your punishment.” Scarlet actually smiled at that. “Alright, thanks then. I still kind of felt bad.” Elias rolled his eyes and they all continued eating in companionable silence. > Chapter 14: Exercises in Futility > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry Day 720 I have no idea what I’m doing. I have all of these guns and knives and swords and I have no idea how to use anything but a few of the rifles. Ammo is always short, and I don’t know what I’m going to do when it runs out. I’ve start playing with the knives during my free time, but I don’t know the first thing about throwing them, and I definitely can’t fight with them. There aren’t any books about throwing knives! I can learn to cook, and hunt, and track, but knife throwing? Knife fighting? I’m never going to figure this out, I swear. I should have just ended it with my family. Elias dipped under the wing-blade aimed for his throat, then jabbed out with his fist, impacting right into the joint of Night Flash’s wing. The pegasus grunted, and as he landed, he did so off-balance. Elias was on him in a heartbeat, slashing with wild abandon, hacking away whatever defense the stallion put up. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Book Binder’s horn charge up, so he stepped back, narrowly dodging a rock the size of his fist. Night Flash was not so lucky, and the rock clocked him in the muzzle. With a yelp, the stallion fell back, clutching his bleeding muzzle. Elias grabbed a stone from one of his belt pouches. Before this training session, he had replaced the normally sharp stones with blunt ones, so he didn’t permanently blind one of his best friends. The rock impacted Book Binder right below her horn, and her eyes crossed as she collapsed, her magic sputtering out. Elias rolled his shoulder as he turned to face his last opponent. Scarlet Shield looked at Elias nervously, his eyes darting to his fallen compatriots. Elias gave his gladius a little twirl, then began to walk forward slowly, forcing confrontation. Scarlet frowned, looking at Elias’ feet. Elias responded by taking another rock from his belt and throwing it at the pony. The stone hit him in the muzzle, not hard, but hard enough to startle him. Scarlet snorted, going cross eyed as he stared at his throbbing muzzle. Elias rolled his eyes and closed the distance between them in a step. By the time Scarlet was focused enough to react, Elias’ sword was already gently poking at his neck. Elias snorted and smiled. “You’re overthinking this again Scarlet. You need to act as you think. If you just think, and think, your enemy will have the opportunity to get the better of you.” Scarlet sighed. “I know, I know. It’s just… what happens if I mess up? Isn’t exposing my flank even worse?” “Than not moving?" Elias asked. "No, even if you miss a strike, you can always roll away and try again. If your opponent hits you while you think about moving, that’s it. No second chances. You need to rely on your reflexes Shield, and if you can’t have faith in them, then that’s what you need to work on the most.” Elias pulled the sword away, sheathing it quickly. Scarlet rubbed his neck. His wings fluttered slightly at his sides. “Thanks Elias, sorry that I’m not getting this.” Elias shrugged. “It’s not a big deal right now. We’re practicing for an exercise, and this is what, the third practice? You have time, but you have to work at it. If you want to win in combat, you have to pull out all of the stops. No hesitation, no mercy.” “I’ll say,” Night Flash grumbled, trying to staunch the flow of blood pouring from his muzzle. “That rock hurt!” “Blame your marefriend Flash, she threw it. I just avoided it.” The pony in question groaned loudly as she rubbed her forehead. “Yeah, but why did you have to hit me so hard? I think you made me overload.” Elias shrugged. “Sorry Book Binder. When it’s three on one, I tend to take it a bit seriously. I have a nasty issue with losing.” He walked over to the unicorn, offering his hand to help her stand up. She glared at him, but accepted it, leaning heavily on him. Elias felt a brief pang of concern. “Are you all right?” She stuck her tongue out at him. “I’m fine, but I’m glad to see you care. It means we’re getting to you.” Elias resisted the urge to shove the pony away, but he saw her wobble slightly, so he put a tentative hand on her back, holding her steady against his side. Elias frowned, his mind warring with itself. He should be pushing them harder, driving the ponies to their breaking points. That paranoid voice in the center of his mind was enraged that he was repeating a mistake that had cost him everything before. He should be scolding them; he should tell them that they’re going to run the same exercise over and over again until they get it down perfect. Night Flash limped slightly, the result of a cut halfway down his foreleg. The stallion looked disappointed in himself, and Elias hated that look on the pony. Elias frowned and sighed. “You two are getting much better at fighting as a team,” he said, trying to be encouraging. The small voice at the back of his head prodded for him to go on. He couldn’t make them stronger if they didn’t believe they would improve, it said. Besides, it was for an exercise chock full of safety procedures. Ponies who sustained “serious injury” would be teleported away before the hit. The exercise would be closely monitored by several dozen unicorns, as well as both princesses to ensure that all of the guards would be safe. Coupled with that, the entire medical staff of Canterlot Castle would be on standby, with the Royal Guards acting as runners to fetch or stop any fighting that got too serious. Overall, Elias didn’t have to worry about the safety of his friends. He was a bit glad that he had been listening to that voice more of late. Night Flash looked up, still holding his nose with one hoof. “Do you really think so?” he asked hopefully. Elias nodded. “I do. You are beginning to learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses and how to compensate for them. You just need more practice on the timing. Your reflexes aren’t quick enough to react when you need them to. If Binder had thrown that rock when I put you off balance, she could have given you the opportunity to recover and strike me back.” Elias side-eyed Scarlet. “Or if Shield attacked me at all, you could have had the same affect.” The pegasus drooped. He kneaded the ground with one hoof. “Sorry,” he mumbled. Elias sighed and shook his head. “I can’t give you nice words Shield. We’ve fought three times, and not once have you hit me. Both Binder and Flash have separately landed hits, and they get closer to landing more every time.” Elias took off his helmet and wiped some sweat from his forehead. “Maybe I’m just not a good enough teacher,” he thought aloud. He looked to Scarlet, who seemed to droop even further at the words. “When you got into the guard, who was your training instructor?” “It was actually Ice Blossom," Scarlet answered, shuffling the dirt with his hoof. "We only had two weeks together, but since she and her brother were training for their guard forces, she helped me qualify for the Lunar Guard. We can’t talk to her now though! It’s against the rules.” Elias rubbed at his eyes as they walked back over to the equipment table. Looking over his shoulder, he spotted where a group of Royal Guards were training. It looked to be an intense sparring match. A small circle of Royal Guards watched the match silently, half of whom were wearing their full armor, the magic in their helmets making them look exactly the same. It didn't help that he wasn't yet an expert on the smaller details that differentiated ponies. “Is she over there right now?” he asked, pointing at the group. Scarlet looked toward the Royal Guards. “Yeah, I think s- I mean no! Elias you can’t go over there! Even if you don’t get in trouble, you might get hurt!” Elias snorted as he set down his helmet and shield. “You let me worry about if I get hurt. Besides, I haven’t visited Scalpel yet this week; it’ll be a good chance to chat if something does happen.” He began to move away from the table, but Book Binder caught his arm while Night Flash barred his path. Elias looked between the two in confusion. “What? You act like I’m going to die just from going over there.” Night Flash looked at him seriously. “If it was anypony else, we wouldn’t be as concerned, but it’s you Red, you can be…” “Volatile, easy to anger, short tempered,” Book Binder rattled off. "Overly aggressive, provocative, a general troublemaker." “Yeah,” Night Flash agreed. “That. We’re just concerned you’re going to pick a fight with one of them. You’re a good fighter, but they’re the best! They routinely duel the princesses! We’re worried that if you go over there…” “You will actually get yourself killed,” Book Binder finished. Elias looked between the two. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear half of that.” He gently shrugged Book Binder off his arm, scooping her up and setting her on the equipment table. “Besides, I can be diplomatic and friendly,” Elias said, putting on a fake smile. The reaction was the opposite of what he hoped for. Book Binder snorted and laughed at him, while Night Flash shook his head, struggling not to join her. Scarlet Shield just looked away, refusing to meet Elias’ eyes. The man frowned. “Wow, thank you for your kind words of encouragement.” He ran his tongue over his teeth, and grunted. “Doesn’t matter though, Scarlet needs a better teacher, my methods aren’t working.” Scarlet Shield sighed. “Elias, I just need more time! I can get it right eventually, just… let’s run it again, I swear I can get you this time.” Elias shook his head. “No Scarlet. You need extra help. What I said earlier about getting it with more practice? Bullshit. I can see that, I was just being too self-confident to think that I could help you. There’s no shame in the fact that I can’t, but if I don’t go over there now and get you a teacher that works, then when the moment of truth comes, you’ll hesitate and fail. I’d rather risk a potential beating at the hands of a few ponies than seeing you lying in a ditch with your throat cut open.” Scarlet flinched at the semi-graphic description. His eyes again shifted down and he again shuffled the dirt with his hoof. “I don’t want you getting hurt on my behalf,” he said softly. “And I don’t want you getting hurt at all,” Elias responded. “We have a little less than a month before the exercise, don’t you want to get better by then?” “I do,” Scarlet replied with a nod. “Then let me do this for you Scarlet. You need more help. I’ll be happy to still train with you, but I’m not enough. Again, there’s no shame in that, but there is shame in not getting someone who can fix the issue.” Book Binder snorted, and covered her muzzle to hide a wide smile. Elias looked at her, eyebrow raised. She smiled and waved him on. “Do continue. I’m taking notes.” Elias rolled his eyes and walked away, bypassing the ponies. He walked straight toward the Royal Guards, making his intentions obvious. It took only a few steps before he caught the eyes of a few Royal Guards. Mere seconds after that, the rest began visibly staring at him as he walked over. Elias had no doubt in his mind that it was some sort of scare tactic to keep unwanted ponies away, but he wasn’t a pony, was he? Either way, it didn’t matter, he wouldn’t be deterred by a mean look or two. Elias kept his steps even and calm, his stride the same as it always was. By the time he was within a few feet of them, the entirety of the group was glaring silently at him, including the two ponies who had been sparring moments before. Elias met these glares with a blank, almost bored stare. Elias quickly identified Captain Chaser as the grey maned pegasus made his way before Elias. “What do you want Guardsman?” he asked gruffly. Elias put his thumbs on his sword belt. “I was hoping to speak with, or at least be pointed to Royal Guardspony ICe Blossom. A friend of mine is having difficulties with his fighting techniques, and I’m not informed enough about pegasi to teach him properly. I wanted to see if she would be willing to help him, since she was the one who helped him get in the guard in the first place.” A helmeted mare's ears flicked, and she turned, pushing herself through the crowd of guards. Elias felt himself smile slightly at the simple success. He mentally scoffed at his friends. ‘See?’ he thought, mentally sticking his middle finger up at Book Binder. ‘I can be friendly and calm when I want to’. As the pony who he imagined was Ice Blossom made her way through the crowd of ponies, Chaser stopped her, extending a wing to cut off her path. “Not so fast Guardspony, I’m feeling a bit doubtful about Guardsman Bright’s intentions. Who’s this friend of yours? Why didn’t he approach Guardspony Blossom himself?” Elias snorted and smiled. “Really? Maybe it’s because you’ve got everyone here under your thumb. None of my friends wanted me to come over here, but I believed, and still do, that Scarlet needs better help then I can give. There’s no more ulterior motive than wanting my friend to not get himself stabbed to death. I would be appreciative if you, or at least Royal Guardspony Blossom could assist me in that motive.” “Scarlet?” the mare piped up, “What’s he doing wrong now?” Elias scratched his nose. “Overthinking everything to the point that he isn’t moving at all. It’s not that he’s frozen with fear, that I could fix, it’s that he has to plan out every little step before making it. When the fight shifts, he has to shift his plan. It results in him standing there doing nothing. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Ice Blossom sighed and removed her helmet. The illusion pealed away as she scratched at her white mane. “That idiot. I warned him during guard training not to pull that kind of crap. It just means he’s been using maps more than he has a sword.” She stepped in front of Chaser’s outstretched wing, flashing a smile back to the grey pegasus as she slipped by. “Captain, I can take care of this in a snap, and he's an old friend, so everypony will understand. If nothing else, I can show Guardsman Bright what he needs to do to break Scarlet Shield out of his stupidity.” Chaser spun around the pegasus, growling as he pressed his forehead against hers, pushing her backward toward the rest of the Royal Guards. “That isn’t the issue here Blossom. I don’t give a buck about what problems “Scarlet Shield” is having,” he snarled. “What I am concerned with is the message we are sending by letting some Lunar Guard, who isn’t a pony mind you, come and demand a Royal Guardspony’s presence. It makes us look weak, and I taught you to know better.” Elias coughed, and Chaser’s head snapped toward the man. “I asked for Royal Guardspony Blossom's help, I didn’t demand anything.” Chaser growled at him. “Butt out human. I’ll deal with you in a second.” Elias snorted and smiled, but said nothing else. He turned his back on the pony, looking over to where all three of his friends were watching him carefully. Night Flash looked like he was mouthing a ‘What’s going on?’, so Elias responded by shrugging. He tuned his ears over his shoulder as he stared at the sky. It was turning into a lovely afternoon, the sunset promised to be a brilliant orange if the sky was any indicator. “I will not have one of my ponies rolling in the dirt with some random Lunar Guardspony, especially one who can’t even fight for himself. It makes you look bad, and therefore it makes the Royal Guard look bad.” “Cap, I don’t think that-…” “I didn’t ask for your opinion Blossom! I will not have you make a fool of yourself by helping some hapless moron who can’t fight, even if he was your friend." Ice Blossom matched the guard captain's scowl, pressing back slightly. "He's still my friend Chase. Just because I can't show that on duty, doesn't mean-" "Are you on duty?" Ice Blossom bit her tongue, then nodded. "Then there's no argument," Chaser snapped. "You're on duty, you're a Royal Guardspony. Act like it." Elias snorted again. Chaser gave him a death glare. “I thought I told you to butt out human.” Elias smiled and put his hands up in mock defense. “I didn’t say anything. Just merely listening to the wise words of a Royal Guard Captain.” The pegasus growled at him again, and Elias made note that this particular pony liked growling. “I suggest you move along Guardsman. Ice Blossom won’t be helping you, or your worthless friend.” Elias bit his tongue to prevent himself from snapping on the pony. He suppressed the anger he found welling up at the word "worthless". Elias sniffed and shuffled his feet slightly. As he thought for a brief moment, a few flippant words came to mind, and Elias grinned slightly. “I’ll take you suggestion into consideration Captain, but I think I’ll remain here for the time being while I think it over. This spot has a wonderful breeze, and I would be remiss if I didn’t take the time to enjoy it. You know us night guards, we have such a thinking problem. If only someone had the foresight or capability to solve the issue.” Elias smirked. “Strange.” Elias then turned his back on the pony again, this time making a blatant show out of it as he whistled loudly, staring into the sky without a care in the world. He could practically hear Chaser’s teeth grinding in anger, and just the thought of such brought a wide smile to his face. “Leave Bright. I won’t tell you again,” Chaser growled. Elias snorted in response. “First, I wouldn’t still be here with you just let Ms. Blossom come and help me, but for some reason, being a Royal Guard Captain means you have a stick shoved firmly up your ass. Makes me wonder what you do all day if not helping better your fellow ponies.” Elias glanced over his shoulder and crossed his arms. “Second, I dare you to make me.” Elias blinked, and then the pegasus was in front of him, a feral snarl on his face. A second later, Elias was on the ground, clutching at his bleeding nose. Sharp pain lanced through his face, and he had no doubt that his nose had been broken. Elias winced as he wiped blood away from his face. As his mind processed what had happened, blood dripped into his left eye. Running his fingers along his eyebrow found that it had been split open. Seeing his blood on his fingertips, Elias felt only one thing; rage. Chaser grinned at him. “Bravado goes out the window when your flat on your ass, doesn’t it human?” Elias pushed himself to his feet, and his gladius found its way from its sheathe. “I’m going to cut you in half Chaser,” Elias responded. “I’m done talking, done doing things the nice way.” The pegasus spread his wings, and Elias noted each and every blade, shining brightly at him. He didn’t care. Damn risk, damn thinking this through. It was time for blood. Elias braced his gladius on his wrist guard, falling into a half-crouch. Before the two could begin to circle each other, Elias found a different pegasus in front of him. Night Flash pushed Elias backward, using his wings to block his sight line to Chaser. “Red, please don’t do this,” he begged. “This fight isn’t worth it, I promise. Just, come back and train. We’ll figure out a way to help Scarlet, but this won’t help him at all.” With each word Flash pushed a bit more, shoving Elias back a few steps. The human tried to shift around him, but the pegasus was very good at getting in his way. Elias growled. “Move Flash, this isn’t about getting a trainer anymore. He wants to treat me like that? He’s going to pay for it.” Night Flash pushed him again. “That’s exactly it Red, this isn’t about helping Scarlet anymore. That’s why you came over here, and that didn’t work. Please don’t do this. Bindey and I still need your help, even if you can’t help Scarlet. You won’t be able to help us improve if you’re in a hospital bed. Even if you win, you’re going to get hurt. Remember why you’re fighting Red, remember your friends.” “If I walk away now, I will look weak,” Elias growled. “I will not give that arrogant ass something to lord over me.” Night Flash smiled. “But we both know you aren’t weak, and by walking away, you’ll be showing Captain Chaser that he’s beneath you. You’ll be the stronger pony by walking away. You already got back up, that’s all you needed to do to look strong.” Elias snorted, feeling a bit of mirth cut through his anger. Elias tried to force the rage back up, to ignore Flash’s words. He found that he couldn’t; the pegasus was right. He had come over here with a mission, and he had failed to accomplish it. Done and done, fighting wouldn’t help anyone, especially if he lost. Chaser was clearly significantly faster than the average pegasus guard, and Elias didn’t have his shield. He was at a disadvantage. He would likely just make a fool of himself. Elias glared at the blue pegasus. “Everything you just said is complete shit Flash.” He sighed. “But fine, we’ll do things your way.” He sheathed his gladius. “You owe me for this.” Flash smiled and nodded. “Sure Red, I’ll make sure to pay you back in full.” Elias closed his eyes, swaying a bit as the adrenaline began to wane. He touched his nose, holding back the stem of blood. “I’m going to see Scalpel to get this fixed up. We’ll train more tomorrow.” Flash nodded again, but didn’t drop his wings. Elias suspected it was to make sure he didn’t see Chaser and immediately get angry again. Elias snorted and turned away. Flash fell in beside him, his wings at his side as he smiled up at Elias. “Thanks Red. I promise, it’s better this way.” Elias grumbled softly as they began to walk away. “That’s right human! Run away like a little coward, back to your pathetic friends!” The dagger was gone from his hand before Elias realized he was holding it. Chaser still had an arrogant smile on his face when the blade hit him in the chest, embedding itself firmly in his armor. Elias straightened to his full height as the pegasus just stared at the blade protruding from his chest. Night Flash sighed, shaking his head as he took a few steps away. “So bucking close,” Elias heard the pony whisper. Elias drew his gladius with his right hand, his bloodlust flaring up again. Whatever rational thoughts Night Flash put into his head vanished as anger rose to the forefront. Chaser glared at him with a look of hatred. Ignoring the knife sticking out of his armor, the pegasus growled and spread his wings once more. With a roar, the pony rushed him. Elias flipped his gladius into an underhanded grip. Chaser’s wingblades dug into his flesh as Elias pressed between them. Ignoring the cuts on his arms and neck, Elias grappled the pegasus. In his blind rage, Chaser’s speed was non-existent. Evidently it required some measure of focus. Elias grabbed hold of Chaser’s torso, lifting the pony high into the air, before slamming him cruelly into the ground. The pony landed with a gasp as the air left his lungs, and he skidded away; his armor coated with dust as he struggled to breathe. Elias flipped the gladius back in his grip. Red liquid dropped to the ground, and Elias pressed his left hand to his throat, pulling it away to find it slicked with blood. Elias growled and pressed it back, doing his best to stem the flow as Chaser got to his feet. The pegasus glared at him with hatred as he panted. “I’m going to hurt you Bright,” the pony grunted. “I don’t care who you think you are, you don’t get to treat a Royal Guardspony like that. I’m going to make you bleed.” “Promises promises,” Elias replied. “I’ll believe it when I see it.” This time the pegasus played it smart. He and Elias began to circle one another. Blood pattered to the ground, slipping through his fingers. Elias growled, passing his sword from his right hand to his left. Then he pressed his clean hand against the wound, staunching the cut as he tried to get a good grip on his sword. The grip was slick, but ultimately, Elias was able to keep a firm hand around the blade. Ponies began to crowd around them, mostly Royal Guards, as their blades clashed together. Elias had no doubt in his mind that the wingblades that Chaser was sporting were every bit as powerful as Feather was. The human sent a silent thank you to Anyon for the additions to the blade. With each hit he could feel the force of their blows race up his arm through the sword. A lesser blade would have snapped long ago, but his gladius held strong as Elias swung time and again at the pegasus, who would either dodge out of the way, or meet it with equal anger and force. Elias thrusted forward, jabbing at Chaser. The pegasus blocked the strike, and responded in kind, unleashing a flurry of attacks. With one of his hands occupied, Elias struggled to keep up with the quick pony. He bit his tongue as more than one cut tore through his flesh, spilling more and more red onto the ground. While it was an uneven match, Elias still got licks in. A small cut above the eye, a punch to the throat. With each second that passed, Chaser looked more haggard and worn out as the results of a dozen cuts wore on him. While Elias received more hits, he still dished out a bit of pain. He was fairly confident he could outlast the pony, pain wasn’t new, and the wounds he was sustaining weren’t that severe, no matter how large the puddle on the ground was growing. The two broke away from each other, and began circling once more. They were both panting heavily, and Elias was walking with a fairly dramatic limp, the result of a nasty cut that had slipped past his greaves. He was proud however, to see one of Chaser’s wings bent out of shape. The pony hadn’t retracted fully on a swing, so Elias had cut at the bone of the limb. A small spray of blood and a few feathers saw the wing dangling uselessly at the pony’s side. Sure, he had received a headbutt in reply, but that bit of blood on his sword was worth every hurt. Elias had to give credit to that black armor though, it had substantially more covering than the normal guard armors, and his sword was never able to bite very deep into Chaser’s body. Elias stabbed downward, aiming at the other wing. Chaser sidestepped the attack and tried to turn to buck at Elias. The human took a step backward, avoiding the deadly hooves. He also almost lost his balance. As he stumbled back. he eyed the blood on the ground. There was quite a bit now. Most of it was likely his. His vision was beginning to blur slightly, and he felt that his grip on his gladius was becoming tenuous at best. His eyes narrowed as he took a deep breath, trying to find focus. He needed to finish this. Midnight Chaser evidently felt the same. He straightened slightly, and Elias was surprised when he gave the human a slight bow, using his good wing to salute at Elias. The blade on the tip touched Chaser’s forehead, then moved slowly to the ground, the blade just barely touching the dirt. Elias smirked. He returned the gesture, straightening as much as his body could before touching the flat of his blade to his nose, before letting it fall to his side in a fencing stance. Chaser snorted. “I’ll take your surrender anytime human,” he said confidently. Elias grinned as his gladius rose again. “I’ll die first.” He swayed slightly as he dropped into his combat pose, laying the blade of his sword across an imaginary shield. Chaser nodded once, and Elias could have sworn he saw a touch of a grin. It was gone in a second, and they both tensed. The air seemed still, and the crowd of ponies they had drawn waited with bated breath. Elias looked at none of them, his focus was only on Chaser. The pony met his eyes, and as the two stared, they seemed to share… something. Elias couldn’t place the notion, but it felt almost as if the pony understood, if only a little bit, what Elias had lived through. The pegasus blinked. Elias rushed forward in silence, his gladius scything through the air at Chaser’s head. Mid-swing, Elias felt himself freeze as an intense pain lit up his stomach. With the momentary delay in momentum, the sword passed through empty air, and Elias stumbled forward slightly, overbalanced when it didn’t connect with anything. He kept his on his feet however, and Elias turned around, his gladius in hand, ready to continue. Chaser was looking at him in horror, his wings hanging limply at his side, with a noticeable absence from his chest armor. Elias snorted. ‘Really?’ he thought. ‘Now you get squeamish for a fight? A bit late for t-…’ Elias coughed slightly, and blood spilled down his chin. He took a step forward, and Elias felt that intense pain in his stomach again. With another cough, he looked down and found his dagger embedded firmly in his belly. Elias reached for the blade with his right hand, temporarily uncaring about his weeping neck wound. Elias swayed slightly as he looked from the knife back to Chaser, who was looking at Elias as if he had seen death itself. Elias staggered to his left, seeking a way out of the circle. He just needed to get to the infirmary, then he would be as right as rain. Sure, Scalpel was going to yell at him, but hey, better than dying right? He walked through the cleared path. All of the ponies were watching him with clear and utter horror on their faces. Elias ignored every single one. Keeping the knife hilt cupped, he tried to hold back the blood that was seeping out around the blade. Elias made it half a dozen steps before he realized he was going to pass out. The world swam before his eyes as he rocked back and forth. With one final stagger forward, he looked back. Chaser was still staring at him through the cleared path of ponies. Elias winked. “I guess you win Captain,” he said, coughing up more blood as he did so. Chaser shook his head slightly, his ears folded against his head. Elias snorted in amusement at the sight. The gladius clattered from his grip as he fell on his side. Blackness swarmed his vision, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as the ground rushed up to meet him. > Chapter 15: Dying to Heal > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Luna trotted cheerfully down the long corridors of the castle. In her wake flew a carefully assembled stack of books and notes that were the culmination of several extremely fruitful days and nights of labor. Nightshade had informed her that Elias was making friends, three in fact! The two incidents she had dealt with personally had confirmed it. Night Flash and Book Binder were the perfect ponies for the job of helping tame the human, and according to all of the reports were making immense strides in progress. Why she had not thought of them earlier, she did not know, but she couldn’t have been happier with the initial results. While the human had not been witnessed initiating public displays of friendship, he had been on the receiving end of many, and despite a few grumbles, had been witnessed returning most of them. Besides the one notable incident with the Solar Guard, Shoe Shiner she believed it was, Elias’ record had remained quite clean. He was viewed smiling and talking with his new friends, while being slightly more amicable with his fellow guards. It wasn’t anything overtly significant, but it was progress, and Luna felt extremely comfortable beginning her own infiltration of his personal life. With the good work of Night Flash and Book Binder, she had a perfect foundation to help the human solve his deepest issues. Normally, Luna would focus only on the night terrors, but Elias’ case was somewhat more complex than extremely bad dreams. It wasn’t a simple case of severe stress, or nerves, or mild paranoia. While these symptoms did occur in the human, they were just that, symptoms. There was a much larger issue at play, and Luna was bound and determined to fix it. She had consulted with leading psychologists from across Equestria, seeking opinions on Elias’ mental state. Even with the limited records they had of his history, many of the ponies had jumped upon the opportunity to study such an extreme mental case, especially that of a new species. Each and every one thought they would find some creature locked in a padded cell, but they were all left in a state of shock when she led them to a scrying room, from which they watched Elias functioning almost like a regular pony. Due to her nigh continuous watching of the human, she had quickly picked up on the small things, and it didn’t take any of the mind doctors long to figure the human out either. His large-scale panic attacks were few and far between, but if one knew what to look for as she did, they could very clearly see a man running on fumes. He kept an excellent public face that rarely slipped, but sometimes he would reveal himself, particularly through his eyes. Luna loved watching those blue eyes, but she hated when she saw panic, or fear, or anger in them. His eyes were always moving, rarely watching one thing at a time. Only when his friends were physically close, particularly when Flash would try to sneak a hug in, would she see true relaxation in his eyes. Though he outwardly hid it, Luna could tell clearly that he greatly enjoyed the physical affections of her night guards. While she was the expert on Elias’ behavior, she was not the expert on mental states, no matter how much she studied. Each evening when her night court hit a lull, she would visit the scrying room, joining the psychologists as they studied the motions of the human, making notes as they wrote down every little aspect of Elias’ behavior. After nearly a month of study, they had reached a conclusion. Everything; his over-defensiveness, his unwillingness to open up, even to those he trusted, the anger in his eyes, the panic attacks, the night terrors, all were the culmination of one great failure. Whatever the event was, it had led Elias to drive away anyone who got close, not because he feared letting them in, but because he feared losing them. The first step on his road to recovery had already been overcome. He had, albeit slowly, begun letting others inside his heart. Now he had a select friend group, and they were steadily chipping away at the walls of his heart. They weren’t completely inside yet, but they were slowly worming deeper, making Elias more and more comfortable with his life, and with those around him. As far along as they were now, Luna was sure that she could use them to comfort the human, to make Elias see that he was completely safe, and that whatever he feared would never come to pass again. It simply wouldn’t happen. Luna hummed and smiled, feeling almost giddy. She was used to her sister’s protégé saving all of the broken, hurt ponies, herself included, but now all of her effort would allow her to pass the favor to someone else! She could finally help someone like she had been helped. The doors leading to the training grounds came into view, and Luna quickened her pace, eager to get started. All of her observations had made it clear that it was Elias’ favorite place to be when he wasn’t on duty. Luna swung open the doors, hoping to find the human still training lightly with his friends, or even better, they had dragged him to the ground and collapsed on top of him in a pile, that would be a sight. What she decidedly did not want to find was Elias stumbling away from Royal Guard Captain Midnight Chaser, clutching at a brilliant knife that was buried to the hilt in his stomach. Even from where she was, Luna could see the blood pouring down from the man, could see the trail that led to a circle of staring ponies. Elias turned and said something to Chaser before collapsing, falling limply into the dirt. Luna felt panic flash in her mind. Was the idiotic fool really going to die right when she finished preparing to help him? Anger overcame the panic and Luna growled. With a flash of magic, two things happened. The books she had been carrying vanished, dropping lightly into her bedroom with a soft pop. Second, the lunar princess appeared above the bleeding human, quickly summoning a storm cloud above the training grounds as her rage manifested. Lightning flashed and thunder cracked as the grey clouds grew into a roiling storm. The guard ponies flinched and cowered as she bellowed loudly. “WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS FOLLY?!?” she shouted, making full use of the Royal Canterlot voice. Most of the guards flinched back, avoiding her harsh gaze as they remained silent. One pegasus, who Luna recognized as Night Flash, charged forward, running past her with a cry as he slid in beside the fallen Elias. The pegasus pressed his hooves against one of the numerous wounds decorating the human’s body as he tried vainly to staunch the blood flow. A pair of shouts echoed across the training field, and Luna watched as two more ponies charged from where they had been watching at a distance. Book Binder and Scarlet Shield looked at Elias in horror as they joined Night Flash in trying to slow the blood spilling from his body. “Flash, what the buck happened?” Book Binder cried. “I thought that maybe there was a hoof fight, not whatever this is!” Flash whimpered, barely holding back tears as red flowed past his hooves. “I-I’m sorry, I-… I- Red almost walked away… but-…” The guardspony looked like he was about to have a mental breakdown as tears welled up in his eyes. Book Binder lightly touched the pegasus’ wing. “We’ll talk about it later. Right now, we need to get him to the infirmary.” She looked to Luna for permission, which the alicorn granted in an instant. “See to it immediately. I shall follow in a moment.” Lifting Elias in her magic, Book Binder set him on Flash’s back, and then the trio raced away, leaving a clear trail of blood in their wake. Luna coolly looked back to her still frozen guards, with her eyes falling squarely on the Royal Guard Captain that stood at their center. She hoped that he could see the barely contained anger in her eyes. He didn’t even seem to notice her however; he was still staring in open mouthed shock at the long lines of blood that stained the dirt of the training grounds. Luna snorted in disgust and disappointment. She looked to the guards around him, her mouth set in a hard frown. “Anyone who bore witness to the inciting actions leading up to this… event, shall submit a detailed report, under a truth spell. Anyone caught attempting to lie on said reports will be evicted from the guard, and will be put on a permanent watch list. I expect these reports submitted by midnight, tonight.” She looked with distaste, and more than a little discomfort, at the blood on the ground. “Clean this mess up. Scrub the grounds clean with bleach if you must. It will be a suitable punishment for standing by and watching a fellow guard collapse in a pool of his own blood.” A few of the guards flinched, and even more looked away in shame. Luna walked forward, grabbing hold of Midnight Chaser in her magic, dragging him so that they were nose to nose. The pony finally looked at her, though the horror never left his eyes. “As for you, Captain, you will wait in the throne room, at attention, in silence, until I arrive. I have half a mind to throw you from the mountain to test your current flight capabilities,” she growled, pointedly looking down at his marred wing, “but as a princess, that would reflect poorly on me. You should more than know better than to pick fights with another guard, however antagonistic they may be. I shall be checking your report very clearly.” Chaser nodded dumbly, and Luna dropped the pony. She noted the bloody injuries that he sported, and sighed internally. He looked like he had been on the receiving end of a mauling by a manticore. She couldn’t let two of her guards bleed to death, now could she? She picked out the first pony that made eye contact with her, a pegasus with a pink mane. “Royal Guard Lucky Swing, see to the Captain’s injuries. Bandages only, no numbing spells, no magic healing. He can stew with his glory wounds for a bit.” Lucky Swing nodded and saluted before laying a hoof on Chaser’s shoulders. “C’mon Cap let’s get you cleaned up,” she said, her voice calm. Satisfied that the situation would soon be remedied, Luna strode quickly toward the doors leading into the castle. Even if she had no idea where the infirmary was, the trail of blood was clear and easy to follow. As she rushed inside, she saw several members of the cleaning staff staring at the red line that skated across the carpets. Luna would have to apologize to them, again. With the arrival of Elias, this sort of bloody incident was happening more often, and as a result, the carpets were being cleaned much more frequently. It put strain on the castle staff who had to spend hours scrubbing and magically removing the red stains. For some reason, the human’s blood carried a nasty tendency to stain anything it touched, and the normal, magical methods of removing it proved somewhat ineffective. Short of replacing the entire carpet, Luna had pressed that the servants find an alternative way to remove it, and while they had succeeded in doing so, it was a long and arduous process that involved a great deal of lemon juice and soap. ‘Maybe we should move the infirmary closer to the training field’, Luna thought to herself as she trotted past another stunned maid. The trail of blood seemed to diminish as she approached the infirmary, and Luna knew that it was a good sign when she heard loud yelling coming from behind the closed doors. She pushed them open with her magic, and Luna felt a small smile creep onto her face as she bore the sight. Elias also looked like he had been mauled by a manticore, but the human seemed awake and alert. His armor lay stacked in a bloody pile in the corner. Scarlet Shield had a rag in hoof and was doing his best to wipe away the blood staining the blue steel. Elias’ chest lay bare, with heavy white bandages wrapped around his midsection. Luna could see blood peeking through the bandages, but in truth, it didn’t look that bad. That couldn’t be said for other parts of his body. Half of Elias’ face had swollen up, sealing one eye shut. A thick white bandage covered his eyebrow, and Luna could see the bandage wrapped partially around his head. The other eye was focused on a pair of ponies who seemed to be trading off who was yelling at the man, and who was treating his wounds. The one yelling currently was Scalpel, while Book Binder just glared at the human while wrapping a bandage firmly around a cut on his leg. “I mean really Elias, do you have an actual death wish, or did you get hit on the head recently? Because if it isn’t either of those, then I have no idea what is the matter with you! What part of getting your nose broken said to you, “Hm, you know what’s a good idea? Picking a fight with the Captain of the Royal bucking Guard!”” Elias opened his mouth to respond, but all that escaped was a grunt as Book Binder tightened the bandage aggressively. He glared at the unicorn, who glared back even more fiercely. “Don’t give me that look, you’re more than welcome to do this yourself.” The human lifted his right hand and gave Book Binder what Luna imagined was an obscene gesture. She had limited exposure to the fingered species since her return, so in truth, the gesture could mean anything. When the human didn’t reach down however, something she fully expected given his usual stubborn mentality, Luna quickly looked to see if he had sustained a major injury to his arms, preventing any motion. What she saw almost made her laugh. Night Flash was doing his best impression of a stuffed animal as he snuggled tightly around Elias’ left arm. The pegasus was smiling cheerfully now, a far cry from the near breakdown she had seen only a few minutes ago. His grip seemed like a vise, and any twitch of the arm saw the pegasus clinging tighter as he prevented movement. Luna had no doubt that Elias had the strength to push the pegasus away, but she knew from the glances the man would occasionally put toward the pony that he wouldn’t do that, likely ever. Tying the bandage off, Book Binder got to her feet, and Scalpel made his way to the bedside as he began wrapping a nasty looking cut on Elias’ neck. The wound had already been cleaned, and even from the entrance of the infirmary Luna could see that it had already received some magical healing, as it bled no longer. Still, it ran the length of his neck in a bright red line. Book Binder growled loudly. “And why exactly did you stop walking away? Night Flash was right beside you, and you were coming back toward Scarlet and I, but then you stopped and whipped around. Why?” Elias growled softly. He opened his mouth to respond, but Scalpel put a hoof over his mouth. “No talking, I need you still while I wrap this.” Scalpel gently tilted Elias’ head to the left, which had the effect of making Elias grimace, while making Night Flash coo softly as the human’s chin ended up on his back. The pegasus nuzzled Elias’ cheek and sighed contently. The motion also brought the human’s eye to the infirmary doors, where Luna was still standing silently, watching the whole affair with amusement. Elias tried to nudge Scalpel, but the unicorn ignored him. When he opened his mouth to speak again, Scalpel covered it with a hoof once more. “I said no talking. You can explain yourself when we’re through with you.” Elias issued another low growl. He grabbed Scalpel’s jaw, then forced his head to turn to where Luna was standing. The unicorn let out a squeak of surprise, then Elias released him. Scalpel quickly finished wrapping Elias’ neck wound as Luna walked through the infirmary toward the human’s bed. Book Binder’s tail flicked back and forth as she looked at Luna, and though Luna saw anger there, she could tell it wasn’t directed at her. Scarlet Shield set down his rag and fell in beside the unicorn, and the two saluted sharply. Luna waved them down as she smiled at the third guard who seemed to either be willfully ignoring her presence, or dead asleep. Book Binder followed her eyes and she gently nudged Night Flash. The pegasus only curled tighter around Elias’ arm. Book Binder smiled and looked to Luna. “Sorry Princess, he’s been like this since Elias woke up. For some reason he blames himself for what happened, rather than the actual guilty party,” she said, shooting a glare at Elias. He grunted. “Don’t look at me, I told him the same thing. It’s not my fault he won’t listen.” Night Flash nuzzled his neck. “Shh, Red. I know it isn’t your fault. You were just doing what you thought was right.” Elias sighed, and Luna thought for a moment that he would shove the pony away when his right arm lifted up, but she relaxed when he just began to scratch Flash’s ears. The pegasus smiled and shifted slightly, keeping Elias’ left arm thoroughly pinned. The human shook his head and watched the pegasus, a small smile touching his wounded face. Luna felt her heart warm at the sight. The Elias of a month ago wouldn’t have smiled like that. Despite this setback, she could probably still try to work with him. Especially if he was a captive audience… Luna looked to Scalpel. “Tell me Doctor, will he survive?” Scalpel snorted and looked at Elias like he wanted to smack the man. “He shouldn’t, but he will. I did a few scans of his body, and if I studied my human anatomy right, Chaser missed anything vital. He’s got a broken nose, severe lacerations, and he almost nicked an artery in his neck, but otherwise he’s stable.” He growled at Elias. “Which means I’m going to spend the next three bucking days caring for your stupid butt, because you,” he jabbed his hoof at Elias, “seem to enjoy getting hurt! We talked about this, you don’t need a stab wound to come and visit! You can just walk in!” Elias snorted in what Luna assumed was a laugh. She noted a bit of blood pouring from his nose. “It’s too far Doc,” he replied. “Why walk when you can get someone to carry you?” He snorted again as his chest shuddered with laughter. That laugh quickly turned into a cough, and Elias began to choke as he clutched the wound in his stomach. Any anger on Scalpel and Binder’s faces vanished instantly, replaced with concern. Flash also poked his head up, watching Elias intently as the man rubbed at his chest to alleviate the irritation. Scalpel charged up his horn, and a cloud of yellow energy dropped onto Elias’ chest. With a few more coughs his lungs seemed to calm down, and Elias flopped back on the pillows, his eye staring at the ceiling. He cleared his throat. “What can I do for you Princess?” Elias asked, his voice hoarse. Luna sighed. “I am merely here to check on your condition. I will need more time to determine fault, but rest assured, Captain Chaser shall receive punishment for his actions today. It is beneath his position and he should have kn-“ “No,” Elias cut in. Luna blinked in surprise. Nobody interrupted her, ever. And they certainly didn’t do so while deliberately countering her intentions. “Excuse you?” she said, her voice holding a touch of anger. Elias winced slightly as he turned his head to look at her. “You can’t, and you won’t. It will sour the relationship we just established, and all of this blood will have meant nothing. Do absolutely nothing, the situation has been resolved.” Luna frowned. “And what exactly does that mean? You nearly died Elias, and Captain Chaser is solely responsible for that. You may have injured him, but in no way did you achieve anything in your fight.” Elias smirked. “I disagree, I think we’ll get on just swimmingly now.” He chuckled softly, coughing a few times. Scalpel charged his horn again, but Elias waved the pony down as he got his breathing under control. The human smiled at Luna. “A question for you Princess, how many alphas does a pack of wolves have?” “One,” she answered, confusion seeping into her tone. “But I do not see what that has to do with your current situation, or why I should not punish Captain Chaser.” “I’m getting there,” Elias said. “Next question, how would you describe Captain Nightshade, or Captain Chaser? Would you say they are more aggressive than the average pony, or less?” “More. Much more,” Luna responded. Elias snapped his fingers. “Exactly. But since they are the head of their “pack” that aggression is used to keep the troops in line. They sit on their little thrones overlooking their little domains where they rule. While you ultimately have the last say, would I be wrong if I said that you almost never question their authority?” "Of course we don't question them," Luna said with a nod. "We chose them for a reason. It is rare that they are ever involved in incidents such as this. Their records are nearly spotless.” “So, what is it about me that has gotten me in a fight with each of them?” Elias asked, tilting his head slightly. “Besides the fact that you intentionally antagonize everypony you meet?” Scalpel grumbled. “Coupled with a reputation for anger, cruelty, and overall meanness, I have no idea at all.” Night Flash popped his head up from Elias’ shoulder. “Hey! Don’t say that, Red is super nice!” Elias snorted and scratched the pony behind the ear. “No, I’m not,” he said. Flash looked up at him with big eyes. “But you do all kinds of nice things,” the pegasus refuted. “You keep White Shine away; you’re helping Book Binder and I train for the big exercise! Heck, the only reason you got in that fight is because you were trying to get Scarlet a better teacher. All of that stuff is nice.” “Those are things I do for my friends,” Elias said. “Otherwise, I’m not a nice person at all. Remember rule one?” Night Flash frowned and he looked down in thought. He grunted in agreement after a moment of thinking. He laid his head back down on Elias’ shoulder. “I guess you’re right, but you could be a lot worse.” Elias shrugged, resuming his scratching of the pegasus. “Maybe, but that isn’t the point. Everything Scalpel said is true, and those are all important factors to consider, because the big question here is, why? Why do my actions so thoroughly antagonize the guard captains to the point that we fight?” Elias looked around the room as if he was a schoolteacher looking for somepony with their hoof raised. Luna held back a snort of amusement as she tried to imagine the human teaching foals. He was more likely to eat them than teach them. Though on second thought, she did remember how fond he was of talking about his race’s history. Perhaps she could picture it, though in all likelihood it would end with the human giving all of the children wooden swords to attack each other with. She smiled at the thought of thirty colts and fillies running around a classroom causing pandemonium while Elias watched them fight with pride. He’d probably even give them fighting tips. “It’s because I’m a challenger to their positions,” Elias continued when nobody answered. “The alphas of each guard group are facing down an outsider who is every bit as aggressive and capable to lead as them, and they see me as a threat. A lone wolf challenging the established order. Give it enough time, I’m sure Captain Armor and I will fight each other as well.” He rubbed his neck lightly. “Though I hope I actually win that fight,” Elias grumbled. “So, what you’re saying is that both Captain Chaser, and Captain Nightshade provoked fights with you because they thought you would steal their jobs?” Book Binder asked in disbelief. “That sounds a bit crazy, don’t you think? I mean, if that’s the case, why haven’t you gotten in a fight with Princess Luna or Princess Celestia?” Elias shrugged. “Probably because that’s a different fight entirely. While maybe not as strong as a fighter, I have the capabilities and experience to be a small-scale leader like Captain Chaser or Captain Nightshade. This was seen as a threat by them.” Elias blew air through his teeth. “If they had bothered to ask, they would have found there was nothing to worry about, because this lone wolf tried being the pack alpha once, and he will not do so again.” He looked at the ceiling. “As for why the princesses and I haven’t come to blows; it's probably because they have likely seen this whole song and dance before. If all of the stories I have read are true, they are centuries old, and whatever little mortals like myself do is beneath them on a grand scale. I’m no more a threat to them than a match is to an ocean.” Elias looked to Luna. “Which brings us full circle. This fight was that of an alpha defending his pack, whatever the situation was that provoked it. The fight was going to happen at some point, whether today, or in two years, it was bound to occur.” He smiled widely. “And I think I came out of it pretty well if I do say so myself.” Book Binder sighed and face hoofed. “If you weren’t in a hospital bed right now, I would smack you upside the head Elias.” Elias didn’t look away from Luna. “But that’s why you can’t punish Chaser, because if you do, you show the pack, the Royal Guards, that you support an upstart lone wolf rather than the pack leader. He was doing the right thing, even if he was completely wrong and an utter ass about it. If you punish him, the pack is going to get nasty, and you better believe that this bed is going to see a whole lot more of me.” He spread his hand. “But, if he goes with a little slap on the wrist, then this whole thing goes away. We shared a moment of respect; so as far as I see it, we’re done, just like Captain Nightshade and I. Give him something small, like cleaning toilets for a week, that will establish your authority as his alpha, while also letting him know that you understand why he did what he did.” Luna took his explanation apart piece by piece in her mind, and she felt more than a little frustrated when she realized he was absolutely right. By giving Chaser a severe punishment like he deserved, say throwing him in a cell, then the Royal Guard would come after Elias for revenge. The last thing she needed was for more ponies in the hospital, or Keeper’s forbid dead ponies. She also didn’t want to wake up one evening to find a dead human in a gutter. She had put so much work into finding a solution to Elias’ mental issues, and she would see it to fruition. She sighed and shook her head. “Fine Elias, I shall give him only a light punishment.” Elias nodded once and laid back, letting out a breath of air as he relaxed slightly. “That’s all I ask Princess.” Luna stared at the human for a moment, before saying; “You are quite the creature Elias. You are wise far beyond your extremely young age. What is your secret?” Elias snorted. “Experience. That whole alpha versus lone wolf speech? It isn’t the first time I’ve been beaten to within an inch of my life by someone I should have had complete trust in.” Elias’ mood darkened significantly. “I’ve challenged more than one alpha in my life, and it was even worse then. Tristan made these wounds look like child’s play.” Luna cocked her head. “Tristan? Who is this Tristan?” Elias flinched visibly. Luna watched as he began to shake violently. He seemed to grow pale, and his hands clenched and unclenched, over and over again. His eye closed and he shook his head slowly. “I-…” The human was interrupted by Night Flash shoving him roughly. As Elias cried out in shock, the pony pounced on his chest, nuzzling him aggressively in the face. Elias spat as he tried to pry the pegasus off of him. Undeterred by the flailing human, Flash kept up his assault of snuggles. His wings flapped out, slapping Elias repeatedly in the face as the pegasus twirled in a circle. Luna couldn’t help but giggle in confusion as Night Flash did his strange dance across the human, leaping up and down the bed as Elias tried to grab the suddenly crazy pony. Eventually, Night Flash moved just a hair too slow, and Elias snagged his hind legs. With a yelp from Night Flash, the human flipped him over and held him firmly in both hands, Elias’ face contorted in a mixture of irritation, confusion, and a touch of concern. “In the politest way I can possibly think of;” Elias said slowly, “what the fuck was that Flash?” The pony grinned sheepishly, not even trying to squirm away from Elias’ grip. “I may have gone overboard on the distraction, but it worked didn’t it? You’re fine?” Elias blinked stupidly at the pony. His fingers loosened as he stared at the pony. “Huh,” was all the human said. Night Flash sat on his chest for a moment, then looked pointedly at Elias’ left arm. The human raised it dumbly. Night Flash grinned and dove under it, resuming his former position around the limb as he got comfortable against the human. Elias’ hand dropped on his head and began scratching his ears. Flash chirped happily as he settled, looking out happily at all of the stunned ponies in the room. “Is- is it really that simple?” Scalpel asked. “A bit of minor aggravation as a distraction, and just like that, no more panic?” Night Flash snorted. “Of course not. It’s a useful trick, but it won’t always work, especially if you can’t see the signs like I did. I just got lucky is all, and it worked out.” He looked to Luna. “Princess, can we avoid the T-word from now on please?” She nodded. “Of course. It shall be driven from my mind.” Oh, it was perfect. Night Flash exceeded her expectations, and Luna had no doubt that now Book Binder was formulating her own methods for distracting the human if her face was any indication. The two of them could likely calm Elias down from anything, and the longer they were together as friends, Luna suspected that ability would only grow stronger. Luna could see in real time how the pieces were beginning to fit together. She did her best not to squeal in excitement. She mostly succeeded, though she had a goofy looking smile on her face. Elias was the first to notice it, and he matched it with a scowl. “Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked, trying to put a growl in his voice. Luna snorted softly. “I think I am beginning to understand how you are only nineteen years old, a foal by Equestrian standards, yet have so much experience. Your life is constantly shifting, you never seem to stop going forward.” Elias nodded in agreement, sighing loudly. Luna heard a squeak, and noticed Book Binder twitch slightly out of the corner of her eye, but she decided to ignore the motion. It was likely nothing. “Yeah, I can never catch a fucking break,” he grumbled. “P-Princess?” Book Binder stuttered. Luna looked at the unicorn, and quickly noticed that the pony looked like she was on the verge of exploding. Her whole body was on end, and her tail flicked back and forth at a vigorous pace. An aura of energy seemed to glow around the pony in a vaguely familiar manner. Luna couldn’t tell if she should feel nervous around the pony, so she took a cautionary step back. Following the unicorn’s eyes, she noticed that they were fixed squarely on Elias, who was beginning to shift nervously in his bed. Luna shot a glance to Scalpel, who quickly moved away from the bed as well. “Yes, Guardspony Book Binder?” Luna responded cautiously. “Y-you said Elias i-is nineteen?” Book Binder’s eye twitched slightly, and her forelegs inched forward. “A-as in... years?” she squeaked. Elias shot Luna a glance. “Princess, please do not answer that question. I’ve seen that look, and god damn it, I have had enough hugs today from one pony, I don’t need a second one on me.” Luna doubted that, in fact, he likely needed many more pony hugs. They had so far done wonders for the human. What could telling Book Binder his age really do? It wasn’t like she could seriously injure him, and they were already in the infirmary! Luna smiled slightly as she prepared to repeat his age. Evidently someone else had the same idea. Night Flash snorted softly into Elias’ ribs. “Yes Bindey, Red is indeed nineteen years old, you heard the princess right.” Book Binder’s pupils consumed her entire eye, and she began to quiver violently. Elias looked at Night Flash with hatred in his eyes. “You fucking traitor,” he said softly. Night Flash grinned and settled back into the crook of Elias’ arm, his eyes watching Book Binder. “Love you too Red.” Then the unicorn struck. With a loud cry, she seemed to fly through the air, an amazing feat given her lack of wings. She landed on the bedspread to Elias’ right, with just enough time down to springboard off of the bed and latch onto the human’s head. It happened in the blink of an eye, and Luna couldn’t suppress a guffaw as she looked at Elias, who was trying to pry a now weeping Book Binder from the side of his head. The unicorn didn’t budge as she stroked his hair with her hoof. “My baby boy!” she cried. “Don’t worry, momma’s here!” Elias opened his mouth, only to find her tail flapping in his face. He spit out the hair as he growled, still trying to push her away. “What is wrong with you people!” he tried to yell. “I’m still the same age I was five minutes ago when you dragged my bleeding ass in here!” Book Binder’s eyes snapped open and she looked at the bloody wounds decorating every part of Elias’ body. As if she was seeing the injuries for the first time, she squealed in horror. She stroked his hair harder. “Don’t worry baby boy, we’ll make sure Doctor Scalpel gets you all fixed up, good as new. Momma will be here the entire time.” Elias looked out from beneath the unicorn in visible confusion. “Have I missed something?” he said. “Where is this “momma” stuff coming from?” He looked to Scarlet and Scalpel, who both shrugged in confusion. His eyes stopped only momentarily on Night Flash, who he realized was whispering in Book Binder’s ear, goading her on. That left one pony in the room. Elias looked to Luna. “Princess, what is going on? Have I done something? Friends is one thing, but what just happened? What is currently happen- Book Binder god damn it stop petting me!” The unicorn tutted and taped him lightly on the back of the head. “Now now, don’t use that language young man. Just let momma spoil you for a few minutes.” And then she immediately resumed her snuggling of his head. Elias looked at Luna again in desperation. The alicorn giggled as she watched Book Binder play with Elias’ hair. “I believe I know the cause of this sudden, motherly affection,” she said calmly. Book Binder shifted, perching herself on Elias’ shoulders as she tsked and conjured a magical brush. Untying the string that kept Elias’ hair tied together, the unicorn fluffed it out and began combing it with the conjured brush. Elias had the look of someone who was being physically tortured. His face was a beet red, though whether that was from genuine anger or just embarrassment, Luna did not know. Elias gestured silently for her to continue, so she did so, a smile decorating her face as Book Binder fretted over the human’s hair. “In the time before my banishment, wars were extremely uncommon, but small-scale skirmishes and raids were not. Many towns were sacked with their adult population taken or killed.” Luna shuddered in memory of burning buildings and razed towns. “Suffice to say that widespread peace was tentative at best. Regardless, many a foal was left orphaned in these outlying communities, and despite my sister and I’s best efforts, we simply could not find homes quickly enough. Certain communities were attacked more than others, and it was a struggle to keep the towns themselves safe, let alone locate adequate homes for all of the abandoned foals.” Book Binder frowned. “Elias, you really need to take better care of your mane. It’s all knotted and tangled. Are you brushing it regularly?” “No,” Elias growled. “I wash it and tie it back. It’s all the hair care I need.” He looked to Luna. “Please continue Princess. I am eager how this story relates to whatever this is,” he said, pointing at Book Binder as she yanked at a stubborn knot of hair. Luna enjoyed watching the mare fret over the human, and she had half a mind to remain silent just to watch it. She wondered briefly if she should get a camera. The expression on Elias’ face told her that it would likely be a bad idea at the time. She cleared her throat and continued. “By comparison, certain interior communities were stricken with a different ailment. Whether through disease or,” she growled slightly at the memories of a certain chaotic entity, “magical means, many mares were left barren, unable to produce the children they so desperately wanted. It took us a few years, but eventually we realized that these two problems had one very simple solution.” Elias leaned forward as he tried to look back at Book Binder in disgust. “Did you just lick me?” Book Binder seized his head in her hooves and dragged him back. “Hush, it got the tangle undone, didn’t it?” Scalpel snorted with laughter, and Elias’ eyes immediately found the pony. He pointed a finger at the unicorn. “You’re lucky I don’t have anything to throw.” He quickly found a bundle of bandages floating in front of his hand. Elias glanced back at Book Binder, who smiled back. “I can’t let my baby boy get mocked by the other ponies, now can I?” Elias grumbled softly in thanks, then looked dangerously at Scalpel. The unicorn doctor snorted. “Oh please, it’s a roll of gauze, do you really think you can make that hu…-?” He yelped as the roll of bandages drilled him in the nose. Luna was surprised when she saw his nose begin bleed slightly. Scalpel pressed his hoof to his bloody nose and looked with wide eyes at the human who was staring smugly back. “What the buck Elias?” he shouted. “That really hurt!” Elias snorted. “Serves you right. Besides, you act like I didn’t also give you the tool to solve the problem.” Scalpel growled and the roll of bandages raised in his magic, ready to throw back at the human, when Book Binder hopped on top off of Elias’ head, growling loudly at the doctor. “Don’t you dare Scalpel,” she said, her horn charging with crackling green energy. Scalpel paled and nodded dumbly. He unrolled a length of bandage and pressed it against his nose, levitating the rest of the bundle elsewhere. Only once his horn stopped glowing did Book Binder return to her chipper, mothering self as she began to brush Elias’ hair anew. Elias looked with his one eye at Luna. “So, this solution of yours, what was it?” “My sister and I crafted a simple, but powerful runic spell,” Luna said. “We laid it across Equestria with one purpose, draw loving parents to abandoned foals. A sort of adoption at first sight.” She gestured to Book Binder. “Upon first contact, the mother would smother the foal with love and affection, solidifying their place as a parent in the foal’s heart.” She smiled wistfully. “Twas a wonderful thing to witness in my day. I only wish that I could have witnessed what 'Tia was like when she adopted our fair niece. It must have been the most ridiculous sight.” Luna paused wistfully, then sighed. “I am getting off track.” She looked to Elias. “Due to the relative peace of the last thousand years, the rune has remained largely unused, as there are few foals who are orphaned that are not immediately scooped up by dotting parents, primarily due to the improvements made to our adoption systems. Since you physically appear to be a grown adult Elias, this reaction is likely a delayed one. Book Binder must have tapped into the old runic magic in some form. Night Flash, you two have recently begun a romantic relationship, correct?” Night Flash nodded happily. “Yep! We’ve already begun talking about how we want everything to work out. Proposals, engagement, marriage,” the pegasus flushed red. “Having kids of our own.” Luna smiled widely. “Indeed. You have my congratulations.” She looked back to Elias, who frowned deeply. “But I’m not a child,” the man said. “Even if we just go by age, I am a grown adult by human standards.” “Not by Equestrian standards, however,” Luna replied. “For ponies, full maturity is only reached at the age of twenty-five. Most ponies do not leave home permanently until they are just short of thirty years. I believe the magic is based purely on years lived, and so Book Binder has identified you as an orphaned foal that is need of love and care.” Elias twitched slightly. “So, is all of this purely the result of some random magic? That seems…” his frown deepened. “I don’t know how I feel about that.” Luna could see the conflict in his eyes. She imagined it was likely the same internal fight he had when deciding to make friends again. This, however, was a much more serious situation. Luna took a few more steps forward and laid a hoof on his leg, seeking to comfort him. “Elias, these feelings, while provoked through magical means, were within Book Binder the entire time. Everything she feels for you is absolutely genuine, they are just being temporarily amplified by the spell. These feelings will still exist after the rune wears off.” Elias flinched slightly. Luna wondered briefly if her words had made things worse. Book Binder, however, didn’t seem to notice his rapidly depressing mood, as she hummed happily as she ran the comb through Elias’ hair. “You know, we should really get your mane cut Elias. Yours is all long and unstylish. How are you going to ever find a respectable mare to bring home to us?” Elias snorted, trying to force himself back to a calmer state of mind. “Pretending I didn’t hear the second part; my hair is fine. I keep it clean, and that’s what matters.” Book Binder huffed. “Cleaning it is only part of the job, you have to make it look good! I’m thinking braids, one big one down the back. Oh! Maybe a few beads as well! That will have the mares positively swooning over you.” “You are not putting beads in my hair. It’s fine as it is,” Elias growled, and Luna believed the mild banter had successfully pulled him away from whatever dark place his mind was drifting toward. “Hush you,” Book Binder scoffed. “No son of mine is going to run around looking like some sort of degenerate.” Luna watched Elias’ face shift through a range of emotions as his mouth flapped wordlessly. His body grew tense, and his face paled slightly. Book Binder must have felt him stiffen, because she stopped combing his hair. “Elias? Baby, are you alright?” she asked, her voice tinged with fear. Night Flash sat up, studying Elias’ face. “Red? Is this another…?” Elias shook his head. “No…” he said softly. “I… I think this is something else.” Book Binder climbed off his shoulders and onto his chest. She tried to make eye contact, but Elias’ eyes seemed to stare into nothing. She whimpered softly. “Elias? Please speak to me. I’m sorry if I got carried away. I…” Elias blinked once. His mouth drifted open slowly before her spoke, his eyes still looking elsewhere. “I-… I think I need to…” Book Binder crawled off of him as he rolled onto his side, staring blankly at the wall. Tears streamed down Book Binders face as Night Flash rose, rubbing her back softly. “I’m sorry Elias, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just…” she sobbed lightly. Luna’s heart went out to the mare. She had seen something like this happen before as well. A foal who simply had no interest in being adopted, a small mistake by the rune that left a broken-hearted parent with nobody to shower with love. She frowned at Elias’ back, her anger flashing briefly at the human. How dare he reject such powerful love. Book Binder sniffed, rubbing at her eyes. “I-I’ll go. I know you don’t want to see me right now, and I can understand if y- eep!” She squirmed slightly as Elias’ arm reached over and scooped her up, carrying the pony to his front. Luna shifted slightly so she could see, and she smiled widely as she saw that Book Binder was being hugged tightly against the human’s chest, his large arms keeping her from moving anywhere. His eyes were only half open, as if he was struggling to stay awake. “Nobody said you could go anywhere,” Elias growled softly, his eyes drifting closed. Book Binder watched as he seemed to nod off, and she smiled, nuzzling into his chest. She seemed to relish the warmth the human’s body gave off. Book Binder motioned for Night Flash to join her. The pegasus climbed atop Elias’ side and settled there before letting his wings hang down, covering them like a blanket. Luna watched as the pair of ponies sighed happily before their eyes closed as well. They began to snore lightly, a sign that they were completely asleep. Luna was amazed. She had no idea what to think of the encounter. She prayed desperately that it would stick, that Elias would accept the family that had just unofficially adopted him. Friends were extremely important, but she had never even considered how missing a family might affect the human. Luna needed to rethink her approach, needed to consult with the doctors that were watching even now. As the three settled completely and the snores began to grow in intensity, she motioned for Scalpel and Scarlet to follow her out of the infirmary. “Come,” she said softly, “let us leave them to rest in peace. Doctor, please try to keep as many ponies away from here as possible. Even if Elias accepts this relationship, he will be embarrassed if too many ponies know of it. He might try to push them away, and that is the absolute last thing we want.” Scalpel nodded as he cast a glance back at the sleeping ponies and human. “Of course, Princess, my lips are sealed.” Luna nodded and smiled. They closed the doors quietly. “Good. Scarlet Shield, please report to Captain Nightshade and alert her that Night Flash and Book Binder on an important mission for me and will miss their regular guard shift. If she wants more information than that, she can come to me.” The pegasus saluted. “Yes Princess,” he said. Luna waited for him to race off, but Scarlet stood in place, looking as if he wanted to say something. Luna tilted her head slightly. “Is there something else Guardspony?” The red pegasus sighed and looked down, his expression turning dejected. “I just wanted to tell you that all of this is my fault. Elias went over to the Royal Guards because he was trying to find my old combat trainer. If it wasn’t for me, none of this would have happened.” Luna smiled. “You are correct, and it is for that reason I must thank you.” The pegasus looked at her in confusion. “B-but Elias got hurt! Shouldn’t I be punished or something?” Luna snorted. “Elias was right about one thing, he was going to get in a fight with Captain Chaser, and in all likelihood, he will continue to pick fights and get injured. While his metaphor was a bit… odd, it rings true. Elias is a little troublemaker, and so trouble will continue to find him, and he will continue to get hurt.” She looked to the closed doors. “But it seems that through his physical suffering, he is beginning to find the basis for emotional peace. If all goes well, Elias now has a loving pair of parents that will help him to stay out of trouble. This is a direct result of the situation he finds himself in, and so, you have my thanks Scarlet Shield. Perhaps Elias needs to be hurt to find his peace.” Luna cleared her throat, straightening to her full stature. “Regardless, you shall not be punished. Carry out your orders to Captain Nightshade.” She growled softly. “I have one more pony to see today. Scalpel, post a sign on the door, I need you with me in the throne room.” ***** Luna walked briskly toward the throne room, anger on her mind. While she realized the wisdom of Elias’ words, she also knew that his definition of “light” punishment and her own were very different. A message needed to be sent, alpha or not. Midnight Chaser needed a sufficient punishment. As she approached the small side door that led behind her throne, Luna felt her ears twitch as she realized she heard yelling. She quickened her pace as she opened the door before her, revealing the throne room. Of particular note were three ponies. First, her sister was sitting on her throne, staring down with an expression of shock and confusion at the other two. Luna quickly noted the source of the yelling, a white maned pegasus named Ice Blossom. The pegasus was standing in front of Captain Chaser, yelling, and occasionally smacking the guard captain as he simply took the abuse, a look of silent acceptance on his face. Even with the bandages decorating his body, Chaser looked like he had been through the ringer. His eyes seemed glazed, and even standing at attention as she had ordered, his shoulders were slumped. He would flinch occasionally at the verbal abuse his sister was throwing at him, but otherwise, he was still. He didn’t even seem to notice the second princess now in the room. Luna listened to Ice Blossom as she climbed the steps to her throne, sitting next her sister silently. “And another thing! Are you bucking serious? You couldn’t just let things end, oh no. I was right there Chase! Why the buck did you call the human a coward when his friend convinced him to walk away? Are you dense? Are you actually bucking stupid? The situation was done, but no, not for you! You just had to insult the human, right there, in front of everypony!” She slapped him, the sound echoing through the throne room. “Of all the stupid things Chase! He was asking for a bucking trainer! He wasn’t trying to overthrow Equestria! He wasn’t trying to rut your marefriend! He was asking for help, and that’s another thing, the human asked Chase. Why the buck didn’t you just let me go help him?” She slapped him again. “You know what? I don’t care, because you didn’t let ,me, like some kind of idiot!” “So that’s what caused it,” Celestia said softly. Luna glanced at her sister. Celestia looked to her with visible confusion. “What has happened this afternoon Luna? One moment I am concluding my day court, and the next Captain Chaser is being led in by Ice Blossom, covered in battle wounds. Shouldn’t he be in the infirmary?” Luna gestured for Doctor Scalpel to go begin working on Chaser. The unicorn nodded silently, and he levitated a small array of tools behind him as he began to silently prod at Chaser’s bandages. Ice Blossom either didn’t notice, or didn’t care as she continued laying into her brother. “And let’s not talk about how you almost lost the bucking fight. Really Chase? One little human was too much for our fearless Captain? You should have been able to take him down in two hits! And quietly! But no, Mister Bigshot here wants to try and make a fool out of the human, so what does he do? Duels him with wingblades! In the process, you seem to have forgotten that wingblades CUT THINGS!” She slapped him a third time. “And then you didn’t even win with them Chase! You had to use the human’s own knife to put him down. Should I be submitting a resignation Chase? Did I go to the wrong stallion for help with my Royal Guard exams? Because if I did, I need to know, so that I can tell Princess Celestia why she shouldn’t throw our entire family onto the moon for being bucking deranged!” Luna snorted softly, nudging Celestia with her wing. “How about it 'Tia? Do you want to throw some of our subjects onto the moon?” Celestia sighed, shaking her head. “I have no idea where they keep coming with the idea that the moon is my solution for everything. It was one time Luna, one time!” Luna snorted again as Celestia seemed to realize who she was talking to. Her sister grinned sheepishly. “Sorry Lulu, I know it must still be a bit of a sensitive subject.” Luna waved her hoof dismissively. “Nonsense sister, it has been several years since my return. I have atoned, I am princess once more, and I have you back. It is all in the past and shall remain there.” She looked down at the ponies before her. “This, however, is in the present, and must be dealt with. Fear not sister, I shall handle it swiftly.” Luna cleared her throat loudly, and for a second, Ice Blossom whirled on her in anger, her mouth open as if she would snap on the princess for interrupting her tirade. When she saw who she was about to mouth off at, she froze in shock, then straightened into a quick salute. “My apologies Princess, I was just trying to educate my brother on why the decisions he made today were incorrect.” Luna kept an even expression on her face. “Quite. Regardless, I need you elsewhere.” Ice Blossom bowed her head. “I apologize in full Princess. I knew my brother had a mean prideful streak, and loved his reputation as the best fighter in the guard, but I did nothing to stop him, nor did I make any reports about his...” her eyes flicked backward "character flaws. I am ready for whatever punishment you think I deserve. It's going to be the easiest thing about today." Her last words were a barely audible mutter, and Luna noticed the pegasus shoot a small glance at Chaser. She let the motion slide without comment. “That is unnecessary Guardspony," Luna said. "Report to Captain Nightshade on my order. This whole debacle was started over one of my guards not having adequate combat training, and the situation must be remedied immediately. Have Captain Nightshade schedule training hours for yourself and Guardspony Scarlet Shield. Know that I will be personally checking on his progress daily.” Ice Blossom nodded and saluted once more. She turned around, glaring at Chaser one more time before she trotted from the throne room. Luna waited calmly for the doors to shut before she looked at the pegasus before her. “Stand before the judgement of your princesses Captain. We have much to talk about.” Chaser flinched slightly, but did as she commanded. He limped forward, standing attention before the throne. “I submit myself fully to whatever judgement you pass upon me Princess,” he said confidently. “I know I have committed a horrible act, and I know that the fault for this incident lies squarely on my shoulders.” Luna rose from her throne, walking slowly down the steps so that she could stare directly into his eyes, towering over the pony. “I am completely aware of who is at fault Captain, remain silent,” she growled. “It is that waggling tongue of yours that has brought this incident to a head, and I will not have it continue.” Chaser nodded silently. Luna took a deep breath, and she began to pace slowly around the pegasus. “Captain, answer each question honestly and as concisely as possible. Am I clear?” Chaser nodded. “Yes Princess.” Luna inspected the wound on his wing as Scalpel peeled back the hastily applied bandages. Elias had managed to clip the joint, and Chaser was lucky that the human had not swung harder. If he had, the limb might have fully been detached. “Did you, or did you not attack Guardsman Bright first?” Chaser drooped slightly. “I did Princess. I thought if I could knock him down, he would leave well enough alone.” “If that is the case, then why did you provoke him again when Guardspony Night Flash had talked the human into walking away?” “I…” his ears pinned to the side of his head. “I don’t know Princess. I just felt... angry when I saw the human. Like… Like he had done something wrong, even though he didn’t.” Chaser frowned, then shook his head. “That isn’t it either, I just… I can’t explain it.” Luna nodded as she prodded at a nasty looking cut on his foreleg. “Would it be sufficient to say that you felt threatened by Guardsman Bright? That he somehow challenged you, by reputation or otherwise?” Chaser remained silent in thought for a moment before he nodded slowly. “I suppose so Princess.” Luna sighed deeply. “Damn that man,” she grumbled. “What a silly, yet accurate metaphor, and from one so young no less.” Scalpel snorted and Luna spotted a small smirk on his face. “It’s probably because he’s an adult by experience in the body of a teenager. He's wise beyond his years, even if Elias is an adult by human standards, it’s apparent on all of my scans that he is still growing. Maybe the humans just made their age laws strange.” Scalpel snorted again. “Which makes me wonder just how he spent such a short time learning so much about the way of the world.” Chaser looked at the unicorn in confusion. “H-how old is he?” he asked. Luna walked directly in front of Chaser, and the stallion snapped his gaze forward, falling back into attention. Luna stared at the stallion for a moment before she smiled. “Nineteen years old Captain. You decided to brawl with a nineteen-year-old today, and though you came out on top,” she looked pointedly at his injuries, “I believe that the young human did more than well enough for himself.” Chaser looked at her in open-mouthed horror. After a minute of silence, his jaw clamped closed. “Princess, I would request your permission to resign my command, I am not worthy of the position of Captain and I-..” “Denied Captain,” Luna cut in. “It is the first part of your punishment. You will continue to serve as Royal Guard Captain with the knowledge that you instigated a fight with one who could still be legally considered a foal. If it makes you feel better, by his human standards, Guardsman Bright is an adult.” She snorted. “Though I think we both know that his standards do not matter here in any sort of manner, legal or otherwise.” Chaser sighed and nodded. Luna appreciated how guilty and horrified he still looked. It was a good sign; it meant he would likely put forth genuine effort to change his behavior. “If I may Princess,” Chaser said, his voice low and submissive, “what is the rest of my punishment?” Luna frowned and resumed her pacing. “To be truthful with you Captain, I do not know. While I have a fair list of punishments that I think would match the crime, Guardsman Bright has personally requested that you remain largely unpunished. Some silly notion about the guard services as wolf packs or some such.” Scalpel snorted again, but remained silent when Luna shot him a glare. The unicorn just shook his head with a smile as he rewrapped Chaser’s injuries, applying minor healing spells as he went. Luna made a full cycle around Chaser as she continued. “To sum his metaphor, Guardsman Bright believes that he is, and will continue to be, an instigative threat against all of our guard captains. Since he has fought, and lost, to two already, he believes that any hostilities have been resolved now that you have “claimed” your right to lead. The notion is utterly ridiculous, and I am curious if it is not a result of his injuries…” she paused and looked Chaser up and down, “but I will respect his theory. We shall see in the coming weeks if it is correct.” “As such,” she continued, “I need to devise a punishment suitable to shame you for your actions, while also ensuring that the Royal Guard does not pursue Guardsman Bright with some sort of foolhardy vendetta. I have made great personal effort into making that human healthy, and I will not see it thrown away because of some silly notion of pack mentality.” Luna paused once more in front of Captain Chaser. The pony wisely kept his mouth shut as she stared at him. Her thoughts were blank on the perfect punishment, something that was an oddity for her. She had designed the Canterlot torture chambers after all, this should be a breeze. As she combed through her ideas, a scroll popped into the air at her side. Luna caught it with her magic, and she unrolled it, scanning the words quickly. It was the first of what she imagined would be many witness reports. Ah, from Guardspony Night Flash, excellent. Despite his intimate friendship with Elias, he was not the fibbing type, and was likely one of the more credible sources. As she read through the report thoroughly, a devious smile spread across Luna’s face. Oh, she had a punishment all right. Rolling the scroll closed, Luna resumed her normal, blank demeanor. Though he did well to hide it, Luna could see a bit of nervousness in Captain Chaser’s eyes. Luna smiled lightly, which made the pony even more nervous. “I have just been inspired Captain,” she proclaimed. She waved the scroll in her magic. “This is Guardspony Night Flash's report, and I must say once more, the inciting incident is something that shouldn’t have caused such issue. I think that perhaps Guardsman Bright got it wrong. Perhaps you weren’t angry because the human was a threat, but rather because you were jealous that he asked for a different Royal Guardspony to help train Scarlet Shield.” Chaser opened his mouth to protest, but a nasty glare from Luna warned him to remain silent. His jaw snapped shut, and she continued. “As such, I think your punishment will be simple,” she said with a smile. "Your sister shows a very good measure of control, something I think that you lack Captain. As such, you will report to Captain Nightshade and will request that you be allowed to join Ice Blossom's training sessions. She will teach you about managing your pride while she teaches Scarlet Shield combat techniques. For the benefit of all of course.” Luna could tell that the pegasus wanted to protest, but after a moment of silent thinking, he sighed and nodded. “Of course, Princess. I shall be sure to attend each and every one of Ice Blossom's training sessions.” Luna nodded. “Good. As soon as Scalpel is finished you are free to go.” Chaser nodded and saluted stiffly, grunting in pain as a wound on his foreleg bent. Scalpel backed away. “I’m as finished as I’m going to be until tomorrow. Come to the infirmary first thing and I’ll get you sorted out.” Chaser nodded and bowed to Luna and Celestia before leaving. His head wasn’t quite held high, but neither was he looking quite as ashamed as he was when she walked in. Luna shook her head. She had no idea how, but Elias was proving to be absolutely right. She needed to get close to the human soon, Luna decided. She smiled slightly as she thought about Elias, likely still curled around a pony in the infirmary. He would rest first, then she would strike. > Chapter 16: Family? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Therapy Diary: Day 423 I’m so cold. I don’t have any food. I don’t have any water. The snow keeps falling and I don’t think I’ll be able to go outside. I wish… I wish… I wish I could go home. Nothing is right anymore. I thought things were bad after… it. But this is so much worse. I want my mom back. I want my dad back. I want my sisters, and my dog, and my house, and I just want something to eat. I’m sorry to anyone who reads this, but I’m so scared. I just want to go home. Elias awoke with a yawn, holding his pillow to his face. The sun tore through the windows, stabbing him right in the eye, specifically aligned so he had to acknowledge its blazing presence. He groaned, and he tried to grab his pillow to block the light, only for it to giggle softly and squirm in his grasp. Elias opened his right eye, ignoring the glare of the sun as he stared into a wall of green fluff, all pressed against his face. He snorted softly, and his “pillow” giggled again. Elias managed to pull his head back, and Book Binder grinned at him. “Good morning to you too baby boy. Sleep well?” Elias nodded, but his rising discomfort must have shown in his eye, because Book Binder’s smile disappeared. She tried to adjust so that his head once again rested in her fluff, but when Elias scooted away again, she stopped. “What’s wrong Elias? Did I do something wrong?” Elias sighed, trying to keep control of his mind as it went to war with itself once again. He was surprised at the quick venom, usually he had to wake up before he had a headache. The center voice was on a tirade about the dangers of getting too close to the ponies, while the voice at the back of his head was prodding him to just accept how things were. It kept whispering the word 'family' softly. “It’s nothing Binder, I’m just… thinking.” Book Binder rose and moved off of his pillow, watching him carefully. “That’s a lie if I’ve ever heard one. It’s because of the momma stuff, isn’t it?” Elias opened his mouth to deny it, but found that he didn’t want to. If nothing else, she was his friend, right? And just like that inane, childish book said, you shouldn’t lie to friends. “Yes,” he admitted, looking away. Book Binder let out a small sigh and settled at his side, resting her head on her hooves. “I’m sorry Elias, I didn’t mean for this to happen this way.” For some reason, that hurt more than he would have liked. Elias flinched at the words as he replied to her. “Does that mean… it isn’t real? You don’t actually feel... like that toward me?” Book Binder reached up and laid her hoof gently against his cheek. “Elias, thought it may have happened far too quickly for either of our tastes, I absolutely want to dote on you like a proper mother should. If I had my way, Princess Luna would release you and I from the guard and I could become a librarian full time. Night Flash could come home every day and we would eat every meal together and we would talk for hours about how our days were. You would go to school, and I would help you with your homework, and everything would simply be amazing, but I know that won’t happen. You aren’t a darling little foal,” she giggled lightly, “even if I want you to be my little baby boy.” She sighed again as she withdrew the hoof. “But I know that might not happen either. You are grown Elias, and by your own admission, you are an adult. You can make your own adult decisions. I don’t want to force anything on you that you don’t want.” She smiled faintly. "Thought perhaps if I had realized these feelings in a better way, I could have tried something gradual, a hug here, a little kiss on the cheek there. Little things..." She trailed off, staring wistfully at the bed. Elias’ mind felt locked in one place, doubt still weighing heavy on his thoughts. “But the feelings are still real? They aren’t just because of the spell Princess Luna talked about?” Book Binder's smile made a sweet return. “Of course they're real Elias. I think that’s why I was so fast to be friends with you. Night Flash was there, and I think I could feel his feelings for me, and there you were, the loner you are, just waiting for someone to care for you. Then Night Flash began to court me, and then I heard your real age… It just brought everything to a boiling point. The rune was merely a catalyst. All of the feelings I have for you now, were there then. They’ve just been pushed to the surface.” She paused, and then sighed for a third time. “I hope knowing that helps Elias. I don’t want us to drift apart, no matter what. The three of us should stick together, things just came at us in a rush, and I’m sorry if you feel overwhelmed.” Elias saw sorrow on the mare’s face, and he mentally smacked himself for causing that. The rear part of his mind rose up, screaming at him to just accept the modification to their relationship. It would make her happy, the voice whispered, its volume flipping to near silence as it tried different strategies to convince him. Maybe it was the zealousness of the voice, but it put him off the thought. The rear voice seemed to panic silently as he rejected its ideas, milling about in confusion as it tried to find a way to convince him. Elias, however, had a safe idea, satisfying the paranoid center, as well as the affectionate back. If he could express his feelings for once, maybe they could come up with a solution together. “Book Binder I…” he stopped as he looked at her. He felt a tear in his eye, and tried to blink it away. “Please listen all the way through, because I don’t want to hurt you. You’re a good friend and I…” His eye closed and he stopped as fear welled up in his mind. Should he be doing this? What had he done to deserve a potential family? Even worse, what if he pushed them away? He didn’t look forward to the idea of being alone again. He felt a light touch on his face, and his eye opened to find Book Binder much closer, her muzzle almost on top of his nose. “Just talk Elias. No matter what you say, Flash and I aren’t going anywhere. We’re going to stick to you like glue.” She nudged Night Flash slightly, causing the pegasus to kick and grumble in his sleep. “Especially since Flash seems to enjoy sleeping on you. You’d think without the fur you wouldn’t be as comfortable to lay against as a pony, but you’re really warm. It’s very relaxing.” Elias snorted softly. “Thanks,” he said. Book Binder settled again. “Go ahead Elias, I’m all ears.” Elias took a deep breath before he started. “I… Book Binder, some part of me wants to say yes.” He clenched his hand into a tight fist. “My brain is on fire trying to figure out a way to say yes. It could be a new leave, a second try, whatever you want to call it. To have a family, to have something that special...” He slumped slightly. “But I can’t say yes. I don’t have the strength to.” His eye flicked back to the mare. “I don’t want to hurt you because of my personal failings. I don’t know about ponies, or pony culture. I don’t know how you express love and affection; I don’t know how I should act, and I don’t know how to avoid disappointing you. I am a nasty, vicious man, and I’m not entirely sure that someone like me should have a family.” Elias sighed, looking away. “I don’t know how to be a man worthy of having somebody who loves me.” Book Binder touched his nose with her hoof, then, when he refused to look, she guided his chin so that they made eye contact. She smiled. “Elias, you don’t have to be worthy of us. You just have to keep being you, and we’ll be proud of you. The rest doesn’t matter, because Flash and I know that you aren’t a pony. You show your affection and love in smaller ways. Given enough time, we’ll figure out each and every one of them. You just have to give us a chance.” When Elias didn’t immediately respond, she sighed, but her smile didn’t falter. “Elias, I think we’re both grown enough to know that there isn’t going to be some grand declaration of love. You aren’t going to scoop us up and crush us with a hug, crying your eyes out, begging to be adopted. It simply won’t happen.” “Would you like me too?” Elias asked, trying to joke. “Maybe in the future, but not now,” Book Binder replied. “I can tell that you are willfully trying to slow your life down. You are nineteen Elias, no matter what the human standard is, a year is a year. You are far too weathered and wise and experienced for someone your age. The things you must have lived through…” she shook her head, stopping herself. “I won’t ask, but I know your life has been a rush from one place to another, and now that you’re here, you want to slow down. I understand that, and I want to help you, so here is my solution to our shared problem.” “Shared?” Elias asked, raising an eyebrow. She bopped his nose again. “Yes, shared,” she said, clicking her tongue. “I want a baby boy to spoil rotten, and you want a family but have a fear about it. I will not ask what, but I know that something about having a new family scares you, and I don’t want that. So, this is my solution, let’s take it slow, step by step and ease into it like we should have had from the beginning. First, we start with nicknames. I’ll leave it to your discretion which one’s stick, but baby boy will forever be on the table, and you will never escape it.” Elias snorted softly. His fears slowly pealed away as the mare spoke of plans. He always could get behind plans, and her voice was so kind. Elias found that he just simply wanted to listen to her speak, without listening to the words. It was a strange, warm feeling that he couldn't quite put a name to. He faintly missed the feeling he had when she was petting him. Book Binder seemed to pick up on his thoughts, as she shifted, climbing around his head. Elias felt her press lightly against the back of his head as she began to stroke his hair with her hoof. “Then we move on to light affectionate gestures. Like your rules for friendship, I shall warn you when I am about to do anything overtly motherly.” “Such as?” Elias asked, feeling significantly more relaxed. “Everypony has seen Night Flash and I hug you, so I was thinking… kisses?” She seemed nervous about suggesting it, and Elias felt more than nervous about accepting it, but he just nodded slightly in reply. Book Binder relaxed as she continued. “This is the first phase. It gets you used to being coddled, just a little, and it lets me know your limits. We can do this for a few months, even a year if you need the time.” “You’re willing to wait that long for me?” Elias asked, turning to try and face her. Normally it would work, but with the bandage covering his left eye, he couldn’t see her. He felt her hooves gently push his head to face forward. She then resumed stroking his hair. “Elias, I am willing to wait a century for you. I waited all of this time for Night Flash to ask me out, I can wait out a human, no matter anti-social and distant he chooses to make himself.” She stopped stroking his hair and laid her head on top of his sighing softly as she rubbed her cheek in his hair. “The second phase is the more serious stuff. Moving in together would be one aspect. I don’t know how it would work, but maybe we could send you to school, you have some basic subjects that you aren’t up to date on yet. Another thing we could do is take a vacation together, just the three of us. Maybe you meet our parents. The kind of things a family does together.” Elias liked how it sounded. No more castle, no more guard shifts. Sure, school would likely be a hassle and a half, and Elias would riot if he got stuck in a classroom with actual children, but the rest seemed… nice. He couldn’t ever remember meeting his grandparents. Maybe that little detail could change the outcomes. On the other hand, he’d lose his outlet for violence. A regular guy probably wasn’t allowed to carry a sword around, and he had no way to keep his combat skills up to protect his friends. The rush of thoughts, both positive and negative was nearly overwhelming. “What comes after that?” Elias asked softly, his mind racing as he struggled to process. Book Binder smiled as she nuzzled his head. “Then we make it official Elias. If we can get through all of that, then we already are a family. It’s just putting it on paper at that point. Elias Bright, official adopted son of Night Flash and Book Binder.” She sighed dreamily. “And then it’s over and we’re a happy family. I can spoil you however I like, and we’ll live out the rest of our lives together. You’ll bring home some darling mare that I will be far too critical of until you tell us you’re getting married, then I’ll spoil her as well. It will be perfect.” She sighed again, then shook herself from her daydream. “If that’s what you want of course,” Book Binder added. “If you want nothing to do with us… I understand. We’ll still be friends, as best we can be. Either way, we aren’t going anywhere.” She shuffled slightly, and the nervousness returned in her voice. “So… what do you say? Do you want to at least try?” Book Binder asked tentatively. Fear lanced through Elias’ mind again as the two voices rose to a fevered pitch. The center voice was trying to tear a hole in his skull as it thrashed madly to get him to say no. It threw up the horrifying images of his past, and Elias had to close his eyes to force them away. He had help though. Using all of its strength, the rear voice manifested, and Elias’ heard Other-Elias whispering softly in his ear. “Do it Elias. What other purpose could we want? This is our endgame; this is where we need to end up. No more lone wolf. That just gets people hurt. We do this, and the cycle breaks, it has to. When did everything bad start happening? Where has the pain all come from? We both know the answer, and this is the way to end it. I beg you to say yes. It’s the only right decision we can make.” Elias mentally nodded, and together they clamped down on the center voice, throwing it back in its cage. There was a time and place for suspicion, for paranoia, but the mare behind him and the stallion on his chest were beyond those base instincts. They were his friends, and if he accepted them fully, they would be family. Elias swallowed roughly, but he nodded physically this time. “I think… yes. I would like to try.” Unlike his expectation, Book Binder didn’t do anything overly emotive. He could feel her smile, and then she began stroking his hair again. She sighed happily. “Thank you Elias. I promise you won’t regret it. If you’ll allow me, I’d like to give you a small kiss on the forehead.” Elias tried to look up, but again found his view blocked by the bandage. He felt unnaturally nervous about the thought of the pony giving him a kiss, but he nodded anyway. Book Binder bent over and laid a gentle kiss on his forehead, the contact itself lasting less than a second. She then began to hum as she rested against his neck. Elias sat in silence as she drifted asleep once more. His mind was beginning to settle, and for once, the voice in the center and the voice the rear of his mind were silent. He was unused to having his head to himself. Elias found that he liked the feeling, and he silently thanked the two ponies on top of him for bringing him temporary peace. ***** Elias looked up with a smile as Book Binder and Night Flash looked around in sleepy confusion from what should have been his bed. The human had a rag in his hand and was carefully scraping away the blood from his armor. A bucket full of red water sat at his feet, and so far, he had cleaned everything to pristine quality save for his chest piece, which say beside him, and his gladius, which was nowhere to be found. Elias smiled when both ponies finally locked onto him, scrubbing away. “Red, you shouldn’t be up, you need rest,” Night Flash yawned. Elias shrugged, ignoring a small twinge of pain from his gut. “I’ve already rested enough. I’m ready to get going again,” Elias replied as he ran a finger over the hole in the stomach of his armor. He frowned as he flipped the cuirass over and began to scrub at the interior, where the worst of the blood was. Book Binder sighed and rose from the bed, hopping down as she trotted over to Elias. “Please don’t be stubborn Elias. You got stabbed yesterday. Unless you want your injuries to worsen, you need bed rest.” She blinked some her tiredness away, then looked between Elias and the Night Flash occupied bed. “Wait, how did you get out of bed without us noticing?” she asked in confusion. Elias smiled slightly as he flipped his armor back over. “Night Flash sleeps like a rock, and you like sleeping near Night Flash. Ignoring a few aches and pains, I feel just fine, so it was only a bit of wiggling and I got you around each other. Then I got to work.” He rubbed aggressively at a spot of red near the neck piece. “Scarlet did his best, but it takes an experienced hand to get rid of this much blood.” Book Binder snorted. “Only you would be concerned about your armor over your stab wounds. Utterly ridiculous.” She didn’t press him further, choosing instead to simply sit beside him. “You know Scalpel’s going to yell at you, right?” Elias nodded. “Yep, but he’s really going to yell when we go and get food.” Book Binder tsked. “Elias, that isn’t a good idea. You really shouldn’t be walking.” “Should, shouldn’t. They’re both relative. I need to drop this armor off with Anyon anyway, and the cafeteria is just a few hallways down from that,” he paused in thought, then shook his head as he continued to scrub away. “I think I can make it. The only thing that really hurts still is my stomach. The rest feels just fine.” Book Binder sighed heavily and shook her head. “You are unbelievable. Fine, we’ll get food, but Night Flash and I are going to be at your side the entire way in case you stumble, and if you do, you’re coming right back here, no protests.” “Deal,” Elias said as he gave his armor a last once-over. Satisfied with its state of cleanliness, he moved to collect all of the pieces, only for Book Binder to steal them away from him. When he looked to her to protest, she shot him a glare. “I’m already being far too lenient in not just strapping you to the bed. Night Flash and I will carry your armor, then we’ll go eat.” Night Flash grinned at Elias as he hopped off the bed. He waited silently with that happy smile while Book Binder loaded him down with armor, then she took the chest piece in her magic. Elias grunted as he got to his feet, holding his stomach lightly as he took a few confident steps. Night Flash and Book Binder pinned themselves to his left and right respectively, and the two began to chatter about nothing as they walked. They made it as far as Anyon’s smithy before Elias began to feel winded. His stomach lanced pain up his spine, and his steps were shaky at best. He waited outside while they dropped off the armor for repair, then the three of them began walking toward the cafeteria. Again, the pair of ponies glued themselves to his sides, but this time they were watching Elias, checking constantly if he was able to continue. It took them longer than usual, but they did make it to the cafeteria doors without incident. After a short breather, Elias let them escort him inside, moving to the line as fast as he was able. As they waited, Elias realized that the cafeteria was silent. He tried to subtly look around, which was made more difficult by the fact that he still had a bandage covering his left eye. Lacking his normal depth perception, he felt like he wasn’t as adept at reading the expressions of the ponies around him. The general emotion he got was shock, but that was all he could glean. Book Binder and Night Flash either didn’t notice, or chose not to care, because they chattered on, with Book Binder scooping up Elias’ food before he could lay hands on it. Night Flash remained at his side while Book Binder trotted ahead, setting the food down as she pulled out the bench so Elias didn’t have to swing his legs as wide as usual. He gave her a grunt of thanks as he plopped down, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. He looked down at his tunic to find it not only soaked with sweat, but with crusted blood as well. As he touched the hole above his stomach, he realized that he probably looked like a walking corpse, complete with bloody clothes. He looked up at Book Binder, who was waiting for him to start eating. “I think I should have cleaned up a little before doing this,” he said. She smiled and nodded. “Probably, but I didn’t want to press you. I’ll drop by your room to get some clean clothes when we finish. Eat up, you look exhausted.” Elias grunted in agreement and set about the eating the soup before him. As he began to eat, the cafeteria began to resume its normal, noisy state. Elias noticed more than a few looks at him, but he decided to only focus on the two ponies that were sitting with him. Night Flash sat at his side this time, chomping happily into a sandwich, while Book Binder sat across from the two of them, one-eye on her salad, while her other eye was on Elias, likely ensuring that he wasn't going to do anything to further hurt himself. Evidently, she had a third eye as well, because she began to growl quietly. Elias looked at her, then around, having to spin his head around to get a full view of the room. It took him a few passes, but he found the reason for her sudden aggression. Captain Chaser was staring at him, as were a good portion of the Royal Guards. Again, due to his lack of depth perception, he couldn’t tell if they were glaring at him or not. Either way it didn’t matter, because Chaser rose from his seat and moved around their table, stiffly, Elias noted with a bit of pride. He felt Night Flash press closer to his side, and while Book Binder stopped growling, she shot a withering glare at the guard captain. The pegasus seemed undeterred, and Elias did his best to watch him evenly with his one eye. He held no anger toward the pony, nor was he afraid of him. Elias knew better; a sound beating was one way to solve a whole lot of issues, though if he wanted to play twice, Elias would find a way to stand long enough to land a few blows. He doubted that was the reason that Chaser was coming over, however. Elias winced as he turned, adjusting his body so that he didn’t have to turn his neck at an awkward angle to see the pony. Though Scalpel had sealed it up fairly well, the bandage pulled on his neck wound when he kept it turned for too long. Chaser stopped by the table, and while he received glares from the two ponies, he and Elias simply stared at one another. Elias waited silently for the pony to speak, and when Chaser continued to just stare, he cleared his throat loudly. “Something I can do for you Captain?” Elias asked. Chaser blinked as the words shook him from his stupor. The stallion looked away for a moment before looking back to Elias. “I… wanted to see how you were doing. That seems like an awful lot of bandages.” Elias shrugged. “Scalpel will probably find me and try to tear my head off, but I’ve survived worse.” Elias nodded toward Chaser’s wing. “Is that getting better?” Chaser followed his eye to the bandage on his wing joint. “Yeah, it’ll heal back to normal by the end of the week. I should be flying at full strength after that.” He looked at Elias’ stomach and flinched. “How’s the stab wound?” Elias snorted. “I don’t think you hit anything too important. Armor caught the worst of it anyway. I wouldn’t worry about it too much.” Chaser nodded awkwardly. “Good. Good.” He seemed to shuffle in place for a moment, looking around the cafeteria. Elias waited in silence for the pony to speak again. Chaser rubbed the back of his head with a hoof, looked at Elias, then looked away again. Taking a breath, he sighed, and straightened. “Guardsman Bright, I want to formally say that I’m-“ “That sentence better end with “a pony” because if it’s an apology, save it,” Elias said. “You have nothing to apologize for.” Chaser blinked again, this time in surprise. “What?” he asked in disbelief. Elias grinned. “What do you have to apologize for?” Elias asked him. “Winning? I could have still walked away, besides, the fight was fun, we both came out relatively intact.” He shrugged. “As far as I see it, we’re even.” Chaser looked at him in stunned silence, and a glance at Book Binder found the same expression, except tinged with more anger. “What?” Elias asked her. “What?” Book Binder shrieked back. “You nearly die, and that’s considered fun for you? Did you get hit on the head?” Elias touched a hand to his chest. “And here I thought you liked the results of all of this,” he said mockingly. “Already tired of me are you?” She waved her fork at him. “Don’t you start with me young man. I’ll have Flash pin you down right here and then I’ll confess my love for my,” she leaned in and whispered, “baby boy,” she leaned back out, “for everypony to see. I will make sure everypony in the world knows, and your big tough guy reputation will vanish.” “Until I pick a fight with someone else,” Elias shot back. “I believe Captain Armor is next on the list.” “If you’re going to fight Shining Armor you need to stay close. He’s really good at making shields and striking from a distance,” Chaser said, looking a bit dazed as he spoke. Book Binder growled softly. “Respectfully Captain, don’t encourage him. I’ll be very unhappy with you if you do.” Elias was surprised of the relative openness of the vague threat. Chaser took it with stride, however. “Noted Guardspony Binder.” He looked to Elias. “Are you sure though? Princess Luna said you asked her not to punish me, but I didn’t really believe her. You just seem like the kind of pony that would…” “Hold a grudge?” Elias asked with a smile. He rubbed his nose. “You would be right, for serious things. This wasn’t that serious. Just two guys,” he scratched his head as he tried to come up with a suitable word. Elias snapped his fingers as he thought of something that fit. “Sparring! That’s it. We were just sparring; it got a little too serious. Nothing more.” Chaser blinked at Elias again. “If you say so.” The pegasus seemed to rock in place, and Elias had no doubt that his mind was still trying to process that Elias wasn’t angry, or actively seeking vengeance. Elias sighed and rubbed at his eye. The bridge of his nose, while no longer broken, was still a bit tender. “Captain, if I may, what punishment did Princess Luna give you?” “When I learned of your age, I attempted to submit my resignation, but she declined it. She then ordered me to participate in Ice Blossom’s training sessions with Scarlet Shield. They start tomorrow,” the pony replied. Chaser looked at his hooves. “She said you had a reason for not giving me something harsh, but I still feel like I should be punished in some way. The training session won’t be anything terrible, and in truth Blossom will probably just use me to demonstrate moves for Scarlet Shield, but that isn’t that bad. A bit shameful, but not punishing.” He frowned and seemed to wither. “No matter how you look, or talk,” Chaser glanced at his wing and chuckled weakly, “or fight, you’re still a kid Bright. I’m a Royal Guard Captain, and I picked a fight with a nineteen-year-old kid. That deserves punishing, even if you don’t agree.” Elias closed his eyes in thought as he scratched at his facial hair. The problem wouldn’t go away if the pony kept knocking himself over it. He groaned internally as he tried to think of a solution. Nightshade had responded exactly like a human would, forgiving, forgetting, and moving on. Now she just yelled at him every other day. Chaser was different though, and he was clearly harboring severe guilt. The issue still remained that if he was severely punished, certain members of the Royal Guard would come for blood. Elias had no interest in more blood feuds. He had won the last one by tracking down and killing everyone who had learned the name he had been using at the time. It was a nasty affair he didn’t care to repeat. Elias scratched the back of his head as he looked at Chase with one eye. “Captain, tell you what, will you consider this done if you do a favor for me?” Chaser nodded immediately; his mouth set in a tight line. “Absolutely. I need to pay in some capacity for hurting you this badly. It never should have happened and even though you don’t want it, I apologize for what happened.” Elias rolled his shoulder. “I want a rematch then,” Elias smiled, gesturing at his injuries. “Not now of course, but when we’re both in fit, fighting shape, you and me are going to go toe to toe again, and this time I’m going to have everything.” Chaser looked at him in disbelief. “You weren’t fighting me fully? Why would you hold back?” Elias laughed, and shook his head, waving his hands. “No no no, that’s not what I meant. I was fighting like a dog to keep up with you.” He chuckled. “No, I mean no broken nose beforehand, and I’ll have my shield. I have tangled with two guard captains, and in neither case have I been using my scutum.” He clenched his left hand. “I need that thing to control a fight. Without it, I’m just a really big, slow target.” Elias caught Chaser’s eyes. “Would that suffice for a punishment? Having to fight a lowly nineteen-year-old Lunar Guard, again?” Elias snorted. “Then you could show me up by beating me into a hospital bed a second time. That’d be pretty funny.” A glance at Book Binder told him that she disagreed. Heavily. Elias wisely kept his eye on Chaser, who was looking at him as if he had sprouted a second head. Elias smiled widely, glad that he could stump the pony with something other than aggression. He extended his right hand, flinching as the motion stretched a cut on his arm. “What do you say?” Elias asked, keeping the grin on his face. Chaser blinked, then slowly accepted the offered hand, still staring at Elias with visible confusion. “That could work. We’ll make sure to do it right though. I really don’t want to see you bleeding like that again. It was…” he shivered. “horrifying. It’s different than fighting a manticore or any other monster. That much blood shouldn’t come from a pony. Ever.” “Still, will that do? I really don’t want this blowing out of proportion.” Chaser gave him a funny look again. “I guess so, yeah. You’re a strange pony, Bright, you know that?” Elias snorted. “I’ll take that as a compliment. Let’s talk more about it later. I’m still a bit frail right now, and I think it’s about time to start crawling back toward the infirmary so Scalpel doesn’t lose it.” Chaser smiled for a second before his Royal Guard demeanor took over. He gave Elias a single, silent nod before turning away. Before Elias could begin to eat again, the pegasus stopped and turned back around. “I almost forgot,” Chaser said. “Congratulations Guardsman Bright, you usurped my record as youngest guard official guard member.” He sighed deeply. “I don’t think anypony will ever be able to beat yours though. Legally speaking, I was the youngest allowed at twenty-four.” Elias smiled. “If we want to be technical, you are still the youngest volunteer member of the guard. I was pressed into service.” He chuckled. “All to see if I wouldn’t be aggressive around ponies. I think we can both appreciate the irony of that.” “That we can Guardsman. We shall speak again at another time.” Chaser looked at something near the cafeteria doors. “But I believe you have an appointment with somepony else.” Elias looked to his right and found a very angry unicorn staring back. Even across the cafeteria, he could feel the heat coming off of Scalpel’s glare. Elias looked to Chaser to change his favor, only to find the guard captain already gone, trotting off to his table. Elias could feel the first step Scalpel took toward him. He took a deep breath and tried to stand up, only to find his butt glued to the seat. Thinking it was merely muscle fatigue, Elias tried to push up from the table, only to find his hands glued to the tabletop. He looked up and found Book Binder smiling at him, her horn aglow. “Sorry baby boy, you’re not getting out of this,” she leaned closer, “especially since you just asked for a bucking rematch with Captain Chaser.” Elias saw anger flash across her eyes, quickly replaced by amusement as she sat back down. “What comes next is a mother teaching her wayward son a lesson about learning from his mistakes.” Elias tugged gently at his hands. His eye looked back to Scalpel, who was slowly growing closer. Elias was fairly sure he could actually see flames in the pony’s eyes. How that was possible, he had no idea, but he attributed it to magic. Elias looked to Book Binder. “You know, I have never actually seen him this angry. I think he might kill me to prove a point.” Book Binder scoffed. “I highly doubt that will happen.” Scalpel seemed to lose his restraint in that instant. “ELIAS!” he bellowed. Elias felt his hair blow back at the force of the shout. He looked around the cafeteria and found that the guards were acting like nothing was happening. He saw more than a few ponies simply chatting away, eating their food like Steel Scalpel didn’t look like he was going to explode into a ball of fire. Book Binder cringed, however. “Alright, you might have a point,” she whispered. Night Flash scrambled under Elias’ stuck arms and sat in his lap; a smile wide on his face. “Don’t worry Red!” he said cheerfully, seemingly oblivious to the approaching maelstrom. “I’ll protect you! He can’t be mad at all of us.” “Can’t I?” Scalpel said, suddenly right next to Elias. The human would have jumped if he wasn’t literally glued to his seat. To say that Scalpel was angry was an understatement. Elias could feel heat radiating off of the pony as Scalpel glared intensely at him. “I’ll make you a very simple deal Elias. We are going back to the infirmary right now, and I will be carrying you. Otherwise, I am knocking you out, then carrying you anyways.” Elias grinned at him. “Sorry Scalpel, I can’t go anywhere.” He looked pointedly at Book Binder. “Someone glued me to the table.” “You glued him down?” Scalpel asked Binder, grinding his teeth. The mare chuckled weakly. “Didn’t want him running away like last time. That’s a good thing, right?” she squeaked. “Unglue him,” Scalpel hissed. His tail flicked back and forth as he glared at Book Binder. She smiled meekly as she cast a quick spell. Elias had just enough time to pull his hands free before he was lifted into the air. Night Flash cried out as he slipped from Elias’ lap. Elias hung upside down in front of Scalpel. “Not a word until we get back to the infirmary, am I clear?” the unicorn growled. Elias made a point of not responding. When Scalpel began to quiver with anger, Elias smiled and shrugged. “What? You said not a word. An answer would be a word.” The fire flashed in Scalpel’s eyes, and as his magic flared, Elias distinctly heard the sound of somebody’s hoof hitting their face. A rather nasty looking ball of light formed right in front of Elias’ face, and he had only a second before Scalpel sent it forward and Elias blacked out. > Chapter 17: Discussions > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry 976 I think it’s going to be healthy for me to write down a set of rules I developed. Things are terrible awful lonely rough out here, and I need to have a clear set of principles if I want to stay alive. So, here are the basics for this first attempt, I might try to add more as I think of them. 1. Save what you can. Food, resources, people. Everything has value, you just might not realize it yet. 2. Mercy comes in many forms. Don’t be afraid to do what is needed, even if it hurts. 3. Diplomacy first. A loaded gun is nice, but isn’t always needed. Talking is usually a good first step (or at least I think it is) 4. People are inherently good 1440 Edit: people are dog shit. Worthless in every aspect and should be shot on sight. They lie, cheat, steal, kill. They are no better than wild animals and should be treated as such. No mercy. Take care of yourself, and only yourself. Elias stood with Night Flash to his left, on the other side of the doorway leading to Luna's bedroom. With nothing to occupy their eyes, the two stared at the wall in complete silence. It was by far one of the worst guard positions to have, but Elias always found that the utter silence and solitude was better than having to deal with the inane questions the castle staff always asked, and that he, as a guard, was required to answer. Why that had been a part of the guard manual, he had no idea, but it was a requirement, so answer the questions he did. Usually the ponies gave up when he only gave them short, non-descriptive answers. None of the cleaning staff ever came by Luna’s room during the hours when she maintained the dream realm. Elias had no idea what that actually meant, but he chalked it up to magic and left it there. After stealing him from the cafeteria, Scalpel had actually strapped him to the bed, with what he claimed was an uncuttable rope. Not to be out done, Elias had found, upon his awakening, his gladius waiting on his bedside, cleaned and polished with a note from Scarlet apologizing for everything. After sighing about the pony’s misplaced guilt, Elias had tried, using the extra sharpness of Feather, to cut and work away at the rope. He had shouted with victory when he had cut through the rope, only for the two lengths to immediately seal back together and electrocute him. Since it lacked any visible knot, and he had no urge to be a twitching mess, Elias had left the rope around his ankle be. As punishment for letting Elias talk them into leaving the infirmary, Night Flash and Book Binder had gotten the punishment of limited visitation. When Book Binder had responded by going to Luna, Scalpel had relented, letting them visit whenever, on the condition that they had limited physical contact with Elias. Another letter to the princess later, Scalpel had broken completely and had left the two be, as long as they promised to not allow Elias out of the bed. Book Binder had agreed cheerfully, cuddling up with the disgruntled human as she read aloud to him from a dozen different books. Elias found that they both liked the Daring Doo books the most, though he preferred the parts with the action, while she preferred the sections where Daring interacted with her love interest. Elias had spitefully refused to learn the stallion’s name, and after several hours arguing with Book Binder, the two had decided that she would simply read these sections to herself, curled under Elias’ arm while he and Flash talked. After three days, Scalpel had set him free, with a harsh warning about returning, as well as a scheduled meal together. The unicorn believed that if he left the infirmary more, Elias would stop going to it. Elias imagined that their Wednesday meal would likely become a regular thing, and a large part of him hoped it would. Either way, his wounds were healed completely, and without scarring, so he quickly fell back into the swing of things. He trained daily with Flash and Binder, and each day they continued to improve, despite the fact that he continued to win their scuffles. More than once Elias had to get on Book Binder for hesitating. With the trial motherhood ongoing, she had a difficult time striking out at her “baby boy”, despite Elias’ insurances that he would be fine. It didn’t help that the one time that she succeeded with an attack, she put him through a stone wall. Even when he comforted her, telling her that she did perfectly, she wouldn’t listen, tearing up as she tried to, quote; “kiss his boo boos away”. Elias had let Night Flash handle that one. That incident was one of several that had begun to show the mixed results of the trial motherhood. Sometimes, Elias felt like he was growing ever calmer and closer to his friends and “potential” parents. They sparred, laughed, and simply talked, with Elias growing more comfortable with Book Binder’s motherly gestures. Other days however, Elias relapsed. His temper grew shorter, flashing up at little things that wouldn’t normally cause him issue. The rate of his violent panic attacks increased, and he got lucky that Night Flash was usually close, because the pegasus was usually able to quickly and quietly break Elias free. Usually. The intensity of his night terrors increased as well, with as many as two to three happening per night. Whenever somebody tried to pry about the content of the dreams, Elias would leave as quickly as possible, his anger growing to the point where he was a breath away from striking someone. One incident had been far too close, and he had only barely held himself back, his fingernails digging into his palms as he stalked away with murder on his mind. Other days were simply… off. While not bitter and filled with simmering rage, Elias felt the need to be alone, to avoid his friends. He hid out in the depths of the library, ignoring the soft calls of Book Binder or Night Flash, even occasionally Luna as he buried himself in a book, tucked between bookshelves so that he couldn’t be found. It made him feel like a coward, but it was the only way he felt like he could relax. With all of the ponies pushing him so hard, especially Book Binder, Elias felt like he was at his wits end. Only after long hours of silence could Elias muster up the strength to drag himself back to the populated halls, where he was swiftly met by a worried Book Binder, which left the human feeling even worse about himself. The only way he could cope and not drive her further away was to pretend that he was merely distracted and lost track of time. A few half-jokes about his poor hearing later and Book Binder would relax, though he occasionally caught her giving him nervous glances. It would allow them to fall back into their normal rhythm however, and so they would usually eat, or spar. Over the course of their combat sessions, Night Flash and Book Binder showed noticeable improvement, and they could tell. It showed in the way they held themselves, walking taller, being a bit more physical with their play banter at each other. They were also a bit more boisterous, which Elias found himself enjoying greatly. Scarlet got better as well, although at a much slower pace. Despite their almost friendly truce, Elias didn’t want to antagonize the Royal Guard captain further, so he watched at a distance as the two pegasi sparred lightly with each other while Ice Blossom coached. On one occasion, she had actually approached Elias for his assistance in motivating Scarlet Shield. For every match he “won”, he got an extra hour in tactics planning. For every match he “lost” an hour was taken away. A win was determined by the pegasus landing a single hit on Midnight Chaser, while a loss was getting thrown from the arena. Though it took him many, many tries, Scarlet began to win. When he began to win every match, Ice Blossom had upped the conditions, making Scarlet land two hits. It had taken him a bit longer to meet the advanced benchmark, but Elias had no doubt in his mind that he would get it with time. They still had a full week to prep for the big exercise, and Scarlet was working like a dog to be ready. Every conversation somehow brought the subject up, and each ended with Scarlet wistfully looking into the air as he prayed that he got to be team captain. Elias hoped the pegaus got it. Elias was jarred from his thoughts by the sound of the door to his left opening. Luna walked out, yawning widely as she looked between him and Night Flash. “Ah, I see the shift has not yet changed. Pray tell, what time is it?” Being the more dexterous of the two guards, Elias pulled out his watch. “Just past 5:45 Princess,” he answered, quickly closing the watch and tucking it back within his belt. Luna nodded, rubbing at her eyes as she yawned a second time. She shivered briefly, ruffling all of her feathers before she looked to Elias with a smile. “Come Guardsman Bright, I wish to take an early morning stroll. It is so rare that I am free to watch Canterlot awaken.” She looked down to Night Flash. “Guardspony Flash, you shall remain here. Alert any interested parties that I am walking the streets.” Night Flash gave her a single, grim nod. Luna then smiled widely at Elias. “Come Guardsman!” she said cheerfully. “We have much to see!” Elias bit his lip to avoid sighing as she began to prance away. He slipped his pilum into one of the available sheathes in his shield. He certainly wasn’t going to parade around with the thing in his hand. It took him a few quick steps to catch up with the energetic princess, but when he did, he fell in behind her, keeping an even pace that matched hers perfectly. That had been another interesting part of the small training he had received. There was a way to walk “properly” when escorting a princess, and that meant he was forced to practice a certain pace that they always fell into. Lucky for him, he wasn’t limited by relatively stubby pony legs, and his long strides matched up very well with that of Luna. All that was left was to simply get the right speed for each one, which had taken less than a minute. Nightshade had been unhappy at that, claiming the best part of the training was watching ponies stumble around learning how to walk fast without trotting. As they walked, Luna would greet any pony she saw, though that primarily consisted of Lunar Guards, with the odd maid or chef appearing for a moment. They stopped only once when Luna gave a compliment to one of the maids that had apparently been tasked with cleaning up Elias’ blood. The maid gave the human a glare as she accepted the praise, but then went about her day like nothing had happened. Luna continued her cheerful trot as they exited the castle. Outside of the gates, she paused briefly to stare into the sky, her horn alight as she made minute adjustments to the moonset. Then they were on their way. Elias struggled not to stare at Luna as she skipped along. Other ponies were not so subtle. They openly gaped with surprise as their princess pranced through the streets happily, a wide smile on her face as she occasionally stopped at shop windows, watching bakers prepare their goods, or made her way over to open displays, smelling flowers as florists watered their blooming plants. Throughout it all, Elias simply stood silently and watched. He was surprised that he didn’t get more looks, but he attributed it to the fact that Luna was literally hopping from place to place. Her wings flapped occasionally as she bounced through the air, and her cries of joy were loud enough to echo down the mostly quiet street. As they reached the end of the street, Luna bounced into Elias’ side, giggling happily as she leaned against him. Elias tried to ignore the feeling of incredibly soft fur on his arm. He was surprised that to find that it was even softer than Book Binder's fur, and he had to suppress the urge to start petting the princess like a cat. “Ah, that was excellent,” she said breathlessly. “It tis my second favorite time of night.” Elias glanced at her before looking forward again. “Your second favorite time of night is right before it ends?” Elias asked. She nodded. “Indeed, it is Guardsman. It is the only other time of night when my ponies are becoming active once again. True, it might be to prepare for my sister’s day, but I like to view it as my subjects are enjoying my early morning twilight, seeing the stars just before they vanish.” Luna looked around as they continued to walk, going down a less active street. “Tis also a good time to view the world at large. You see how everything looks just before it is prepared for the light of day. Everything is still calm, and tucked away, warm and safe.” She paused in the middle of the street, twirling around as she looked at the white Canterlot buildings. Her smile still wide, Luna took in a deep breath, closing her eyes as she savored the air. As her eyes opened, she looked to Elias. He stared back, waiting for the real reason they were out here. He had no doubt she enjoyed being out of the castle, but that wasn’t why she had brought him out into Canterlot. She didn’t keep him waiting long. “So, Guardsman, let us talk.” Elias scanned the buildings as if looking for a threat. “And just what will we be talking about Princess?” he asked absently. “Think of this as a… wellness check,” she replied. “I wish to see how you are truly adjusting.” Elias snorted. “Wouldn’t you be better asking Scalpel? He’s seen about as much of my body as I have at this point. I’m sure he has a folder on me the size of a tome.” “That is not the kind of wellness I am speaking of Guardsman Bright,” Luna replied, her voice a bit short with irritation. “Despite your many fights, and injuries, your body is substantially stronger and more filled in than when we found you. That much is obvious. I am referring to your mental state, the one you keep private.” Elias frowned. Now he found solace in looking at the buildings. He didn’t want to talk about this. Not now, not ever. He had found comfort in pretending there wasn’t a problem, and having friends that continued to grow closer had helped him in believing it. “I’m doing just fine Princess,” Elias replied robotically. “Talking more, been working on my temper with Book Binder on occasion. Things are going swimmingly.” Luna didn’t believe his words; he could hear it in her voice. “So, your night terrors have faded?” she asked. Elias sighed and looked at his feet. “No,” he admitted. “I still have them every night, without fail. On the upside, they haven’t gotten much worse, so there’s that.” Luna snorted. “Guardsman Bright that is false, and both you and I know that. They have increased in number, and they have begun increasing in intensity. You thrash more, and it seems you have a greater difficulty fully coming out of the terrors when you awaken.” Elias looked at her with a hint of suspicion in his eyes. “You’ve been watching me sleep?” Luna sighed. “Of course I have Guardsman. As are six of Equestria’s leading psychologists. They have come to the conclusion that you are further suppressing your inner turmoil, rather than using the available avenues you have created to release it. It seems making friends has made you even more secretive, not less.” “Are you suggesting that I should get rid of my friends for personal benefit?” Elias asked, his voice becoming slightly angry at the implication. Sure, he had severe anxiety of what could come in the future, particularly concerning Binder and Flash, but that didn’t mean he was going to kick them to the curb. Elias froze internally when he came to the conclusion that he’d rather die than let them go. The voice in the back of his head sat in smug silence. “No Elias, I am not at all suggesting that,” Luna said, backpedaling. “I am merely trying to determine what will work to help you. A damaged soul yearns for something, and more often than not, simple friendship is enough to fill that void.” Elias snorted and looked to the buildings again. “Not for me though huh?” he said, trying to put humor into his voice. It didn’t work, his tone sounding off, almost jaded. Elias didn’t know who to blame for that particular failure, so he blamed himself. He was the one with the issues after all. He was the one who struggled to form relationships on the baseless assumption that the universe itself would cruelly snatch his friends away like it had done so many times before. Putting the thoughts to the forefront made him feel exhausted, and Elias desperately wished for something to draw him away from this dark place. Luna sighed deeply as she seemed to notice the shadow that had passed over his mind. “Guardsman Bright I believe you are a special case. You yearn for friendship, but also much more. Tell me, and answer me honestly, do you like fighting?” Elias smiled weakly. “Princess, I love fighting. Until recently it was the only time I felt truly alive.” He clenched his fist as he pictured any of his wild, numerous fights. “The adrenaline makes you giddy, makes it so you can ignore pain, and the blood spilling from your body. The physical sensations are so satisfying that it’s unnatural.” He looked at her, his eyes partially obscured by the shadow of his helmet. “Have you ever felt someone’s bones break under your fist? Have you felt the blood splatter on your face, and the entire time you feel aware that you did that, and you simply love it? The heat, the feeling of your muscles tensing and relaxing as you swing away, taking a life in an instant.” He laughed at himself in disgust. “And that’s the worst part. The feeling of power you get when you take a life.” He snorted as he shook his head and looked away, once more finding solace in the quiet buildings. “I should be locked up Princess, because I love that feeling. It makes me feel like I’m on top of the world when I kill someone. The fact that I can admit it is even worse. Ending a life shouldn’t give me a rush, and yet it does all the same. It’s the ultimate victory; an enemy who will never rise to fight you again.” Luna seemed to take his admission of horror in stride, looking at him calmly. “Have you ever asked yourself why you feel as you do? Do you know if you have ever felt disgusted by your acts?” “Princess I feel disgusted by my “acts” now. That won’t stop me from doing them again, won’t stop me from relishing the sensations. If you’re asking if there was ever a point when I didn’t feel good killing, then the answer is yes, but that was a very long time ago,” he sighed, “and a very different Elias.” Luna took them down another side street as they continued to walk. The first rays of sunshine were beginning to decorate the sky in an array of light pinks. It would only be a matter of time before the streets were painted with gold as ponies began to truly awaken. Elias had never seen the city in the daytime, and in truth had never really seen it at night. As part of his guard contract, his first year of duties were restricted to the castle. It had made sense; they certainly didn’t want him to bolt in the middle of an Everfree patrol. Since he spent much of his time in the training grounds, and now with his friends, he had never gotten out and about. “Tell me Guardsman,” Luna continued, “have you ever considered that you are merely associating the “rush” as you say, of killing with the actual feeling of pride you feel for defending the people you care about?” Elias shrugged. “I’ve tried to justify the feeling over the years Princess. I told myself I was killing the “bad guys”, I was “protecting” people, I was “defending” myself, but the simple truth is that I found something I was very good at, and I enjoyed it. It is probably for the best that I don’t have a special talent as you do, because what the hell would it say about me?” Luna frowned in thought as she tapped her hoof on the ground. “I believe it would speak more to your caring nature than you believe,” she responded. “Even though you may not show it like a pony would, you are extremely protective of your friends. All of this points back to your lack of openness, even with them. So, I must ask; what are you trying to protect them from?” Elias reached under his helmet to scratch the back of his head. “Princess, if I may, what is the purpose of this? How is any of this supposed to help?” Luna smiled widely. “I am merely trying to hear your inner thoughts in the open. The first step to help someone heal, as I have been advised, is to be open. That is why I have admitted to my observations of your behavior. Though you may not think it, you are crying out for help. It is my duty to see that you have it, before things get worse.” “Get worse?” Elias asked. “How can I possibly get worse from here save for going insane?” 'Again,' Elias thought to himself. Luna’s smile dropped. She looked around, and finding no ponies, she let her voice drop in volume slightly. “Tell me Guardsman, have you had any suicidal thoughts?” Elias blinked in surprise. “Why would you ask that?” he asked, not answering the question. Luna noticed, but humored him. “Your theory that you are a rival alpha to our guard captains bears merit, but the more I think about it, I am forced to draw the conclusion that perhaps you are looking for ponies that can grant you death. Humans are a warrior race, by your own admission. I researched similar races, and found that minotuars, when old and ready to die, will seek out strong opponents to battle. This is in the hopes of being killed in the glory of combat, as they believe that the Keepers will grant them rewards if they die fighting.” She stopped, and made Elias turn toward her. “So tell me Guardsman,” she said with concerned eyes, “are you trying to find your death at the hoof of another?” Elias had to make a mental effort not to take a step away from the alicorn. She was watching him carefully. Any and all movements were being studied carefully, including the absolute silence Elias was answering her with. He found that he really didn’t want to think of his actions in this light, and prayed for a distraction. Fortunately for him, the universe provided for once. Elias heard what sounded like a cry for help, though it was extremely faint. He looked away from Luna, scanning his right as he looked for the source. “Did you hear that?” he asked. “Guardsman Bright, do not avoid the question, it is unbecoming,” she said sharply. Elias held up a hand for her to be quiet as he listened carefully. He really hoped it wasn’t just the ringing that usually occupied his ears. A soft thump seemed to echo in his right ear, and he tracked the sound to a solitary alleyway tucked subtly between two short buildings. Luna stomped her hoof in frustration. “I will not be dismissed Guardsman! If you do not wish to speak about this, then merely say so, do not wave at me like some kind of dog!” Elias felt a flash of irritation. “Princess shut up and listen!” he said, keeping his voice low, but no less filled with anger. She glared at him, but her mouth clamped shut as she twirled her ears around. The tension drained from her body when another muffled thump exited the alley, followed by two male voices talking in loud, harsh voices. “Somepony is arguing? At this hour?” she asked, looking to Elias with confusion. “What could be the cause of such strife?” Elias shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. I’ll be back in a flash.” As he began to make his way toward the alley, Luna called out to him. “Do try to resolve it peacefully Guardsman!” Elias gave her a wave of acknowledgement as he grumbled to himself. “I don’t solve everything with violence you know.” ‘Yes, you do,’ a voice in the back of his head whispered. Elias ignored it as he let his hand drift to his gladius hilt. He didn’t grasp Feather yet, he wanted to prove to himself that he could solve whatever situation was waiting without jumping to violence. He peered cautiously down the alley, finding it shrouded in darkness. The rising sun hadn’t quite begun to touch every part of the city, and while the street was growing lighter by the second, much of the alley was still dim. Through that darkness, Elias could see three figures illuminated clearly in the glow of a magical aura. All three had lit horns, towering over a fourth figure who was huddled against the wall, trying to cower behind a basket of what looked to Elias to be bread. Whenever her mouth opened, the three ponies would raise their voices in a false argument, drowning her out. Elias felt his blood rise when one of them, the unicorn in the center, spat on the pony. She whimpered loudly, looking around desperately for help. Elias cleared his throat as he approached, making no attempt to disguise his armed status. “What’s going on down here?” he asked in the “formal” guard manner. One of the unicorns half turned before looking back to the mare. “None of your bucking business. Now buzz off before you get hurt.” Elias smiled. He kept his strides long as he came to within a few feet of the ponies. “Now, I’m feeling awful merciful, since this little act of yours saved me from a rather nasty conversation, so I’m going to let you try that again before I break your jaw.” Elias cracked his knuckles against his hip as he flexed his hand. “So, let me ask again, because I think I have poor hearing.” Elias stopped at an arm’s length from the ponies. “What’s going on here?” The three ponies whirled on him with open snarls, only for the expression to disappear as they all paled. “Oh buck,” the one on the right said. The middle one growled. “I don’t know what that thing is, but we can take it. There’s three of us.” The one on the left smacked him in the head. “No we can’t you idiot, look at that armor! Whatever it is, it’s a Lunar Guard!” The leftmost stallion put on a too wide smile as he looked at Elias. “Kind sir, I am so sorry about my friend, he just drinks too much coffee in the morning and gets easily excited. This is all just a big… misunderstanding.” Elias rolled his tongue over his teeth. “A misunderstanding huh? That’s your excuse for why that young lady is on the ground?” he said, nodding his head at the mare. She looked at him with a mixture of fear and hope. Elias tried to give her his most reassuring smile before he looked back to the leftmost unicorn, who was shifting on his hooves nervously. Elias wiped his nose with his thumb, spitting into the dirt. “Now, let’s not pretend that I’m an idiot. Give me the real reason you’re tormenting this young lady or things are going to get nasty for the three of you.” The leftmost stallion tried to keep his smile up, but as he met Elias’ eyes, that smile faltered, giving way to fear. “W-we... she owes us money you see...” he stammered. “Really?” Elias asked with a wide grin. “I want all of you to say the exact amount she owes you, at the same time.” The three looked at each other stupidly, then began to say the beginnings of three different numbers. As they dragged out their words in an effort to coordinate their speech, Elias raised a hand to stop them. They fell into an angry silence as they shot glares at each other. “That’s about what I thought,” Elias said calmly. “You’re all full of shit, and if you lie to me again, I will ensure you are punished. Now shut your traps and take three steps back.” He then motioned to the mare with his free hand. “Come on Miss. These three aren’t going to do a thing to you now.” He waved for her to move toward him. A flicker of a smile passed over the mare’s face, and she began to rise, only for the middle stallion to shove her back down roughly. She yelped as she hit the wall again. The center stallion growled as his horn glowed with increasing intensity. “Buck this! I’m not going to be pushed around by one bucking gu-!” He let out a cry of pain as the stone shattered his nose. Elias kept his face blank as he tossed a second stone lightly in his hand. He watched the pony on the left. “I suggest you collect your friend and leave before I stop being so kind.” The unicorn smiled weakly, bowing slightly as he and the right pony grabbed their fallen compatriot and dragged him to his feet. Still clutching his nose as he looked at Elias with fear, the three raced down toward the far end of the alley. Elias watched as they scrambled around a corner and disappeared. He then put the stone back in its pouch and closed the remaining steps toward the mare. She shivered in fear as he approached, squeaking lightly when his shadow towered over her. Elias dropped into a squat, offering her his hand. He waited patiently with a smile as she opened her eyes. She looked at his hand warily before looking up at his face, fear evident across her face. “It’s okay ma’am,” he said softly, as if talking to a hurt animal, “I’m not going to hurt you.” She looked at him in stunned silence for a second more, then leaped at him, clinging to his chest as she cried tears of relief. Elias remained still for a moment, lost in the speed of her action, then he began gently petting her back with his shield hand. His free hand grabbed her basket; he left the bread that had fallen free, and then he rose to his feet. Bracing her rump with his hand, he carried her back toward the alley exit he had entered from. The entire way, she sobbed into his neck, her tears wet against his skin. As he walked into the light of the street, Luna met him with a smile. It faltered only momentarily at the sight of the sobbing pony, but it rose again, shifting from a happy smile to a caring one. “Hello Guardsman, I see you have helped one of my little ponies. Who is this?” she asked softly. The mare sniffled as she replied. “I-I’m Baked Loaf. She didn’t turn around, her eyes still closed and buried firmly in Elias’ neck. He passed off her basket to Luna so he could use his free hand to further brace the pony. In the growing light of day, he saw that she was a peach colored pegasus with a light purple mane. Elias dropped into a crouch as she began to taper off. She pulled away from him, wiping her eyes as she flushed red with embarrassment. “Sorry about that Guardspony, I was just…” she looked at the ground and trembled, “scared.” Elias smiled as he remained crouched, doing his best not to tower over, and therefore further scare, the shaken pony. “It’s no problem at all Ms. Loaf. If you don’t mind me asking though, why were those three after you?” “T-they…” she closed her eyes and teared up. “I don’t know!” she wailed. “I paid them back twice now! I should never have borrowed from them!” She looked to Elias, her eyes pleading. “Please, you have to believe me! I only asked for their help because part of my shop burned down and I couldn’t afford to fix it! They approached me and offered to get it fixed if I paid them back within a month. And I did! I paid them two days early!” She whimpered softly, and she looked with fear toward the still dark alley. Elias gently reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder. “Take your time Miss. Just say it slow and calm like.” Baked Loaf flinched under his touch, but when she saw him patiently waiting with a smile, she smiled back, rubbing against his hand. “They wouldn’t leave me be after that,” she continued, calming down slightly. “I paid in full, but they said I owed them interest. When I paid them again, they said I still owed them. So, I told them they weren’t welcome around my shop anymore. I got my brother and his friends to protect it, and to walk me home.” She cooed softly as Elias’ hand moved up to scratch her ears. “Mhm, but today my brother got sick and couldn’t get any of his friends to walk me to my shop. They’re either all sick like he is, or they’re all out of Canterlot. So, I tried to take some shortcuts to get to work, but they ambushed me.” She smiled as she looked at Elias. “But then you came along.” She nuzzled his hand again. “Such a brave…” She froze and looked at him with blinking, owlish eyes. Elias raised an eyebrow as he waited for her mind to come back. Blinking again, she took a slight step back, then stared over his shoulder. She squeaked as she fell into a bow. “Princess Luna, I am so sorry! I didn’t even realize you were here.” Luna sighed as she walked forward. Laying a wing on Baked Loaf’s back, she stood the pony up. “It is quite alright Ms. Loaf. What is important right now is that you are safe. As we speak the stallions who have assaulted you are being captured by my guards. Rest assured, they shall not bother you again.” Baked Loaf smiled widely. Her hooves twitched as if she wanted to leap at Luna to give the alicorn a hug, but she held herself in control. “Thank you, Princess,” she said brightly. “I already feel safer.” She glanced over at Elias, with a strange light in her eyes. “Though I wouldn’t mind if your guard could escort me to my shop.” Elias saw a brief flash of what looked like anger pass through Luna’s eyes, but the alicorn nodded as she looked at him, her voice cheerful. “Of course, Ms. Loaf. Guardsman Bright would be happy to.” Baked Loaf quickly pounced onto his chest again, with Elias barely catching her with his free hand. She adjusted, while suspended in only one arm, eventually settling into a small ball as she looked up at him with a shining smile. Elias looked to Luna with a raised eyebrow. He saw that brief anger again, but it passed quickly as she shooed him to go. The breadbasket floated back into his grasp, and Baked Loaf pointed down the street in the direction of her shop. Elias looked back to Luna one more time, and she smiled at him. “Go on Guardsman, we shall continue our conversation later.” 'Not if I can help it,' Elias thought to himself. He gave her a brief nod, and with a basket in one hand and a pony in the other, he followed Baked Loaf’s directions to her shop. Unbeknownst to Elias, Luna watched as he walked away with the pegasus in his arms. She felt a twinge of jealously again, but she had no idea where the emotion was coming from. This had actually been a part of her adjusted plan. With the help of the doctors, she had determined that if he wasn’t missing just friendship, then he was missing something much greater. Book Binder and Night Flash had gotten a head start by claiming him as they’re own, and while resistant, Luna knew that in time, Elias would accept their offer. Even his unique brand of human stubbornness couldn’t stand against the love of a mother. The second part had been to find Elias a suitable mate. With his own admission that he had never pursued love, she had the psychologists lay out a plan that would find him in the hooves of a lover. The pony who he was intimate with had to get the man to open up. Love could conquer any trauma, especially given time. At worst, a lover might give the human a child, and there he could find peace by raising his own seed to adulthood, and therefore find happiness in the accomplishments of another. So why was she jealous when a potential solution had quite literally fallen into her lap? She had seen that look in Baked Loaf’s eyes. Maybe it was because Elias had swooped in to save her, but the pony had become instantly enamored with the human. It was clear to Luna that he didn’t notice however, and Luna attributed it to his interactions with Book Binder and Night Flash. The pair had already pushed the limits of friendly physical contact, and with the reaction of the rune, it was clear to Luna that it was because they wanted Elias as a son. It was clear that this was a far different reaction however, and that left Luna feeling conflicted for an unknown reason. She frowned deeply as she pondered it. Luna was jolted from her thoughts as Midnight Chaser touched down beside her, giving her a quick salute. “Princess, we have apprehended the suspects. One of them had a broken nose, but otherwise they're just terrified out of their wits.” He smiled proudly. “The Royal Guard armor gets them every time.” Luna nodded absently as she stared at the corner that Elias had disappeared around. “Quite. Place them in the dungeons. We shall need a full report of the story from Guardsman Bright, as well as the witness reports from a pegasus named Baked Loaf. Have one of the guards tailing Bright drop into her shop after he leaves to collect her statement. I shall determine the punishment of the suspects tomorrow night.” Chaser nodded and saluted before he took to the sky again, leaving Luna alone with her confused thoughts as the sun continued to rise. > Chapter 18: The RAT Exercise; Part 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry Day 2145 Holy crap have we come far. I took the best of the best from the legion on a combat patrol. Ran up against a little scavenging party from a nearby raider camp. They thought they could take us because they outnumbered us two to one. We cut those odds in half, twice. Only three injuries, but thanks to the training of Sarah and her medics, nobody died! We drove the raiders away, snatched up their stuff, then ran back home. Stephen took a nasty hit to the head, but Sarah reports that he’s going to be just fine within a week. The helmet Bevin made really saved Stephen’s ass, and I can’t wait until everyone is fitted up. Whenever I ask about his progress though, Bevin always gives me cryptic answers. I’d be annoyed with him (I mean the guy is as old as I am, but he treats me like a kid sometimes) but then he just gives me one of his trademark smiles as he says he’s working on something special. I have no idea how Sarah puts up with the guy living with her. Doesn’t matter, things are going great! We’ll show those raiders yet. Elias rolled his shoulder to try and ease the tension he could feel gradually settling there. Both the Solar Guard and the Lunar Guard had been standing in formation opposite each other for well over an hour, waiting patiently as the sun rose. The princesses had the Royal Guard cover both guard shifts for the past day, and supported with endurance and energy spells, said guards were constantly keeping watch over the other two guard forces as they stared at each other. When called to report for the exercise, they had already been divided into their veterancy categories, and so Elias found himself at the back of the formation, since he was one of the newest, and youngest guards. One stallion twitched nervously to his right, having been recruited only a few days before. Why the pony didn’t wait another week, Elias had no idea, but the gray fur, white maned earth pony wouldn’t stop shooting looks at him. The last week had been hectic, and Elias was glad for it. After depositing Baked Loaf at her bakery, he had returned to the castle. The mare seemed disappointed at his rapid departure, but he had promised to stop in at some point, and with that promise in mind, she had let him leave. Upon his return, Elias immediately went to sleep, awakening a few short hours later in a pool of sweat. After a scalding shower, he had set about compiling as much of his knowledge on Roman battle tactics on paper as possible. As Ice Blossom pushed Scarlet harder and harder, the pegasus won less and less, and so he got no time with Elias to mentally prepare his strategies. The pegasus stole every moment to talk when he could, covering the lunch table with maps as he tried to squeeze the moments of tactical conversation in. Overall, Scarlet was in a much better physical state than he had been before. He had even begun joining Elias in his sparring sessions with Binder and Flash. While he struggled to keep up, he no longer stood like a frozen stick, and when the three ponies got tired, Elias sparred further with Ice Blossom and Midnight Chaser. Most of these fights ended with the pair teaming up on the man, and though he got licks in, he often lost. Badly. It left him with a sense of satisfaction, however. His body hardened and he got marginally faster the more they fought, and over the span of the week, Elias felt like even he had found improvement. That led them to now, where they were standing outside of Canterlot, shoulder to shoulder, waiting for the princesses to put their finishing touches on the arena. According to Scarlet, said arena was magically conjured by the princesses, contained within an artificial forest that would automatically teleport away anyone who delved into the trees too far. Part of Elias was curious about how it looked from the outside. The youngest guards were slated to go first. The stated reason for this was so that they could “watch and improve” themselves by watching the older guards after their match was finished, but Elias suspected that it was just because nobody expected anything substantial from the young guards. Their fights would likely be short, unorganized, and messy. “At attention ponies!” a voice called out loudly, ringing across the open field they waited in. Most of the guards remained still, as they were supposed to already be at attention, but some of the guards, such as the one beside Elias, flinched and straightened. Taller than anyone else, Elias was able to watch clearly as two guard captains and the princesses descended from the sky. As they landed, Captain Armor popped into existence beside them, a wide grin on his face. With a nod from the princesses, he stepped forward. “Good morning guardponies! Today is the day of the Royal Assessment Training Exercise, and each and every one of you will be participating. I hope you have gotten plenty of rest, because the results of today will determine how hard you are pushed in the coming months. My wedding is going to go off without a hitch, and if it doesn’t, all of you will be held accountable.” Elias rolled his eyes under his helmet as he continued to stare forward with a look of absolute boredom. He really wished they could get this started. He could feel his body beginning to twitch with pent up anticipation from the promise of action. The pony to his right gulped nervously. Captain Armor seemed to relish his power over the guards for a moment more, then with a smile, he gave a slight bow to Celestia. Inclining her head, she stepped forward. “Greetings all, as Captain Armor as stated, this test is of upmost importance for our future.” She smiled brightly, her white fur seeming to glow in the rising sunlight. “I have no doubt in my mind that you will all do your very best.” A large book appeared from nowhere, and Celestia opened it carefully, still smiling. “And now, for the annual reading of the rules.” Clearing her throat loud enough for all to hear, she began to read, her voice carrying to everyone as she spoke with perfect clarity. “First, no grievances shall be carried past the arena. This is exercise is for training purposes only, and whatever the result, you are all Equestrian guards. Carry your duty with pride, no matter the outcome of today.” Elias snorted to himself. ‘Yeah right,’ he thought, ‘if nobody gets in a fight later, I’ll find a marefriend tomorrow.’ Elias blinked in surprise at the Equestrian twist to his thought. ‘I’m localizing,’ he thought with horror. Celestia continued while the human dealt with his minor internal crisis. “Second, all guards will try their absolute best during the exercise. I know that we have not had any recent issues, but after the bribing scandal two years ago, we are invoking additional measures to ensure there is no repeat. Any guard found to be accepting bribes for intentional failure will be punished severely.” The page turned. “Finally, we shall go over the safety briefing, then on to the team captain announcements.” Elias spotted a plume that he was fairly sure belonged to Scarlet Shield. Though the motion was slight, it bobbed excitedly at the words “team captain”. Each guard was allowed to bring their full gear, which included a set of saddle bags. Scarlet’s were stuffed to the bursting with a myriad of different battle strategies and tactics that the pegasus wanted to use. Though Elias knew much of it would be worthless, he hoped the pegasus would get the position for one reason. At some point when Elias wasn’t looking, Scarlet had compiled and written a full list of every Lunar Guard in their class, along with their associated strengths and unique talents. Skimming over it once or twice, Elias had been impressed at the level of detail. As long as Elias offered him a few words to direct him, the pegasus was more than ready to lead the charge, especially given his already intense dedication to the position. “As you all know, the arena is outfitted with a standard safety aura, maintained by two dozen of Equestria’s strongest unicorns,” Celestia said. “This aura will teleport any “injured” combatants to the grandstands, before the injury occurs. Any guards removed will return in the following round. Should this aura in anyway fail, a team of our best healers are on standby, and teams of Royal Guardsponies will circle the battlefield to ensure that nopony is seriously injured.” Elias was actually fairly happy at the news of that. It meant he could fight without restriction. Going for the throat would only result in a pop and a vanished pony. No blood, no screaming, just another target vanished. When he had asked Book Binder about why the spell wasn’t simply applied over the entirety of the Canterlot training grounds, he had found that it was merely because it was too intensive. It required massive amounts of magic and focus, and there simply weren't enough unicorns to power such a thing around the clock. The oversized book slammed closed and Celestia smiled brightly as she tucked it under her wing. “With that out of the way, let us begin!” she said cheerfully. “Our team captains have already been selected, and when your name is called, please step to the front of your section.” A long scroll appeared from nowhere, much like the tome had. As she unrolled it, Elias tuned out her voice, thinking about who they would be facing. Since the Lunar Guard held roughly two hundred less guards than the Solar Guard force, the oldest tier of the Solar Guard was put up against a team of Royal Guards for the sake of the exercise. This round was more for the personal enjoyment of the guard forces, as occasionally the best Lunar Guards would be thrown into the mix as well. They would be the final exercise, running only one round as the moon rose. According to Night Flash it was a lot of fun to watch, and Elias found himself looking forward to it. Elias blinked and reasserted his attention as she began to read for their section. “For the Fourth Section Lunar Guard Captain, we have selected; Guardspony Palisade!” Elias didn’t hear an audible groan, but he certainly felt it. The guards around him, save for the newest one to his right, shifted in frustration, their posture drooping as the pegasus made his way forward. Elias noted that Scarlet’s plume had sunk by at least an inch, and he had no doubt that his friend was trying to mentally justify why he hadn’t been chosen. If Celestia and Luna noticed the frustrations of the youngest Lunar Guards, they did nothing to show it as Celestia continued to read the final team captain. “Representing the Fourth Section Solar Guard as Team Captain, we have selected; Guardspony White Shine!” Elias’ hand instinctively curled into a fist as the unicorn made his way forward, his arrogant demeanor apparent as he strutted with an asinine smile on his face. Though he hadn’t seen the unicorn since his “incident” in the cafeteria, Elias still carried heavy hatred for the pony. On one hand, he despised the fact that scum like White Shine could make team captain. On the other, Elias now had an excellent motivation to help his team in every way possible to win. Physically hurting the pony, while satisfying and an excellent deterrent, did nothing to impact his life outside of the guard. Whipping his ass in a training exercise however… Celestia rolled the scroll up with her magic. “The rest of the rules shall be addressed by your team captains! The first guard groups should make their way to the teleportation area within the next five minutes. Do well my ponies! I shall be watching you all very closely.” Captain Nightshade and Captain Armor gave the dismissal order, and the ponies began to drift toward their assigned areas. Elias relaxed in place, waiting for his friends to come to him. They had coordinated that beforehand, and since he was easily the most visible, he was their rally point. Scarlet arrived first, looking dejected as he approached. The pegasus said nothing, merely sitting beside Elias, leaning against the man’s leg as he sighed and pouted. Night Flash and Book Binder arrived next. Both had a look of irritation on their faces, but Book Binder was by far the more vocal of the two. “I can’t believe they chose Palisade AGAIN!” she said, her voice at a near shout. Elias kept an eye up to make sure nobody was glaring at the unicorn, but he quickly found that most of the Lunar Guards agreed with the sentiment. Some were muttering darkly to themselves, while others were silent and dejected like Scarlet. Elias nudged the pegasus lightly, then nodded toward the teleportation area. The red pegasus sighed and got to his hooves. They walked as a tight group, though Elias quickly noticed the new pony falling in behind them, trying to remain unnoticed. “Do you mind if I ask why this Palisade is a bad choice?” Elias asked carefully. Night Flash sighed and kicked a stone. “Because he’s been the team captain three times now, and every year he uses the same plan that has literally never worked. He refuses to let anyone who doesn’t suck up to him give him advice. So we lose, again and again.” Elias nodded in understanding. A static leader was one of the worst kinds. Not as bad as a cowardly leader, but it was up there. “Has anyone tried broaching this issue with Captain Nightshade?” Scarlet nodded. “I tried last year when we lost for the sixth round in a row. She just told me that the princesses chose him for a reason, and that we should trust in their judgement.” He sighed. “So that was that.” Elias nodded again. “What do you think new guy?” he asked loudly, looking over his shoulder at the pony in their trail. The earth pony seemed stunned that Elias was addressing him directly. He stopped walking forward, so Elias did the same, half-turning to look at the pony. His fur was a deep gray, and his mane was a brilliant white, and while he looked a bit tougher than the ponies Elias normally associated with, he was clearly wound up in a bundle of nervousness. The pony looked around, as if expecting Elias to be talking to someone else. The human sighed. “Yes, you,” he said, pointing clearly at the pony. He then pointed to the ground at his feet. “Come here, my hearing isn’t so good, and I’m not going to have you yelling at me.” The earth pony flinched slightly, but he trotted forward, walking beside Elias as they began moving forward again. Out of the corner of his eye, Elias saw a small smile on Book Binder’s face as she nudged Night Flash. The pegasus was positively beaming, and he motioned for Elias to continue talking with the earth pony. Rolling his eyes, he looked down at the pony. “What’s your name?” he asked gruffly. “G-Gray Granite sir.” Elias groaned in disgust. “Ugh, don’t call me sir. I’m nobody’s sir. My name’s Elias.” He rolled his neck, hearing a loud pop as he did so. “So, tell me Granite, what do you think of our new team captain?” The earth pony flinched slightly under the weight of Elias’ eyes. He looked away as if in thought, then answered. “Well, everypony else seems to not like him, and since everypony has more experience than me, I think I should follow their lead.” He tilted his head. “On the other hoof, I’ve never met Palisade, so I have no idea what he’s like, and my parents taught me to give everypony the benefit of the doubt at least once.” Elias grunted. “Not a bad answer. I find myself in agreement with you Granite. Let’s see what Palisade has to offer before we throw him off the bridge, shall we?” “And if he doesn’t meet your expectations?” Book Binder asked leadingly. Elias snorted, looking back at her with a sinister grin. “I think everyone here knows how I respond with people who think their better than everyone else. I’ll give our beloved team captain a kick up the ass if he needs it, rest assured.” Book Binder rolled her eyes, but smiled as she shook her head. “I know you will baby boy. Make sure not to hurt him too much, he’s actually a pretty good fighter.” They stepped into the teleportation with the rest of the waiting Lunar Guard in their class. The Solar Guard approached not far behind them, with White Shine smugly smiling at the front. As his troops filtered in, he stopped a few feet away from Elias with several of his stooges stopping behind him. White Shine laughed loudly, drawing the glares of several Lunar Guards. “Will you look at that, the loser freak has finally found his home with all of the other losers.” He cackled loudly, and his stooges joined in. Elias stared at him calmly. The fact that the pony hadn’t gotten closer was message enough to him. It signified fear. White Shine seemed to look him up and down. Pointing at Elias’ shield and pilla, he sneered and asked; “What are those things Bright? Don’t you know that everything isn’t about who has the biggest spear?” He and his friends laughed again. He heard a few growls in their direction, primarily coming from Book Binder, but Elias could only smirk as he said; “Is that what you have to tell yourself when you look in the mirror every morning Shine?” The grin vanished from the unicorn’s face. Loud snickers and chuckles echoed from the Lunar Guards behind Elias, and the human was pleased to see that a few of the Solar Guards were only barely restraining themselves from joining in. As Elias smiled widely, the laughter continued to grow as White Shine turned crimson. His mouth flapped as he struggled to come up with an adequate comeback. “You won’t be so smart when we kick your flank into the dirt Bright!” he snapped loudly. Elias snorted and grinned. “We’ll see Shine.” He tapped his chin as if in thought, then his grin widened. “Actually, you know what, I think I came up with a great nickname for you,” he paused dramatically, raising his pinkie finger and bending it up and down, “Little Spear.” The laughter grew in strength as White Shine managed to paint his face in an even deeper shade of red. One of his friends whispered something in the unicorn’s ear, and he nodded as they led him away. A small cheer went up from the Lunar Guards. What made Elias smile the most, besides shaming White Shine, was the fact that Scarlet was now smiling again. A warm feeling touched Elias’ heart, and he only barely recognized the source as the voice resting comfortably in the back of his head. Scarlet covered his muzzle as he snorted loudly and gently kicked Elias’ leg. “How do you do that Elias? White Shine used to be the biggest bully in the guard, but you’ve managed to get him to be a laughingstock without blinking. What’s your secret?” Elias shrugged nonchalantly as he glared at the unicorn, who glared back as his buddies whispered in his ear. “Lupus non timet canem latrantem.” Scarlet cocked his head in confusion. Elias snorted and rolled his eyes. He really needed to teach the ponies some Latin. The only person who knew what he was saying was Anyon, and Elias imagined that the art would be lost on the gryphon. That, and he hadn’t really seen the bird in a while. Elias frowned lightly as he made a mental note to visit the blacksmith. “A wolf is not afraid of a barking dog,” Elias explained to Scarlet. The pegasus ahhed in understanding as Nightshade descended from the sky with Palisade in tow. As the brown pony fell in with the Lunar Guards, Nightshade looked around, glaring at anyone who dared to meet her eyes. “Alright, quiet down you giddy lot of fillies!” she shouted. “Get together and brace, the unicorns said they improved the mass teleportation this year, but somehow I doubt it.” Elias wondered briefly what she meant by brace, but the air around them hummed with energy, and he felt his stomach touch his throat as they all vanished in a massive flash of light. ***** Elias stumbled a few feet away from the mass of ponies before he collapsed to his knees, violently throwing up his breakfast. A mix of eggs, soggy toast, and milk poured forth in an awful torrent of bile. Book Binder quickly found him and rubbed his back softly, almost unnoticeable through his armor. “Just get it all out Elias, the first teleport is rough for everypony.” Elias tried to speak, only for more bile to rise. As he continued to throw up, Night Flash looked around in a daze, his eyes hazy. “I’m pretty sure that was worse than last year,” he said. “I feel that,” Scarlet echoed, a bit green in the face as he watched Elias empty his guts into the dirt. Elias blinked the tears from his eyes as he finished up, his stomach growing less turbulent by the second. He spit into the dirt, then wiped his mouth as he took a canteen from his belt. Sitting up on his knees he took a heavy swig of water, then spit it into the pool of vomit before him. Tucking the canteen back into its pouch, he looked at Book Binder. “That was foul,” he said, his tone dripping with disgust. She just smiled and helped him to his feet. He gave her a light thanks as he began to look around. The Solar Guards were gone, likely on their own side of the arena. The Lunar Guards stood largely in place as they each shook off the effects of the teleportation spell. To Elias’ left sat a red tent, with what looked to be a massive table inside. Just behind it on a raised mound was a flagpole with a shimmering blue flag decorating it. Luna’s cutie mark was emblazoned brightly across much of the flag, and the cloth flowed tranquilly in the breeze. Elias felt a slight chill on that breeze. When he had asked Night Flash about it earlier, the pegasus had merely nodded, his smile wide as he replied; “That’s the first winter breeze. It won’t be long before Cloudsdale arrives to deliver the snow clouds.” Why they were already making ready to create winter in October, Elias had no idea, but it didn’t concern him much. His duties were all inside, and the castle was kept the same temperature year-round. He wouldn’t even need to get warmer clothes. The fact that he had noticed had provoked an odd reaction in Night Flash though, and Elias had managed to catch him talking about "heritage education", whatever that meant. Elias studied the area to his right, spotting three wide paths that disappeared into the thick trees around their base site. While doing this, he felt a tap on his hip, and he looked down to find Book Binder smiling brightly up at him. Cocking his head, Elias asked; “What?” Book Binder snorted. “Always so eloquent with your questions Elias. I just merely wished to give you some physical affection before we start.” Elias sighed, but nodded, bending down so that she could easily reach his face. She squeed softly, as to not draw attention, then gave Elias a brief peck on the cheek, followed by a tight squeeze of a hug. “I know you’re better at this than any of us baby boy,” she whispered in his ear. “Do momma proud.” Elias flushed red. He glared death at Scarlet when he caught the pegasus watching them with a grin. He looked away quickly, but every couple seconds he found the pegasus watching again. “I will. Take care of yourself M-Binder.” Book Binder giggled softly as he used what they had deemed their “transition” name. Elias was not at all comfortable calling Book Binder, Mom, nor was he comfortable calling Flash, Dad. To begin easing the tension in his mind, Elias had begun to add a ‘M’ to the front of Book Binder’s name to indicate when he was treating her as his mom. She always became giddy when he used the transition name, and over the past few days, he had begun to use it more and more publicly as he got somewhat comfortable with the idea of having a real family again. The voice in the center of his head usually shrieked a bloody racket when he thought about that, but today it was silent, likely focused on how he was going to further humiliate White Shine. “Attention everypony!” Palisade called out as he made himself known near the front of the tent. Elias and Book Binder broke apart as Elias rose to his feet, and they moved with the rest of the Lunar Guard toward the pegasus. Elias noted the grumbles of irritation that spread amongst the assembled guards, but if Palisade noticed, he didn’t show it. He smiled as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “As you all know, I am team captain this year, and so I will select my advising team!” The pegasus began to rattle off a series of names, and the ponies that didn’t look like they wanted to throw him off a mountain walked forward, standing at his side happily. As each name was called, Scarlet seemed to droop further and further. Night Flash sat beside the depressed pegasus, draping a wing around his shoulders as they waited in silence for Palisade to finish. Elias looked at the sky as he began to zone out, only to be shocked from his near stupor by the pegasus’ voice. “And last, but not least, Guardsman Bright!” Elias blinked as he looked down from the brilliant blue of the sky to the brown of the pegasus at the front of the crowd. Scarlet looked at Elias in awe as the man stood stone still, unsure of how to react. He got a prod from Book Binder, who nudged him forward with a wide smile. The first step was hesitant, but as Elias took the second, he felt absolute control creep over his body. The voices in his head grew silent, and the walls between them temporarily bled together as a personality he had thought dead rose to the front. His stride broadcasted confidence, and the affect was clear on the ponies that moved silently out of his way. Palisade seemed to flinch slightly under his even gaze as Elias grew closer. The human rolled his joints as he walked, loosening up. They had half an hour to lay out their battle plan, but Elias wanted to be warmed up anyway. He stopped a few feet short of Palisade and the rest of his advisors. Elias slid his shield onto his back, the straps fitting snugly over his shoulders as he crossed his arms. “Might I ask why you want me?” Elias asked, his voice calm, giving nothing away. Palisade shifted nervously, likely not expecting the question. He smiled as he looked back for support. “Well, uh, Guardsman, you’ve fought against Captain Nightshade and Captain Chaser,” the pegasus replied. “I thought if anypony was an expert on combat, it would be you. I’d love to hear your thoughts on my battleplans.” Elias thought about mentioning that a good fighter didn’t always make a good strategist, but the pony was already staring at him nervously enough. He nodded silently and walked to Palisade’s left, falling in beside a pair of nervous looking unicorns. Both stared straight forward, refusing to meet Elias’ eyes. He snorted and crossed his arms again. Palisade gave him another nervous look before looking back to the assembled guards. “Alright, we’ll be out shortly to tell everypony their positions! I think we have a real shot this year!” Elias noticed that many of the guards were not focused on Palisade, but on him. Curiosity and more than a little hope sat in their expressions. This, Palisade noticed, and he looked at Elias again with more trepidation. Elias’ scowl deepened, this problem would need to be nipped in the bud, and fast. While he knew that the pegasus had likely called him forth as a gesture of openness, he also knew that the pegasus already likely had a “plan” in mind. Elias would need to alter, or replace that plan so that it would work, all without seizing control from Palisade. He had about as much interest in giving orders as the pegasus had about receiving them. A trickle of irrational fear crept through his mind, but he squashed it. Strategizing wasn’t leading. Elias would do everything it took to pass the burden of leadership off on someone else. Palisade led them into the tent, and Elias got a much better view of what was inside. It was much more spacious than it originally looked from the outside. A large oak table sat in the center, though in truth, even with the table, Elias was sure that they could fit the entirety of their team within the cloth walls of the tent. They only had two hundred ponies, and with almost thirty seats, there was plenty of room to stand around and still see the map at the center of the table. Said map brought out a bit of excitement in Elias. It wasn’t made of paper or cloth, but of magical sand. The full scope of the battlegrounds was spread out in detail as Elias took a seat directly in front of the map. One of the other ponies gave him a funny look, which he ignored as he took off his helmet and took in every detail of the map. It consisted of three clear lanes, partially obscured in places with small hills and trees. Between each lane was a thick mass of trees, brush, and thickets, designed to deter the ponies from using these areas. Elias had been told by Scarlet that these areas had thick anti-magic runes over them, rendering all of the natural pony strengths useless. Pegasi couldn’t fly, unicorns couldn’t cast, earth ponies grew physically weaker, and armor enchantments failed. Essentially, it was a no-go zone. At each end of the map sat a tower with a three-dimensional flag waving at the top, meant to signify their base. With curiosity getting the better of him, Elias tapped a small switch on the edge of the map, and watched with awe as the entire thing fell to a ground level perspective. Each tree was created in intimate detail before his eyes, showing him a realistic view of the battlefield from a pony’s perspective. His eyes drifted to the left of the map where a series of colored quills sat waiting. His fingers twitched has he suppressed the need to pluck one of the feathers free to make non-sensical marks on the map. Elias desperately wished he had more time to play with it, but he heard someone clear their throat, and looked up to find Palisade waiting for him, tapping his hoof on the table in mild irritation. Elias smiled sheepishly, flipping the toggle that allowed the map to return to normal. “Sorry, I’ve never seen something like this. The maps I used to use were… simpler.” Elias had no idea where the abashed feeling came from, but he struggled to suppress it as Palisade smiled and nodded in understanding. “It’s quite alright Guardsman Bright. Many ponies haven’t had the opportunity to use an interactive sand map. In fact, it is typically reserved for the Guard Captains, but for the sake of the exercise, we get access to one.” The pegasus looked to the pony sitting across from Elias, a bluish gray colored unicorn who was glaring at Elias intently with green eyes. “Thunder, could you bring up the battleplan?” The unicorn nodded silently, not looking away from Elias as he adjusted the map. Elias felt like he recognized the pony, but he couldn’t quite remember from where. He felt a flash of recognition as he saw the unicorn’s aura light up, a deep red that lifted and directed several of the quills to draw on the sand. “Have we met?” Elias asked, knowing full well what the answer was. The unicorn snorted. “You hit me in the head and left me to die. On top of that, you made me lose my helmet.” Elias shrugged. “You got a new one.” “And the part where you hit me and left me for dead?” Elias waved that away with his hand. “Common human greeting. Used to do it all of the time with this tribe of people who lived to the north of me.” The pony snorted again. “There is no way that any of that is true.” Elias smiled. “The part where I left them for dead with head injuries is.” The pony looked at him with conflicted eyes. Elias met his stare evenly, keeping the slight smirk on his face. The pony scoffed and focused on the map. “I have no idea if I like you or want to throw you into a river with your armor on.” Elias chuckled. “Then I must be getting better at this talking thing, because that’s better than I usually do,” he extended his hand. “Elias.” The unicorn bumped it with his hoof, not looking up from the map. “Thundercrash.” Elias sat back in his chair as he tucked his hands into his armpits. Though he slouched slightly, he made sure to keep a full view of the map as Thundercrash worked on it. It took Elias all of ten seconds to find out what was wrong with the plan. Palisade smiled widely as the map began to come together. “Alright ponies, the plan is just like last year, but this time we have two additional shield ponies on our side! I believe that if we concentrate both of them over our flag, we can weather whatever the Solar Guard throws at us, then charge out when they’re exhausted. We’ll sweep them from the field this year!” he proclaimed happily. Elias frowned as he leaned forward to study the fully drawn map. Three lines had been drawn in the middle of each lane, with the intention of pulling back to concentrate around the base. It was a purely defensive play, and not even a good one. As most of the ponies brown nosed and patted their leader on the back, Elias cleared his throat as he sat back in his seat. Palisade looked at him, his smile bright. “Yes, Guardsman Bright? Do you have some insight on how to make our plan function better?” Elias shook his head. “Nope, just had a question. Why aren’t we attacking them? The game is capture the flag, is it not?” Palisade nodded. “It is, but the Solar Guard has many more powerhouses than we do. Our ponies have a tendency to strike quickly from darkness, and since it is light out, we are forced to play to our secondary strength, which is defense. We have several ponies who are well versed in bubble shield spells.” He chuckled. “Unfortunately, you cannot throw illusions at the enemy, or else we could sweep the field easily.” The ponies laughed at the joke, but Elias held his stare. “Why not?” he asked. Palisade’s smile became strained. “I think that’s obvious Guardsman Bright; illusions aren’t real. They can no more hurt you than a single blade of grass can.” “Right,” Elias agreed sitting up. He pulled his left hand from his armpit and pointed at the map as he looked at Palisade. “But why aren’t we using the spells of our illusionists to form a distraction while a large part of our force dips around their main attack to take their flag? By waiting, we’re letting the Solar Guard pick how they want to attack.” “We have the homefield advantage,” Palisade responded shortly. “The homefield which is flat and featureless,” Elias argued. “I’d agree if we say had a series of mountains, or fortifications around us, but it’s a flat plane. It’s not to our advantage to sit and wait in an open kill zone.” One of the ponies, a green pegasus rose from his seat with his mouth open. Palisade waved him down before he could speak, however. “It’s alright Green Leaf, I asked Guardsman Bright here because he’s good at fighting, I like these questions.” He turned back to Elias. “The reason we want to stay in the flat area around our base is because it gives us full line of sight, while condensing our forces to work best with each other. We may not be the most powerful ponies, but most of us have fought together several times. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and we work better if we can communicate clearly.” Elias nodded, processing the statement. The justification wasn’t bad per say, just misguided. “While that may be true,” Elias conceded, “do you think the same is any less true for the Solar Guards? We’ve been broken down by veterancy. Besides a few others and myself, everyone has done this song and dance before. The results are going to be the same as well.” Green Leaf was out of his seat again in an instant. “You know what Bright? You should be grateful to even be in this tent. I don’t care if you’ve fought with two guard captains, you lost both times.” He sneered. “Why don’t you let the ponies who know what they’re doing make the battleplan, hm?” Elias nodded in agreement. “Alright then, let’s see the plans from all the battle winners in the room.” he said, gesturing toward the map with an open hand. The ponies glared at him, but when he caught their eyes, they looked away in shame. Elias looked at Green Leaf, who met his gaze with fury. “I might be new here, but on the battlefield, I likely have more experience than anyone in the guard.” Elias said. “I’m trying to make sure we win, because I’ve seen the record. Three years you’ve run this play, and three years it has failed, brutally. Wouldn’t you like to make it to the third round for once?” Elias looked to Palisade. The brown pegasus met his gaze, not with anger, but tiredness, almost as if he had expected this result. Part of Elias wondered if his inclusion had been intentional for this very reason. Palisade sighed deeply as his eyes fell to the table. “Alright, I’ll send a letter to the princesses resigning as team captain. Guardsman Bright, if you are confident you can lead us to victory, I’ll let you have it.” Elias froze in wide eyed shock. That was the very opposite of what he wanted. Fear traced across his mind as his hands spread out on the table. “Absolutely not,” Elias said forcefully. Palisade looked at him in confusion. “But you said you wanted to run your own plan, and the leader always writes the plan.” Elias laughed, drawing more confused looks from the ponies. He smiled at Palisade. “That’s really funny, but absolutely wrong. If it was true, then why are any of us here?” Elias asked, pointing at himself, then all of the ponies at the table. “The point of this little tent is so that we can lay out a plan. A good leader uses all of their resources, including a strategist.” Elias rubbed his eyebrow with his thumb. “The last thing I want out of today is to be giving orders. You can have that job for the rest of both of our lives for all I care. Me though? Let me write the plan, work it out with an advisor or two of my choosing, then you give the word on how it’s executed.” Elias rolled his shoulder, easing what tension had built up in it. “I’m a fighter, and I’ll follow whatever orders you give to the letter Captain, but if we use this plan,” he said, jabbing a finger at the map, “we’re going to lose. You let me come up with something though? I can guarantee us at least one round, if not the whole exercise.” Elias then tucked his hands back under his arm pits as he looked at Palisade. “Like I said though, you’re in charge. I don’t want the position, I don’t want to give orders, I want to win. That’s it. If you say we run that,” he nodded at the map, “then we run it. I would advise against it however.” Elias looked around the tent. “But I am but one guard. You have a host of other advisors here. You’re in charge, the decision is yours,” he said, tilting his head. “But, if you need more motivation to see it my way, then think of it like this. If we try it and it works, you look good because you ran a new play that worked out and learned the benefit of trusting your advisors. On the other hand, we lose, you throw me out and blame me, and then run whatever plan you like without some loudmouth like myself questioning you.” Elias spread his hands. “The way I see it, you can’t lose anything else.” He then fell silent as he watched Palisade. The pegasus frowned in thought, his eyes flickering around some unseen spot on the table. The other ponies at the table remained silent, splitting their gazes between Elias and Palisade. Elias counted to sixty-four before the pegasus spoke up. Palisade sighed loudly as he looked up. “Before I agree to anything, I want to know what it is.” His hazel eyes looked at Elias intently. “I’d like an idea of what I’m throwing ponies at.” Elias grinned and nodded. “That I can do Captain.” Elias sat up, leaning over the battle plan. He didn’t touch it yet, keeping his hands tucked under his armpits. As he studied it silently, Elias reached out, erasing the work Thundercrash had done. He then grabbed a quill and began drawing carefully. “Is this the exact same plan you’ve run for three years?” Elias asked aloud. Thundercrash nodded. “I’ve drawn it the same each time. The adjustments we’ve made have been a pony or two at most.” Elias tilted his head as he studied the developing map. “And the Solar Guard, how have they responded traditionally?” Green Leaf snorted dismissively. “I don’t see how that matters.” Elias didn’t even bother with a response to the pony. After a moment of pure silence, Palisade cleared his throat. “Each year the Solar Guard rushes all three lanes. We created the initial lines to wear them out a bit before they came at us for real. I’ve only gotten a scout to their base once, but they always leave about a dozen ponies in three groups of four on all sides of the base around their flag.” Elias nodded and changed quills, adding golden positions to the map. Thundercrash eyed his work curiously. “If I might ask, what’s the point of knowing how the Solar Guard are attacking us? No matter how we defend in the lanes, they always sweep us out. They’re faster, more powerful.” Elias nodded. “That they are, but I’m thinking even a powerful pony can be dragged down by numbers.” He put his finishing touches on the plan, adjusting a few formations with a blue quill, then sat back to admire his handiwork. Three filled in golden boxes pushed at each lane equally, with empty boxes around the solar flag. The Lunar side looked much different. On the right lane sat an empty blue box, meant to represent maybe ten ponies. In the center sat a filled in box, which he was going to refer to as the hold line. On the left sat two boxes, one far behind the other. The first one was filled in as normal, but the rear one was filled in gray, which represented invisibility to Elias. Elias sucked his teeth as he looked at his battle plan. The positions were right, but he needed better information on the strength of the troops at his disposal. Without looking away from the map, he shouted; “SCARLET SHIELD, GET YOUR ASS IN HERE NOW!” The ponies all flinched back at the volume of his voice, or maybe it was the authority it carried. Either way, they remained silent as Scarlet bolted into the tent, looking around in shock until he spotted Elias. The human looked up to meet his eyes, then waved him over to the table. “Come here, I need your abilities list. The plan will work better if we put the right ponies in the right places.” Scarlet nodded and crept forward, his eyes flicking around nervously as he approached the table. Elias pushed himself to his feet and motioned for Scarlet to take the chair. The pegasus hopped up, then rifled through his saddlebags, dragging out a thick packet of information. Elias took it quickly, flipping to the summaries page as he frowned in concentration. Laying the packet on the table, he began to adjust each formation carefully as he dragged out a blank sheet of paper to make notes on. He pointed at the formations as he spoke. “Alright Scarlet, here’s what I was thinking. Classic left flank sweep. The center should be manned by a mix of the first and second-best fighters, and it’s where I think I need to be. It just has to sit in place and hold, buying time for the left to shove forward.” He pointed to the unshaded box on the right. “The right flank should consist of…” he flipped a few pages, then made a note. “Here, our illusionists. What I’m thinking is they use their magic to make the field look like Palisade’s original plan. We know the Solar Guard’s will send out scouts, and they’re probably expecting the same thing he’s done every time, so let’s play to that and give them what they want. One illusionist on the right, and one at base. With both creating illusions of our forces, White Shine will fall for it hook, line, and sinker and won’t be sufficiently prepared for the rush on the left.” Scarlet frowned in thought. “Do you intend for the left flank to push forward from the start? Even if they routed whatever White Shine sent down that flank, he would still have ample time to withdraw the other two lanes to protect his base. We need to get him to commit fully before we can push his left flank.” Elias smiled and tapped his forehead with the quill. “Exactly, so here’s what I’m thinking.” He flipped through the packet again. “It was… ah here we are, Charmer, she has an invisibility bubble that she can keep up for an hour or more. We use her to cover the rear left force until we are engaged on all fronts, then she drops it while Palisade leads the charge to sweep up and left.” He looked to Palisade, who was nodding in awed understanding. “Captain, I would recommend you pick the strongest fighters for this rear team.” Elias said, pointing at the grayed-out box. “You’re going to need to hit hard, heavy, and lightning fast. If you take too long going up the left, White Shine will get the opportunity to retreat some of his ponies back. We’ll do our best to keep him occupied, but we’re going to get awful busy when they realize that the right flank is purely a diversion.” He scratched his head as he made a few notes on the map. “I expect that the right flank will be hard pressed to divert the push there. They’ll need to sweep back around the copse of trees and sprint up the center, as if they’re running to the real push. When the Solar Guards realize that the flag isn’t at base, they’ll likely hit us in the middle. I hope you can nab their flag before that happens. I don’t have any particular interest in fighting while surrounded.” Palisade looked at him in visible confusion. “What do you mean that the flag won’t be at base? We have to keep it clearly visible at all times or we forfeit.” Elias nodded. “I know, that’s why you’re going to be wearing it in your plume.” All of the ponies looked at him with their mouths agape. Elias looked around at each of them. “What? I’ve been told that Palisade is a capable fighter, he’ll be in the rear left group, he’ll stand outside of the invisible shield. It will look like he’s observing, and ready to retreat should the fight go south. The flag is blue like our plumes, so while it will be clearly visible to those looking for it, it will fool those who just take a glance at it. A moving flag will keep the enemy guessing, and it’s much easier to defend than a flag that sits in place. We can keep a pony running at top speed, we can’t make a flagpole run around.” A few of the ponies smiled at the lame joke, and it was enough to break their stares. Palisade gulped nervously. “Are you sure? It seems like a big risk. Too risky if you ask me.” “Aduentes fortuna iuvat,” Elias whispered to himself. The ponies looked at each other in confusion, but Elias shook himself mentally and looked to Palisade. “The biggest risks often give the greatest rewards,” Elias replied with a grin. “If you keep your group tight and don’t get bogged down, we can sweep this in under an hour. Easy peasy.” He inclined his head. “But it’s on you Captain. I’m confident in my plan, but you give the orders here. If you say no, then it’s a no.” Palisade shook his head. “No no, your plan is… well it’s certainly daring. I kind of want to try it just to see if it can work.” He frowned as he studied the map. Elias waited patiently, subtly handing Scarlet’s notes back so that he could slip them in his saddle bags. The pony slipped the bags off and draped them on the table. Elias eyed him curiously. “Aren’t you going to carry that? We don’t want the enemy getting that information.” “The command tent is off limits and is enforced with an automatic removal from the exercise,” Scarlet replied. “Nopony would dare coming in here once we start.” Elias nodded quietly, looking back to Palisade. The brown pegasus caught his eyes, then sighed and nodded. “Let’s do it. We’ve already established what happens if it fails, so everything is set. Guardsman Bright, I’d like you to give the briefing, and I am making you lead the center group.” Elias opened his mouth to protest, but Palisade cut him off with a raised hoof.” You just have to keep them in-line and fighting, no giving orders. Think of yourself as a motivational speaker that attacks ponies.” Elias flinched slightly at the idea of keeping others in-line, but took comfort in the finishing sentence. It allowed him to mentally justify acting like a leader, while not technically being a leader. The center part of his mind grumbled that this was a mistake, but he ignored it. “Do you know who you want where?” Elias asked. Palisade nodded. “I’ve been working with these ponies for a few years now, and I know who’s the best and who… isn’t. Save for you and the new guy. What’s his name? Marble?” “Granite,” Elias replied quickly, feeling oddly protective of the earth pony. “I’ll take him with me in the center. If nothing else, he looks like he’s got some muscle. He should put up a suitable fight, combat expert or no.” Palisade nodded. “Then let’s get this out to everypony so we can get set up.” ***** Elias fingered a groove in his pilum nervously. Despite the calm face he had maintained while making the plan, and despite the authority by which he had explained it to the rest of the Lunar Guards, Elias had severe doubts about his plan. Mostly because it was the first plan he had made since… it, that was going to be executed. The only relief he found was that he wasn’t giving orders. That, and the fact that Night Flash was at his side, along with the new pony, Granite. Arrayed around them were a large chunk of the Lunar Guards, numbering forty ponies. Palisade had grouped them by familiarity with each other, then broke those into the sections of the plan. By the time they were marching away from their base camp, the illusions were already up in full force, and if Elias didn’t know better, he would have thought Palisade was going to the left flank alone. A shadow passed briefly overhead, and Elias had just enough time to find the pegasus that caused it before she disappeared, her golden clad body speeding toward their base. Night Flash snorted. “So Red, tell me honestly, is this going to work? Not that I’m not confident that it will fail, but… you know…” Elias laughed. “I won’t lie to you and say that I’m one hundred percent sure it will work, but it’s better than the alternative. Sure, we might do more damage to them that way, but we won’t win. They have power, so cowering behind a shield would have just extended the match, if they didn’t already plan to counter it. This will work, I’m fairly sure.” Night Flash snorted and nudged his leg. “You’re not very good at pep talks Red.” Elias smiled weakly. He knew he could give some awe-inspiring speech; he had practiced Roman style oration for days on end. He knew precisely what to say to get everyone riled up and ready to fight, but he knew he wouldn’t survive the speech. It would feel too familiar, too much like leading. Swallowing roughly, Elias nodded. “No, I am not,” he agreed meekly. Night Flash gave him a curious look, pressing gently against Elias’ side, then a low rumble began to sound from their front. Elias felt his confidence return as his mind prepared to fight. His muscles relaxed, and Elias carefully drew another pilum from his shield holding it in his left hand as he waited. The dust cloud became visible quickly, and around him, the Lunar Guards moved into position. Elias happily noted that they all avoided standing directly behind him; it would make it easier for him to throw. The Solar Guards came roaring into view, shouting with glee as they spotted the blue clad Lunar Guards. The sight of them charging blindly forward made Elias smile. He pointed his pilum toward the approaching ponies. “This bunch means that it’s going to work. Look at them, there’s no strategy, they’re just coming straight at us.” He snorted. “Their funeral.” Elias flipped the pilum in his grip. Eyeing the Solar Guards, he made a split second calculation. The spear went into the air, and he heard a shout of shock ring out as a pony disappeared with a pop. “That’s one,” Elias said as he passed the pilum between his hands. The Solar Guards sped up their charge. An amber colored shield descended in front of Elias as spells were thrown their way. Powerful fireballs impacted the shield, the blistering heat scorching his face, but Elias didn’t so much as blink as he sent a second pilum through the air, followed swiftly by a third. A unicorn laughed arrogantly as he conjured a shield, blocking the first pilum, dropping it just in time for the second to come roaring in to drill him in the face. He vanished with a flash of light and a pop. Elias smiled savagely as he drew Feather. The blade felt lighter than ever, and for a second, Elias felt giddy. He looked to Night Flash; the pony’s face serious as he tensed into a combat pose. “And that’s two, a good start, don’t you think?” Night Flash nodded grimly. Out of the corners of his eyes, Elias saw the Lunar Guards line up, tensing as they resisted the urge to sprint forward. Elias had not so subtly recommended they remain in place, to let the Solar Guards wear themselves out as they charged. Only when they were within a few feet would the Lunar Guards rush forward. Elias snarled as he began to see the pupils of the ponies that were charging their shield. Elias was the first to lurch forward, silent as he pushed past the conjured shield. The Solar Guards seemed to pick up their pace again, and as Elias came within arm’s reach, he dropped to his knees, bracing his shield against his knee and shoulder at an angle. Unable to stop his forward momentum, the earth pony that had been charging directly at him went up the shield. As he felt the hooves impact his shield, Elias flipped it, sending the pony into the dirt. A Lunar Guard pounced on him, stabbing him in his exposed belly, and then he was gone. Elias had already moved on to his next foe. An earth pony flipped around as she tried to buck at him. Elias simply took a step back, letting her hooves flail at the air. With the pony overbalanced, Elias punched her with his shield, knocking her helmet lose before he stabbed at her exposed flank. The tip of the gladius touched her, and she vanished, as did her helmet. Elias looked around at the engaged ponies, quickly finding Night Flash nearby dueling with another pegasus. Flash executed a quick feint, one that the golden clad pegasus ignored. He swung wildly at Night Flash’s throat, and Flash stepped back to avoid the strike. The Solar Guard pegasus pressed his advantage, but unfortunately for him, he had nobody watching his back. Elias’ shield cracked into his ribs, and the pony spun to meet his new opponent. As he did so, Night Flash struck, hitting him in the throat with his wing blades. The pegasus vanished, and Elias grinned at Night Flash. Flash’s eyes widened, and he pointed over Elias’ shoulder. The human spun on his heel, driving his shield into the dirt as he crouched behind it. Flames washed over his arms, the heat setting his hair on fire. Elias ignored the stinging pain, and grabbed a stone from its pouch on his belt. He peaked around the shield, finding the unicorn and launching the stone before a second fireball impacted against his shield. Elias heard a cry, followed by a pop. When Elias stood, Night Flash was smiling widely at him from where the unicorn had been. Elias snorted and grinned at the pegasus’ happy expression, but neither of them had time to say anything as they were dragged back into the fighting by two different opponents. Elias dipped under the outstretched wings of a caramel colored pegasus. Flipping his sword in his grip, Elias punched the pegasus in the throat. As the pony sputtered and retreated, Elias slashed at his head with his gladius. Another pop, another beaten foe. Elias found no rest however, as an earth pony with a rather impressive axe kicked him in the chest. Elias stumbled back, ignoring the throbbing pain in his ribs. He growled as she tried to bury the axe in his chest. He blocked the thick blade with his gladius, sparks flying as steel clashed. She attempted to kick him again, but Elias blocked her hoof with his scutum, and then he reared back, building enough force to cruelly headbutt her in the muzzle. His helmet hit her with a crack of bone, and the earth pony cried out in pain. Elias got his shield under one of her hooves, then flipped her. Clutching her broken nose, she was no threat as Elias made her disappear with a slash across the throat. ***** Another pony in golden armor appeared in the stands, clutching at a broken nose as a team of healers swarmed her, their horns alight as they mended the injury, erasing her pain as they quietly comforted the pony. Luna couldn’t help but wonder why Elias seemed to inflict an initial wound before going for the killing strike. Was it merely a part of his fighting style that she was overthinking? Or was there a more sinister implication that was begin suddenly brought to light? Even since their conversation in the streets of Canterlot, he had shown more noticeable improvement with the continued affections of Book Binder and Night Flash, but perhaps putting him on the battlefield was a mistake. Celestia let out an excited gasp as Elias dipped under a lance of magical energy, countering it with a brutal swing of his shield that caused the unicorn to appear in the stands, grumbling and rubbing her horn softly. Seemingly without a second though, the human immediately engaged another, sparks flying as he fought off an earth pony who was wielding a short sword in his teeth. “I must say,” Celestia said calmly, “Palisade has dramatically improved his planning since last year. Using Elias as a distraction in the center lane while the majority of their troops go left is an effective strategy. If they were not outnumbered as they are, I would expect your guards to hold strong with the human at the lead.” Luna sniffed as she shifted her eyes away from the captivating human. She looked at the right lane, where the illusions were rapidly disappearing as the Solar Guards began attacking the real Lunar Guards. Several loud pops echoed in the stands as blue-clad ponies appeared, their eyes instantly focusing on the battlefield before them. “I do not believe that Guardspony Palisade has improved like you think sister,” Luna replied. “He has learned an important lesson, the one I wanted him to learn in fact, but I believe the plan, as well as the success of it lies squarely at the hands of Guardsman Bright. He has used his foreign expertise to great effect.” Luna frowned as the rest of the illusions vanished, and the three remaining Lunar Guards began to flee the vastly superior Solar force. They were quickly set upon, and they disappeared from the field. The Solar Guards quickly sprinted to the Lunar Guard base, but upon arriving, they found nothing. They milled about in confusion for a moment, then they seemed to lock onto the sound of fighting, and they raced up the middle lane. Celestia clicked her tongue. “Oh my, that is good,” she said. “Palisade’s forces are almost at my flag, and there is nopony that can help the guards left behind. If your middle group can hold out for a minute or two…” The Solar Guards around them cheered as the right group charged at the Luna Guards in the center. A loud cry seemed to cut through the air, and Luna was unsurprised to see Elias rush the group by himself, his armor glistening in the sunlight. She hoped that he would hold out. ***** “To the rear!” a voice cried out desperately. Elias looked with wild eyes as a loud shout cut through the air. A few of the Solar Guards around him cheered as their fighting increased in intensity. Elias noticed a few concerned expressions on the faces of his compatriots, and more than one began to fall back. Into the charging hooves of more Solar Guards. They were cut down swiftly, disappearing as the lines of ponies began to merge. With a roar that cut through the noise, Elias rushed, alone, at the charging lines of Solar Guards. They flinched at the power of his voice, and he slammed into them with his shield leading the way. The first pony he hit vanished with a pop as their neck curled backward. As his momentum faltered, Elias began to swing Feather in wide circles, fighting like a man possessed as he felt his throat burn at his continued shouting. A unicorn began to charge her horn, but Elias met her with a fist, and then a shield to the head. She vanished. Elias felt a sword cut into his back, his armor taking the worst of the damage, and he whirled, grabbing the pony responsible, a purple pegasus. Lifting him into the air, Elias threw the pony at a pair of his charging friends. All he heard was a grunt of pain as he moved on. He caught another pegasus unaware, stabbing him in the neck. A unicorn jumped as he slid beneath her, and with the additional space, he was able to execute a cut, causing her to vanish with a pop. Elias rolled to his feet, prepared to swing, only to find blue in his face, rather than gold. Granite lifted a pair of unicorns into the air, slamming them to the ground with a shout. One disappeared instantly, while the second one let out a whoosh of air as his lungs were emptied by force. Granite then drew a dagger from beneath his armor and slashed the ponies throat, and he vanished. Elias gave him a short nod of respect, and then the two dove back in. As Elias cut the wing-joints of a pegasus, a pair of unicorns took the vanished pony’s place. Unlike the rest of the Solar Guards, these two didn’t try to rush Elias. They stood back, drawing glimmering swords as they squared off with Elias. The human braced Feather against his shield, finding his combat stance as he took the moment to breathe. They watched each other carefully for a moment, and just as the one on the left began to shift forward, a loud crack echoed through the sky. Elias looked up to find a curtain of blue sparks painting the sky with brilliant light. The sounds of fighting died quickly as the ponies all looked to the sky, watching more fireworks crackle loudly in stunned silence. As the sparks began to fade, a loud set of cheers rang out. Elias looked around as the blue clad ponies began to shout and bounce around, hugging each other as they celebrated joyfully. Elias noted that over half of their number were gone, likely taken by the charge from their rear. Elias sheathed his gladius, taking a bit of dried jerky from his belt as he took a moment to catch his breath. He was incredibly hot and sweaty. His chest cried out in pain where he had been kicked, and his muscles felt like he had just finished a marathon. Still, the rush felt good, and Elias was very pleased with how he had personally performed, not to mention the satisfaction of winning. As he continued chewing the jerky, he gave a small two fingered salute to the pair of stunned unicorns. He began to walk back toward the Lunar Guard base when he felt Night Flash land on his shoulders, hugging his head. “It worked! It worked!” the blue pegasus shouted joyfully in his ear. “I can’t believe we won Red!” Elias snorted, glancing back at the pony. “Wow, glad to know you trust my judgement Flash.” Night Flash flushed red with embarrassment. “I wasn’t thinking we were going to lose per se…” Elias reached over to give him a quick scratch on the chin, since his ears were covered by a helmet. As he began to walk forward again, Elias found himself surrounded by celebrating Lunar Guards, most of them jostling him as they trotted at his side. They chattered excitedly, some offering compliments to Elias, while others pointed at him while telling the other guards about some move or another that he performed. Mostly, they just stared at him with pure joy, the excitement from their first victory clear in their eyes. Elias sighed internally. That excitement was soon to vanish, and he saw the reason why clearly on the faces of the Solar Guards as they separated. The golden ponies looked pissed now, and Elias had no doubt that the next round would not find such success. > Chapter 19: The RAT Exercise; Part 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias thought long and hard about a new plan as they walked back into their base camp. The returning ponies were met with a loud cheer, and Elias saw Palisade waving the Solar Guard flag around proudly. A Royal Guardspony waited beside the pegasus in silence, her expression blank as she watched the celebrating ponies around her. After another round of cheers, Palisade gave it to the unicorn, smiling brightly. She took it with a small, grim nod and she disappeared in a flash of light. Palisade looked around as everyone continued to celebrate, and as his eyes fell on Elias, he let out another cheer as he pointed at the human. “And here’s the guard of the hour! Let’s hear it for Guardsman Bright!” Elias’ frown deepened as the ponies around him shouted loudly. Some even began to chant his name. No part of him welcomed the attention. The back of his mind simply wanted to relish quietly in the victory with his friends, while the center was whispering dark thoughts about how all of this felt a bit too familiar. Palisade didn’t notice Elias’ dark expression as he waved the human toward the command tent. The crowd of guards parted before Elias, and at some point, Night Flash hopped down from his shoulders. They continued to cheer as he entered the command tent, his frown clearly present on his face as he found the ponies waiting inside just as jubilant as the ponies outside. Save for one. Scarlet grimaced as Steel Scalpel carefully removed what looked like a branch from the pegasus’ wing. Elias gave the pony a questioning look, and he looked away, clearly embarrassed. “I didn’t even last five minutes,” he said, his voice dripping with shame. “Some earth pony bucked me right into a shrub, and I spent most of the battle trying to get out.” Elias gave him a pat on the back. “It’s okay Scarlet, the plan worked, that’s what matters. If we’re both being honest, you’re most important contribution was beforehand, not during the fight.” Scarlet snorted. “Wow, thanks for the inspiration Elias. You really make me feel better.” Elias plopped down in the chair next to him. “You’ve been training for what? A week and a half? Real combat prowess takes years to hone. Right now, your head is the best part of you, the rest will come in time, if,” he raised a finger in the air, pointing it at Scarlet, “you keep training. You got sloppy because you didn’t practice, so if you want to get better, you have to keep pushing at it.” Scarlet nodded silently. He looked at the map blankly for a second before a smile crept across his muzzle. He looked to Elias. “So, we won huh? How about that.” Elias sighed and nodded. He removed his helmet and set it on the table, running a hand through his sweaty hair. “That we did,” he replied. He felt a poke on his arm, breaking him from his short daze. Scalpel looked at him expectantly. Elias met the gaze with confusion. “Doc, I’m more than f-“ He hissed in pain as Scalpel wrenched his left arm up. The unicorn smirked at him. “Fine? I was watching you the whole time Elias; I saw those hits you took.” He prodded at Elias’ ribs, and Elias winced as he felt the pokes through his armor. Scalpel clicked his tongue as he charged his horn, letting the magic sit over Elias’ bruised ribs. “I must say though; I’m surprised the aura didn’t grab you for this one. I guess because it didn’t break anything, and you kept going, well done for that by the way, it didn’t think it was a “critical” injury. I really hope it isn’t going upon what you view as a critical injury, otherwise this exercise might be the death of you.” “That wouldn’t be so bad,” Elias replied, “I go out swinging and nobody is even getting hurt, win win.” Scalpel sighed and shook his head, remaining silent as he healed Elias’ side. Palisade cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s eyes as he smiled brightly at Elias. “Well I must say, you were absolutely right about that plan, that was positively exhilarating!” He placed his hooves on the table as he got nods of agreement from almost everyone. “I say let’s run it again, and we’ll win for sure!” Elias shook his head as he pushed himself to his feet, grabbing a quill as he began working on the map again, altering the plan. Scalpel tsked in protest as Elias stretched his chest, but the unicorn elected not to give the human any rebuking words. “No, it won’t work, and in reality, we’re going to lose the next round. Whatever we do, it won’t work.” The happy smiles dropped as everyone stared at Elias like he had just killed their pet dog. Scarlet perked up over his shoulder as he studied Elias’ changes to the battleplan. “Why won’t the plan work again Elias?” he asked softly, his voice void of judgement. He likely just wanted to hear Elias think out loud, and had probably already accepted the human's words as fact. Elias frowned as he erased a block with his fingers, re-drawing it a few inches down. “Because Palisade was absolutely right when he said this plan was too risky. It relies on too many moving pieces, and certain emotions from our opponents.” He scratched his hair with his left hand. “Every part of the first round was thought out. White Shine expected Palisade to run the same plan, he no longer expects that, and if anything, we just pissed their entire team off.” Elias looked up at Palisade. “We shouldn’t have celebrated, at all. As soon as those fireworks went into the sky we should have just turned around in silence and walked home, but we didn’t. I watched the faces of the Solar Guards, they’re mad. Not blindly so either, they’re sitting over there thinking about how they’re going to give us payback for shaming them.” “B-but we didn’t shame them!” Palisade protested. “We were just excited that we won for once. Nopony said anything bad about them, if anything we were just so happy the plan worked.” Elias nodded as he looked back to the map. “True, but that’s not how they’ll see it, and if White Shine is smart, he’ll rile them up before the next round. We caught them with their pants down, and they know it, so they’re going to come at us full force. They likely didn’t even lay out a plan for last round, but you’d better be damn sure they’re picking apart our strategy as we speak. They have smart ponies on their team. They’ll rip our plan apart and come up with a counter that will wipe us out soundly, I have no doubt.” Green Leaf scoffed. “Great, so what? This was all for nothing? We get one win and you’re ready to give up? That’s awfully pathetic.” Elias glared silently at the pony. For a few moments, Green Leaf met the glare. Then as it continued, he looked away, mumbling to himself as Elias stared in silence. Only when Scarlet tapped him on the shoulder did he look away. Scarlet pointed to the map. “So, what’s your plan Elias? I know you have something working up there.” Elias nodded as he put the finishing touches on the map. “The way I see it, we’re going to lose the next round, so I’m planning for it. They’re going to try and prove that we’re one trick ponies, and I say let them. Let them think we found a new toy that won us a match. White Shine has his face in the mud, and he’s listening to everyone who can help him drag it back out.” Elias pointed at the blocks on the map. “I made minor alterations to the first-round plan, but it’s essentially the same idea, we just flipped the lanes. This time the center will be the illusion while the left is the push lane again. They either think we won’t try the same lane twice, or they will. Either way, the going will be rough, if you go anywhere at all. I'll be on the right lane, and we'll try to push forward, but I doubt we're going to move much. I have a hunch that the Solar Guardsponies are going to come at us full force, but we'll do our best to push through.” He sighed as he crossed his arms. “My plan is to sacrifice a round, and then we hit them hard in the third round. We get them arrogant again and the third round, while not easy, will be feasible.” Immediately cries of protest rose up, barraging Elias as he stood in silence. “We can’t just give them a win! We’re so close!” “Let’s try the old plan!” one of the ponies suggested, “they won’t expect it!” Elias waited as they argued. Scalpel finished with his bruises, giving the human a pat on the arm before departing with his medical bag. Elias made minute adjustments to the map, making it perfect while the ponies argued with each other. The entire time, Palisade watched him in silence. He raised a hoof, and eventually the arguments ceased as they watched the team captain. “What are you thinking Bright?” he asked softly. Elias took a deep breath before he answered. Looking away from the map, he looked around the table as he spoke. “Look, this is all just a big game of chess, most battles are. You don’t kill a king by rushing him head on. You have to make smart plays, and sometimes you have to sacrifice a pawn or two. If you spend energy trying to save every single pawn, you quickly find that they’re all gone.” Elias sighed deeply as he stared at the table. “I learned that lesson the hard way. I celebrated after a few little wins and I got cocky. I wasn’t prepared when the enemy hit me, and when I didn’t find time to recover, they kept hitting until everything just… ended.” Images of pain and fire flashed through his eyes, and Elias reached out a hand to Scarlet, scratching the pony behind the ears. He found solace in the motion, and with a few deep breaths, he was able to continue. He looked up to Palisade. “If we get too caught up in a single past win here, we’re just going to end up being the almost brigade. Everyone will look to us and think ‘they almost did it, they almost beat the odds, they almost won it all’.” Elias bit his cheek in thought. “But almost doesn’t count. I’m coming up with a plan to win us the day, and it’s a hell of a plan with a lot more risk than the first one. But I think it’ll work, if we let one round go. If we get the Solar Guards thinking that they’re on top of the world again, then we’ll have it. We win.” He shrugged, looking around at the ponies. “All victories require sacrifice. I think we can find that here, you just have to trust me.” Palisade stared at him carefully, studying Elias. No one else made a noise at the table, save for Scarlet, who whimpered softly, his tongue hanging from his mouth as he enjoyed Elias’ scratches. Palisade smirked as he watched the red pegasus’ antics, then looked around the table. “Does anypony have anything else? Any other groundbreaking plans that can sweep the second round?” All he got was silence in response. Green Leaf glared at Elias, and for a second, his mouth opened, but then it snapped shut and he looked at the table, shaking his head. Palisade sighed and looked at Elias. “You were right the first time Guardsman; I see no reason to doubt your judgement now.” He ran a hoof through his mane, letting out a loud exhale. “so how do we go about this? We just… throw the second round?” Elias shook his head, dropping his hand from Scarlet’s head. The pony groaned softly, and for a second he reached out, trying to drag Elias’ hand back to his head. When he got strange looks from his fellow ponies however, he chuckled weakly, then sat low in his seat, doing his best to vanish. “No,” Elias replied. “We have to fight like dogs to try and win. Just because I’m accounting for us losing, doesn’t mean we should actively try to. I could be absolutely wrong, in which case the plan, with its current adjustments, could work just fine.” He spread his hands. “Either way, if we aren’t trying our absolute best, they’ll suspect foul play, and the third round will slip through our hands. We can’t fight any less than our hardest.” He gestured to Palisade. “I’d recommend that you keep the flag again, it will help sell the one trick play bit. Otherwise;” he shrugged and sighed, “fight like hell. Try to win. If we do, then I’ll be glad to be wrong, but I have a strong feeling that I won’t be.” Palisade shared his sigh and nodded. “Alright then, that’s our plan. Smiles on while we brief and set up. The less ponies that know this is a sacrifice play, the better.” Everyone grumbled in agreement and began to filter out of the tent. ***** Elias growled as he parried a strike from the earth pony on his right, while simultaneously blocking the hooves of the earth pony to his left. The Solar Guards had definitely stepped up their game. While Elias had so far defeated two separate pairs of ponies, they just kept coming at him in groups of two, and the longer he fought, the more tired he got, especially since he was having a rough time overpowering the third pair that was attacking him. Without his assistance, the Lunar Guards around him were steadily being pushed back, with many vanishing as their golden clad counterparts got the better of them. He had already seen Granite vanish as he was dragged down by a pair of earth ponies, and the last time he had seen Night Flash, the pegasus had a slash on one of his forelegs, and was missing his helmet as he squared off with a Solar pegasus. Elias dipped under a swing from his left, and responded by lashing out with his gladius. Feather tasted only air, and the over extension nearly cost him the arm as a wicked axe blade glanced off his wrist-guard. Elias slammed his scutum forward, trying to knock the axe from the earth pony's teeth, but the mare took a short step back, and this strike missed too. Elias tried to take a step back to breathe, but neither of the ponies let him, and they advanced with his steps, their weapons scratching the paint of his scutum. The Lunar Guard line had begun to waver, though to their credit, those who remained fought on, dishing out as much damage as they could. It didn’t matter though; the odds were not in their favor. Elias just hoped that Palisade’s group was faring better than his was. Elias roared as he tried to rush the earth pony to his left, only to be driven back by a brutal swing from the one on his right, nearly taking his head off. He took a step back, put off balance as his charge faltered. This didn’t go unnoticed, and an opportunistic pegasus darted in, his hooves slamming down on Elias’ calf. Elias howled in pain and did his best not to stumble as hot agony raced up his right leg. He felt the muscles tear as his bones snapped in two. His shield dropped from his grasp, and Elias grabbed the pegasus by the back of the neck. The pony had been shocked into stillness by Elias’ cry of agony, and it would serve to be his downfall. Elias punched the pegasus twice in the muzzle, breaking the pony’s nose before he stabbed the pegasus in the neck, the weight disappearing from his grip. Elias then cut at the earth pony to his right, catching the stunned pony in the chest. She too vanished, leaving one. The earth pony overcame her shock that Elias was still on his feet, and she gripped her axe tighter in her teeth. With a growl, she launched herself at him. Elias swung at her head, trying to cut off the charge. The pain in his leg put off his aim, allowing the earth pony to dip under his sloppy swing. She swung widely, and then the axe came down in a spray of crimson as it embedded itself in Elias’ chest. Elias cried out again, his cries of agony splitting the air. Blood painted his face in a spattering of red, but he still remained on his feet. The earth pony stared at him in horror as he glared at her, his eyes finding her over the blade of the axe. Feather found her throat quickly, and she disappeared with a pop of magic, the look of shocked horror still on her face. Elias panted heavily as he stared at the sky, relishing the feeling of the sun on his face. He sent a silent thank you to Anyon for his armor. While he was in a nasty spot, he could already tell that the chest wound wouldn’t kill him. Not immediately at least. Maybe it was the blood loss, or the absolute agony in his shattered leg, but after sheathing his gladius, Elias gripped the handle of the axe. Taking a single breath, Elias ripped the axe free from his chest. Blood pattered to the ground, and Elias was close behind as he collapsed. He pressed his hands to the wound, trying to staunch the bleeding as he groaned in pain. On second thought, it probably wasn’t a good idea to pull out the axe. Elias blinked in the bright light of the sun. He looked around to find that the ponies were still fighting, though there were substantially fewer blue ponies than there were golden ponies now. Either way, the match hadn’t ended, and he was still on the field. That had to mean that he could still fight. Elias pushed himself up onto one knee, and drew Feather, the blade shining in the light of the day. He silently dared someone to attack him. A pegasus, perhaps thinking him easy prey, rushed Elias, not even bothering to disguise his approach as his wingblades reached out like sharp fingers, aimed right at Elias’ throat. It was simplicity itself to simply lay back, flopping to the ground as he stuck his gladius in the air, bracing it with both hands. The pegasus couldn’t curb his momentum, and he ran straight into the outstretched sword, impaling himself as he disappeared with a pop. Elias grinned and sat back up, trying to ignore the red puddle on the ground around him. Elias spotted his shield, laying clearly in the dust a few feet away. Spotting no immediate threats, Elias tried to stand. He got as far as putting his right foot down before he collapsed into the dirt, face first. Elias groaned in pain, keeping enough awareness around him to realized that he had kept hold of his gladius. A shadow passed over his body, and his grip on the blade tightened. “Guardsman Bright, please release your weapon that we might assist you,” a voice said calmly. Elias cracked open an eye, not even realizing it was closed in the first place. He quickly saw a trio of frowning faces standing over him, two familiar, and one not so. The black armor on the unfamiliar one meant Royal Guard though, so he knew she wasn’t an enemy. Elias huffed, the only response he could muster as he uncurled his fingers from Feather’s hilt. The unfamiliar pony smiled down at him. “Very good Guardsman. Don’t worry about a thing, we’re going to take good care of you.” Elias felt a warm feeling pass over his body, and he smiled at the pretty pony as his pain largely vanished. Together, the three ponies rolled Elias onto a stretcher. The movement agitated Elias’ throat, and he coughed, sending a spatter of blood over the three. Surprisingly, none of them seemed particularly disgusted by it. In his delirious state, Elias found that he could only grin at them. “Sorry,” he said, the syllables slurring slightly. “Guess it’s a bit worse than I thought.” Chaser frowned at him as they teleported. Elias’ gut lurched, but thankfully it wasn’t as bad as the one earlier. “Is he going to be alright Doc? He’s looking pretty rough.” Scalpel sighed and nodded as he removed Elias’ helmet, running a hoof through Elias’ hair. Elias stuck his tongue out at the pony in response. “Unfortunately, he should make a full recovery, which means this will undoubtedly happen again.” The unfamiliar pony smirked as her horn lit up. “Why Doctor Scalpel, if I didn’t know better, I would think you’re having thoughts about trying to keep the good Guardsman here permanently crippled. Surely you wouldn’t be so cruel?” Scalpel scoffed. “Please, he’d probably charge into battle on one leg if we cut it off. He’s stubborn like that.” His hoof gestured at Elias’ wounds. “All of this is probably a flesh wound for him, even if it’s much worse.” Elias giggled slightly as he felt magic tickle at his chest. “I’d say I’ll walk it off, but I think someone broke my leg.” Scalpel frowned and he put a hoof over Elias’ mouth. “Elias, stop talking. Healer Bandage needs your chest still so that she can heal it properly.” Elias rolled his eyes dismissively in response. He remained largely silent however, with only a few giggles escaping as he felt the tickles began to make their way to his leg. Chaser frowned down at him again. “What’s wrong with him Doc? Sure he’s hurt, but he didn’t seem like this last time.” The pony that Scalpel had called Bandage looked up at Chaser. “I gave him a heavy sedative spell.” She looked at Elias with a smile, ruffling his hair with her hoof. Elias giggled stupidly and stuck his tongue out at her as well. “It was supposed to knock the Guardsman out, but it appears that it just made him a bit giddy. As long as he isn’t hurting, I think we can deal with a bit of silly chatter.” Steel Scalpel sighed again, drawing Elias’ eyes. The unicorn smiled down at the human, and he began to pet Elias’ hair again. “I have no idea why the safety spell didn’t grab him when his leg broke. The wound is serious enough that he should have been snatched up, but he wasn’t, he just kept fighting.” Midnight Chaser nodded. “That he did, and if I hadn’t already tangoed with him once, I’d think he was cheating. He took out four different ponies before he dropped, and he looked like he wanted to keep going.” Elias snorted as he imagined Chaser in a dress. “We’ve never danced before Captain. I think you’re mis-remembering stuff. Should get that checked out.” Chaser grinned. “Maybe not Guardsman, but would you like to?” Elias snorted again. “No, I can’t dance. Just like I can’t sing. Princess Luna is full of it if she believes in stuff like song magic.” He scoffed as he closed his eyes, feeling slightly tired. “I tried to tell her that ambient magic doesn’t work on me, but no! The human who’s lived with himself for nineteen years apparently doesn’t know squat, just because he doesn’t know anything about magic, suddenly he’s not an expert.” Elias paused, opening his eyes. He blinked stupidly at Steel Scalpel, squinting as he stared at the pony. “Who was that just talking? He sounds like an idiot.” Bloody Bandage snorted with laughter. “I don’t know why everypony has it out for this guy, he’s great.” Scalpel shook his head in exasperation. “And it only took one of the most powerful numbing spells in Equestria. Elias, look at me for a second.” Elias pointedly looked away, staring just to the left of Scalpel’s head. The unicorn sighed and shook his head again as he held a hoof to his face. “I don’t know why I thought I would get anything other than that result. Look, Elias, what was that about ambient magic not working on you?” Elias blinked and focused on Scalpel. “Oh, yeah. Yeah, ambient magics don’t affect me. I don’t have a magical signature at all. Princess Luna thought I did, but she scanned your magic while you were healing me.” He sniffed as he stared at nothing behind the unicorn. “Yeah, she hasn’t scanned me since, and every time ambient magic is used, it doesn’t work on me. There was this song thing a week or two ago, I just watched. Did nothing for me.” Midnight Chaser looked to Steel Scalpel. “Could that be true?” he asked. “Could he lack ambient magic, giving the safety spell nothing to latch onto?” Scalpel shrugged in response. “Could be. I don’t know enough about magic theory to deny it, and it sounds right. I’ll ask the princesses about it later.” Elias blinked stupidly as his eyes shifted from Scalpel to Chaser. Elias blinked a few more times, before he slowly said; “Captain, I don’t wish to alarm you, but you are covered in fur. Like… everywhere. Head to-“ Elias tried to look down, but found that his head was stuck in place. It probably had something to do with Scalpel holding his head. “Hm… I’m going to assume toe, but you might want to get that checked just in case.” Elias looked up to Scalpel, then smiled widely. “Oh hey, Doc Scalpel’s here. He can take care of that problem for you Captain!” Bloody Bandage snorted again, covering her muzzle as she tried not to collapse in laughter. Midnight Chaser glared at her. “Healer…” he said, his tone a warning. She waved a dismissive hoof at the pegasus. “Oh, don’t be a killjoy Captain. I’m just thinking about the fun we could be having here. You’ve got to get this guy for us. Not counting the fact that he’s one of the nastiest fighters I’ve ever seen, he’s absolutely hilarious. Come on Captain, he’s what the Royal Guard needs these days.” Chaser sighed face-hoofing. “Fine Bandage, I’ll try to convince him to work on an application when he isn’t staring at me like that.” Scalpel slapped Elias’ hand as it rose up to touch his fur. The human hissed at him in reply. Scalpel just kept petting the human’s hair, ignoring the glare he was receiving. Chaser prodded Elias’ side, and so the human stared at him, his eyes looking clear for a brief moment. “Guardsman Bright, would you be interested about a place in the Royal Guard? Healer Bandage is right that you’ve got the right kind of stuff, but it won’t be easy work. It will take a lot of sweat, and studying to get in.” Elias frowned slightly, staring at nothing as he thought. “Well,” he replied slowly, “I’d have to put some real thought into that. I’d need to talk to Book Binder, and Night Flash, because I definitely don’t want to leave my potential parents behind. That’d just be wrong.” Chaser looked to Scalpel. “His what?” Scalpel sighed. “Guardsponies Book Binder and Night Flash have offered adoption to Guardsman Bright here. Due to some internal trauma he refuses to share,” he said, pointedly glaring down at Elias. “he hasn’t outright accepted. They’re doing some kind of progressive parenthood to get him used to the idea. So far, I think it’s going well, but who knows with this one.” Elias crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t care how much you drug me Scalpel, these lips are sealed.” Scalpel sighed again. “If I didn’t know the exact symptoms of delirium, I’d think you were just trying to mess with me Elias. As it stands, I’m going to write everything you say down and use it as blackmail.” Elias stuck his tongue out at Scalpel, causing the pony to smile as he resumed petting Elias’ head. Scalpel looked to Midnight Chaser. “Take the answer as a tentative yes. I’ll make sure to talk to him about it when he isn’t out of his mind.” Chaser nodded in agreement. “Good, have him stop by my office. If nothing else, I’d like a serious conversation with him about this.” He then looked down at Elias. “I’m watching you in the third round Guardsman. I know better than to think the first-round strategy was from Palisade. If I’m being honest, I’m really looking forward to see what you do to win.” Elias grinned at him. “Oh, you’re going to love it. Maybe the spell helped me think, or maybe it was the snapping of my leg, who knows, but I’ve come up with exactly what we need. Just remember to keep your eye on the flag. The twist will surprise you.” Chaser nodded and gave Elias a pat on the shoulder. “Maybe it will Guardsman. Do well, I’m rooting for you.” With that, the pegasus left. Scalpel frowned down at Elias. “How do you know that there’s going to be a third round?” he asked. “Palisade could still pull through.” Elias snorted dismissively, raising three fingers on his left hand. “And three, two, one…” A golden flare spiraled into the air, exploding with a shower of sparkles. Elias giggled. “And as usual, my sour expectations are met. Mors mihi lucrum.” Bloody Bandage shook her head as she watched the golden glow fade away. “Alright, now that’s just spooky. Down to the second too.” She smiled at Elias, who smiled dazedly back. “You need to join the Royal Guard, Bright. I haven’t seen many ponies that just scream ‘Royal Guard’ material, but you definitely fit that bill.” Elias grinned at her. “Aw, thanks! That means a lot.” He snorted softly. “I’m just lucky to have you here.” He looked up at Scalpel. “This mean pony is gonna start yelling at me as soon as you're gone. As long as you’re here, he wouldn’t dare!” Scalpel glared at Elias while Bandage laughed again. The unicorn rose, shifting to sit near Elias’ head. “Well Guardsman Bright, you’re all healed up. Scalpel will take you back to your base camp, then dispel the numbing enchantment, alright?” She reached out a hoof to Elias, “Stay cool and safe, you hear?” Elias bumped it with his fist. “Why would I want to do that?” he replied. He stuck his tongue out at Scalpel. “I’d much rather come up here and bother Scalpel some more than be something like “safe”. Besides, I know he likes to play mother hen.” Elias laughed, then stopped suddenly as he stared widely at Scalpel’s face. The unicorn looked at him nervously as he reached a finger out, poking Scalpel in the nose. “Doc,” he said dumbly, “you’re a pony.” Bloody Bandage burst out laughing as Scalpel just shook his head in exasperation, his horn lighting up as they vanished in a flash. ***** Elias scowled darkly as he rubbed at his temples. His mouth tasted foul, and his head was pounding. He felt like an idiot, and he had no idea why. All he remembered was collapsing, then waking up as Scalpel escorted him into the command tent. It was empty for now, so Scalpel decided to ensure that Elias ate and drank something to replace his lost blood. As Elias chewed, he vaguely recalled talking to Chaser, as well as another pony. She had seemed nice, and after prodding at Scalpel, the unicorn had given Elias a name, Bloody Bandage, as well as her recommendation that he look into joining the Royal Guard. Elias gave him a noncommittal, “I’ll think on it,” before falling into a brooding silence. Not counting the splitting migraine that he had, Elias altogether felt like hammered shit. His cuirass sat on the table beside him, looking a bloody mess. A large cut marred the left breastplate, and Elias knew he wouldn’t be wearing it again anytime soon. His tunic had fared much worse. The cloth had been nearly ripped in half, and blood stained the blue fabric, turning it black. Underneath it sat a massive bandage across his chest wound. Bloody Bandage had used most of her magic to mend his leg, which ached, but was fully functional. The bandage was a compromise with Scalpel. The unicorn had threatened to make Elias sit out of the third round if he didn’t wear it, so despite the stiffness of the broad bandage, he relented. He didn’t believe for a second that the wound was at risk of tearing open again, but what could he do? He waited in silence for the Lunar Guards to return. After a few minutes of waiting, dejected Lunar Guards began to wander into the command tent. Elias noted the beaten looks on their faces, the defeated posture of their bodies. He also noted that more ponies filtered in than before, including Book Binder and Night Flash as they supported a limping Scarlet into the tent. Elias made to stand, but Scalpel pushed him back in his seat as the unicorn rose, taking Scarlet by the foreleg as he guided him to an empty seat. His horn lit up as he treated the pony’s injuries, what looked to Elias like a broken muzzle, as well as several deep cuts along his flank. Book Binder crawled up on Elias’, huffing slightly as she let her weight sink into his back. She hummed quietly in his ear, saying nothing as she closed her eyes and dozed. Night Flash gave Elias a half smile as he climbed into Elias’ lap, settling down with his chin on the table. Elias instinctively scratched the pony’s ears, his mind combing through his plan one more time as everyone settled. A glance around found that nearly their entire team was in the tent now, and most of those ponies were glaring at one place. Elias calmly met their glares, eventually finding Palisade at the end of the table. The pegasus was also glaring at him, though it was a much more tempered glare than others were giving him. Elias tapped his fingers against the table, waiting in bored silence for the pegasus to speak. Palisade snorted. “So Mr. Strategist, that didn’t work. We lost. Badly.” Elias scoffed and smiled. “You’re telling me. I got an axe in the chest and my leg snapped like a twig.” His fingers dragged apart his tunic, displaying the red splotched bandage that covered his pale chest. Palisade flinched back at the sight, and Elias noted several gasps at the bloody damage. Book Binder tsked softly on his back, but she only rubbed her face softly against his neck, remaining silent. “Let’s just say I know the pain of losing intimately and leave it at that.” He let his hand drop. “It could have been a lot worse, and either way, I expected this.” Palisade sighed deeply and looked at the table. “So, you have a plan?” Elias nodded silently, then grunted as he lifted Night Flash off his lap, placing the pegasus on his seat while he reached for the map. Elias fingered the bandage on his chest softly as he reached out to the map, snatching up a quill as he began to erase the previous plan. Book Binder moaned softly as she was forced to climb down from his shoulders, but settled next to Night Flash, huffing into his neck fur. “The Solar Guards think us incompetent now, so that works to our favor," Elias said. "We gave them their arrogance back, and that’s what we’re going to play to.” One of the guards scoffed. “Why? If you didn’t notice, we got creamed. The first round was a fluke and we should just quit while we’re ahead.” Elias stopped before the quill in his hand could touch the sand. He blinked as he stared at the map, then looked up, tracking the source of the voice until he found the pony in question, a gray thestral. Elias stared at her for a second, then pointed outside. “Then go,” he said simply, keeping any trace of emotion from his voice. “Quit. If that’s what you feel is best, then do it. I won’t stop you.” Some of the guards recoiled back at his words. The thestral’s ears pinned to the side of her head, and her mouth flapped wordlessly. Elias looked around at the ponies around him. “What?” he asked forcefully. “She says she wants to quit, so I say she should.” He looked back to the thestral, waving toward the tent entrance. “Go on now. Follow your instincts. Quit. Show us how a guard quits.” The pony shook her head. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I don’t want to quit.” “Then start acting like it,” Elias replied, anger creeping into his tone. He looked around again. “That goes for all of you. Each, and every one of you has already decided the battle in your minds, which means when we go out there again, we are going to lose, because you won’t give it your all. You’ve given up in here, so you won’t care out there.” Elias smiled, then chuckled. “It’s pretty funny considering all you did before today was lose. You’d figure you could get over the feeling by now.” Green Leaf growled at him. “This isn’t funny Bright. We’re following your plans, and now we’re losing.” “Ah, but see, I said this would happen, and it did.” Elias replied, grinning at the pony. “You act like we were just supposed to win out the gate again. You got arrogant, just like White Shine and all of the Solar Guards have. I advise you lose that arrogance before this stops becoming a game and the stakes start getting real.” Elias tapped his chest. “Because for some of us, the stakes are already very real.” Green Leaf backed down, glaring at the table, sufficiently cowed. Elias looked around the tent, looking for anyone else who thought to challenge him. Most didn’t meet his gaze. Elias saw Scarlet rise from the corner of his eye. Despite Scalpel's protests, the pegasus climbed stiffly onto the table, plopping down right in front of the map. He stared at the magical object intently. “What’s the plan now Elias? We lost, and you said that would make them arrogant again, and I believe you completely. So how do we beat them?” Elias grinned as he began to draw. “By being even more arrogant than them of course.” > Chapter 20: The RAT Exercise; Part 3 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias took long strides forward. At his side marched Night Flash and Scarlet Shield, with Gray Granite and a pair of unicorns directly behind him. Around them marched almost the entirety of their team, with less than a dozen hidden elsewhere. Serious expressions decorated their faces as they walked down the center lane. The blue armor gleamed in the sunlight on everyone save for Elias, who was nearly naked. Part of his plan was going to reply on intimidation, so Elias showed his confidence by going into battle with armor only protecting his calves. His wrist guards, helmet, and cuirass remained in the command tent. Since he was already taking a cue from the Gauls with his battle dress, Elias had decided to commit, so he had torn away his tunic as well, ripping the fabric into long lengths. He had gotten some interesting looks as his scarred and tattooed back was exposed for the world to see, but for once, Elias didn’t care. He felt nothing showing off his old legion markings, and since nobody asked him questions about it, he was able to remain completely calm. Overhead, a pair of pegasi powered by, their golden armor shining bright as they took in the march of the Lunar Guard. They disappeared back toward their base, and Elias nodded in grim satisfaction. He had made everything as clear as possible. No illusions covered their approach, nor did any occupy the other lanes. Their base sat empty. Tied tightly around his arm was a blue flag, flapping in the wind as they walked. Elias intentionally kept his shield on his back so that there would be no opportunity to miss the blue cloth. While most of the ponies around him walked confidently, Elias noted that more than a few were scanning the trees nervously as they moved closer and closer to the enemy base. Elias knew that the fear was misplaced. White Shine didn’t have the tactical mind to pull off an ambush; that, and it wasn’t his style. No, the unicorn would hear his scouting reports and wait, massing his force to meet Elias head on. Elias just hoped the unicorn was arrogant enough to wait until they got closer to their base. As the lane straightened, the trees faded away. The Lunar Guards walked unopposed into the open plain before the Solar Guard base. Elias saw their flag flapping in the breeze atop their flagpole. He knew it wouldn’t be there long. Elias’ eyes drifted down, nodding approvingly as he looked over the force arrayed against them. If nothing else, the Solar Guard’s battle line was quite intimidating. Earth ponies stood interspersed amongst unicorns, who had their horns charged as Elias walked his forces calmly into view. Overhead, the pegasi circled like carrion birds. Elias knew they were watching him, and he was glad for it. ‘Keep your eyes on the flag,’ Elias thought to himself. In front of his forces stood White Shine, the unicorn waving a small green flag for truce. Scarlet handed Elias a green handkerchief, and he waved it in the air. The two combatants strode forward from their ranks, meeting halfway across the field. White Shine brought several ponies with him, while Elias walked alone. He needed an unbroken mask of confidence, and if any of his friends got nervous, it would spoil everything. As they met, Elias saw that hated pretentious smile on White Shine’s muzzle. He couldn’t wait to see it gone. “So Bright,” White Shine said with a sneer, “Palisade sends his monkey out to do his dirty work does he?” Elias shrugged. “No, he’s just smart enough to stay back with his troops so he can give orders. If nothing else, he’s keeping fresh, unlike you and your stooges here.” Elias smirked at the ponies around White Shine. “Afraid I’d beat your ass during the truce?” White Shine matched his smirk. “Such crass bravado does you no good when you bring your flag right to me. Say, you wouldn’t happen to be surrendering, would you? I have a bet running, and I must say, it is quite lucrative.” He smiled sweetly at Elias. “I’d even offer you a share if you gave me your flag. Even monkeys need money.” “Is that really the only insult you have on me Little Spear?” Elias asked with a grin. “All you’ve ever called me is a monkey, and I have to say, the insult is almost as boring as listening to you talk.” He chuckled. “Let me say, that is a low bar.” White Shine scowled at him. “Uncultured brute. That quick tongue is going to get you in trouble Bright, because it isn’t matched with a quick wit. What is to stop me from simply betraying this truce and taking the flag from your wretched body?” Elias scratched his nose, his grin never wavering. “First, it doesn’t matter how many goons you throw at me Shine, I’ll send them back in pieces. We are in different fighting classes you and I.” He thumbed his nose. “I personally dare you to try and take this flag.” Elias extended his index finger as White Shine tensed up. “However, before you do anything stupid and hasty, I want you to think on something. If you betray the truce that you called, all you’re going to do is make yourself look like a dishonorable coward who will never make it beyond a simple guard because he can’t be trusted.” Elias shrugged at the pony. “Besides, you no more want a fightless win than I do. If you feel you’re up to it, go ahead. Betray the truce and try to take the flag. You might win this little exercise, but I get the biggest, nastiest piece of slander against you that I can ever have. Believe me when I say that you will never live it down.” Elias pointed at the Lunar Guards at his back with a thumb. “Me and mine can just claim you cheated. The act of breaking a truce will haunt your name wherever you go. Just what will your family think when they hear the name White Shine the Truce Breaker. It’s a hell of a title if I do say so myself. One that might have some consequences too. Is one win really worth that?” White Shine stared at him with hate for a moment, then he smiled widely. “Well played Bright, it seems you do have a brain in that thick skull of yours. A touch of cunning too. If you were just a hair smarter and a lot better looking, you might even pass for a pony of noble blood. If you weren’t a monkey of course.” Elias smirked and shook his head, looking at nothing of the unicorn’s shoulder. “There’s that same insult again. You lack creativity Shine. You should pay somebody to compensate for that.” He snorted. “It wouldn’t be the first time somebody compensated for you.” White Shine’s glare returned, and the unicorn growled. “This truce is over. Go back to your pathetic friends so that we can kick your flank and rub it into the dirt.” Elias winked at the pony as he turned away. “Come and try Little Spear. I’ll be waiting.” Elias turned, walking back to his line slowly. He gave the subtlest of nods to Night Flash, who tapped his chest armor three times. The taps were repeated through the Lunar Guards, a near silent signal that carried across the battlefield. The trap was set. The spell shield descended as soon as Elias fell back into line, and offensive spells crackled across it a second after. A loud shout echoed forth as the Solar Guards charged behind their wall of spells. Elias grinned as he drew Feather, the blade living up to its name as it flashed lightly in his grip. Maybe it was the giddiness he was feeling, the rush of real, visceral combat, but the blade felt like nothing in his hand. His plan was coming together, and as the golden clad ponies charged, Elias took a few deep breaths. It was time for a bit more psychological warfare. He had been largely silent while fighting so far, but in this final charge, that would change. Elias had a great deal of experience with screams. He had heard all of them; grief, rage, but most importantly, pain. Elias had a lot of very personal experiences with pain. Causing it, feeling it, both inside and out. Pain was an old friend, and a bitter enemy that wouldn’t let him be. He could feel all of the old hurts tucked away in his head, and for a moment, he felt completely comfortable tapping into them. He knew the feeling wouldn’t last, likely not even till the end of the day, but Elias felt high on his feeling of wholeness. It was how he should feel, but so rarely did. The scream he used had the power to turn blood to ice. He had heard it far too many times, both in reality, and his dreams. He chose it because he knew exactly what reaction it would cause. The scream he chose was uttered from the mouths of people in the greatest of agonies, a scream that happened, not when the hot knife cut into their spine, nor when the hatchet came down again and again. No, it was the scream they uttered when their back was slowly pulled from their ribcage, muscle and fat straining to stay attached. As Elias opened his mouth and screamed, he knew exactly what it sounded like. It was the scream of a blood eagle, and this one felt more than ready to stretch his wings. Elias let out his soul shattering howl, and amplified by the spells of one of the unicorns behind him, it sang across the battlefield, causing even his troops to flinch in fear. They had prepared for this however, so as Elias rushed forward, they followed without hesitation. As he sprinted headlong at the Solar Guards, Elias let his scream shift from that of a dying man, to that of a raging one. Elias felt pure anger flow like water through his veins, heating his blood as he ran. The charging line of Solar Guards at his front balked, and as Elias came in range, he swung with deadly efficiency, slamming into their line, cracking the center of the charge. The sounds of armor crunching against armor as the two sides met was horrific, and music to Elias’ ears. Elias whirled and fought like a demon. He had warned the Lunar Guards to stay well away, and they did so, allowing him to cut loose. With the knowledge of the last two rounds, Elias had noticed that contact of any kind to certain areas on ponies made the safety spell activate, sending them away. His fighting strategy consisted of flailing wildly, striking those areas as hard as he could until the pony vanished. Half a dozen guards dropped quickly to this strategy, clearing the area around him. Elias responded by pushing forward, slamming into the second half of the charging line with increased intensity. He dipped under the jab of a spear and lashed out with the back of his hand, catching the pony in the muzzle as his scutum slammed home against the pony's neck. She vanished as another pony pushed into the suddenly empty space. Elias rushed forward under the cut of the short sword, rather than back. The earth pony balked at his careless charge, and Feather found a brief home in the pony's chest before he too disappeared. Throughout it all, Elias kept screaming, uninterrupted as he sent silent thank you’s to the second unicorn who was maintaining an endurance spell on the human. The spell granted the human increased speed, stamina, and most importantly, lung capacity. While the intention was to make it so he could drag in more air to fight for longer, Elias used it to seem like an ungodly wraith, shrieking in the face of his opponents before he attacked. A slash bit into a pegasus’ neck while his shield slammed into a unicorn’s horn. They both vanished and Elias screamed at the next pony in line. It worked well. Very well. So well in fact, that Elias quickly found himself without any opponents as he broke through the Solar Guard line. Elias briefly noticed that somehow, somebody stole his underwear, leaving him stark naked, but in his near berserker state, he didn’t care. He stumbled slightly as he fell out of range of the amplification and endurance spells, but he didn’t feel that tired at all. If anything, he felt better than usual, like a great weight had been temporarily lifted from his shoulders. A loud shout echoed behind him, then the crash of steel echoed through the air once more as a small wing of the Lunar Guard slammed into the Solar Guard's left flank, hopefully panicking the golden-clad ponies. If his math was right, Elias imagined that in about thirty seconds, the second flanking force would drop their invisibility bubble and hit the right flank, and then it would be the simple task of mopping up the fenced in Solar Guards. He couldn't think on any of that however, he had a job to do. As he regained his footing, Elias spotted White Shine and his stooges near the flag. They were staring at him in shock, but then they grinned, no doubt sensing opportunity. Elias took a quick glance around to find that he was alone, but he didn’t feel concerned about it, it was part of the plan. He needed to buy time and occupy the four golden clad ponies, three unicorns and a familiar, axe wielding earth pony. Elias cracked his neck as he stalked forward, keeping quiet now. He wanted to save every bit of his energy, especially since he needed to keep all four engaged. That, or take them out. Elias charged them, making sure to grab a stone or two from his sword belt as he did so. Sure enough, he felt himself begin to lift into the air. A sharp stone and a pain filled screech later, Elias was running again. As their compatriot vanished, White Shine and the other unicorn exchanged a glance. Neither tried the same trick, instead levitating pairs of glowing swords while the earth pony ran to meet Elias’ charge, her battle axe in her teeth. Elias lowered his head behind his shield as he met the earth pony. The boss of his scutum caused the axe blade to bounce away, and Elias shoved forward, trying to plow into the earth pony to knock her off her hooves. Before he could get close enough, Elias was forced to parry a sword strike aimed at his legs. Tucking himself tighter behind the shield, Elias felt a sword strike bite into his left shoulder. Pain lanced down the arm, but as Elias took a step back, the blade vanished. A glance told him the lightly bleeding injury wasn’t serious, and Elias peaked out to plan an attack against his three remaining opponents. They didn’t give him enough time, and Elias knew in a flash that he wasn’t going to last long. He rolled forward under a pair of sword strikes aimed at his head, and he came to his feet face to face with the other unicorn. The pony paled, trying to bring his swords forward to strike Elias, but the human cracked him in the side of the head with his scutum. The pony vanished. Elias turned on his heels just in time to block another axe swing, this one nearly ripping the shield from his arm. Elias slashed desperately with Feather, driving the pony back. Before he could press his advantage, a large pair of golden swords cut at his neck. Elias stumbled backward as he tried to avoid getting his throat slit. He managed to hold his balance for a few steps, but then the earth pony rammed into him, sending his scutum flying from his grip. With Elias' primary defense gone, and completely off balance, White Shine dissipated his swords and charged a spell, hitting Elias square in the chest with a blast of raw magic. Pain arced across Elias’ chest, and his jaw seized up, causing his teeth to nearly cut his tongue in two. He collapsed, writhing to the ground as he tried to keep a steady grip on his gladius. The earth pony was having none of that, as she stomped on his wrist, causing his hand to fall open, releasing the blade into the dirt. As Elias panted, trying to get air in his chest to push the earth pony away, he found a blade pressed against his throat. Elias closed one eye to see through the glare of the sunlight, and found White Shine staring smugly down at him. “Surrender Bright. It is the honorable thing. You are beaten.” Elias winced as he spoke. “Really?” he said breathlessly, “because I’ve got you right where I want you.” White Shine rolled his eyes. “Fine, be a stupid monkey to the bitter end then. Hold him still Wood Cutter, I shall take the flag from him.” Elias felt the earth pony pin his limbs, watching closely as White Shine unclasped his helmet, waving his mane dramatically as he set it on the ground. The unicorn then conjured a small, golden blade and approached Elias. The human tried to squirm, but found that the earth pony was substantially stronger than he was. She didn’t so much as budge despite his best effort. White Shine looked in Elias’ eyes as he cut the cloth from Elias’ arm, holding it triumphantly in the air. “And like that, we are victorious!” he proclaimed loudly. A boom echoed around them and Elias watched as fireworks lit up the sky. He grinned when they exploded with blue sparks, rather than gold. White Shine looked at the color’s with horror, then he looked at the bloody rag in his hooves. He got in Elias’ face, waving the cloth with fury. “What the buck is this Bright?” he shouted angrily. Elias snorted. “That my dear White Shine, is called bait. And if you’ll take a look at your flag, that is called a win for my team.” The unicorn’s head snapped up, watching in horror as Book Binder, with the real flag suspended in her plume, waved the Solar Guard flag back and forth, shouting jubilantly. Elias felt a smile creep across his face as shouts of victory echoed across the battlefield. White Shine spun on him again, his face contorted with rage. “Y-You!” Elias said nothing, nor did he move. Mostly because of the heavy pony that was still pinning him to the ground, not in anger, but in complete shock. Elias smiled, clearing his throat loudly as he stared at the earth pony. She blinked, and looked down at him. “Ah, Wood Cutter was it? Could you let me up?” The pony blinked again, then looked down at how she was still pinning his limbs to the ground. She grinned sheepishly, blushing as she backed off. Elias sat up, then pushed himself to his feet. As he began dusting himself off, Book Binder sprinted at him, the flag in her magic as she leaped, crashing onto his shoulders. Elias stumbled, but managed to keep his balance as the pony wrapped her hooves around his head. “We did it, we did it, we did it!” she crowed loudly in his ear. Elias blinked as the golden material of the flag found its way in front of his eyes, blinding him. “We actually did it Elias! We won! We finally won!” Elias smiled and brushed the flag aside, attempting to bend over to retrieve his fallen sword and shield. He managed to grab and sheathe Feather, but the scutum remained out of reach as the rest of their team flooded in. The Lunar Guards cheered and jostled him as they celebrated loudly. Elias spotted more than one pony with tears of joy on their faces. He supposed it was an occasion worthy of crying for, though he knew tears would never touch his face for something so casual and safe. Elias nearly toppled again when Night Flash flapped up, joining Book Binder on his shoulders. He used his wings for balance as he hugged the unicorn. She giggled as she pulled him in for a kiss, and Elias watched as the pegasus’ hips began to waggle as if he was going to try for the next step. “Hey!” Elias yelled at them, trying to cut through the noise. “If you’re going to do that, do it on the ground! You’re wearing armor and neither of you are exactly light. I’m strong, but not that strong.” Elias felt Book Binder lightly smack the back of his head. “Hush you, we’re trying to have a moment.” Night Flash just smiled at the two of them however, hopping off of Elias’ shoulders gracefully. Book Binder sighed, then nuzzled the back of Elias’ head as she whispered for him to let her down as well. Once the pair was on the ground, they continued to celebrate, joining in the cheering as the flag was passed around. Elias felt someone poke his side, and looked down to find Scarlet, his scutum in the pony’s teeth. Elias took the shield in his left hand. “Thanks Scarlet, I really didn’t want to have to go look for this.” The pegasus nodded happily. “Hey, it’s the least I can do since you helped us win!” The pegasus jumped into the air, his wings fluttering at his side. “I can’t believe we did it!” He smiled at Elias for a second, then his eyes drifted downward slightly, and his face flushed as he looked away. The pegasus cleared his throat. “Uh, Elias, you might want to cover up. You're uhm…” He waved at Elias’ crotch, and Elias joined him in flushing red as he used his shield to cover his exposed genitals. He had forgotten that. He had no clothes, and while that was okay for ponies, or even himself in the heat of battle, the fighting was done, and now he desperately wished he hadn’t torn his tunic into strips to make a decoy flag. Elias was kind of curious about who had stolen his briefs as well. They hadn’t even left a scratch; the underwear was simply gone. He shuddered at the thought of someone taking them as a souvenir. As Elias mused about how he was going to escape the battlefield with his dignity intact, a loud cry caused everyone to freeze and snap to. “ATTENTION!” Nightshade shouted as she descended from the sky like a bullet. “Guardspony Palisade, Guardspony White Shine, front and center! All else, face the address.” Elias turned and quickly saw Luna, Celestia, Nightshade, and Captain Armor, all waiting with serious faces. Elias felt sweat run down his exposed back. He desperately prayed that this was all some sort of strange twist on his night terrors. He’d never had a nude dream, but he saw no reason not to start now. Any kind of dream would be better than this. The two team captains stood at attention directly in front of Celestia and Luna. Celestia cleared her throat loudly as she addressed them. “Team Captain White Shine, you have sent your guard captain a letter expressing concerns that you opponents cheated. Would you care to expound on this?” White Shine grinned with all the smugness of a cat who just intentionally threw up on somebody’s breakfast. “Of course, Princess. The forces of Palisade broke the rule of hiding their flag.” He levitated the scrap of Elias’ tunic in front of the princesses. “This false flag was worn by one of Palisade’s guards, while the other was secreted away. This is in clear violation of the rules, and therefore their “victory” is moot.” He shifted slightly as he straightened, his nose in the air as his eyes glanced back at Elias. Elias didn’t respond whatsoever; he had actually planned for this as well. He even gave Palisade the entire justification, so if the pony would just say it… Celestia looked to Palisade. “How do you respond to these allegations Guardspony Palisade?” “They’re completely untrue Princess,” Palisade replied confidently. Elias began to let out a sigh of relief, until he heard the brown pegasus’ next words. “Though if I may be so bold, I did not hold the entirety of the battle plan, and therefore I am not the best pony to defend it. That honor should go to our chief strategist, Guardsman Bright.” Elias immediately felt all eyes shift to him. ‘Damn you Palisade,’ Elias thought angrily to himself. ‘You’re going to pay for this.’ Celestia looked at him carefully. “Guardsman Bright, please step forward.” Elias did so, with several ponies shifting out of his way. Scarlet gave him an apologetic look as he walked away, and Elias heard a trail of gasps left in his wake. This day shouldn’t have been this bad. It really shouldn’t have been. Elias took a deep breath as he took a glance at White Shine, who smiled smugly back. That smile got Elias’ blood up, so his confidence returned as well. Keeping his shield over his front, Elias straightened as he fell into a modified attention in front of the princesses. He pretended that he didn’t know that his ass was currently on display to the entirety of both teams. If he could keep his scutum blocking his crotch, he would be fine. Evidently the universe had other ideas, primarily in the form of Nightshade. The thestral frowned deeply as she glared at him. “Guardsman Bright, you stand at attention when in front of the princesses, so fall in.” Elias bit his lip as he struggled not to just duck and run. “Captain, that’s not really a good idea right now, I don’t-“ “I don’t care what you think Bright!” she shouted at him. “Now stand at attention before I take you back to the castle and run you till you drop!” Elias sighed deeply. Of course not. He scratched his eyebrow, looking at the angry thestral. She glared furiously back. Elias took a deep breath. “Well, you asked for it…” Elias straightened to attention, and his shield fell to his side. His eyes never left Nightshade’s face however, so he was able to watch in real time as she became redder than a tomato. Her eyes were locked on his lower half, and Elias just shook his head in embarrassment as he looked to the two princesses. Both stared at him with jaws agape, as did Captain Armor, though luckily his eyes weren’t directed downward. Instead, the unicorn was just staring dumbly at Elias’ scarred chest. A glance down showed him that the bandage that had covered his axe wound was gone as well, and the brutal looking scar that ran from his left pectoral down to his belly button was exposed as well. “Elias… you’re naked,” Luna finally said, her eyes dragging themselves away from his bare crotch. “Eeyup,” Elias replied, nodding simply as he bit his lip. Celestia was the first to clear herself fully from her stupor. Her magenta eyes found his, and he saw a slight smile on her face. “I must say, I am quite excited to hear how this played into your grand plan.” “To be fair Princess, I did have underwear on earlier, but somebody tore them off,” Elias replied, casting a glance over his shoulder at a large group of Solar Guards. “If you want to find out the entire reason of why I’m naked, you’ll have to ask someone else.” “Quite,” Celestia said with a smile. “Now, on to business, White Shine has leveled a rather serious accusation against your team, how do you respond?” Elias did his best not to move at all, ignoring the shiver he felt as the wind picked up slightly. It carried a cold edge to it, and Elias could only pray that nobody else decided to join in on what was slowly turning out to be a shitty day. “White Shine’s allegations are false, and I have concrete evidence to prove it.” The more he spoke, the less self-aware Elias became, so he relaxed as best he could as he continued. “To start, there is nothing in the rule book about creating a false flag, so that portion of the deception is completely fair. Second, prior to the match, I had Palisade send a message to Captain Nightshade, requesting that she watch Book Binder for the entirety of the match.” He looked over to the thestral, who still had her eyes locked on his lower half. “I would assume she did so, and you can check everything I say with her observations.” He straightened, facing Celestia once more. “Even if she didn’t however, the plan was as such. The entirety of our force, save for Book Binder left our base first, traveling down the center lane toward White Shine’s base. This was to draw the eyes of his scouts while Book Binder waited at base. After an allotted amount of time, Book Binder left the base, travelling along the left lane and around the left side of the arena, just inside the forest boundaries. The thought was that nobody would think to search such areas, since they so obviously restrict a pony's magical abilities. As far as I know, she held her head high as she walked up the lane, and the flag remained in sight of anyone who was looking.” Elias cleared his throat, as he resisted the continuous urge to cover up. “My nakedness, as with the enhanced screaming, obvious attack, and even talking to White Shine was with the intention of keeping his eyes off the real flag. As Captain Nightshade is currently demonstrating, this strategy worked well.” Luna snorted as her eyes broke away from Elias to look at the guard captain. She nudged the thestral in the side with a hoof. “Captain, I believe you are drooling,” she said playfully. Nightshade’s jaw snapped shut and she flushed crimson as her wings shuffled. She straightened and her eyes stared into nothing as she tried to look at nobody at all, especially not Elias. Celestia smiled widely. “Indeed, it would seem so. You are free to cover up Guardsman Bright, I think you have proved that point adequately.” Elias nodded at her gratefully and his scutum slid over his front, blocking sight access to his crotch. He caught what looked like a pout on Luna’s face, as well as what was definitely a pout on Nightshade’s. Neither met his eye however, and Celestia motioned for him to continue. Elias took a deep breath. “With White Shine’s forces squarely focused on my antics, Book Binder was able to simply walk up to their flag and take it, the real flag was in her plume the entire time.” Seeing nothing else to lose, Elias cleared his throat as he threw a glance at White Shine. “I believe Guardspony White Shine is calling foul because he does not wish to have it brought to your attention that he was spending more time checking “spears” than he was planning effective battle strategy.” A feather could have dropped, and he would have heard it. The silence in the air was chilling, and if Elias didn’t have all eyes on him before, he certainly did now. To make a joke like that, to Celestia’s face, while naked, during an important discussion probably wasn’t his smartest move. It was certainly a worthwhile one though. White Shine had decided to match Nightshade in flushing crimson, his eyes filled with rage as he glared at Elias. Elias however, kept a straight face as he gauged the reactions of the ponies in front of him. Nightshade was looking at him with a mixture of horror and pride, along with something… else. Her eyes were narrowed to pin pricks, and she quivered as she tried not to laugh. Luna just had pure joy in her eyes. She only barely suppressed the signs of her mirth as her normally flowing tail swished back and forth while she bit her bottom lip, a wide grin on her face. Captain Armor was aggressively chewing on his cheek as he shook his head back and forth, turning a light shade of red as he held his breath. Finally, Celestia calmly maintained her mask and nodded as if Elias had just given her ground breaking insight. She looked to Nightshade. “Are his reports concerning Guardspony Book Binder accurate Captain?” Nightshade nodded, straightening as she let her professionalism suppress her emotions. “Yes Princess. Book Binder remained clearly visible throughout the exercise. Had any of White Shine’s forces tried looking in the woods for her, she could have been captured swiftly.” Celestia nodded, then looked to White Shine. “Tell me then White Shine, is Guardsman Bright’s claim that you were studying the spears of other guards true?” Elias' jaw clamped down as he struggled not to grin. She was playing along, and that made everything so much worse. White Shine looked aghast that Celestia had even asked such a question, and he could only stutter as he tried to reply. “P-princess I-I I don’t think...” “Come now Guardspony, either you were distracted during your planning period, studying the spear shafts of other guards as Guardsman Bright claims, or you weren’t, in which case you made an oversight concerning your battle strategy. Which is it?” White Shine seemed frozen in place for a moment, then he sighed as he visibly drooped, his muzzle pointed toward the ground. “Princess, I would like to withdraw my accusations.” Celestia smiled brightly. “Excellent.” She looked to Palisade, who was standing to the left of Elias. “Team Captain Palisade, you have my congratulations, your forces have won today’s game.” The ponies behind him let out a cheer, and Elias was surprised to find that ponies from both teams were cheering. Solar Guard mingled with Lunar Guards as they hugged and jostled each other, chattering happily as they began to exchange stories and congratulations. The Lunar Guards bragged about their win, while Solar Guards gave them playful jabs, claiming their minor victories in comparing the number of eliminations. As he watched the ponies celebrate with each other, Nightshade stalked up to him, punching him in an undamaged portion of his chest. “That wasn’t funny Bright!” she shouted at him, though the words seemed to lack her usual heat. “I don’t care how much Guardspony Shine is checking you out, you don’t brag about it to the princesses.” Elias groaned as Nightshade smiled, giggling at him. The ponies nearby laughed too, and Elias noticed more than a few looks at his still exposed butt. Nightshade pressed close to him, handing a slip of paper into his hands as she fake growled at him. “Don’t do it again.” She turned away, and Elias noticed her tail twitch upward as she did so. He attributed it to her laughter, and ignored it, instead focusing on the paper. He unfolded it slightly, peaking at the words written on it. ‘Keep up the good work Guardsman. And consider being nude more often, it suits you.’ -L Elias looked up, quickly finding Luna. She winked at him, her cheeks slightly red as she, Celestia, and Nightshade took to the air. Elias stared after them in confusion, tucking the note into one of his belt pouches where he could keep it safe. He didn’t have long to stare however, as Book Binder jumped on his shoulders again, pointing toward the arena exit as she cried out for celebratory refreshments. Her cheer instantly spread to the rest of the guards as they cheered loudly, surrounding Elias as they pushed forward, a fuzzy mass of loud ponies that swept them away back toward the castle. > Chapter 21: Epicinium > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The air was charged with excitement as Elias felt another pair of hooves pat him on the back. Everything around him was loud, and he almost wished that he could take his meal and find some place quiet to relax alone. After their match, two other classes of guards had fought, with one victory going to the Lunar Guards, while the other went to the Solar Guards. As the sun began to set, the princesses had decided to call the rest of the exercise off for the day, to be resumed at dawn. As a result, the two guard forces began to celebrate as they poured back into the castle cafeteria. The chefs had to work overtime to feed everyone as they came rushing in. More than one pony got chased off with a stirring spoon as they tried to get seconds, or in some cases, thirds. And as almost every single one came out of that lunch line, they found their way to the table where Elias was seated with Scarlet Shield, Book Binder, Night Flash, Steel Scalpel, and the new pony to their group, Gray Granite. Word had spread quickly about his decisive, game winning planning, and according to just about everyone who came to give him a pat on the back, he also had set a record for the highest single number of downed opponents in an exercise. The official counters credited him with thirty-nine confirmed “kills”, though Elias could only remember twenty-eight of those. He wasn’t going to dampen anyone’s spirits however, so he just went with the thirty-nine figure as more and more ponies came by to congratulate him. Elias was surprised when members of all three guard branches did the congratulating. He was even more surprised when several Royal Guard members, that he was fairly sure hated him for his scrap with Chaser, asked him if he would be applying for their branch. While he gave them the same answer he had given Scalpel, Book Binder looked pleased as peaches as she watched the affair from across the table. She remained silent, beaming as she leaned against Night Flash, tearing through her salad as she watched pony after pony come up to visit the suddenly popular human. As the entirety of all three guard forces finished getting their food, things began to calm down. The background talk and banter were still loud, but Elias felt like he was less on edge. He had an idea why his blood was up, but he was doing his best to finish out the day. Once he got back to his room, he could just sleep everything away and start fresh after another round of night terrors. He knew that the dreams would be particularly nasty this time; he had tapped into some long unused emotions to pull out that victory, especially at the beginning of that last fight. That screech was beginning to ring in his ears, and it made Elias’ temper short as it gripped his chest in a vise. Elias tried to focus on the large meal he had been given, with Scalpel poking him in the side occasionally to eat. After finding some clothes, as well as getting another round of healing for his chest wound, Elias had been shoved to the front of the mess line by the unicorn. Most ponies wanted him to go first anyway, and those who looked like they wanted to protest were met by a growling Scalpel. Being the castle’s chief physician, as well as one of the few ponies who was actively responsible for healing injuries, nobody decided to argue. The injury itself was still clearly visible, and Scalpel had told him the scarring would be permanent, not that Elias particularly cared. He was already a patchwork of old wounds, what was one more? Elias didn’t even taste the sizable piece of steak as he chewed, his mind slowly declining the more he sat still. He tried to not let it show, but he had let the ponies get too close, and they noticed quickly. Scalpel inched closer, pressing against his side as Book Binder and Night Flash looked at him with visible concern. “Red? Is something wrong?” Night Flash asked. Elias shook his head silently as he rubbed at his eyes. He felt exhausted as his body and mind slowly crashed. As he took a deep breath, Elias felt a hoof against his arm. He cracked his hands open to see Book Binder reaching out, looking at him as he imagined a mother would. Her eyes were soft, and caring, ready to make all of his hurts go away. Unfortunately for her, there was nothing she could do for him. Elias sighed, and stared at his half-eaten meal. “It’s nothing, don’t worry. I just… it’s just the aftermath of fighting like that. Real fighting. It always hits hard.” Elias scratched the back of his head as he looked to Scalpel. “Do you have any issues with drug addicts? Addictions of any kind?” Scalpel shook his head. “No, most ponies use magical numbing spells because they’re safer. Drugs are only used sparingly on the most serious cases when we have no other options, and we use de-tox spells to purge any symptoms of addiction that might occur.” “But you do know the symptoms of addiction?” Elias asked. The unicorn nodded silently. “Good, then the metaphor will work,” Elias said. “Because this is all like a big addiction.” He put his hand high in the air. “During the fight, no matter what hits I took, this is how I felt. Whole, high on life, I felt good with myself and the world, everything was great.” He sighed, and slowly began to lower his hand. “But now I’m beginning to crash. Like a drug fiend with no fix, I’ll go down and down till I hit the bottom.” Elias picked up his fork and began to pick at his food. “Nothing to stop it, nothing to blunt it. I just need to sleep it off. I’ll be fine in a few days.” Elias felt a brief sensation pass over his body, but it felt like nothing more than a warm breeze that disappeared in a second. He looked over to Scalpel, who was frowning, his horn alight. “What are you doing?” Elias asked the pony. “You said it was like an addiction, so I attempted to treat it as such. Since you don’t have magic on your world, it was worth a shot to see if magical de-tox would work.” Elias shrugged. “I guess. Don’t think about it too hard, it’s nothing. It will pass.” Scalpel snorted. “You mean like you said your night terrors would?” The pony immediately blanched and looked at Elias with wide eyes. “Elias, I didn’t mean to say it like that, I…” Elias waved him away. “Don’t worry about it Doc. I can take a low blow or two. I’m just surprised you had it in you.” Their table fell silent, and Elias stared at his plate with dead eyes. Book Binder and Night Flash glared heavily at Scalpel, and the unicorn nudged Elias with his hoof, trying to ignore their angry eyes. “You said this has happened before, right? How did you deal with it then?” “Drank until I blacked out in a ditch. When I woke up, I had a migraine that would last a week. After that it was simply managing the pain and it distracted me from the feeling of hopelessness.” Elias thumbed his plate idly. “After the headache vanished, the post-battle depression was usually gone, and I got back up and pushed on.” He snorted. “Guess I can’t do that anymore. I only have half a bottle’s worth of whiskey in my room, and I’m five years from the legal minimum to buy more.” Book Binder’s glare at Scalpel intensified. “I will need to ask where that whiskey is baby boy. You can get in big trouble if somepony finds it.” Elias felt a ghost of a smile touch his face for a moment. “Nobody will ever find it. It’s the best hidden thing in that room. I’m saving it for a special occasion.” Book Binder’s eyes drifted to him, the anger softening. “Elias, please. I don’t want you getting hurt, and you are still too young to be drinking. It isn’t healthy.” Elias snorted again. “If I’m too young to be drinking, then why does everything seem to hurt so much these days? I almost feel like I should drink more often.” Elias tried to smile, to pass off his words as a joke, but the words but a bit too deep, and the looks he was receiving from his friends made it hurt just a little more. He sighed and rubbed at his face again, pushing the plate away. “I think I’m going to go get some air,” Elias said. When Book Binder pushed back from the table, he held up a hand. “Alone please.” Elias saw a flash of hurt in her eyes, and that cut at his heart further. He couldn’t dwell on it yet, he needed to be away right now. From everything. Before he could push away from the table, his least favorite pony decided to rear his ugly head behind Night Flash and Book Binder, appearing from the crowd of Solar Guards like a chameleon. White Shine sneered at Elias, and the human found that the unicorn’s stooges were trying to mirror the expression. “So, the cheater has to run away before his dirty little secrets get out? I’m not surprised, how else would you get this rag tag group of freaks around you?” Elias rubbed at his temple as he tried to dismiss the anger he could already feel rising. “White Shine, I’m not in the mood for your petty bullshit today. You lost, be a man and take it on the chin. Now fuck off and leave us be before I get angry.” The unicorn scoffed. “You can’t give me orders Bright, I don’t care what anypony says about you, you’re a fraud, and even if you weren’t, you’re a filthy, worthless no good monkey.” Elias glared at the pony, throwing up his hands. “You know what, fine White Shine, I’m a dirty monkey. Congratulations. Now will you leave me the fuck be?” “No, because I want the rest. Admit you’re a no-good cheater, right here, in front of everypony. I won’t rest until everypony sees you the way you are.” Elias snorted. “Then you’re going to get awfully tired, because with me, what you see is what you get. I’m not that complex.” “That’s a funny way to say that you’re simple minded Bright,” White Shine sneered. “So tell me, was it one of your worthless friends that actually made those plans? Or did you have somepony outside who was feeding you information?” The unicorn scoffed again. “You know what? I don’t need an answer to that, because I know that none of your worthless friends could ever be smart enough to come up with any of that on their own.” Elias felt a deep rage building in his chest, stabbing back the hopeless post-battle feeling. His right hand subconsciously drifted under the table, finding the hilt of Feather as he glared daggers at the unicorn. “I’m only going to give you one more warning White Shine. You’re going to leave, now, or I’m going to cut you in half where you stand. There’s no safety spell for you here, you self-righteous prick, so leave or die. I’m done playing this game.” White Shine sneered at him again. “Then do something Bright. I know you won’t. You’re just a weak little monkey who hides behind even weaker ponies. I dare you to attack me, because you’ll regret it coward.” Elias tried to push to his feet, his hand firmly clamped on the hilt of his gladius, but he found that he couldn’t move. A pair of lit horns showed him why, and he glared at Scalpel as the unicorn took Elias’ sword belt. In the same moment, Night Flash jumped from his seat, getting into White Shine’s face as he began to tear into the unicorn, quickly drawing the attention of the entire cafeteria. “Why can’t you just leave us alone White Shine?” Night Flash shouted. “We don’t like you, and let’s be honest, nopony does! So why do you come back to us every time? We’ve literally done nothing to you, except for Red, who just happened to be a better planner than you. What’s wrong with that?” He pointed at Elias’ chest. “Red has had a rough life, and he has done it all at a younger age than anypony in history! He’s nineteen for buck’s sake! Let him have his small wins and friendships so that he can get better! Is that so much to ask?” Elias felt many eyes on his back at the public revelation of his age. He tried to feel angry about it, but looking at Night Flash standing up for him made him forget. He couldn’t tell if he felt pride, or… safety because of the pegasus. A small smile quirked across his face as he watched White Shine’s shocked face. That smile began to disappear as he saw rage filter through the unicorn’s eyes, and he seemed to tower over Night Flash. “How dare you speak to me in that tone you low born rat?” White Shine growled. Elias felt his eye twitch as Night Flash flinched back. “You are nothing more than common gutter trash,” White Shine continued. “Your family is as worthless as you are, and after today, they will be even lower than that.” Night Flash flinched back again, while Elias slowly pushed his chair back. “I will have them ruined, and then evicted into Canterlot’s streets. Your name will be dragged through the mud so thoroughly that even the diamond dogs will spit on you. You think you can stand up to me? With who at your back, your equally worthless friends? The braindead monkey? You are a joke.” “D-don’t talk about Red like that,” Night Flash protested. Elias growled as White Shine jabbed him with a hoof. “I’ll talk about that stupid monkey however I please Flash,” he said with a sneer, “because there isn’t a thing that you, or your worthless marefriend, or any of your other worthless friends can do to me.” He rose to his full height, the sneer still on his face. “And I’ll prove it Flash.” He then dumped the tray of food he was carrying over the pegasus, the tray dropping like a stone on Flash’s head as his mouth opened to laugh as he pointed at Night Flash. He never got the chance. Elias’ fist broke White Shine’s jaw before he even remembered rising from the table. Elias could hear screaming in his ears as he felt blood flow freely over his knuckles. Only when he felt the burning in his throat did he realize that he was the source of the noise. Elias found that he didn’t care, he had a singular purpose now. Cause pain. His left hand grabbed White Shine by the throat, and he whirled around, slamming the pony down on the table. Food flew away as Elias kept his grip, his right-hand pumping back and forth as blow after blow landed on the pony’s shattered jaw. Maybe it was because it was happening so fast, or maybe it was because he had already gone into shock, but White Shine didn’t so much as move as Elias pummeled him. He merely gurgled through the blood that poured over his face as teeth fell loose. Elias felt someone tug on his arm, and a quick glance found one of White Shine’s stooges, trying to pull him away as the other one charged a spell. Elias dropped White Shine, latching onto the first pony’s head with his entire palm. Elias then slammed the pony’s head into the corner of the table, feeling the crunch of the pony’s skull deep in his fingertips. The pony’s legs flailed wildly as his brain tried to re-establish motor function, but he ultimately failed as he fell to the ground with a weak moan. Elias’ eyes flicked to the second pony. The unicorn looked at Elias with horror, the spell sitting half charged on his horn. Elias unclenched his fist as he prepared to eliminate this threat as well, but the pony quickly moved back, dragged by his tail into the waiting hooves of half a dozen Solar Guards. They merely gave Elias a look and a nod, which he returned as he cracked his neck, returning to the source of his rage; returning to his sole purpose. White Shine had moved little. He had rolled over, and had tried to grasp the edges of the table to crawl away. He whimpered as Elias clamped a hand on his shoulder and flipped him over, a punch quickly snapping across his chin. Elias looked at his knuckles, taking the time to carefully remove a tooth before he looked back to the pony, his rage clear and pure across his set jawline. Elias climbed up on the table, straddling the pony so that he wouldn’t move as the beating progressed. He slugged White Shine in the gut with his left hand, and as the unicorn let out a groan of air, Elias’ right hand cut across his brow. Satisfied with the result, Elias did it again, feeling a rib crack under one fist as White Shine’s eyebrow split open under the force of the other. As Elias continued pounding the pony, he found that he wasn’t satisfied. A simple beating wouldn’t be enough, not for this. The unicorn had to know why he was being beaten; had to know why he would wake up in a cold sweat thinking of this day. Elias had to make White Shine understand, and the beating was only a third of that. He needed to get to work on the other two thirds. First, the reason why. Elias paused, grabbing White Shine by his chest plate, pulling him up so that they were nose to nose. “I know you can hear my voice Shine, but I want to make sure, because it has been a bit of time since I’ve had to do one of these. Tap your hoof twice on the table if you can hear me.” When the unicorn only groaned in response, Elias slapped him. He barely noticed as several locks of his hair fell into his face, likely coming untied with the bursts of motion. Elias didn’t care, he had eyes only for the pony before him. “That wasn’t the right answer you slimy piece of shit, two taps or I’m skipping the nice guy act you’re receiving right now, and I’m skipping straight to the mean stuff. Now tap. The fucking. TABLE!” Elias screamed into his face. Elias waited three seconds, going so far as to rear his hand back to begin the beating anew, when he heard two taps on the table. Elias’ eye flicked down to White Shine’s hoof to ensure it wasn’t a fluke. “Again.” The hoof tapped twice, faster than before. White Shine was conscious and clearly terrified now, that much was clear. Elias stared at the beaten face before him. The pony hadn’t seen a thing yet. “Good, so now there are no excuses, because this is the absolute last time you are receiving a warning from me. If I so much as see your sorry ass again, I will not hesitate to kill you. There is no force, on my earth or yours, that will save you from me, is that clear?” The hoof tapped twice. “Good. Now, do I need to go over where you absolutely fucked up, or do you think you can figure out why you are going to have the worst day of your life today?” White Shine whimpered, and his hoof began rapidly tapping on the table. Elias growled in frustration, mostly because he shouldn’t have broken the pony’s mouth first. Elias grabbed the hoof roughly, silencing it. “One for no, two for yes, do you understand the mistake you made?” Two taps. “Do you need more motivation to never do it again?” One tap. Elias snorted. “I don’t believe you. I strangled you, I shamed you, and even now that I’ve beaten your face in, I don’t think it’s enough. I still don’t think you’ve learned your lesson.” His grip on the pony’s throat tightened, and the unicorn let out a squeak. Elias regarded him with disgust, thinking how best to cause the unicorn more pain. His mind was unfortunately blank, and Elias knew why. The ponies had gotten to him, and the knowledge that they were even now watching made him weak. He didn’t have what it took to truly break the pony in his grip. Elias sighed internally. An uninspired torture popped into his head, and he decided to go with it. It should send a message anyway. Elias slammed White Shine back against the table, then punched him in the mouth again. “Remember this pain White Shine. Remember the sound of my voice, remember the feeling of my fist as it shatters your bones. Know that if you fuck with me again, I will skin you alive and then pin your skinless corpse to the castle walls by your tail. The entire time you will be alive, and awake, and I will ensure that only when you have experienced the true meaning of pain that you will die. I promise you this. I don’t want to see you again, ever.” Elias sighed as he took a step back from the pony. “But I’m not the man I used to be. Thank the “worthless” ponies for that, because if it wasn’t for them, you wouldn’t be breathing. I would have beaten you to death weeks ago.” Elias rubbed at the blood on his knuckles, wincing as he felt the skin part under his thumb. He had split every knuckle open and then some. The pain brought out enough anger to finish his work. Elias glared at White Shine’s shivering body. The pony was attempting to curl up into a ball, but he couldn’t because of his pain. The sight was pathetic. Elias advanced on the pony, gripping his neck again as he slapped him across the face. “Wake back up White Shine, I’m not done with you yet. I already told you that I don’t believe a single filthy word you say, and so I’m going to give you something that will make you remember me when the bruises heal, and the nightmares fade. I want the sight of me to make you die a little inside, but I am a merciful man now, so I’ll let you choose, is it going to be a scar, or permanent disfigurement?” Elias grabbed the pony’s cheeks, squeezing them tightly in his fingers. “And do note, if I find that the scar is removed, I’ll come and give you another. If healing magic is really all it’s cut out to be, that disfigurement will have to be fairly nasty.” Elias flicked the unicorn’s horn. “I’m thinking you lose this. It’s at least a hand’s worth of damage, no?” Elias backhanded the pony across the face, then picked him up to slam him back against the table. When the pony only groaned, Elias punched him in the throat, then backhanded him again. Elias flinched as a speck of blood spattered over his eye. A part of him wanted to curl up and die at the sensation of the warm liquid drifting slowly down his face. Elias did his best to ignore it as he threatened the unicorn before him. “Pick now Shine, one tap for a scar, two for the horn. Choose quickly, or I do both.” White Shine’s hoof dropped before he finished speaking. The sound was clear, a single tap. Elias searched briefly for something to cut the pony with, his eyes quickly locking on the steak knife he had been eating with. Elias reached out for the knife, taking the blade carefully in his hand as he tightened his grip on his target. Elias then eyed White Shine like an artist would a canvas. The longer he looked at the unicorn however, the less will he had to go through with it. His hand; a hand that had spilled oceans of blood without falter, a hand that had crafted tortures that shouldn’t be spoken of, quivered. It shook violently as he clenched the knife. Elias tried to squash the doubt that rose, tried to drive away the voices that raged in his head. They weren’t the same as usual; in fact all but one weren’t even human. The voices of his friends, and even ponies that he had only barely met rang in his ears. Nightshade, Chaser, Ice Blossom, Bloody Bandage, and those so much closer to his heart, Scarlet Shield, Steel Scalpel, Night Flash and Book Binder. All of them didn’t attempt to dissuade him, not directly. Instead they laughed, and cried, and talked, to each other and to him. They didn’t need to say words, they just had to be. The effect was overwhelming, and Elias felt his resolve crumble. Elias’ eyes opened and he realized that everything was silent. The only noise in the cafeteria was his own heaving chest. Elias looked down at the bloodied form of White Shine. He tried to drive the rage up, the brutal anger that he always kept just below the surface. He couldn’t find it. Instead, Elias simply felt hollow, like he was standing on the edge, teetering as he threatened to pitch over the side. Elias growled as he raised the knife in the air. His arm tensed, and it hung dangerously in the air, but… it didn’t descend. He couldn’t do it. Things had changed, or at least he had. He had changed. As the truth flew through his mind, Elias slowly let his arm fall to his side. He tossed the knife on the table, shaking his head as he took a step back. He smirked, though it dropped quickly. “You’re lucky Shine,” he said, his voice far too loud in his ears. “Those “worthless” ponies you so thoroughly hate got to me, far more than even I knew. I can’t do it. I’m done. Know that if you cross me or my friends again, I won’t find such difficulties.” Elias then turned away, stumbling slightly as exhaustion swept over his body. He tried to brush the hair from his eyes, but Elias found that it stuck to his face, pinned there by the blood of his victim. Though he wanted to do nothing more than run away, he faced the aftermath of his actions directly. His friends were staring at him. In horror, in shock, with sadness, sympathy, pride, understanding, every expression was accounted for on each face, save for one. Flash was softly whimpering, his face buried under the pile of goop that had been White Shine’s food. Elias sighed deeply as he crouched down next to the crying pony, wiping away the worst of it with his bloodied hands. Night Flash recoiled slightly as Elias’ hands worked softly over his head to remove the foodstuffs, but Elias didn’t stop until he was largely clean. He sighed deeply as he looked at his friend; fear touched his mind, but that would be for later. He reached out a hand to pet Night Flash’s mane in an effort to comfort the pony. It only took a touch, and then Night Flash’s hooves were wrapped firmly around his body, the pegasus crying loudly as he clung to Elias’ tunic. Elias hesitated for only a second before he gave the pony a hug in return, lifting the pegasus as he stood to his full height. Elias felt a drop of blood trail down his face, knew that undoubtedly his entire face was painted with splatters of red. He looked around the cafeteria, found a range of emotions around him. He did his best to wet his bone-dry tongue before he spoke. “When someone comes looking for me, I’ll be getting cleaned up in my room. I won’t leave it anytime soon.” He then carried Night Flash toward the cafeteria entrance, cradling the pegasus’ head as he whispered soft words of comfort in the pony’s ear. He didn’t quite make the doors before Book Binder caught up, trotting silently beside him as they walked toward his room. Elias didn’t look down to her, but they seemed to understand one another completely as they walked, unopposed. It didn’t take them long to reach his bedroom, and even though he was still crying, Night Flash was slightly calmer than he had been before. Book Binder looked between the two, as if debating who to help first, but Elias had waved her toward the bathroom with Flash. “Go Book Binder,” Elias said softly, rubbing at his split knuckles. “I’ll be fine.” The unicorn gave him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek, then she and Night Flash closed the bathroom door behind them. Elias listened to the sound of armor being removed, followed by the sound of his shower running as he stared blankly at the floor. He had no idea what to think, wasn’t even sure if he remembered how to. He couldn’t tell if he should be happy with himself that he hadn’t finished with White Shine, or if he was angry at himself for becoming so weak. Elias had no idea who he was, and so when the knock came at his front door, he almost welcomed it. Almost. Elias rose from the bed stiffly as he shuffled to the door, opening it slowly. Outside stood Nightshade and Scarlet, likely both chosen because he knew them well and wouldn’t lay a finger on either. Scarlet wouldn’t meet his eyes, while Nightshade’s floppy thestral ears pinned themselves to the sides of her helmet. “Hey Guardsman,” she said softly. “Hello Captain,” Elias replied, his voice equally as soft. She sighed and looked at the ground. “You know why I’m here?” Elias nodded. “That I do Captain.” The thestral sighed again, a trace of a whimper filtering into her voice as she spoke. “Guardspony Shield, the cuffs please.” Scarlet didn’t move. He stared at Elias, finally meeting his eyes. Elias saw anger there, but he could tell it wasn’t directed at him. Nightshade looked at the pegasus. “Guardspony, the shackles, please.” “Captain, this is bucking stupid,” Scarlet replied. “I know that Shield,” Nightshade growled, “but we have to do this.” The pegasus looked at her with a glare. “This isn’t fair Captain! He didn’t do anything wrong!” Nightshade looked like she was about to shout in Scarlet’s face, but Elias interrupted her, laying one of his bloodied hands on Scarlet’s shoulder softly. “Scarlet… it’s fine,” Elias said gently. “get the cuffs like Captain Nightshade asked.” The pegasus looked at him with tears in his eyes, then he looked at the floor. “This isn’t fair Elias. We won. You helped us win. Today was supposed to be a good day.” He whimpered softly and his ears drooped. “This isn’t fair.” Elias smiled slightly. “Life never is Scarlet, I learned that a long time ago. But there’s been enough pain today, let’s just do this right and get it done.” The pony swallowed roughly, wiping his muzzle as he did his best to straighten. He pulled a pair of what Elias imagined were custom shackles, made specifically for his skinny wrists. As they clamped around his forearms, Elias noticed a thin chain that kept them close to each other, giving him no opportunity to move his arms independently. The cuffs ended just above his knuckles, rubbing painfully against the split skin, while also serving to crunch his fingers together. Elias looked to Nightshade, who had a sad, desperate look in her eyes as she stared back. She bit her lip as she attached the chain lead to the back of her armor. “C’mon Elias. Let’s go,” she said, gently tugging on the chain. Elias needed no prodding. He walked forward, following the pony into the hallway. Four Royal Guards were waiting, decked out fully in their black armor. Even the enchantments were activated, disguising each pony under the magical illusion that made them identical in all but gender. Even with the magic hiding their appearances, Elias knew who each one was. The pair in front were Lucky Swing and Ice Blossom, while the pair that fell in behind him were Chaser and Bandage. He could tell by how they were watching him. None of them held malice, and if anything, Ice Blossom looked at him with gratefulness. As Nightshade started forward, Elias tugged gently on the chain, stopping her as he looked at his still open door. “Can you leave someone behind to tell Binder and Flash? They deserve to know where I am.” Nightshade nodded. “Scarlet, escort them both to Princess Luna when they’re ready. Not before, got it?” Scarlet nodded silently, looking desperately to Elias. The human gave him a small smile, and the pegasus drooped further as he dragged himself into the room, shutting the door behind him. Elias looked to Nightshade, who was watching him with those large, sad eyes. “Ready when you are Captain,” Elias said, trying to put something, anything reassuring back into his voice. He failed miserably, and Nightshade merely nodded as she began to walk forward. They formed a tight group as they walked through the castle, going in a direction that was familiar to Elias. Even having only visited the dungeon once, he already knew the way. As they walked, the serving staff looked at him with curiosity, and then upon seeing the literal blood on his hands, fear. They moved away quickly, and any who didn’t were moved by the Royal Guards around him. Elias made note that the hallway, usually lined carefully with either golden or blue armor was covered completely with black. Each guard they passed wore that distinctive red and black, and each one watched him carefully as they walked past. The dungeon was as cold as he remembered it, and Nightshade paused before a familiar wooden door, that would lead to a familiar set of boring, blank cells. She looked back at Chaser. “I think I can handle Elias from here Captain Chaser.” “We both know that I can’t allow that Captain Nightshade. We don’t leave until the…” Chaser paused, and Elias could hear from his tone that the words didn’t feel right on his tongue. “until the threat is contained,” he finished. “Now continue in your duties Captain.” Nightshade withered under him, throwing another apologetic look toward Elias as she opened the door, walking through, tugging Elias along with her. She unlocked the same cell he had spent that night with Luna in, and then she looked at his hands, the key dangling in her mouth. Her eyes flickered over to Chaser again. “Do we really need to keep the cuffs on? He came quietly and has made no attempts to harm anypony else.” Chaser sighed. “Captain Nightshade, please don’t make this harder than it needs to be. You received your orders at the same time as I did, and you full well know that Bright will remain in those cuffs until the princesses say otherwise. Now put him in the cell.” Nightshade stomped her hoof. “It’s an alicorn proof cell for buck’s sake! There’s no way he can get out!” Weapons were drawn as the Royal Guard all stood off against Nightshade. “He goes in the cell now Captain, or you both do,” Chaser said, his voice still calm. For a second, Nightshade looked like she would press the issue, but Elias, his cuffed hands in the air, bent low before her. She looked at him, her lip quivering. Elias smiled, booping her on the nose with his exposed fingers. She snorted softly, the sadness temporarily retreating from her eyes. “Come on Captain, don’t put yourself at risk for the stinky human you yell at every day. What, are you going to miss your six-foot-tall punching bag?” She sniffled as she looked at him. “Elias I…” she looked down, dejected. “This isn’t right. Everypony watched what happened. Maybe we wouldn’t have responded the exact same way, but anypony in your place would have attacked White Shine. He got what was coming to him.” Elias kept the smile on his face as he reached under helmet, scratching softly at the base of her ear. It wasn’t as easy as scratching a pony with his free hands, but she cooed softly regardless, lifting slightly as she pressed against his hand. Exactly what he needed. Elias pushed her, just enough to cause her to stumble back into Chaser’s waiting hooves. The Royal Guard Captain grabbed her as Elias stood and wrapped his fingers around the cell door, walking into the cell as he pulled the door closed behind him. The door shut with a loud clang, and he heard the deadbolt secure itself firmly in place as he flopped onto his rump, leaning against the wall for balance as he sank down. Elias half-closed his eyes as he leaned back against the cold stone surface. All of guards took their helmets off, the illusions dispelling before his eyes. They all stared at him, each with sympathy. Nightshade whimpered and fled the cellblock, and at a nudge from Chaser, the other three ponies chased after her. Elias heard the wooden door slam shut behind them, then he focused his gaze squarely on Chaser. “So, Captain, what am I looking at here?” Elias asked. Chaser sighed, running his hoof through his mane. “In terms of charges? Two counts of attempted murder, three counts of assault on a guard, thirty-seven counts of brutality, as well as half a dozen disturbing harmony charges. You scared some ponies today Elias. I can’t say I blame your actions, but… it was a sight to be sure.” Elias nodded in agreement. “Say I get found guilty of all of that, what next? The chopping block?” Chaser flinched. “Maybe. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a “dangerous criminal” such as yourself. While not nearly as widespread in your impact, you’re being treated up there with the worst of them. Banishment is one potential punishment, as is encasement in stone. There has also been talk of a mindwipe and reset to make you “more harmonious”.” Elias’ eyes flew open at that. He stared at Chaser. “You promise me that the last one won’t come to pass Captain. You can’t let it. I’ll do anything else, but not that. Never that.” Chaser flinched away from his stare. “It’s out of my hooves Elias. What the princesses decide, they decide. I have no say.” Elias got to his feet, approaching the bars slowly with murderous intent. His face twitched with barely concealed rage. “Chaser, I swear to everything that you, and the princesses hold dear, that if they even consider touching my mind, I will show them that what I did to White Shine was just a fun party trick. It will be a cold day in hell before I let anyone try to remake my mind.” He slammed his manacled hands against the bars, provoking a jump from the pony. “You tell them that. They can kill me, imprison me, banish me, I don’t care, but that will never happen. I’ll see cities burn before I let anyone near my head. You tell them that.” Chaser nodded, regaining his calm demeanor. “And if nothing happens? What promises do you have for the princesses that this incident won’t happen again?” Elias felt his anger flee in an instant, and he looked with dead eyes at his feet. He walked back to the wall, sliding down it once more as he stared at Chaser. “I don’t know Captain. I simply don’t know.” He scratched at the back of his head. He let his hands fall into his lap as his vision began to blur as the aftermath of the day’s events began to catch up. The voices rose, filled with hate and spite for one another, as well as himself. “Maybe it doesn’t matter what they decide.” Elias snorted, glaring at the grey stone floors. He should have been able to take comfort in the feeling of nothingness he felt, but this time it didn’t help. He couldn’t stop picturing White Shine’s beaten in face. The colors occasionally flickered in his minds eye, and Elias hated himself just a little more when the unicorn became a blue pegasus, just for a second. Elias looked up to Chaser as the first tear crawled down his cheek. “Maybe I’m right where I belong already.” > Chapter 22: Semper Prorsum > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias cracked open an eye at the sound of the wooden dungeon door opening. For two days he had sat, alone, with no visitors. He was lucky that he had been eating before he had attacked White Shine, because they didn’t even come in to give him food or water. He had to relieve himself in a corner of the cell, the one opposite where he was currently sitting. His tunic reeked as a result, as did the rest of the cell, of blood and piss. His hands were caked with blood, and due to the shackles, he had a difficult time properly getting his tunic out of the way to urinate. Altogether, he felt fairly awful. It didn’t help that cell was kept at a much colder level than he was used to. Due to their fur, most of the ponies wouldn’t likely notice the chill in the air, but lacking anything under than his tunic and underwear, Elias felt it to his core. If he wasn’t severely dehydrated, he would imagine that he would be shivering. As it stood, he wasn’t moving much, with each motion bringing him fresh pain. It had been a long two days with himself. Though he had ultimately concluded that he had done the right thing in both attacking, then sparing White Shine, it had taken a lot of soul searching and convincing to get to that point. The voices screamed at each other at full volume, creating excuses and reasons about why he should or shouldn’t have done more. Why he should or shouldn’t have killed White Shine. It had left Elias in a daze for hours, and ultimately, he had tried for peace in sleep. He found none, as the night terrors would occasionally change, with the sounds of bones crunching under his split knuckles as he pounded away at some faceless pony that all too often became someone he knew and cared about. After the third failed attempt at rest, Elias had begun to pace, doing his best to ignore all of the warning signs his body was sending him about his imminent physical collapse. He shrugged it off by justifying his body as a tool. If his mind wasn’t whole, the body didn’t matter. So, he had paced, back and forth as he waged war with both voices in his head, taking positives and negatives from each as he carefully crafted the why of what he had done. Why had he attacked White Shine? The unicorn had struck and humiliated Elias’ best friend. Why had beat the pony to within an inch of his life? To send a message, both to White Shine, and to anyone else who thought they could get away with the bullying shit anymore. Why had he stopped? Because he would have been left alone and abandoned if White Shine had died. His friends would have viewed him as a monster. The last point felt sour in Elias’ mouth when he had decided on it, but he couldn’t admit that they had changed him that much. He needed to be a battle-hardened protector for the ponies, they needed him to make the hard choices, to spill the blood that needed spilled. He had more than proved that by fighting their top ponies and surviving. By their legal standards he was a child, yet he was near the top of the combat game. In real combat, he would probably be the best. Elias had made that point as a concession with himself. If he had become that weak, he should just kill himself. There was no point in pressing on, he would always fail his friends. If it was just to keep them close however, that he could justify. Three ponies quickly came into his view; Luna, Nightshade, and Scalpel. Each recoiled in disgust as the smell of his cell reached their noses. “W-what is this?” Luna asked. “Guardsman Bright, have you not been cared for? When is the last time a guard has checked for your relief and feeding?” Elias snorted, looking to the stains in the far corner. “I believe the last time was a little over two days ago, when I was put in here. No food, no water, no blankets, no restroom visits, not a word for me. I’d say it’s a fairly genius method of torture, pain by neglect, but let’s be honest, I’ve lived through worse. Give it another week, then we can talk about how much this sucks.” Nightshade unlocked the cell, and Scalpel moved forward, quickly lifting Elias’ manacled hands. His eyes flashed with anger, as he looked back at the guard captain and princess. “Princess Luna, if I may be frank, what the buck are these shackles? Anypony with half a brain could realize that these fit under cruel and unusual punishment, especially given that he’s been wearing them for two days.” His horn lit up brightly, and Elias winced as the unicorn magically unlocked the shackles. The metal fell limply to the cell floor with a clang, and Scalpel gave Elias an apologetic look as he spread each finger apart, one by one. The pain was severe, as was the damage. His knuckles had begun to ooze after the first fitful sleep he had, and each shift in posture had just made it worse as the steel of the shackles pulled back more flesh. The wounds had started to itch when he couldn’t avoid urinating on them. With the color they were now, Elias had no doubt that they were infected, and he winced in pain as Scalpel dabbed at them with rubbing alcohol from a large black bag he had brought with him. Scalpel sighed deeply as he stared at Elias’ hands, then at the human’s apparel. He looked back at Luna. “Princess, we can’t have him stand trial like this. Two days with no medical treatment, no cleaning, and no food and water? He’s liable to collapse.” He looked at Elias’ hands. “And we can’t put those shackles back on his hands and bandage them. It’s one or the other, and I think you know which one I want.” “Then mend Guardsman Bright’s wounds, Doctor. I know not why this has occurred, but rest assured that whoever is responsible will be punished.” Nightshade cleared her throat, wincing back from the glare Luna gave her. “Princess, Captain Chaser is under orders to deliver Elias to the throne room only if he is chained. Otherwise, he can’t leave this cell.” Luna growled. “Captain Chaser will do whatever I tell him, because I am Princess Luna of Equestria. He would not dare disobey my orders.” Nightshade sighed. “Princess, it isn’t that I don’t completely agree with you, but he’s under direct orders from Princess Celestia. He has to follow her orders until she changes them. He can’t listen to one princess over another. It’s all in the rule books.” Luna’s scowl deepened. “Why would my sister order this?” she said, pointing at Elias. “This is barbaric treatment, no matter the crime. I do not recall this level of cruelty in her.” “The Royal Guards are treating Elias like an omega level threat princess,” Nightshade replied as if that explained everything. “Omega?” Elias asked. Luna looked to him, and he saw anger simmering in her eyes. “It is a code for the most extreme magical threats. Discord, and Nightmare Moon are notable examples. These are threats that require direct action to avoid spreading chaos and suffering, typically through the use of the Elements of Harmony.” Her head looked back to Nightshade. “Which makes little sense, as Guardsman Bright’s actions, while violent, were not only targeted, but provoked.” Her eyes took on a dangerous glint. “Rest assured, I shall be having words with Celestia about this.” Elias sighed, pulling himself to his feet. He had to lean heavily on the wall for support, and he gave a thankful glance to Scalpel as he began to pant, drained from the lack of water. He did his best to ignore the signals of pain that his body sent him as he stayed on his feet. He got hurt far too much these days. Far, far too much. He kicked at the shackles with his foot. “Come on, let’s get this done. I’m not worth all of this debate and internal strife. I’m one human with issues. What happens, happens. At this point, I’m just tired of the process.” When nobody moved toward the fallen shackles, Elias kicked them again. “One of you has to put them on. I’m kind of unable to do it myself,” he said, trying to make it seem like a joke. Nobody laughed. Nightshade, grabbing the shackles in her hooves, shuffled forward. She hesitated for a moment, the shackles hanging just before Elias’ bloodied hands. Elias rolled his eyes, and grunted. He pushed off the wall, laying his hands as best as he could within the shackles. Nightshade sighed and clamped them closed. Elias hissed in pain as the metal seemed to immediately rub against his split knuckles. Nightshade attached the lead to her armor again, but she didn’t tug forward as Elias slumped against the wall again, unable to muster the energy to stand unaided. Luna growled. “This is utterly ridiculous. How does anypony expect you to stand throughout a trial if you are too weakened to walk? Scalpel, fetch a stretcher, we shall carry Guardsman Bright if we must.” Elias shook his head. “No, I’m… I can walk. Just give me a second to catch my breath.” Luna stomped her hoof, her mouth open as she began to argue with him, but Scalpel stepped up beside Elias, motioning for the human to lean on him. Elias did so, heavily. They were both lucky that he was still so light. Any weight he had gained in the past few months had gone straight to the muscles he had developed with constant exercise, and since he hadn’t really built up any fat, those had quickly begun to erode away without water and food. As such, Scalpel was able to help him greatly as they limped behind Nightshade. The thestral sighed again as she looked at Luna, almost as if begging her for another solution. The alicorn had none. Her only action was to fall in on the other side of Elias, keeping the human on his feet, pinned between their fuzzy bodies. Elias welcomed the heat, though he knew that he should be repulsed by the rather intimate contact, especially given that he was going to be in public very soon. Given how his fates had drastically shifted over the past few days, Elias couldn’t find it within himself to care. Nightshade led the way, keeping her pace slow to give Elias a chance to keep up. Even with that concession, as well as the ponies supporting him, Elias quickly found himself winded, struggling to press on. His mouth was barren of moisture, and he wondered if he should ask for something to drink. When the wooden door leading out of the cell block opened, Elias got his answer. He didn’t know what to think when he saw no less than a dozen Royal Guards waiting on the other side of the door. They tensed as it opened, but as he was guided out, Elias noted that more than one guard recoiled in horror at the sight of him. Captain Chaser just shook his head as Luna and Scalpel guided the thin human forward. “Princess, he was in there for two days? What happened?” Luna glared at the pegasus. “I should be asking you that Captain. Why was Guardsman Bright not granted food and water? Why did nopony check if he needed to relieve himself? And why are those infernal restraints crafted as they are? Is it not enough to restrain his limbs? Have we really begun to develop unnecessarily torturous methods of restraint?” Chaser shook his head. “Princess, that cell is outfitted with the standard commodities. Food, water, a bed, and a bathroom are all provided for any creature to summon magically. There is no reason that the threat should not have been able to access it.” Elias tried to lift his head to tap his nose, but found that the lead chain wasn’t long enough. Sighing away the urge to use his common mannerisms, Elias chuckled weakly as he looked at Chaser. “Ah, but Captain, you seem to be forgetting something very important about this “threat”.” Elias looked to Scalpel. “What do you think Doc? Seven, eight times? I’m thinking seven times I’ve told somebody that I have no magic, and they didn’t listen to a damn word.” His chuckle became a delirious giggle. “Nope. No magic for this man. Or is it boy? Technically speaking, by your laws I’m a minor, so did somebody commit a crime by neglecting me?” He giggled again, trying to shove away his rising anger. Scalpel stroked his arm, gently shushing the man. “Elias, please don’t talk. You’re not thinking properly, and you might cause problems for yourself.” Elias blinked as he looked down at the unicorn. A moment of clarity popped into his head as he said; “I’m talking like a madman, aren’t I?” Scalpel nodded. Elias sighed as he leaned against the unicorn more. “Alright Doc, I’ll try to keep quiet. You owe me though.” The unicorn snorted. “And what do you want as payback? You don’t go anywhere.” Elias nodded. “Maybe you can get me some ice cream, I haven’t had that in years. I’m curious if it’s still as good as I remember.” He chuckled darkly. “Or maybe you can buy some booze for me. If I’m going to be arrested and tried like an adult, I might as well be able to drink myself into a coma like one.” Then Elias fell silent, staring blankly at the floor. Scalpel sighed as he rubbed against the human. Luna looked at Chaser with anger. “Even if he should have had the methods to feed and water himself, why was Guardsman Bright not checked on? It is standard procedure to monitor a prisoner at least four times in a twelve-hour cycle. That is sixteen missed cycles since Guardsman Bright was put in that cell.” Chaser sighed and turned around. “Princess Celestia ordered that the threat remain isolated until trial. She is unaware if he possesses any mind magic and didn’t want to risk anypony falling under his spell.” Elias chuckled madly at that, but didn’t say anything. Luna scowled at the back of Chaser’s helmet. “This is barbarism of the highest order, and I think words will not be enough. Celestia and I will be discussing this, and if any are found at fault, they will be left in the same manner as Guardsman Bright." Her tone dripped venom as she stopped just short of hissing. "Lead the way Captain, but keep the pace slow. Guardsman Bright is severely dehydrated and cannot move at a quick speed.” Chaser nodded once and they began the march forward. The pace was agonizingly slow, but even still, Elias found himself on the verge of collapse with every step, aid or no. He needed water, but the route they took went nowhere close to anywhere he could get some, not even a fountain. He would have settled for a fountain. He had drunk from much worse before. Though it took them a bit of time, likely longer than anyone had planned for, they arrived at the throne room. Luna gave Elias a reassuring pat with her wing, then she went through the large doors first. Elias vaguely heard someone announce her, but he couldn’t find it within himself to care. Chaser and his guards stood to the side, waving Nightshade forward. She took a deep breath, then with a gentle tug, she began to walk. Elias did his best to dig up his energy reserves, but found little left. The still fresh scar on his chest panged as he moved forward, his long stride gone, replaced by a short shuffle as his sandals dragged against the carpet. He had to squint as they entered the throne room, for some reason it seemed unnaturally bright, and the light assaulted his eyes. He was surprised when he heard nothing more than a few quiet gasps. With all of the security he apparently warranted, he had expected a full crowd, screaming from every end of the room at him in hatred. Evidently not. As his eyes adjusted to the unnatural light of the throne room, he spotted only a few ponies. On her throne sat Celestia, with Luna to her left, barely disguising a glare at the larger alicorn. Twilight Sparkle sat to her right, her eyes staring into a scroll. Celestia’s eyes fell on Elias, and unlike everyone else who had laid eyes on him, she didn’t seem to care about his ill condition. No, Elias thought on second glance, that wasn’t quite true. It was much subtler; her professional mask was better at hiding her thoughts and emotions. As he walked closer, Elias still saw the signs of discomfort. Her nostrils flared just a tad, likely smelling the stench that poured from his body. He noticed her eyes twitch downwards, and Elias looked as well to find his hands bleeding freely once more. It wasn’t much blood, but it was enough to drip. His shackles had worn through his scabs, rending them to nothing. It hurt, but Elias found that he didn’t particularly care about that either. It was good to know his sense of apathy still worked. Besides the ponies on the throne and the guards stationed around the room, the throne room was empty. It honestly surprised Elias. He had expected a bit of a spectacle with rotten fruits and screaming ponies, crying for his blood, but then again, he had never been an actual criminal court, so it was likely that all of the stories he had read had been highly exaggerated. Nightshade led him to just before the throne before she untethered his shackles. She then moved away quickly, assuming a position beside the steps as she stared blankly ahead, her ears twitching as she tried not to stare at him. Scalpel remained at his side, keeping Elias on his feet. Celestia stared at the pony for a moment. “You may go now Doctor. I assure you that I will entrust Elias to your care once the trial has concluded.” “Elias can not stand on his own Princess,” Scalpel replied. “He’s dangerously dehydrated, and he hasn’t eaten in two days. If I’m not here, he’ll collapse.” Elias scoffed. “Nice to know you have faith in me Doc. Makes me feel all warm inside.” Elias pushed off of the unicorn, swaying for a second before he found a stance that he could hold for hours with little effort. His feet were spread apart, with his toes pointed outward as his hands dangled in front of him. As long as he didn’t rock from front to back, he could keep his balance. For a while at least. Scalpel sighed as he looked at Elias. “You’re a big idiot, you know that?” Scalpel said. Elias nodded. “Yup, now get out of here before you get me in more trouble.” Scalpel snorted. He looked like he wanted to give Elias a hug, but he evidently thought better of it, because he moved away, walking slowly to a door on the side of the throne room. Elias heard it open and close, but his eyes were only forward, meeting Celestia’s gaze as she stared at him. They remained like that for a moment before she spoke. “Why have you not eaten in two days Elias? Is this some sort of self-punishment that you sought to inflict upon yourself?” Elias shook his head as he chuckled. “You’ve never been starving before, have you?” He held up his hands. “Don’t answer that, because I already know the answer is no. A man who has starved never goes without again if he can help it. I no more wanted to go hungry and sit in a pool of my own filth than anyone wants to smell it.” “Then why did you not make use of the facilities in your cell?” “Because I can’t Princess,” Elias replied simply. “I have no magic, and therefore I cannot act on anything that requires magic to function.” He shrugged. “I’ve told just about everyone I could, but it seems that nobody listens. I don’t have a magic signature, I’ve never had a magic signature, and I can’t access anything that would require a magical signature.” He smiled as his anger rose, and with it, his energy. “I don’t know how much more proof anyone needs that I’m right. The safety net in the exercise didn’t work. When the guards did their little song and dance, I had no reaction. The cell wouldn’t open when Princess Luna keyed it to my “signature”.” He shrugged. “I have no magic, and honestly, I don’t know why you isolated me, but now is the perfect time to prove it.” He tried to move his arms to spread his hands, but the chains stopped him, reminding him that he was bound. Elias sighed as he tried to point at his chest. “Take a good look Princess, in fact I invite both of you,” he said, looking to Luna. “Scan for magic of any kind, and I promise you that you will find nothing. Not even a drop.” Celestia frowned, but her horn lit up. Elias felt a brief tingling sensation pass over his body, catching in his chest painfully for a moment. It wasn’t that significant for him, but Celestia recoiled like she had just been electrocuted. She looked at him in horror. “T-that can’t be right. It isn’t possible,” she said. “You can’t exist if this is true.” Luna looked at her sister, then at Elias, who waited calmly. Instead of casting her detection spell from the throne, she got to her feet and walked down, standing directly in front of Elias as her horn charged with blue energy. The human waited calmly as he felt a similar sensation pass over his body, but Luna’s felt… kinder than Celestia’s had, as well as more thorough. The sensation seemed to take its time, remaining in his head, as well as his chest for a few seconds before it continued along his body. Luna sighed as her spell came to a conclusion and faded into oblivion. The sensation of kindness didn't fade as her green eyes found his. “I had suspected this would happen; it is why I did not have Doctor Scalpel heal your wounds.” She looked over her shoulder at Celestia. “It would appear that Guardsman Bright is indeed correct. No magic exists in his body. He shouldn’t exist, and stands as a fact against nature.” She sat before Elias, examining him up and down. “And yet he is wholly and unequivocally possible. He is every bit a living, breathing, feeling creature, and yet distinctly lacks the very thing that makes living creatures alive. It is most interesting.” “It is not interesting Luna,” Celestia said angrily. “It is dangerous.” Elias saw fear in her eyes now. He wanted to laugh. He had thought this was going to be about his attack on White Shine, but the evidence that he lacked magic seemed to take center stage instantly. He changed from a deranged human to a monster in Celestia’s eyes in an instant. If she only knew what a real monster looked like. “Could this be the work of Discord?” Celestia asked. “He would benefit from such a subtle method by which to spread strife and chaos. It is more violent than his usual means, but it has been effective in disturbing our ponies.” “Nay sister, Discord’s magic would show in my young guardsman if that were the case.” Luna motioned for Elias to sit as she carefully poked and prodded at him. “Regardless, Discord is currently being reformed by Lady Fluttershy, and if we believe that Guardsman Bright is a product of his magic, then we have a much bigger problem on our hooves than the actions of my wayward guard.” Luna scoffed as she lifted his chained hands in the air. “Elias, I wish to remove these infernal chains and run tests on your person. Can you promise that you will not seek to harm anyone while I do so?” Elias shrugged. “As long as White Shine isn’t waiting in the wings, absolutely. I hurt who I needed to, and hopefully I won’t have to do it again if he learned his lesson.” “Luna, what are you doing?” Celestia asked, her voice tinged with paranoia. “Move away from the creature, I do not wish for it to harm you.” Luna glanced over her shoulder. “Do you have so little faith in me ‘Tia? I am more than capable with dealing with Guardsman Bright, especially given his current state.” She turned to look at him. “Besides, I don’t think the Guardsman will hurt me. You seem to fear that he is any less the person he was a few days ago, while I on the other hoof have already experienced Bright at some of his lows, and can safely tell you that he is a caring creature who acts only in accordance with his own morals.” She tilted her head, her gleaming eyes making their best effort to pierce his very soul. “You attacked White Shine because he struck Night Flash, did you not? You reacted to a friend in need in the way you knew best, by eliminating the threat, permanently.” Elias nodded slowly and looked down, his voice becoming low. “I warned him Princess. I warned him what would happen, but he didn’t listen. Now nobody will second guess my word again, and if he’s smart, White Shine will stay far away from me and my friends.” Luna smiled. “Indeed, he will. We shall discuss that in a moment however.” She turned to look over her shoulder. “Twilight Sparkle, I request your assistance. I need somepony to record our findings while maintaining a detection spell.” The purple unicorn squealed with her usual excitement and bounced down the throne, plopping to a seat beside Luna. Her nose wrinkled as she got close to Elias, but she didn’t shy away. Her horn charged to a brilliant purple, and Elias felt another sensation pass over his body. Unlike the slightly hostile energy her mentor gave off, and unlike Luna's slow spreading kindness, Twilight's magic seemed determined to make his heart explode. Her energy was as giddy as she was, and it raced through his body, putting his hair on end. Once it had combed through him once, it parked itself in his chest, and Elias struggled not to scratch at it. Twilight oo’ed softly as her quill began to write. She looked to Luna, a bright smile on her face. “Assistant Twilight Sparkle, ready when you are Princess!” she said with a giggle. Elias eyed the unicorn carefully. “Is it too late to go back in the cell and starve to death? I don’t like that look in her eye.” Luna scoffed as she gently grabbed Elias’ hands. “Nonsense Guardsman, young Twilight is merely excited about the prospect of a new avenue of study. She is of no danger to you.” Twilight, seemingly oblivious to the two people talking about her, giggled again, twitching in excitement. “There’s so much we can learn! My first experiment with Princess Luna and we are performing such groundbreaking work!” She straightened, her nose sticking in the air as she stared at Elias with as even a gaze as she could manage. Twilight cleared her throat loudly as her quill began to speed across the page. “Test log 1: Subject is a pale-skinned human male. See notes on human physical features and cultures. Subject is 19 years old, an adolescent by Equestrian standards, but an adult by his own standards. Subject shows signs of heavy scarring, both emotional and physical, and is currently in a state of dehydration and minor starvation. Assistant would recommend immediate medical attention, after tests have been concluded.” Luna nodded. “We concur. I shall send a message to Doctor Scalpel to have a meal prepared. If nothing else, it should keep him and Guardsman Bright’s friends busy. Continue Twilight.” “On the note Princess Luna left off, Subject has successfully made friends!” she said cheerfully, grinning at Elias. “Despite anti-social tendencies, Subject has a minimum of four close friends, with several more potential friends speaking positively of the subject’s character! See witness notes. This leads us to our first test.” She looked to Luna as she spoke. “Subject claims that he lacks magic of any kind, and initial scans by three ponies with advanced level magical expertise confirms it. Subject is magic free in his natural state. This leads to many interesting questions, such as; if the soul is based in magic, can a living creature without magic have one? Subject claims that ambient magics have no effect on him, yet has daily nightmares. This introduces the question of how a dream manifests, and if the subject is having true dreams at all? We shall determine these answers in further experimentation, but for now…” Twilight looked to Luna. “I’m ready for the first test Princess!” she chirped happily. Luna nodded, and looked to Elias. “First, we shall be testing your body’s reaction to magic. We know you can be affected by it, but I wish to know on a magical level how your body distributes magic. Twilight, orate what you feel through your detection spell.” The purple unicorn nodded as Luna’s horn lit up. A blue aura settled over Elias’ hands, and he watched as the wounds began to seal up painlessly. The quill flashed across the scroll as Twilight spoke. “Subject is currently having his hands healed by Princess Luna. The magic distribution is… strange really. It seems to concentrate long enough over his injuries to mend them slightly, but then it slides away, as if his body is seeking to draw in the magic. It is poorly regulated, and it is distributing the magic unevenly. Subject should be showing signs of overload but,” she looked Elias up and down, “Subject does not seem bothered by magical clogs at his focal points.” Luna gradually cut off her magic, and Elias was free to flex his healed hands. They were still bloody, and they had heavy, tooth shaped scars on the knuckles, but ultimately, they felt good as new. Twilight grabbed one of his hands, looking it over with a magnifying glass. “Despite the power of the healing spell, Subject still scarred.” She looked to Luna. “Do you think it has to do with the magic being siphoned away?” Luna nodded. “Indeed it does, but I am curious, where has the magic been siphoned to?” Twilight hummed quietly as she closed her eyes. “Looking at his aura, or at least where his aura should be, it appears as if your magic has filled the gap Princess, though it is important to note that it is slipping away quickly. The ambient magic in the room is absorbing it back.” She opened her eyes and tilted her head as she looked at Elias. “Weird. It’s like you have the potential to have magic, but no way to create or sustain any magic put into you. Your body matches the signature, but otherwise… nothing. Princess Celestia was right, you’re impossible and shouldn’t exist.” Twilight clapped her hooves together and cheered. “It’s so great! And I get to help study it!” Elias snorted and looked at Luna. “At least somebody is having a good day.” The alicorn smiled at him. “Your luck shall change soon Guardsman. Trust is in the power of friendship.” Elias looked at her with mock disgust. “Ugh, don’t say that. You’re liable to give me a stroke.” Luna chuckled. “Perhaps, but would you rather hear it from one of your friends? Book Binder and Night Flash are most excited to speak with you, and I’m sure that Book Binder especially can’t wait to give you a good cuddle.” Elias realized that it was meant to be playful banter, but the words brought out a real concern within him. He looked at the floor. “How are they?” he asked softly. Luna noticed his abrupt change in mood, and she sighed, laying a hoof on his shoulder. “They miss you Elias, and they are worried sick for you. It has been as long a two days for them as I imagine it was for you.” “They’re not… scared of me?” Elias asked. Luna sighed. “That will be for them to tell you. I imagine not however, it was for Night Flash’s sake that you attacked White Shine, was it not?” Elias nodded. “I warned him Princess,” Elias said softly. “He wouldn’t listen, and I…” He felt anger build in his chest, almost as if his mind was trying to throw up one more barricade, but Elias couldn’t find it within himself to utilize that anger. Sadness welled up next, threatening to overwhelm him as his breath became shaky, but that too slipped away, disappearing into a numb void that swallowed his chest. “I just saw that look on Night Flash’s face. He looked so hurt, and scared, and in that moment, I knew why, and I knew I had to fix it.” He shrugged. “So I removed the why. No more threat, no more hurt. If White Shine is smart, it won’t happen again, and if it does… he’ll regret it for the rest of his short life.” Luna sighed. “So it is safe to say that you do not regret your actions?” Elias shrugged. “My only regret is that it happened when and where it did. I wish Binder and Flash never had to see that side of me. It was only a matter of time I suppose.” He sighed deeply. The sadness returned, though this time it stuck slightly in his mind as the paranoid center voice whispered dark words in his ear. “They’re going to hate me for this, aren’t they?” Elias asked Luna softly. “Book Binder and Night Flash I mean. They’ll try to hide it, but they’re going to hate me. I’m going to be alone again.” Elias remained silent for a moment before he snorted and shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m done. You have your guilty confession, if that’s what you were after with this little exercise.” He mustered the energy to push himself to his feet. Elias met Celestia’s eyes as he rolled his shoulders, feeling the muscle pull as he did so. “I’m prepared for whatever punishment you give me. I'm no expert, but I read enough about Equestrian law to know that I have no rights, as I don't qualify as a citizen of any recognizable nation. Punish me however you will, I just ask that I get to see Book Binder and Night Flash once beforehand. I don’t want their last thought of me being… like that.” Celestia looked him up and down. Elias briefly noticed that the unnatural light in the room dimmed slightly, allowing him to properly look at the alicorn without squinting. She was clearly studying him intently, and he could tell from the look in her eyes that her feelings about him were mixed at best. How she flipped back and forth from thinking him a monster or a monstrous human was almost amusing to watch, and it told Elias that she had paranoia to rival his own, though hers was likely kept in much better check. Something won out however, and her face resumed its unreadable status as she straightened in her throne. “Elias, before I tell you your punishment, I must tell you why you waited in isolation. Your actions have created quite the stir in the castle, and in Canterlot as a whole. Entire sections of the guards, Royal, Solar, and Lunar have rallied to your cause even if you did not ask them to. I feared that you were controlling their minds, but the stories they told me were of a man in pain. Some of them have not met you, yet they know your name and know your actions.” She rose from her throne and walked down. Luna gave Elias a small smile before she ushered Twilight to the side, gently pushing the purple unicorn with a wing. Celestia continued speaking as she approached the human. “For two days I have had pony after pony come to this room, under a truth spell no less, and beg me for your release. Several of whom blame themselves for what happened. I feared that you had wormed your way into my kingdom to tear it apart from the inside, and that I had foolishly let it happen.” Celestia snorted as she cast a glance toward Luna. “I had even thought you had brainwashed my sister if you’d imagine that.” Her smile quickly dropped. “And for two days I was utterly convinced that you had managed to usurp my kingdom and my people, had taken my sister away from me when I only had her back for three years, and then you snapped, ready to make use of this new power.” She sighed, and Elias noticed tears in her eyes. “Yet here you stand before me, ready to face my wrath, knowing that you may be executed or worse, and your only wish was that you see you friends again.” She snorted and shook her head. “I am a fool. A delusional fool to think so little of you. I hope you can find it within your heart to find forgiveness for this old m-…” Elias silenced her by putting his hand over her mouth. In hindsight, it probably wasn’t a smart thing to do, and his hand likely smelled horrible, but in his slightly delirious state, he couldn’t find it within himself to care. Besides, it had the effect he wanted, and he was quick to drop it once he realized she wouldn’t continue. Elias blinked at the alicorn as she stared silently at him. “There’s nothing to forgive Princess,” Elias said simply after a long moment of silence. “You did what you thought was right with the information you had, and I can’t blame you for that, as nobody should.” He thumbed his nose as he tried to itch his facial hair. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ve stayed in much worse conditions for much longer. You just spoiled me and got me used to things like regular meals, and running water, so if anything, I should be thanking you, and begging you for forgiveness.” Celestia smiled at him. “Kind words my little human. Regardless, I offer my sincerest apologies for how you have been treated these past few days, and if there is anything you need, anything at all, then please ask.” She sighed and straightened. “But first, we must address your punishment.” Elias nodded, looking nervously to Luna, who gave him a playful grin. He felt that it didn’t make it better. His eyes drifted back to Celestia as she spoke. “Elias, as punishment for defending Guardspony Night Flash, as well as for escorting him to safety after the incident, you shall have two guards placed at your side, to watch your every movement, day and night. These guards will have full discretion to better your physical and mental health.” Elias noticed a small grin tugging on the corners of her mouth. “In addition, Doctor Scalpel, with the assistance of Princess Luna, shall determine a full regimen to aid in your rehabilitation.” Luna raised her nose in the air. “In fact, I have already begun to prepare the first portion of your recovery, and your guards have already been alerted.” Elias really didn’t like the sound of that. Celestia let her grin out as she continued. “Next, you shall be attending weekly lectures meant to improve your skills as a guard, and Captain Chaser will have an application on his desk by the end of January. You have turned some heads Elias, and I expect you to fulfill your true potential, just as I expect of all of my subjects. Which brings me to the final portion of my punishment.” She turned to Twilight. “Twilight, you are usually prepared, do you have a citizenship form on you by chance?” The purple unicorn nodded. “Of course, Princess! It was on my checklist of potential outcomes!” A pair saddlebags appeared from nowhere, bulging with excess papers, and what Elias could only assume were books, though from the way they were bulging, he imagined that they could function as explosives. From the unmanageable mess of papers floated a single, crisp looking sheet. It floated over to Celestia, who looked it over, filling in a few spaces with a conjured quill as she read through it. The sheet then floated over to Luna, who repeated the process. The blue alicorn gave a wink to Elias as she passed the paper back to Celestia, who nodded in approval before giving it to the swaying human. Elias had no idea what they had done with all of their writing, and it took him a second to realize that they were screwing with him. The paper was simple, not dissimilar to a birth certificate. On it sat a space for his name, which had been filled in, with both middle names too. Both princesses had already signed the certificate as well, and both were looking at him eagerly. It only took a whisper of suspicion, but it put enough doubt in his mind to make him ask; “Princess, I know there’s a saying about gift horses and where you shouldn’t look at them, but… why?” he asked, looking from the paper to Celestia. “Why am I not facing a more severe punishment?” Celestia smiled warmly at him. “Disregarding your repeated displays that you are an honorable, caring man who only does what he believes is right?” She sighed. “White Shine’s parents actually came to visit with us during the second night of deliberation. What truly surprised me was when they asked to see you so that they could give you their thanks.” “Their thanks?” Elias asked, stupefied. “I beat their son, not as badly as I could have, but badly enough.” Celestia sighed. “Indeed, but I thank you for showing restraint. It is one of the contributing factors to your light punishment. Regardless, it appears there were a multitude of complaints levied against the unicorn that were withheld under the threat of disgrace from the guard. I have had to apologize to many of my guards for letting this slip my notice, but I have made sure that nopony can wield their family’s status like a weapon now. Still,” she continued, “White Shine’s parents are fine ponies, and upon hearing of their son’s behavior, they wished for your immediate release, even going so far to offer the payment for a defense attorney should you have needed it. Nobody is pressing charges however, so this matter was safe to resolve internally.” She sighed again as her eyes found Elias’. “And so, we have. Make no mistake, we shall be watching you closely to ensure this was a one-time occurrence, but to pretend that there weren’t many factors that brought this to a head would be foolish. You have made such progress since your arrival here, and you have found a series of beautiful relationships that I hope will continue to flourish. This is a way to bring you closer to our ponies as it were.” She snorted. “Though I would be amused in seeing how you would function as a full-blooded pony, I believe this will more than make you one of us if the rumors I have heard are any indication.” Elias looked over the paper once more before he sighed and motioned for someone to give him a pen. A quill quickly floated into his grasp. He hesitated for a moment, then made a slight edit to his name before he signed it. If Night Flash ever saw it, he imagined the pony would like it. As soon as he was finished signing the certificate, both it and the quill disappeared. Celestia smiled brightly. “Excellent, it shall be added to the vault of records this very day, and you shall receive your copy by the end of the week. Now, Luna, I believe you are responsible for punishing Elias?” Luna grinned, and Elias found that he couldn’t decide if he hated that grin or not. While it contained a hint of malevolent intent, Elias also saw understanding in it. He imagined they would be talking in private later. He didn’t believe for a second that his beating of White Shine would be erased so quickly. But that was for later. “Indeed I am Sister, and I believe it is high time that Guardsman Bright be taught his place on the pecking order.” She looked over her shoulder and called out loudly. “Guard Specialist Binder! Guard Specialist Flash! See to your charge immediately!” The throne room doors slammed open with extreme force. Elias momentarily blinked as he tried to remember if there were any guards on either side of those doors. If there were… they likely weren’t breathing now, much like Elias found himself. Compared to Elias, ponies were rather light, especially the pegasi, whose bones were lighter to help them fly. This did not stop a certain blue pegasus from crushing Elias’ ribs in a mighty hug as the pony rubbed himself up and down Elias’ body. It took seconds, but Elias was sure that every part of his body was covered by Night Flash as the pony bounced around in excitement. Elias tried to defend himself from the onslaught, but this time the pony never slowed down, and Elias couldn’t grab him. Only an outside intervention saved Elias, and that intervention was in the form of a smiling Book Binder, decked fully in her Lunar Guard armor. Night Flash flailed in the air as she lifted the pegasus away, giggling softly. “Bindey let me down! Red needs our love!” She stuck her tongue out at the pegasus. “Indeed he does lover, but I get first dibs on our little human.” Elias groaned and didn’t bother to rise off the ground. “I’d officially like to request different personal guards.” “Denied,” Luna replied smoothly. “There aren’t two ponies I trust more to oversee you Elias, and besides, do you really want somepony you don’t know sharing a room with you?” Elias stopped fake pouting and actually sat up. “Sharing a room? Princess I don’t think that’s a good idea. I still have daily issues with my night terrors. I don’t want to disturb them.” Elias felt a harsh slap on the back of his head, and as he rubbed at it, he glared at Book Binder, who stuck her tongue out him. “Young man, stop trying to get rid of us. We’re sticking by you like glue, and that’s final. Besides, Princess Luna has observed that you don’t have your night terrors when we sleep with you, and it is part of her mandatory experiments that we test this theory.” Elias must have had a fearful expression on his face because Book Binder smiled sweetly at him. “I know this is a big step Elias, but we just want to make sure that you’re actually getting better. We have already put extra beds in the room if it doesn’t work out, and Flash and I have ear plugs if we need them, but I don’t think we will. We’re not going anywhere, alright?” Elias nodded, then scratched the back of his head. His mind was alight with possible outcomes his “punishment” could have. The voice at the back of his head whispered a dangerous idea, but if Flash and Binder were putting on a brave front, then it would expose them. If not… At least Book Binder would be happy. He looked at some random point on the wall. “Hey Binder… I know it’s kind of poor timing and all given recent events but… could we move on to phase two? I-if you want that is.” Elias winced as Night Flash hit the floor with a yelp as Book Binder’s magic sputtered out. The unicorn was quite literally vibrating with energy as she stared at him. Luna chuckled loudly. “My Sister, it seems our attempts at punishment pale in comparison with Guardsman Bright’s methods of punishing himself. We shall have to put greater thought into our efforts in the future.” Elias felt himself lift into the air as Book Binder saluted smartly at Luna. “Princess, permission to take the next few days to get better acquainted with my new charge?” Luna looked at Elias, who desperately shook his head no. She smiled and nodded. “Of course Guardspony Binder. Guardspony Flash may have the time off as well. We wouldn’t want any discontentment in our ranks, now would we? Take good care of Bright, Guardspony.” She paused as she turned away, but then Luna stopped and looked back with a mischievous grin. “Oh, and Guardspony? Elias smells, I suggest he have a nice bath to clean up. Oversee that personally, would you?” Elias decidedly did not like the way that sounded, but Book Binder apparently did. She gasped in soft joy for a moment. While she stood still, Night Flash flapped his way up to Elias, wrapping his hooves around Elias’ neck as he smiled brightly. “You ready to learn how to fly Red? I know you don’t have wings, but Bindey’s going to take us for a ride anyway!” Elias looked over his shoulder at the pony. “Why is Book Binder so stuck on the word bath? She acts like taking a shower is some big thing.” Night Flash grinned. “You’ll see Red. It’s just a little piece of pony culture we’re going to get to share with you!” Before Elias could fully process that statement, they were off like a shot, with Book Binder cheering loudly as they raced through the castle halls. ***** “Are you sure about this Luna?” Celestia asked as the trio disappeared, with Book Binder’s calls of joy following them. “I do not think Elias is inherently evil, but there is still something dark lurking in his mind.” Luna nodded. “Indeed there is ‘Tia, I have seen it. I have also seen that he is doing his best to contain it, and he is making a real effort to open himself up. We will only learn in time what scars him so, but I believe with those two watching him, nothing bad will happen. Guardsman Bright is right about one thing; nopony will disturb him or his friends again. That should be enough to keep him contained. We shall soon learn how isolated this incident was.” Celestia sighed and nodded. “Yes, we shall.” She smiled as she looked at Luna. “If you don’t mind me prying, what are some of your tactics to care for our little human?” Luna tsked. “Now Sister, that would ruin the fun!” she giggled softly as she pranced away. Celestia maintained her smile until the doors closed behind her sister, then her face fell into a frown. Though she had been telling the truth about no longer fearing Elias or his intentions, she had thought the human was more mentally stable than he was. It concerned her that the careful pieces she had put in place were falling apart before her eyes with all of the moving factors surrounding the man. Celestia snorted and brushed away her doubts. Considering the loyalty he had already built amongst her ponies, and the abundance of time they had left before preparations began, she was sure that Elias would be in a much better place to suit their needs. The RAT exam had only confirmed what she already knew; they needed him to lead. Nopony had held a candle to his combat prowess, and if he was put in full command, rather than acting as a simple strategist, he would be the perfect instrument they needed to cross the Long Forest to Saddle Arabia. The minotaur lands were dangerous, wild, and ripe for war, something her ponies were not able to handle alone. The human, however, he knew what war was, and if all things went to plan, he could wage it effortlessly on their behalf. Celestia wouldn't let Luna know of her intentions quite yet, and despite a pony or two, nobody knew of her intentions, nor her efforts to make the human a loyal, willing warrior. He was a capable fighter, there was little doubt about that, but she still needed more time to observe the human, adjusting his progress as needed to ensure that he would meet their needs, just like she had when she had quietly encouraged several of the ponies in Elias' life to grow closer to him; without their knowledge of course. Whispered words did much to make ponies curious, and the recommendation she had received from her proposed generals to prod Night Flash's curiosity toward the human had paid off in spades and then some. White Shine's foolish actions more than proved that. It also showed that Elias had not lost his brutal edge, which was a serious concern Celestia had when she had offered the human the opportunity to join the guard. The pony in her said that she should prioritize ensuring that he would be a safe, functional member of society, but the ruler knew that his aggression was a desperately needed tool. Her ponies were kind creatures, and she had been like a mother to them, far too much. Celestia knew she wouldn't stop; she enjoyed keeping them safe as much as they enjoyed their peaceful lives. Still, she needed someone with a warrior's instinct. Celestia's frown deepened as she continued thinking. Had she become too manipulative? Tampering with Elias' life, it caused a bit of minor discomfort in her head the more she thought about the small details. She had done similar things in the past, and to great results. The Elements of Harmony were rediscovered, had suitable bearers, and she got her sister back all in one fell swoop. It was a brilliant move that brought about a so far unprecedented scale of harmony across Equestria, and Celestia knew that with gentle nudges in the right places, a new alicorn would soon earn the title of Princess; in a few years of course. Moving too fast would only disturb and over-pressure her student. They were similar in that regard, Elias and Twilight. Volatile, obsessed, though the Keepers only knew why. Each could be set off by the smallest event, and Celestia wondered briefly which would be worse if they finally lost control. Twilight was clearly more individually powerful of the two, and her strength increased with each day. It was only blunted by years of careful tutoring, as well as the safety net established with her friend group. As a unicorn though, Twilight had unmatched power and skill with magic, so much so that she was nearly a rival to Celestia. It was only because her utter devotion to her teacher that Twilight would never rise as a threat; that, and she was simply too good of a pony. It took others to bring it out, but the unicorn was incredibly kind-hearted, and Celestia had no doubts that they would be friends for centuries to come. Elias on the other-hoof was different. Given enough time, she suspected that Elias would be able to raise an army of ponies loyal to his name. It would be simple to put a rebellion down, but it would be costly in terms of lives, and that was something she definitely did not want. She cared deeply for her ponies, and Celestia would make the human disappear quietly should anything of that nature come to pass. Unfortunately, she could find no blunting force to such a terrible outcome other than the human's immense self-control. None of the guards had even attempted to stop him when he had begun pummeling White Shine, and according to the reports, it was only by his own will that the human stopped before the unicorn died. Celestia sighed as she thought about the foolish unicorn. It had enraged her when she had heard about what White Shine had been threatening her guards with. To think that something so serious was happening right under her nose was infuriating, and Celestia had made it very clear that such behavior would not be tolerated and anypony who was caught continuing it would be severely punished. She only wished she had been able to catch the incident before it came to a head. Her focus had been elsewhere however, the upcoming wedding, and the mountain of planning and coordination that would follow. It was a failure of hers, but not one that she thought would matter in the long term. Unless it happened again. Celestia sighed and rubbed the base of her horn. “Raven, could you please do something for me?” The white unicorn popped out from her disguised workroom behind the throne, blinking rapidly with her bleary eyes as she adjusted her glasses. “Yes Princess?” she asked. “Do ensure that former Guardspony White Shine never comes within a thousand feet of the castle. In fact, put a restraining order on him to avoid any contact with Night Flash, Book Binder, and Elias Bright.” The unicorn nodded, her horn alight as the door to her work area closed. Assured that the incident wouldn’t be able to repeat itself any time soon, Celestia returned to thinking, combing through her plans for any flaws that could lead to catastrophe. > Chapter 23: Another day passes > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Book Binder sighed happily as she watched her boys sleep. It had taken more than a little bit of fighting, some running, and a lot of yelling, but she had bathed with Elias and Night Flash successfully, prodding the human until he admitted that it wasn’t so bad. After getting the stink off of the man, coupled with a fresh set of clothes and a slowly sipped gallon of water, Book Binder had taken them both out to eat, something she wasn’t surprised to hear that Elias had never done. She couldn’t help but be ecstatic at taking him on his first trip into the city that wasn’t guard related. It had been a simple trip to Doughnut Joe’s and a walk in a park, but it was so peaceful. They had laughed and talked about nothing while they walked. Book Binder had made sure to intentionally keep the conversation away from the more serious topics, and she had mostly succeeded, with only one minor hiccup when Elias had accidentally punched a door frame and swore. She and Flash had instinctively flinched, and when Elias noticed, he grew sullen and distant. Only an assault of snuggles brought their collective mood back up, and they had continued their day out with a new pep in their step. They had become exhausted quickly though, and it had taken a supreme effort on her part to get the pair back to the castle without one of them falling asleep. Upon making it back to their now shared room, Elias had promptly collapsed onto his bed, not bothering to crawl under the covers. Night Flash remedied this issue by flopping on top of the human, spreading his wings out as he began to snore loudly. Book Binder could only watch with joy as Elias joined the pegasus, and the two snored together. Once she was sure they were asleep, Book Binder quietly tucked them in, and Elias subconsciously helped by grabbing Night Flash and hugging the pegasus to his chest. Book Binder was thankful that they had already moved some basic things into the room, because she was able to find her camera and snap a photo of the moment, tucking it away in a small photo album that she knew she would find plenty of use for. Book Binder perked up slightly from her bed as she watched Elias shift in the darkness. She frowned when she heard a low whimper exit his mouth. Rising silently, she crept across the rug and hopped into Elias’ bed. Night Flash was watching him with concern, awake and alert as she was. “What happened?” she whispered as quietly as possible. Night Flash shrugged. “I don’t know, one second he was sleeping like a baby, and then he just got all tense. It isn’t as bad as Princess Luna and Steel Scalpel said it would be, but I think he’s having a nightmare.” Book Binder looked at Elias’ arms, and found them wrapped tightly around Night Flash’s barrel. She looked at the pegasus. “He’s not squeezing you too hard, is he?” Night Flash shook his head and wiggled around so that he was facing Elias. The pegasus frowned as he looked at Elias’ face, which seemed to twist in pain. “Should we try to wake him up?” Night Flash asked. “What did Princess Luna say about treating his nightmares?” Book Binder levitated over her saddlebags and rifled through them to find a special notebook that she had been given for this specific occurrence. She quickly wrote a brief message out, then with a tear of the paper, it disappeared. She set the notebook to the side and continued to study Elias as he grew more emotive. He would occasionally whisper nonsensical words, while his hands began to curl into fists. Night Flash wriggled out from under his arm to adjust, then pouted as Book Binder dragged him back further when Elias tried to reach out for the pony. “Come on Bindey, we need to do something!” Night Flash whined, “Red just wants somepony to sleep with him is all, I’m sure of it. A little extra cuddles, that'll make him righter than rain.” Book Binder smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek. “I know Flashy, but Princess Luna wants to make sure nopony gets hurt. Elias isn’t always in control of his actions, and we have to make sure he isn’t a danger to himself.” Night Flash huffed as he looked at Elias, who had since flipped over, muttering loudly to himself as his legs kicked under the blankets. Even in the dark Book Binder could see the sweat beading on his forehead as he tossed and turned. Night Flash began to pace silently on the carpet, casting a glance at Elias every few seconds as he moved back and forth. Book Binder sympathized with him; the longer they waited, the less sure she felt that they should be waiting at all. Lucky for them both, a soft knock came at the door, and Book Binder was quick to answer it. The light from the hallway was nonexistent as Luna slipped into the room, her green eyes quickly locking onto Elias, who had successfully thrown his covers to the floor. The human had then curled into a ball as he continued to mutter and sweat. Luna moved around the side of his bed, sitting beside it as her horn lit up. She was silent for a moment, then she sighed. “His dream is still wrapped in a storm, and I am unable to easily dispel the dream. Let us try it with somepony beside him. Night Flash, you are first.” The pegasus nodded and quickly hopped onto the bed, settling beside Elias. The human had his arms back around the pony almost instantly, sighing softly as his arms pulled Flash close to his chest. Night Flash smiled and rubbed against Elias’ chest, keeping his eyes open as he waited for Luna’s feedback. The princess tried to enter his dream again, but sighed and shook her head. “It is internally less turbulent, that much I can tell, but it has not ceased, nor has the storm lessened. Book Binder, I would like to try you next. Perhaps he requires the touch of his mother.” Night Flash sighed, giving Elias one last nuzzle before he began to move away. Before he could wriggle free, Elias growled, and his arms quickly pushed the pegasus off the bed. Night Flash yelped in surprise as he hit the floor, and Luna’s frown deepened. “The storm has worsened; something is wrong. I shall try to press in, do not disturb me, no matter what happens.” She then closed her eyes and her horn charged a brighter blue. Elias began to writhe as if he was in immense pain, which surprised Book Binder. He always seemed so calm when he got hurt, shaking injuries off like they were nothing, no matter how severe. Now though, now he looked like he was in agony. The muttering became louder and louder until he was shrieking at the top of his lungs. His tunic was soaked clean through as he fought enemies only he could see. Night Flash whimpered slightly as he crawled away from the bed, sitting at Book Binder’s side as he watched Elias write and howl. “C’mon Red. Come on back to us,” he whispered softly. Book Binder wrapped a hoof around him and pulled him close as they watched in horrified silence as Elias continued to scream while Luna sat in silence. Her face held intense focus as magic poured from her horn. Though it was only minutes, it felt like hours before Elias began to grow still. Luna sighed deeply as her horn fell dark and she rose. “Another failure I am afraid. I am no closer to understanding what tortures him, nor why he has suddenly begun reacting negatively to intimate contact. It is most strange, and I wish to see how he reacts with Book Binder. We shall repeat this experiment the next time he has a terror, but for now, I have subdued his mind. He should sleep through the night.” As if existing for the spite of others, Elias began to stir. His head poked up, and his arms seemed to drift lazily across his bed. What surprised Book Binder was that his eyes seemed different as they opened and searched around the room. The blue seemed… lacking. As if something wasn’t there. It shook her when his voice matched the feeling, sounding as if years had been stripped away. “H-hello?” he called weakly. “Is somebody there?” The three ponies were all frozen. They merely stared at Elias as his eyes seemed to pass over them without noticing their presence. The human whimpered and curled into a ball. He began to shiver violently, and his next words broke Book Binder’s heart in two. “M-mom?” he called softly. “I-I can’t s-see you. A-are y-you still here?” Nobody dared to breathe, which seemed to make Elias’ reaction worse, as he began to cry. “M-Mom?” he said, his voice louder and more desperate. “Mom please, you’re scaring me.” Book Binder realized that she could see it, and it was in fact the thing she had seen missing from his eyes. No matter what happened, underneath all of the pain, desperation, and anger, Elias, her Elias was always so confident. His every action was guided by something that only he knew, but was guided, nonetheless. Even in the throughs of a panic attack that confidence was just below the surface, hiding, waiting to be brought back out. There was none of that now. She saw only blind terror as he cast out blindly, calling for a mother that wouldn’t answer. She didn’t know what to do, they had no way to find his parents, no way to bring this… this child any comfort. He was so dangerously alone and terrified, and she had no idea what to do. Then Luna nudged her as his cries became more desperate. Book Binder met the princess’s eyes. “Go to him Book Binder. I know not what has brought out this state, but he needs his mother.” Book Binder blinked as she stared at Luna, then her eyes fell on Elias, who was curling into a ball as his cries increased in volume and desperation. Her mind clicked into place as she stared upon her son, and he was her son, no matter how much he protested. That poor, lonely human was hers, and low to any who tried to hurt him. “Yes baby?” she called softly, sweetly. “Momma’s here baby, what do you need?” Elias’s eyes locked onto her, then shifted away as he searched the room. He whimpered. “Mom? I can’t see you, it’s too dark. C-Could you come hug me? I’m scared…” Book Binder moved around the side of the bed, grabbing the blankets in her magic as she gently forced her human to lay back spread out. Elias didn’t fight her as she tucked him back in, standing by his head as she smiled at him. “Is that better baby?” she asked, reaching out to stroke his head. Elias visibly relaxed when her hoof began to run through his hair. He looked at her and Book Binder saw that heart melting smile that she loved, each and every time she saw it. It faded quickly however, and Book Binder noticed tears in his eyes as he looked away. “Elias, what’s wrong?” she asked. “I don’t like to see my baby boy hurting.” He sniffed. “I-… Could you sleep with me tonight Mom? I- I had the dream again.” Book Binder blinked as she looked to Luna, who merely waved for her to continue. Book Binder looked back to Elias, who was staring at her with those sweet eyes. She hated the tears she saw in them, and she absolutely despised the fear she saw. Book Binder gave him a reassuring smile as she climbed into his bed, walking over his body to settle against the bed's backboard so that she could continue brushing his head. “Would you like to tell me what your dream was about Elias? Saying it out loud might make you feel better.” Elias tensed for a moment, and Book Binder feared that she had overstepped. She didn’t pull away though, just continued brushing his head. With her silent support, the human relaxed, staring silently at the wall for a moment. “Are you sure?” he asked quietly. “It was really bad this time.” Book Binder nodded. “I want to hear it Elias, but if you don’t want to talk about it, then don’t. I will be here anyway.” Elias sniffled, and he shifted slightly. Book Binder smiled when he pressed against her more. She hugged his head, and laid a small kiss on his forehead. “Go on baby, it will help, I promise.” He sniffled again, but he started to speak, his words coming in stutters as he began to cry softly again. “I-it was the one where everyone died Mom. You, and Dad, and Anna, and Sarah and I…” he sobbed. “Mom it was just me left a-and there was so much blood and I…” “Shhh,” Book Binder said, giving him another hug. “Keep going baby, you can do it.” “T-then y-you were back!” Elias said, as if he was trying to prove his words, “b-but then He came, a-and you said you d-didn’t want me anymore.” He whimpered. “And then I was alone, and nobody would help me, and I was so scared.” Elias flipped over suddenly, grabbing Book Binder and pulling her tight against his chest. “Please don’t leave me Mom. I don’t want to be alone anymore.” Book Binder let out a squeak of shock, but when she realized that he was just trying to cling to her, she relaxed, petting his chest as she nuzzled against his chin. “It’s okay baby boy,” she said softly. “Momma isn’t going anywhere.” She wriggled out of his grip and curled around his head, guiding his hand to her chest with a hoof while the other hoof stroked through his hair. “I’m never going to let you be alone again, Elias. Never, ever, alright?” Elias nodded sleepily and his eyes drifted closed. “Thanks momma, I love you.” Book Binder felt her heart melt as she laid her head on top of his. “I love you too baby.” She waited until he had fallen back asleep before she cracked her eyes open. Luna was writing furiously on a series of scrolls, sending them away with her magic as she finished each observation. Night Flash was standing next to her, staring silently at Book Binder. She motioned for him to join her in the bed, but he didn’t, sniffling softly as he turned away. Book Binder frowned. “Flashy, what’s wrong? You love to cuddle with Elias.” He shook his head and his ears flattened. “He doesn’t like me Bindey. Not like he likes you. I don’t think he wants me as his dad.” “Nay Guardspony Night Flash, I do not believe that is the case,” Luna replied with a frown. Letters started to appear as fast as she sent them off. She read them with one eye as she continued to write with the other. “The doctors I hired seem to believe that much of his emotional trauma is grounded with whatever happened to his biological family. It has been a piece we have been missing for weeks, and only recently have the full implications come to light, including what has happened this night.” She scowled as she looked over a particularly long scroll. “It seems to be a common theory that his family died in a horrific manner, likely while Elias watched. Unfortunately,” she said, glancing at the human's sleeping body, “Elias is likely unwilling to speak of this trauma, and will likely remain unwilling for many years. Such an event could not have been kind to his mind. I only wish we had another source of information about his past.” Book Binder and Night Flash exchanged a look, each thinking the same thing. Book Binder continued stroking Elias’ hair, checking that he was truly asleep before she spoke softly. “We know what happened to his parents Princess,” Book Binder admitted; her eyes focused squarely on Elias. Such pain on his face. So young, yet so very old. Luna stared at her with a furious glare. “And you decided to withhold this information why?” “Elias didn’t, and doesn’t wish to share it, so I’m not going to say more than I have to. Suffice to say, Night Flash and I looked into his journals, and they are very detailed.” She sighed deeply. “Elias doesn’t even know we read them; I had to lie to his face, otherwise he would have pushed us away, and likely tried to run. It's… better this way. We’ll tell him eventually, but only when he’s ready, not before.” Luna growled. “Guardspony, you will turn over these journals immediately. They could contain valuable information that can mend Elias’ mind. Is that not the ultimate goal here? To help this man find peace?” Book Binder smiled. “It is, but he’ll never find peace if we force it on him. He’ll fight, it’s what my baby does.” She looked sadly to Luna. “I’m sorry Princess, but I won’t be turning over anything. I’ll tell you what happened to Elias’ family, but nothing else. The rest you will have to learn from him when he decides to share it with you.” Luna’s eyes glinted dangerously, flicking like lightning to Night Flash for a second before they settled back on Book Binder. “Guardspony, you would dare disobey a direct order from your Princess? I could have you punished for such treason.” Book Binder was only mildly surprised when Night Flash leaped onto the bed, turning heel and flaring his wings widely as he growled at Luna. “That’s enough Princess,” he said, his demeanor serious as he faced off with the alicorn. “That’s my family you’re talking about, and if you want to get at them, you’ll go through me.” For a moment, Luna looked like she would actually attack the pegasus, then her serious demeanor disappeared as she levitated Night Flash into the air with a smile. She dropped Night Flash next to Book Binder, grinning widely as she plopped him down. “Well said Guardspony!” Luna proclaimed with a loud whisper. “A better father there could not be, standing up against an alicorn as you have.” Night Flash looked at her with confusion, and when he seemed to lock in place, Book Binder rolled her eyes, dragging him off his hooves to rest against Elias’ chest. Once more, the human immediately found the pony and dragged him close, sighing softly as he relaxed further. Night Flash smiled up at the human, his looks of confusion replaced by a drowsy, but happy look. When the human made no further moves to adjust, Night Flash closed his eyes to drift away into slumber. Book Binder snorted in exasperation as her boys slept once more. She looked to Luna, who was smiling at them. “A good family I think,” Luna said. “You have chosen your mate and child well Book Binder.” The unicorn smiled. “Thank you, Princess, things are slowly coming together.” She sighed deeply. “I hope I can be as good as his real mother though. He thought the world of her. It makes it especially tragic how she died. How his family died really.” Luna matched her sigh. “Book Binder, you do not have to speak of this if you do not wish to do so. My words were merely to provoke Night Flash to make him realize that he is every bit the capable father that Elias needs. I do not wish to pry into what is fast becoming a shared history.” Book Binder smiled. “Thank you, Princess, but this is something that may be crucial to helping Elias recover. It’s… it hurts him. A lot. Even the later parts of his journals, years after it happened, show the signs that he’s still thinking about her.” She sighed. “I wonder if I can ever live up to how he sees her.” “Book Binder,” Luna said softly, “he would not have been comforted by your presence if he valued you as anything less than his mother. Though he may not admit or vocalize it, maybe ever, he loves you deeply. Do not doubt this love.” Book Binder smiled as she stared at Elias’ sleeping face. “I won’t Princess. He’s my baby boy, I could never doubt him.” She sighed sadly. “What are the chances of him remembering what happened tonight?” “Slim to none I’m afraid,” Luna replied. “It is likely that a dormant personality rose to the forefront when his primary personality couldn’t handle the mental strain of the events of the past couple days. By morning, he shall likely return to normal with no memory of tonight, maybe even as far as today.” She let out a deep sigh. “It has been a long one.” Book Binder nodded. “Yes, it has,” she agreed absently. “It was fun though, once we got past the initial awkwardness. It felt like a regular family outing.” Luna smiled at her. “I am glad to hear it.” She bowed her head. “I shall take my leave then. You need your rest as much as these two do.” “He killed them you know,” Book Binder said bluntly. Luna froze in place, her green eyes cutting through the darkness. “What?” she asked, her voice sharp. “His family,” Book Binder replied. “Elias killed them, all of them. He was thirteen years old and he was forced to kill his family. He didn’t have a choice.” Luna crept up to the bed and sat down. “I must hear how he “did not have a choice.” In what environment could you not have a choice for killing your family?” Luna’s frown was clearly visible in the dark as she stared at Elias, who pulled Night Flash just a bit closer. The pegasus snorted into Elias’ facial hair, and the human chuckled softly. Book Binder ruffled Elias’ hair, then looked to Luna with a sad smile. “Please don’t blame him for it, Princess, and please don’t let it make you think he’s a monster, because he isn’t. Wasn’t.” Book Binder sighed, and shook her head. “His journals are more than just his. For the first several hundred or so entries, Elias’ family contributed, not every entry, but in most of them. Little notes here and there to make him happy when he re-read them.” She shifted slightly. “From what I read, Elias had a traumatic incident when he was even younger, but I shall leave that private; needless to say, the journals were meant as a therapy treatment for dealing with this trauma, and when his world “ended” he began to ask his family to put in entries, as a way to cope with what I can only imagine was a horrible place.” Book Binder took a shaky breath as she stared at Elias. Her poor, tortured boy. She would make it up to him, if it took everything she had, she would make his life just a little better. She wiped away a tear before continuing. “I don’t know what “radiation poisoning” is, and Elias spared the details, probably because he was so young, but it was bad. He was the only one spared. Both sisters, both parents, even the family dog; all of them got so sick, and at thirteen Elias had to care for them all.” Book Binder chuckled bitterly. “He’s my baby boy at nineteen, but he already had to grow up and act like an adult at thirteen.” She wiped away a sniffle as she looked to Luna. “What kind of world Princess? What kind of world could be so cruel? Why couldn’t Elias come here sooner so that I could save him from that cruelty?” Luna shook her head. “I know not Book Binder, but he is here now. It is why I am trying so hard to help him, and why I am glad that he has found you.” Book Binder nodded. “I’m glad too. I just…” She sighed. “The radiation poisoning was a slow killer. It took days to fully kill a human, though his pet dog died within hours. Over the course of four days Elias went out to get food and water for his family, and for four days he only brought back scraps. He didn’t feed himself, saving everything for his mother and sisters.” She snorted. “His stubborn father wouldn’t eat anything; it makes me see where Elias gets it from.” She sighed and looked at Night Flash, who’s leg kicked as Elias subconsciously rubbed his chest fur. “Sometimes I worry about how Elias and Night Flash are going to be together. Right now they have nothing to connect about. Sure, Night Flash was the first pony that decided to be Elias’ friend, and he won’t ever let Elias shake him off, but they have little in common.” She smiled sadly. “Night Flash simply loves flying, something that neither Elias nor I can participate in. I think the only reason they even like each other is because Night Flash just likes seeing ponies, and in this case a human, smile. He loves listening too, so even when Elias is talking about something that Flash couldn’t care less about, he listens like it’s the single most important thing in the world.” Book Binder tickled the pegasus’ belly. Night Flash giggled, and his wing swatted Elias’ chest. The human frowned and pulled the pony closer, causing Night Flash to sigh happily as he rubbed against Elias’ chin. Book Binder continued as she watched the pair. “I think they might have issues, but who knows? The real problem is having Night Flash as a father figure. Elias’ father was abusive on and off; it’s why he formed such a close relationship with his mother. She would always protect him and rock him to sleep when his dad flew off the handle. There’s more than one journal about how Elias hated his father, until the end that is. Elias said he changed overnight, going from a deadbeat to a hero in an instant. Suddenly the beatings stopped as his dad tried to teach Elias everything he would need to know to survive.” Book Binder parted a portion of Elias’ hair, noting the small, white scar that hid amongst the sea of red. She sighed and continued. “Still, his dad was stubborn until he began spitting up blood, then he asked Elias to kill him. Until I read his journal, I didn’t know that there was such a thing as a “mercy killing”.” Book Binder felt tears in her eyes as she rubbed her cheek against Elias’. “My poor baby,” she said softly. She then looked to Luna. “We live in a paradise Princess, we truly do. I didn’t realize it until I read Elias’ journals, but everything is perfect here. Even our darkest days don’t compare to his worst. So much death. Mercy killings, suicide, genocide, torture methods that could haunt dreams.” She shuddered. “Night Flash and I made sure to skip as many of those as possible, but humans sound like monsters on paper. If I never met Elias, I’d think they were the worst nightmare anypony could ever think up. I think I understand why he carries what he does, even if it hurts him so much to do it.” “Regardless of the horror, it is not safe for him,” Luna said. “He will need to share these things if he ever wishes to make peace with them.” She looked at Elias for a moment before looking back to Book Binder, “Consider also; what if the journals you speak of are inaccurate? Could it be possible that Elias views his fellow humans through a lens darkened by personal pain and suffering?” Book Binder shrugged. “Maybe, but I doubt it. He has the scars Princess. Some of the stories must be true, and this one is, because he did it. He used a “gun”, which killed his father in an instant. His older sisters begged for release next, so he killed them as well in the same method. That left one, and the gun stopped working. So he had to kill her personally…” Book Binder whimpered softly as she tightened her grip on Elias’ head. “My poor baby. He loved that woman more than he loved life. It tore him up inside when she begged him for death.” Elias shifted in his sleep so that his face was looking at Book Binder. A small frown touched his lips. Book Binder leaned over and kissed his cheek gently, and the frown molded into a smile. Book Binder nuzzled him softly. She looked to Luna with tears in her eyes. “And then she made it worse. She asked him to keep living. The only thing he wanted was to stay with them, but she pushed him away, made him walk on his own. It was the last lesson he received from his parents. If you want someone to live, you have to push them away, and at every low point in his life, Elias believed that he broke this rule.” She sniffled. “He’s breaking it now, that’s what he thinks at least. He’s waiting for us to die, and he’s so scared every time he smiles, because he thinks it’s going to be the last he shares with us.” Luna frowned in thought as she stared at Elias. “That is… While insightful, that is also absolutely horrifying. I can only imagine the rest of his adolescence is filled with similar stories.” Book Binder sighed. “Worse actually. His journals are a mess, but he kept to a daily schedule of writing something in them.” Her lip quivered as she looked at Luna. “Princess, am I a bad pony if I know every bad thing Elias has done, and don’t care? Am I bad if I know he’s done horrible things, but I love him anyway?” Luna tried to smile and reassure Book Binder, but she found that she could not. Instead, she sighed and looked away. “I am afraid I am not the pony to ask Book Binder. Celestia would be much better suited to answering that particular question.” Book Binder gasped. “I’m sorry Princess, I didn’t mean-“ Luna held up a hoof. “It is quite alright Book Binder; it is the reason I am trying so hard. After all this time I have found a kindred spirit, and wish to see him made well as I was.” She snorted. “Unfortunately, I do not believe a simple blast from the Elements of Harmony will suffice to remedy the problem.” Book Binder nodded silently in agreement, then she noticed something odd. It wasn’t particularly unusual to find a pony staring at Elias, he was an oddity after all, but it was the way Luna was staring at the man. She couldn’t quite place the look, but it felt familiar, almost as if… Book Binder gasped, and in her surprise, she accidently popped Elias on the head with her hoof. The man grunted and rolled over. Book Binder let out a squeak as she suddenly found herself crushed under the combined weight of her human and her stallion. She faintly heard someone chuckling, then found herself suspended in the air after a brief teleportation spell. Book Binder grinned sheepishly at Luna as the alicorn grinned at her curiously. “Is there something you have noticed Book Binder?” Book Binder shook her head rapidly. “Nope!” she adamantly denied. “Not even a little!” Luna frowned, then her eyes drifted back to Elias, who seemed to be searching for Book Binder blindly. His face indicated his discomfort, and he began to growl at his continued failure. Luna looked back to Book Binder. “Speak quickly your observation Guardspony, your charge is beginning to notice your absence.” Book Binder whimpered as she looked between Elias and Luna, then she sighed. “Princess, I can’t just say it flat out, or it will change. I don’t want to ruin it just because I noticed!” Luna frowned, setting Book Binder down beside Elias. His hand quickly found the unicorn, and dragged her toward his back. Book Binder found her position around his head again, and the human snorted softly before falling still again. Book Binder tried to avoid Luna’s gaze, but their eyes eventually locked. Book Binder sighed. “Princess, just… keep an open mind? I believe kindred spirits might be more on the nose than you might think.” Luna tilted her head slightly, but didn’t respond. She looked at Elias for a moment, then rose. “Good night Book Binder,” she said as she moved toward the door. “Keep up your excellent work, and if there is anything I can do to help, do not be afraid to ask.” Book Binder nodded silently, prepared to curl up and fall asleep. She waited for a moment however, remaining still as the door opened and shut behind the princess. Once the room was still, Book Binder levitated over a small notebook that she had gotten to replace her old scribe log. She levitated over a quill as well, and cracking the cover open, she wrote, using the light from her horn to see. Her idea was simple, but maybe it could have a big impact on the sleeping human beside her. Journal Entry Day 1 Hello baby boy. The first thing I have to say is that I love you so much, and I will always be proud of you. You’re sleeping beside me right now, and though you’ve had a minor setback, I know you’ll get better. Never stop fighting Elias, and never be afraid. The world can never beat you down badly enough that you can’t rise again, and if it means anything to you, I’ll always be right beside you, ready to help you if you stumble. Love, Book Binder Book Binder smiled at the short entry, then levitated the journal back into her saddlebags. She would need to get up early to get a new notebook, but if she could fill at least one book of messages for her son, she would consider it a success. The unicorn snuggled up tightly to Elias’ back, and sighed as she rested her chin on his shoulder, smiling as she let sleep take her. > Chapter 24: Distractions > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry Day 1101 I’m always a bit surprised when I find stores of food. Of course, it’s never any of the good stuff, but why did people always stock up on random shit? Like really, thirty-seven jars of peanut butter? Why? Why is there an entire cabinet in your house dedicated to just peanut butter? You couldn’t at least put some jelly in there? I am extremely grateful that I never developed a peanut allergy like… . Anyway, it’s good news that I can eat the stuff. I should be able to get it to last at least a month, if not more. Depends if I can find something to put it on, eating raw peanut butter out of the jar is only going to get me by on a jar a day. I wish crackers kept better; I haven’t seen one of those salty fuckers in three months. Always turn to mush if the littlest bit of water gets on them. Elias walked slowly through the halls; his thumbs tucked into his sword belt. Though she was trying to be sneaky, a Royal Guardspony was shadowing him as he wandered aimlessly through the castle corridors. He didn’t know where Book Binder and Night Flash were; the pair had been absent when he woke up. After taking a quick shower and waiting around for a few minutes, Elias had decided to just get his breakfast on his own. After passing a few guard stations, Scarlet had come rocketing around a corner, nearly tackling Elias as he rolled to a stop, his tongue lolling out of his mouth in a pant. The pegasus claimed that he had just seen Elias and tried to catch up, but from the looks he received from some of the guards, Elias suspected that he was supposed to have an escort while wandering about. Why nobody bothered to tell him that, Elias didn’t know. Regardless, Scarlet, after catching his breath, had immediately begun talking about the rest of the guard exercises. When they came upon the cafeteria, they were met by a pacing Granite, who smiled happily when he saw Elias and Scarlet. He didn’t say anything, merely followed right behind them, smiling brightly, his tail wishing back and forth. Elias remained largely silent at the meal, brooding as he watched those around him. A small part of him was nervous about what his fellow guards thought of him, but when he could find no trace of fear from either Scarlet or Granite, it made him genuinely happy. If his friends were willing to move past the incident without issue, he was okay with the rest of the guard treating him as a threat. Unfortunately, he was technically on “vacation”, so when they had to go to their shifts, Elias found himself alone, with nothing to do. He had tried wandering toward the training grounds, but his shadow had, not so subtly, coughed and shook her head when he began walking in that direction. A minor adjustment sent him toward the infirmary, but Scalpel was absent, out on call to some house fire in Canterlot proper. That left him to continue wandering. He thought about who he could talk to, but quickly realized that he had nobody outside of the guard. Night Flash and Book Binder were Guardsponies, as were all of his friends. Luna had to run court, and if not that, she had a dozen other political things to do, so that avenue was a bust. His favorite past times included reading and fighting. He had far too much energy to sit still and read, and he was being actively pushed away from fighting, which left him at a loss. A tinge of worry stitched across his chest as he realized that he hadn’t talked to his adoptive parents in a while. He wondered where… Elias stopped dead in the middle of the hallway, staring into nothing as his mind worked. When had that happened? It wasn’t out loud, and nobody else knew, but he had thought about Night Flash and Book Binder as his parents. Was… was that a bad thing? Wasn’t it something he ultimately wanted? Elias almost wished he would have a panic attack so that his personality would split so he could have somebody to talk to. As he stood, stiff as a plank, he found that his mind decided to leave him be for a moment, and so his thoughts were his and his alone. With that freedom, Elias found himself paralyzed with indecision. Unbeknownst to the now frozen human, Anyon was chasing after a pegasus; a lithe purple maid who had been flirting with the gryphon for weeks. She had challenged him to the old race for lace game, and Anyon knew he could catch the flighty creature this time. He had a real chance with this one, that laugh, those shining eyes… Oh he just knew he had to get her. Maybe they couldn’t make little gryphon babies, but then again, there was that one doctor in the lower Canterlot districts. Anyon heard, primarily through a certain alicorn who seemed to be one of three creatures on the planet that visited him, that the unicorn could make any species compatible, so if he could just focus on that purple tail before him, maybe he could get a few kids of his own. Now that would be a treat. “You’re going to have to move faster than that you old buzzard!” Split Tip sang over her shoulder. Anyon huffed loudly as she darted nimbly around a corner. Damn pegasi could move fast, and he wasn’t as young as he used to be. He had the endurance, but she would end the race before he caught up, and then she’d tease him, just like always. She’d been kind enough to give him a date though, and while he got a bit mixed up with pony and gryphon mating traditions, he thought she had fun. She’d even tried a bit of steak! Sure, she immediately spit it out, but the attempt was there. Anyon rounded the corner, taking a deep breath as he tried to pick up his speed, only to come to a crashing halt as he realized that Split Tip was staring at a certain curled up youngblood, concern written plainly on her face. Anyon took a second to catch his breath before he approached her. Anyon flicked her lightly with his wing as he stood beside her, staring down at Elias. She glanced at him with an apologetic look. “Sorry fuzzy, but that doesn’t count.” Anyon huffed. “Can’t an old bird get somethin’?” Split Tip smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek. “How about a snuggle later? You got closer this time.” Anyon blushed for a second, giving her a jerky nod. “Thanks fer understanding.” The blush dropped as he sighed, looking at the muttering human before him. “Why don’t you go back to work Tip, I think I can handle this, 'least 'till I can get a princess here.” The youngblood looked lost. His eyes seemed vacant as he stared right past the winged creatures standing above him. His legs weren’t quite tucked to his chest, but they were close. His hands hung limply at his side, and his head rested against the stone wall. His mouth moved, and though there was sound coming out, it was nonsensical and soft. Tip leaned against Anyon. “Are you sure? I can run and grab a guard, see if maybe he’s supposed to be with somepony right now.” Anyon shook his head. “Nah, this is somethin’ else. I got a rundown from Princess Luna, he’s free to wander, but it’s lookin’ to me that maybe that wasn’t such a good idea. Go on now, I gotta put on the mean bird act to get him movin’.” Tip chuckled and rubbed against him. “Save some for later Anny. You know I positively love the mean bird act.” Anyon swatted at the pegasus as she danced away, laughing lightly. “Away ya harpy!” Anyon squawked. “Ya know better than to use yer charms in the castle!” “See you later lover!” she called happily as she slipped down another hallway. Anyon blushed again as he grumbled something about pegasi and their fur, then his eye settled on the mumbling human before him. Anyon frowned, kicking the youngblood’s foot. When that didn’t provoke a response, Anyon did it again, this time much harder. The youngblood didn’t so much as twitch. Anyon huffed as he looked around for somebody to pass this off on. All he found was a single Royal Guard trying to remain incognito, who just stared at him with a bored look in her eyes. Anyon glared at the pony “Ain’t this supposed to be your job?” he asked gruffly. The unicorn shrugged. “My orders are to make sure he doesn’t hurt himself or others, whatever else he does with his time is up to him.” Anyon grumbled again as he kicked the youngblood again. When the human didn’t move, Anyon huffed. “Oi, youngblood, get up.” The human remained still. Anyon frowned and waved a hand in front of his face. The human’s eyes didn’t even track the movement. Growling softly, Anyon grabbed hold of the youngblood’s dress and yanked him back and forth while squawking loudly in his face. “Get up ya skinny bastard!” Anyon was pleased when he provoked a reaction out of the human. He was less pleased when that reaction was to lash out with a fist, punching him in the jaw. Anyon fell back with a yelp, clutching his beak as the youngblood looked at him with surprise, his fist pulled back, ready to strike again. “Why are you yelling at me?” Elias asked, stunned at the sight of the gryphon. The hallway had been empty a second ago, where had the bird come from? Anyon snorted as he rubbed his chin. “Ah think ah should be the one askin’ the questions. Why are ya just sittin’ here youngblood? Ya looked off.” Elias opened his mouth to say that he was standing, not sitting, but with the gryphon standing over him, he found that he was definitely sitting. Elias frowned, pushing himself to his feet. He scratched the back of his head as he looked around, finding nothing of note until his eyes settled back on Anyon, who was watching him with curiosity. “You alright youngblood?” Elias looked up and down the hallway, the frown still present on his face. He ran a hand over his face as he took a deep breath. Had he passed out? It clearly wasn’t a panic attack, because Anyon seemed somewhat calm, that and the Royal Guard hadn’t run off. Elias cracked his neck before looking back to the old gryphon. “Fine. Just… lost right now, I guess. I’m usually at work during this time of the night.” Anyon snorted. “Yer tellin’ me ya don’t do anythin’ but work? That sounds awful dull, if’n ya ask me.” Elias shrugged, scratching his ear. “Something to do I guess.” Anyon squinted as he looked the human up and down. He grunted softly. “Are ya really tellin’ me ya don’t do nothin’ but guard stuff? What about yer free time?” Elias shrugged. “I train, or I read,” he replied. He gestured toward the Royal Guard standing nonchalantly behind them. “She won’t let me do the first, and I’m too restless to do the second. I really don’t do much else; work, eat, fight, sleep. It’s simple, but it works most of the time.” “Spoken like a youngblood,” Anyon huffed. He then glared at the black armored unicorn. “Speakin’ o’ you, ah thought ya said you were supposed to stop him from hurtin’ ponies!” he said, gesturing at Elias. “Where were ya when he swung at me?” The unicorn shrugged. “I would hit you if you yelled in my face too. Besides, he didn’t hit you that hard.” Anyon rubbed his jaw and grumbled, glaring at the unicorn briefly before he looked back to Elias, who still felt lost. He couldn’t find anything to focus on, and in truth, there was nothing he really wanted to focus on. Anyon stared at him silently for a moment, then grunted and shook his head, grabbing Elias’ tunic with a claw. “This ain’t gonna do youngblood, we gotta get you doin’ somethin’ and ah know just the place to start.” ***** Luna sighed as she poured over her paperwork while she walked toward the scrying room. The night court had been uneventful, which meant she had to work on some of the overflow from her sister’s court. Four years since her return, and still very few ponies came to petition. Sure, it was largely because the disputes were usually dealt with by a lower court system that hadn’t existed before her banishment, but somepony could make it to her level, right? Either way, the nobles were too lazy to stay up during the night, and they frequently pestered Celestia, so when Luna found a calm night court, followed by a calm dreamscape, she helped sort through the trash to find proposals that had actual merit. Unfortunately, even the honest nobles had to submit massive packets of information that Luna was forced to sift through, line by line, searching for the one sentence that could sign over the kingdom to some greedy pony. While she had no doubts about the intentions of Fancy Pants, she still had to check that the infrastructure improvement bill didn’t have any unnecessary clauses. Such was bureaucracy. Luna trotted past Anyon’s normally quiet smithy, only to stop when she heard a myriad of curses flowing forth. She looked at the door curiously, lighting her horn to check that the sound dampening enchantments were still in place. When she confirmed that they were, she became even more curious. Luna pressed her ear to the door, listening to the two distinct voices go back and forth, in what sounded like two distinct languages. Luna eyed the packet still suspended in her aura, then listened to the sound of something metal being thrown. It was a perfect excuse to delay more paperwork. Luna cracked open the smithy door, and the stream of curses grew louder as she beheld the sight of Anyon screaming at the top of his lungs at Elias, who was screaming right back, his hand hovering over a pair of tongs. Luna could tell that something was in the furnace in front of Elias, but she really couldn’t tell why Anyon was yelling over it. “Look ya daft idiot, ya take it out when ah say ya take it out, not before, not after!” the gryphon squawked. “Or maybe you trust me to actually count to thirty you feathered fuck!” Elias shouted back, ducking under a bar of steel that had been thrown at his head. “You told me thirty seconds, so I’m counting to thirty seconds, now fuck off so I can focus, or I’m going to mess it up!” “Ya already messed it up ya clumsy tall-pony! Ah said to count to thirty, forty seconds ago!” “Not by my count!” Elias replied angrily. Luna counted to six before Elias’ hands dropped on the tongs, pulling out a long, thin piece of glowing steel. Anyon hopped across the smithy in a single flap, trying to snatch the tongs from the shouting human, who almost dropped the heated metal on his foot. The two shouted at each other in a string of foreign curses as Elias shoved the gryphon away from him with an elbow. He then moved quickly toward an anvil, laying the glowing steel across it as he flailed about for a hammer. Anyon provided one, following it quickly with a swing at Elias’ head with his claw. The human took the slap as he swung at the steel, backhanding Anyon across the beak as he pulled the hammer back. The gryphon squawked indignantly. “Ya call that a hit? The steel will be cool by the time it’s hammered flat! Ah’ve had breezies who could swing a hammer better!” Elias ignored him as the hammer came down again, focusing on the task in his hands. Anyon fell silent as he watched over Elias’ shoulder, occasionally making minute adjustments to the man’s posture. Anyon glanced up to find Luna watching the pair with no small amount of confusion. He gave her a small wave before he zeroed back in on Elias’ swings. “A bit softer now lad, ya got it where ya need to start makin’ the small changes. Little taps now, keep ‘em fast and low.” Elias responded silently to the advice, hammering across the piece of steel. He raised the steel before his eyes, then laid it back down, stepping out of the way so that Anyon could get a closer look. The gryphon frowned as he handled the steel, what looked to Luna like a knife blade. He turned the still glowing metal over in his talons, then nodded as he laid it back on the anvil. “Look close youngblood, ya almost got it perfect this time.” He snatched a hammer from the racks suspended above their heads and began tapping near the point of the knife. “Ya made the tip a bit thick, nothin’ we can’t fix, but it’ll make it a beast to sharpen down later on if we don’t get it now.” Elias nodded. “Is that something I’ll learn to eyeball with practice?” Anyon nodded as he raised the blade before his eyes. “That it is youngblood. Takes years, but you’ll get it.” Anyon grinned before dropping the blade into the quenching bucket. He let it sit for a moment before pulling it back out, inspecting the blade once more. He motioned for Elias to get close. “Now ya see there? That’s what ya should be aimin’ for fer a blade like this. Keep the tip thin like the rest of the blade, but not so much that it’s gonna snap off when ya cut into a bar o’ soap.” Anyon patted the human on the back as he dropped the blade back into the water bucket. “Good work for yer first time youngblood, now start fillin’ the furnace again. Ya let it get too low, and yer lucky the steel stayed as hot as it did.” Elias rolled his eyes and gave Anyon his middle finger as he walked toward the back of the smithy, snatching up a shovel on the way. Luna felt her confusion at the rapid shifts in conversational tone creep across her face. Anyon looked at her with a grin. “Evenin’ Princess,” he said, “what can ah do for ya?” “I heard the sounds of an argument coming from within your workshop and decided to investigate, as you are usually alone. I certainly did not expect to find Guardsman Bright in here with you.” She glanced around the gryphon as Elias came back to the front, stripped to his undergarment and pulling a large cart weighed down with what looked like coal. The human didn’t acknowledge anyone as he let the handle drop. He stabbed into the pile of coal with a shovel, guiding it over to the furnaces. Anyon looked over his shoulder at the human and snorted. “Aye, just teachin’ the youngblood a bit about the craft. Found him wanderin’ all crazy like, so ah decided to give him somethin’ to do. Too bad he’s got the blacksmithin’ sense of a foal!” Anyon finished with a squawk. “I blame my teacher,” Elias replied without looking up. “A good workpony never blames his tools,” Anyon snapped at him. Elias smirked. “Anyon, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you just called yourself a tool.” Anyon snorted again, looking back to Luna. “He aint’ terrible, and he can do the heavy lifting, so he’s good enough for me. Do ya need him?” “I suppose we could begin our nightly activities early,” Luna replied. “What was your argument about? We have been cataloging Elias’ aggressive periods in hopes of finding what spurs his anger.” Anyon tilted his head in confusion. “Argument?” He looked back to Elias, who met his confused stare with a shrug before continuing to shovel coal. Anyon looked back to Luna. “We weren’t havin’ no argument. We were just workin’ in here. Ah was givin’ the youngblood pointers and such.” “By yelling at each other?” Luna asked in disbelief. Anyon shrugged, looking to Elias again. “Just talkin’, ain’t we youngblood?” The human nodded, wiping his brow as he leaned on the shovel. Elias squinted at Luna. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed Princess, but everyone seems awfully prim and proper around here. I try to keep it toned back, but Anyon is the only person who actually speaks like a normal person.” He stabbed the shovel into the pile, putting one last scoop into the furnace before setting the shovel down. “It’s actually been nice to cut loose and swear. If I so much as say the word “fuck” these days without some reason behind it, I get looks like I just murdered a small child. It’s just a word, yet everybody gets up in arms about it.” He shook his head and sighed. “I do not understand it, but it’s not an issue, I guess. Already made the change, so who fucking cares?” Anyon grinned and nodded, grabbing a towel from the overhang to toss at Elias. The human caught it deftly as he snatched up his tunic and his sword belt, wiping himself down as he walked to the front of the smithy. “So, what do you need me for Princess?” Elias asked. “Have you spoken with Book Binder or Night Flash today?” Luna asked, answering his question with a question. Elias wiped off his hands, tossing the towel into a corner far from the furnaces. HE shook his head as he pulled his tunic over his head. “Can’t say I have. They were gone from my room before I got up.” Luna smiled. “Excellent, then we must be off. There is much that needs done this night.” She turned to leave the room while Elias looked a question to Anyon, who shrugged in non-answer. Elias sighed and made his way around the counter, following Luna into the much brighter, and cooler, hallway. He briefly wished that he had more to wear, and he made a note to go and talk to the tailor later about getting some winter clothes. Luna smiled at him as she motioned for him to follow. Elias fell in behind her, frowning at the back of her head as she led him through a maze of corridors. “So Guardsman Bright, did you enjoy your time with Anyon?” Luna asked, making small talk. Elias shrugged. “I guess. It was definitely refreshing from all of the soft pony stuff.” He scratched his head. “I think I’m going to start visiting him more often, he seems much more… human really. Ponies are nice to be around and all, but sometimes I just feel out of place.” He chuckled. “Even when I can pick fights with some of the other guards.” “Out of place?” Luna echoed. “Yeah,” Elias agreed, “Humans and ponies aren’t that different from each other, barring the obvious differences, but sometimes ponies seem too… cuddly?” Elias shrugged. “I don’t know, I just think that if I was anywhere except a castle full of the more aggressive ponies in Equestria, I’d lose my mind. At least anyone who is in the guard sort of understands where I’m coming from.” “Would it be accurate to say that pony culture is more of a shock compared to your experience with gryphon culture?” Luna asked. They were getting close to the room, and if Elias thought ponies were too cuddly now… Elias shrugged again. “I guess.” A sigh escaped his lips. “I don’t know, it’s complicated. My friends are great, and I care about all of them and wouldn’t trade them for anything, but…” “But…?” Luna pressured. “But, I can’t “shoot the shit” with them,” Elias said. “They don’t swear, and they’re not competitive conversationalists. Sometimes I just want someone to yell at me for no reason so I can yell and swear right back, and then we go on with our day like nothing happened.” Elias shrugged for a third time. “It might be a human concept of friendship, but I feel like every conversation here is trying to find some deeper meaning, rather than just be some relaxing nothing. Even with Book Binder and Night Flash, it feels… strained. Like we have nothing to relate about.” He sighed. “And I guess that’s partly my fault. My interests are fighting and history about fighting. It doesn’t exactly open a lot of avenues for conversation.” Luna remained silent as she thought out an appropriate response. “Have you considered trying to find new interests?” she asked. “You say you lack a friend to, quote; “shoot the shit” with, but it rather seemed like you enjoyed working with Anyon.” She smiled over her shoulder at Elias. “That old gryphon needs more friends anyway, and I would have no qualms with adjusting your guard schedule to occasionally let you help him with his smithing duties. Would such an arrangement be of interest to you?” Elias tilted his head back and forth as he rolled his tongue in his cheek. “Sure, I think that would be fine with me,” he paused, then added; “though I wouldn’t want to impose on Anyon. If he doesn’t want me there, I don’t want to intrude.” Luna scoffed. “What he wants is not part of the equation. What he needs is somepony else to talk to. Besides myself, and recently one of my maids, he is alone in that shop of his.” She looked back at Elias. “Much like you, he isolates himself, partly because of the cultural differences you have identified as a positive. For those who are not used to his aggressive conversation style, he can be… vexing.” Elias snorted. “That’s a funny way to say, “speaks like everyone should”.” Luna rolled her eyes. “Quite.” They came upon their destination, and Luna did her best to disguise her smile as she paused before the closed door. She calmly looked Elias up and down, snorting slightly at the smell of burnt hair and charcoal on the man. Still, even with a few black spots, he was clean enough for what came next. She cleared her throat as she met Elias’ eyes. “Guardsman, today will be an exercise of your choosing, designed to either draw out your inner anguish, or provide a method for relief of inner turmoil. This door,” She said, gesturing at the closed and silent door before them, “leads to Book Binder, Night Flash, and an array of ponies that have been chosen for a “special” reason.” Elias’ eyes narrowed. “What reason?” he asked suspiciously. Luna smiled mischievously. “You shall see if you choose it.” Elias glanced at the door, then back to Luna. He crossed his arms. “And what is the other option?” he asked. Luna gestured down the hallway. “The other choice is to have a long, detailed conversation with one of the psychologists I have hired to observe your behavior these past months. Observation is useful, but truthful answers from your mouth are much more insightful. I shall let Book Binder or Night Flash come along for this task to help you remain calm, but I shall not allow both.” Elias had several questions, but the most important one in his mind was about the “observing” part. “How long, and how much have I been spied on?” Luna waved a hoof. “Fear not Elias, the observers only watch when you exit your room, or when you are inside with one of your friends. Any private things, like changing or showering, were only observed by myself, and even that wasn’t every day.” Elias looked at in her in disbelief. “And how is that supposed to make me feel better?” He blinked stupidly. “Wait, you’ve been watching me shower?” Luna scoffed. “You act like I have been peeping on you. I have been observing your bathing behaviors to see what consistencies, if any, you have between showers, evaluating how you bathe based on the stress of the day. Even if I was just watching to watch you in the nude, the scrying spell makes sure to cover any private areas that would normally be hidden by your underclothes. Besides, it is common for ponies to bathe together Elias, there is nothing on your nude person that I have not seen before, however impressive it may be.” Luna flushed red when she realized what she said, and her expression was matched by Elias, who now refused to meet her eyes. “I’m going to ignore that and decidedly go with the second option, if for no better reason than to determine if I’m going to attack the shrink that’s been watching me every day.” Luna grumbled as she stared at the closed door. “Of course you did,” she mumbled. “Couldn’t just win me a few bits.” Elias raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “What was that Princess?” She waved her hoof dismissively. “It is of no import to you, which pony do you want to come with you for comfort?” Elias thought for a second. On one hand, Book Binder would likely be the more effective choice with all of the mother stuff, but then again, Night Flash had a very good track record for catching his panic attacks. The pegasus seemed to react with lightning quick reflexes, comforting Elias before he even realized he was having an attack. Elias frowned. He didn’t want to hurt Book Binder’s feelings though, would she mind if he picked Night Flash over her? Or for that matter, would Night Flash feel left out if he picked Book Binder? Elias ran his hand through his facial hair, then looked to Luna, who was watching him carefully. “Are you sure I can’t take both? I don’t want one of them to feel shorted.” Luna groaned again, much louder this time, and she slapped herself in the face. “Why did I make that bet? Guardsman, you are destroying all of my expectations… and my royal bank account!” Her head thudded into the wall. “Why must you act as you do?” Elias smirked at the princess. “I live to disappoint. For curiosities sake, who are you making bets with?” “That would be me!” Nightshade said cheerfully as she popped into view beside Luna. Elias briefly wondered how long she had been there; he had forgotten she could turn invisible. He wondered if it was something special in her armor. Luna grumbled as she handed the thestral a comically oversized bag of bits from beneath her wings. “Here is your payment Captain, though you may lose it if Guardsman Bright succeeds in the third phase of tonight’s exercise.” Nightshade snorted. “Please, ten minutes? Piece of cake. Doctor Rubber Glove won’t last five.” “Rubber Glove?” Elias echoed. “That has certain implications that I don’t think I want to address.” Luna scoffed. “Doctor Glove is an expert in matters of the mind. He came all the way from Baltimare to observe and speak with you. I had my doubts that you would be willing to speak with him, but now that those fears have been assuaged, I have no doubts that you two will speak for a great amount of time, especially since you will have both of your guards with you.” Elias scowled as he felt a minute pang in his chest. “Ugh, don’t refer to Book Binder and Night Flash like that. It makes having them around feel… impersonal.” “And that agitates you?” Luna asked. Elias’ eye twitched. “More than I like, can we get started already? I don’t like all of this standing around.” Luna snorted, but nodded. She made to move down the hall, but Nightshade stopped her. “Uh Princess, I already moved Doctor Glove into this room.” She smiled widely at Elias. “I knew Guardsman Bright wouldn’t let me down, so I took the liberty of getting everything set up in a comfortable environment.” Luna frowned at the pony. “This room has windows, does it not?” Nightshade nodded. “And the other room didn’t, don’t think I forgot about the second half of our bet. It’s double if he throws Glove out the window.” She grinned, cocking her head. “You weren’t trying to skip out on that, were you Princess?” Luna grumbled more as she glared at Nightshade, who stood up straight, an innocent smile on her face. Luna sighed and looked to Elias. “Please just… Please just keep your violent reactions to a minimum. Doctor Glove can be a bit… zealous in his methods, and I really need a win today. Eleven minutes is all I ask.” Nightshade tsked. “Princess, you shouldn’t force Elias not to act out his emotions. Suppressing that kind of thing could be bad for him…” Luna’s head whipped toward the thestral. “That is why I did not give him an order Captain. He is free to act as he wishes.” Luna gave Elias what he imagined was supposed to be a sultry look, which only served to make him uncomfortable. “Though I would be perfectly willing to reward a certain human for assisting me in my victory.” Elias gave her a look of discomfort. “You make me want to lose with that expression.” Luna pouted at him while Nightshade giggled. The thestral elbowed the alicorn, grinning at her. “Go on Princess, tell Bright what his reward would have been, I’m sure that’ll make this even funnier.” Luna flushed red, which Elias took as a sign that whatever it was, it was most definitely not what he would consider a reward. “I just wished to take him to see my old castle,” Luna grumbled. “He had indicated that he had an interest in exploring.” Elias blinked. “Really? That actually sounds great.” Luna perked up instantly, her normal flowing tail wagging slightly. “Truly?” she asked excitedly. “Because I wished to take you to the Everfree to see it! The ruins have been unoccupied for years, and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to see more of Equestria!” Elias felt a grin touch his face. “That actually sounds like fun. Who wouldn’t want to explore some ruins? It’s something straight out of a Daring Doo book.” Nightshade groaned and face hoofed as she passed the bag of bits back to Luna, who cheered. “Come on Bright, you lived in a post apocalypse wasteland, and even you got sucked into those lame books? What is everypony’s thing about those things?” Elias shrugged. “Book Binder read them to me, and she does a bunch of the voices, so they seem to really pop. Dragged me in a book at a time.” Luna stuck her tongue out at Nightshade. “See Captain? It was a bonding experience. Those “lame books” serve as a positive influence.” She hefted the bag, and grinned widely. “That bet has been building silently for over a month, oh joyous day.” She smiled brightly at Elias. “Thank you, Guardsman, you have done well this night! Now all you need to do is survive ten minutes with Doctor Glove, and this night shall be truly profitable.” Elias then found himself lurching through the air as Luna opened the door and tossed him into a waiting chair. Book Binder and Night Flash both blinked in surprise at his sudden entrance, but the latter quickly found a place in Elias’ lap while the former crawled onto his shoulders as she untied his hair and began to brush it out. The yellow unicorn before him tutted and wrote down a few notes on his clipboard before he looked up at Elias and smiled widely. “Well Mister Bright, I think we can begin!” Elias heard a loud click behind him, and he half turned to look at the door. “What was that?” he asked. The unicorn smiled. “Just ensuring you can’t duck out early Mister Bright, I want to get the full hour with you.” Elias’ eyes narrowed as he stared at the pony. Night Flash sighed, guiding the human’s hand up to his ears. ***** Luna and Nightshade both flapped just outside of the room where Elias’ session with Doctor Glove was taking place, staring at the watch as if their lives depended on it. The seconds ticked by painfully for the both of them as the small hand neared the ten-minute mark. Luna licked her lips in anticipation as it crawled ever closer to the cutoff, while Nightshade gnawed on her lip, praying desperately that the shouts they were currently listening to would escalate further. She knew she shouldn’t, but she really wanted the bits the bet would win her back. She needed the money to begin to prepare her master plan to win a certain stallion’s heart. Luna cheered silently as the hand passed ten minutes. Nightshade groaned softly. She then threw up her hooves as the good doctor came through the window three seconds later. While Luna caught the unicorn in her magic, Nightshade flew through the window, scowling at Elias, who matched her scowl with one of his one. The human was clenching and unclenching his fist while an irritated Book Binder and Night Flash glared at the window where Rubber Glove had made a fast, forced exit. Nightshade wasn’t focused on that, however. “Really Bright?” she snapped. “You couldn’t have done that twenty seconds ago? Now I owe Princess Luna like fifty bits! And you made me lose all my gains from earlier!” Elias snorted dismissively as he sat back down. Night Flash hopped back into his lap, settling like a cat on his lap, where Elias’ hand quickly found his way to the pegasus’ ears. Nightshade briefly wished she could trade places with the pony. Those ear scratches looked really good, and those fingers… Nightshade shook her head, trying to find her irritation as Luna touched lightly back into the room with Rubber Glove in tow. The unicorn brushed himself off as he was set back on his feet. He huffed loudly. “Well, if that’s how you want to act, I believe I shall remain as strictly an observer. I was made to believe you were open to any and all options that would improve your temperament, but it would seem that I am mistaken.” Book Binder growled at the unicorn as she settled back on Elias’ shoulders. “I suggest Doctor that you not talk to us about your “solutions” again. If Elias hadn’t put your through that window, I definitely would have, and believe me, I would not have been as gentle.” Luna frowned as she looked between Book Binder and Rubber Glove. The unicorns glared at each other hatefully. “I fear I share Doctor Glove’s surprise Guardspony, I would have expected finding a solution for Elias’ aggression would have been a top priority for you.” “I apologize Princess, but I will not neuter my baby boy because he hurts the occasional pony, especially since, so far, they have absolutely deserved it.” Luna felt her blood go cold at the unicorn's words, and she and Nightshade turned to glare at Rubber Glove. The unicorn flinched under their intense gazes. He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. “P-Princess, it is not so drastic a solution. Mister Bright is very similar in nature to the gorillas we have in the Baltimare zoo. One of the great apes had an issue getting along with the rest, but a quick snip later and he was as docile as a puppy. I thought perhaps I would mention the solution as a last-ditch effort.” He cowered when Luna’s glare intensified. “It was just a hypothetical of course.” Luna closed her eyes and took a deep breath to avoid throwing the pony out of the window herself. When she opened them, her steely demeanor did nothing to comfort Rubber Glove as the unicorn continued backing away, squeaking as his rump hit the wall. “Doctor Glove, I find that I no longer have need of your services,” Luna said coldly. “I tasked you to find a way to ease Guardsman Bright’s internal suffering, so that he may find his peaceful center. All of this would help him to act less aggressively in his day to day interactions, not to remove his aggression completely. What I did not task was to treat him like a misbehaving dog.” Her snarl caused Glove to flinch. He wisely remained silent as Luna continued. “To suggest such a thing is an affront to the oaths you have sworn as a medical practitioner, and rest assured, the proper authorities will be told of your little “hypothetical”. Pray that you have not suggested similar ideas elsewhere in your practice.” She looked to Nightshade, who looked like she was a second away from jumping the pony. “Take Doctor Glove to his room, and have him on a train to Baltimare within the hour. Tell the rest of the doctors that they will clear out if they shared in this “idea”. I will not stand this sort of talk. It is abhorrent and cruel, at the very least, and if any of them are found to be in possession of such an idea in their observation notes and they do not leave this night, they will be punished.” Nightshade nodded and saluted crisply. She stalked up to Glove, grabbing him roughly. The unicorn flinched as he walked by Elias and his parents, with each giving him a nasty glare as he cowered away. As the door slammed behind the pair, Luna sighed deeply. “Guardsman Bright, Guardsponies Night Flash and Book Binder, I offer my sincerest apologies. Doctor Rubber Glove was said to be the best psychologist in Baltimare, even with eccentricities. I assure you that his practice will be thoroughly investigated for this. I had no idea that his oddities could become so… ugly.” Elias nodded blankly, his anger vanishing with the unicorn gone from the room. “It’s fine Princess, he’s gone now, and you got rid of everyone like him, so we shouldn’t have issues. He’s just lucky I got to him first.” Book Binder snorted in agreement. “I’d show him what aggressive meant. Stupid know-nothing, bone headed…” Elias leaned back against the unicorn’s chest fluff, staring up at her silently. Book Binder sighed, then laid herself over his face, smothering the human as she hugged his head. “Don’t worry baby, I’ll never let anypony get at you like that.” Elias grunted, and he continued scratching Night Flash’s ears while the pegasus glared at the carpet darkly. Luna turned to the window, casting a spell to restore its solid glass pane. As the shards filtered back into place, she sighed again, rubbing at her forehead. If Elias didn’t like the idea of dealing with a psychologist before, he definitely wouldn’t like it now that Night Flash and Book Binder were stacked against the idea. Despite her victory in the bet, the experiment had not turned out as she had hoped. Taking a deep breath once more, Luna looked to Elias, who had a single eye poking free from Book Binder’s fluff. Every time he exhaled; the unicorn would giggle softly as his breath ruffled her tummy fur. The sight brought a smile to Luna’s face. “I again apologize Elias, had I known that Doctor Glove would recommend a treatment such as that, I would never have considered him to speak with you.” Elias waved her apology away. “It’s fine Princess, he’s gone, it’s done. Do I still get to go to the ruins you mentioned though?” Luna sighed and shook her head as she smiled at the human. “Of course Elias, it will take some time to free up my schedule, but we shall go to my old castle as soon as possible.” Elias gave her a thumbs up, then scooped up Night Flash while also swiping Book Binder from his head. The two ponies squirmed and griped at the human as Elias laughed at them, carrying both under his arms as he walked from the room. > Chapter 25: The Castle in the Everfree: The Armory > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry Day 750 I wish water was easier to find. Everything is poison, and I mean everything. Plants are dead, some cities are untouchable because of the radiation, even years after they got nuked. I’m just lucky we were out in the middle of nowhere, not that it helped anyone else because there’s still plenty of houses that are mostly untouched. Wish I could go swimming though. Unfortunately, there isn’t any water big enough to swim in without growing a tail or something. I kinda want to try drawing for fun, but I don’t know if I should save my journal pages. Who knows though? I doodle sometimes in my old history books, but there isn’t a lot of space. Elias regretted many of the decisions that he had made in his life, and this one was notable amongst them as he tried to swim against the weight of his armor. Only discarding his helmet and shield was not a wise decision, and he likely should have taken the time to strip fully, but when he saw the body of water, his mind snapped and demanded that he had to jump in. It felt like a primal urge, like he would die if he wasn’t in the water immediately. Elias would have laughed if he had any air in his lungs. ‘Stupid monkey brain,’ he thought. ‘Now I’m going to die because I dived in without thinking. Like an idiot.’ As he felt magic seize the back of his armor and wrench him upward toward the sunlight, Elias remembered the brief set of events that led to him diving into the small lake dressed in full armor. After the appointment with Rubber Glove, one other doctor had been dismissed, with all of his colleagues shaming him out the door. As it turned out, most of the group consisted of mares, a solid four out of the six, and both of the stallions had come up with the same blunt force solution for Elias’ emotional issues. Since they had been observing the session with Glove, the mares immediately turned on their squirrely associate, and the pegasus was sent back to Cloudsdale with the threat of a revoked medical license. The remaining psychologists had then begged Luna for a face-to-face meeting, in which they apologized profusely to Elias, Book Binder, and Night Flash. They re-affirmed that they were only trying to find appropriate solutions, and that they would not rest until they had helped him find mental peace. Luna had monitored their actions closely, keeping the doctors under a strong truth spell as they all spoke. After that, Luna thought it best to put Elias back on a half guard shift to get him back into the normal swing of things. He had been welcomed back with open arms by a select group of ponies, but since it included all of his friends, as well as ponies that were normally friendly toward him, like Nightshade and Midnight Chaser, Elias found that he was comfortable with the cautious glares he received once more. What the general guards thought didn’t matter to him one bit, as long as he had his friends, he could cope. He had also had his first Royal Guard training course, and Elias had mixed feelings about it. On one hand, the physical portion felt extremely rewarding as Chaser pushed him to his physical limits, primarily through a lot of running and push-ups, but also via the occasional wrestling ambush by the pegasus. Sure, he got yelled at by Book Binder for coming to dinner with a black eye and a busted lip, but Chaser did too, so he counted it as a win. The other side of training was strange, however. Since he didn’t have magic, Bloody Bandage had to teach him the manual way to perform an assortment of tasks that Royal Guards were expected to know. Some; like diagnosing and treating an injury, were simple enough, they would just require practice to make his life saving decisions fast enough. Others, like detecting illusions, were beyond Elias. The unicorn had told him there were little things to watch for when looking for magical fakes, but Elias always failed to spot them, and had to rely on guessing to pick out the illusions. The strategy earned him several scoldings, followed by another mountain of physical punishment as Chaser lived up to his name, pursuing Elias round and round the training area, yelling in his ear the entire time. Ignoring his minor failures, both Midnight Chaser and Bloody Bandage had commended him on his opening performance, and the pair had left together to craft a schedule that they would follow to work on Elias’ trouble spots, while also not letting his good areas fall into disrepair. By the end of the week, things felt almost normal, and Elias felt that he had successfully caged the animal White Shine had let loose. The news got even better when Luna announced a brief two-day venture to her old castle. The party she assembled just happened to consist of everyone he liked as well, with Bloody Bandage acting as the group healer, while Scarlet, Book Binder, Night Flash, and Nightshade came as the guard detail for Luna. Elias thought it a bit odd that he was listed as “Personal Bodyguard” for Luna, when everyone else was just listed as “Guard” on the order, but he attributed it to the princess wanting to keep a close eye on him. They had left Canterlot early in the afternoon, teleported across the miles in an instant by Luna. The teleport was surprisingly tame compared to the one during the exercise, and Elias was able to hold down his breakfast as they prepared to set to work establishing a base camp outside the castle. Something had caught Elias’ eye instantly however, and the crystal-clear blue waters of the lake invited him like a siren song. Elias coughed and hacked as he was dangled upside down. Three ponies glared at him in obvious anger, though Elias was mildly surprised that Luna was one of them. She let Elias flop onto the beach, where Book Binder proceeded to jump on top of him with a towel in her magic, wiping him down as she glared daggers at the human, daring him to move. Night Flash quickly joined in, though he did less drying than he did aggressive snuggling and pinning. Luna frowned at him as she let the two ponies work. “Do you care to explain your actions Guardsman? Without a word to anyone you sprinted into a deep body of water with full armor and proceeded to nearly drown. Was that your intention?” Elias smiled weakly at her. “If you’ll believe me, the answer is no. It’s just been forever since I’ve been for a swim and the water just… sparked something. I felt like a kid at the swimming pool for a second.” He sighed and laid back. “Sorry Princess, I didn’t think.” He frowned and his eyebrows furrowed. “Been doing that a lot lately. I have no idea why. It’s like…” He paused. “I don’t know. I seem to get more… urges? I don’t know. My instincts are suddenly going haywire and I have no idea why.” Luna tilted her head. “Could it have something to do with the Royal Assessment and the subsequent fight with White Shine? The reports were very clear that you seemed like a different person.” Elias shrugged, wincing as Night Flash danced across his chest to snuggle his left arm. “It hasn’t happened in the past. I’ve never had split personalities, and I don’t see how one little beating, nasty it might have been, could suddenly cause me to act a fool.” He scowled, then shook his head. “I’ll get it under control Princess. Sorry for making an ass of myself.” Elias hissed as Book Binder smacked the back of his head with her armored hoof. “You should be sorry, making me worry like that.” The unicorn then did her best to wrap around his head, but huffed in aggravation when she couldn’t find an angle that allowed her chest fluff past her armor. It gave Elias a moment to breathe, and when she continued to be unsuccessful, he stood up, giving her a quick scratch under the chin as he cast about for his discarded shield and helmet. Luna levitated them over, her eyes searching Elias’ as their gazes met. The alicorn was clearly looking for something abnormal, but Elias had nothing for her. The urge to go to the water, as suddenly as it had come, had vanished, and he felt normal; calm. He took the helmet, plopping it atop one of his pilla as he turned away silently, walking toward the stack of gear that the ponies had insisted on bringing. Why they weren’t simply using sleeping bags and the castle for cover, Elias didn’t know, but he wasn’t about to argue since Luna had magically transported it all. He snatched his well-weathered ruck from the stack of gear, and moved off to a copse of trees near the shoreline. Laying his weapons against one of the trees, Elias undid the top flap of his ruck and removed the large tarp he had gotten from the castle quartermaster. The pony had given him a strange look when he had asked for the piece of cloth when everyone else was asking for a tent, but Elias knew what he wanted. A lesson he learned quickly was to never carry something that couldn’t be used in at least five ways, and unfortunately, a tent fit that description. The tarp was lighter and took up less space anyway, so after fetching the bundle of rope from his ruck, Elias set to work, breaking off some of the smaller tree branches to use as tent stakes for his lean-to. It took his well-practiced hands less than a minute to get set up, and Elias quickly moved to the second part. After covering the dirt with a healthy bed of leaves, Elias moved to the edge of the water with knife in hand, locating and cutting away enough reeds to make a sleeping pad. He would need to let the reeds dry before he laid down his sleeping bag, but with the sun still shining, it wouldn’t be much longer than an hour before his bed was ready. Elias stretched tall as he looked to the ponies, all with tents in various states of completion, all of whom were staring at him as if he had grown a third eye. Elias yawned and scratched his chin. “What?” he asked Book Binder, who just so happened to be the closest. The unicorn glared at him. “What do you mean what? Where is your tent Elias?” Elias took a step to the side and gestured toward his lean-to. Book Binder gave him a deadpan look. “Elias you know full well that that little thing isn’t a tent. Maybe a pretend tent that foals use during the day, but not something that ponies actually sleep in.” Elias shrugged. “Good thing I’m not a pony then, isn’t it? That,” he said, pointing at his lean-to, “is all the tent I’ve ever needed. It’s light, easy to maintain, and keeps the rain off. Can’t ask for anything better in a tent.” Book Binder rolled her eyes and huffed loudly. She didn’t say anything else as she continued helping Night Flash put up their shared tent. Elias stretched again as he watched the ponies work for a moment, then he stripped off his wrist guards, as well as his cuirass. He rolled his shoulders to limber them up, and reached for his shield. He then tossed his helmet onto his reed bed as he strapped the rectangular shield on his back. Feeling lighter and ultimately refreshed from his near drowning experience, Elias moved quickly to the supply pile, snatching up a shovel as he set to work. First, he moved toward the treeline, digging a shallow trench for a bathroom. Once he was satisfied that it was wide enough, he moved back toward the lake. Here he dug another hole, keeping it wide but shallow as he scanned about for sizable stones. Once the hole was good enough to fit his needs, Elias circled it with half a dozen broad, flat stones, acting as a wall between the soon-to-be firepit and the grass of their camp. Once he finished digging the pits, Elias moved back to the supply pile, stacking the large crates into manageable stacks. For some reason, Luna had decided that they needed a weeks’ worth of food, as well as a fully functioning stove for their two-night trip. While he wasn’t complaining about the excess, Elias wondered who she expected to cook it all. His skill ended at a campfire and a frying pan, where just about anything could be burned into edibleness. Especially the fuzzier foods. It wasn’t moldy if the mold was on fire. It was well after sunset before Elias, with the help of Night Flash and Scarlet Shield, finished stacking the crates in their appropriate piles. Nightshade fired up the stove, and she and Book Binder began prepping dinner while Bloody Bandage stood watch, glaring stoically into the dark of the woods. While the pair of ponies cooked, Elias began to collect firewood. As he returned to his fire pit with another stack of branches and logs, Book Binder gave him a curious look. “What’s all that for Elias?” Elias balanced the weighty branches on one arm as he crouched down and began building a teepee. “Warmth, light, the usual. I’d say cooking as well,” he glanced over his shoulder at the large set of burners, “but apparently it isn’t needed.” Nightshade rolled her eyes. “I don’t know how somebody like you can be so sheltered Bright, but I’m going to guess you’ve never had to use the extra features your armor is enchanted with.” Elias sighed as he dropped the bundle onto the ground and drew his lighter from a pouch on his belt, using his knife to create a bed of wood shavings to light the fire with. “Don’t have magic Captain. Can’t say that enough.” He grabbed some dry grass as well, creating a fine bed of tinder. Elias quickly showered the bed with sparks, and as it began to light, he broke the twigs from his branch pile, slowly building the fire until it would burn through larger logs. Orange light filtered dimly across the clearing just as the moon rose and Luna exited from her tent. She blinked as she stared into the flames for a moment, then she looked to Elias who was still crouched beside it. “A camp tradition of yours Guardsman?” Elias shrugged. “Can’t use magic for everything. Maybe you all are fine at night, but for me, it gets dark, chilly, and nasty when the beasts come out to play. The fire should keep them away for a little while though.” Luna scoffed. “Guardsman, as long as I am here, the beasts of the Everfree wouldn’t dare attack our camp. They can smell an alicorn, and they know what they will face should they challenge me. As for the cold, I am more than sure Guardsponies Book Binder and Night Flash would have little issue sharing their tent with you.” Elias snapped another branch in two as he poked at the fire, ensuring that the logs wouldn’t collapse when they burned through. “You’re probably right Princess, but then Book Binder would use it like leverage. She already has far too much blackmail against me, I can’t well throw fuel at that fire.” The green unicorn snorted and shook her head. “Elias, you full well know that I would never try to blackmail you. The fact that you would think that of me is, quite frankly, insulting.” Elias looked up from the fire and met her eyes. “You’re telling me there isn’t some sort of party or event on your calendar that you want me to come with you, that we both know that I won’t go to? You won’t at least make the attempt of forcing me to go by using some kind of leverage?” Book Binder opened her mouth to deny the accusation, but then she frowned in thought, staring at the pot of boiling soup. She sighed and shook her head. “Dang it Elias, if you weren’t my baby boy I would be mad that you’re clever enough to think about that kind of thing. Nothing is happening really soon, but still. There’s bound to be something that I want you to come to.” Elias spread his hands in victory at his proven point, then he looked back to the fire, giving it a few more pokes before he got to his feet. As he started to crack his collection of wood into more manageable pieces, Nightshade called for dinner. Elias continued to work for a moment, waiting while everyone lined up to get their servings. Only after everyone else had gotten food did he move to the stove, scooping himself a bowl of the bean soup the ponies had made. He snorted while he snatched up a roll. Despite their mockery, the ponies flocked like flies to a lantern, sitting around the campfire in a circle as they relaxed and chatted. Elias plopped down between Book Binder and Luna. The unicorn smiled at him for a moment before she and Bloody Bandage continued their quiet conversation. Elias didn’t bother with a spoon as he ate; he simply drank the hot soup, ignoring the burning sensation he felt on his tongue. Finishing the meal the fastest, he used the bread rolls to clean his bowl out, leaving it without any obvious trace of food as he popped the soggy bread in his mouth. Luna gave him a funny look as she watched him eat, then cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “As you all know, this expedition of ours is intended to identify and recover any dangerous artifacts that may have been left in my old castle. I do not wish for anything to fall into the wrong hooves simply because of negligence.” She looked to Nightshade. “Captain, you and Guardsponies Book Binder and Night Flash will be responsible for protecting our camp and preparing the equipment we shall need for our complete search tomorrow. Royal Guardspony Bandage, Guardsman Bright, and I shall conduct a short scouting mission tonight to see if we can locate any undestroyed areas of note.” She rose to her feet, levitating her bowl back near the stove. A glance to his left saw Bloody Bandage doing the same. Elias gave a short sigh before he got up, setting his bowl down as he took the canteen from his belt, taking a quick swig of water as Bloody Bandage put her helmet on. The unicorn moved to stand beside Luna, so Elias did the same. Luna cocked her head as she looked at him. “Do you not wish to take your armor Guardsman?” Elias shrugged and scratched at his ear. “If we’re just scouting then it will be easier without it. I can stay quieter and move faster. Besides, it’s not like I’m leaving my shield behind.” Luna looked like she wanted to argue the point, but she decided to remain silent as she turned away, leading them through the forest on a path she seemed to know well. It took them a few minutes, but the tall grey walls of the Castle of the Two Sisters came into view. Bathed in moonlight, it made an intimidating sight. Though it was in a state of heavy disrepair, the walls and towers were still daunting to look at, and Elias could only smile as a slight shiver of irrational nervousness raced up his spine. He almost wished the ponies would walk faster so that they could get closer to the structure sooner. Luna took her time, however, and from the look on her face, Elias could tell that seeing her old home in such a state was painful for her. Unfortunately, he had a hard time relating to that feeling. After years of picking through decayed, dead buildings, Elias had become numb to the sight, and as they crossed the frayed rope bridge that led to the castle, his eyes began flicking around, searching for anything that looked slightly less faded or unbroken. He imagined once they were inside his scavenger instincts would return in full, and it drove his excitement up just a little more. The front doors were already blown wide open as they walked up the stone steps, and Elias could see that time had not been gentle to the exposed interior. Much like the dozens of government buildings he had plundered, everything was in tatters. What had been a rug or carpet of some kind was in barely recognizable tatters, its color diluted by years of exposure to the elements. What spots of carpet did exist were coated with black mold, making them remnants look like little more than pockets of moss. The walls were adorned with tattered banners that were all stained black and green with water damage, the previous emblazonment destroyed after centuries of rain. It had been dry for the past couple days, otherwise Elias wouldn’t have been surprised to see water dripping from the broken in skylights and windows. Luna let out a deep sigh as she stared at her old castle. “It was not always like this,” she absently noted, “not just the damage, but the emptiness. It is far too quiet in a place that was meant to act as the center of Equestria, and even though it was abandoned, it didn't have to end up in ruin. I wish ‘Tia had taken better care of this place, no matter what battles we fought here.” Elias shrugged as he wandered down the left wall, running his fingers along the flagstones that supported the decaying roof. “I wouldn’t think about it too hard Princess. Dwelling on the past won’t allow you to move forward. If it bothers you so much though, fix it up. If nothing else, it would make an interesting historical attraction.” His fingers caught briefly on a deep furrow in the stone. “Either way, just thinking won’t do you any good. Act or forget. Otherwise it will continue to bother you.” Elias stopped as his toes bumped against a worn set of stairs, leading up to a series of dark hallways. He scratched at his forehead as he glanced back, finding Luna staring at him with a curious look on her face. She didn’t say anything, just stared, so Elias went back to investigating the room. The ceilings were tall, with great holes marring the stonework. Moonlight was plentiful as it seeped through both the walls and the ceiling, and Elias imagined that even without the light from Luna and Bandage’s horns, he could see relatively clearly. He briefly wondered what the place looked like in its prime. He had never seen a castle before coming to Equestria, and the ruin looked far more impressive than anything Canterlot had to offer. A small part of his mind briefly hoped that Luna would act on his words and restore the castle, at least somewhat. He imagined it would be a sight to see. The alicorn moved softly to the stairs, sighing again as she stared up. “Royal Guardspony Bandage, you shall remain here. Return to camp to find help should Guardsman Bright and I not return within the hour.” As Bloody Bandage saluted, Luna moved forward. Elias followed behind her, his eyes scanning every square inch as he began appraising, looking for signs of still intact doors. They went to the left first, walking down a long, dark corridor. Elias quickly noticed that outside of the main area, the building was much more intact. No light entered the hallway they walked down, and were it not from the light of Luna’s horn, he would have needed to leave the castle to make a torch. The soft blue glow was enough to see by, however, and Luna led the way silently, her steps measured and slow as she looked at the barren hallway with what looked to Elias like regret. They passed a few closed doors, but Luna seemed to have a path in her mind, so he remained quietly as they walked, making silent notes of interesting doorways that he would like to explore further when they returned. It blindsided him when Luna asked; “What were your parents like Guardsman?” The suddenness of the question nearly caused Elias to trip, and he had to use a hand to balance himself before he could begin to process an answer. “I would think you know them better than I do Princess,” Elias responded as he tried to avoid the actual question. “They’ve been your guards for years after all.” Luna snorted. “I think we both know that I was not speaking of Book Binder and Night Flash, but let us discuss them anyway. Answer me truthfully; have you actually accepted them as your parents, via their offer or even within your own mind?” Elias sighed and shook his head, his left eye twitching as he tried to distract himself with the blue lit walls. “No,” he replied honestly. “It’s not their fault; they’re great ponies, wonderful fantastic ponies really. But that’s the problem. The two of them are just the best kind of people and I…” he chuckled weakly. “I am definitely not. The more I see them together, and interacting with anyone else, I just think about how having me nearby is just holding them back. I’m a burden on their lives, even if nobody besides me is willing to admit that.” He sighed again and glanced over at Luna. “Am I safe in assuming this conversation will stay between us?” Luna nodded. “If that is your wish Guardsman, I will not speak a word of this to anyone else. Even your observers shall be deaf to your words.” Elias nodded and looked away, thumbing at the line of his chin. “I love them both,” he continued. “But to admit that they are “mom and dad” is… hard. Very hard. So hard that doing so may either kill me, or drive them away, and the more I see them, the more unsure I am about which is worse.” Luna sighed. “You are still suffering from your self-worth issues I see.” Elias snorted dismissively. “It’s not about self-worth, it’s about learning from the past. Everyone knows what I’m like, and part of me is terrified that the Elias that beat the hell from White Shine is lurking far too close to the person that loves Night Flash and Book Binder. If the two ever found a way to mix…” “You fear you can hurt them, directly or indirectly,” Luna said. “I understand Guardsman, and while I believe that such a fear is baseless, especially given that your attack on White Shine was in defense of one of your adoptive parents, I shall not push the point. You will figure your feelings out with time, I know it.” Elias felt grateful for her willingness to drop the subject as they turned a corner and Luna began carefully searching the hall for something. Having her stare at him was a bit unnerving, especially when he was being soft and talking about his inner thoughts. The center voice in his brain was bitterly grumbling about the breach in both safety and privacy, but Elias ignored it. He hadn’t been too specific yet, and he had revealed nothing about his history. He stopped short of chastising the voice of being paranoid however, and he took a mental step back to make sure that he was being paranoid enough. All of his silent efforts would only work if he kept quiet. Spilling his guts to the first pony that asked wouldn't do him, or them any good. Luna remained silent as she continued scanning the hallway, her green eyes searching carefully. Elias moved forward, brushing past her as he scanned the hallway for anything hidden that might lead somewhere of importance. False walls, covered floors, unopened doors; Elias scanned for them all, keeping his hand along the wall as he felt for hidden triggers. Luna found something first, nudging Elias in the back with her wing as she stared carefully at a torch sconce. “If I remember correctly, this should lead us directly to either the armory, or my sister’s room,” Luna said. “Or it’s a trap, but I am certain that that is not the case.” Elias snorted. “Just mentioning the fact that it could be a trap makes it a trap, and if it’s a trap, I would recommend not pulling it.” Luna scoffed at him. “Nonsense Guardsman, I am fairly certain I remember where the traps are in my castle.” She tilted her head for a moment, inspecting the scone with her magic before she smiled, took a step back, then pressed down on it. The floor dropped from beneath their feet. Elias managed to wrap a few fingers around the edge of the sudden hole in the floor, and he attempted to grab Luna with the other hand. He didn’t anticipate how heavy the alicorn would be, nor was he prepared when she started flapping wildly with her wings, battering away his hand, as well as disturbing his tenuous grip on the floor. They fell like stones, with Elias somehow hitting the ground first, just before a large alicorn landed on top of his chest, crushing the air from his lungs. Instinctively, Elias planted a hand on Luna’s shoulder and shoved her off, doing his best to breathe through his throughly bruised lungs Luna huffed loudly as she got to her feet. Dusting herself off, she offered him a white hot glare. “You do not shove your Princess Guardsman! I could have you court-martialed for that.” Elias stared at her for a second, then coughed as he rolled over, pushing himself up. “Then maybe next time when I say it’s a trap, you’ll listen and realize that it’s a trap Princess. Besides, I did my best to catch you, but you flailed around like you just had a few hundred spiders dropped into your fur. What followed was just natural reactions to the circumstances you put us in.” Luna growled and opened her mouth to yell at him, but a loud click drew their attention upward. Looking up, they helplessly watched the floor they had fallen through seal closed. Luna lit her horn to stop it, then groaned loudly when her attempt failed. “Of course the trap door is made from null stone. Curse my clever defensive designs and well thought out planning!” Elias squinted in the low light, quickly spotting a torch sitting dusty and unused in another torch scone. He felt around the edges the scone for any hollow areas while Luna continued to ramble at the ceiling. Tuning the alicorn out, Elias carefully lifted the torch from the scone, and when nothing happened, he pulled his lighter from his belt. He lit the torch quickly, his lighter catching it aflame with an easy flick. The flickering orange light of the torch mixed with the blues that lit up the walls via Luna's horn. The ceiling was short, clearly designed for a species of much shorter stature, and Elias found that his hair brushed it easily, with the stone pressing down lightly as he stretched to his full height. Elias assumed a minor slouch as he turned around, quickly tuning back into Luna’s continued rambling at the trap door. He cleared his throat loudly. “Princess…” He went ignored as Luna shook her head at the closed trap. “And another thing, why is there a trap door in the middle of a random hallway? Why not in the entryway where it might actually stop invaders?” “Princess I don’t think that…” “I will find out who designed this wretched contraption. They will pay with a lifetime of castle improvements.” “If the stories about you are true, they’re probably already dead…” Elias muttered. “Then their family line shall pay!” Luna declared as she growled at the ceiling. “I shall make them pay, then I shall return to destroy this infernal mechanism that dares to spite me!” Elias sighed loudly as she took a breath to continue. He had an idea of what to do, but he knew that it would get him in trouble. As he set the plan in motion, he comforted himself with the knowledge that it would grant him a moment of quiet at the very least. He tapped Luna on the shoulder, and as she turned, he used his thumb and middle finger to flick her on the nose. The alicorn started at the painful thwap, and she went cross-eyed as she stared at her muzzle, wiggling it to erase the sensation his flick had left behind. Her eyes then focused on Elias, burning with intense anger. She opened her mouth to shout, but stopped as her nose wriggled again, and she sneezed in what Elias could only describe as the most adorable noise he had ever heard. The sneeze was so dainty and soft, and her pout as she rubbed her nose did nothing to help. He grinned widely at Luna, who glared daggers back. “This is not funny Guardsman! Rest assured that I…!” She sneezed again, and Elias had to cover his mouth to hold back his laughter. Whatever punishment she could come up with, it was worth it. Nothing could counter the result of his nose flick. Luna’s pout returned in full. “Cease your laughter at once!” Luna said. When Elias didn’t, she whined softly. “Guardsman, I am the princess of the night and you will fear my-…” She sneezed for a third time, and Elias briefly wished he had a camera. He needed something to record the whole experiences; the noise, her face, especially the way her muzzle kept scrunching up as she tried to stop sneezing. The dust in the room only made things worse as she sneezed again. It was easily one of the best things he had ever seen, and yet it was such a small motion. Luna, noticing his unwavering smile, plopped down and continued to pout as she rubbed at her nose to ward off more sneezing. Her green eyes tried to bore into his as she stared at him. “This is not funny Guardsman. I should have you punished for striking my muzzle in such a manner.” Elias shrugged. “Maybe, but there is no punishment on my earth or yours that can make me forget that Princess Luna sneezes like a newborn kitten. If it makes you feel any better, it makes you look positively adorable.” Luna huffed loudly. “I am a princess of Equestria, Guardsman, not some neighborhood cat.” She ran a hoof through her hair and sat up, trying to look prim and proper. “I am meant to be beautiful and respected, not soft and meek.” Elias rolled his eyes and turned his back on the alicorn, using the light of the torch to look forward. He quickly noticed how uncharacteristically unfocused he was being. Making jokes after falling down a hole to who knows where? It was unlike him, and despite the amusement he took from Luna’s continued adorable sneezing, Elias did his best to narrow his vision, limiting his senses to only what was in front of him, rather than behind. He switched the torch from his right hand to his left, then let his right hand drift toward the hilt of his gladius. “Do you have any idea what used to be in this trap?” Elias asked quietly, keeping his voice low to help him better listen. Luna continued rubbing at her nose as her eyes found their way to the back of his head, no doubt trying to bore a hole in his skull. “If memory serves it was an empty box that guards could travel in and out of in case of an intruder. It gave the illusion that guards were anywhere and everywhere at once. It is why I am so irritated that the interior is lined with nullstone!” she shouted up at the ceiling. Elias glanced over his shoulder at her, then sighed and shook his head. “Princess, I would recommend looking forward, not back. You’ll never get anything done if all you do is get angry at the past.” Luna snorted dismissively as she got to her feet. “That’s rich coming from you Guardsman. Are you not the one who refuses to address your past?” Elias shrugged and faced forward again, taking a cautious step in case the alicorn was misremembering. “I may refuse to think about it, but I keep moving forward Princess. My past stays there and for good reason. I just wish that sometimes I could forget it all; to lift the weight of all those memories from my shoulders, then nothing could stop me.” Elias shook his head as a sudden bout of melancholy tried to worm into his thoughts. He took another step forward, and when Luna didn’t say anything, he began to lead the way, pushing forward in silence while the alicorn thought about his words. The small hallway they were in lasted only a few dozen steps before it came to an end at a sealed door. Elias motioned for Luna to stay back, then he built up momentum at a run, hitting it at full force with his shoulder. The wooden portal splintered under his charge, and Elias tumbled forward as his momentum carried him into an abandoned guard room. Thick dust covered the furniture, and like everywhere else they had been, the carpets and tapestries were starting to rot. Elias briefly noticed emblems similar to the Lunar Guard symbols, but he thought nothing of it until Luna walked into the room and gasped softly. “I… I remember this place,” she said softly, her green eyes searching the room as she walked around slowly. Elias remained quiet as she lifted her hoof to touch the tapestries, gazing at them fondly before her eyes wandered on. “I used to gamble with my guards in this room,” she said breathlessly. “Every morning, it was the first thing I did. I could have gone to sleep or eaten breakfast, but I came here. They were some of the only ponies that ever complimented my night sky. It was the one place I could truly relax.” “You know where we are then?” Elias asked leadingly. He could understand relishing fond memories, but they needed to move and find a way out. He didn’t feel like listening to Book Binder’s scolding’s about getting lost. Luna sighed and nodded. “Indeed I do. I apologize Guardsman. It has been awhile since I have been in my castle and some memories are coming back.” “It’s fine Princess,” Elias replied. “I understand remembering, but I would again recommend not dwelling on it. The past is unchangeable, focus on the future.” It was a bit repetitious, but Luna gave him a look of agreement as she straightened, her eyes locking on the door. “Wise words Guardsman. Let us continue. The armory is near; let us see if it is intact, then we shall return to camp for the night. I want Guardspony Binder to map our progress for the areas where my memory has failed me.” She used her magic to unlock a hidden door behind one of the tattered tapestries, and then she led the way again, her blue aura clashing with the orange of Elias’ torch. They fell to silence as they walked, with Luna occasionally pausing to stare at something she recognized before they pushed onward. Elias kept his eyes low, looking for the tell-tale signs of more traps or false doors. He spotted few, and the doors he did see were ignored as Luna led the way to the armory. It was clear when they arrived. Wide doors made of blue and gold steel blocked the entrance to the armory, and a large lock in the shape of a crescent moon sealed the handles of the doors. Luna sighed as she briefly touched the doors with her hooves. “My sister and I used to come here every afternoon,” she said longingly. “I would wake up early so that we could fight together before the day ended, and she was always early, eager to cross swords. No matter how her tiring her day was, she was always here.” “Are you two not close now?” Elias asked, putting his back to the door as he swept the darkness. “You seem like a regular family whenever you’re together.” Luna gave a slow nod and lit up her horn, her magic coursing through the lock's mechanisms. “Indeed we are, and I am grateful that Celestia was so eager to forgive and forget my transgressions as Nightmare Moon. It 'tis not the same though, and sometimes I wonder if my return was a further burden on my sister’s mind. The matters of the state weigh heavy on her always, and we so rarely have time to relax together. But perhaps that is my fault, despite the emptiness of my court, I never make time for her.” She sighed as the door clicked and began to open. “Our relationship is of no import right now. What is is this place..." Looking to the dusty, cracked walls around them, her ears pinned themselves to the sides of her head. "Perhaps I was not ready to come here.” Elias did his best not to shrug off her concerns, and instead moved to stand beside the alicorn, doing his best to act as a bolstering presence. “Maybe, but you’re here now. Let’s find what we came here to find.” Luna stared silently into the darkness of the armory, then straightened and gave a single nod before leading the way forward. Elias followed right behind her and he glanced around as they entered the armory. Squinting in an attempt to see in the low light, he used his torchlight to try and notice anything of note. Dark, empty shelves stared back, likely long plundered of anything valuable. “Speaking of, what are we here to find?” Elias asked. “You were vague when we were gathering our supplies.” Luna seemed to wander aimlessly through the armory, sighing as she opened a few crates filled with rotted cloth. “We are looking for a set of alicorn armor, designed for me, or at least for Nightmare Moon.” “I thought Nightmare Moon was destroyed?” Elias replied, pushing back a rotted curtain. A thick silvery set of armor stared back, its helmet towering over Elias’ head. The stand was a good foot taller than he was, and though it was extremely bulky looking, the armor also looked strangely humanesque. He held back the curtain and looked to Luna. “Princess, what’s this about? Did you have giant humans you haven’t told me about?” Luna snorted and shook her head as she crossed the room to approach the armor. “Nay Guardsman, this was for a minotaur clan chief I persuaded to join my rebellion. The histories are very cut and dry concerning Nightmare Moon, but in truth, she was borne of many years of festering hate and jealousy, and I schemed frequently to build my forces to do battle with my sister. It took a carefully crafted alliance to contest the throne, and only after months of battle was my sister able to ambush me and send me to the moon with the Elements.” Elias glanced back to the armor. “Then why is this here? You’d figure it would go back with whatever minotaur was supposed to use it.” “Supposed to indeed," Luna agreed. "The cow turned his back on me when he learned that his clan would be used in combat against Celestia. I put a lance of moonlight through his chest for the betrayal.” Luna scoffed and turned away from the armor. “I was under some sort of impression that betrayal mattered, as hypocritical as that is. In truth, I was nearly mad with jealousy, and things like logic held little sway. He no more deserved to die then I deserved to rule Equestria alone. Perhaps when we return with a larger group, we can have it smelted down to make a plate or some such.” Elias could feel the tension in the subject, so he let the curtain drop and he moved away, letting his eyes comb the dark armory once more. “So,” Elias said, changing the subject, “this armor of yours, what’s so special about it that we need to come here?” “It is made from a rare meteorite that only passes Equus once every five thousand years,” Luna replied as she rolled a carpet up, scanning the floor for any signs of a trap door. “The cluster last appeared two decades before my banishment, and it took everything ‘Tia and I had to bring down one of the massive stones. Fortunately, it contained enough ore to create two sets of armor, one for each princess.” She sighed as she brushed past a banner bearing her cutie mark. “It was pure luck that I was wearing a duplicate lunar steel set when I confronted my sister that final time, otherwise it would have been destroyed by the Elements, and she would have the only set.” Elias caught a glint of something in his torch, and he bent over, looking under another empty armor stand. “I’m assuming the material makes it stronger than your average steel?” Elias asked, covering his mouth to avoid inhaling dust. There was definitely something under it, and if he stretched, he could probably reach it. Elias set his torch somewhere it wouldn't catch anything on fire, then flattened onto his belly. Reaching beneath the armor stand, he grasped at the glinting object. It was just out of reach... Luna didn’t notice his struggles as she made her way down the left wall of the armory, searching the various vacant compartments. “It is stronger in every way, and it amplifies any enchantments put on it,” Luna replied. “The material is tougher than even dragon scales, and it never wears or fades. If it is damaged, simple spells can mend it completely. Most important however, is the amplification it gives to alicorn magic. Any words whispered about Celestia and I being goddesses would come true with that armor, and if we ever faced the most dire of straights, we could bind the armor to our skin, forming a second, nigh invulnerable skin. It is a most powerful tool, and it is one I am loathe to leave unaccounted for.” Elias grunted in reply as his middle finger snagged the strap of the leather the object was tied to. He pulled it from beneath the armor stand and held it up to the torch light, blowing the dust off as he watched the small crescent spin in his grip. It sparkled like a star as it twirled, illuminating the room easily. It was almost as if it were amplifying the torchlight. Elias glanced over to Luna, who was staring back at him in shock. “I guess this little thing doesn’t compare to god armor huh?” Elias said with a grin. Luna pounced on the man, her nose a finger length away from his as she shouted in obvious excitement. She snatched the necklace from his grip and squealed happily. “You found my pendant! It was the first thing ‘Tia gave me when we became alicorns! I thought it lost years ago!” She was quick to put the necklace around her neck, and she rubbed it affectionately into her chest fluff with a brilliant smile gracing her muzzle. In an instant, the alicorn returned to hugging him, and Elias flushed red as she hugged him tightly around his neck. “Thank you, Guardsman; I did not even consider the possibility that I would ever find this, and I just know that ‘Tia will love seeing it back. It has been centuries since either of us have seen it.” She paused to take a breath, then made things more awkward by nuzzling his chest. Elias didn’t dare move. Maybe he could try to wiggle free? No, her hooves were like a vice, somehow getting between his shield and his back as she crushed his chest with her grip. “I cannot tell you in words how happy this makes me Guardsman,” Luna said breathlessly. “My sister and I have mended much of our relationship to the way it was before, but perhaps this will bridge the final gap I have always felt was missing. Thank you.” She pulled back from the hug and stared down at him with her vibrantly green eyes and a wide smile. “Tell me Guardsman, is there any way I can repay you? Were it not for your careful eyes, I may never have found my pendant.” “You could get off my chest,” Elias wheezed. When she was hugging him, the weight was distributed fairly evenly, but sitting back, she was crushing his chest under her weight and he was having difficulty drawing breath. Luna looked down at him curiously, then leaped back with a startled yelp. Unfortunately, that yelp was accompanied with a mighty flap of her wings, and the mostly settled dust rushed into the air, making things worse as the dust descended like a cloud on Elias’ face. It got everywhere in a split second, blinding him, making it harder to breathe, and filling his mouth with the taste of grit, all in one fell swoop. He heard Luna yelp again as she said an apology. A gust of wind then blindsided Elias, and it became easier to breathe. He rubbed his dust caked eyes, and cracked them open to see an apologetic looking Luna with her horn alight. She smiled sheepishly at him, and Elias quickly noticed that she was completely clean, while he was covered in dust. He shot a glare at the alicorn. “I apologize,” she said. “I seem to have gotten overexcited.” “You think?” Elias replied while he tried to brush himself off. The dust clung to him like glue, and after failing to clean any of it off his hands, Elias just settled for being filthy. He shot a glare at Luna, who only smiled back. “I have already apologized Guardsman, but I shall say this; if you need anything, feel free to ask. This pendant means a great deal to me, and I am overjoyed to have it back.” Elias snorted, pressing his thumb to one of his nostrils as he tried to clear it of dust and snot. “I’ll think on that. As for right now, I think we should finish up, then find our way back to camp, yes?” Luna nodded in agreement, and Elias let her lead the way. ***** Elias sighed and rolled his shoulder. The limb had started hurting after the third door, but now that they were on the sixth, he was getting mad. He channeled that base level fury and let out a shout as he raced at the door, slamming into at full tilt. The wooden portal shattered and slammed into the wall, sending a cloud of dust into the air for him to choke on. Again. Elias doubled over and hacked as he tried to clear the dust from his lungs while Luna walked into the side room, casting about for her armor. The entrance to the armory had sealed behind them, and they were without a key to unlock it from the inside. When Luna cast a spell to locate an alternate exit, she had also managed to detect a magic presence that she believed was her armor. Generally. The only location she would give him was that it was deeper in the armory, so Elias had to set to work, shifting long unused furniture and kicking down doors so that she could try to pinpoint it. A task that she kept missing the mark on, endlessly prodding him to kick another door down so that she could scan the side rooms. Why there were so many, and why they were all locked was a mystery to him, but kicking down doors was better than talking about anyone's feelings, so Elias went about his task in silence, releasing his building frustration on each new door he was thrown at. Elias ran a hand through his sweaty hair, and leaned against a wall as he took a canteen from his belt, quickly unscrewing the top. “Anything here Princess?” he asked, already knowing the answer as her horn dimmed. “Nay Guardsman, the armor is not here.” Luna scowled. “I know not why I am to detect it, yet remain unable to locate it. I kept it hidden away yes, but it was here! I know I left it here.” Elias stared at the dark ceiling as he took a large drink of water. He offered the canteen to Luna, who looked at it with distaste and shook her head. Elias shrugged and slipped it back onto its belt. “Are you sure you’re the only one who could open the armory door?” Elias asked. Luna shook her head. “Well, no, but ‘Tia would have had no reason to come through my armory. At the time we kept our guard forces separate, and her armory was larger even then. Besides, we found both my pendant, and my cowardly general’s armor here. Why would she leave these things behind?” Elias scratched the back of his head and stared at the floor. He had already put the pieces together. The armor wasn’t in the castle, it was likely in Canterlot. “The necklace was under an armor stand and you didn’t notice when you walked by,” Elias said. “And the armor was made for a general who, by your own admission, you executed for cowardice. Why would your sister take that? No, she took the one thing she wanted to make sure nobody else would have, and took it home. Where I am sure it’s sitting even now. I think I’m safe in assuming you didn’t ask her about it before we left?” Luna scoffed and waved a hoof at the man as she scoured the room for evidence; likely trying to prove him wrong. “Of course I didn’t. I do not need to go to my sister for everything, my elder she may be. This is where I left my armor, and this is where it must lie!” Elias groaned. “Princess, please for the sake of my sanity send a letter to her asking about the armor. I’m willing to bet an entire year’s worth of complaint free hugs and therapy sessions that she has it. Fuck, three years; easily.” Luna’s eyes lit up, though whether that was at the bet itself, or the prospect of getting him in a room with more of the psychologists, he didn’t know. She straightened and summoned a quill and scroll, quickly scribbling out the query before sending it off with a flash of light. She smiled smugly as she sat down. “You will be spending an awful lot of time with my doctors now Guardsman. I will be sure to inform Guardspony Flash about his complaint free hugs upon our return to camp as well. This will be a most profitable night.” Elias thumbed his nose and nodded. “Sure Princess, whatever you say.” They waited in blissful silence for a full minute before Luna piped up, asking a question that seemed designed to drive him mad. “On my question earlier Guardsman, your parents, what were they like? I know nothing about your biological family, and I wish to learn about your origins to determine if there is unresolved trauma concerning them.” Elias snorted and smiled without humor. “Then let me save you the trouble Princess, because there is definitely unresolved trauma concerning my family, and I know for a certainty that it will remain that way for a very long time. It is not easy to get over what I had to do to them.” An odd look flashed over Luna’s face, one that Elias almost didn’t notice, but her calm mask returned, and she nodded in agreement; something that surprised him greatly. “I understand Guardsman, I do not wish to know about how they passed, but rather what they were like in life. What were they like? What did they do?” There was the normal prying. Elias let out a long sigh. “What’s there to say? Dad was a game warden; Mom stayed at home and took care of us kids. She fed, cleaned, taught, and loved us.” Elias winced as his heart panged with a sense of loss. “She was far too good of a person to deal with her lot in life, but she always had a smile, right to the bitter end. I see far too much of her in Book Binder sometimes. It’s why I get antsy about the whole “trial parenthood” thing. Too many bad memories.” Luna nodded as she listened intently. “And your father? What was he like?” “Oh, that’s easy,” Elias said with a shrug. “He was a bastard like me. Mean, restless, dissatisfied with what he got from life. He always took it out on the wrong people, and it took the end of the world to make him act like a man, despite the fact that he was no better than a dog.” Luna frowned and cocked her head. “You can’t mean that Guardsman. Book Binder gave me the impression that you respected your father, despite his failings.” Elias’ eyes flicked up from the floor, with his left eye twitching as his anger rose. “Then she lied to your Princess, or maybe I haven’t conveyed my feelings about my father properly. It will be a cold day in hell before I ever look up to the man that treated me like I wasn’t wanted. I will never think a positive thought about the man who came home from the bar every night, spending far too much money for nothing in return, and who then beat the one woman who showed me more love in an afternoon than that worthless fuck gave me in a lifetime, simply because she wouldn’t let him strike me or my sisters.” Elias snorted and shook his head. “Not that it helped. He always got the whole family involved; it was part of his little power trip to show how unhappy he was with his life. I just wish he’d killed himself rather than making me do it. Then I wouldn’t have had to break my back burying his sorry ass.” Anger simmered in his mind, but Elias used a method Book Binder had begun teaching him. He took a long breath, followed by three short ones, using the manual nature of the motion to cool his mind. It mostly worked, and Elias crossed his arms as he stared at the floor, keeping his voice low and calm as he finished. “He taught me useful skills, how to hunt, how to start a fire, but that coward didn’t teach me a damn thing about being a man. How could he? You can’t teach what you don’t know.” Luna sighed, drawing his eyes up. The alicorn looked sympathetic as she said; “My apologies Guardsman. I should have known better than to press on the subject when you dodged my questioning earlier. What is done is done however, and I must ask; do you feel any closure letting this anger out? Or does it continue to burn at your mind?” Elias shrugged. “For him, he’s never on my mind. I get irritated, mad maybe, but never angry. He isn’t worth my anger. I didn’t grieve him then, and I don’t pay him mind now. The only word I will say in his favor is that he taught me how to be cruel, and he was an expert on the subject.” “And your mother?” Luna asked, trying to shift the focus of the conversation away. “Your sisters?” Elias shrugged again. “I miss them, but I’m smart enough to know that they wouldn’t even look at me like I am now. I think it’s better that they died early, and my only wish was this it was faster.” Luna frowned again. Elias could tell that she wasn’t happy with his words, but what did she know? She hadn’t had to live through hell, didn’t know what it took to do so. He couldn’t be angry at her ignorance though, and he let his risen irritation slip away as he took long breaths. She didn’t know and wouldn’t know. He had answered her questions well enough, and anything else she might ask was superficial at best. Easy to deflect or answer succinctly. Luna let out a final sigh and she slowly shook her head. “Let us speak of this no further today Guardsman. I do not wish to sour the mood more than it has already become. Do you have anything you wish to speak to me about, or would you like to wait in silence while we wait for my sister’s reply?” Elias scratched his head, then twitched nervously as a bit of mild embarrassment rose in his mind. He had no idea where the thought came from, but he knew why it came. Despite the sudden downturn in their conversation, and despite the ache in his shoulder, he had been having a relatively good time. Certainly a more adventurous time than usual, and he knew one pony was solely responsible. He knew what he should say to express his gratitude, but giving thanks wasn't something he did often. Doing so felt… awkward. It was as if admitting gratefulness was to also admit weakness. Still, not admitting it made him look like an ass. Elias took a deep breath and just did it in one go, damning the consequences. “I wanted to say thank you Princess,” Elias blurted. “Despite what’s happen, this has been the most fun I’ve had in a while, and I’ve enjoyed searching the castle with you.” He then leaned back against the wall and waited silently for the alicorn to begin her mockery. He waited in silence for a good minute before looking up. His blue eyes met her green ones, and Elias twitched nervously as she smiled brightly at him. “Why are you looking at me like that?” Elias snapped. His tone shift didn’t impact the alicorn’s smile. “Thank you Guardsman. I had worried that our journey was marred by our detours, but hearing your appreciation is most welcome. Should the need arise, would you like to return here again?” Elias shrugged. “Not here specifically, but if you wanted to take a look through a different part of the castle, I wouldn’t say no. If you haven’t noticed, I don’t get out much.” Luna rolled her eyes. “And who’s fault is that Guardsman? I am more than sure that Guardspony Binder would be willing to take you places if you so wished it.” Elias shrugged again and his eyes fell to the floor as he tried to avoid thinking about the unicorn. Dark thoughts, brought to the forefront by their conversation touched his mind, and Elias had to focus to not let them consume his mind. Luckily for the both of them, a letter popped into existence next to Luna’s head, and she grinned widely as she snatched it from the air. She unrolled the scroll with a flourish. “Let us see who is correct, Guardsman. I hope you enjoy cuddles.” Her eyes combed down the scroll, and Elias found momentary joy in watching her face shift from happiness to denial in a heartbeat. Her horn lit up and the scroll caught fire. Elias raised an eyebrow as it fell to ash, then smirked as a second scroll popped into view. Luna twitched as she caught and unrolled that one as well. She groaned loudly and hit herself in the face with a hoof. The alicorn then looked to Elias’ grinning face, and she leapt to her feet. “Do not mock my plight Guardsman! You arranged this! You are a spy in my guard force! Reporting my actions to my sister!” She stomped up to him, grabbing his tunic as she began searching him up and down. “Where is it Guardsman? Where is the attunement crystal ‘Tia is using to listen, hm?” She abandoned her efforts to instead glare at him, pressing her snout against his nose. “How Guardsman? How did you tell her without my knowledge?” “Tell her what?” Elias replied with a calm smile. “I haven’t spoken to Princess Celestia since the trial.” Luna growled and jabbed her hoof at the letter in her hoof as she shoved it in his face. “This! There is no way she could know!” Elias blinked as he tried to read the words in the low light, but as he managed, his smile grew. Dear Luna, I know that you have no doubt destroyed my previous letter in irritation, so I send this second letter to deliver the key you shall need to escape the armory you have no doubt locked yourself inside of. As to whomever is stuck with my sister, I apologize for your wild goose chase. I removed everything of value in the armories when I left for Canterlot, and only the library and Luna’s bedroom remain untouched, with powerful runes to prolong their longevity. Though I cannot grant access to Luna’s old personal quarters, the library is free for your use. Take what you wish as payment for following my sister’s mad scheme’s. As for you Luna, I really wish you would ask me about these things more often. I could save you so much trouble (and we would get a chance to catch up! I miss our snuggling sessions so much, and I wish that we could talk to each other mo-…) Elias stopped reading as the letter began growing personal. He cleared his throat as Luna backed away. “Princess I would recommend reading the bottom portion of the letter.” Luna scowled at him. “And how do you know I didn’t already read the entire thing?” Elias rubbed his eyes and did his best to hide a grin. “Alright then Moony, I hope you and your 'Sunny' have a good talk when we get back to Canterlot.” Luna stared at him in horror, then flipped the letter over, scanning the words quickly. Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and she looked at him with fear. “Please Guardsman, you cannot speak of this,” she whispered. “I did not know ‘Tia spoke of our old fillyhood names. I will do anything, give you any reward, please speak to nobody of this.” Elias snorted. “That’s two favors from a Princess in one evening. I think my odds might be changing.” He smiled at the alicorn. “My lips are sealed Princess, just remember that I have leverage now. I could rule the world with my knowledge.” Luna scoffed. “It is not that valuable Guardsman; merely of minor embarrassment.” Elias nodded in false agreement. “You’re probably right. It should be fine to tell Captain Nightshade then. She’s trustworthy enough, right?” Luna hit him like a club to the chest, slamming him into the wall as she looked at him with pleading eyes. “ANYONE BUT NIGHTSHADE! THAT MARE WILL RUIN ME IF SHE FINDS OUT!” Luna bellowed. Elias tried to cover his ears as they rang with the force of a hundred hammers, all banging away at his brain. “Alright alright fine fine!” Elias shouted back. “I won’t tell, just quit yelling in my damn ears!” Luna blinked at him, then backed away sheepishly as Elias opened his jaw, trying to make his ear drums pop. He shot a glare at her as he massaged his battered ears. “Really? That bad huh? Had to make me deaf?” Luna looked away in embarrassment, her cheeks flushed red. “The good Captain is a close friend, and she will tease me relentlessly if she found that I ever went by “Moony”. I would need something of equal value on her, but there is nothing! She is very plain, and her history is much simpler than my own. I cannot compete with such… such slander!” She looked like she was going to shout again, so Elias waved her down. “Fine Princess, just don’t yell at me anymore, that shit hurts.” Unable to recover all of his hearing, he waved at the room around them. “Can we leave now? I think I’m done with this little adventure for now.” “Not a word to Nightshade?” “I already said I wouldn’t and that you owe me. Don’t worry Moony, I won’t tell.” Luna sighed, and rubbed at her forehead. “I suppose I deserve that. Very well, let us depart Guardsman.” She huffed as her horn lit up. "I will have to question 'Tia about her meddling here. I can still feel a magical presence in the armory, yet it seems to move as we do!" Elias pointed to the pendant around her neck. "What's your necklace made from Princess?" Luna glanced downward, then groaned loudly as they vanished from the dark halls. > The Hearth's Warming Interlude > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry: 920 Short entry today, it’s that time of year. The wind is howling, I have no food, and I’m alone. Typical Christmas, I guess. I just… I just wish somebody was left. Somebody to talk to, or just sit near. I’d give the clothes off my back for somebody to share a meal with. I’d even settle for talking while just they ate. I hate winter, hate Christmas. It took my family away, and I’ll see it erased from the history books for its crime. Elias stared at his ceiling with dead eyes. His room was dark, empty, and cold. His mood matched that feeling with frightening intensity. It had been a long couple of weeks, and today was only going to make that worse. To prevent the lonely desperation from setting in, Elias shoved off his covers and rolled to his feet, shuffling toward the bathroom for a shower. He stopped momentarily to check his watch. Four thirty in the afternoon, lovely. He had managed to wake up just when the holiday was starting. He had tried exhausting himself as much as possible the previous day, but with his… fight with Book Binder, it hadn’t exactly gone as planned, and he had simply stumbled into bed to avoid thinking. The thought of the shouting match between himself and the unicorn brought out a new wave of melancholy as he trudged into the shower. It would be better to just let the hot water wash away his feelings for a while. As he stood under the shower head, Elias thought about how he was going to occupy his time. Technically speaking, he wasn’t supposed to be in the castle. All of the staff, including all three guard groups got Hearth’s Warming Eve, and Hearth’s Warming day off. Elias had checked, and even Anyon had found somebody to go home with for Hearth’s Warming; a purple pegasus named Split Tip that he had eventually “caught”. It was some sort of strange gryphon mating habit, but the pair seemed happy enough together, so Elias made no attempts to butt into their celebration. Since he had nowhere else to go however, he was stuck. Elias opened his eyes to let the scalding water attack them. The sharp pain was more than enough to distract his mind again as it tried to wander back to the argument and subsequent fallout. He already hated this time of year, and now he had one more bad memory to throw on the stack. He needed to find a distraction, something to numb the ache. As Elias rubbed at his eyes, he remembered a certain pack of cigarettes and a half-full flask that was secured safely in his ruck sack. It wasn’t anything miraculous, but it would work well as a numbing agent if he could find a suitable distraction. Elias left the shower, still occasionally rubbing at his now sore eyes as he dried off. He didn’t bother turning on the light to his room, content to fumble around in the dark so that he didn’t have to see the abandoned personal effects of his two absent roommates. He had a detailed idea where everything was anyway, so with only two stubbed toes, Elias dressed himself, in both his regular tunic, as well as his guard armor. He rifled through his ruck for his “illegal narcotics”. Book Binder had tried to find them, but she had ultimately failed, mostly through a secret deal with Night Flash to keep them on the move. Hugs were evidently an effective currency for the pegasus, and though it had pained Elias to sell himself for so cheap, he found that it now payed off in spades. Besides, with what had happened, it wasn’t likely that Flash would even come to claim his… Elias stood up quickly as he ripped the well-abused pack of cigarettes from his ruck. His left hand latched onto the flask, and Elias quickly tucked them both into his belt. On a whim, Elias drew forth one of the cigarettes, tucking it behind his ear as he checked his lighter. It still had a bit of fuel in it, but that was probably going to change this evening. Another piece of his past turned to trash. Elias wondered briefly if he would keep it and attempt to refill it once the lighter died, then decided it didn’t matter. It would happen in the future, no point in fretting about it now. Elias weaved around his bed, scooping up his scutum and a single pilum as he plopped his helmet loosely on his head. If he was going to be largely alone for the day, he saw no reason not to carry out his usual duties. He could stop by the cafeteria, breaking in if necessary, to get some food. He might be rusty, but he still had his lock picking set. It would be a time-consuming distraction if nothing else. After that, he could make up his own guard schedule, wandering about as he did his job with the same blank focus he always did. It had surprised Elias to find that he could stand for hours at a time without thinking of a single thing. It was a marvelous way to relax, if only he didn’t have to stand at attention for the entire time, constantly dealing with the stares and glares of any ponies that looked his way. While his friends seemed quick to forgive and forget, some people still treated him like a ticking time bomb. He had reassured as many as possible that it would only happen if they decided to come after him or his friends, but after a while, Elias quit. Better for them to be nervous around him, just so long as they were scared of him. Fear was just as good a deterrent as respect. Elias found the cafeteria unlocked, and so he pillaged it softly, stealing a cloth sack to fill with bread and a few cans of bean stew. It had been a long time since he had to eat soup out of the cold can, but maybe it would bring him so familiarity and comfort. At least he wouldn’t be upholding the Christmas tradition of starving. Unfortunately, the guard kitchen was absent of booze, so he couldn’t swipe any extra to “warm” his night up. With a small bag of loot over his shoulder, Elias locked up the cafeteria before wandering back to his room to grab the shoddily made cloak the castle tailor had sewn him. Evidently, she was a friend of White Shine, and she hadn’t appreciated Elias’ attack on the pony. The cloak was made of a single, thin layer of wool that barely went down to his waist. It did nothing to ward away the cold for his bare legs, and if the wind was blowing, did nothing to keep him warm at all. Elias hadn’t complained however; he had no alternatives, no knowledge about Canterlot to find an appropriate clothes maker. On top of that, Elias had no money, or at least none that he knew how to get access to. With the princesses providing for all of his needs, he never found a reason to figure out how to collect his paycheck, so Elias found himself without. Until winter had begun to set in, it hadn’t mattered, but with the tailor actively sabotaging his clothing requests, Elias found himself suffering in silence as he shivered during the guard shifts that took place outside. Elias briefly considered heading to the castle entrance for a while. The cold would definitely act as a distraction, and he would get an opportunity to smoke. Elias checked his watch, felt the thin cloak on his back, then shook his head and snorted. Only half an hour had passed, and he would need the cigarettes to get through what was going to be a very long night. Elias sighed and wandered past the empty infirmary. Scalpel was visiting a brother in some city by the coast, Manehattan if Elias remembered correctly. Elias briefly poked his head outside to look at the prospect of throwing pilla, but the training grounds sat dark, the magical lanterns that kept them lit at night out. A light dusting of snow covered the grounds, and a gust of wind sent Elias back into the relative warmth of the castle. He frowned as he shook off a shiver, rubbing at his arms as he continued to stalk through the castle. It was usually a quiet place, even with the bustling staff cleaning everything, but now it was downright silent. It made an already chilly building seem cold, and Elias found that he couldn’t ward away the chill that had managed to creep into his very bones. He blew into his hands as he rubbed them together, wondering if he should just give up and try to black out in his room. The idea of sitting in the dark didn’t exactly excite him however, so Elias pushed on to a different section of the castle. He wandered back by the infirmary, checking again that nobody was inside. Then he continued to one of his normal guard positions. Tying his bag of food around his waist, Elias withdrew his pilum from its sheathe and leaned against the wall with a sigh, trying to find the blankness that came with hours of guarding. ***** Luna sighed happily as she smacked her lips. She followed it with a wide yawn, her mood cheerful as rolled over on her plush bed. It had been a labor of love from her sister the year prior, also known as the last year the pair would exchange Hearth’s Warming gifts. Though she absolutely adored the gift, especially given the softness of the feather mattress, she had been horrified to learn that Celestia had been plucking her own feathers over the past thousand years to make the bed a reality. Sure, it would never lose its fluff, nor its softness, but the fact that her sister was plucking feathers was insane, and Luna had forced her to promise to never do such a thing again. It also didn’t help that all Luna got her in return was a never-ending slice of her favorite cake; a pegasi made cloud cake. Though ‘Tia had put on a brave face and had given Luna one of her trademarked bone crushing hugs, Luna couldn’t help but feel like her gift didn’t carry the same level of thoughtfulness. Luna giggled softly as she remembered finding Celestia the next morning, kicking softly from beneath a pile of pillows, the uneaten cake on top. The alicorn had groaned something about eating too much cake, and then Luna had been kind enough to clean her up and tuck her into bed for Hearth’s Warming. When she awoke, the pair had simply sat around talking and enjoying each other’s company by a fire, a mountain of pillows and blankets around them. It had been a marvelous day, one that Luna would treasure for years to come. Luna rolled over, checking the clock that sat silently beside her bed. Six thirty-five in the evening, excellent. As was her new tradition, Luna had officially slept in, and as she sat up to stretch, she was glad for the few minutes of extra rest. Today was going to be a wonderful day. Celestia would awaken from her nap in twenty minutes, and Twilight and her friends would be over in two hours. Though she had a lot of work to do, Luna was looking forward to all of it. It was rare that she was not hounded by servants and nobility to look prim and proper. Though she was used to the royal treatment, Luna was also used to being able to do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted to do it. If she wanted to spend an evening throwing flour about the royal kitchen, then by the moon she would do so, who cared what the nobility thought? Unfortunately, Celestia informed her upon her return that such actions were generally frowned upon, so the only opportunity she found to truly let her hair down was Hearth’s Warming, when the castle was empty of everyone but her close friends, and sister. After her return, Luna had been nervous about Hearth’s Warming. Many of the old traditions had been abandoned, such as the ceremonial gladiator tournaments to dispose of excess grievances, or the ceremonial wendigo burning; to well, burn another filthy wendigo. With her sisters help however, she had been introduced to the softer traditions, and this year would be her first attempt at what ‘Tia called a “Hearth’s Warming Celebration”. The tradition had originally been just between Celestia and Twilight, but after her return, they had taken a small break for Luna’s sake. But this year would be different! This year, she and ‘Tia were supposed to be making an assortment of baked goods for the party, which would happen as the moon finished rising. Then the Elements would arrive, and they would have a fun filled evening of sweets, hot chocolate, a raging fire, and fine company. They would talk and tell stories late into the night, then they were supposed to pass out in a large pile until the next morning. Luna was particularly excited about the last aspect of the party. Herds, even platonic ones had become frowned upon in recent years, and Luna couldn’t fathom the reasoning behind it. The shortage of stallions was as common as ever, and the practice was actually conducive to greater harmony amongst her subjects, along with some other notable, but arguably fun, festivities. While she had no interest in romantic herds, Luna’s platonic herd used to be legendary for the massive hundred pony piles they would form to sleep, and she could hardly wait for the evening to begin. Perhaps if she could get some popular ponies involved in a small-scale herd, she could bring the practice back to life. She had, after all, already drafted a bill that would grant a tax cut to any pony that would wish to snuggle with their princess. If only the small-minded nobility didn’t get in her way when she tried to pass it. In time they would see the true glory of snuggles! Luna giggled softly to herself. It would be a joyous evening, and her extra sleep would help her last. She needed the extra half hour to make the moon rising special after all, and what better way to replenish her energy reserves? Luna lazily rolled from bed, slipping her hooves into her fuzzy bunny slippers that one of her guards had gifted to her. The poor thestral had been the first to approach her upon her return to join her newly reformed Lunar Guard, and she had accepted immediately, offering him a high position if he was willing to work hard for it. What had surprised her was when the young stallion had declined, favoring a simple guard position instead. He simply wished to serve her, and as a gift for giving him an average guard position, he had sent her a pair of bright pink slippers that he claimed were almost as good as real fur. As Luna dug out her centuries old manticore fur robe, she found that she agreed with the pony, they were almost as good. Nothing could beat the real thing though. The genuine fur was so soft, and so fluffy, enchanted with an eternity spell to make sure it never faded. It would be impossible to find one now; the intentional sale of furs had been outlawed prior to her return as well. Luna looked at herself in the mirror, her mane, usually flowing and smooth, looked ruffled, with some of the stars in it clumping together. She lacked her usual crown, as well as her usual regalia. The only thing around her neck was her pendant, something that Celestia had practically cried over when she saw Luna wearing it. They had a personal party that evening, and Luna could practically feel any disagreements the pair had resolve themselves as they hugged and chatted in earnest for the first real time since her return. Luna left the happy memory alone as she returned to her reflection. Overall, she looked positively undignified, disheveled, and sloppy, everything a princess should not be. Luna giggled and clapped her hooves together in excitement. Perfect! The castle would be empty of guards and servants, a tradition that had sad origins, but now was now a happy occasion. Before her return, and before Celestia had started taking on magical students, she had emptied the castle to reflect and be isolated for a day or two, letting her ponies have their happy Hearth’s Warmings while she sat and watched the moon alone. Now they would fill the empty halls with their laughter, and their silly games. No longer would anypony in all of Equestria have a sour Hearth’s Warming. Luna trotted over to her bedroom door, more than ready to begin sipping at a steaming cup of coffee. She threw the door open with ease and spun her way into the hallway, her smile wide. She almost felt like she would burst into joyous song, until she saw a blue armored human standing by her doorway, watching her with a bored stare. Luna paused in her motions, staring at Elias dumbly. Her habitual instincts took over, and she gave him a slight nod as she straightened to her normal posture. “Good evening Guardsman Bright.” He returned the nod, and Luna noticed a small white object tucked underneath his helmet. “Evening Princess.” The two stared silently at each other. Though he clearly noticed her attire, Luna suspected that he was remaining quiet on it for his own personal sake. She sniffed, sticking her nose in the air. “You do not have to remain silent on my account Guardsman, feel free to comment on my dress as much as you like, you cannot offend me.” Elias raised an eyebrow, his eyes searching over her quickly before meeting her eyes again. “What’s there to comment Princess? You look like you just woke up, it’s Hearth’s Warming eve, and you’re a princess. You can wear whatever you like in your house as far as I see it.” Luna felt herself blush in embarrassment. ‘Or maybe he was remaining silent out of kindness,’ Luna thought to herself. She didn’t know why she jumped to the irrationally negative thought of Elias’ character. He had proven that he was a kind individual more than once, though he had an odd way of demonstrating that kindness. Luna ran her slippered hoof over the carpet for a moment before she met his eyes again. “Why are you here Guardsman?” Luna asked, “You have this evening, as well as the next off.” Elias nodded. “That I do, but I have nothing better to do, and sitting in an empty room alone didn’t have a lot of appeal, so I decided to just do my regular job to occupy the time.” Luna frowned. “I would have imagined Book Binder and Night Flash would invite you to stay with them for Hearth’s Warming. They seemed most excited to be with you.” Elias scratched his nose. “They offered, but I turned them down. I didn’t want to be a burden on their holiday, so I told them I would be fine here. It’s not a big deal.” Luna’s frown deepened when she saw the lie in his eyes. Even he did not believe the words coming from his mouth. “That is not the truth Guardsman, at least not the whole truth. Where is the rest?” Elias’ eyes met hers for a brief moment, and Luna saw sadness in those brilliant blue eyes. He sighed and looked at his feet. “We fought about it a few days ago. It started over some little nothing. It should have stayed nothing, but it didn’t.” “What was it about?” Luna asked. Elias snorted, waving his hand around them. “About staying with them for Hearth’s Warming. I told Book Binder I didn’t want to be a burden, and that I was concerned about what her family would think about me. She responded by telling me I wasn’t a burden, and that her parents would like me just fine.” He snorted again. “I think that turning my argument on its head just pissed me off, because I did the same thing right back. I told her that her parents would likely hate me, said I would ruin the holiday for everyone. After that, she accused me of acting like a child, and it got worse from there. I don’t know when we started yelling, but we just kept going and going. She said some stuff, I said nastier stuff back, and we just…” Elias fell silent, scratching at his nose with his thumb. He looked at Luna again, then sighed. “Let’s just say we didn’t leave on good terms. I figured out pretty quick that I was in the wrong, so I tried to catch up to her and apologize, but then I was late for my shift, and Nightshade got on my case.” His eyes burned with regret. “And then she was gone. She and Night Flash slipped away, taking a few extra days of leave. I haven’t talked to either since. I’m not even sure if they would want to talk to me if we had the chance.” Luna was frozen with horror. She had no idea what to say. This wasn’t supposed to be happening, and it especially wasn’t supposed to be happening now. It was Hearth’s Warming! Elias’ nostrils flared and he straightened slightly, looking at Luna with eyes filled with simmering anger. She had no doubt that said anger was directed inwardly. “It doesn’t matter,” Elias said. “I’ll figure this out in time. Worst comes to worst…” He paused, shaking his head as he slumped again. “Then it comes to it. I’m not going to hold those two back because of something stupid like my feelings.” He snorted in disgust, then cleared his throat. “Either way, I’ll be out of your hair Princess. I was just standing guard here till you got up, so now I’m thinking I’ll take a walk outside. Maybe I can go park myself outside the front gates for a while, watch the snow fall.” He pulled a flask from his belt, unscrewing the top quickly as he took a fast swig. Elias shuddered briefly as he stared at the flask. “Damn, that got stronger with the trip. Good stuff.” He glanced up, meeting Luna’s eyes. As if he had just realized the pony was there, he grunted sheepishly, then offered the flask to her. “Want some Princess? That’s authentic American whiskey right there.” Luna took the offered flask, glancing at it cautiously before she shrugged and took a sip. The liquid inside tasted something akin to changeling blood, and it burned the entire length of her throat as she struggled not to throw it up. The look of disgust was clear on her face, because Elias chuckled. “Burns right? Found that in some rich guy’s place three years ago. A solid 180 proof if I remember correctly. Anything stronger and it’s like drinking rubbing alcohol.” Luna looked at the flask with distaste as she floated it back to Elias’ waiting hand. “That is most foul Guardsman. I cannot imagine it is good for you.” Elias shrugged as he screwed the top back on. He slipped it into his belt. “Maybe not, but it does its job. Makes you feel a bit warmer and a lot happier. It’s all it needs to be.” Luna scoffed. “Clearly you have not drunken some of the spirits my ponies have created in Equestria’s long history. The apple cider is something that ponies would kill for if they were just a tad more violent. There is never enough, even for a princess.” Elias shrugged again. “Then I’ll save everyone the trouble. Besides, it’s not like I can buy anything alcoholic, not for a few years at least. That drinking age of yours is a bit too high for my taste.” Luna looked at him with narrowed eyes. “That is right, you are not of age. I could have you imprisoned for having that foul substance.” Elias smiled. “I’ll tell the guard on duty. I wouldn’t hold your breath though; he’s got a real soft spot for cigarettes.” He tapped the small white object behind his ear. Luna leaned in slightly to look at it properly, and confirmed that yes, it was indeed a smoking device. Another thing that had been banned in her long absence. Not that she had ever been a particular fan of that nasty habit anyway. Elias sighed, and his smile fell as Luna continued to glare at his vices. “Princess, just… It will all be gone by the end of today. I’ve been saving everything I had left for a special occasion, and tonight is going to be that occasion. I’ll have nothing left by the sunrise.” He let out a single, wet cough. Elias scowled as he cleared his throat. Luna took a step back; the man looked like a lama that wanted to spit. He didn’t however, and much to Luna’s disgust, he swallowed whatever was clogging his throat. His eyes flicked to Luna, then back to the ground. “Sorry Princess, I’m taking up your day for nothing. I’m going to move on if you don’t mind.” Luna nodded silently, and the human pushed off the wall. Trudging his way down the hallway. He gave her a small wave as he turned the corner, and then he was gone, leaving Luna alone and dazed. What should she do? A glance into her room showed that only a few minutes had passed, cutting into her solitary coffee time, but should she pursue the human? Was it better to let him brood? Another glance at the clock made her calculate how much time remained until the Elements would arrive. If he was truly going to the front gate, then he would likely get drafted into helping them inside. She could fulfill her Hearth’s Warming plans until then, and after that she could invite him inside to warm himself by the fire. At the very least he would be fed and warm, and that would be enough, even if he did not join in on the Hearth’s warming pile. Luna snorted softly and smiled as she closed her bedroom door. Or maybe she would force him to act as the base for the pile, then they could smother him with love and attention. That would force the human to be happy. Luna smiled as she imagined it, the plan solidifying as she trotted to the kitchens. Her good mood returned in full. She would show him, and then she would drag his soon-to-be parents back as well so that they could join in, smothering the human with love. It would be a good Hearth’s Warming for all, just as it should be. ***** Elias blew air into his hands as he tried to keep his body tight. It should have had the effect of keeping him warmer, but with the wind howling as it was, it didn’t really help. The sun had set over an hour ago, and Elias had stopped checking the time when he found that it was almost as frozen as he was. The snow was falling swiftly, already climbing above his toes. He had smoked through one cigarette, and he was fast working on the second. The snow covered streets still had the occasional pony running by, usually with a gift or two suspended in an aura, or tucked carefully on their back as they sprinted to and fro. Elias did his best to find something to watch, but as the wind grew worse, he found himself pacing before the gate more often than not. He was lucky that part of his ancestry was Norse, because otherwise his exposed legs might have just frozen off. He eyed the barrel that would provide him with warmth, if he could figure out how to get the damned thing started. It had to be a magic thing, because his lighter did nothing to the fuel that sat in the brazier. The accumulated sticks and logs sat, unwilling, or unable to light, and so unable to give off light and warmth. He only minded half of that. While he really wanted to go inside to get warm, he knew Luna was up and trying to act normal, and he didn’t want to interrupt. He had put no thought into what the princesses might be doing for Hearth’s Warming, and while he had no interest in the holiday, nor its human surrogate, it didn’t mean he had to ruin it for others, especially not the pair of ponies that had helped him out in some rough spots. If nothing else, he could fall back on his wasteland code to guide him, and it said that favors should always be repaid. That meant they had scratched his back; he could keep out of their way and be bitter elsewhere. Even if elsewhere was a freezing hellscape with white evil raining from the sky and down his shirt. Elias resisted the urge to rip the cloak off his body to shake the snow loose again. He knew it would only make the issue worse, but the urge was still there, and his hands twitched more than once to rip off the worthless piece of cloth. A gust of wind wiped away this idea as he shivered, slipping his shield over his back with the pilum returned to its sheathe. Elias ducked back into one of the guard boxes, taking temporary shelter from the wind as he held his cigarette to take a swig from his flask. It was nearly empty, he had practically drained it on his walk to the gate, and now he was going for the finish. If for nothing else, he wanted a mild buzz to wait out the rest of the evening. Only a group of fast approaching voices stopped him from downing the rest of the flask in one go. Elias let a swallow’s worth fall back in as he wiped his face, placing his cigarette between his lips once more as he peaked out of the guard box. Squinting into the snow, Elias found a group of well-lit ponies trotting happily toward the castle. Further squinting also noted a small creature carrying a stack of luggage as tall as Elias was, so the human sighed; screwing his flask tight as he tucked it in his belt and walked forward. “Anything I can help you ladies with?” Elias said, his voice loud enough to cut through the whistling of the wind. All six stopped suddenly, with their seventh running into somebody’s rump, sending the luggage to the ground, including a few bags that slid to Elias’ feet. He moved forward, scooping up a couple of bags as the lizard-boy got to his feet. Once he realized that it wasn’t a pony helping him, the lizard-boy stared at him in shock as well. One of the ponies he recognized however, so Elias squinted at her and gave her a small wave as he bent over to grab another bag. “Evening Twilight,” he said gruffly, struggling slightly as he lifted a bag that felt like it was holding an entire couch in it. The purple unicorn in question started from her stunned state and smiled widely. “Hey Elias, you’re looking better.” The human grunted as he slung a bag over his shoulder. “Just what I get for eating three meals a day. Back for more about Earth?” Twilight’s eyes lit up for a moment, and she almost nodded, then she drooped slightly. “No, we’re here for Princess Celestia’s Hearth’s Warming party.” She blinked for a moment as Elias snagged another bag from the snow. “Wait, why do I sound so sad about that? I’m here for Princess Celestia’s Hearth’s Warming party!” she said cheerfully. “Though I’m kind of surprised that you’re here Elias, I thought the princesses gave the guard off for Hearth’s Warming.” Elias nodded as he swiped the last bag from the ground. With Twilight talking to him, the rest of the ponies seemed to lose their nervousness, though one of them was staring at him like he just ate their dog, while two of them, an orange one and a blue one, looked like they wanted to pick a fight. One was staring at him in a strange manner that he didn’t recognize, which caused the lizard-boy to eye him with jealousy. Finally, a vaguely familiar looking pink one looked like she was going to jump him. With all of their luggage in hand however, Elias doubted that that was going to happen. Elias nodded toward the gatehouse and they began walking inside, with the chatter resuming quietly behind him as Elias talked with Twilight. “They did, but I don’t have anything better to do, so I’m out working. Might as well.” Twilight frowned. “You haven’t made any friends to celebrate Hearth’s Warming with?” Elias shifted the weight in his hands so that he could toss the cigarette that had reached the filter. He made sure to flick the ember-ridden thing into a snowbank. He sniffed and rubbed at his nose before he shifted the luggage back. “From what I read, Hearth’s Warming is about family, and I didn’t want to impose on anyone, so I stayed here. If had known about the party and all that, I’d have probably left to find a bench to sleep on or something. It would be cold, but hey, I’d live.” ‘Probably’, he kept to himself. Twilight’s frown remained unwavering. “I mean, technically you’re right, but Hearth’s Warming can be more than just about family. After all, I brought all of my friends with me to celebrate!” Elias eyed the group and snorted. “Maybe, but tell me, are they just your “friends” or are they more than that? Can you honestly tell me that you don’t care for them just a little bit more than as friends?” Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but then she stopped. Her frown returned as she remained in thought all of the way up to the castle doors. Elias easily shoved them open with his shoulders, holding the door so that everyone could get inside. The entryway was lit, but unoccupied. Elias had no doubt that the ponies knew where they needed to be, so he set down the luggage to the side of the door, leaving it ajar so that he could exit into the snow once more. Twilight was still frowning in thought. She sighed loudly. “Wow, I can’t believe one little sentence stumped me so well. I tried to compare my relationships with Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, all of my friends, and Spike, and I think I have an answer.” She looked at Elias, who was relishing the interior heat for the moment. “I guess you’re absolutely right Elias, I do value my friends more than just being friendly. I’m sorry that you haven’t found anypony like that.” Elias shrugged as he tried to keep his internal pain from his face. “Don’t worry about it, I’m fine alone. It’s two days, I think I can make do.” The white unicorn with the purple mane who was giving him a strange look suddenly got far too close. “Nonesense darling,” she said with a strange accent. “I am more than sure that the princesses wouldn’t mind if we brought such a strong, capable stallion such as yourself to our little party.” The unicorn winked at him, and it briefly occurred to Elias what was happening. “I know I certainly wouldn’t mind being good friends with one as… muscular as yourself.” Her eyes drifted up and down his body as she spoke, and if Elias was a more thoughtful man, he might have cared. Elias snorted and took a step away from the pony. “Now I’m no expert on pony culture, but I think it’s more than a little weird for somebody to be hitting on a nineteen-year-old, so I’m just going to go back outside,” he said, pointing a thumb at the still open door, leaking heat and light into the cold night. The white unicorn blanched visibly, and her mouth flapped as she tried to stammer a response. The orange and blue ponies both snickered however, and the lizard, which Elias imagined was the one named Spike, looked relieved. What that said about his age, Elias didn’t know, and he didn’t particularly care. The encountered was already beginning to wear thin, and he was warm enough to survive outside for a little bit longer. Seeing the awkward lull in the conversation as an opportunity, Elias made his way toward the doors, slipping outside just as a tall white form appeared at the top of the staircase. He slipped the door quietly as he heard a chorus of greetings and laughter as the princesses entered the foyer. He made sure the door jamb closed silently before he began trudging back to his guard box. The wind seemed to roar in his ears as he walked, and Elias felt a particularly nasty chill race up his spine as he tugged the cloak tighter around his chest. ***** “Princess Celestia!” Twilight called out as she raced to embrace her mentor. Luna frowned as she watched the doors slip closed. Elias had outmaneuvered her without even trying. He had acted on her prediction to help the Elements inside, but as she and her sister entered the front hall, he had subtly disappeared, sliding out the open door to the frigid outside. Luna was fairly sure that Celestia hadn’t even noticed the human, and she thought it unlikely that any of the Elements would discuss him for long once the party truly got under way. The opportunity to drag him inside for warmth and cuddles had came and went, and Luna had no idea how to act upon her instinct to help him now. “Luna? Are you alright?” Celestia asked, her voice worried. Luna shook herself from her stupor and looked around to find everyone staring at her. She smiled weakly. “Yes ‘Tia, I am quite alright. Just… thinking.” Celestia tutted and dragged Luna into a warm embrace. “Now Luna, you know better than to be thinking about your duties at a time like this. It’s Hearth’s Warming after all!” Luna tried to pull away from her older sister, but quickly found herself being hugged by Twilight and her friends as well. She blushed slightly, then accepted her fate as she rubbed against her sister’s chest fluff. Though she felt much more relaxed, a small thought wriggled at the back of her mind that Elias should be experiencing this, that he should be sharing in the wonderous companionship she was enjoying. If she wanted to solve the problem however, she needed to make sure nobody was worried about her. Luna pulled away from the hug with a smile. She waved her horn and all of the luggage stacked in the entryway disappeared, teleported to their respective suites. “Come!” she proclaimed trotting toward the prepared party room, “There is much celebrating that needs doing! We have made many baked goods!” Everyone gave a cheer and they all began to chatter as they walked toward the party. Luna cast one last glance at the sealed doors, her mind working on a method to get Elias into position for maximum love and friendship. ***** “Come on you fucking thing,” Elias hissed, “you worked twice tonight, and you can work one more time. It will be the last one, I swear, then you can be as broken as you like.” The lighter remained dead in his numb fingers, oblivious to Elias’ bargaining. It had steadily gotten colder since he went outside. The wind seemed to howl in his ears, and Elias regretted not being more prepared. He had no hat to cover his head, no pants or stockings to cover his legs, and the cloak seemed thinner and thinner with each gust of wind. Elias growled as the flint tore away a piece of thumb flesh as he tried to light it. Anger rose hot in his mind, and Elias slammed the worthless lighter into the equally worthless brazier. The unlit cigarette quickly followed, all unlit, all worthless. Elias wiped away some ice that had crusted to his beard. Months of not shaving had netted him a fully-grown face of hair, not that it kept him any warmer. Elias briefly considered going inside to brood in his room, but after checking his watch to find that it was only just past ten, he decided he could wait out the cold for a little while longer. Elias searched the dark streets before him for something to hate, but quickly found nothing. The street seemed calm, almost peaceful. There were no more last-minute shoppers, no ponies at all really. Even in the land of magic and rainbows, Elias had expected at least one lonely soul to be wandering like himself, but there were none. Each door in sight was closed, and in each window a single candle sat, giving the only light on the pitch back night. Elias let out a pained gasp as everything seemed to slow. The wind died down, going from a raging howl to a nonexistent whisper. The snow still fell, but instead of the tiny flakes that found their way into his eyes, large, graceful flakes descended from the sky. They floated softly through the air, and Elias poked his head out of the guard box to get a better look. In a childlike sense of wonder, Elias looked up to the sky, seeing something he had only ever read about. He couldn’t remember ever willingly going outside in the snow, and he certainly never remembered it looking like this. Like a million stars the snow fell, glinting softly off of the candles in every window. It shouldn’t have been enough light, but for once, Elias could see in the dark. Everything seemed crystal clear. Like it was by design. Elias stuck out his tongue, catching a flake or two. His breath produced a cloud in the dark air, and Elias chuckled softly as he watched it dissipate. The cold seemed distant now. Everything felt rather distant. A strange feeling twinged in Elias’ chest; an extremely unfamiliar one. Elias let out a cough, trying to dislodge whatever was stuck in his throat, but when it didn’t fade away, he attributed it to something else. Elias then tried pacing, thinking perhaps it was a result of the cold air that seemed to burn his nose with every breath. That didn’t help either, if anything, the feeling grew stronger, creating an unknown urge. Elias leaned against the castle wall, blowing clouds of fog into the air, and he watched with fascination as they faded away. He wondered briefly what that felt like. To simply dissipate, to fade into nothing. Elias smiled at the thought, then frowned. His mind was quiet, yet it felt at conflict with itself, as if two powers were warring for control. Elias ignored it as another symptom of exposure. The thought to go back inside popped up once more, quickly countered by the wish to not disturb the Hearth’s Warming party that was likely shining brightly through one of the castle windows. Elias wandered over to the brazier, blowing into his hands to get them to uncurl enough to grab his lighter and cigarette. This time, the lighter came on with the second flick, and Elias was able to light the cigarette with ease. He tucked the lighter back into his belt as he took a long pull on the cigarette, staring blankly into the dark. The quiet was deafening, though Elias felt that it didn’t have to be. Sure, the calm darkness was beautiful, but there were other things that could be beautiful. Song for one. Elias blinked as a warm rush of pleasant memories filtered across his mind. Each one involved a song of some kind, children’s songs to teach the abc’s, drinking songs to celebrate great victories, shoddily written bardic songs from a married couple who wanted to start up a circus; a hell of a feat for the post apocalypse, but more to them. One song seemed to stand out though, a Christmas song. Normally Elias would drive such a disgusting thing as far from his mind as possible. This had always been a dark time of year, whether it was called Christmas, or Hearth’s Warming, Elias should hate it, but the song that was slowly worming forward in his thoughts was one of a better time, when he still had everything he wanted in life. Peace, a family, friends, his innocence. A time when blood didn’t have to be shed, when he could smile and laugh without having to worry about the ever-present enemy that threatened to take everything away. It was a time when he was young, when his sisters were young, when his dad wasn’t bitter at his lot in life, and when his mother smiled day after day, always happy, always a shining spot in his life. Elias felt his chest tighten as he realized that he wouldn’t find that sensation again. He had destroyed the opportunity. He had hurt Book Binder irreparably. Had said words, that when spoken, could never be taken back and could only fester as regret, weighing down an already leaden heart. Elias felt his legs weaken and he slumped against the wall. The half-smoked cigarette dangled perilously from his lips, and only a last second burst of energy caught it before it could fall to the snow. Then Elias decided to let it fall anyway. He didn’t want it, didn’t want anything except to sleep. He was done, he had no reason to push on, no motivation to continue fighting for his own existence. After all, it was because of Night Flash and Book Binder that he had friends at all, and with them gone, the rest of his friends would likely follow. He was alone again, and the feeling cut him to the core. Desperation and a sense of loss crept over him, and Elias wanted to do nothing more than collapse, to let the snow claim him. It would make the night completely silent. Heh, silent night. Elias smirked as the old song rose in his mind. The feeling in his chest returned with renewed vigor, shoving away the thoughts of desperation. Elias straightened from his slump, brushing the ice from his beard as he leaned against the castle wall, blowing a cloud into the night sky. How did that song go again? He could vaguely remember the tune, but the words were all but lost to time. Elias was fairly sure he could remember the first line though. “Si - lent night,” Elias said more than sang. He snorted at the sound of his voice. To say it sounded rough was an understatement, but the feeling in his chest seemed to want him to continue, so continue he did. The lyrics for the second line popped into his head as if somebody was feeding him the words. “Ho – ly night,” Elias sang. Elias spat out a fat glob of phlegm as he tried to clear his throat. It was getting there, and Elias swore he could hear bells. Maybe that was just the ringing in his ears. He paused, looking around to see if anyone was watching him make a fool of himself, but upon finding nobody, Elias shrugged and began to pace as the song rose in his mind, and he continued to sing, his voice growing stronger with every word. ***** Luna smiled widely as Applejack and Rainbow Dash raced to chug their mugs of cider. She and Pinkie Pie had a running pool of who would be victorious, and while the party pony had put her bits on the blue pegasus, Luna was more than confident that the pony with apple in her name could down the apple cider the fastest. She grinned with savage delight as Applejack slammed down another mug, scooping up the next one in the same movement as she began to pump it back. “Come on Dashie!” Pinkie cheered. “Gummy needs a new pair of slippers!” Rainbow Dash redoubled her efforts, slamming down her own mug as she began chugging rapidly at the second. Luna watched in horror as she caught up to Applejack with ease, the two resuming their neck and neck race. Luna growled at the farm pony. “Do think fair Applejack, a happy princess could do much to help a simple farmer expand her crop. There are many ancient spells meant to increase crop yields, and these methods have been lost to the ages. They could be granted however, to a certain pony who won their princess a large sum of bits.” Applejack increased her efforts as well, taking the lead once more as she moved onto the next mug. Luna eyed them carefully; three left. If she could motivate the farm pony a little more, the victory, and the bits would be hers. The money was of import to her. That, and Luna just really wanted to win. She had been eyeing a certain set of stockings during her nightly wanderings, and she wanted to buy them strictly off the books. She did not need Celestia teasing her for her comfortable, but quite provocative, purchase. The stockings were the most lovely shade of red though, and the lace at the top, the way they would hug her thighs… Luna tried to erase the blush that had crept to her face as she focused on motivating her drinking champion. She opened her mouth to give the farmer more incentive; then, as if appearing from nowhere, Luna felt a familiar twinge in her chest. The game was suddenly forgotten, and her head swiveled toward the window as her ears strained to find a trace of the song being sung. Luna sprang to her feet, distracting Applejack as Rainbow Dash secured the victory. She and Pinkie cheered loudly, and Luna teleported the bag of bits to their side of the table without a second thought or moment of protest as she began trotting toward the window, searching in the snow for a sign of the source of the song. It was low in intensity, but it still felt powerful, as if it was struggling against another force. The song was beginning to swell, and Luna had an idea of who was the source of the conflict. She stared out the window intently as she searched, looking for a sign of light that would lead her to the human. Celestia was quickly at her side, followed by most of Twilight’s friends. “Is something wrong Luna?” Celestia asked, her voice tinged with concern. Luna frowned deeply as a nasty gust of wind brushed against the glass. She looked to the assembled ponies. “Elias, the guard that assisted you inside, did he give any indication of where he was going?” Twilight shook her head. “Not really, he just said he was going back outside and then left.” Celestia looked between the two. “Elias is here? Why? He should have had Hearth’s Warming off with the rest of our guards.” Luna nodded. “He decided to conduct his normal duties. The ponies I would have thought would take him home evidently fought with him over the very subject. He believes that he has permanently alienated them, and is therefore alone tonight. It would seem it is causing a measure of conflict within the man, and he has managed to tap into the ambiance of song. I merely wish to ensure that he is not meeting his death as we speak.” “It is mighty chilly out there,” Applejack said. “And he looked a bit worse for wear, if ya don’t mind me sayin’. He didn’t have no meat on his bones, and if ah saw right, he didn’t have no fur neither.” Luna nodded as she let the sensation in her chest guide her vision. Clearly, she was the only one connected to the human’s song, so she should be able to target his position by testing where the magic was the strongest. Only when she faced the gatehouse did it reach its peak. If she had less control, she might have begun singing right there; but the unfamiliarity of the song lyrics, so organized and impersonal, at least for her, let Luna remain in control enough to speak her next words as she prepared a minor teleportation spell. “I shall not be long, and I will not require assistance. Please, return to your merriment, I shall send for help if I need it.” And then she disappeared, reappearing just outside the window. She narrowed her eyes to keep the snow out as she flapped violently to stay in the air. When the ice drove her to ground, Luna scanned the air, looking for the tell-tale signs of a hostile power. The average snowfall, no matter how cold, could not drive an alicorn from flight. It took her a few moments, but she found the red eyes just as the wendigo let a howl split the peaceful sky. Nobody could likely hear it besides herself and its potential food source. Luna sent a praise of thanks to the Keepers for forcing song magic into Elias as she began to fight her way through the growing snow drifts. She needed to be quick, if she didn’t reach the human before the song ended, the wendigo would sweep away what little harmony had found its way into his heart, and the beast would likely kill him. To make the magic in the air more powerful, Luna let her voice join in. “Sleep in heav – en – ly peace, Sleep in heav – en – ly peace.” The solo became a duet, and the air seemed to still as she pushed forward. Luna ignored the pained howls of the wendigo as she ran. She needed to reach him. She held her head high, let her strong vocal cords sing high into the night, her tones perfect as she moved. ***** Elias was surprised when the bells changed to become a second voice. Maybe it was the cold seeping into his bones, but Elias felt mesmerized by the sound. It sounded familiar, and so wonderfully beautiful. It carried a haunting tone to it, and each note was sung in a perfect key to harmonize with his singing. Whoever she was, Elias felt that he really wanted to meet her face to face. By comparison, his voice sound rough, tripping and stumbling over the tones as he tried his best to keep the lyrics in his head. The song was human damnit, why did it feel like his mind was freezing every other line? It didn’t really matter now; he didn’t really know the entire song, and the lyrics in his head seemed to repeat the first verse anyway, so he started from the beginning. “Si - lent night.” Elias felt a long shiver play down his body. The air in his lungs seemed to freeze as he struggled to continue. Was it getting colder? Elias didn’t know, and he felt content to try and sit down to huddle for warmth. The thought of going inside never even crossed his mind as he began to freeze. “H-h-holy…” Elias felt his teeth chatter, biting away the second half of the lyric. The music seemed to hang by a thread in the air, and the cold crept in. Elias closed his eyes and tried to breathe warmth into his hands. It was so cold, and Elias swore he could hear wolves howling. The ice crept up his legs as the snow piled on his quivering shoulders. For a brief moment, Elias felt like he was at death’s door, and he welcomed the sensation. That is, until she arrived. He felt her first, her very presence stopping the snow fall, bringing with it warmth, and a feeling of security. Elias looked at her from beneath his frozen-on helmet, shivering violently as he struggled to keep breathing. Luna smiled sadly at him as that angelic voice came from her mouth. “All is calm,” she sang sweetly, “All is bright.” The chill seemed to ease, and Elias found warm air in his lungs once more. Though he still shivered, he was able to continue as the lyrics rose again in his mind. “R-round yon vir – gin, mother and child.” Luna’s smile widened as she continued. “Ho – ly In – fant so ten – der and mild.” The wind howled in his ears, and Elias curled tighter into his ball. The song hung in the air again, and Elias felt cold touch at his heart. A gasp of pain escaped his chest as the muscle began to palpitate. Only a soft touch on his shoulder brought Elias back from the brink. The Elias felt that it was supposed to be his turn, Luna sang the next lyric for him. “Sleep in heav – en – ly peace!” she sang brightly, her hoof extended toward him. “S-sleep in heav – en – ly peace,” Elias finished softly, his voice just above a whisper. The air seemed to return to normal as he finished, and the howling behind the wind died. Elias took a chilling breath and promptly passed out against the alicorn to his left. ***** Luna let out a long sigh as she watched the human fall into unconsciousness. The wendigo had let out a spine shattering howl as it lost its meal, but it vanished upon the completion of the song. As a result, Elias was still alive, but only barely. His armor and clothing were coated in a thin layer of ice, as was his red facial hair. She would check him further once inside, but Luna suspected that the damage was severe. She ran quickly after placing the human on her back, keeping him tucked safely beneath her wings. She hit the castle doors at a dead run, slamming them closed with a thought as she ran toward the nearest in-use fireplace. Another set of doors barred her path, and these she slammed through as well. She eyed the fireplace in the party room briefly, then continued her run, opting to take Elias somewhere more private. If he woke up, he would cause issues if he continued the inane thought of “being a burden”. It would be better to nip the issue in the bud so that she could care for him swiftly and efficiently. Her run was not fast enough however, and Luna quickly found herself being hounded as her sister and the Elements began to pelt her with questions. Unfortunately, her sister decided to take direct action, and block her from the door that would lead to her bedroom. “My word, Luna, where was he to end up in such a state?” Celestia asked, her voice cutting through the myriad of inane questions. “Outside, by the gate,” Luna responded shortly, dipping around her sister. “A wendigo was attempting to make a feast of the man’s internal strife. We should have continued the ancient hunt for the ugly beasts. The blood of its kin on the castle steps would have kept it away.” Celestia waved for the Elements to remain in place as she caught up with Luna, falling in beside her as they ran toward her room. “What is the source of such strife? You said he had conflict with his friends, but that shouldn’t have been on a level to attract a wendigo, especially not to the heart of Canterlot.” Luna threw open her door, casting a small fireball into her fireplace as she levitated a whirlwind of pillows and blankets onto the floor before it. She stripped away Elias’ armor and weaponry as she laid the human down gently, tucking a thick blanket made of gryphon feathers over his body. Luna frowned when the human didn’t move at all, his face an abnormal pale, even for him. “I know not sister, but I shall find out when he awakens. As it stands, he will likely be uncomfortable with the attentions of too many ponies. I have no wish to draw more wendigos here, so I, and I alone will nurse him to health.” Celestia gave her a light nuzzle, which Luna gratefully returned. “Are you sure?” Celestia asked. “Perhaps he just needs more friends to brighten his spirits. He knows Twilight well enough.” Luna shook her head and sighed. “Nay, he does not. I have gained much insight into how he thinks by observing him these past months, and if I know the Guardsman well enough, he will try to push even me away. In all likelihood he will make some false claim about he was “fine” and how it was only a minor chill that could have stolen the life from his body.” Celestia smiled and rolled her eyes. “Sounds like somepony I know. Far too stubborn for her own good, likes doing things her way, sound familiar?” Luna snorted dismissively and waved her hoof. “Do not make light of me at this time sister. You may poke your fun when I do not have to focus so on the Guardsman’s health.” Her tone softened as she looked at Celestia. “But could you please bring some food, and check if we need company occasionally? I do not wish for this night to be ruined by events out of our control.” Celestia nodded. “Of course, Luna, I will check every hour, and I will tell Twilight and the girls that everything is fine, Elias merely fell asleep and grew ill. It will set them at ease if nothing else.” Luna nodded. “Thank you, sister, now if you will excuse me, I shall check on his condition.” Celestia gave her one last squeeze before she left the room, shutting the door softly behind her. Luna sighed as she lifted the blanket away, scooting Elias a bit closer to the fire so that he would warm faster while she checked on him. Luna frowned at his soaking wet clothing, and with a wave of her horn, she burned all of it away. All of it. Luna flushed furiously as she checked his genitals for frostbite, and when she found none, Luna quickly covered them with a pillow. She took a few deep breaths to avoid collapsing from embarrassment, then she continued her check-up. His toes were largely black with frostbite, but a powerful healing spell brought them back to life. Luna was even pleased to see a few of the digits wiggle lightly as she checked them with her hooves, ensuring that the magic had done its job. Next came the hands, which were in a similar state. Luna repeated her procedure, healing, then checking the fingers to make sure they were fully healed. Luna then moved her inspection upward. Elias’ face, while incredibly pale, was surprisingly free of frostbite, and she attributed it to the harmony magic that had found its way inside, and then out again through his song. Luna briefly pondered that song as she checked the rest of his body for frostbite. It clearly had significant meaning to Elias, as she had never heard anything of its likeness in all of her years. It had also been unlike a usual harmonious song. They were usually very specific in intent, directed directly at whatever strife was hidden deep in the singer’s heart, yet Elias’ had seemed to come from his head. It was almost as if it had been written beforehand, and then he had remembered it, causing a reaction with Equestria’s ambient magic when he began to sing. She couldn’t dismiss the idea as strange, as standard ambient magics had no effect on the human. Perhaps she had found an avenue to connect the human to the lifeblood of her ponies, but she could only test that theory with time. Elias groaned lightly as he stirred, his blue eyes gazing at her hazily. “P-… Princess? What…?” Luna resisted the urge to swipe him in the back of the head. “You fell unconscious while outside. I brought you to my bedroom to warm you up, you nearly froze to death.” Just as she predicted, Elias rolled over and tried to push himself up. “Y-you d-didn’t need to do that,” Elias said through his shivers. “I-it wasn’t e-even that cold out.” Luna watched calmly as he got to his feet, and as he began looking toward the door, Luna immediately lifted him into the air. He grunted heavily as she laid him back down on the rug in front of the fire. She then grabbed another thick, black blanket from her bed and draped it over the human. Finally, she resettled his temporary pillow bed, fluffing them out as she laid him down. Elias remained silent, and Luna was forced to suppress a giggle as he pulled the blanket tighter around his body. Normally he seemed so collected, even when in great pain, yet now the human looked positively adorable as he shivered. He inched himself toward the fire, holding his pale hands toward the flame. Luna watched with fascination as they slowly uncurled as he warmed the digits up. Even with the added heat and blankets, the human was still shivering too much, so Luna did the only thing she could think of to warm his body up faster. Luna moved silently, sitting behind the human, her fur only inches from his covered back. She remained unnoticed as the human focused on the fire. With a small push of magic, coupled with her large wings, she dragged Elias to her chest, making sure that every part of his freezing body was covered with her warm, fuzzy one. For a brief moment, he didn’t protest, simply sighing as her plush chest fluff pressed against his back. The moment ended as he warmed up however, and Elias tried to squirm away. “Princess… I don’t… think this is necessary,” he said between chatters. “I-I’ll be fine in a minute.” Luna tightened her wings around his body, pinning the man’s arms to his chest. “Elias, this is absolutely necessary. You could have died in that cold, and if I hadn’t come to rescue you, you may well have. What would Book Binder and Night Flash think if you perished in the cold on Hearth’s Warming Eve?” Elias stopped moving, and for a second, Luna thought he had simply accepted his fate to be snuggled to warmth and happiness. Then she heard a small sob. Elias pressed against her, burying his face in her chest fur as he cried. Her instincts took over, and Luna wrapped her hooves around the man. She stroked his hair like she had seen Book Binder do, and she rocked him back and forth, trying to comfort him. She had meant it as a light, playful statement, and had expected the usual bitter, almost angry reply, not this. Luna was at a loss of what to say, of how to comfort him. The brief idea to joke about catching him singing popped into her mind, but she shoved it away. It would only make the situation worse. This was clearly a moment of weakness for the man, and mocking him in a way that would further damage his pride would drive him away from her, not closer. Thinking of nothing better, Luna just silently rocked the man back and forth, levitating a few more blankets and pillows around him for comfort. She constructed a fortress of soft things that she hoped would bring the man comfort. It took some time, but eventually, his tears slowed, and Elias once again attempted to pull away. Luna didn’t let him free, instead opening her wings so that she could lay her head on top of his in an attempt to calm him down. As she continued to softly rock the human, Luna couldn’t help but smell his hair. While nowhere near as sweet smelling as a pony, it had its own positive qualities. Perhaps she had a bias from her personal experiences with Elias, but it was almost as if she could smell his strength, as well as the intense pain he kept below the surface. It had the bite of salt, while the sadness of his tears seemed a bit sweeter. She could even detect a bit of iron, no doubt from some long-healed injury. Luna found that she really enjoyed the smell, but wished it stemmed from happiness, rather than internal pain. Luna cleared her throat softly, not letting Elias wriggle free as she spoke. “Elias, while I respect your right to privacy, I think you would feel better if you spoke of what is truly troubling you. This is not the result of a simple argument, and I do not wish to see you hurting so on Hearth’s Warming Eve.” She was rather surprised when he answered immediately. She had expected to have to pry something from him. “I have this… horrible feeling inside Princess,” Elias said numbly, staring blankly at the fire. “You said I could have died, but the more I think about it, the more I’m thinking that I was trying to. I tried to kill myself by exposure tonight.” The words made Luna stiffen as a chill ran down her spine. It was a nasty admission, and Luna felt her eyes drift to the window where the wind began to howl loudly. She pulled the human a little tighter against her chest as the air seemed to grow colder. “Why Elias?” Luna asked as she stoked the fire, driving the orange flames higher. “I had thought things were getting better for you. Until tonight you have seemed almost happy, especially when you were with Night Flash and Book Binder. What could you have done to bring you so low?” Elias sniffled, and he again tried to scoot away. Luna swatted the back of his head and dragged him close again. “Cease your senseless struggles and answer the question Guardsman,” Luna said irritably. She felt the human shiver, and Luna winced internally as she rubbed his back softly, switching tactics. “Please Elias, more than you know has happened this night, and you cannot bottle these emotions away. They are eating at you, even I can see that. Speak, it will help.” Elias sniffled again. “It’s all been a lie Princess. I’ve been putting on a brave face for the sake of everyone around me, but things haven’t been getting better, they’ve been getting worse.” A trace of a whimper crept into his voice. “I love Book Binder and Night Flash to death, but maybe that’s the problem. I feel like I haven’t been in control, and my night terrors have been getting steadily worse. I used to have one a night, but for the past three weeks I’ve been getting three or four every single time I go to sleep. It doesn’t matter how tired I get, or who’s beside me, it doesn’t help.” He clenched his fists as he extended an arm at the fire. “And I know why; it’s because I know what’s going to happen, and I’d rather die than see it again.” Luna stroked his hair. “What is going to happen Elias? What could possibly drive you to these lengths to escape it?” Elias remained silent, shaking his head as he stared at the fire with dead eyes. Luna sighed, and shifted her questioning. “Is it still the same reoccurring night terror?” “No,” he whispered softly in reply. He sounded like he was on the verge of crying again. Luna rubbed his back as she laid longways beside him, covering his torso with her wing as she laid her head on his neck. “Tell me. What new threat haunts your dreams?” She felt Elias curl in on himself, but he still answered, his voice choked with pain. “It’s the same setting, the same motions, but all of the faces… they changed. I don’t see my old friends anymore, don’t hear their screams.” “Then who?” Luna asked simply. Elias whimpered softly. “Night Flash, Book Binder, Scarlet, Scalpel, Chaser, Nightshade.” He paused, as if holding something back. Luna gently prodded him, whispering in his ear. “Go on Elias, who else?” He refused to look at her. “You,” he said softly. Luna was surprised when he began to cry again. Once more, she had no words, had not thought they were even close. It was by his own declaration that they were not friends, and Luna looked back through her recent memory to find a moment where Elias could have begun caring about her. She found little of note; a small chase over medicine, his assistance in scouting her castle, a scolding or two over his injuries, a note about his nudity. Luna smiled lightly at the memory of that day. It had been a series of highs and lows, but she found it a good memory nonetheless. Perhaps it was then? Or perhaps it was the professional relationship they had established, a rock of calmness in his life. She was never threatened, rarely involved with him really, but she was always there, ready to step in if she needed to push the human back on track. Night after night when he stood guard; by her bedroom, by her throne, and even by her side. Was that it? He valued her for being a constant in his life? Elias shook himself from his crying, and a bitter anger slipped into his tone as he spoke. “You, you and everyone else I know dead in some violent, bloody manner. Dead in a ditch with who left to watch it all? His fist hit his chest with an angry thump. “Me. Only me. The lone survivor once more. Then I die as well, a hole in my heart as I collapse in a puddle of my own pain and blood.” He sniffed as Luna stroked his hair once more. “I just wanted to go quietly. No screams of pain, no blood, no watching everyone I love and care about die. I just… I wanted a quiet death, and tonight, I almost found one.” Luna let out a deep sigh as she stared down at the human. Though he wouldn’t look up, she could still see a burning anger in his eyes. “Do you still want that death Elias? Tonight?” Elias shook his head. “No,” he replied, “because you made me think about how everyone else would feel. I was being a selfish coward tonight, trying to die in a cowardly manner. What could of man would I have died as if you hadn’t come out to save me?” He shifted so that he could look up at Luna. Luna loved the blues of his eyes, so brilliant and shining. She did not love the agony she saw in them, and she silently made a vow to erase as much of that pain as possible. “Can you imagine how Book Binder would feel if she stumbled on my frozen corpse? The grief might kill her.” Elias whimpered softly. “She loves me that much, and I can’t even go to her for help, for anything. Too much of a coward to let her be my mother, too much of a coward to go with her for Hearth’s Warming. She’s so much stronger than I am. Everyone is. I’m a pathetic coward.” Luna felt a flash of anger at his self-deprecation. “Elias Bright listen well to my words,” she said, her voice commanding his attention. “You are not weak; you are not a coward. This wallowing will not stand, I will not allow it. This talk shall end here, and if I must, I shall make it an order.” Her voice softened as she tried to make him relax against her once more. “You are strong Elias, stronger than you, or anypony else knows. You are strong because you are so very young, and you have been alone for far too much of your life. It is only now that you are finding happiness in a stable, peaceful environment that you have become afraid.” Luna stroked his back, and she felt his muscles untense as her hoof ran across his bare flesh. “You have spent so much of your life in loss Elias, I do not need an accounting of your past to see that much. Now that you have built yourself up again, you fear losing it all again. I understand Elias, I truly do, but your fears are unjustified. Equestria is a land of peace, and pushing away your friends is not needed anymore. Maybe in the past, but here, now, you need these relationships Elias, they help keep you strong.” Luna laid her chin on his shoulder. “I cannot make these feelings go away Elias, only you can do that, but please, if you ever have thoughts of this nature again, come to me. It does not matter the time of day, nor what I am doing, I will make the time for you.” “Okay,” Elias said softly. He sat in contemplative silence for a moment, staring at the fire. Luna stroked and petted him, seeking to make him as relaxed and calm as possible. As they sat in silence, Luna falsely believed he had drifted to sleep, but his voice was clear as he asked; “Princess, do you believe in an afterlife?” A poignant question to ask, but an easy one for her to answer. “Of course I do Elias. All ponies, all creatures do. Do you not?” Elias shrugged. “I don’t know. Humans have nothing but stories to go on. No magic, no evidence to the existence of anything beyond what we can see and touch. The sun and moon move on their own. Nature is wild and requires a fist to be tamed. Humans are warriors, and the environment was just another enemy for us to conquer. When we succeeded, we turned on each other. A million cultures all with different views of what happens after death. Reincarnation, heaven, hell, a different word in every language for each.” He snorted softly. “I know about so many different afterlives. I’m not sure if any of them are real, and part of me doesn’t want any of them to be.” Luna shifted slightly so that Elias’ legs were intertwined with hers. If the human noticed, he did not shift to avoid her. Luna felt a small smile creep across her face as her fur brushed against his lightly haired legs. He couldn’t escape with pinned legs, and if she could keep him talking, perhaps she could convince him to join in a larger snuggle pile. “Would you like to hear of our afterlife? Perhaps it would help set your mind at ease.” Elias shrugged again, remaining vocally silent. Luna took it as a yes. “For all the sentient creatures of Equus, death is merely a journey. One gives up their mortal body and travels to the court of the Keepers of Harmony. Here, their soul is judged according to the virtues of the Keepers, and they are given one of three paths. For those who lived their lives by virtue, they go to the Verdant Fields. Here, they are happy for all eternity, reunited with old friends and family, while also free to make an infinite number of new friends. The sun always shines, and the night sky is always beautiful.” “So it’s heaven,” Elias said, nodding. “And this is real? You have proof?” Luna smiled and nodded. “Indeed, I do. I have personally visited with the Keepers, as all true alicorns have. Our immortality was granted to us by the Council, as were all of our powers and duties.” Luna stared into the fireplace as she remembered the ages old memory. “My sister and I went together, becoming alicorns so that we could watch and grow our kingdom into a place of joyous harmony across the millennia. As was our duty, just as important as raising the celestial bodies. I am a princess for a reason you know.” Elias snorted, and Luna moved on. “The second path is the middle ground, for those who may have lived a dishonorable life, but not necessarily an evil one. These souls can attempt to gain entry to the Verdant Fields via trial, or they can plead with the Keepers for a second chance. They are allowed to reincarnate, memoryless, and they try their life again.” Luna checked to ensure Elias was still listening, and found him watching her intently. She continued. “Most succeed on this second chance, and they gain immediate entrance to the Verdant Fields upon their second death. It is just short of a compulsion to do good, and so they go through life living in harmony, and are justly rewarded.” Elias nodded in silence. “And what about the evil people? What about the ones who are beyond redemption?” Luna could already see what he was trying to get at. She sighed and shook her head. “Elias, you aren-“ “That’s not for you to decide,” he snapped. “What happens?” Luna looked at the human sadly, but continued. “For those beyond redemption, their souls are imprisoned within Tartarus, spending an eternity alone in a cage. They are routinely visited and punished by the Keepers for their evil acts.” Elias nodded. “That’s me then. If I go anywhere when I die, I’m going to Tartarus.” Luna elected to ignore his self-loathing. “What do you mean by “if”, Elias? Upon your death, you shall be judged, as all are. Such is life on Equus. It is a fact of living.” “I don’t think so,” Elias replied. “Because if I remember correctly, a magical signature was a “fact of life” in your world too, and yet who’s lacking one?” He snorted dismissively. “I’m thinking it has less to do with magic, and more to do with the fact that your signatures are evidence for a soul. I have no signature, so it stands to reason that I also have no measurable soul. When I die, there will be nothing but a body lying in the dirt.” He whimpered. “And that terrifies me more than any punishment in hell.” “Then why Elias?” Luna asked. “If you hold a fear of death, then why did you try to end your life prematurely?” “Before? I don’t know, it just seemed like the right thing to do. Now? Book Binder and Night Flash don’t need to be thinking about me for eternity. I want them to forget me, and then they can find their happiness together.” He shook his head as anger began pouring from him. “How selfish have I been? Making friends, playing at being somebody’s son. I’m no better than a rapid dog, and if life wasn’t so cruel, I would have been put down a long time ago.” He shivered, and Luna felt cold seep back into the air. She resisted the urge to growl as she sent a mental threat at the wendigos creeping about outside. ‘You shall not get this one beast,’ she challenged. ‘He is mine, and I will make him better.’ The human continued. “By living, I’m only causing people pain, even if they don’t know it’s happening.” Luna nuzzled his back. Maybe she could physically push love into his heart. Even if not, she at least enjoyed the sensation. “Elias, please do not lose hope,” she said as she shifted, wrapping her tail around their intertwined legs. “You have an entire life ahead of you, and I know as a certainty that the Keepers will judge the entirety of your life. Soul or no, you are alive, and I have no doubts they will find you wherever you go after you die. One horrible act in the beginning can be erased with years of shared love and kindness.” She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. “You have made such progress in improving yourself. No more are you the distant, quick to anger man that I found in the woods. You may not have noticed, but you have much greater restraint now, and much greater compassion. I shudder to think of what you will be like in twenty years.” She chuckled, prodding his ribs as she tried to force him to smile. “Maybe if you continue at the pace you are at, I can give my crown to you and retire. All hail Princess Bright, the first Human-Equestrian Princess.” Elias snorted weakly, and Luna’s smiled widened as she saw him smirk. “Do you think I’ll have to get the wings and the horn too?” Luna nodded. “Oh, I am more than sure you will have the entire package. You’ll be a fuzzy little pony princess, benevolent and kind to all of your soft, fuzzy subjects.” Elias’ smirk turned into a grin. “I think I’ll reinstate prima nocta. Maybe public executions too. No more petty thievery in this kingdom.” Luna groaned loudly, and slapped the back of his head. “You are insufferable. ‘Tia would have to put you on the moon for a thousand-year stint.” She nuzzled the area she struck, relishing in a fresh whiff of his hair. “But please do not throw your life away Elias, not based on fear. You have a soul; I can feel it. The Keepers will find you worthy if you keep pushing forward. You are close to finding true happiness, I know it. Just wait and see, enjoy your time with Book Binder and Night Flash. They love you so much.” She felt a brief pang in her heart as she held the human close. Elias stared at the fire in silence once more, and Luna took the time to do a bit of friendly grooming. She conjured a magical brush and began to run it through his damp hair, straightening it out as she undid his hair tie. She wondered what he would look like clean shaven with short hair. It would probably make the human look roguish, and quite dashing. The longer she pictured the human with minute physical changes, the more she flushed, so Luna decided to clear her mind and focus on brushing his hair. It blindsided her when he asked; “Princess, are we friends?” Luna had to try hard not to rip the brush from his head mid stroke. She took a deep breath, wondering briefly why he was full of deep questions today, and then she formulated her answer. “Well,” she started carefully, “I would have to say no. You made yourself very clear when we shared a cell. Your words were “We are not friends, and we never will be.” Despite the ridiculous notions behind the statement, I have respected that wish and remained away, at least as best I could.” Elias seemed to sink into the floor, and he tried to move away. A wing prevented that, ensuring that he stayed pressed against her chest fluff. “Has that wish changed?” she asked with a knowing smile. He would not have brought up the issue if he did not wish it to change. Friendship would be an important step, and Luna would be remiss if she didn’t take the opportunity to move him closer to her side. “Yes,” he replied softly, curling in on himself, as if to hide from his admission. Luna just smiled and felt her heart warm. Butterflies flew about in her stomach, but she attributed that to her light dinner. She nuzzled his neck softly. “Then I would say that we are friends Elias. I think you are a wonderful, brave man, and I would be glad to have you closer in my life.” She watched him smile as she used a feather to tickle under his chin. “Besides,” she added playfully, “I could use a new human pillow. Book Binder may have ulterior motives for adopting you. You are very warm, and I must say, I am jealous that she gets you to bed with every day.” Luna blushed heavily as she realized what she had just said. Elias didn’t seem to notice as he chuckled at her continued tickling. That only served to make her blush worse. Luna found that she liked hearing him laugh. She could listen to him laugh forever, but Luna let the feather fall away. She didn’t want to push the man too far. “Can I ask a favor of you Princess?” Elias asked. Luna resumed petting his hair. “If we are friends, then it is Luna while in private. And of course, you can Elias. I wish to see you happy, and I will do anything to make it happen.” Elias sighed. “Please don’t tell Flash or Binder about what happened tonight.” Luna frowned. “Elias, it would be better to-“ “Please Luna, you can’t tell them,” he pleaded. “It would break Book Binder’s heart, and I wouldn’t be able to bear that.” He tried to rise, but with his legs tangled with hers, as well as the hooves around his chest, and the wing draped over his body, the human couldn’t move much. This form of imprisonment seemed to make him squirm more as he tried to escape to plead his case. Unwilling to let the human free of her cuddles, Luna coaxed him down, rubbing his back and neck as she made him relax back into her grasp. “Alright Elias,” Luna said softly, “I shall keep your secret, but only on the condition that you stay here tonight. I will not condemn a friend to spend Hearth’s Warming Eve alone. ‘Tia shall understand, I shall even have her bring us some food so that you may restore your strength.” Elias nodded, and Luna almost cooed as he adjusted himself against her fur. She felt a hand grasp at her chest tuft, and the human’s face pressed against her neck. “Okay, thank you Luna.” Luna smiled and laid her head across his back. “You are most welcome Elias. Now rest, I shall be here to ward away your nightmares.” She lit her horn and cast a minor sleep spell on him, continuing to pet him as he drifted away into slumber. She then cast a minor warming spell, followed by an aura to ward away dreams of any kind. She didn’t know how well it would work, but she had to try something. Once he began to snore, Luna rose, using a large pillow to temporarily take her place. She was pleased to note a look of discomfort from her disappearance, and Luna set to work quickly; to comfort the sleeping Elias of course. It certainly wasn’t because she enjoyed having the human pressed against her side. Levitating several objects from around her room, Luna worked fast. She penned two letters, one to Celestia with the reason for her continued, and now permanent absence, as well as a petition for food to be brought to her room. Luna briefly considered asking her to bring a few ponies to snuggle with Elias, then a pang of jealousy touched her chest, and she left it out. She would hold Elias alone tonight. As she sent the letter away, Luna wrote up the second one, with her destination already in mind; Book Binder. Luna kept her word to keep Elias’ suicide attempt a secret, but she heavily emphasized that the human missed both of the ponies. She asked Book Binder to be at the castle early to spend Hearth’s Warming day with Elias. After giving them his location, she sent the letter away. Satisfied that the holiday would be saved for everyone, she levitated Elias into the air. She adjusted the pillows and blankets to make an appropriate bed for the both of them, adding a few of her personal affects in the mix to make it more comfortable, then Luna settled on her cozy throne, laying Elias down beside her. She gently removed the pillow from his grasp, then dragged the human to her side with a wing. The human sighed happily and buried his face in her chest fluff, causing Luna to giggle. She knew he wouldn’t be like this when he woke up, and it would likely be a very long time before she found herself close to the human at all. So she relished every bit of the contact, nuzzling his head as she drew in his scent. A thin book levitated over from her nightstand. It was a childhood book of hers, a book that was only read during Hearth’s Warming. It would be a perfect read while she waited for her food. Luna smiled widely as Elias hugged her tightly, and she nuzzled his sleeping face before cracking open the cover as she began reading aloud softly. “Twas Hearth’s Warming Eve, and all through the house, not a thing was stirring, not even a mouse…” ***** Book Binder stared longingly out the window, the candle beside her face the only source of light in the room. She had abandoned her attempts to get in the holiday spirit hours ago; she just couldn’t put any heart in it. She had done her best, singing carols with her parents, cuddling up next to Night Flash as they talked and shared cookies, but it wasn’t complete. She missed her baby boy, even if he had said… Book Binder shook her head as the words rose in her ears. She refused to believe them. They had just gotten so angry with each other, and he had said it to hurt her, nothing more. It was just an argument, it had to be. He was her son damnit, and even if she had to convince him, she would. She would do anything to have him with her. She heard the door open and close softly as Night Flash crept into their shared room. Though his parents had offered space, they had decided to take up a temporary residence with her parents until they could buy their dream house. They had it picked out and everything, a lovely two-story townhouse that was painted a soft blue, near the edge of the city. The current occupant, a librarian Book Binder had studied with before she joined the guard, intended to move to Fillydelphia to work at a college there. She just needed to finish her tenure in Canterlot, but by summer, the house would be available, and thanks to some well-placed tea sessions, she had rekindled their friendship, as well as secured their bid on the house. Night Flash rubbed her shoulders with his hooves, rubbing softly against her neck as he sighed and joined her. “You miss him too?” Book Binder sniffled. “Of course I do Flash. I hate what happened between us, and I hate the fact that he isn’t here right now. I don’t know why he had to be so stubborn. It’s Hearth’s Warming! So what if it might have been awkward with my parents? Who bucking cares?” she cried. Book Binder wiped her eyes as tears threatened to cloud her vision. She huffed as her chin hit the windowsill. “I just want him here Flashy. It isn’t Hearth’s Warming if he isn’t here.” Night Flash sighed and embraced her with his wings, laying his chin on her shoulder. “I know Bindey, but we knew this might happen. It hurts, but maybe… Maybe we should just enjoy the time we spent together.” Book Binder whimpered and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to enjoy the time they spent together, she wanted to spend more time together. She just wished there was some way to bring them back together, and soon. As if answering her prayers, she faintly heard a light pop, and Book Binder opened her eyes to see a rolled-up letter suspended in the air, the royal seal clear in the candlelight. Then the letter dropped. Right onto the candle’s flame. Book Binder let out a cry of alarm as she snatched the paper up in her magic, trying to blow the flame out. Flash darted from the room, returning almost as quickly as he left. He had a cup of water in his hooves, and Book Binder quickly dipped the flaming corner of the scroll into the water, smothering the flame. She let out a sigh of relief, then cast a quick drying and preservation spell to mend the damage. It was ultimately minor, and once her spells had settled, Book Binder levitated the wrapped scroll before her eyes curiously. “Why would Princess Luna send us a letter?” Night Flash asked as he sat beside her. “Do you think it’s some sort of emergency?” Book Binder frowned and shrugged. “I don’t think so, but there’s no way of knowing without opening it.” She removed the seal, quickly unrolling the letter. Her eyes widened as she read it. Dear Book Binder and Night Flash, I hope this message finds you well. I hate to interrupt your Hearth’s Warming celebrations, but a matter has come up that I believe requires your concern. Elias has fallen ill due to some ill-conceived notions that he does not wish shared. I have made a promise not to speak of them, and would ask that you ask him yourselves. For the night, he shall remain in my care, but he misses you greatly, and I believe that it would be of great help to stay with him come morning. He has kept the details of your argument vague, but he believes he has driven you away permanently. If you do still care for him, please arrive at the castle gates by 6 A.M. I shall be waiting to bring you to his current resting place. He needs the love and affection of his parents. If you do not wish to see him… so be it. I shall do my best to comfort him. I shall eagerly await your presence. Sincerely, Princess Luna Book Binder gasped softly. He missed them. He probably regretted every word between them, and he wanted them back. Her human was alone on Hearth’s Warming Eve. That wouldn’t do, that wouldn’t do at all. Book Binder shoved the letter into Night Flash’s hooves as she began to dart around the room, throwing a small suitcase onto the bed as she threw in everything she would need to make his night special. Though she didn’t remember buying the tomato soup, she threw it in the case anyway. Elias was sick! He needed as much soup, love, and cuddles as she could bring. The presents she had feared would sit unused went in after the soup. Book Binder giggled at the thought of her baby boy unwrapping his gifts. She knew that he had some sort of holiday that was similar to Hearth’s Warming, and though he hated the ‘Christmas’, she would make sure that he adored Hearth’s Warming. Argument or not, she would make sure everything was perfect before the new year. “Bindey,” Flash said, looking up from the letter. Book Binder didn’t notice, tossing her pair of snowshoes near the door. A pair of her fluffiest socks went into the suitcase. If she was going to snuggle up with Flash and Elias, she would do it at her warmest. She made sure to snag a pair for Night Flash as well, double the socks, double the snuggles. As she began to ransack the room for spare blankets to swaddle Elias in, Night Flash waved the letter in her face as he called her name again. “Bindey, this is all unneces-“ Book Binder levitated him out of her way as she snatched up her favorite Hearth’s Warming story books. She hadn’t read them in years on account of growing too old for them, but now that she had Elias… Night Flash sighed, then jumped into the suitcase before she could put the books inside. He then put the letter right in front of her face as he did his best shout-whisper. “Bindey!” Book Binder stopped, her eyes flitting around frantically as she looked for more things to shove in her suitcase. “What? Elias needs us Flash, we have to get to the castle with everything we can to comfort him!” Night Flash snorted. “Bindey, while I absolutely love how much you care about Red, and I really want to join you in getting ready to see him, we can’t go to the castle until morning. Princess Luna’s going to be with him all night.” Book Binder frowned. “And where did you get that idea? Just because she said to meet her in the morning, it doesn’t mean she’s going to stay with him all night.” Night Flash smiled at her, and Book Binder couldn’t help but return that smile. He hopped off of the suitcase and pointed at the letter. “Probably where she said that “for the night, he will remain in my care”,” Night Flash said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. “We’ll see Red in the morning, and then we’ll make everything right, as a family. You know he didn’t mean what he said. Everypony just got angry is all. Let’s celebrate for the rest of tonight with your parents, then we can get up bright and early to see Red, alright?” Book Binder sighed, and reading over the letter again, she agreed. She smiled at Night Flash and pulled him into a hug. “Thank you Flash, you know just how to calm me down.” She sighed sadly, looking to the cracked door. “I’ve really mucked up Hearth’s Warming for everypony, haven’t I?” Night Flash set the letter in the suitcase and wrapped a wing around Book Binder. “Not at all honey, you just got everypony worried is all. But now, everything is going to work out. I think your parents are still up, and we haven’t eaten all of the cookies yet.” Book Binder gave a fake gasp. “Are there any gingerbread cookies left?” Night Flash clicked his tongue. “I don’t know… your dad seemed to be eyeing them before I came to check on you. We’d better race down there to make sure.” Book Binder flicked him on the nose with her tail. “Well then come on slow poke, I want to save some for Elias. That boy is far too skinny for my liking.” Night Flash giggled as he swung open the door. “Now you sound like my mom. Always complaining that I’m not big enough to keep myself warm.” Book Binder bumped him playfully. “It’s not my fault I got two skinny boys.” She stuck her tongue out. “Besides, Elias doesn’t have any fur! I have to fatten him up if he’s going to stay warm when we can’t cuddle him.” Night Flash stopped mid-step, sharply intaking air. Book Binder rolled her eyes, then lightly poked his side with her hoof. “That’s right Flashy, our darling Red is going to be all cold without anypony to cuddle with. We’ll have to fix that tomorrow, won’t we?” He looked at her with wide eyes. “Did you pack the extra fuzzy socks?” Book Binder nodded with a smug grin. “That I did.” He twitched slightly, then darted past her. “Come on Bindey! The faster we eat the faster we sleep! The faster we sleep, the faster morning comes! The faster morning comes-“ “The faster we see Elias,” Book Binder finished excitedly as she trotted after her coltfriend. She couldn’t wait. ***** Elias stalked toward his room, his feet stomping loudly as he tried to lengthen his stride to outpace the fuming unicorn that wouldn’t let him be. “Come on Elias, it’s just two days! It’s really not that big of a deal, and I know for a fact that my parents will love you!” Elias shook his head as he sighed loudly at the same argument she had been hashing out for the past half hour. He responded in kind. “The answer is still, and will remain no Book Binder. This is something way outside of my comfort zone. I mean, meeting your family? Your real family? That’s a big no for me. Too much…” He threw his hand up as he waved away the rest of the statement. Book Binder huffed. “You’re my “real family” too Elias, or at least you will be soon.” “That remains to be seen,” Elias replied snappily as he turned the corner. Book Binder rolled her eyes as she followed him. “Fine, be like that. Act like a child for all I care. You are still my ‘potential’ son, free to make whatever choices you want.” She smiled. “For example, you could choose to make your potential mother happy, and come to Hearth’s Warming with us!” “No!” Elias responded sharply. He sighed at the harsh tone of his voice, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Look, we’ve been taking things a step at a time, and I’ve been adjusting with it. The slow pace is what helps me keep going, but now you’re asking me to take a big leap forward, a leap that I’m just not ready to do. This time of year already brings out my worst; I don’t need more stress on top of that.” He snorted. “Your parents would probably hate me on a good day, this time of year? They won’t want to look at me.” Elias spotted his bedroom door, and increased his pace. Maybe if he could just get his equipment, he could go on shift early to be away from her. He didn’t bother turning on the light as he shoved the door open. Elias quickly busied himself with nothing tasks, anything to try and avoid continuing the conversation. The unicorn remained determined however, standing in the doorway as she groaned loudly. “Elias, you’re being paranoid! They won’t hate you!” Elias waved a finger as he grabbed a used tunic, tossing it toward the bathroom hamper. “Ah, but see that’s just it! Paranoia is my thing; it’s part of the whole rules system for a reason. If you can’t handle the thing that kept me alive all these years…” “But this isn’t your Earth anymore!” Book Binder protested. “You don’t need your paranoia; we’ve been over this a dozen times!” Elias straightened, sighed, then glared at her. “Book Binder, I’m done talking about this. I’m not going to your parent’s house for Hearth’s Warming, end of story. No more.” He tried to let his anger fizzle out, or at the very least simmer down, but the unicorn had other ideas. Elias felt his eye twitch as Book Binder decided to press more of his buttons. “Why?” she snapped. “Why aren’t you coming with me for Hearth’s Warming? I want the reason.” Elias threw his hands in the air. He had a dozen reasons. She was becoming too overbearing, too protective. Sometimes she treated him like a literal child, despite the fact that he was a grown adult who could make his own grown adult decisions. The mare insisted on trying to baby him, to the point that he had to escape just so he could breathe. She needed him to do things, rather than just asking if he would do them. What he wanted was never even considered. He couldn’t articulate the feelings in words, however. “Why the fuck does it matter why?” Elias yelled at her. “I said no, so that’s the end of it! You act like not seeing each other for two whole days will be the end of the world!” She stomped a hoof down. “And you act like meeting my parents is going to kill you! It won’t be that bad!” she shouted back. “I don’t care how bad you think it will or won’t be, I already said I’m not going with you!” “If you loved me you would be!” Book Binder yelled. “Then maybe I don’t love you!” Elia roared in return. As soon as the words left his mouth Elias wished he could take them back. Book Binder physically recoiled as if she had been struck, taking a step back into the hallway. Even with the shadows on her face, Elias could see the glistening of tears. The air was silent, stagnant, thick enough to cut. Elias reached out a hand, his voice soft. “Binder, wait…” She dashed away silently. Elias bolted to the door, hanging out of it just in time to catch the back end of a teleportation spell. As he watched the magic fade into the air, Elias felt his chest tighten. “Nonononono,” Elias whispered to himself. He walked into the hallway, checking to the right and left. “Book Binder!” he called. “Please come back! Book Binder!” Elias found it hard to breathe. She was gone. He had driven her away. Cold rage, directed only inwardly, boiled up in his chest. Elias growled as he punched the door frame as hard as he could, relishing the pain in his fist. He checked briefly to ensure that he hadn’t broken anything, then Elias walked back into his room, running a hand through his tied back hair as he thought long and hard about what he should do. How could he say something so unbelievably stupid? What could he do to make up for it? Could he make up for it? Elias held a hand over his mouth as a bout of nauseated grief passed over his stomach. He choked back the urge to cry, keeping his face dry as he used his self-directed anger to bottle his emotions up tight. They would only get in the way of his focus. Elias checked his watch; three minutes till his shift started. He needed to move fast. She and Night Flash had taken the day off, as well as the next one. Then it was Hearth’s Warming Eve. If he could find her before he had to go on duty… He’d just need to beg his life out. Elias grabbed his shield and helmet, slamming his door closed as he left his room at a jog. He swept hallway after hallway for that wonderful green unicorn. Only when he neared the guard room did he spot her, weeping into Night Flash’ shoulder. The pegasus was doing his best to comfort her, but it was clear to anyone with eyes that she was a mess now. Elias felt a pang in his heart as he stared dumbly at the damage he had caused. Elias mentally slapped himself, and started forward. He needed to talk to her now, apologize, and then beg for forgiveness. Anything to make her feel better, to get her back. Night Flash didn’t look away from Book Binder as he began to guide her away, his wing laid out over her back. They were moving too fast; they were going to get around the corner. Elias began to pick up his pace, only to be stopped by a certain thestral as he neared the guard room. “Ah, hello Bright, right on time,” Nightshade said with a smile. Her eyes seemed happy, and she seemed devoid of her usual irritation with him. Great. “Get on in here so that we can get the daily briefing done. No pony wants to be sitting around right before Hearth’s Warming.” Elias smiled at her weakly. They were getting away. “Just… can I have a minute Captain?” Elias asked. “I really need to talk with someone. It will just take a second.” Nightshade snorted, removing her watch from beneath her armor. After checking it, she shook her head and pushed him toward the door. “Should have thought of that before arriving exactly on time. You want to talk with somepony? Be early. Now let’s go before you’re late and I have to write you up, again.” Elias latched onto the doorframe with his fingers as he tried to push himself backward. The thestral wouldn’t be ignored however, and she growled at him. “Get in the bucking room Bright. You might be the hot thing with that exercise win, but it doesn’t earn you the right to disobey an order, or be late!” Elias felt a smile crack on his face. A commotion would draw their attention if he couldn’t do it directly. Elias felt himself be shoved forward, so he clawed his way back into the hallway to get a view of the pair of ponies. If he could get Nightshade to yell at him loud enough… They were already gone. The hallway was empty. Book Binder was gone. The chance to apologize was lost. As Nightshade reared back to give him a nasty shove, Elias let go of the doorframe. He conceded and shuffled into the guard room. Nightshade opened her mouth to yell at him, then stopped as she looked upon the human’s defeated face. In less than a second he had gone from energetic to be elsewhere, to sullen. She frowned, taking a peek at the hallway, then looked back to Elias. “Take a seat Guardsman. We have work to do.” Elias nodded, and he felt reality slip away as depression surrounded him in a black cloud. **Hearth’s Warming Day ** Elias groaned loudly as he stirred from the nightmare. At least he didn’t wake up shrieking this time. He cracked his eyes open as he looked around the room. He quickly noticed that it wasn’t his own, and that he wasn’t alone. What he thought had been a blanket was actually a blue pony. Elias grunted and tried to brush Night Flash’s wing off, but he found that the pony was heavier than normal. He was also behind Elias, rather than the usual; on top of Elias’ chest. Elias tried to scoot away from the pony’s chest, but a long blue hoof dragged him back, and he felt somebody’s hot breath on his neck. The strength behind the limb was decidedly not Night Flash, as the pegasus usually just moaned and complained whenever Elias shifted away from him. No, this was somebody much stronger, and the more Elias’ eyes adjusted to the dim room, the more he suspected that he was sleeping with somebody he should definitely not be sleeping with. Luna snorted in his ear, her starry mane falling over his nose as she rolled on top of him. Elias flushed red as he re-learned very quickly that he was stark naked. He could feel her fur on every part of his body, and it was more than enough to cause him to try and make a real escape attempt. The sleeping alicorn above him had other ideas however, and unfortunately for Elias, she had the upper hand. She had his legs pinned between hers, and he didn’t want to tug on the tail that was wrapped around his waist. That left his upper half, which the princess was clinging to as she laid her muzzle on his chest. Elias thought quickly, maybe if he could free his torso, he could wiggle his legs away from the alicorn’s grasp. The tail… he’d just have to figure that one out when it came to it. Elias looked around, quickly spotting a large pillow within arm’s reach. He wiggled out his left arm, while simultaneously scratching under Luna’s chin with his right. The alicorn cooed and relaxed enough for Elias to stretch out, grab the pillow, then slide it between them. Like a fish to a worm, Luna latched onto the pillow. Though her hooves were still gripping tightly around his back, Elias now had more wriggle room, so he did his best to free his legs while he wiggled out of the alicorn’s grip. Elias tried to tickle Luna’s nose with his fingers. If he could get her to scratch at her nose, then maybe he could escape the one hoof. Elias let out a silent cheer as his plan began to bear fruit. A hoof rose and brushed his fingers away, and Elias began to wriggle, only for her wings to wrap around his body, followed by both hooves as she drove him against her chest fur. He felt her giggle softly. “You will have to do better than that to escape my snuggles human. In my time, cuddle piles could last days at a time. My record was two weeks with a single cuddle buddy. With the heat your body produces, I believe we can make it an easy three.” Elias cursed his treacherous body as it yawned. Her fur was incredibly fuzzy and warm, like a living bed, except it didn’t suffer from being too soft. Luna didn’t help him resist as she smiled and hugged him tight. “That’s right Elias, submit to my superior snuggling techniques. Your guests should arrive shortly. As I promised them, I shall keep you company. Now sleep, you need your rest.” Elias opened his mouth to protest, but another yawn escaped. Luna giggled. “Yes Elias, sleep once more. I shall keep you warm far into the morning. I would hate for you not to be well rested.” Elias managed to resist the urge to close his eyes, and he glared up at Luna, who smiled warmly back. “What guests?” he asked, suppressing a third yawn. Luna’s smile took on an air of mischievousness. “A pair of ponies that you miss very much. I shall say no more, I do not wish to ruin the surprise.” Elias had an idea anyway, and while a large part of his mind was nervous to see the two, he also welcomed the opportunity to apologize. Even if they wanted nothing to do with him after, he wanted them to know he was sorry. With the pair both awake, Luna stoked the fire, bringing it up to a warm crackle as she levitated an assortment of dishes over to their “bedside”. No longer afflicted by his brush with an icy death, Elias tried to calmly extricate himself from Luna, but the alicorn kept snatching him back, pinning him effectively to her chest. With physical escape out of the question, Elias turned to the diplomatic solution of making her feel as awkward as he did about the situation. “Princess…” “Luna.” “Luna,” Elias agreed, “don’t you think all of this is rather… intimate?” Luna frowned as she sniffed at a cold kettle of coffee. She cast a warming spell, and poured out two cups of steaming black liquid. She sat up, dragging Elias along with her. She levitated their bed of pillows into a fort of sorts, keeping as much heat trapped around them as possible. Luna made sure to drape a blanket over Elias’ head, and she found herself pleased with the result of her brief inspiration. The human looked positively adorable with the blanket pulled over his head, like an angry kitten who was trying to be tough, but was failing miserably. “Not at all Elias, before my banishment it was quite common for friends to warm by the fire in such a manner as this. Is it different for humans?” She levitated the cup of coffee into Elias’ hands. He accepted it with a mumbled thank you, but didn’t drink. Maybe he didn’t like coffee? No, he was getting comfortable, leaning against her chest. Luna smiled and let her wings “casually” wrap tighter around his body as they stared at the fire together. “I really don’t know,” Elias replied. “To say my experience growing up was normal would be a flat out lie, but in the few romance novels I tried reading, this kind of thing was very common.” “Oh?” Luna asked. “I never figured you for the romantic type Elias.” The human snorted, and Luna was pleased when he sipped at his coffee, not noticing when his nose curled in disgust. “You’d be right. The key words were “tried reading”. I didn’t make it far, and usually, romance novels ended up as firewood. That, or toilet paper when I couldn’t find anymore.” Luna scoffed at the idea of using books in such a manner. “I would caution you not to repeat that near my sister’s protégé. Twilight would likely hunt you down for disrespecting books of any nature in such a manner.” Elias shrugged. “It was a different place, a different world. If it’s between me getting an infection from feces, or a crappy romance dime-novel, I think I know which one I would choose.” Luna felt her detection spell ding, and she conjured a quick double at the front gates to escort Book Binder and Night Flash into the castle. She smiled mischievously. If she could keep Elias talking for a few more minutes… “You must realize Elias; this is a different world. We share many things, but perhaps you need more exposure to the world of ponies. A more informal education if you will. Books can only teach you so much.” Elias snorted dismissively. “And what would I be “educated” on?” Luna rested her chin on top of his head. “Primarily the differences between romantic intimacy, and platonic intimacy. Ponies give out a myriad of signals that I am afraid will go right over your head if you are not paying attention. A strapping young stallion like yourself will likely begin courting soon, and I would not wish to see you hurting ponies, or worse, returning signals without knowing about it.” “Aren’t I a child by your standards?” Elias asked, glancing back at her. “I should have years before I worry about that kind of thing.” Luna snorted and shook her head. “You are no more a child than I am an old mare. Our biological clocks tick at a different rate than that of the average pony, and so our standards for mating also differ. You are a fully mature adult, just as I am still a radiant, young alicorn.” “Or you’re an old lady, you’re just really good at disguising it,” he said with a smirk. Luna swatted his head. “Rule number one Elias, you do not mock a lady’s age!” When he just continued to laugh, she raised her hoof to swat him again. He threw up his hands in mock surrender. “Alright alright, you’re not old!” The hoof lowered. Luna huffed and dragged him close so that she could bury her muzzle in his hair. He seemed to tense as she took a long whiff of his scent. Luna sighed and rubbed her cheek against his head. “Fear not Elias, an exchange of scents is common amongst friends as well. Though it became less common with the advent of perfumes, ponies can tell much about a another through scent alone.” It was a small lie, but not one he would ever likely find out about. Smelling was considered an intimate act within friend and familial groups, and an exchange of scents was considered positively romantic when done between two nonfamilial ponies. Elias relaxed, but not fully, as if he doubted her words. Luna sighed. “Tell me Elias, what would you consider romantically intimate?” Elias chuckled weakly. “Sitting in the arms, or in this case hooves, of another, while naked, in front of a fire, covered in blankets comes to mind. Primarily the naked part. Why do you ponies seem to always to take my clothes?” He was trying to pass it as a joke, but Luna could tell that it was a real concern, and a bit of an embarrassment for the human. She considered the evidence before her, and realized that save for the one notable occasion, Elias was always covered in some fashion. The removal of clothes was likely for only one of two reasons; the act of cleaning and changing of said clothes, or as he said, romantic intimacy. Luna felt the realization dawn on her as she realized what this might look like from his perspective. “Elias, am I making you uncomfortable by sitting with you like this?” she asked, moving away slightly. She missed the contact of her fur on his back, but she would never get closer if she pushed him away by making him uncomfortable. He seemed to miss the contact as well however, as he leaned back into her. “Yes and no,” he replied. “The human in me says this is… weird especially since I don’t have any clothes on, but you said it was normal for pony friends, right?” His words seemed to desperately seek affirmation. Luna nuzzled the top of his head. “Of course it is normal Elias. Ponies are largely nude, and snuggling with a friend is a very common occurrence. If it would make you feel better, I can retrieve some garments for you.” She looked away in embarrassment. “I unfortunately do not have your clothing from last night, as I burned them away in my haste to get your warm and dry. I shall have the tailor make you more.” “That was my favorite pair of sandals,” Elias grumbled. He shifted slightly in Luna’s chest fur, and the action almost felt like he was trying to nuzzle her. Had she been alone, she would have cheered. So many factors she had never considered when trying to make him well. Human physical intimacy was different than a pony’s, but if she could make him treat physical intimacy like a pony would, it might just make him more comfortable and nonviolent. He still wasn’t fully relaxed, however. “So all of this is just,” he paused, “between friends?” Luna smiled and nodded. “Absolutely Elias, romantic intimacy is similar, but you will be able to tell the difference very clearly. This however,” she said, gesturing with her hoof, “is just between a pair of good friends.” The human sighed and leaned against her fully. Luna snorted as she rubbed her cheek against his head. “Either way, you should not feel a need to hide yourself behind clothes Elias. Your body, while different, is quite… impressive,” Luna finished with a smile and a blush. She switched tracks quickly, not wishing to make things awkward. “You certainly seemed comfortable charging across a battlefield while nude.” She felt him blush, and heat rose to his face. “That was different,” he mumbled. “It was supposed to be a distraction.” Luna grinned. “Then you should be very proud, because you certainly distracted me,” she teased. Elias groaned loudly and tried to wiggle away in embarrassment, but Luna laughed and wrapped him tightly in her hooves, pressing his face into her fur as she heard a knock at the door. She opened it quickly with her magic, exposing Book Binder and Night Flash. The pair looked at her with some confusion, though Luna noticed Book Binder’s eyes light up at the sight of Elias, wrapped firmly in her hooves. The human however, shivered at the sight of the ponies, and any trace of humor vanished as he tried to instinctively shy away. Book Binder drooped, and Luna felt the room balance on a knife blade. She growled, and quickly grabbed everything she would need with her magic. Nobody would escape her grasp today without being made happy. First, she conjured a pair of underwear for Elias. The human would only grow more and more shy with continued nudity, so she crafted a pair of undergarments similar to those she had destroyed. These she subtly teleported onto his body as she levitated him away from her, and into the air. Next, Luna teleported Book Binder, and Night Flash’s suitcase onto her bed, along with all of their winter gear. They didn’t seem to notice as they too were levitated into the air. Finally, Luna adjusted herself, finding every piece of soft material in her room and the next, creating a fort of pillows decorated with a bed of thick blankets. She smiled as she shook the rust off of her cuddle pile skills. She and Celestia had always used to make such bastions of softness in the old days, and the one she assembled was worthy of her name. She then dragged the two ponies on top of the human, settling them all down atop the blankets. Luna then calmly placed herself above all of them, using her wings to force them together. She smiled when Night Flash caught on first, adding his wings to the effort as he shoved Elias and Book Binder at each other. The two seemed to hesitate for a moment, each shifting nervously as they avoided looking at the other. Upon meeting each other’s eyes however, they both latched onto each other, with Elias burying his face firmly in Book Binder’s chest fluff as they pulled each other close. The unicorn rocked him back and forth as she brushed his hair with a hoof, tears streaming down her face. “B-Binder I-…” Elias tried to say. Book Binder shushed him as she nuzzled his cheek. “Hush Elias, I already know. You don’t have to say anything. Momma already knows.” “No,” Elias said, pulling away from her hooves. “I have to say this, I have to tell you how sorry I am. I have to beg for forgiveness, because it doesn’t matter how angry I got, I never should have said that. Anything else, but never that.” Book Binder tried to grab the human, but he managed to elude her grasp. Luna saw tears in her eyes as he continued shying away. Book Binder whimpered, and stomped a hoof. “Please Elias, I don’t care. I just want our little family to be together again. We can start over from step one, I don’t care! I just want to have my baby back.” “Why?” Elias replied softly, “Why do you want me back? I don’t deserve you. I don’t deserve anyone.” Luna scooted the human into range of Book Binder’s hooves, and the unicorn acted quickly, pulling him close as she wrapped herself around his chest, nuzzling his chin with increased vigor. “It isn’t about deserve baby,” Book Binder said softly. “It’s about my love for you. You don’t have to say anything Elias, I know you’re sorry, and I know you didn’t mean it. We just got angry with each other is all. I know you didn’t mean it.” “It doesn’t matter,” Elias said. “If it meant nothing, or if it meant something, I’m sorry. I am so sorry Book Binder; I just hope you can forgive me.” “Done,” Book Binder said softly, clicking her tongue. Elias opened his mouth to protest the immediate acceptance, but Book Binder gently pressed it shut as she continued. “I forgive you Elias, completely and utterly, because that’s what a good mother does,” she said with a smile. “We had a nasty argument, and now we can both admit we were wrong and move on.” She sighed as she leaned against him. “I shouldn’t have pushed you like that Elias, and I am sorry. I don’t know why it seemed so important at the time, but afterwards, I realized that I’d much rather just have you. The angry, paranoid, uniquely handsome you.” She rubbed her cheek against his neck. “My baby boy.” Elias sat in silence for a moment, his eyes lost in a daze as he held the affectionate unicorn. Then he leaned down and did his best attempt at imitating her nuzzle as he rubbed their cheeks together. “Thanks Book Binder,” he said softly. Book Binder couldn’t have looked happier as she began aggressively nuzzling Elias’ head, rocking back and forth. She began to hum as they rocked, and Night Flash smiled brightly up at Luna. ‘Thank you,’ he mouthed silently. Luna nodded and gave him a smile. The four of them remained still and quiet for a long time. Night Flash just seemed to soak in the warmth and happiness, his smile wide as he preened, occasionally stopping to give Book Binder a nuzzle. Said unicorn silently fretted over Elias, brushing his hair, massaging his back; anything that involved physical contact, she did, relishing the presence of the human. Elias remained largely silent, enjoying the attention for a while, then tolerating it for the largest time. He didn’t want to push Book Binder away, but when the unicorn stuck out her tongue to run it through his hair, he decided he’d had enough. Elias pulled her into a quick hug, then motioned for Luna to uncurl her wings so that he could stand. The alicorn cocked her head in reply. “You wish to leave already?” she asked playfully. “I don’t think a few hours is a good enough apology Elias. What will your mother think?” He scowled at her. “I think she’ll understand that I’m a living being who needs to take a piss.” Luna giggled as Book Binder swatted the back of his head. “Elias! Language!” she scolded. “You can’t just say any word willy nilly in front of the princess!” Elias gave her a deadpan look. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say “willy nilly” to me, and get up now. I really do need to use the bathroom.” His eyes flicked downward. “And put on clothes. You ponies have fur, while I’ve got squat. I need something to stay warm in this freezing castle.” Book Binder clapped her hooves together, then shoved the human free of Luna’s wings. “Well go on then! Night Flash and I will get your presents ready!” “Presents?” Elias asked in confusion. Book Binder shoved him harder, shooing him toward Luna’s bathroom. Elias looked to the alicorn as he stood up, and she gave him a nod of permission. He threw suspicious glances over his shoulder as he shut the door behind him. As soon as the door jamb slipped closed, Book Binder leapt to her feet, dipping around Luna as she ran for the bed. Luna watched in amusement as Night Flash was quickly dragged over as Book Binder threw open her suitcase. She grabbed a set of black socks, shoving them toward Night Flash. “Put them on Flash! Elias is cold, and we need to keep him warm!” She gushed as she removed a brilliant green and red set for herself, sliding them on with her magic as she grabbed a pair of presents with her hooves. Book Binder dragged them in front of the fireplace, then blinked as she realized that Luna was still there. The unicorn grinned sheepishly. “I hope you don’t mind if we have a bit of Hearth’s Warming here Princess.” Luna returned her smile. “Only if you don’t mind if I help to keep my guards warm. I would be a poor princess if I let a certain human freeze to death.” Book Binder’s grin took on a mischievous look, and she winked as she pranced back to Night Flash, who was struggling to get his socks on his hind legs. She waited until Book Binder began to help the ashamed pegasus with his socks before she rose. Luna made her way over to her extensively curated collection of clothing, accumulated meticulously before and after her banishment, with some notable additions made by her sister during the interim. A special place was preserved for a certain pair of stockings that had eluded her once more, but she ignored this hole in her dresser, instead picking out a wonderfully soft pair that she had been given only a month after her return. It was a gift from a clan of thestrals that had passed the socks down through the centuries, adding another layer of rare silk that could only be made on the winter solstice. The result was a pair of purple socks that shimmered as they climbed up her legs, while also feeling as soft as the most shampooed fur in existence. They were her third favorite pair, and her favorite non-romantic pair. Luna slid them on quickly, watching with amusement as Book Binder lifted Night Flash into the air, scowling as she investigated his bare leg. Evidently it was causing the pegasus some issue to get the final sock on, and the unicorn was determined to find out why. Luna perked up her ears to find the sound of her toilet operating, as well as a few choice curses from Elias. He would be out soon. Luna took over Book Binder’s levitation spell, pulling Night Flash close so that she could focus on teleporting the final sock on. Adding and removing clothing with Elias was easy, as much of his body hair was coarse and easy to avoid when shifting the clothing through space. A pony, however, was covered in millions of sensitive hairs that could cause great pain, comfort, or pleasure when used in certain manners. She wished to avoid two of those, and the only way to do that was to teleport the sock on the right way. A flash of light later, Luna levitated the fully socked pegasus back to Book Binder, who pounced on her mate, nuzzling his head as she playfully mocked him for needing a princess’s help to dress. Then Elias exited the bathroom, his brow furrowed as he looked back at the toilet. “I am ninety percent sure that your toilet is possessed, because that is not how it’s supposed to flush.” He turned and looked to the ponies, his face shifting to one of shock; red faced shock. Elias cleared his throat and looked away. “Alright, I need an explanation immediately before me and the window become very good friends. This,” he said, waving at Luna, “has to have implications that I am missing, because it doesn’t look normal.” Luna smiled. “Oh? And what does it look like Elias?” she said teasingly. “Choose your words carefully as you address your princess.” Elias flushed redder, and he pointedly refused to meet anyone’s eyes. “Somebody has three seconds to explain before I leave. I am not clothed, nor sane enough to be dealing with more weird BS in one day. Not without a shirt or something.” Luna rolled her eyes at the dramatic man. “Elias, socks are worn by ponies as an extra layer of warmth. While there are socks that could be considered romantically intimate, nopony here is wearing such a set.” She smiled coyly at the human. “But perhaps I should put on my favorite pair if that would help you distinguish the difference.” Luna chuckled as Elias flushed the deepest red she had ever seen. The human was positively crimson in the face. He shook his head as he refused to meet her eyes. “That’s it, I’m getting clothes. I have to deal with today with something else on, and at this point, I’ll take anything.” “Great!” Book Binder chirped cheerfully. Elias quickly found himself suspended in a green aura as she levitated him back to the pile of pillows. Night Flash quickly joined him, perching himself on Elias’ shoulders. The human grimaced as Night Flash kneaded his shoulders, but that shifted to a smile when the pegasus settled, sighing happily as he laid his chin on Elias’ head. Elias reached up and gave him a scratch behind the ears as Book Binder levitated the packages over. Elias looked at the wrapped gifts with some trepidation as Book Binder plopped down in front of him, passing around a plate of cookies that Luna had left lying around. Elias took one, nibbling on in it as he kept his hands well away from the presents. Luna settled onto the pillows, but remained slightly distant from the trio, not wishing to interrupt their family moment. “So what’s this about?” he asked nervously. Book Binder giggled as she settled before Elias. “It’s presents silly! Night Flash and I got you a couple of things we are sure you’ll love!” Elias’ eyes flicked to the brightly colored packages, but didn’t reach out as his eyes flicked back up to Book Binder. “But I didn’t get you anything,” he said. Book Binder waved his excuse away. “That’s the point of Hearth’s Warming silly. Mom’s get their children gifts, and special someponies exchange gifts, it’s just how it works!” Elias eyed the presents again, twitching nervously as he stared at them. He sighed when he saw Book Binder begin to droop. “I’m sorry Book Binder it’s just… I don’t think I’ve told anyone this, but humans had a holiday similar to Hearth’s Warming, in spirit at least.” He shook his head, and a momentary glint spread across his eyes as he stared at the presents. “I’ll spare the details, but it hasn’t ever been a happy memory. I’m just… nervous I guess.” He scratched his head, unblinking as he stared at his gifts. “It’s the same with everything else, I just can’t get over the fact that things are different here.” He snorted. “You’d figure it would be easy, what with the magic, and the multitude of new species, but no. Especially not with this.” Night Flash and Book Binder exchanged a knowing look, which Luna caught, but Elias didn’t. He seemed fixated on the wrapped boxes before him. Night Flash climbed down from Elias’ shoulders, motioning for Luna to lean against the human. When the night princess only gave him a confused look, he reached out and dragged her against Elias’ back. Almost instinctively, Elias leaned back into her chest fur, his eyes never wavering from the presents. Smiling widely, Night Flash then settled at Elias’ side, laying his head in the human’s lap. He guided Elias’ still hand to his ears, and the fingers moved quickly, massaging the pegasus’ ears as Night Flash groaned happily. “We’ve got you Red,” Night Flash said quietly, his leg kicking. “Whatever happened in the past, we’ve got you in the now. Let’s just have fun together, you’ll, ooh that’s the spot, love your presents.” Elias snorted and shook his head as his gaze finally broke from the presents seated before him. He glanced at all three ponies, and though he looked slightly embarrassed when he looked at Luna, he didn’t move away from her. Luna smiled and waited cheerfully as Book Binder nudged the first present, a small box wrapped in a dull green foil, forward. Elias picked it up gently, as if afraid he would break it, then he looked to Book Binder. “Are you sure I don’t need to do anything for you? It doesn’t have to be big, but doing nothing feels… not right.” Book Binder huffed, and crossed her hooves. “Fine, then how about this, you’re gift to me for Hearth’s Warming is that I get to baby you, no restrictions, for the rest of the day. We can start back on the progression tomorrow. How does that sound?” Elias nodded slowly. “Alright, that sounds fine.” Book Binder froze, staring at him in open-mouthed shock. “Really?” she asked breathlessly. “Do you mean that?” Elias ran his thumb across the package in his hand, then nodded. “I don’t see why not.” Book Binder’s eyes widened, and then she pounced on Elias, rubbing herself up and down his body. “My baby boy!” she cried. “Thank you so much! Oh, today is going to be perfect!” Elias spat, but didn’t protest as her tail flicked him in the mouth as she spun around, settling next to Night Flash’s head. Book Binder sighed happily, then tapped his leg. “Open it baby! It’s special, and you’ll love it!” Elias smirked, then looked to Night Flash. “What about you Flash, you want anything for Hearth’s Warming?” The pegasus looked at Elias and shrugged, reaching out for a sugar cookie to nibble on. His eyes flickered toward the present. “Go ahead and open it Elias, I’ll come up with something later.” He rubbed Book Binder’s side with his wing. “Right now, I have everything I could ever want.” Elias snorted and shook his head. “You’re such a sap Flash.” His face twitched and a small smile appeared. Elias ruffled Night Flash’s mane. “Thanks for staying by me.” Night Flash nodded wordlessly, matching Elias’ smile as he shooed him toward the present. Elias gave it one last look of trepidation, then took a deep breath as he let his fingers tear into the paper. Elias briefly considered unwrapping it carefully, and got as far as lifting the paper from a whole side, but then a piece of childlike glee came from nowhere in his mind, and his fingers tore the paper asunder. Book Binder giggled softly as she watched him tear the paper away from the book. Elias flipped it over, then turned it over as he righted the cover. His smile widened as Book Binder motioned for him to show everyone. A round of oos and awes came forth as Elias faced the cover toward himself again. “I didn’t think this was supposed to be out until after new year’s?” Elias said, looking toward Book Binder. The unicorn smiled and nodded. “Well, I may or may not know a mare or two who may or may not have gotten an early version of the book. I might have had to edit a few college applications, but I think getting Daring Doo and the Forbidden City of Clouds for my darling little colt was well worth it.” Elias bit his tongue to prevent himself from looking at her with a deadpan stare. Instead, he did something that he knew she would absolutely love, and something that he found that he would enjoy himself. “Would you mind reading it to me today?” he asked, his voice soft in embarrassment. Book Binder beamed at the request. Elias found the book levitated from his hands, replaced by a another present, this one larger, but softer than the last. “Of course Elias, maybe tonight after dinner we can snuggle up together.” Luna ruffled her feathers, rubbing her fur against Elias’ back. The human didn’t react much. A brief twitch passed over his face. He shuffled slightly, but he still didn’t pull away from Luna. “That would be nice,” he said softly. Book Binder, perhaps noticing the hidden, but growing look of uncomfortableness on his face, nodded silently and pressed on the package in his hands, silently encouraging Elias to continue. He took another deep breath, then pressed onward. A brief, ugly memory rose in his eyes, but a quick look to Night Flash, then Book Binder, as well as the feeling of Luna’s fur against his back calmed him instantly, and Elias tore at the paper around what he knew was a set of clothes. Elias blinked in minor confusion at the bright blue tunic in his hands. It was beautifully made, and the fabric was incredibly soft in his fingers as he rubbed at one of the brilliant yellow lightning bolts that ran down the side between his thumb and forefinger. Night Flash gasped softly. “Wow Bindey, that is so cool!” Book Binder smiled. “I know! I can’t wait for Elias to try it on, can you just imagine him in Wonderbolts colors?” Night Flash nodded and looked at Elias expectantly. The human smiled weakly, looking between them as his confusion deepened. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, because this does look really nice, but… Wonderbolts?” Book Binder giggled and she looked to Night Flash, who was staring at Elias in horror. His mouth flapped as he tried to say something, but the only thing that came forth was a squeak. Book Binder rubbed his back and looked to Elias. “Oh, you’ve done it now, Night Flash is the second biggest Wonderbolt’s fan in northern Equestria, and I can’t tell if he’s going to jump you or scold you for not knowing about them.” “Second?” Elias asked. “Doesn’t the phrase usually go “the biggest fan”?” Book Binder shrugged. “It should, but some mare in Ponyville claimed the actual title, so Flash is second. It’s not a big deal, not compared to not knowing who the Wonderbolts are.” Elias shrugged. “What is it, a magic show?” Night Flash sucked in what sounded like a painful amount of air. Book Binder giggled and kissed his cheek. “Go get him honey.” Night Flash immediately got to his hooves, then pounced on Elias. Luna carefully took a step back the second the pegasus hit Elias’ chest, letting them fall onto the blankets as Night Flash yelled in Elias’ face. “THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY NOT A MAGIC SHOW!” Night Flash shouted right in Elias’ ear. “The Wonderbolts are the single greatest flight team in all of Equestria and I will not let this… this ignorance of their greatness continue!” the pegasus declared. He growled at Elias, pressing his muzzle against the human’s nose. “I am invoking my right as best friend, and potential future father, and you and I and Book Binder are going to the next available Wonderbolts show that so that we may properly educate you on your heritage, am I clear?” “My heritage?” Elias gulped. Book Binder smiled and shook her head. “Oh, my sweet boy, you do not learn.” The human looked at her, then at Night Flash in shock. He had never seen Night Flash get so… assertive. It was almost scary. Book Binder evidently didn’t share his opinion, because she rose, then purred as she nuzzled Night Flash’s back. “Mmmm, I like this Night Flash,” she said softly. “It’s very fitting, especially for our little uneducated degenerate of a son.” She looked at Elias with a playful gleam in her eyes. “Flashy, I don’t think you’ve convinced him yet. He hasn’t agreed to your terms.” Night Flash growled again, and his eyes seemed to bore into Elias’ soul. Instead of a yell, his voice was low, as if the anger was genuine. “Elias, I swear to you, you will be snuggled until we physically turn you into a pony, if you do not come to a Wonderbolts show, so that you may learn of your pegasus ancestry. Am. I. Clear?” Elias cringed slightly. “Fine! Fine, I’m sorry I didn’t know, and I’ll come to a show with you! It’s just that you never talk about them! Nobody here does!” He looked back to Luna for help, but the blue alicorn shook her head. “Do not look to me Elias, I am a Wonderbolts fan, as is my sister. It is one of our favorite bonding activities that we can get away with doing in public.” She sighed and looked into the air. “I wish that I could fly in the sky as they do, the speed, the grace, the daring. Tis truly a sight.” Elias looked back to Night Flash, who was frowning, his eyes staring at Elias’ chest. The pegasus sat for a minute in silence, then grunted. “I guess we haven’t.” His serious demeanor disappeared, and for a second Elias thought the pony would cry. Night Flash sniffled slightly, wiping his eye. “It’s my fault that you don’t know about the Wonderbolts. I’m sorry Red, I-…” Elias wrapped one arm around the pony’s barrel, pulling him into a hug, while the other scratched Night Flash’s ears. Elias tapped the pegasus’ nose lightly. “None of that,” Elias said. “If I’m not allowed to be depressed on Hearth’s Warming, neither are you, okay?” Night Flash smiled and nodded. “Thanks Red.” The pegasus fell silent for a moment, then noticed the bright blue he was sitting on. Night Flash wiggled free of Elias’ grip, then pushed the tunic toward the human. “Well put it on!” he said excitedly. “I promise, it might take a while, but once you see a Wonderbolts show, you’ll be hooked for life!” “I don’t doubt it,” Elias replied. He unbundled the tunic, then slipped it quickly over his head. It flowed over his shoulders without resistance, a perfect fit as it sat weightlessly on his body. The tunic was clearly something that he would not be wearing on duty. Book Binder oo’ed softly and Night Flash beamed. To maintain some level of his regular demeanor, Elias snorted and rolled his eyes at the two, but he gave them both a hug. “Thank you, both of you.” Elias smiled, and he tried to hide it as he wiped a tear from his eye, but Book Binder caught it anyway, and nuzzled his cheek. “Of course baby boy. It may not have turned out like we expected, but I think we can all safely say that this was a very good Hearth’s Warming.” They all mumbled agreements and Elias leaned back into Luna, surprised that he could still mostly feel her fur on his now covered back. The alicorn didn’t seem to mind either, as she leaned into Elias just enough for him to realize that she was doing it. Elias blushed and didn’t look up, knowing that she was watching his face closely. Luna laid her head on top of his, humming quietly as the trio stared into the fire, simply enjoying each other’s company. The rest of the day passed as a warm, happy blur for Elias. They sat and occasionally spoke with each other, but mostly they remained silent, staring into the fire as they relaxed fully. More than once they fell into a pile and slept for an hour or two, only to be shaken awake by somebody needing to use the bathroom, or more often, somebody wanting food. It was well into the afternoon before they left Luna’s room, with the alicorn going to celebrate with her sister, while Elias, Book Binder, and Night Flash all went back to their shared room. Once there, Book Binder had lit the fireplace while Elias and Night Flash pushed the beds together, forming one massive bed that Book Binder stacked high with pilfered pillows and blankets. They made their own fortress of softness, then Night Flash cuddled up underneath Elias’ arm and fell asleep while the human and Book Binder read his new book together. The unicorn lasted for hours as she read, but eventually she tired as well, and she curled up on Elias’ chest, nuzzling his hairy chin as she fell asleep quietly. With the ponies asleep, Elias was left alone with his thoughts and the crackle of the fire. The voices in his head were silent, either traumatized into submission by his near-death experience, or celebrating silently at the return of his parents. Subconsciously, Elias scratched the ears of both ponies, making them smile as they slept. Elias stared at the ceiling, vaguely hearing a howling as he remained still. The air held a brief chill, but Elias found that the two ponies curled around his body were more than enough to ward the cold away. Finding no turbulence, and more than satisfied with how Hearth’s Warming turned out, Elias closed his eyes, finding slumber as he hugged the ponies he would do anything for tightly to his chest. > Chapter 26: The Royal Canterlot Wedding; Part 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry Day 1310 Sewing is a really good skill to learn, but man does it get rough when you don’t have the tools you need. You’d figure that cloth stores would have remained untouched, but the savages who typically roll through old towns razed most of them, and the cloth is all ruined; either soiled or burned. I’m just lucky that some of the thread and needles survived. My food will last two more days, and it’s looks like rain, so water should be good, so these next couple days, I am on a clothing hunt, because wearing a chopped up, resewn wedding dress for pants is one of the single worst experiences I have had in months. I just wish my old pants hadn’t got soaked with oil, that was a fire in the making. Elias's jaw stretched wide in a yawn as he trudged through the hallways on his third attempt to find his room. It was rare that he got so tired that his vision blurred, but after the three days of no sleep he had, he welcomed even the shortest of naps, night terrors be damned. The winter had been, as promised, a hard one, filled with every type of training imaginable as the guard forces were brought up to snuff for the royal wedding. Each day started two hours early, a time Elias already spent training, but now it was in groups, with brutal sparring sessions followed by intense physical workouts. He could spend the rest of his life counting, but he knew he would never begin to reach the number of push-ups and sit-ups he had done, and that wasn’t counting the laps of the city they had been forced to run. With all of the exercise, Elias found that he had no need for winter clothes, as he was reduced to a puddle of sweat after each brutal exercise. Unlike many of his fellow guards however, Elias didn’t complain, and he never quit. Each exercise was met with his usual stubbornness, and avoidance of failure. As a result of his hard work, the cafeteria had begun giving him double portions to keep up with his ravenous metabolism. When that wasn’t enough, Book Binder had to go out of her pocket; she refused to let Elias cash in his paychecks for additional food, citing that he needed to save the money for his “future”, and she bought a portable stove and refrigerator, along with a well-stocked pantry worth of food that kept Elias’ weight up. He was easily eating five full meals a day, and even then, Elias often felt hungry as his frame grew more muscular. He had started receiving odd looks from many of the guards, mostly the mares, but some of the stallions as well. He couldn’t place the emotion in their eyes, and so, he ignored it. Besides the physical punishment, Elias felt that he had made social improvements as well. He and Book Binder had taken a step back together, sitting down to formally discuss how to move forward with the trial parenthood. He had made her promise not to try and force him into anything that would make him uncomfortable, while also pushing them back a step in the process. In exchange, he would never try to push them away. The measure had bought breathing room for Elias, and he felt freedom around the pair of ponies, rather than a need to constantly remain on guard to ensure that he wasn’t becoming soft. He, Luna, and Nightshade had gotten closer as well, with the three sharing the occasional card game as the pair of ponies introduced him to their world of betting. He quickly learned not to accept any bets, as the pair used non currency exchanges to force him into awkward social situations, to “further his pony culture education” as Luna put it. One bet was about whether or not Celestia would wear socks in public on a particularly cold day. Elias had bet the long odds that she would, and it bit him in the ass when both Luna and Nightshade bet against him. Nightshade’s payment had been simple; she had enlisted a promise to help her in the future as she tried to “win her stallion”. Luna, on the other hand, had forced him to participate in a “cuddle session”, where a large group of ponies that she had found across Equestria did nothing but curl up together in a pile, with him at the base as they fell asleep. They would occasionally whisper to each other, nuzzling and cuddling as they tried to merge their fur with his skin. His only comfort had been that Luna, Book Binder, and Night Flash had been directly beside him the entire time, something that helped less and less as several days passed without break. Elias only remained silent in his suffering to avoid getting involved in something worse. For his silent patience however, he had been “rewarded”, and spent a few extra days off with Book Binder. The mare dragged him around Canterlot, taking him to different stores and restaurants as she treated him like her "baby boy". Occasionally, Luna involved herself, and while he despised all of their attempts to buy him socks, Elias found that he enjoyed having the alicorn around, especially when she had treated the four of them to an orchestral concert. Fitted with new, warmer clothes, the outdoor concert had still been chilly, and Elias was able to fall back on his pony culture lessons to sit comfortably with the three, warm and covered in fuzz as he listened with rapt attention. He had never been to a live concert, and recorded music fell quickly to the wayside as well. The experience was more than fun, and Elias had managed to secure a promise to see another following the wedding. Luna had given him an odd look when he had asked, but she had seemed happy to say yes, so Elias didn’t think too hard on it. He found her behavior a bit off, but it was nothing compared to the way some of his friends had been acting recently. Scarlet Shield’s previous interest in human culture vanished overnight, replaced by complete silence from the pony. He still brought maps and strategy guides to the lunch table, but his heart didn’t seem in it, and when Elias tried to press on him to see what was wrong, the pegasus became defensive, pushing Elias away as he ate quickly, leaving early to “train”. One night, Elias had followed Scarlet around, and found that the pegasus was going to the library. Some snooping found him researching different species of creatures, but for what reason, Elias didn’t know. Once he found that the pegasus wasn’t doing anything wrong, per se, Elias left him be, still curious at the sudden change in his personality. Thinking of the devil, Elias spotted the crimson colored pony standing with a twitching Night Flash just outside of Luna’s bedroom. Elias yawned widely and rubbed his eyes as he began making his way down the hallway. Since it was the day of the wedding, all of the guards were supposed to be on duty in shifts, but some mysterious threat had dragged the Royal Guard to the Everfree, so the Lunar Guard was picking up the slack. Elias sent a mental curse at Captain Armor; he now had extra motivation to brawl with the Solar Guard captain, he just had to find a way to ambush the unicorn… Night Flash spotted him, and Elias heard a sharp whimper as the pegasus rushed away from his post. “Red, you’ve got to help me,” he pleaded, his hooves beating on Elias’ plated chest. “I forgot to use the bathroom on the last break, and that was six hours ago! Can you take my spot? Please, I just need a few minutes!” Elias opened his mouth to turn the pony down, they only had half an hour until the next shift change after all, but the pony whimpered again, and put on his best pair of puppy dog eyes. His fluffy little ears slipped free of his helmet and pinned down, completing the ensemble of adorableness. Elias sighed and rubbed his eyes with the knuckle of his thumb. “Fine, just make it quick, I need to get some sleep or I’m going to drop.” Night Flash's face lit up with gratefulness and he gave Elias a quick hug before he sprinted away, rocketing around the corner toward the infirmary. Elias snorted and shook his head, wondering if Scalpel would actually let Night Flash use his personal restroom. Elias drew a pilum from his weighed down shield. With the high alert status the wedding brought, he was wearing all of his sheathes, and each was carrying his full capacity of pila. His scutum held four, while two more were strapped to his back in a sheathe that Anyon made. They had only worked together on Elias’ smithing skills one more time after Hearth’s Warming. Neither had the free time to fit anything else in. While Elias and the rest of the guard was busy training, Anyon was busy crafting hundreds of new weapons, and pieces of armor to meet the demand of a small influx of new trainees. When Elias had commented that the outpouring of work seemed to be more than the demand, Anyon had waived him off, claiming that it was from some secret project the princesses had commissioned. Elias stumbled his way over to Night Flash’s post. Leaning against the wall he closed his eyes and sighed. Even as physically fit as he was, his legs had begun hurting after the third throne room guard duty in a row. He had no idea who Princess Mi Amore Cadenza was, but the pony better enjoy the hell out of her wedding for all the pain it was putting him through. Elias could already tell that if he didn’t have knee issues before, he would now. His joints were incredibly stiff, and he briefly wondered Book Binder knew any pain relief spells. Anything she tried couldn’t possibly make things any worse. Scarlet cleared his throat, and Elias cracked open an eye to look at the pony. Scarlet shifted nervously, then turned to look at Elias. “You can go sleep if you want Guardsman. I can keep watch just fine until Night Flash gets back.” Elias snorted and shook his head. “We both know that isn’t how this works Scarlet. Two guards, at Princess Luna’s door, at all times. No more, no less.” Scarlet’s tail flicked. “It will only be for a few minutes,” Scarlet replied. “I certainly won’t tell anypony.” “Neither will I,” Elias said, “because I’m going to stand here and do nothing until Flash makes it back.” He gave Scarlet a curious look. “I’m surprised that you’re trying to convince me to play hooky Scarlet. You’re usually a proper guard who follows all of the rules, shining his armor till it’s like a mirror, and sucking up to Nightshade to get some extra good boy points.” Elias had meant it as a joke, but as the words came from his mouth, he quickly noticed that Scarlet looked very uncomfortable. The pegasus flinched and faced forward again, occasionally shooting a nervous look at Elias. The human sighed and mentally smacked himself as he straightened, pushing back from the wall. The pair stood in silence for a moment, then Elias turned to Scarlet. “Scarlet, look…” He scratched his ear as the right words failed to rise to his tongue. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by that, I don’t even know why I really said it.” The pegasus didn’t look at Elias as he fidgeted nervously. “It’s fine Guardsman, let’s just focus on our guard duty.” Elias frowned as the pegasus refused to look at him. Sweat rolled down Scarlet’s forehead, and the pegasus seemed to quiver in place. Elias made note that the pony hadn’t used his name either. That meant something was wrong, and Elias intended to find out what. “Scarlet, did I do something?” Elias asked. “You’ve been acting a bit off lately, is something happening outside of work?” The pony began to fidget more. “Nope, just the usual,” Scarlet said, chuckling nervously. “The usual being…?” Scarlet waved a hoof. “It’s nothing Guardsman, don’t worry about it. Let’s just… wait until Night Flash comes back.” Elias frowned, but turned away from the pony. He kept one eye latched onto the pegasus, and though Scarlet pretended to relax, Elias could tell that he was tensed up, ready to do… something. Elias kept a loose grip on his pilum, his suspicion rising. Before things could escalate further, Night Flash poked his head back around the corner and trotted quickly back toward his guard position. “Thanks Red!” the pegasus said cheerfully. “I don’t think I would have lasted much longer, and I don’t think Captain Nightshade would have appreciated it if I made a mess right outside Princess Luna’s room.” Elias nodded silently as he stepped away from the post, and Night Flash slid back into his usual position. As he moved, Elias glanced at Scarlet to find that the pegasus looked like his normal self, no trace of nervousness or fidgeting whatsoever. Elias scratched his ear, then yawned. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation. It wouldn’t be the first time he hallucinated things. Night Flash, noticing his weariness, snorted, and waved down the hallway. “Go get some sleep Red; Book Binder should be getting off shift at the same time you are, and I’ll be by in a few more hours. Maybe we can get some doughnuts together after the wedding!” Elias nodded tiredly. “Sounds like a plan to me. See you in a few Flash.” The pegasus nodded and offered up one more bright smile before he slipped into his normal guard demeanor. Elias gave him a small, two finger salute, then began to turn to go to his room, only to be shoved against the wall as an explosion rocked the castle. The human grunted as his head smacked into stone, but his helmet caught the worst of it, and Elias was able to push himself up straight. He looked back to Night Flash and Scarlet to ask them if they were alright, only to find that Scarlet was gone, replaced by a black shelled, blue eyed, pony looking thing. Night Flash was already standing off against the creature, his wings flared high as he snarled and growled. The pony-thing hissed and sprang at the pegasus, its bug like wings buzzing as it attacked. A second later the creature's head rolled up to Elias’ foot as the body hit the ground with a thud. A torrent of green goo flowed like molasses-thick blood, staining the carpet. Night Flash grimaced hatefully at the creature; his wing blades covered in goo from the powerful cut. Elias nudged the head with his foot as he stared at it with disgust. “What the hell is this thing?” Night Flash frowned, turning away from the creature. Raising his hoof, he pounded on Luna’s door. “It’s a changeling, just like the ones you studied Red.” Elias stepped around the changeling’s head as he scanned each side of the corridor. He thought he could hear shouts, but everything felt muted. “So that’s what they look like,” he murmured, his eyes glancing back to the decapitated body. “The bestiary didn’t include a physical description.” Elias matched Night Flash’s frown, his mind alight as he stared at the corpse. One question in particular burned in his mind, and he couldn't help but ask it. “So where’s Scarlet?” Night Flash’s frown deepened. “I don’t know, but we need to find out what’s going on.” He banged on Luna’s door again. “I thought Princess Luna was a light sleeper, but apparently that rumor isn’t true.” Elias raised a fist and slammed on the door at the same time as Flash. “Princess!” he called. “There’s something going on out here, and we need you!” There was no response, and despite pounding as hard as he could, it felt like his knocks were soft. Elias pressed his ear to the door, and motioned for Night Flash to bang it again. The pegasus did so, and Elias quickly noticed that the sound was being choked off. Elias tried the handle and found the door locked, something that never happened. Luna always kept her door unlocked so that if anyone needed to get in, they could get in at any time of night. The doorway had a series of spells that would tell her of unwanted intruders, and in the worst cases, if the guards outside were dead. The fact that the door was locked was a serious issue, one Elias needed to remedy. “Move back,” Elias said as he took a step away from the door. The human braced his shield against his shoulder, and then, touching his heels to the wall opposite the door, he charged at it. The door frame crunched under his momentum, and the door slammed into the wall as Elias staggered into Luna’s room, quickly catching his balance. Three changelings surrounded Luna, pinning her to the wall above her bed in a disgusting green goo. The window opposite her bed was in gleaming pieces, and sunlight drifted lazily through the flowing purple curtains. There was no sound in the room, and the changelings were so focused on their target that they didn’t notice the shift in light, nor the human behind them. Elias rushed the two on the right, while Night Flash leaped at the one on the left. A pilum tore through the skull of the first changeling, and Elias’ shield crunched against the nose of the second. The bug’s mouth opened in a hiss, and a hoof swung at Elias’ chest, but he swatted it away as he unsheathed his gladius in a wide swing. The changeling took a step back and reared up to trample Elias. Its last mistake. Feather opened a wide hole in the creature’s belly, and it stared at him in shock as it fell over in a fit of convulsions. It died as Elias began to cut away the goo that suspended Luna, with Night Flash joining him silently a moment later. With the death of the spell casters, the unnatural silence in the room vanished. Elias worked as quickly as he could to cut Luna free from her slimy prison. Though it took them a bit of work to cut through the strange substance, Elias and Night Flash managed to guide Luna down from the wall within minutes. Elias scooped up a pillow, then tore off its pillowcase as he cleaned the alicorn’s horn of goo. She smiled gratefully at him. “Thank you, Guardsman Bright, Guardspony Flash,” she said as she looked at the rapidly cooling bodies with disgust. “These vile creatures attacked me while I slept, and I am most glad to be rid of them.” She spat on the leftmost changeling, then straightened and looked to Elias. “What is the situation Guardsman? Is this an isolated attempt on my life?” Elias looked to Night Flash, and when the pegasus had no answer, he shrugged. “We don’t know Princess. We felt an explosion, and then Scarlet turned into a changeling. We were trying to wake you up when I realized that sound was being dampened.” He motioned toward the destroyed door, which was hanging loosely on its hinges. “When I found your door locked, I broke it in, and then you know the rest.” Luna nodded and frowned, motioning for the pair to follow her into the hallway. “I know not what has emboldened these would be assassins, but rest assured, we shall get to the bottom of this.” As soon as Luna stepped into the hallway, a pair of changelings attacked the princess. Instead of defending herself like Elias expected, Luna simply shrieked and fell back, with both of the changelings landing firmly on top of her. Elias and Night Flash leapt into action. Elias grabbed one by the neck, exposing its throat so that Night Flash could cut it open. The second changeling hissed at them, and jumped away from Luna, trying to run away from the pair of guards. It didn’t get far before a pilum tore through its foreleg. The creature let out a cry of pain as it collapsed to the floor, clawing at the long spear embedded in its body. As Night Flash helped Luna up, Elias stepped up to the wailing changeling. The creature stared at Elias with fear in its blue eyes as he approached, scrambling at the carpet to find its footing. Feather tore a small hole through the base of its skull, and the creature stopped moving. “I think it’s safe to say this isn’t isolated,” Elias said, tearing his pilum free. Elias wiped Feather off on his tunic, then slid the blade back into its sheathe. He ripped the pilum free of the changeling next, stopping for a moment to inspect the head for any damage. Night Flash scooted into the hall, his wingblades still at the ready. While he kept an eye down the corridor, Luna rubbed at her chest fluff, trying to remove some of the goo that was sticking to her fur, to no avail. As she waved her hoof in disgust, she nodded. “I concur,” she said. “We must locate Captain Nightshade and organize my forces to repel this nuisance.” She snorted as she looked at the bodies decorating the corridor. “I doubt that the changelings have assembled in any great number; likely this is a minor incursion by one of the queens to inspire fear in us, no more.” Night Flash chuckled nervously as he stared out a window. “Princess, I think this is a bit bigger than a “minor incursion”.” Elias sheathed the pilum and walked to stand beside Night Flash, his eyebrows raising as he saw what the pegasus was staring at. Luna quickly followed suit, and her jaw dropped. “By the Keepers…” she said softly. He hadn’t noticed it at first, mostly due to the changelings that were attacking them, but the hallway was dimmer, with the normal light streaming through the windows startlingly absent. A glance outside showed that a cloud of black bodies was blocking the sun as the changelings shot rays of green into the city. There were easily thousands of the beasts. Elias sighed, knowing full well that the day was only going to get longer. Elias took a step away from the window, scanning the silent hallways as he drew a pilum from his shield. “We need to get moving,” Elias said to the pair of stunned ponies. “Flash, we need to get Princess Luna to a safe room.” Night Flash blinked, and his shock disappeared as his serious guard persona re-asserted itself. The pegasus pressed himself to Luna’s side, wrapping her barrel in a wing as he looked to Elias expectantly. The human moved straight, going past Luna’s door toward the end of the hall. He began to go to the left, but Luna stopped them. “This way,” she said as she shook herself free from her stupor. “It will be easier to cut through the training grounds to the gardens.” Elias shook his head. “There’s no safe room there, and even if there was, it’s far too exposed.” “There is a room nopony knows about,” Luna replied. “I made it myself, and we will get there faster. It has additional arms that we can use to drive away these foul invaders.” Elias opened his mouth to protest, only to be interrupted by a chestnut colored mare dressed in a maid outfit bolting around the corner of a far hallway. She sprinted blindly toward the trio, with two changelings hot on her tail. Her shrill cries caused Elias to snap into action. A pilum left his hand as he ran forward, closing the distance between them. The javelin cut the air beside the mare’s head as she screamed in terror, and one of the changelings caught it in its snarling mouth. The second changeling switched targets, its malicious blue eyes locking onto Elias as the human overtook the maid. Feather sung free of her sheathe and the gladius cut toward the changeling. Elias swung at the creature’s right flank, and when it dipped to the side, he rushed forward, using his shield to bash it into the wall. Its skull crunched against the unforgiving stone, and the changeling offered no defense as Elias cut the head from its shoulders. He had only a second to retrieve his pilum when another bug rocketed through a window, leaping at Elias with teeth bared. Feather fell from his grasp as Elias dropped onto one knee, raising the pilum in the air. He let the momentum of the changeling impale its shelled body on the tip of his spear. It shrieked and writhed in pain, trying to escape. Its wild flailing threatened to rip the pilum free of his grip. Not content to concede control of his weapon, Elias yanked the changeling within swinging range, then he began pummeling the dying creature with his scutum. It took four hits for the creature to fall silent, and a fifth to remove it from his pilum completely. Elias felt emotionless as the pulped corpse fell to the carpet. He quickly snatched up Feather, then retreated back toward Luna. Luna was holding the maid, comforting her with soft whispers as the earth pony wept loudly into the alicorn's chest fur. Elias heard another window crash, and three black-shelled bodies tumbled into the far end of the corridor. Elias scowled as they gave a wordless shout and began to charge at him. “We need to get moving,” Elias said. “Holding them here won’t last long.” Luna nodded, and she scooped the maid onto her back. Night Flash pinned himself to her side once more as they retreated, running toward the infirmary while Elias held the line. Another pilum vanished into the air, and like its compatriots, a changeling died as the projectile tore through its throat. The other two hesitated their charge momentarily, and they looked back to their twitching friend. It allowed Elias to start a charge of his own and close the last few feet between them. He held the hilt of his gladius, preparing to pull it free. First, he struck out with his shield, covering the width of the hallway with fast moving steel. Elias was lucky enough to catch the first changeling, and he pinned it to the wall with the face of his shield. In the same motion, Feather came free of her sheathe and bit into the second changeling’s face. The creature screamed in agony as it collapsed, clutching at its destroyed eyes. Elias ignored it as he dragged his gladius across the pinned changelings throat. As its eyes bulged and it gurgled for help, Elias savagely plunged Feather into its exposed rib cage. The creature stared at him in shock, then the light died in its eyes. Elias let it fall to the floor. Momentarily ignoring the still shrieking changeling, he braced his foot and ripped his pilum free of the first changeling’s corpse. As Elias jogged toward the infirmary, he stopped only long enough to finally silence the blinded changeling. Elias approached the corner that led to the infirmary, only to find Luna pushing back toward him as a green bolt of magic scorched the wall behind her head. The sound of more windows breaking reached Elias’ ears, and he pushed her down the opposite hallway toward a window as he spun on his heel, blocking another green bolt of magic with his shield. A changeling impacted the steel boss a moment later, and Elias pushed back with a growl as it tried to reach around to tear the shield away from his grasp. Elias flipped the pilum in his grip and raised it over his shield, stabbing down. A cry followed, and the pushing stopped. Elias poked his head over his scutum and found that a fresh corpse sat before him, while another changeling disappeared down a side hallway. With no obvious threats, he let his shield drop to his side. Elias moved back toward Luna, who was holding two ponies on her back; the maid, as well as an injured unicorn butler that was clutching at a wound on his foreleg. Elias gave her a nod as he dipped down the hallway leading toward the infirmary. Flash faced off against a pair of changelings, while a bright blue unicorn in a torn black suit shot shards of ice at a crowd of the bugs waiting in the cramped hallway. Why they didn’t try to fly and shoot back, Elias didn’t know, but he wasn’t complaining. With a roar he raced forward. Night Flash saw the human coming from the corner of his eye, and he stepped back in time for Elias to charge by and slam like a battering ram into the unprepared changelings. Sacrificing personal protection for locking down the hallway, Elias changed his grip on his scutum, holding it longways along his arm. He then used his pilum as a spear, jabbing into the wall of changelings that jeered and hissed at him as they tried to press forward. “Go protect Princess Luna!” Elias shouted over his shoulder. Elias closed his eyes as a beam of green energy grazed his cheek. He hissed in pain as he took a step backward, letting the front rank of changelings fall forward in the sudden vacuum. Elias then pushed forward again, crunching muzzles as he stabbed the bugs at his feet to death. Then he was back at it, stabbing into the black wall that slowly, but crushingly pressed against his shield. Elias could almost feel Night Flash’s hesitation. He took a second to glance over his shoulder, unable to wave the pegasus away. “Go damn it!” Elias yelled at him. “I can hold this for longer than you think. Get to the princess, make a plan, then come back and help. If you’re afraid of me dying, then moving fast would be advised.” Night Flash sighed, but nodded and whirled around, taking the unicorn with him. Free of distractions, Elias dug in his heels as best he could in the carpet and fought. The narrow hallways worked in his favor, and since he was wider than the average pony, and by result, changeling, Elias was easily able to make their numbers mean nothing. His pilum rose and fell as the bodies began to stack themselves on the floor. Two minutes later found Elias a few feet back, but no less resilient in the face of his foes. His face stung as blood dripped from his cheek. His arms and calves were burning from the exertion of holding back a wall of furious opponents, but the numbers of changelings fell dramatically. Some began to run away, likely trying to find a way to attack Elias from the rear, while the rest simply died, either meeting the tip of his pilum, or via trampling as they tripped over the bodies of their fallen brethren. Night Flash leaped over Elias’ head and slammed down in the center of the remaining changelings. They hissed in terror as the pegasus spun in a circle, the tips of his wing blades scratching the walls as he let his wings extend to their full length. Goo spattered the walls in long arcs as the changelings died without any defense to the whirling pegasus. Their strength broken; Elias made short work of the remaining bugs in front of him while Night Flash ran down a pair that attempted to flee. Elias spit on one of their bodies as he rested his hands on his knees, panting hard as he found a breath he had been lacking a moment before. Night Flash gave him a nudge toward the far corridor, and they walked quickly back to where Luna was waiting with a small group of civilians. They had been busy apparently, and their group now consisted of a trio of unicorns, including the ice casting pony, as well as a pair of pegasi, all waiting in a circle around Luna. Some held minor wounds, but none as serious as the pony laying on Luna’s back. The maid had dried her tears and ripped her dress to shreds as she tried to staunch the wounds of a Solar Guard with a gaping neck wound. From a glance, Elias knew the pony was already dead. His eyes were vacant, and his chest was still, despite the maid doing her best to dress the still seeping wounds. Elias sheathed his pilum and passed his shield to Night Flash. He then gently grabbed the Solar Guard, lifting him from Luna’s back. Elias laid him on the floor as the maid burst into tears, hiding her face with her hooves as she looked away from the dead guard. The human grimaced at the blood on his hand as he looked at the paling body. He bit his tongue and wiped the blood off on the carpet, rising from his crouch. He took his scutum back from Night Flash, then turned to Luna, whose eyes held a haunted gaze as she fixated on the guard. Stepping in front of the body, Elias said; “Princess, we need to get moving. You said we can get to your safe room through the gardens?” Luna blinked, then looked to Elias slowly. He saw the faintest trace of tears in her eyes, but those rapidly disappeared as her gaze hardened. “They will pay for this,” she said coldly. “Later,” Elias replied. “My job is to make sure you are safe and secure first. Then we worry about the rest.” Elias drew the remaining pilla from his shield, as well as the ones from his back sheathe, then passed them out to the pegasi and unicorns. They all exchanged nervous looks as Elias gave them instructions. “Stay close to Princess Luna, and try to stay behind Guardspony Flash and I.” Elias kept his eyes up, watching for more changelings. “We’ll try to do most of the fighting, but you’re going to have to fight at some point. Just stab and pull,” he said, jabbing his last pilum forward. “That’s all you need to know about fighting with a spear. Don’t fall down, and move back if you get pressed too hard. Most of all though, stab and pull.” The unicorns gulped, but all of the ponies held the javelins as firmly as possible as they looked down the hallways, trying to find the courage they would need when the fight inevitably came. Elias looked to Night Flash. “Stay near Princess Luna,” his eyes fell on the other ponies. “I don’t think that we have any changelings here, but the enemy can look like anypony, so I want someone I trust on her like glue.” Night Flash nodded silently. He was at Luna’s side in an instant, and his wing covered the princesses back, as well as the maid weeping softly between her wings. Elias tuned his ears outward, and he quickly caught chattering coming from both of the hallways they had tried to go down. He motioned silently for the group to move away from the infirmary, and with Night Flash and Luna in the lead, Elias covered the rear, prodding the ponies to move faster as they trotted through the castle. A pair of changelings came from the direction of the infirmary. Simultaneously, five of the rotten bugs walked into the hallway in front of Night Flash. They all chittered with a noise that vaguely sounded like laughter. Then they charged forward. Elias took a split second to weigh where his pilum would be best used, and then the javelin was away, killing one of the five. He quickly turned on his heel to fight the pair charging his back. The first changeling had long enough to bite into his arm, but a nasty punch to its overlarge eye made the beast hiss and fall back, leaving a pair of softly weeping bite marks behind. Elias used his scutum like a club, warding away both of the changelings as they hissed and stabbed forward, trying to gore him with their horns. One overextended, and Elias drilled it in the throat with his knee, drawing a wheeze from the creature as its windpipe collapsed. Now one on one, Elias was able to block an attack long enough to pull Feather free, and he amputated the changeling’s foreleg. Goo painted the floor, and a stab in the eye put an end to the changeling. The other one Elias left to die, unsympathetic as its face turned blue, and then purple. He walked calmly toward the ponies, where Night Flash was cleanly finishing off the last changeling. The pegasus scowled hatefully at its body, but he stepped back to Luna’s side quickly. Elias frowned when he realized that the alicorn hadn’t yet fought one of the changelings, with magic or otherwise. Clearly, she wasn’t one of them, they had found her being attacked in her room after all, but was something wrong? Had they poisoned her? While concerning, they were questions that would have to wait. Another trio of changelings charged around the corner, followed swiftly by seven more. They were being slowly overwhelmed. Joyed shouts echoed in his ears as more changelings poured in from the direction of the infirmary. Elias eyed a closed door, then the rapidly filling corridors. There was nowhere else to go. Elias pushed the ponies that were hold his pila toward the approaching changelings while he planted his left foot firmly, then kicked at the door jam with his right. The wooden door resisted his first kick, but on the second it shattered open, and Elias shouted for everyone to get inside. As the first pony slipped past him, he dove into the fray, shoving back one of the pegasi while he tried to reach the second. In the moments of brief struggle, the blue and white pony had gotten dragged through the changelings’ ranks, and a pair of them were already coating the pony in goo as they dragged him away, kicking and screaming. Feather rose and fell like an axe. Changeling goo painted his body as he killed the vile creatures, one after the other. Yet he grew no closer to the pegasus, and the pony fell silent as the bugs dragged him around the corner toward the infirmary. That didn’t stop Elias from trying to reach the pony, and only when he felt somebody tugging on his tunic did he fall back. Night Flash and Elias held the line as they pushed back toward the open door, blood flowing freely as the number of combatants began to wear on them. First Night Flash, then Elias fell back into the room, and the door slammed shut behind them as the unicorns pressed on it, grunting and growling as the changelings tried to buck it open. Elias pushed the ponies out of the way, then threw his full weight against the wooden portal, bracing his shield against the door to give him a wide area to push with. He looked with wide eyes over his shoulder at the ponies, and did a quick head count. Two were missing now, one unicorn, and one pegasus. The blue unicorn looked terrified, but he did his best to straighten, his horn aglow as he prepared more spells. The pegasus just looked tired, and he eyed the door nervously as a nasty crunch echoed through the wood. Elias’ mind raced as he tried to figure out a solution to the trap they found themselves in. He looked around the room, quickly spotting the window behind them. “Night Flash, Princess Luna, you can carry everyone out,” Elias said, one of his heels slipping momentarily after a nasty hit from the changelings. He tried to pretend he didn’t see a new crack in the door. “Fly them below the window, then Flash can come and get me. We’ll get out of this yet.” Night Flash nodded and, opening the window, grabbed one of the unicorns. The other pegasus joined him, and they carried the pony outside. Elias waited for Luna to join them, but the alicorn remained still, staring at him as the door jumped under his arms again. Elias grit his teeth as he pressed Feather into his right hand. On the next kick, he let the door open just a little, long enough for him to stab a changeling in the eye. The creature shouted in pain, and the door slammed closed as he used the sudden change in momentum to press back hard. When he looked behind him again, Luna was still standing still, staring at him. “Princess,” Elias said through gritted teeth. “Now really isn’t a good time to stand around. You’re the boss, but I need you to help Night Flash out.” Elias heard an audible gulp from her. “I… I cannot fly… currently,” she admitted, seemingly embarrassed. Elias was momentarily distracted by that revelation, and as a result, he wasn’t prepared for the next buck. A large crack appeared in the door, and a changeling blindly fired a bolt of energy into the room. It scorched the wall, drawing a shriek from the maid, and Elias shouted in frustration as he stabbed at the changeling. “You rotten fucks aren’t getting through me!” Elias shouted as Feather tore through the creature’s muzzle. “So do us all a favor, and die!” He drew Feather back and chopped down, severing a limb that had poked through the open door jam. It was enough to cause the changeling to withdraw, and Elias managed to shove the door closed once more. The changelings shouted in frustration, and the bucking resumed as Elias held fast with renewed vigor. He glared over his shoulder at Luna, watching as Night Flash and the pegasus grabbed the maid from Luna’s back. “What do you mean you can’t fly?” he growled. Luna raised her nose in the air. “I do not need to explain myself, suffice to say that my pegasus magic is… otherwise occupied. That is all you need to know Guardsman.” Elias wanted to snap at the alicorn, but the door in front of him required his full attention. He waited until Night Flash came back before he said anything else. “Flash, grab Princess Luna and get her outside, then get everyone else. I’m last.” A green flash crept under the door, and he briefly smelled something burning. Large cracks coursed through the door. Elias glared at them hatefully. “And be quick about it!” he shouted as Night Flash unceremoniously grabbed Luna’s hoof, dragging her to the window. Elias briefly heard Night Flash give her instructions on how to hold her wings. Just as they leaped from the window the door exploded. Elias slid back, trying to get his shield up as a changeling pounced on him, its fangs reaching for his throat. Feather ended that threat quickly, and Elias shoved the body off his chest as he rolled to his feet. The ice casting unicorn stood stoically at his side, throwing a spear of ice at the changelings as they flooded into the room. It impaled two of the creatures, making them pause long enough for Elias to get a firm grip on his scutum and gladius. He charged forward, chopping down, and severing the horn from a changeling’s head. It collapsed with barely a whisper as its brain split in two. Elias dipped under a hoof aimed for his head, and he chopped Feather into the back of the offending changeling’s neck. As he ripped the sword free, he blocked a bolt of magic with his shield, staggering back as the force was distributed across the boss of his scutum. As Elias reset his feet, he only had time to notice the trio of changelings, horns alight, as they sent an enlarged bolt of magic at his chest. His shield took the worst of the magic, but some still coursed into his limbs, sending light spasms through his body. It was more than enough to put him off balance, and the force of the second magical bolt sent him flying backward. His hip cracked against the windowsill, and Elias flipped head over heels as he fell out the window with a shout. The drop was shorter than he imagined it would be, but as his back slammed into the ground, Elias could only feel the lack of air in his lungs as it was ejected by force. Feather clattered from his grip as he clawed at his chest. His mouth flapped as he tried to draw breath. He felt his throat tighten, felt his chest convulse in pain at the air that just wouldn’t come… Night Flash rolled Elias onto his side, and the pegasus did his best to massage the human’s back through his armor. Elias took several gasping breaths as his lungs began to function again. As his mind got the oxygen it had been so desperately calling out for, Elias noticed a buzzing in his ears, and it wasn’t tinnitus. “Pila,” Elias croaked. Night Flash frowned at him in confusion, then turned away, snatching one of Elias’ pila from the ground where the other pegasus had dropped it. Elias shoved Night Flash out of the way and flipped, using the momentum behind the motion to send the javelin into the air. His aim was slightly off, but the spear still tore through the chest of the changeling that had begun climbing out the window. The corpse hung limply from the sill, and Elias motioned for Night Flash to help him stand. He was mildly surprised when Luna was at his side first, staring at him with worried eyes as she helped him to his feet. “Are you alright Elias?” The human nodded silently as he continued taking deep breaths. His chest was in agony, but it was nothing compared to his lower half. The second he put any weight on his right leg, he nearly collapsed as pain lanced down the limb. He felt the bones near the joint of his thigh grind against each other as he fell against Luna. Elias grimaced at the pain, trying his best to ignore it. “Leg’s broken,” he stated flatly. “Flash, give me another pila, I’ll use it as a walking stick.” The pegasus passed the weapon to Elias, but as the human made to walk with it, another hiss came from the window as a second changeling stuck its head out. The pilum went into the air, the aim better as it went through the creature’s jaw, snapping its mouth shut. It slumped on top of its friend, and Elias shook his head when he realized that he was out of pila. He should have brought more. He sighed and leaned heavily on Luna. “Guess that means your leaving me,” Elias said as nonchalantly as possible. A quick glare from Luna and Night Flash told him that they wouldn’t follow his plan. Elias sighed. Of course not. He looked toward the trees that signified the entrance to the garden. “Then I guess we'd better get moving before more of those stupid bastards try climbing out of that window, or heaven forbid they do the smart thing and remove the bodies.” Elias heard chattering above them and saw a third changeling attempting to climb over its brethren, but the bug got stuck, and decided to just chitter loudly at the ponies below him. Elias nudged Luna, and the alicorn held onto him with her wing as they limped their dwindling group into the garden. Elias had no idea if anyone else realized that they were missing another unicorn. The ice caster had still been up there when he was forcefully ejected from the room, and was likely dead if the Solar Guard was any indication. As they limped into the tree line, Elias briefly wondered if he should be thinking about any of his other friends, but as the multitude of fears rose in his mind, he squashed them all with brutal focus. He knew two were alive, and even if he was injured, he would keep them that way. > Chapter 27: The Royal Canterlot Wedding; Part 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As Elias limped through the trees, he scanned for any branches that would make good crutches, while at the same time, scanning the brush for any changelings that could be creeping about. While it was important to keep an eye out, looking about also had the added benefit of allowing him to ignore the looks that Luna was giving him as she led their group forward. Night Flash stalked the rear, diving in and out of the bushes as he did his best to blend with the background. More than once Elias lost track of the pegasus, only for him to appear from the branches of a tree, or crawling on his belly through the dirt as he crept from bush to bush. A low buzzing was Elias’ only warningof an attack before two changelings dropped from the trees to bar their path forward. Elias pushed off of Luna and lurched forward, dragging his broken leg behind him as he limped at the enemy. Though he couldn’t understand them, Elias was sure that the changelings were laughing at him. He couldn’t expect help however; Luna still refused to join in the fray for some mysterious reason, and a call from Night Flash told Elias that the pegasus was facing his own opponents. Elias let out a war cry to better ignore his broken leg as he swung hard at the left changeling, hoping his superior reach would work in his favor. The changeling easily dipped back, and the second one hissed, lashing out with its hooves to swing at Elias’ chest. Elias blocked the swing with a cut from Feather, the blade biting deep into the changeling’s leg. The creature hissed and fell back, and as Elias moved to pursue it, the left changeling struck, slamming into Elias’ shield in an attempt to bite at his face. Elias tucked his cheeks below the shield edge, and he felt teeth scrape against his helmet. He grunted in pain as he adjusted his right foot to better hold his balance, then Elias shoved outward, pushing the bug back, allowing him to swing at the approaching right changeling. The slash took off the creature’s jaw, and it collapsed with a wet scream. The left changeling was startled into stillness. Elias showed no mercy and cut its creature, then finished off the jawless one. With the fight temporarily finished, Elias fell to his left knee as exhaustion caught up to him. He felt sweat pool under the rim of his helmet, and rivers of sweat rolled down his back, soaking his tunic as he tried to ignore the stabbing pain in his right leg. He really wished he hadn’t broken the limb; even a serious bruising could be ignored, but broken bones? They were already exacting an enormous toll on his energy, and the pain lancing through the crippled limb would only get worse the more he moved about on it. Luna helped the human to his feet, guiding his arm around her neck as she pushed forward, a goo stained Night Flash darting to her side to check on them, before disappearing back into the trees. “Come Elias,” Luna said, her voice near a whisper. “We are not far, then we shall get you proper medical treatment.” “I’m fine,” Elias grunted in reply. “I can still swing a sword, so I can still fight.” “Of course you can Guardsman,” Luna answered. She waved the other ponies on, and they continued pushing through the gardens, following a series of increasingly obscure paths as Luna guided them toward her personal safe room. Elias briefly wondered why they hadn’t covered it during training, but assumed it was for this very reason. The changelings had made excellent infiltrators, so much so that Elias hadn’t even noticed that Scarlet was physically different. The human mentally chastised himself for letting the pegasus’ strange behavior go unquestioned. He should have pressed harder, then maybe he would know what had happened to his friend. The acknowledgement that he was out of the loop so completely caused Elias to stumble momentarily, his foot tripping over a loose stone. Luna was quick to drag him back up, forcing the human to lean against her heavily as she pressed on. Though she said nothing, Elias caught the look of concern she gave him. He decided to ignore it, his thoughts becoming panicky as he wondered where Book Binder was, where Scalpel was, and especially what had happened to Scarlet. The infirmary had been cut off; was Scalpel dead? Captured? The same could be asked of Scarlet, who had started acting differently weeks ago. Was the pegasus being held somewhere? Or was he dead, unnoticed by anyone close to him until the last possible second? Elias shuddered as his mind tore at itself in a rage. Fortunately, the changelings provided an excellent distraction as more seemed to crawl from the woodwork. Three of them squared off against Elias as he pushed himself to his feet once more. They grinned as the human limped forward, Feather hanging limply in his grip. Elias looked between them, looking for signs of an attack. ‘Come on you bastards,' Elias thought, making his limp more dramatic as he closed another foot of distance. ‘Take the bait.’ The center changeling leaped forward, but in an instant its body hit the ground with a thud. As the head rolled away, bouncing along the ground with a green trail spilling goo in its wake, Elias gave a shout and let the motion of his strike follow through completely, its trajectory ending on the right changeling’s cheek. The bug leaned away, saving its face from being cut in two, but the tip of the blade still cut a long scar along its cheek, spilling thick drops of goo into the dirt. It glared at Elias as the left changeling attacked, its horn charged green as it sent a bolt of energy into Elias’ side. His shield was a second too slow, and the bolt drove the air from his lungs. His muscles clenched, tight and frozen as the energy raced through his body. Elias mentally thanked Anyon as his armor countered the magic’s effects within seconds, letting him dip back as the right changeling tried to gore him with its horn. Feather parried the sharp bone away as Elias retreated another step, trying to find balance on his broken leg. A bit of goo caused his sandal to slip, and for a moment, Elias hung to his balance by a thread. Luna called out to him, screaming his name in what sounded like panic. The left changeling’s eyes locked onto the noise, and as Elias planted his left foot and caught himself, it lurched around him, its horn pointed at the alicorn’s chest. Time slowed to a crawl as Elias made a decision. The changeling’s tail was close, and if he grabbed it, he could stop the creature with a brutal punch to the face using his shield hand. That plan, however, exposed his back to the right changeling, and he knew full well that if he went with that plan, he would get hurt; badly. The other option was to ignore the changeling and hope that Luna could kill it without his help. Given her recent track record, and the looks of terror the pony was giving the black-shelled creature, Elias knew that what he did next was going to hurt. His hand clamped down on the changeling’s tail, and he ripped it backward, drawing a yelp from the creature. Its neck snapped as his scutum slammed into its chin, and the body fell away as Elias tried to turn around to address the threat to his rear. Not fast enough. What felt like a blade made of pure fire tore through his left hip, scraping against the bone as a black horn poked through the front of his armor. A brief spot of rage at the injury led Elias’ elbow backward, shattering the horn from the changeling’s head. It wailed in agony as it fell back, clutching the base of its broken appendage. Elias was on the creature in a second, pummeling it with his scutum. He slipped the shield from his arm, gripping it with both hands as he slammed the edge down, over and over, into the changeling’s jaw. The head caved in after the third hit, and it was little more than a puddle after the fifth. Elias fell onto his rump after the seventh hit, his scutum sliding from his grip as he clutched at the horn piercing his side in wordless agony. Even the slightest of touches sent a bolt of agony through his ribs, shortening his breath to nothing as he held back the light stream of blood pouring onto the ground. Elias scrunched up his eyes and rocked as he tried to pull the horn free, but when the pain threatened to make him black out, Elias stopped, his breath coming in gasps as he prepared to cast about for his fallen sword and shield. Luna was waiting when his eyes opened, her face pressed against his as she said words that he couldn’t hear. Elias blinked dumbly at her as he found that his ears were ringing in a terrible racket, blocking his hearing quite effectively. Her eyes caught his, and her mouth seemed to move faster, but Elias could only shake his head, pointing to his ears in a sign that he was temporarily deaf. It took a few more seconds, but her voice broke through, first as a whisper, then in a low shout as his body kicked back into gear. “Elias, please, I need you to rise,” Luna pleaded. She looked over her shoulder, and Elias followed her eyes to find Night Flash fighting with no less than seven changelings. One of his wings hung limp at his side, and his helmet was missing as he dueled the bugs for dominance. The other pegasus was gone, while the unicorn lay twitching in his blood, a nasty hole burned through his throat. Only the maid was uninjured, and Elias suspected that she wouldn’t be much longer if the pair of changelings creeping from the bushes were any indication. Elias felt two things; first, he felt the hilt of Feather, pressed firmly into his hand by Luna’s hoof as she begged desperately for him to get up. The second was a deep rage. So far, he hadn’t lost anything. Nobody important to him had died, yet. That was going to change soon if he didn’t get up and fight. Whatever thoughts about Equestria being a land of peace fell to the wayside. This was no training exercise; it was no game. It was life or death, and there was never a time that he offered himself to death without a fight. Elias felt his left eye twitch as he felt rage tear into his soul, eating away the pain in his nerves. Elias pushed himself to his feet. He forsook his shield, instead choosing to draw the dagger he kept behind his back. A deep, never touched piece of his mind begged for release, and Elias took only a second to put a tight leash around the creature, making sure it knew who was friend and who was foe. Once the distinction was clear he set it loose with one job in mind; kill changelings. Elias let out a bloodthirsty howl as he sprinted forward, tackling the pair of changelings. Though they hissed and tried to shake him, he fought not just with sword and knife, but tooth and nail as well. Despite their hard shells, the ears of the changelings were like normal pony ears, and Elias had no issue tearing them away. His teeth sank in deep, the foul goo pouring into his mouth as he growled and writhed, shaking his head back and forth to cause as much damage as possible. He spat away the ear in his mouth and latched onto another as he plunged his dagger through the eye of one changeling, while Feather tore through the gut of the other one. The changelings struggles began to slow almost instantly. Knowing that the creatures were as good as dead, Elias was back on his feet in an instant, his eyes hungry with a feral desire to kill. That desire turned to bloody hatred as he heard Night Flash yelp in pain. A line of blood poured from the pony’s flank, and the sight of it sent Elias’ rage to new heights. Like a demon, Elias ignored the crunch of his leg bones as he sprinted forward. Feather decapitated two changelings with a single swing, the tightly packed bugs working to his advantage as he hit them blindly. Out of the corner of his eye, Elias was able to take in much of the remaining battlefield as he headbutted a changeling in the face, shattering its muzzle as his dagger bit into its skull. Night Flash had moved back, staring at Elias in horror as he dragged the maid to safety with Luna. Luna, who was also staring at Elias in horror as he tore through the changelings like water flowed through a riverbed. His gladius sang as blood and goo spattered the trees. Elias took many hits, but he simply didn’t care. He was immune to pain, immune to hurt as his body ignored it all, the rage fueling his domination of the changelings. Even when another pack of them dove into the fray, the fight remained one-sided. He cut through changeling after changeling, spilling more blood than he had seen in months. Feather cut through one changeling’s leg, severing the limb, and with the force behind the swing, the gladius followed through and bit into another changeling’s face. A part of him was horrified by the pride he felt as their bodies collapsed with shrieks of pain, but that part was ignored as he cornered the last bug. It stared at him in open-mouthed shock as he advanced on it, an ungodly, blood covered specter of death, towering over the tiny creature. It whimpered and covered its head with its hooves cowering at his feet, its back firmly pressed against the trunk of a tree. With the length of Elias’ wide swings, the bug had nowhere to go, and it would be simplicity itself to end it with a swing to the throat. Elias stopped, however. The creature at his feet was terrified of him, and it clearly wasn’t going to be fighting anymore. Elias felt his rage slip away as he looked around at the gore-soaked battlefield around him, most of it caused directly by him. Dozens of bodies covered the ground like a carpet. Elias didn’t look directly behind him; he already knew that the ponies were watching him for what he did next. He looked back to the changeling. It had peaked an eye out, likely wondering when the sword that would end its life would come. Feather dripped with gore, and a glance at his dagger found that the blade had shattered, the blade fallen away at some point in the fight. Elias snorted and discarded the useless hilt. Then his eyes fully settled on the changeling, and he made a split-second decision. Feather stabbed into the tree, right next to the changeling’s head. The creature shrieked in terror, cowering once more. When nothing else happened for a few precious moments, the small changeling peaked out with wide eyes up to Elias, who glared hatefully down at it. “If I have your word that you’ll leave, now, and never return, I’ll let you live,” Elias said with a growl. The changeling stared at him in pure shock. “Y-you will let me go?” it said, its voice sounding a bit garbled, but otherwise completely coherent. Elias leaned closer, trying to ignore the rising pains from his body. The changeling hid behind its hooves again. “Don’t think this is just an act of mercy; you have a job to do for me.” Elias grabbed the changeling’s chin, forcing it to look at the slain bodies that carpeted the ground. “See that?” Elias asked, pointing to a changeling body that had been cut in two. “That’s what waits for each and every one of you ugly freaks that decide to fuck with me.” Elias punched the changeling in the muzzle, and released his hold on the creature’s face. The bug rubbed his nose, then quivered when he saw Elias still towering over him. “You tell all of your little friends what’s going to happen to them if they come after us.” Elias jabbed his finger at the bodies. “Because that is just a warmup. Now get out of my sight before I cut your eyes out.” The changeling nodded furiously as it slipped away, fleeing silently into the bushes. Elias removed Feather from the bark of the tree, passing the sword to his left hand while his right clutched at the horn stabbed through his hip. Exhaustion and pain covered his body like a blanket, trying to coax him to sleep. He swayed for a moment as he closed his eyes, sightlessly staring into the leaves as he debated just giving in. Just a nice little snooze. A little calming darkness, then... He didn’t, choosing instead to limp very slowly back toward Luna and Night Flash. They both moved to aid him, but he waved them away. If he leaned on either, he wouldn’t get back up. His leg was on fire with pain, as was his hip. Though the pain paled in comparison to the agonizing pair of wounds, the dozen or so bites and cuts he had on his arms and neck still hurt. The berserker fit had fully fled his system, the monster thrown back into its cage. Elias could feel it as he struggled to walk. “W-…we need to move,” Elias said. Luna nodded solemnly as she passed him his scutum with her hooves. “Yes Guardsman, we do. Come, we are not far.” Elias motioned for Night Flash to take the lead while he brought up the slow, plodding rear. The maid was now wholly terrified of him, pressing tightly against Luna’s wing, casting frequent glances back at the human as they moved slowly along. It took them a few minutes to reach Luna’s destination, but they remained unopposed. The trees swayed lightly in a chill spring breeze, and the sweat that coated Elias’ brow made him shiver lightly as he limped into the small clearing behind Luna. It was a relatively simple area. Two benches sat on opposite sides of a white stone circle in the center, while the middle was occupied by a tall, marble statue of a pony on its hind legs, waving a flag in its teeth with Luna’s cutie mark on it. Luna walked up the statue, then braced against it as she attempted to push it aside. It didn’t so much as budge. The alicorn sighed, then motioned to the bottom of the statue. “The tunnel to the safe room is beneath this statue. Move it, and we can get in. Once inside, the door shall seal, permanently, from within and without, and we will be safe for the time being. Should we need to run further, there is another exit lower on the mountain.” Elias looked to Night Flash, and the pair limped up to the statue. On a three count, the two shoved with all their remaining strength, and slowly but surely, they moved the statue aside. A small sewer grate was hidden under the statue, and Elias breathlessly motioned for Flash to open it. As the pegasus did so, Elias motioned to Luna. “Princess, you’re first with the maid. Then Flash, then me.” Luna frowned and shook her head as Flash pushed the cover aside, keeping it close enough to the hole to drag it back easily. “Absolutely not Guardsman, you are horrifically injured, you shall go first so that we can assist you. Please, get inside.” Elias, not in the mood to argue, shook his head and took a lurching step forward. His hand clamped on her shoulder, and he roughly shoved Luna toward the sewer grate. She yelped in surprise, stumbling toward the hole. As she caught her balance, she spun on the human, fury in her eyes. “How dare you treat me like that Elias!” she snapped. “I am your princess!” “Who hasn’t done much today, has she?” Elias snapped in reply. “We’ve fought like dogs, and lost more than a few along the way, yet you can’t seem to be bothered to so much as swing a sword.” Elias shoved her again, grunting in pain as the motion pulled on the wound in his side. “So, since I’m the heavy lifter, I get the last say. Now get in the hole before I use what little life I have left to throw you in it.” Luna opened her mouth to protest, but Night Flash gently touched her other shoulder and guided her toward the hole. “He’s right Princess,” the pegasus said carefully. “I know you have a good reason for holding back your magic, but you can’t do any good up here, and quite frankly, it’s our job to hold the line while you escape. Red knows what he’s doing, and he’ll be right behind us.” He shot a look at Elias, and the human nodded. “The faster you’re inside, the faster we’re safe,” Elias said. Luna stared hard at him, but upon seeing that he wouldn't budge, she sighed, then nodded. “Fine, we shall follow your plan Guardsman Bright, but rest assured that this will have consequences.” Elias opened his palm to show off the black horn in his armor. “It already has Princess, now get in before we’re spotted.” Luna turned around, then stepped down with her back hooves. As her head disappeared into the hole, Night Flash pushed the maid in after her. Elias limped over to the sewer hole, his eyes up as Night Flash began the climb down. Elias nudged the grate closer to the hole with his foot, keeping all of his senses tuned outward. His left eye twitched as a loud buzzing reached his ears. Elias glanced down at Night Flash, and from the look on the pegasus’ face, he heard it too. A hoof came back up, touching the second to last rung as the pegasus began to rise. Elias couldn’t allow that. Night Flash cried out as Elias shoved the grate closed, planting his left foot firmly on the stone as over a dozen changelings touched down, with one familiar one thrown to the ground before the rest. The changeling whimpered as one in dark blue armor impacted the ground next to it, kicking the comparatively tiny creature. The armored changeling's horn charged and it grabbed the changeling by the throat, holding it up as it at Elias. Elias felt the desperate shouts of Night Flash beneath his foot, but he ignored them as he tried to ease what tension he could from his exhausted body. Apparently, the day had decided it was never going to end. Joy. “Is this the creature you said killed our brothers?” the armored changeling asked the small one. The small changeling squeaked as Elias glared at it, and it tried to shy away from him, which unfortunately brought it back to face the armored changeling. Said changeling sneered at the little bug. “I guess that’s a yes,” it cackled. Cruelly, the armored changeling threw the small one to the ground, towering over it like Elias had. “Trax, you have got to be the weakest, most worthless changeling I have ever met,” the armored one snarled. It kicked Trax again, and the small changeling whimpered as it curled into a ball. Elias watched it all with disinterest, even a slight touch of pity. If he was going to fight, he’d much rather deal without all of the posturing. It was dull to watch. Luckily for him, the armored changeling ignored Trax and turned to Elias, grinning widely. It stood silent, then a violent shiver passed through the creature. The blue eyes became green, and Elias felt the air crackle as power seemed to suddenly radiate from the creature. “I must say human, you have done well to intimidate my hive,” the changeling cackled in a decidedly female voice, taking a few steps toward Elias. “Already the echoes of your fighting are being felt throughout all of my subjects. Tell me, what is your secret? To go on, as disfigured as you are?” Elias shrugged, looking around the circle of changelings. His best count was twenty-three, but there could easily be dozens more in the trees. “Meat usually helps,” Elias replied. “That, and years of hardened combat against fighters that would make you wet your pants, but what can I say?” His eyes took on a dangerous glint as he glared daggers at the changeling. “They couldn’t be that tough. I killed them after all.” The changeling snorted and laughed. “Indeed human. Had I not already felt the frequent deaths of my subjects at your hands, I might well think that was pointless boasting.” The changeling glared at Trax. “Unfortunately for me, this one was very descriptive about your actions. A “violent, unstoppable, changeling eating monster,” he called you. I shall look very carefully through his memories to find the truth,” the changeling looked back to Elias. “but I have no doubt that you will be mildly impressive at least. Some minor entertainment after the conquering of Canterlot no doubt.” Elias rolled his eyes. “Why is it always the way with you wanna-be tyrants that you say you’ve won before you’ve actually done so?” He snorted. “As long as I breathe, you lose. Every time.” The changeling smiled widely, and a nasty chuckle spread amongst the black bugs. The armored one shook its head. “An interesting choice of words human, and given your valor in the face of annihilation, I shall grant your request. Death in battle it shall be.” The changeling snorted in distaste as its green eyes studied his bloodied body. “Unfortunately, it would appear that you have spent much of your fight on my lesser subjects, and therefore are not a real challenge for my captain. This will not do if I wish to test his new abilities.” Elias growled and twirled Feather in his hand. “I have more than enough fight left to kill all of you.” The changeling threw its head back and laughed. “Ha! Now there is the foolish bravado I am so used to hearing.” The changeling wiped a tear from its eye and shook its head. “No human, you do not have that strength. Perhaps a drone or three, but not this force, and certainly not my captain.” The changeling tapped its hoof against its chin. “But I am a merciful queen, and as such, I wish for all of my subjects to meet their needs in life, and that includes you human, short your servitude may be.” “Queen?” Elias asked. “I honestly expected more than…” he waved his sword at the armored changeling, “well, this.” The changeling frowned. “Uneducated whelp, I shall forgive that transgression only because you will die soon. You will never gaze upon the true visage of Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings. This vessel merely acts as a conduit for my consciousness while I take the Elements of Harmony hostage.” The changeling waved its hoof. “You are a minor plaything, nothing more. Celestia is in a pod, and Luna will follow. The conquest of Equestria is a foregone conclusion.” The changeling grinned at Elias. “So let us quit with the idle chatter and make with the fun. I wish to see a powerful pony defender die today, and so I will. Choose an injury, and I shall heal it. It shall make the fight more enjoyable.” Elias snorted. “Do you really think I’m that stupid?” he asked. “The second I let you close enough, I’m done. No contest.” Elias slammed his gladius against his scutum. “I think I’ll die like a man, thank you very much.” The changeling rolled its eyes. “Fine, be a prude like the ponies.” The creature’s horn lit up with a brilliant green aura, and Elias tensed, ready to spring into action; only for the changeling to begin speaking, rather than attacking. “I, Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings, pledge my word that I will heal a single wound with magic, and no other action against the human before me. So, it is bound.” The changeling’s horn pointed at Elias, then the creature frowned as its magic sputtered out. It tilted its head, confusion visible on its face. “You have no magical signature?” the changeling asked. “That is most odd.” Elias shrugged. “Comes with being a human. If you don’t mind my asking, what was that… thing you just did?” he asked, waving his fingers at the lingering green in the air. The changeling continued staring at him with eyes narrowed. “A simple truth geas, forcing the user to keep their word at the cost of death. It had nothing to lock onto within you however, most strange indeed.” The changeling stared at him for a moment longer, than shook with visible irritation. “Cease your distracting nature at once!” it shouted. “Choose the wound or die quickly like a common animal. Make you choice human!” Elias sighed, he had nothing else to lose. The voices shouting below his feet were gone, with Luna and Night Flash likely giving up and retreating to safety. He tapped his right leg. Might as well go out swinging. “It’s broken,” he said simply. “I won’t be able to fight with a limp.” “Very well,” the changeling replied. Elias tensed up as a green aura surrounded his leg, but the changeling did as promised. The bone snapped into place, drawing a grunt from Elias, but within seconds it was mended, with only a trace of pain left over in the fixed limb. Elias kicked out with the leg, straightening his balance. The horn in his side was agony, but now that he could walk, it was almost bearable. Elias watched as the armored changeling shuddered again, and the blue eyes returned. The creature grinned ferally at Elias, and it drew a pair of nasty looking blades from sheathes on its back. The first was a longsword, crackling with green energy that raced up and down its black blade. Elias couldn’t tell if it was the shape of the sword, but it looked serrated near the tip, which he found odd. The other weapon was a relatively small hand axe, but it too crackled with energy. A sickly black energy seemed to seep through the air around the jagged axe head, and Elias made a mental note to avoid that blade at all costs. The armored changeling cackled loudly, and he and Elias began circling one another. Elias tried to balance between staying relaxed and maintaining his combat stance. Instead of its usual place on top of his scutum, his gladius hung at his side, the blade twinkling in the sunlight. The changeling stopped momentarily over the sewer grate, tapping on it with its hind leg. It didn’t budge, and Elias had no doubt that it had sealed, just like Luna said it would. It brought a small grin to his face, and the changeling grunted softly as he moved on. The two circled back to their original positions before they stopped, squaring off against one another. The rest of the changelings seemed to close in, forming a loose circle around the combatants, save for one. Trax attempted to scurry away, only for two changelings to grab the little bug and turn him around, forcing him to stare Elias down. The armored changeling snorted in disgust as he glared at the smaller changeling. “Watch closely Trax, I will show you how a true changeling fights. This human creature will be dead in minutes.” The armored changeling grinned at Elias, and the human responded by falling fully into his combat position, wincing as the horn shifted in his hip. Elias took a deep breath, watching the changeling’s eyes closely. The bug stared arrogantly back, but for once, Elias wasn’t sure that the emotion was misplaced. The changeling had many advantages, some of which Elias didn't even know about. If nothing else, the fight was going to be a hard one. He squashed his self-doubt, and with one more calming breath, he lunged forward. Feather screeched against the changeling’s sword; the blow intended to take the bugs head off parried away as the axe descended on Elias’ left side. The blade bit into the wood of Elias’ scutum, and the human was horrified to see the black magic leeching the color from his shield. Elias lashed out with his knee, clipping the changeling in the chin, forcing the bug to fall back. It swung wildly at Elias head, which he easily ducked under as the axe ripped free of his shield. Elias took a few quick steps back, waving his gladius to ward off any attacks. He then reset his stance, raising his shield in time to block a brutal swing from the changeling’s sword. Elias dipped to his left, grunting in pain as the axe parted the air next to his right shoulder. The wound in his hip was already giving him issues, and they had just started. Despite his hatred for the changeling queen, he sent her a brief word of thanks for the healing. The fight would have ended already if his leg was still broken. Feather glanced across the changeling’s armor, leaving little more than a scratch as the glowing black sword came down again, scarring the boss of his scutum. Elias tried to kick out again, but the axe came down on his leg, and he was forced to dart back. He hissed as fire ran up his thigh. It had been a glancing blow, but whatever magic the blade had, it left a nasty pain behind. It felt like the leg was broken anew, and Elias had to put great effort into not limping. The changeling grinned widely, its fangs shining at Elias as it cackled. “Do you feel that human? It is a lovely new magic our queen developed. It has so many wonderful effects.” Elias growled as he fell back, ready to drive the changeling away, but the creature merely stood still, watching him as it continued to laugh. Elias glanced down at the wound in his leg, scowling as he saw a black substance surrounding the wound. He wondered briefly if it would prevent it from healing. In the moment of distraction, the changeling pounced forward, its wings buzzing as both blades came down at Elias’ head. Elias suppressed a scream of agony as the sword bit into his shoulder. His scutum had blunted the blow, but the sword cut through his armor like it was made of paper, sending a fresh patter of blood to the ground as the changeling ripped it free. As close as they were, the motion was just slow enough to allow Elias to get his own stab in, and Feather found a temporary home in the changeling’s flank, stabbing deep as he found a chink in the thick blue armor. The changeling howled in pain, and the two headbutted one another, drawing back as they inspected their wounds, all while continuing to stare hatefully at each other. A light stream of blood dripped to the ground as Elias pressed down on his shoulder. It hurt, and the blade had cut deep, but he could still feel his sword hand, and the wound didn’t have the black magic lingering around it. He could still fight, he just needed to move faster. The changeling glared at Elias as it limped, its hind leg twitching occasionally as goo dripped to the dirt. “You will pay for that with blood human,” the changeling growled. “Promises, promises,” Elias responded flippantly. Then the two were at it again, blades clashing as their fighting began anew. ***** “Stupid, stupid, STUPID!” Luna bellowed as she raced through the tunnels. She had already dropped the maid off at the safe room, leaving her with a password that only she and Night Flash knew. Said pegasus was keeping pace behind her, hot on her tail as she led him through the maze of sewers that would lead them outside. Luna knew she should have forced Elias into the sewer first, but with her magic largely stored away, the human was physically stronger than she was. He had more than proven it by shoving her, and while the motion had hurt her pride, it had also hurt her heart. He had never raised his hand against her, but now things had become very serious, and another Elias had appeared. That fury she had seen on his face as he annihilated the changelings was vaguely reminiscent of the figure she had seen in his dreams, yet he had come out of it, showing mercy. Luna would thank Book Binder and Night Flash for that later, they were the source of that control after all. The effort to temper the human's fiery anger seemed successful, at least partially. Maybe Celestia’s plan would work. Maybe… Luna stumbled as she tried to rocket around a corner, and she was forced to stop to catch her breath. Her normal magical endurance was gone, and she had not run as a normal pony for years. She felt shame as Night Flash stopped beside her, the pegasus showing no sign of exertion. “How far are we Princess?” he asked, his voice low with barely concealed anger. Luna felt sympathy for the pegasus. She would have felt the same guilt if she had been a literal hoofstep away from helping Elias. The fact that that brave, strong, absolute moron of a human had sealed the entrance, right in Night Flash’s face made the pegasus both angry, and terrified. Despite the brave face he put on, they both knew that the human had suffered grievous wounds already, and after days of brutal guard shifts, Elias was likely already reaching his limits. An adrenaline rush would only take somebody so far, and the human had practically collapsed after the last fight. She could only worry at the thought of how he was faring now. “Not… far…” Luna answered between pants. “You will need to fly alone back to the gardens, assist Guardsman Bright, and hide him away. I shall remain outside the exit so that you may bring him back here.” Night Flash nodded. “I’ll drag him back unconscious if I have to,” he growled softly. She nodded breathlessly. She straightened, taking a big gulp of air, then she set off again. As they continued their run, Luna prayed desperately that things were going well for her human guard. ***** Things were not going well for Elias. He had only managed to land one more solid hit against the changeling, cutting off one of the changeling’s wings. He had paid for that with a cut across his abdomen, as well as a stab into his calf. His armor seemed to crumble away from the black magic of that axe, and with another black cut on his body, Elias was beginning to feel faint. His vision started blurring as his body screamed for rest. His reactions were slowing down and his chest heaved for more oxygen to keep his limbs swinging. Sweat pooled with the blood that dripped to the ground, and the air was rank with the smell of salt and iron. As Elias smacked the changeling’s axe out of line, he couldn’t help but glance at all of the changelings surrounding them. Though they were staring at him like he was a piece of meat on their dinner plate, they also seemed impressed that he was still standing. Elias punched the armored changeling in the muzzle, paying for it with a nick across his neck. Like any audience, the changelings began to cheer as the blades rang against each other, jeering at the armored changeling when he was forced back. More than once the changeling snarled at them, losing focus long enough for Elias to inflict one minor wound or another. Their dance ebbed and flowed, speeding up and slowing down as the fighters burned through their energy like a forest fire through a lumber mill. Time seemed to slow for Elias as he spotted an opening. The changeling was constantly rotating between his axe and sword, with each blade descending seconds after the other. If he could lock down one blade for long enough, he could get in a killing blow against the changeling’s throat. Hopefully that would startle the rest into fleeing, or at least stun them long enough for Elias to go to work. He set his feet, trying to avoid slipping in blood as he charged forward. What he didn’t take into account was changeling magic. The changeling grinned at Elias, and its horn flashed as a bolt of energy leaped out to meet the human’s charge. Elias was forced to catch the magic on his shield, and with the wound in his side, he had to twist awkwardly to parry the subsequent sword swing at his neck. As he twisted, his scutum lowered, just enough for the axe to cut up the side of his face. Elias screamed in pain as his left eye shut. His right eye soon followed as the changeling’s sword tore his helmet away, severing the strap as it cut from right to left across his face. Elias fell on his back as a bolt of energy ripped through his chest. As blood streamed down his face, Elias kept enough consciousness to raise his scutum to block an incoming attack. He felt the changeling’s axe stick in the wood, but with his focus shattered, the bug was easily able to rip the shield away, and with no protection other than the blind swinging of Feather, the changeling buried its sword into his thigh. As Elias howled in agony, he realized he could still see colors. He wasn’t fully blind, which was a positive, but his face had already swollen to the point where he was temporarily without sight. As if it mattered. The changeling cackled madly as it slowly twirled the sword in Elias’ leg, ripping holes in the flesh as it taunted him. “An admirable fight human,” it said. Elias could feel the heat from its breath as it leaned close, blocking what little light he could see. “I shall ask my queen to let me bear a few of the scars you have given me. If nothing else, you provided her with some measure of entertainment, and you have proven that nothing can stop the changelings. Die now, and know that your princesses will soon lick the hooves of Queen Chrysalis as docile broodmares.” Elias let Feather fall from his grip, and though the motion caused him immeasurable pain, he reached out, grabbing the changeling’s armor as he slammed his forehead into the creature’s muzzle. It yelped in pain, and in its panic, it tore the sword from his thigh. Elias cried out again as his hand dropped to the wound, clutching at it to stem the tide of blood flowing forth. The changeling snarled at him, then laughed loudly. “Well played human!” it called, its tone mocking. “Accepting death is for the weak, and you have proven that you deserve more. Let us make it last, together!” A hoof slammed into Elias’ cheek, and he flopped to his side, his tongue rolling in his mouth limply as he struggled to stay awake. Everything hurt so much… Elias felt a warm feeling in his leg, followed by another punch into his jaw as the changeling cackled. “Ah, ah, ah,” it mocked, “you aren’t allowed to bleed to death just yet human. I must show the hive how to take you apart should we ever encounter another of your kind.” Elias recoiled in disgust as he felt a slimy tongue on his right cheek. “Or perhaps I should convert you; your savagery would serve the hive well, and I think breaking your will would be most enjoyable. Perhaps I turn you into a mere drone, so that you can help the conquest of Equestria, or even better, turn you into a broodmare. How will that strength of yours last as you are used time and again to produce new warriors for the hive?” Elias weakly attempted to headbutt the changeling again, but the creature merely laughed as it pulled back. It then slammed its forehead into his own, jarring Elias as he struggled to maintain consciousness. “That’s right human, fight. Fight to survive, that instinct will serve us well.” Elias could feel the air crackle with energy, and the changeling released him to fall onto his back as it charged a spell. He heard a multitude of hoofsteps as the rest of the changeling’s closed in. “Come brothers, let us bring another into the hive. We shall welcome this human as one of our own, and he shall serve the queen well.” He didn’t know what that meant, but he wasn’t going to wait to find out. Elias felt the hilt of Feather under his fingertips. He counted to three, waiting until the energy felt like it had reached its zenith. Then, using the last wind he had left in his broken body, he lurched up, stabbing the blade through the changeling’s chest. The power dissipated over his head, and the other changeling’s shrieked in horror. Elias felt his hatred rise once more, and his left fist rose, pounding the changeling blindly in the jaw. “You thought… I would just lay down… and die?” Elias growled. He shouted with rage as he lurched up, using his weight to drag the changeling to the ground. It gasped wetly in his grasp, but he didn’t let it fight back. Instead, he let Feather go, using both fists to pound the changeling’s face, using the differences in colors to remain on target. The shrieks continued as a buzzing rose in the air. Fresh rage gave him new energy and his fists rose like hammers, pounding down on the anvil that was the changeling’s face. His knuckles split as he hit the changeling’s helmet. Elias roared in pain, ripping the armor free, before using it to continue bludgeoning the bug before him. He felt the strange material bend under the force of his blows, and though he felt a blade bite into his back, he ignored it as the changelings around him shrieked in alarm. A strange sensation passed over Elias, causing him to momentarily hesitate. The next punch quickly fell however, and Elias continued beating away at the changeling before him. Only when he felt his fist enter the goo of the changeling’s brain did he stop. He sat back on his heels and stared blindly at the sky. He didn’t know what happened, but the rest of the changeling’s were gone, the air silent of their buzzing and chattering. Elias felt around, clasping Feather’s hilt as he dragged the blade across the wet stones to his side. Swallowing roughly, he then attempted to stand. The wound in his leg, while partially healed by the armored changeling, still wept blood, and Elias could feel it draining his energy as he limped around, trying to stumble into his scutum. Even if he had scared off the changelings nearby, more would come. He made too easy a target. Elias was ultimately fine with that. It meant they would be watching him, attacking him, rather than somepony else. He felt his sandaled toe kick his shield just as he realized that he had thought somepony instead of someone. If he could move his face, Elias imagined he would have laughed. As it was, his mouth was twisted shut by the swelling of his cheek. A low growl escaped, but that was all. Hooking his foot through the straps of his scutum, Elias limped in the direction he remembered the statue being. His sword arm swung blindly, and when Feather touched stone, he reached out with his left hand, eventually finding the statue. He dragged himself to rest on it, sighing as his body screamed a million different signals, most of them about the damage he had taken. Elias ignored all of them as he focused on breathing and listening. The only sound he could hear was the wind whispering through the trees, so he leaned back, his bare head touching the legs of the statue as he waited, Feather across his lap. ***** Luna cursed her current frailty, cursed the changelings, and most of all cursed Elias for being the brave idiot he was. She had misremembered the routes to the exit, and after two backtracking attempts, she and Night Flash were only just getting to the entrance. She made a note to leave markers in the tunnels that she, and she alone would understand. Perhaps hieroglyphs, that would suffice. Better than stumbling about blindly like some kind of buffoon. As she gulped in air, she pointed wordlessly to the door that led to the side of Canterlot mountain. Night Flash pushed past her, making ready to charge the door, when a pulse of magic passed over them in the form of a massive bubble spell. Luna blinked, looking in the direction of the castle. Had Celestia wasted their effort? Luna tasted the magic, then confirmed, no, no it originated from two ponies, not one. Luna scowled as she detected Cadence’s magic, but quickly identified that it didn’t originate from the alicorn’s personal magic stores, but rather her ambient ones. It was most strange, but Luna had no doubt that their efforts over the past few months were not for naught. Or so she hoped. Luna looked to Night Flash, who was frowning at her in confusion. “Go to the castle, see what has happened,” Luna said. “I shall find Guardsman Bright.” Night Flash hesitated. “But I’m faster Princess, what if Red is hurt? Or what if he needs help?” Luna walked to the door, putting in the simple combination to unlock it. “I suspect that the changelings have been evicted from Canterlot, and Guardsman Bright will need medical attention. You are faster, that is why you shall check on the situation in the castle, find a medical team, and bring them to the garden immediately, am I clear Guardspony Flash?” Night Flash nodded, and he took off like an arrow as soon as the door opened wide enough for him to squeeze through. Luna followed as best as her exhausted body was able, running up the narrow stairs that were cleverly hidden with invisibility runes placed centuries ago. They had originally been designed for smuggling wine into the castle by Celestia during a prohibitionary period, but Luna had easily repurposed them for her own devices, and with a few stone shifting spells, she was more than sure even her sister would have a difficult time in the sewers. As she cleared another flight of stairs, Luna’s only regret was not putting in an elevator. It took Luna far longer than she would have liked, and she felt very much not like a princess, but once she reached the top of the stairs, she sprinted toward the gardens, weaving between the trees as she raced for the sealed entrance. Throughout the run, she encountered nobody, pony or changeling. She hoped that was a good sign, rather than one of the potential multitudes of negative ones. If she didn’t have to conserve her magic, Luna would have been sending off a hundred letters a minute to find out the situation, to save lives, but for now, she would just have to do her best to save one. The clearing was devastated, and Luna couldn’t suppress a gasp as she looked upon it. Blood and changeling goo coated the ground. A body with a smashed in head twitched amongst a particularly nasty pool of gore. Luna did her best to ignore the corpse as she looked around for Elias. As still as he was, Luna missed the human the first time, but when she saw him, she could only stare in horror. The human was covered from head to toe in gore, and it was clear that a lot of it was his own. His face had been cut apart, and deep wounds seeped at key points in his body, including a nasty wound across his belly. The changeling horn still rested in his hip, and a fresh wound seeped from his previously broken leg. Elias sat on the pedestal of the statue, blindly staring forward, unmoving and pale as he waited with a chilling stillness. His sword sat in his blood-soaked hands, shining in spite of the gore that decorated it. Luna took a few cautious steps toward the human, trying to see if he was still breathing. As her hoofsteps clattered on the stones, Elias’ head shot in her direction, seeking her out through hearing alone. “Who’s there?” he asked with a grumbling croak. Luna noted a nasty gash on his throat, and as it seeped blood, she realized that she had no way to help him. His marred face twitched, and the timber of his voice raised as his torso turned in her direction. “I said, who’s there?” Elias asked loudly, his voice slurring as he spoke. Luna heard fear in that voice, though it was slight. She put on her best smile, even though she knew he couldn’t see it, and she spoke softly. “It is I Guardsman, it is Princess Luna.” Instead of comforting the human, her words seemed to agitate him. Elias’ grip on his gladius tightened and he tried to rise to his feet. Instead of putting up a staunch defense, Elias collapsed with a groan, revealing a large puddle of blood that stained the pedestal where he had been sitting. Luna rushed forward, catching his head in her wings as he flopped to the ground. His sightless, swollen face stared at her. “C-can’t trust y-you,” he spat out. “C-could be one of them. Scarlet was.” He seemed to wither under that admission, but Luna couldn’t focus on that right now, she needed to keep him alive. Blood trickled down his chin, and Luna cast about desperately for even a simple bandage. She gently grabbed his hand, stopping it from gripping the gladius he was searching for. She guided his bloody fingers to her chest, and stroked his arm softly, taking care not to run her hoof over any of the bite marks that ran up and down the limb. “I am real Elias,” Luna said softly. “and I am here for you.” The human shivered in her grasp, and she quickly got over her disgust for the gore painting the human as she pressed herself against his chest, covering his body with her wings. She laid her head near his neck, pressing her ear against his skin to feel for a pulse. His heart was beating a mile a minute, strained for a million different reasons, but it was still going strong. Luna smiled at the sound. “Y-you used my name,” Elias said softly. The tension drained from his body. “Y-you’re real Princess. None of the changelings knew my name.” Luna nodded silently, continuing to stroke the human as she prayed for Night Flash to hurry. Any pony would suffice, so long as they had bandages. With the amount of red decorating the dirt, it was a miracle that Elias was awake, let alone coherent enough to be making rational justifications. More and more blood seeped forth, and Luna had no way to stop it. It nearly brought her to tears at the thought of letting the human die to preserve her magic stores, but she had to be a princess first, and he was a guard after all. He knew that death was a real possibility. Luna stifled her emotions as she continued to keep the human warm. “Princess?” a voice called through the trees, “Princess, where are you?” “Here!” she called in response. She ran a hoof through Elias’ hair, smiling at the human. “Elias, are you still awake?” she asked hopefully. He grunted in response, and his fingers curled slightly in her chest fur, causing Luna to giggle softly as Bloody Bandage and a fresh team of Royal Guards sprinted into the clearing, escorted by a wild looking Night Flash. He let out a yelp as he spotted Elias, and he attempted to run to the human’s side, only to be stopped by two of the Royal Guards. He growled at them, his wingblades flashing brilliantly as he prepared to force his way past, but he stopped when he saw a trio of healers shove even Luna out of the way as they set to work on the battered human. The alicorn blinked in a stupor as she rose to her feet, but she didn’t protest as the ponies quickly ripped away Elias’ armor. The pair of unicorn’s cast healing spell after healing spell on the human, while the pegasus set up a series of IV drips, stabbing needles into both of Elias’ arms to fill him with desperately needed fluids. As they lifted him onto a stretcher, Luna moved to Night Flash’s side, hugging him tightly with her wing. The pegasus watched the Royal Guards swarm over the stretcher, lifting it into the air as they carried the human toward the infirmary. “Is he going to be alright Princess?” Night Flash asked quietly. Luna nodded. “Of course he is Guardspony. That human has survived worse, and recovered without issue. This is just another day in the office for him.” Night Flash looked at the destroyed changeling. “It happened again Princess. He lost control because of me.” Luna sighed, feeling a deep tiredness. “Yes, he did Guardspony. I cannot help but think of it in a positive light however.” Night Flash looked to her with confusion in his eyes. “How so?” Luna smiled down at the pony and began to guide him away from the clearing, motioning subtly for the remaining Royal Guards to begin clearing the mess. “It just shows that he loves you very much Guardspony, he is willing to do anything to make sure you aren’t hurt.” She shivered as she began walking back toward the hidden staircase. They would retrieve the maid first, then see about getting Night Flash's injuries treated. “I shudder to think what would happen if Elias saw anypony hurt his dear mother.” Night Flash snorted. “Yeah, if we thought that was bad, I don’t think anypony wants to see what would happen if Bindey got hurt where Red could see. “ Though Luna could tell he was trying to make light of it, the thought clearly depressed the pony. He was likely worried sick about his mate, and the thought of Elias flying into a blistering rage again didn't help. Luna rubbed his withers softly, trying to be as comforting as possible. “Fear not Guardspony, I have no doubts that Guardspony Book Binder is fine.” She snorted. “If anything, she is probably singlehandedly responsible for stopping the invasion, preserving scrolls with one hoof while eradicating changelings with the other, all in the name of her “baby boy”.” That put a small smile on Night Flash’s face, and he chuckled as they walked. His smile quickly dissolved when he sighed loudly shaking his head. “Is this going to ruin everything Princess?” Night Flash asked. “Is Red going to still want us?” Luna stopped, turning the pony in her hooves quickly as she locked eyes with him. She put her most serious expression on as he held his gaze, making sure her every word was listened to carefully. “What he does or doesn’t want is irrelevant Guardspony,” Luna said plainly. “Elias will need you, and he will need you as soon as possible. He will be physically marred by this incident, and you, and Book Binder need to ignore it all. You must continue loving him as if nothing has happened. Nothing at all can change in your relationship, am I clear?” “Marred?” Night Flash echoed. “But healing magic doesn’t leave any scars, not big ones at least.” Luna shook him, trying to make him focus. “Guardspony, listen to my words; nothing can change. Elias will be scarred, and you must treat him the same, am I clear? This is the single most important task I will ever give you as a guard.” Night Flash blinked at her, but nodded. “Alright Princess, but I still don’t get it. What’s wrong with Red? What do you mean by marred?” Luna sighed, rubbing her forehead as she released the pegasus and resumed their march to retrieve the maid from her saferoom. It had been in passing, but she had felt more than seen black magic in the clearing. Touches of black had even touched Elias' wounds. Even if her most optimistic thoughts were justified, the human was going to be in dire straights. “Tell me Guardspony, what do you know about changeling magic? > Chapter 28: Scarred > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Luna tried to massage away the migraine that was pounding away at her skull. The cleanup effort of the botched wedding, botched invasion, and then the make-up wedding was a monumental effort, one so significant that she had never gotten the opportunity to clean up. Gore still stained her normally pristine fur as she trudged toward her bedroom. After they had ensured the changelings had been evicted from Canterlot by Cadence and Shining Armor, she had immediately begun tasking the guard forces to find the replaced ponies, as well as hunt down any changeling stragglers that had escaped the love spell. It hadn’t taken long to find a massive pod room beneath the castle, filled to the brim with thousands of ponies, many of them replaced guards. By the early estimates, a full half of both the Lunar, and Solar Guards had been replaced, with only a few select members of the Royal Guard vanishing. Those were largely just their informants however, and they had only succeeded in distracting the elite force long enough for the invasion to take place. Either way, the effort was successful, and it demonstrated a complete, and utter failure in preparedness. They would need to shore up their illusion detection defenses if they wanted to prevent a repeat event. Even as she walked the castle halls, ponies from all over Equestria were streaming in to Canterlot to contribute to the cleanup. Doctors and nurses poured in by the dozen, creating makeshift hospitals in the streets to free as many ponies from the pods as quickly as possible. Some of the ponies had been replaced for weeks, and would be bed-ridden due to the nasty changeling venom that kept them docile within the pods. Luna shuddered at the thought of breathing goo for weeks on end. Celestia had told her that it was awful for the few minutes she had experienced the sensation when she was captured, and to sustain that day after day… Luna was glad for the fresh support of the doctors. In addition to medical staff, a host of other ponies; maids, carpenters, farmers laden with surplus food, and even the humble ditch diggers poured in as repairs were made in and around the castle. Luna had been surprised to hear that the most intense violence occurred around Elias. With the human being such an unknown factor, the changelings had marked him, and any with him, as kill on sight. Otherwise, they prioritized capture, content to siphon love from her subjects as they preyed on the city. Still, there were bodies to bury, blood to clean, and damage to mend. Mass graves were dug outside the walls for the changelings, while the bodies of fallen ponies were carried away in the hastily prepared coffins, shipped away to their homes so that they might find proper rest. It was with this depressing thought, Luna turned the corner, and quickly spotted something very wrong outside her door; or rather, someone. Elias leaned heavily against the wall, a spear in one hand as he visibly teetered on the verge of passing out. White bandages covered every inch of his body, including his face, which was partially hidden under his still blood-soaked helmet. The plume was matted, its normally pristine blue stained black with blood. His armor was in rotted tatters, with much of it simply gone as it hung from his frame, and on a second glance, Luna noticed that Elias lacked his normal shield. He looked off without it. A quick whiff of the air found that the hallway reeked of blood, despite being clear of any gore. The first part of the castle to receive repairs had been her quarters and the hallways surrounding them. The source of the smell was obvious as the blind human turned to look at her. Thick pads of gauze were wrapped over his eyes, leaving his mouth partially obscured as he spoke. “Evening Princess,” he said quietly. He then chuckled weakly, clutching at his stomach as he did so. “Or at least I think its evening. Can’t really check the time, now can I?” Luna was torn between a need to sweep the human off his feet to force him to rest, or to yell at him for being up in the first place. She also vaguely wondered how he knew that it was her, but she shoved that thought aside. “Why are you not in the infirmary?” she asked him forcefully as she approached. “Your wounds are significant, and you need bed rest.” Elias shrugged and his blinded eyes faced forward again. “Scalpel needed the beds for the ponies he’s dragging out of those cocoon things. He’s full to the breaking point, so I made myself scarce.” “And the reason you are not resting in your own room?” Luna asked. Elias flinched at the question. “It’s too quiet in there,” he responded. “So, I gave Scalpel the extra space. It has a working stove and running water, so the doctors can get anything and everything for their patients. It’s a recovery room for the time being.” Luna sighed, and rubbed her forehead as she approached her bedroom door. “I suppose I can’t scold you for giving your space to those in need, but why are you here Guardsman? You should not be on guard duty in your condition.” He shrugged again as she stood before him. A closer inspection showed Luna that no attempt had been made to clean or mend his blue steel armor. Horrible rents painted black with blood covered the armor, and Luna noted a few that she hadn’t been able to see before. She would be impressed at his fortitude if she wasn't nearly enraged that he wasn’t currently trying to pull a guard shift in his state. “Captain Nightshade needed someone on the position,” Elias said. “We’re stretched thin, and everyone who can is out hunting changelings, so the guards who are able to stand are being assigned to the normal positions around the castle. Something about providing a sense of security, I wasn't paying attention." He shrugged a third time. "I fit well enough into that category, so she gave me the easy duty, brought me here, then left. This section of the castle is blocked off from anybody except guards and princesses for the time being, so I just have to stand around, and attack whoever doesn’t fit into one of those categories.” “And how do you know that I am not a member of the nobility with a voice altering spell?” Luna asked playfully. “A member of the nobility wouldn’t have gasped like I shot their dog when they walked around that corner,” Elias responded smoothly, his sightless eyes facing her as he grinned wearily. Luna snorted. “You can hardly blame me; you should not be up Elias, and I will not let you remain as you are.” She opened her bedroom door, then calmly levitated the human inside. Due to Celestia’s failed attempt to brawl with Chrysalis, they were already going to be leaving a few weeks later, so Luna saw no issue casting a few minor spells to help her contain the human, who was already trying to squirm free. Whether a result of his injuries, or from what was likely a drained well of energy, said struggles were weak, and Luna was easily able to disarm, and dis-armor the human. His blood-soaked tunic quickly followed, though Luna took care to not obliterate the garment like she did last time. “What are you doing?” Elias asked, his voice showing only the barest of traces of irritation. “You can perform your duties just as well from my side while you rest,” Luna responded. To serve her point, she levitated his sword belt into his hands as she set Elias down on her bed. Before the human could make any attempts to rise, Luna joined him, curling around his body as she levitated over her dragonfire candle and the host of letters she would be working on. Her horn then fell dark as she began conserving her magic once more, sure that she had easily caught up to Celestia’s earlier use. Luna set to work quickly, her hoof working at lightning speed as she put the quill to paper. Only after the first letter was written and sent did she realize that she hadn’t heard any further words of protest from Elias. She looked down to the human to find him snoring softly, the sound music to her ears as she smiled widely. Even covered in bandages like something out of a horror story, the human looked positively adorable as he slept. Luna briefly wished she could recall Book Binder and Night Flash and have them curl up with their adopted son, but unfortunately, the two had remained unscathed enough that they were deployed on the changeling hunt. If Luna remembered the initial reports correctly, they were somewhere near Appleloosa, and would return in a few days. Elias snorted in his sleep, and Luna felt her heart melt when he cuddled tighter against her side. The human’s face momentarily twisted in a scowl, but when Luna rubbed his back with her wing, it shifted into a content smile as he sighed and relaxed against her body. That smile vanished, as did Luna’s when a loud knock echoed at through her door. Elias scowled as he shifted in his sleep, and Luna covered his body with her wing as she called softly to the unwelcome intruder. “Come in, and do so quietly.” Nightshade opened the door with a nasty snarl across her face. The thestral had heavy bags under eyes, and a look of pure rage decorated her golden eyes as she looked at Luna. “Where is Guardsman Bright? He said he could handle a guard shift, and yet he’s not at his post. When I find him I’m going to give that lazy human a piece of my hoof up his a-“ “That is quite enough Captain,” Luna whispered harshly. She lifted her wing to reveal Elias, his bandaged face twisting in discomfort at the sudden lack of his blanket. His left hand weakly reached out to snatch the feathered limb back, while his right clutched his sword belt as if his life depended on it. As his fingers found her feathers, Luna let the limb fall back over the human. He let out another sigh and his snores quickly resumed as Luna smiled down at the sleeping human. She then looked to Nightshade, who was staring at the covered human in shock. Luna lightly cleared her throat, and the thestral’s eyes found hers. “Princess I… did he ask to do this?” Luna shook her head. “No Captain, but it would not do to let one who fought as hard as Elias did to stand guard. He is at his physical breaking point, and that will only further add to his emotional strain. I brought him inside and removed his armor to let him sleep.” She looked down at the snoring human. “He needs it.” Nightshade sighed and nodded. “He’s not the only one. Princess, I came here for two reasons, well one really, but now that I’m here…” “What do you need Captain?” Luna asked, cutting through the rambling. Nightshade took a deep breath. “Princess, I just wanted to apologize for my complete and utter failure. The fault for the invasion rests solely at my hooves.” She glared at the floor as her ears pinned themselves to the side of her head. “I should have noticed the changes among the guards, I should have better prepped for something like this, and… I didn’t. Ponies got hurt because of my failings, and I’m sorry for failing my duties.” Luna opened her mouth to reply, but she felt Elias shift under her wing. His blind face poked through the feathers and he sightlessly stared at Nightshade. A hard frown was on his face as he and the thestral stared at each other. Sniffing loudly, Elias cleared his throat, then he spoke slowly as he woke up fully. “It’s good to be sorry Captain, but it’s better to start learning from the mistake. What are we looking at in terms of casualties?” “Wounded?” Nightshade asked. “Counting all of the ponies put in pods; four hundred Lunar Guards, six hundred Solar Guards, and well over a thousand civilians. Dead?” She flinched at the word. “Three civilians, and ten Solar Guards. We got lucky.” Elias nodded. “That we did. I imagine the changelings are licking uglier wounds than we are, but it doesn’t matter what their doing, what matters is what we’re going to do. Feeling sorry only helps so much, use it as a catalyst to improve everything. More detection, stronger guards, better awareness for missing people. Never be unprepared again. Learn from the mistakes now while the casualties are negligible. Thirteen ponies? I know that by myself I killed at least double that number in changelings.” Nightshade snorted softly. “Four times actually. We tallied the bodies. You killed at least fifty-two that we can directly confirm that were you, but that number could easily be doubled if we tried harder. We found dozens of bodies in your wake.” Elias shrugged the stat away. “Doesn’t matter. It’s a minor victory that doesn’t matter to anyone who knows what they’re doing. We need to focus on the fact that we almost lost.” He turned to look up at Luna. “Speaking of, how did we win? I remember something weird passing over me, but I had no idea what it was.” “Shining Armor and Princess Cadence used the power of their love to drive the changelings away,” Luna responded. “It manifested in the form of a bubble shield that largely pushed the invaders back into the Badlands. The changelings that managed to remain in Equestria’s borders will not do so for long.” Though she couldn’t see it, Luna had no doubt in her mind that Elias was staring at her as if she had sprouted a second horn. The human grumbled something under his breath, then disappeared back under her feathers. “Sorry Princess, but I’m too tired to be dealing with more nonsense right now. I’m going back to bed.” “Oh no you don’t.” Nightshade said. She moved fast, grabbing Elias’ foot as she dragged him away from Luna’s grasp. “You have an appointment with the Doc. He says he found someone to speed up your healing regimen.” Elias groaned loudly as he was dragged across the bed, and Luna felt pleased as a peach that he reached an arm out to try and stay at her side. She knew it was likely due to blood loss, but the human was actively craving physical affection. A silver lining to his horrific injuries. Nightshade was stronger however, and she forced Elias to stand at her side as she pushed him toward the door. “Quit being a baby Guardsman, you can get your snuggle buddy back when we’re done,” Nightshade said with a wink back at Luna, who blushed lightly. Elias sighed and rubbed at his forehead. “Fine, but I need help finding my armor. And my clothes,” he tried to shoot a glare at Luna, but he was a few inches off as he sent a nasty look at her nightstand. “ponies keep taking them, and I still don’t know why.” Luna scoffed. “You were wearing a nasty, bloodstained tunic, and it smelled. I would not allow something so vile to touch my bed sheets.” “Is that why you’re still covered in blood?” Elias responded. Luna blinked, then looked down at her fur. Sure enough, she had completely forgotten that she had never cleaned up; the human had completely distracted her. She flushed red with embarrassment as she realized that she likely stunk as badly as he did. She glared at the human, who was smiling at her right shoulder. “Go to your healing session Guardsman!” she shouted. “Captain, ensure that he returns to my quarters so that I may punish him for his insolence.” Nightshade gave her a goofy grin, but saluted and grabbed Elias gently by the arm as she guided the blind human to the door. As they left, Luna gave herself a sniff, then recoiled in disgust. She quickly penned a letter to the cleaning staff requesting fresh sheets, then she got to her feet and sprinted into her bathroom, more than ready to scrub herself clean. ***** Elias stared at darkness as he waited silently. Around him, the sounds of ponies retching told him that he was in the infirmary, or at least somewhere being treated as an infirmary. He had been told that the effort to free everyone from the pods would take days, and the longer it took, the more severe the aftereffects. As a result, the pods were being given around the clock treatment as the doctors and nurses of Canterlot worked at a furious pace to get everyone free. It was one of the reasons Elias had excused himself as soon as he had come to. Though it hurt like hell, he could move enough to free a bed, and he wasn’t at any risk of dying, so he didn’t need it. A part of his mind knew that Scarlet was hidden somewhere in that army of pods, and he would be damned if he let the pegasus suffer anymore than he already had. Elias felt someone tap on his knee, and he did his best to approximate the source of the tapping. “Yep?” he asked quietly. “Elias, next to me is Doctor Horse, from Ponyville,” Scalpel said slowly. “He’s a specialist in healing spells, so he’s going to be helping me remove your bandages so that you can see again, alright?” Elias snorted. “My ears are working fine Doc; you don’t need to talk like that.” Scalpel sighed, and Elias imagined that the unicorn was rubbing his forehead. “Same thing, different day with you,” he grumbled. “Go ahead Doctor, and don’t worry about hurting him, he won’t tell you if he’s in any pain.” Elias grinned in the direction of the pony’s voice. “Aw Scalpel, you have been listening,” he said mockingly. Elias heard Scalpel grumble as he moved away, then he felt another tap on his knee. “Elias, I am Doctor Horse, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” “Pleasure’s all mine if you can get me at least one eye back,” Elias replied. “I’m not big on being led around; I’d like to walk on my own, thank you very much.” “Let’s see if we can’t get both of your eyes back, hm?” Doctor Horse replied. “Please lie back, I don’t want to accidentally graze anything as I’m removing your bandages.” Elias nodded silently, then felt behind him as he made sure that he wouldn’t fall off the bed. Doctor Horse helped him by guiding his head down, then by lifting Elias’ bandaged legs onto the bed. The unicorn moved around the bed, then tapped an uninjured part of Elias’ arm. “Alright Elias, I’m going to start with what I’m told is the lighter of the two wounds. I want to make sure you can see out of at least one eye by the end of today, okay?” Elias nodded. “Alright Doc.” Elias twitched nervously as he felt hooves gently pulling away the bandages on the right side of his face. As he slowly pulled back the gauze pads, Doctor Horse said; “You may wish to close your eyes. It’s awfully bright in here, and it might irritate them if you get flooded with light all at once.” Elias nodded and closed his eyes, watching the light grow under his right eyelid. Doctor Horse clicked his tongue, but Elias could almost hear him smile as he gently touched a hoof to Elias’ face. “Well, that one isn’t so bad at all. I think we can even get rid of the scar. Doctor Scalpel did a marvelous job.” Elias slowly cracked his eye open, blinking rapidly as he let it adjust to the light of the infirmary. A yellow unicorn with glasses smiled back at him as the pony prodded at his eyebrow. “Not bad at all,” Doctor Horse said, his horn lighting up. Elias felt a warm sensation pass through his face, and then Doctor Horse clapped his hooves together. “Good as new!” he proudly declared, levitating a mirror to Elias’ hand. The human took it, inspecting his eye carefully. The changeling’s sword had managed to miss it, and as the remains of the cut sealed itself, Elias was able to confirm that it was good as new; the blue of his eye was its usual simmering self, though he was fairly proud to note that there was less rage hiding just below the surface. He snorted as he set the mirror down. Book Binder would likely tackle him if she ever heard about the full extent of his wounds, and honestly, Elias was becoming less and less resistant to the idea. It was a... good feeling. Or at least Elias thought it was. That was positive, right? Doctor Horse moved around the side of the bed once more, dipping into Elias’ blind spot. “Give me just a moment Elias, and I’ll have this side fixed up just as good.” Elias gave the pony a thumbs up, then scanned the infirmary as the unicorn went to work. It was full to capacity, but Elias suspected that it wouldn’t be so for much longer. A multitude of nurses ran pell-mell between the beds, quickly delivering buckets for vomiting, and returning just as quickly to collect them. IV’s hung on poles by each bed, and the ponies that weren’t pitching their guts to the ground were resting calmly, tucked under multi-colored quilts with what looked like apples on them. Somepony’s donation likely. It took a second for Elias to realize that the sound by his head was gone, as was the bandage. He blinked stupidly as he stared at the ceiling with both eyes, then he turned, smiling widely at Doctor Horse. “What do you know?” Elias said in an unusually cheerful manner. “Both eyes back, just like you said Doc. I guess a thank you is in order.” Elias’ good cheer turned into confusion as the pony looked at him with horror written all over his face. Elias blinked, then tilted his head as he looked at the unicorn. “You alright Doc?” Elias asked. “What, is there a bad scar or something?” Doctor Horse shook his head slowly, then spun around and sprinted away from Elias’ bedside. The human winced and held his stomach wound carefully as he sat up, staring in confusion after the fleeing pony. Several of the nurses stopped in confusion as well, staring after the pony’s retreating brown tail, then they looked to Elias, who stared back in confusion. They gasped loudly and quickly set about their tasks, casting him nervous glances as they intentionally avoided eye contact. Elias briefly considered rising from his bed to ask what the issue was, but something made him decide against it. Instead, he laid back, staring at the familiar ceiling as he began to silently count the stone tiles. He reached fifty-two before Scalpel was at his bedside. The unicorn gasped softly, but unlike Doctor Horse, he didn’t flee, and he didn’t look at Elias like he was some kind of monster. The unicorn instead began gently prodding Elias’ face with his hoof, making notes on a clipboard as he asked a series of questions. “Elias, do you feel any tightness in your face?” Scalpel asked quietly “No, is there something wrong?” Elias asked carefully. Scalpel tsked, and levitated over a black bag, from which he pulled a number of tools, poking at Elias’ cheek. “I don’t think so, but I haven’t exactly seen a case like this, so I’m going to send a letter to Princess Luna. She should know if there’s any problems.” Scalpel levitated a small flashlight in front of Elias’ left eye and clicked it on. “Do you see anything abnormal?” Scalpel asked, covering Elias’ right eye with his hoof. Elias shrugged and stared at the pony. “Define abnormal,” Elias responded sarcastically, “because if we’re going by the human standard, that list will be long.” Scalpel snorted and shook his head. “I think we can safely cross off impact of the mental state.” The unicorn then sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Elias, I need to move you somewhere more private, and I’ll you why when we get there, it’s just… look, you have a nasty scar now and it’s going to scare ponies. I’m going to cover up your left eye, then you and I are going for a walk, okay?” Elias immediately felt suspicion return to the forefront of his mind, and his eyes narrowed as he stared at the pony. “What does it look like?” Elias asked cautiously. Scalpel paused, the bandages he was intending to use floating in the air next to his head. The unicorn then sighed. “Elias, I say this as your friend, but just… trust me? I don’t know enough about what’s happened to make an accurate diagnosis, and once you see it, you’ll have questions that I can’t answer. We just need to get you somewhere isolated, have the princesses look at it, and then we’ll go from there, okay?” Elias scowled at the pony, and he was briefly tempted to force Scalpel to show him, but part of his mind relished the excuse to see Luna again, so he silently nodded and laid back as the bandage drifted over, re-covering the left half of his face. He heard a soft pop, what he assumed was Scalpel sending off the letter, and then the stallion was helping Elias off of the bed. The nurses still gave him glances as they walked past, but they were tempered now, and Elias wondered what could be so bad about a scar on his eye that hadn’t even affected his vision. As they left the infirmary, a letter popped into existence beside Scalpel’s head, and the unicorn read it swiftly, guiding Elias back toward Luna’s room. The blue alicorn met them outside, and Elias briefly noticed that her starry mane looked wet, something that seemed odd as it continued to flow. “Come,” Luna said. “We can look at the damage in comfort if nothing else.” Elias tsked as he walked into the room that he had been in only a short while ago. “Princess, did you redecorate?” he joked. “It’s been so long, and the place has changed so much.” Luna snorted and smiled, then seemed to catch herself, and gave him a deadpan look as she sat him on the bed. “If that is your best attempt at a jest Guardsman, you will have to try harder.” Elias shrugged as Scalpel dragged a chair before the human and sat down in it. “Made you laugh, didn’t I?” Luna rolled her eyes, then sat down next to Scalpel as the unicorn set down his bag of tools. She tsked softly as she looked at the right side of Elias’ face. “His injuries seem on track for healing. It was the left eye that had the abnormality yes?” Scalpel nodded, looking toward the bandages covering Elias’ face. His horn lit up, and Elias blinked as the white drifted away from his eye, allowing him to see fully. Luna frowned and prodded Elias’ cheek with her hoof. “That’s what Doctor Horse found when he removed the bandages,” Scalpel said. “As far as I can tell it’s just a physical change. Elias said he didn’t feel or see any different, but I’m out of my depth here.” Luna nodded. “You were wise to contact me immediately. Have you checked on his other wounds yet?” Scalpel shook his head. “No Princess, I haven’t. I don’t even know what caused this one to react like it has.” Elias looked between the ponies in confusion. “Can someone fill me in here?” he asked. “What’s wrong with my face?” Luna ignored his question, and she pressed a hoof on his shoulder, guiding him to lie down. Elias frowned silently at the ceiling, and as the ponies moved onto the bed to look at his other wounds, he felt himself drifting away to sleep. The blankets were incredibly soft, and he had two of his friends right next to him, all soft and warm… Elias hissed in pain, brought back to consciousness violently as Luna jabbed a hoof into his leg. He swatted away the offending hoof with one hand as the other clamped down over the throbbing injury. Elias glared at the alicorn. “What was that for?” Elias asked. Luna gave him a sympathetic look, then guided him to lie back down. “My apologies Elias, but I am without my normal means to analyze your wounds. We can not risk altering your mental state with a numbing spell either, so you must endure while Steel Scalpel and I asses them.” She gently took his hand in her hoof and guided it away from the wound, then Scalpel prodded at it again. Elias bit his tongue, and tensed up to prevent himself from smacking the unicorn. The pain didn’t last long though, and once it was through, Scalpel replaced the bandage on his leg wound. The unicorn frowned as he looked at Luna. “Princess I don’t understand. That wound resists healing magic, but once healed leaves no noticeable scarring.” Luna nodded. “Indeed, take a look at the wound in Elias’ hip while I question him about my theory.” Luna obscured his view of the ceiling as her green eyes stared down at him. Elias felt another bandage peel away, but felt no pain as Scalpel prodded the wound. “Tell me Elias, the changeling that caused many of these wounds, what was it like?” Luna asked. Elias frowned in thought for a moment before answering. “Physically speaking, it was the same as the rest, but it wore blue armor and used actual weapons.” “The weapons,” Luna seized upon, “what were they like?” “One was a sword,” Elias replied simply. “It had this green energy around it, but otherwise it seemed fine. It hurt like any other cut.” “And the other weapon?” Luna asked as she motioned for Scalpel to move to a wound on Elias’ other leg. “An axe,” Elias replied. “It had this black glow around it, and it hurt like hell when it hit. The sword cut the right side of my face, while the axe cut the left.” Luna disappeared from his view, and she tapped a wound on his left leg. “And this cut? Which weapon cause it?” she asked. “The axe,” Elias responded without looking. “And this one?” she asked, tapping his gut. “The axe again,” Elias responded, his irritation rising. “Can I ask what point you are trying to make here Princess? I have about a hundred different cuts, what difference does one nasty looking weapon do?” Luna sighed, and she and Scalpel helped Elias sit up. He was quick to notice several ugly black marks across his body where some of his wounds should have been. Of note on his body were three of the black covered wounds, one on his left leg, one across his stomach, and the third in his side where the changeling horn had been. Elias felt numb inside as he ran a finger across the wound on his leg, quickly recognizing the feeling as the chitin that covered the changelings. The hard, black material melded seamlessly with his skin, the pink flesh not at all discolored. Elias softly rubbed at the wound on his gut, finding the same thing. The wound on his hip was in an identical state. As Elias discovered his wounds, Scalpel and Luna watched him silently, each with sympathy written clearly on their faces. For some reason, that irritated Elias, even going so far as to make him angry. He didn’t need sympathy, he needed answers. Elias ran his thumb along his cheekbone to scratch his nose, but froze when his thumbnail momentarily rubbed against more chitin. His anger flashed defensively as panic raced to the forefront of his mind. Doctor Horse had run away, the nurses refused to look at him, Scalpel isolated him away from everyone else. It all clicked. He just had to confirm it. Elias glared at Luna and Scalpel. “What happened to my eye?” he growled. The ponies exchanged a look, but neither answered. Elias felt his face twitch as his anger flashed up further. “What. Happened. To. My. Fucking. Eye,” Elias repeated slowly, doing his best to keep his rage from his voice. Scalpel flinched at his tone, while Luna sighed and laid a hoof on his arm. “Before we show you, I can safely say that it is nothing more than a physical abnormality. I can detect no magic in you now, just like I couldn’t detect any before. You are still completely human in every way, shape, and form. This kind of magic takes hours of exposure to provoke any serious changes to a being, and with your magicless state, it would take even longer.” She sighed again. “I believe it was the severity of your wounds that caused the changes as they are, but be reassured that they will not grow any worse from where they are now.” Elias couldn’t help but feel slightly relaxed at her words. Her voice was soothing and calm, flying in the face of the building rage in his mind. It tempered the winds of anger, and Elias exhaled loudly as he stared at his hands. “Show me,” he said, his voice only slightly angry. Luna gave him a small smile, then nodded toward her dresser. Scalpel rose nervously from his seat and he trotted over to the piece of furniture, quickly retrieving a hand mirror before returning, cautiously handing over to Elias. The human momentarily hesitated before directing the reflective surface toward his face, but as he did so, he felt fear creep into his being. A thick, black scar ran down from his hairline, splitting his eyebrow in two as it ran down his cheek, ending on his chin. That wasn’t the worst part, however. His eye… Elias peeled back his eye socket with two fingers as he looked at the pure blue orb. It had changed completely, and instead of his normal human eye with its blue iris, a changeling’s eye stared back, with a slitted, white iris bisecting it. The eye blinked in time with him, and as he looked around with it, he realized that it felt like normal, it was simply different. It was the eye of an enemy, of the enemy. The bugs had almost taken his best friend away, had nearly killed Luna. And now… Now he was like them, at least partially. Another mark of failure. His failure. Elias flipped the mirror over in his hands as he handed it back to Scalpel, not looking up as he felt the energy drain from his body. He was incredibly tired, and the urge to curl up and never move again had never been stronger in his mind. He did his best to not let it show, but by the way Luna was looking at him, Elias could tell that he had failed miserably. Now that he knew, he couldn't just get the image of the way the nurses had looked at him out of his head. He was already an oddity that attracted stares, but now everyone would fear his mere presence . That cut his core, and Elias couldn't quite figure out why. “A monster inside and out now, huh?” he asked bitterly, the words feelings right. Luna scowled at him, but her gaze quickly softened. “Neither of those things are true Elias. You are a hero. These scars were earned in the defense of me, my ponies, and my kingdom. I, nor anypony else could ask more from you.” The words bounced off of Elias’ wall of mind-numbing self-hatred. He took a deep breath, and tapping his leg gently, he assessed that he had enough strength to find somewhere to curl up in a ball to sleep. Elias suppressed a grunt as he pushed himself to his feet. “Meet you in the infirmary for my next healing session?” Elias asked Scalpel. The unicorn nodded sadly. “Tomorrow Elias, bright and early as always.” The human nodded and walked around the two ponies numbly. He couldn’t feel anything as he cracked open Luna’s door and slipped out, his mind wandering as his feet carried him to some unknown destination. > Chapter 29: Shaken Resolve > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry Day 2050 They shouldn’t be here. They shouldn’t care. I’m no better than an animal. They shouldn’t be taking care of me, shouldn’t be helping me at all. They’re going out of their way to make sure I get better, and I know better than to think they have the resources to do it. I keep trying to drive them away, but they won’t listen. They say I’m delirious, and I probably am, but they still need to leave. It isn’t safe out here. It’s never been safe out here. The village though… Well stocked, solid leadership, and plentiful numbers. Safety. As safe as you can get. Safer than some psycho with a broken leg, broken arm, broken ribs, broken collarbone… They need to leave. It’s the only way they’ll survive. Damn them for their stubbornness, and damn me for my weakness, because I couldn’t bear to see them go. Elias stared with dead eyes at the plate before him, the large steak decorating it looking entirely unappetizing despite his immense hunger. Three days had passed since the revelation that he had been scarred and now looked like some sort of monster, and they had been the longest three days he had experienced since he had come to Equestria. Everyone he knew was gone. Scalpel, after finishing with the castle’s medical needs had quickly moved to Canterlot General, adding his talents to the pod freeing efforts there. It was there that they had found Scarlet Shield, but with such extended time in the cocoon, the pegasus was still in the recovery ward of the castle in an induced coma. He wasn’t supposed to wake up for another week, but Elias prayed that he would awaken earlier. As for all of his other guard friends, they were still out on changeling hunts, scouring Equestria for any more pockets of the nasty little bugs. From what little word he had gotten, at least three other cities had minor pockets of infiltrators, driving home the continued need for the guard forces to be out and about. All three forces were largely deployed, with only a few dozen guards left in Canterlot, primarily consisting of those freed from the pods, or those who had been injured like Elias had. The halls seemed empty, and far too quiet without the guards, and every day Elias spent endless hours wandering about, looking for a familiar face to talk too. In the end, only Luna and Anyon had stayed behind. Anyon wasn’t available, as he was still working on the big secret order the princesses had given him. Said order was so important that Elias wasn’t even allowed to sit quietly in the smithy, something the human would have enjoyed, because then he could have at least been near somebody. As for Luna… Elias avoided her when he could. The more he looked at their “friendship” the more he realized that it wasn’t a friendship at all. She saw him as a project, something to fix, nothing more. Every conversation became a mission to get him to open up, and he found that he couldn’t talk with her. He just wanted to talk of nothing, or at the very least go back and forth, trading inner turmoil for something personal about the alicorn, but she never seemed willing, dismissing his concerns as extraneous as she tried to learn more about him. He couldn’t stand it, and so he did what he seemed to be doing a lot lately. He ran and hid, too much of a coward to stand up for himself. As Elias stared at his full plate, he wished just one pony had stayed behind with him. He’d take anyone, even the quiet Gray Granite. The earth pony was usually a silent presence at their lunch table, and he was a big listener. Elias had shared barely a dozen sentences with the earth pony, yet his heart still ached to see him, even if it was just that silent smile he always seemed to have. It physically hurt Elias to admit that he missed Book Binder and Night Flash especially. He missed the feeling of having them close, missed all of the motherly gestures that Book Binder showered on him. He wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed with the ponies at his side, acting as fuzzy pillows as they slept in a pile, content with each other’s presence. Most of all however, he was terrified of the pair. What would they think about him now? Every time a pony looked at his bad eye, they would gasp and try to scurry away, avoiding his gaze. Before Scalpel had left, he had set up Elias with an illusionist who specialized in covering up facial scars with enchanted pairs of glasses, but those wouldn’t be ready for at least another two weeks. Until then, he was stuck, and his mind shaken at the thought of his friends rejecting him on sight. Elias ran a hand through his too long hair and pushed the bench back from the table. The noise was loud in the quiet cafeteria, but Elias didn’t care. He just needed to wander some more. Get his mind off of everything. As he got one stiff leg over the bench, the cafeteria doors slammed open and a very familiar and welcome blue form stared Elias down, his wings puffed out to the sides. “Red!” Night Flash cried cheerfully as he sprinted at full tilt across the stone floor. The pegasus barreled into Elias as he pinned the human to the bench, snuggling aggressively against his face. Though he sputtered loudly as fur got in his mouth, Elias made no real attempt to remove the hyper-affectionate pony, instead relishing the sudden burst of physical contact. It took a magical intervention by Book Binder for Elias to get an opportunity to breathe, and even then, Night Flash squirmed in the air as he tried to get back to attacking Elias. Book Binder rolled her eyes at the pegasus as she seated herself on the bench at Elias’ side as the human sat up. Only then did she set Night Flash on the ground. The pegasus pouted for a moment, then wiggled his rump as he scrambled up on Elias’ shoulders rubbing his cheek against Elias’ hair as he sighed happily. Elias shared the sentiment as he scooted close enough to Book Binder that he could feel her fur on his arm. “You’re back I see,” Elias said, trying to sound nonchalant. “Yep!” Night Flash chirped, his hooves dangling around Elias’ neck. “Back to the normal guard shifts too! Princess Celestia and Princess Luna reduced the search to just the Royal Guardsponies, and even they won’t be out looking for changelings for much longer.” “That’s good,” Elias said awkwardly. The trio fell into a dead silence as they looked at each other. Elias didn’t know how to express how happy he was to seem them without seeming needy. He just wanted to pull them both close and never let go. Book Binder seemed catch on anyway, and she softly nuzzled his chest as she leaned against him. “We missed you,” she said quietly. It was more than enough to provoke a reaction from Elias. His arm snatched the unicorn up and he hugged her tightly to his chest while he rested his cheek in her mane. Book Binder giggled, and she nuzzled his face in reply. Night Flash chirped happily, and his wings splayed across them as he snuggled against Elias’ neck. “I missed you too,” Elias said softly, his voice muffled further as his face was pressed into Book Binder’s fur. Neither of the ponies replied, with Night Flash sighing happily while Book Binder just hummed, content to just be hugged. It didn’t take long for Elias to become uncomfortable with the extended physical contact, but it felt… different than usual, dulled almost. Regardless, he pulled back and smiled at Book Binder, who beamed back in reply. It only took one glance at his face, one moment of shock and horror. Though it was gone in an instant, Elias noticed her expression anyway, and his heart crumbled. He turned away, staring at nothing to his left in shame. His face as quickly guided back as Book Binder smiled sadly at him, rubbing his scarred cheek with her hoof. “I’m sorry Elias, it just startled me up close was all.” Elias turned away again. “It’s fine Book Binder. I… I get it.” The unicorn sighed and rubbed herself against his chest, staring at his cold food. “Were you just sitting down to eat?” she asked quietly, likely already knowing the answer. Elias lied in reply anyway. “Yes, would you two like to join me?” She nodded silently, and Night Flash hopped down from Elias’ shoulders, trotting to the food line to grab them something to eat. Book Binder resumed humming, pressing softly against Elias’ tunic as they sat. Book Binder occasionally prodded him to eat. He did so for her benefit, and though it was cold, he couldn’t help but enjoy the meal. Night Flash returned quickly, sitting across from the pair as he set the trays down. He smiled widely at Elias, and the human took comfort in the fact that the pegasus didn’t flinch at all as he looked at his bad eye. It cracked through the cloud that had settled over Elias’ mind, and it let him breathe comfortably, lifting just a bit of the weight from his chest. The ponies began to eat, staying quiet as they did so. Elias noticed a rapid influx of guard ponies in his peripherals, but he didn’t really care about them, nor their horrified stares. He just cared about the two ponies beside him. After he had finished the steak, Elias cleared his throat, looking between Flash and Binder. “So,” Elias asked slowly, trying to think of anything to say, “are you two just stopping in, or are you back for good?” Book Binder gave him a wry grin like she was about to mock him for his question, but the look in his eyes must have told her that it wasn’t the time, and it changed to a warm smile. “The changeling search has been reduced,” Book Binder said, repeating what Night Flash had told him. “Flash and I will be back on normal duty with you as of today.” Elias nodded silently and looked away, scratching his hair awkwardly as he struggled for something to say. The mood was depressed to say the least, and he could do a lot to fix that. Maybe changing the subject would work. His eyes flicked momentarily to Night Flash, where he noticed a silver colored ring around the pony’s neck. Idly, he gestured to it. “What’s that Flash? I’ve never known you to wear jewelry.” Book Binder choked momentarily as she painfully inhaled a piece of her salad, while Night Flash grinned stupidly at Elias. The unicorn flailed for her glass of water, downing half of it before she gasped for air and glared at Elias. She then smacked him upside the head as his face slowly broke out in a grin at her cute, angry expression. She looked like an angry puppy when she was mad. “Don’t laugh at me young man!” she shouted as Night Flash continued smiling at Elias, who was now chuckling loudly. “I’ll have you know I could have died!” That just made Elias laugh harder, and even Night Flash giggled, causing Book Binder to glare at the pegasus. He shrugged, then pointed at the laughing Elias, who was clutching at his still wounded gut. Book Binder huffed, but then smiled and rolled her eyes. “Keep laughing it up Elias, I’ll make sure I get you back for this in spades.” Elias snorted. “I’m sure,” he said, his laughter winding down as he looked at the green pony. Book Binder cocked an eyebrow with an “oh really?” expression on her face. She harrumphed, then looked to her food as she began to eat once more. “You’re never going to see it coming baby boy. Momma Binder knows how to embarrass her little human, and this time I’m not going to hold anything back. You’ll see.” Elias wanted to snort and wave his hand dismissively, but he quickly realized that she had been very restrained with him thus far, save for a notable incident or two. She could quite literally do anything at all, and as he was now, Elias was in no state to ward the pony away. If anything, he might just accept it, and that had the potential of making him… ugh, like her motherly behavior. More than he already did at least. “Book Binder I’m sorry for laughing at you,” Elias said, trying to backpedal. The tone of his voice, having a bit too much panic and fear in it, had the effect of depressing the mood once more, and Book Binder realized that quickly as his face fell. She sighed, but smiled at him. “Don’t worry Elias, I’m not actually going to do anything too bad, just something that will surprise you. I promise, it’ll be something small, and I know that you’re going to love it.” “Can you at least give me a hint?” he asked as he smiled weakly at her. Book Binder clicked her tongue as she looked at his hair. “I’m thinking maybe a surprise haircut. I think I can convince somepony to knock you out long enough so that we can do something with that nasty mess of hair you have. I mean really Elias, I understand that you keep it clean and tie it back, but it’s far too long! It just doesn’t seem to suit you.” Elias took a moment to swallow his pride and his trepidation as he ran a thumb down his scar. “That wouldn’t be… terrible,” he replied. “Did you have a particular barber in mind?” Book Binder gasped softly, and her tail twitched with excitement. “Really?” she asked, her eyes gleaming. Elias scratched his scalp. “Sure, why not. I could stand for something small.” Book Binder gasped softly, and then she was on his shoulders, a brush in her magic as she ran it through his shoulder-length hair. “Oh, there are so many things we could do! It definitely needs to be shorter, but have you considered putting a streak of color in it? Maybe something bright and flashy, like a blue! It would go with your eyes, and then we could shave off that nasty beard of yours, and…” Elias groaned as he looked at Night Flash with exasperation. The pegasus grinned back. “Why do I even speak?” Elias grumbled. Night Flash shrugged. “I don’t know, but you made Bindey happy, so take it as a silver lining.” Elias grumbled something about ponies being too excitable over little things, then he brought his attention back to the ring around Night Flash’s neck. “So, what’s the ring for?” Elias asked. “It seems important, but I haven’t got the faintest idea what for.” Book Binder seemed to freeze momentarily, but her brushing quickly resumed, albeit with less excitement. Night Flash motioned for the unicorn to speak, so she did so slowly. “Elias before we start, I just want to ask you to wait until we’re done talking before making any decisions, alright? Please?” Elias’ eyes narrowed as he glanced back at the unicorn. Her words had put him instantly on guard, but Elias found that it took less of a mental effort than usual to trust her. The voices in his head were being unusually quiet. Elias mentally scowled and ignored their vacant presence. He didn’t need their help to make a good decision anyway. He nodded. “Alright Book Binder, I’ll wait, just… don’t drop any bombshells on me.” The unicorn let out a small breath as she relaxed. “Let’s start with the question you asked then Elias,” she said, dispelling the brush as she hopped from his shoulders, retying his ponytail as she sat back on the bench. She fiddled with her hooves nervously as she looked up at Elias with a cautious smile, then she gestured toward her horn, where Elias noticed a very similar silver band. “These, in pony culture, are rings that are typically exchanged when two ponies are engaged.” Elias blinked at her stupidly, then looked to Night Flash with wide eyes. The pegasus seemed to match Book Binder’s nervousness, but his smile was still strong as he waited for Elias to piece everything together. It didn’t take him long, but the shocked expression didn’t leave his face as he looked between them. “When…? I mean, I guess it was the logical conclusion, but when did you…?” Elias stuttered. He blinked as he tried to grab his frazzled thoughts from the empty space between his ears and connect them into coherence. “I, um… Congratulations?” he offered. “But, when did that happen? You’ve only been gone a couple of days.” Book Binder sighed happily as she stared affectionately at Night Flash. “It was positively romantic Elias,” she said, leaning against the human as she continued staring at her mate. “On the second night out, we were just coming back from patrol when Flashy popped the question, in front of everypony no less. The moon was out, it was just a bit chilly, and we were all sweaty and gross from running around all day, but I wouldn’t have changed a thing.” “So of course I said yes,” Book Binder continued. “Then Flashy took me back to our tent and we had a romantic dinner followed by cuddling.” She snorted. “Well, as romantic as hay rations can be anyway.” Elias looked to Night Flash, who still had a trace of nervousness in his eyes. “What inspired you?” Elias asked. “It took you months to read the signals that Book Binder loved you. How did you know now was the time?” Night Flash rubbed the back of his head. “It was the wedding actually. It put things into perspective for me. When you got carried away by the medical ponies, I started searching for Book Binder, worried sick that I would find… something bad.” Night Flash glanced at Book Binder with what looked like shame. “I shouldn’t have been worried, she’s as a good a fighter as I am, but I just kept running through the what ifs? What if she had gotten hurt and I hadn’t still tied the knot with her? She’s a once in a lifetime mare, and I realized that I was being stupid about the whole thing.” He shrugged. “I already had the rings made, so I took them with us and proposed.” “Well,” Elias said, “that’s great! I’m happy for the two of you. Did you already have an idea for when the wedding is going to be?” It seemed like the right kind of question to ask, and both Book Binder and Night Flash perked up at the question. “We were thinking about this summer or fall, maybe August?” Book Binder said. “It’s going to be a busy year. Our dream house is going to be available, and now we have a wedding to worry about, but I can’t wait for any of it!” Elias felt his happiness for the ponies drain from his body at the mention of the house. That meant they wouldn’t be around as much. They especially wouldn’t be sleeping with him anymore. Sure, it hadn’t stopped the night terrors, but he had taken comfort in having somebody beside him afterward. Now that was going to vanish, and only in a few short months. Book Binder sighed as she read his facial expression clearly. She rubbed his thigh lightly with her hoof as she encouraged him to look at her. When he met the unicorn’s eyes, she smiled. “This is why I wanted you to hold your thoughts until we were finished Elias, because when I said our, I meant it. The house will be perfect for all three of us, and while I know it’s a really big step, I want to invite you to join us when we buy it.” She sighed again as fear flashed across Elias’ eyes. “But it’s just that Elias, an invitation. I learned my lesson on Hearth’s Warming, and I won’t push you on this. Just think about it, okay? We still have a bit of time before we can sign the deed, and we won’t be leaving your side until then.” Elias swallowed roughly and nodded. “Okay,” he said softly. “I’ll think about it.” Book Binder nodded. She looked to Night Flash, then sighed a third time. “Elias there’s… also something else.” Elias matched her sigh, and motioned for her to continue as he rubbed at his brow to ward of the slowly approaching migraine. Taking a deep breath, Book Binder said it in one go. “Elias, we are having a party today with our parents to celebrate our engagement, and we’d both really like if you came with us.” Elias almost said yes immediately, if for no other reason than it would make the pony happy and potentially ward off the much more serious house discussion until he was in a better mental state. As his mouth opened however, his fingers ran across the thick band of chitin that ran down his face, and he sighed as his shoulders slumped. “If you were willing to wait until my glasses came in to cover up this,” he said gesturing at his bad eye, “then I would say yes. As I am now though? No, I don’t want to start a panic. Not with the invasion so fresh on everypony’s minds.” Book Binder clicked her tongue and sighed once more. “That… is a good reason I’m afraid to admit. I’m sorry Elias, I didn’t even think about that, and I can’t imagine how it’s been for you these past couple days.” The human tried to shrug it off. “The staring isn’t anything new, it’s just changed a little. I’m coping like I always have.” “That isn’t exactly comforting Elias,” Book Binder said, “but I understand completely. I’m going to leave a little early to go help my dad prepare dinner, but Night Flash won’t leave until later, so if you change your mind, he’ll take you to the party, okay?” Elias nodded silently, and he wrapped his arm around the mare, pulling her close once more as he stared with dead eyes at the table. “When are you leaving?” Elias asked quietly. “In an hour or two,” Book Binder replied. “Did you have anything you wanted to do in the meantime? We’re completely free.” Before he could answer, the cafeteria doors opened, and a Royal Guardspony made a beeline for their table. The mare flinched when she got close and was able to see the full extent of Elias’ bad eye. She recovered quickly however, and handed the human a letter. “Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna request your presence in the throne room immediately Guardsman. It’s urgent.” Elias only gave a cursory glance at the royal seal at the bottom of the letter, then he rolled it up and tucked it into his sword belt. He gave Book Binder a quick scratch behind the ears as he rose. “See you later then?” She nodded and smiled sadly. “Tonight at the latest Elias. I’ll make sure to save you something to eat.” He nodded and climbed around the bench, motioning for the guardspony to lead on. She did so silently, leading him away from the table. Elias gave Night Flash and Book Binder a wave as they walked through the cafeteria doors, and then they were on their way to the throne room. Elias quickly noticed that there were many more ponies in the halls. Tired looking guards staggered in the direction of the barracks, while the cleaning staff moved like a whirlwind around them, snatching up filthy pieces of armor that needed repair and cleaning. The more ponies they passed however, the more seemed to notice Elias and his bad eye. It surprised him when he noticed that while most of the ponies looked at him with the usual shock and horror, some gave him nods of respect and even admiration. It was a small comfort at least, and as they walked, Elias felt a small portion of his self-confidence return. He’d been acting like a wimp for the last few days, moping about as he was, so Elias did the next best thing to resolving his issues, he began to fake it. Elias straightened as he walked, and his chest puffed out slightly. Instead of staring at the floor as he walked, Elias stared ahead, doing his best not to flinch as the occasional pony gasped loud enough for him to hear. The doors to the throne room couldn’t come soon enough. His false front began to wither away as its maintenance sapped Elias’ energy. The doors were pulled swiftly open by a pair of Solar guards, and the Royal Guardspony motioned for Elias to enter. With only a moment’s hesitation, Elias did so, walking slowly as he took in the room. The normally empty throne room was packed with ponies, most of whom were wearing guard armor. Elias spotted a few familiar faces, with Palisade briefly poking his head up to give Elias a silent wave, but the human made no attempts to join any of the conversations. They talked with each other in quiet circles, and as Elias strode forward, their eyes quickly fell on him. While most gave him the standard mix of horrified gasps with the occasional look of respect, several ponies in odd white armor gave him death glares. Elias met their glares evenly, showing no emotion as he let his bad eye do the work of intimidation for him. The effect was immediate as the ponies flinched and looked away. For a moment, Elias realized that the scar may have just been a blessing in disguise, a new tool in his arsenal to use as he saw fit. He didn’t have long to ponder that thought however, because Celestia spotted the tall human from her throne and smiled widely as she raised her hooves to quiet the chatter in the room. “Gentleponies, we are all accounted for. Please, let us begin.” The clusters of ponies dissipated, forming into loose blocks. The white armored ponies pushed their way to the front, and Elias decided to remain near the side, leaning silently against a column as he tucked his thumbs into his sword belt. On the throne sat the two princesses, and as the room adjusted and fell silent, they cast about, with both pairs of eyes falling on him at the same time. Celestia smiled again. “Come Elias, to the front. We have much to discuss, and you are a very important member of that discussion.” All eyes turned toward the human, who could only blink dumbly back. He felt abnormally nervous, and it felt like everyone was judging his every action. Why that mattered to Elias, he didn’t know, but he did his best to shove the feeling aside as he pushed off the column, walking to the base of the throne. The ponies in white scowled at him as he fell in beside them, but they remained silent as Elias fell into a loose attention. He tried not to shuffle his feet nervously as he clasped his hands behind his back. He had a sour feeling in his gut, and from the looks that Luna was giving him, this meeting was not going to make his day any better. Celestia was all smiles however as she addressed the crowd of ponies. “I thank you all for being here on such short notice, I understand that everypony has been working hard after the failed invasion attempt, but my sister and I thought that now would be ideal to begin implementing some changes now that we have fully repelled the changelings!” A loud cheer went up from the ponies, making Elias flinch lightly. Why was he being so jumpy? His mind felt like it was teetering on the edge of an abyss, and he couldn’t figure out why. The feeling was sickening, and Elias had to blink rapidly to prevent the room from spinning. As the ponies quieted down, the sensation died down, but it didn’t go away. It stayed subtly at the center of his head, making him incredibly anxious. His only sense of relief came from the fact that nobody seemed to notice his sudden bout of paranoia. Celestia continued once the room was quiet once more. “Now, I know that you are all eager to hear the results of the Royal Assessment Training Exercise, but we have an important matter to attend to before doing so.” Elias felt his left eye twitch as she looked down at him with a wide smile. His eyes flicked over to Luna who was smiling as well, though her smile seemed a lot more comforting. She subtly motioned for him to remain calm as Celestia looked out to the crowd again. “As you all know, Queen Chrysalis and her hordes were defeated by Princess Cadence and Prince Armor, but we cannot, in good conscience, discount the valorous efforts of one of our own. This guard was solely responsible for defending Princess Luna from an attempted assassination attempt by the changelings, and is also responsible for escorting her to a safe location during the invasion, battling through waves of attackers as he risked life and limb for the safety of his princess, and for the safety of Equestria.” Elias took a deep breath as he resisted the urge to refute her words. There was nothing “sole” about it. Night Flash had been at his side the entire time, and if it weren’t for the efforts of several of the castle staff, they would have been swarmed in the hallways. However, Elias understood the need to make legends, and that would require a bit of embellishment. Though he doubted he fit the bill, a hero could inspire others to greatness, give them a goal to reach for, a role model to emulate. Elias was more than sure that Caesar had an army of advisors and confidants at his back, but nobody talked about them, just the man himself with all of his accomplishments. Elias just wished somebody else was in his position as Luna waved him forward. The blue alicorn met him at the base of the throne, her smile bright as Captain Nightshade handed her a small blue and gold medal in the shape of a crescent moon. Luna took the medal in her hooves, leaning close as she pinned it to his tunic over his heart. “I can tell by the look in your eyes that you think you do not deserve this Elias,” she whispered in his ear, intentionally fumbling the medal, giving her longer to speak. “I only ask that you wear it long enough to give it to Book Binder. She will take great pleasure in seeing your award, agreed?” Elias sighed lightly, and his breath ruffled the fur on her neck. “Fine Princess. I just did what I promised I would though, nothing more.” Luna took a step back, beaming widely. “Perhaps Guardsman, but I thank you regardless, and I apologize for what will come next. I had wanted this matter to remain private.” Elias tilted his head as she made an official proclamation in his honor, causing the ponies to cheer and stomp their hooves as he stood in numb silence. What did that mean? What comes next? Were they going to cast him out? Was it the rage he had entered when fighting the changelings? No, that couldn’t be it. They would have secreted him away quietly, with nobody being the wiser. No, this was something else, and Elias had a sinking feeling that it was much worse than being made to disappear. His eyes widened with realization as he looked around the room. It took him a second to make the connections, but it was there regardless. The ponies were largely made up of the prospective guard captains, most of whom who had acted as team captains during the RAT exercise. Though former Captain Armor was nowhere to be found, a glance to the left of the throne found Captain Chaser, and Captain Nightshade as she resumed her position furthest away from the steps. Both were watching Elias with carefully measured pride. The human blinked as he looked back to Luna, who would occasionally glance his direction, but would give him no further hints about what was to come. ‘They wouldn’t dare,' Elias thought, his mind beginning to panic. 'There’s no way in hell they could be that blind.' Celestia cleared her throat and spread her wings as she motioned for the room to quiet once again. She smiled widely out at the ponies. “On to business then. Unfortunately, while we appreciated the myriad of applications, as well as your stellar performance records, we could only select a few for the open captain positions. The rest of this meeting will be top secret, and only the highest level of our guards are beholden to the information we will discuss. As such, when your name is called, please make your way to the base of the throne. Once the reading has concluded, the rest of you are dismissed to continue your duties as usual.” The ponies to his back stared at Celestia hopefully as a list was levitated before her by her assistant. Excitement crackled in the air, but all Elias could do was pray that his name wasn’t on that list. The universe spit in his eye instantly, as his name was the first read. A grumble of shock rolled through the room, and Elias instinctively fell back onto a harder part of his mind, letting his posture stiffen as his lips curled downward in a hard frown. Since he was already before the throne, he didn’t move, instead straightening his back as he waited for the alicorn to continue. Celestia did so quickly, rattling off name after name as a colorful assortment of ponies strode forth. Though the list was only a dozen names, it seemed to take forever, with ponies glaring at him the whole while. Elias tuned them out, staring blankly at the wall behind Luna’s head. The blue alicorn refused to look at him, and that set his skin further on edge as time seemed to crawl by. Once Celestia finished, the list disappeared, and she smiled widely. “I thank all of you for your submissions, and should more positions become available in the future, those who were not named shall be on the short list for consideration. You are dismissed for the afternoon, and I, as well as all of Equestria, thank you for your service.” The ponies sharply saluted, then they began to filter out quietly, whispering and grumbling amongst themselves while the named ponies remained in place before the throne. Captain Nightshade and Captain Chaser fell in beside the ponies in white, and the doors closed, leaving the room suspended in complete, unnerving silence. Elias caught a quick glance that Luna gave him, and it drove a spike of fear in between his shoulder blades. Nothing good was going to come of this. “Gentleponies, I thank you for being here today," Celestia said, "and I must offer my congratulations. You have been selected from amongst the finest guards that Equestria has to offer, and today all of your hard work and devotion shall be rewarded.” All of the ponies seemed to straighten, any grimaces directed toward Elias forgotten as they perked up. Elias could only remain still, his mind paralyzed as his gut became weighed down by stones of fear. His poker face must have been excellent, because Celestia continued on without a second thought. “Before we distribute your new ranks and titles, I think it best to tell you why we are so rapidly expanding our guard forces.” Her assistant dragged a large chalkboard from behind the throne, on which was drawn a detailed map of Equestria, with areas as far west as Saddle Arabia. Elias hadn’t read much about the lands to the west save for the minotaurs, but he knew that the ponies of Saddle Arabia were fast allies of Equestria, and that they were in a near constant state of war or diplomacy to end war. It came with the territory of being the largest weapons manufacturer in the region, with three major cities at least that only produced machines of war. The rest of the state was largely agrarian like Equestria was, however, with much of the north of their nation purely consistent of farmers and simple tradesponies. “As you may know, this road,” Celestia said, motioning to a white line that ran through the minotaur lands, “is one of only two routes that we have connecting our kingdom with Saddle Arabia. The Badlands and the Frozen Glaciers to our north are impassable, while the roads to the south through Zebrica are off limits due to a series of nasty conflicts engulfing their lands.” The white alicorn sighed. “While we have already succeeded in attaining non-aggression pacts with the majority of the zebra tribes, we have also offered to act as diplomatic intermediators. Unfortunately, they seek to resolve their differences internally, and we have been declined by all who we have offered our services to. They have declared that any pony found within their borders will be detained as a spy, and with our current plans, marching an army through their lands would be an outright declaration of war.” “As such,” she continued, “we shall be conducting a march through the northern minotaur lands along the main tradeway. It is my hope that we will be unopposed, and if we are lucky, completely unnoticed. My sister has cautioned pragmatism however, and we will be expanding all of our guard forces in anticipation for the march.” A brown mare to Elias’ left raised her hoof. Celestia inclined her head. “Yes, Guardspony Twirl?” “Respectfully Princess, but why? Why can’t we use our usual methods to get to Saddle Arabia? You and Princess Luna could be there and back in a flash with teleportation.” Princess Celestia smiled. “Indeed we could under normal circumstances Guardspony, but that brings me to the second portion of this briefing. This is not a simple diplomatic mission, but one of magical intent.” She tapped the southern portion of the minotaur lands. “Recently, the minotaur clans have become agitated, and as such, there have been an increased number of attacks on our trade caravans on the main tradeway. We have tried diplomacy, but the clan chiefs will not listen, claiming that “weak ponies” have no idea what it means to be diplomatic.” Several of the ponies in white scoffed loudly, grumbling about “filthy brutes”, and “uneducated animals”. These grumbles went ignored as Celestia continued. “Since they are unwilling to relent in their attacks, my sister and I have decided to simply remove the problem, and that is the road itself.” She looked carefully down the row of ponies and the one human, meeting each of their eyes carefully. “This information cannot leave this room, and if any of you so much as breathe a word of it, you will be imprisoned until after the march is completed. All of your rights will be suspended, and you will remain in the dungeons. Is that clear?” Everyone nodded silently, their faces grim. Celestia took a deep breath. “Though you may not admit it, and I will not ask you to do so, some of you likely wondered why I, and my sister were unable to truly assist in the defense of Canterlot during the wedding.” That piqued Elias’ interest, and momentarily, the fear that had been hounding his mind vanished. He had been marred because of Luna’s inaction, and while he couldn’t find it within himself to blame the alicorn, he still wanted a reason why she hadn’t fought. They were supposed to be all-powerful beings after all. “Luna and I, since the beginning of the new year, have been conserving our magic,” Celestia explained. “The purpose of this march will be to establish a permanent, always functioning portal between Saddle Arabia, our client state, and Canterlot. To accomplish this task, we had two options.” She smiled grimly. “The first was an abhorrent practice, and I think that you could all agree that sacrificing three hundred unicorns for their magic would be a poor choice.” A weak chuckle passed through the ponies, but Elias could tell that some of them feared even the mention of such magic. “The second choice is much safer, but requires a great deal of personal sacrifice on the part of all the alicorns of Equestria,” Celestia continued. “Myself, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadence have already gone through the first two stages of the magical conservation, limiting our earth pony magic, as well as our pegasus magic to nothing. This has shown itself in the lack of ability to fly, as well as physical weakness.” That explained how he was so easily able to push Luna around when they had gotten to her hideaway. Elias caught a brief flash of anger from the blue alicorn as she looked at him, clearly thinking the same thing, but he could only shrug silently. His strategy had kept her safe and nobody had even died because of it. He wasn’t going to apologize for a bit of needed aggression. “As of the beginning of March, we have begun the final stage, conserving our largest well of energy, our unicorn magic,” Celestia said. “Common methods of magical transportation, such as teleportation will disrupt the storage of magic, rendering our efforts moot. Furthermore, chariots and balloons can not make the journey fast enough, and will have to at some point land, in which case we would be helpless. The safest method is an organized force of protection, by way of a military march.” She looked slightly ashamed as she continued. “Unfortunately, my actions at the wedding nearly sabotaged the efforts of the last few months, and only when I had begun attacking Chrysalis did I realize that I needed to rely on others to fight the battle. I let her magic overpower my own, and tasked the Elements to defeat the changelings. Luckily, Princess Cadence was able to tap into the ambient love magic between herself and Prince Armor, and they drove away the invasion without destroying our efforts. She has my sincerest thanks for that, and I have given her the freedom to take an extended honeymoon. Otherwise she would be with us today.” “At what point would you have stepped in?” Elias asked, his tone sharp. The words cut like a knife through the room, and Celestia seemed startled that somebody had spoken up. “I… am afraid I don’t understand,” Celestia said slowly, her shock clear in her tone. That only brought Elias’ anger higher. “Then allow me to clarify,” he said, his voice ringing with bitterness. “How many of your subjects, how many ponies had to end up dead in a ditch for you to step in and cast aside whatever this is.” He waved his hand at the chalkboard. “Because what I’m hearing is that you almost allowed an invasion in the heart of your kingdom, rather than sacrifice… what? A safer trade route?” Elias stared at her with disbelief. “I don’t know about you, but the stakes just don’t stack up in my eyes.” He raised his left hand. “In one hand you have the ponies that I imagine you love and care about.” He raised his right hand. “In the other you have a road that you don’t want to use anymore. Those don’t balance in my mind.” “It’s a bit more complex than that Guardsman,” Chaser cut in, his voice a bit short, but not yet angry. “The main tradeway with Saddle Arabia is plagued with cases of kidnappings, raids, murders, and that’s just what we know about. The minotaurs use the merchants that travel the road for ransoms, plundering their cargos.” The pegasus glanced toward Celestia, who nodded in agreement, motioning for the guard captain to continue. “We also believe that it is where the changeling’s were able to build their army for the invasion,” Chaser said, “We’ve had dozens of missing pony cases along that road, and we believe that Chrysalis and her minions have been swiping small caravans for their love. Some of our scouts have found abandoned cargos with no trace of the ponies who had been carrying them. We want that to stop, and this portal solves the issue. The next invasion might not even happen even we can choke off their supply of love.” Elias scowled, but silently relented the point. The logic was sound enough, if not the most effective method to solve the issue. He still wanted an answer about what point would have been enough for the princesses to jump in the fight. From the reports he had gotten his hands on, they had only survived by the skin of their teeth, accompanied by magical bullshit that shouldn’t have worked in the first place. Elias felt his eye twitch as he returned the glares of the ponies around him. Besides the two alicorns that were looking between each other nervously, only three ponies weren’t shooting him death glares, and they were the only three whose names he knew. The rest, however, didn’t know him personally, and Elias used his reputation, as well as his tall, powerful posture to cow them into looking away. The ponies occasionally glanced his direction, but not one dared to speak up against him. After she finished whispering with Luna, Celestia straightened, and she smiled widely. “Let us get back on track. I understand your concerns Elias, but rest assured, my sister and I had contingencies in place, even if Princess Cadence and Prince Armor hadn’t intervened.” Elias sighed, and shook his head, but motioned for her to continue. Words were meaningless, and until she showed him substantial evidence of a backup plan, he wouldn’t believe such a thing existed. No sense fighting about in public, however. Celestia sat up straight and continued as her assistant levitated a series of new, shining sets of armor, accompanied by a myriad of different plumes, in what Elias assumed were indicative of different ranks. The white-armored ponies made sure they were first in line, and while Elias couldn’t help but snort at their pettiness, he was surprised when even Nightshade and Chaser took armor from the racks. Promotions for everyone indeed, or at least, almost everyone. Elias let out a small breath of relief when he didn’t see anything human sized or shaped. Maybe he was just being included in this because he was a “hero”, though he suspected it was actually because he had value as a military advisor. Still, advisor he could do. The assistant, along with a trio of guards helped distribute the armor out to the ponies, who began to excitedly chatter amongst themselves while Celestia watch with a smile. “As of today, you have all been promoted, and you shall receive your permanent orders shortly. To make things simpler however, please stand in order by your branch.” She looked to the now golden clad ponies first. “Dukes Arrowheart, Shattered Shield, Lionheart, Dragon-eye, and Everfree, as well as Sir Orange Juice, you shall be the generals of the Solar Guard, and your captains shall be Brisk Day, and Solar Comet.” The pair of unicorns saluted the six new generals crisply, and Elias couldn’t help but shake his head in exasperation. He had no idea what plan would benefit from having six separate commanders of one force, but Elias imagined that if he was going to be advising, the Solar Guard was going to be the worst going by a long shot. As the golden clad ponies fell in line, Celestia continued. “General Chaser, I assume you have already selected your replacement, as well as your officers?” Celestia asked the black armored pony. The pegasus had only replaced his helmet, and even then, he was still holding it carefully on his back. He nodded briskly. “Indeed I have Princess. I will inform Royal Guardsponies Bloody Bandage and Ice Blossom of their promotions immediately following this meeting.” Celestia smiled and nodded. “Excellent. Luna?” The blue alicorn inclined her head toward her sister, and looked down at the blue armored ponies. “Nightshade, you and Starry Skies shall act as co-generals, and your captains shall be Palisade, Violet Blossom, Cinnamon Twirl, and Specter. I shall leave it to your discretion who is subordinate to whom.” The ponies nodded and saluted sharply before falling into line, chattering excitedly amongst themselves, save for Nightshade, who was regarding Elias with concern written clearly on her face. That didn’t bode well. Like any potentially hazardous situation, Elias regarded it all with a flat, almost bored stare. The emotion felt false, but maybe if he could broadcast enough confidence, he could get himself to believe it. As Luna turned to sit on her throne, Celestia regarded him with a smile. “Now, to become used to our new routines and procedures, our new captains are dismissed to go about their regularly scheduled duties. The rest of this meeting shall be between myself, my sister, and the generals. Thank you for attending everypony, I look forward to what we will accomplish together.” Elias bit his cheek as he resisted the urge to walk away with the captains. Despite her words, Celestia was still watching him, more than indicating he should stay in place. He didn’t like that at all, and he had to concentrate to avoid twitching in place. Energy was rising in his body as his mind started kicking into overdrive. Both voices returned, but only the one in the center was making sense. It wanted to run. It wanted to run, collect his gear, find Book Binder and Night Flash and make a break for it. The rear voice cautioned against that, but it couldn’t offer much else, as it was confused, desperately seeking out more information as Elias stood in place, doing his best not to panic. Clearly Elias was not the only one uncomfortable with his continued presence, because a red and brown unicorn stepped forward, frowning at Elias as he asked; “Princess if I may, why is the Guardsman still here? I understand completely awarding him for his valor, but will this not be a strategy meeting? Something beyond the Guardsman’s… capabilities?” Normally Elias would have snapped at such an insult, but he desperately wished the ponies words would buy him a ticket out of the throne room. He needed to be somewhere else. The shoe was about to drop, he could feel it in the air. Celestia shook her head, however. “Nay General Lionheart, Elias is exactly where he needs to be, especially given that what I have to say next involves him most crucially.” ‘Nononononono,’ Elias mentally whispered to himself. “Starting tomorrow, we shall begin a new recruitment campaign,” Celestia said as her assistant flipped the chalkboard. Elias felt his eye twitch as he saw the entry on the furthest right, under which his name sat. They hadn’t listened to a word that had come out of his mouth. Not a fucking word. “It is our hope to have an army of over ten thousand strong for this march,” Celestia continued, ignorant of Elias’ internal conflict. “These new guards will of course be trained, outfitted, and subordinate to all of you, who will act as the coordinators and leaders, should we face combat.” She continued speaking, and somewhere inside, Elias felt a part of his mind snap, crumbling away under the weight of the words he saw on that damned chalkboard. For a moment, rage climbed high in his mind, and his body shook with pent up aggression and hatred. His right hand reached for his sword belt. Instead of grasping the hilt of Feather, the hand drifted higher, meeting his left as it undid the pin of the medal stuck in his tunic. Elias ignored the glances he got as he repined the medal to his sword belt, then removed the familiar weight from his waist. Celestia only stopped talking when the leather bundle landed with a loud thud at her feet, startling her as Elias turned around and walked away. Cold, calculating calm swept over his mind, and Elias felt confident as he strode away from the throne, breathing deeply to maintain the state. He needed to leave before something much worse happened. He didn’t walk fast enough. “Elias!” Celestia called. “Where are you going? You have not yet been told what you will be doing.” What he would be doing. Funny phrasing that. Elias had a very good idea of “what he would be doing” very soon. He ignored the advice of both parts of his mind that insisted he keep walking on in silence. Elias half-turned as he stared at Celestia with his bad eye, a nasty twitch racing through his face as he smiled maniacally. “Oh?” he asked. “Then tell me Princess, because maybe my eyesight might be poor, because that,” he said, jabbing his finger like a dagger at the chalkboard, “looks like you want to me to not only command an army, but to build one from nothing. Am I wrong?” Celestia frowned and shook her head. “No, you are correct in your assumptions, but Elias, I had been made to believe that you were growing more comfortable with your past, and that having something to work towards might further improve your mental stability. I must say that I am rather surprised you are not happier about this, is it not something you desire?” Elias couldn’t help himself. He laughed. Madly. He turned away, covering his mouth as he tried to prevent it, but the low chuckle escaped anyway, and it quickly rose in volume as his chest was racked with sadistic laughter. He clutched his stomach, aching with the pain of his wounds as he tried to calm himself down. It didn’t work. The voices in his head provided no guidance. They were panicking as much as he was. Still, his cackling had to wind down sometime, and Elias had to wipe a tear from his eye as he stared at Celestia shaking his head, a mad grin still on his face. “I do hope that was a joke Princess, because if it was anything else, you are going to be very glad I gave you my sword.” He paused for a moment, then snorted and chuckled. “I’m going to leave now. I think that’s the smart thing to do. I think I’ll go somewhere quiet to cool off, and I suggest that nobody follow me.” Luna decided not to listen to what Elias thought was a coherent, intelligent statement. “Elias, please, let us explain-…” “Shut up!” Elias snapped, the grin disappearing. Luan flinched back, as did all of the ponies, save for Celestia, whose smile disappeared. She frowned heavily at Elias, but he couldn’t care less as he glared at Luna. “You don’t get to speak my name anymore,” Elias snarled. “She,” he said, jabbing a finger at Celestia, “said that she was “made to believe” that I was getting better, that this farce was something that I wanted, and there are only a few people that I know that would be able to tell her something like that, a lie though it may be.” “It isn’t a lie Elias,” Luna pleaded. “Please, have you not improved? Do you not feel like you were in a better place than before?” “No!” Elias shouted back. “Because how much of it is true? Has this been your goal the entire time?” Elias flinched under his own words, and his anger momentarily dissipated. Had this been her plan? Was it a lie? His mind flashed back through not only her actions, but those of everyone around him. His eye twitched as he tried to deny what was sitting before his eyes. “Has it?” he asked her softly, praying that he was wrong. Elias could tell from a glance that he was right. Luna had tears in her eyes, and she was shaking her head, but that wasn’t a no. It was just denial of the fact that he had exposed the truth. Elias felt a part of his heart die, and the voice at the back of his head vanished, beaten into a cage by the weight of the revelation. Still, Elias clung to a shred of hope. He needed to hear it. “How much?” he asked, his voice rising. “How much of it was a lie to get me here?” Nobody answered him, they only stared. Elias swallowed roughly and looked toward the stained-glass windows. He roughly ran his hand down his beard, trying to piece his words together through the wave of anger that was rising in his mind. “If nobody else is going to do it, then I guess I have to,” Elias said. “Let’s start with the obvious I guess. The citizenship; that wasn’t supposed to “make me closer” with ponies, that was to appease some law so that I could hold the position of general, right?” Luna opened her mouth, no doubt to deny his words, but Elias continued anyway, cutting her off. “The exercise, Palisade was put in that position, not because you wanted him to learn something about being a leader, but to make me comfortable with the idea of leading, right?” Elias’ fingernails bit in his palms as he struggled to keep his arms at his side. His body quivered with barely contained anger. “How much more?” he asked, looking to Luna. “What else was a lie? Did you actually save my life? Or was that some sort of deception to make me feel indebted to you? Do I actually have any friends? Any family?” The accusation cut at his heart even as he made it. “Or were they all just agents, feeding me a steady stream of lies that made me comfortable with myself again, hm? HOW MUCH OF MY FUCKING LIFE, IS A GOD DAMNED LIE?!?” His roar provoked a reaction. Luna whimpered and flinched away, hiding behind Celestia as the elder alicorn spread her wings wide. Chaser leapt in front of the throne, his wingblades extended, and after a moment of hesitation, Nightshade did as well. Elias imagined that if he was armed, they would fight, but he was lucky enough to have the foresight to get rid of his sword belt. Either way, it didn’t matter. He was spent. His anger vanished into the air as Elias found that he was no longer able to sustain the level of rage he would need to keep going, not against the ponies at least. Their deception had been perfect, and he couldn’t find it within himself, no matter how angry he was, to raise a hand against them, not in serious combat. They made him weak, and so any fight he had left in his body vanished as he rocked in place, holding back the tears of pain that threatened to spill forth. Elias took a shaky breath as he continued. “I thought…” He snorted weakly and shook his head. “I don’t know what I thought, or maybe I didn’t think at all.” He looked up, finding Luna staring out at him with pain in her eyes. “I have to say, you did an excellent job. I really believed what you were telling me. I thought, just for a heartbeat, that I could be something more. That maybe, just maybe I had a chance to be something other than a fucking killer.” Elias ran both of his hands through his hair as his eyes fell to the floor. “But I guess not. It doesn’t matter though, so congratulations, because I won’t strike out against you. You did a damn good job of neutering me. Like a stray dog,” he finished his voice containing nothing. He snorted once as he turned around, walking toward the doors. “I’m leaving. Don’t expect me back, and don’t you dare follow me.” Elias mustered enough anger to slam through the doors, and then he took off at a run, desperate for a place of sanctuary. He needed to be alone. ***** Luna felt her heart shatter into pieces as the human left her throne room. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. She knew the words to say to reassure him, but his anger, it had caused her to freeze. His eyes had betrayed what he was hiding beneath that desperate façade that had fooled everyone else. He was terrified. He was terrified, and she had done nothing to ease his fears. She hadn’t put the pieces together, but when he explained it… He was right. It was all a set up. He had been pushed down a road that led him here, the last place he wanted to end up, and now he believed that every step along the way had been carefully orchestrated to make him a leader again. Celestia sighed as she dropped her wings. “Gentleponies, please excuse my sister and I, but we shall postpone this meeting until a later time. That… did not go as intended. Please, there is a reception awaiting all of you in the royal dining room. Enjoy your fill and the evening off, I shall send you letters when we require your presence once more. General Chaser, please stay for a moment.” Luna sniffled, rubbing at her eyes as she tried to muster up her normal princess demeanor. “And you as well General Nightshade.” The two had matching frowns on their faces, though Nightshade would occasionally cast a glance behind her at the closed throne room doors. The other ponies filtered out, whispering amongst themselves, no doubt about what had just transpired. Luna reached out with her hoof, dragging Elias’ sword belt to rest before her. She had almost never seen the human without it, and the fact that he had given it away willingly chilled her to the core. It implied that he was done with her completely, and Luna found that she was terrified at that implication. She tucked the belt under her wing, pressing it tight against her chest as she mentally promised herself that by the end of the day, Elias would have the blade back. Once the throne room was empty save for the four of them, Celestia shook her head. “I do not understand, all of the signs seemed to indicate that Elias was growing more comfortable with his past, and yet his reaction seemed more akin to the way he was when we found him. Paranoid, angry, bitter. I cannot fathom what has been going on within that head of his.” Luna sighed, briefly taking a moment to catch a bit of the human’s scent from his leather belt. It was a bit sweatier than his hair had been, but it was more than enough to brighten her mood. “Nay sister, it is almost the opposite in fact. Elias had grown increasingly secretive, even with his friends, and I am afraid that we have just shattered whatever progress he made within an afternoon.” She looked to Celestia, who was eyeing her with sympathy. “Luna, I am sorry for the things he said. He might have been angry, but he had no right to accuse you like he did.” Luna shrugged as she let her face become a mask. “Perhaps not, sister, but as I think on his words, I find that I can understand where he is coming from. Is there any merit to the accusation that his citizenship was merely to make him qualify to be a general?” Celestia nodded, and looked away in shame. “It was, but I meant it when I said I wanted him to be closer with our ponies! It satisfied both needs in one fell swoop.” Luna sighed. “Perhaps, but that one grain of truth is enough to make the rest of his accusations seem true as well, untrue though they may be. The rest was simply… coincidence.” She frowned as she stood, taking her time climbing down the stairs of the throne. “I made Palisade team captain again in the hopes that he would learn the value of advisors, since that would be the role he would assume under General Nightshade. Elias made an excellent role model for this, and in truth, I am glad that the captains were dismissed before this fiasco. If we can comfort Elias, then Palisade’s role model will stand, and he will serve well.” She motioned for Nightshade to follow her as she made for the throne room doors. Celestia’s voice stopped her, however. “Luna, where are you going? “To fix my mistakes ‘Tia,” Luna replied calmly. “I have been a fool to think he was ready for a burden such as this. I have watched him night and day, and I saw every sign that said he wouldn’t want this, would never want this. I have not discovered the whole story, but I know enough to know that giving him a family, giving him friends, only made this offer worse. He is terrified of losing everything, and the wedding made that a frightening reality.” She scoffed and shook her head. “And I am a doubly damned fool for springing this on him now. His adoptive parents only returned today, and he has had no time to take comfort in his emotional rocks. I have taken a cracked man and broken him. Elias is scared, angry, and if we do not help him now, he will run. I will not allow that. I…” She paused, a slip of the tongue away from making an irreversible confession. “He is my guard, and therefore my responsibility, and despite what he may believe, he is my friend. I will not leave Elias in his time of need.” She didn’t wait for a reply as Nightshade opened the doors before her. Once through, they walked at a brisk trot, with Nightshade combing the hallways as they passed. “What’s the plan Princess?” Nightshade asked. “Do we need to put an alert out for Elias?” Luna shook her head. “No, that will only make him run. You and I, and perhaps Doctor Scalpel shall search for him. Anypony else will not know how to handle Elias, especially not in the emotional state the human is in now.” “What about Night Flash and Book Binder?” Nightshade pointed out. “They know Elias better than anyone.” Luna sighed. “I wish to involve them, but Elias believes he’s been living a lie. He may lash out at them, and they have already had an incident like that once. I would rather they not repeat it.” > Chapter 30: Acta Non Verba > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Entry Day 1200 Fucking cowards, stabbed in the back, literall- Journal Entry Day 1440 Those sons of bitches, I’ll kill them, kill them a- Journal Entry Day 2450 They’re gone… I’ll kill him for this. Tristan, your head is going to be on a fucking pike for th- Elias shouted with frustration as he threw his journals against the wall. The useless bricks of paper gave him no insight, no method to protect himself against a betrayal of the heart. The lies he had been told… What should he do? He had been betrayed before, for many reasons, but this? This wasn’t about food, or safety, or too much aggression, this was something else. The ponies had fed him the belief that not only could he be like them, but that he already was. He made friends, he had a family, he was a citizen of Equestria. All a lie, a web of falsehoods to make him a killing machine under a different ruler. It could be considered a joke if it didn’t hurt so damn much. “Red?” That voice, one of three that could destroy him with a breath. That damned pony. Elias didn’t dare look toward the doorway where Night Flash was standing, likely looking at the devastated room with concern. He just stared at the wall, his face twisted with a hundred different emotions as they ran through his devastated mind. He didn’t want to confront this so soon. He wasn’t ready. He’d never be ready. He couldn’t do this. But he had to as Night Flash cautiously walked forward. Though his steps were soft on the carpet, Elias felt each one as the pony moved closer. It took him three steps for Elias to work up the courage to spin around, using his anger like a hammer to batter his emotions into place. He almost broke down anyway when he saw Night Flash’s eyes, so bright and happy, but so filled with concern. Elias raised a fist in anger to drive away the pony any way he could, but as the pegasus watched him, completely open and trusting, he couldn’t do it. The princesses were at fault, probably Nightshade and Chaser as well, but not Flash. He couldn’t admit that to himself. Elias fell to his knees and covered his face with his hands as he sobbed. He couldn’t do this. It was so much worse than before. Every old wound, ripped open along with a host of new ones. It was the death of his soul by a thousand cuts, and Elias felt every second of it. The agony was overwhelming, and Elias couldn’t find a single part of his mind that could process the pain. ***** Night Flash could only watch with a pained heart as his friend, his son, dropped to his knees and cried. Even in the seconds that Night Flash had seen Red’s face, he could tell that something bad had happened, something that broke Red’s already fragile heart. The man put on a brave face, one that even Book Binder sometimes had difficulty seeing through, but Night Flash always saw the pain. Today had been a low, and Night Flash imagined that if he and Book Binder hadn’t come home, the human would have been in a bad place. Apparently even that wasn’t enough, because pain had found him anyway, and now Night Flash had to step in to fix his poor little human. It took him seconds to wrap his hooves and wings around the sobbing human, pulling him close as the man cried into his chest fur. Night Flash didn’t say anything, didn’t even try to coddle Elias like Book Binder usually did. Instead he just waited, petting Red’s back softly with a hoof while he held him in place, sheltering the shattered man from the world that always seemed to hurt him. It didn't take him long to work up the anger to attempt to drive Night Flash away, and Red pushed hard to try to make Night Flash let go. “Go away Night Flash,” Red cried, doing his best to sound angry, but sounding sad instead. “The game is over. I know that it’s all a lie. You don’t need to pretend anymore.” Red managed to pull away just enough for Night Flash to smack him upside the head, then the pegasus roughly hugged him down once more. “I don’t know what’s happened Red, but nothing about our relationship is pretend,” Night Flash snarled. “Don’t you dare let Book Binder catch you saying something like that, and in fact, I don’t want to hear that sort of talk either, am I understood?” Night Flash had to suppress a giggle as Red snorted into his ticklish fluff, so he let the human get a bit of breathing room. He looked shamed, but better. The tears were beginning to dry as he stared at the floor, so Night Flash flipped over, sliding under Red’s eyes as he smiled brightly, sticking his tongue out at the human. It brought out the tiniest smile that Flash had ever seen, but it was enough. Red sighed and scooped Night Flash up, hugging him tightly. “I’m sorry Flash, I just… I’m sorry.” Night Flash rubbed his cheek against Red’s neck. “It’s fine Red, I don’t need to know what happened to get you like this, not yet at least.” Red sighed and shook his head. “No. That could have gone badly if you were any less of a great pony, and you deserve an explanation.” Night Flash nuzzled the man’s cheek. “Mhm, tomorrow Red. It’s going to hurt you too much to stew on it now.” He sighed and looked up at Elias’ mismatched eyes. “I know you said you didn’t want to, but could you please come to our little party? It’s just family, and I don’t want to leave you here alone. Please?” For a moment, Night Flash thought that Red might still say no, but then a sad glint passed over his human’s eyes, and the man nodded. “Okay Flash, just… can you stay close? I need someone by my side right now.” Night Flash nodded once and rolled over, rubbing against Red’s hip as the man got to his feet. The man looked around the torn apart room and sighed. That wouldn’t do. He needed to keep Red distracted, at least until he got Book Binder to start helping out. Together, they could help the human through whatever was plaguing him. Night Flash used his wing to scoot Red toward the open door, and when the human tried to protest, Night Flash pushed him harder. It took him a bit of effort, but Night Flash not only got Red in the hallway, but he managed to close the broken door behind him as well. Red didn’t have his sword belt, something that looked odd for the human, but without it, he had no keys, so he had kicked the door in. Night Flash did his best to draw Red’s eyes away from the broken door jamb, and when the physical effort wasn’t enough to distract the human, Night Flash turned to one of the few subject matters that he had absolute expertise on. The Wonderbolts! ***** Every step was agony for Elias as they moved through the Canterlot streets. A minuscule part of his mind had taken solace in Night Flash’s stern comforting, but doubt reigned supreme, and Elias couldn’t help but feel every single stare at his bad eye. Whispers that should have meant nothing to him cut like daggers, and he couldn’t drive them away. His normal defenses had been torn apart, and he felt exposed, especially without a single means to defend himself. Without his sword belt, Elias felt completely vulnerable. For the first time in years he felt helpless, dependent on somebody else, somebody who happened to be a fluffy blue pegasus who was all smiles as he chattered away happily. Elias could tell that the loud, happy energy was only for his sake, so he did his best to listen and stay involved with Night Flash, but happy words could only do so much, and Elias kept falling into awkward silences as they walked. Luckily for them, the townhouse wasn’t too far from the castle, and it only took them a few minutes to walk there. As Night Flash approached the door, Elias instantly realized that he would only barely fit. It was clearly built with normal ponies in mind, and the doorway was shorter than the alicorn designed castle doorways. Elias slouched to avoid smacking his head on the frame. Then, he was forced to squeeze past Night Flash as the pegasus pushed the door closed. The entryway could probably fit two to three slimmer ponies in it comfortably, but with his relatively wide shoulders, Elias made it a tight fit. He didn’t complain however; it kept Night Flash good and close, and right now, Elias needed the physical contact he was coming to rely heavily on. “Bindey! We’re here!” Night Flash called as the door slipped shut with a click. “We’re in the kitchen!” Book Binder called in return. “Give me just a second, and I’ll be right out!” Elias heard a series of hushed whispers, and his paranoia flared high. His bad eye twitched with nervousness, and his body grew instantly tense. Flash noticed and rubbed against his side, making no attempt to push past. “Don’t worry Red,” he said quietly. “I’ve got your back, no matter what.” Elias nodded numbly and took comfort in scratching Night Flash’s ears. The pony smiled and pressed closer. Book Binder’s head poked around the corner to the kitchen, and her already bright smile widened when she spotted Elias. She quickly sped into the entryway, wrapping Elias in a firm hug as she squealed with joy. Elias couldn’t help but flinch at the sudden contact as his mind tried to make sense of the information it was taking in in comparison to the revelations in the throne room. Book Binder noticed immediately, and she looked at him with concerned eyes. “Elias? What’s wrong baby?” she asked quietly. “Do you not want to be here? I won’t hold it against you if you need to leave.” Elias felt a flash of panic, and his arms quickly wrapped around the pony and dragged her closer. “No! No.” He pressed his chin into her mane. “I just got some very bad news is all. I’m fine. I just… I don’t want to intrude.” Book Binder scoffed. “Nonsense, even if you weren’t my baby boy, you are the best friend I have that isn’t my fiancé.” She nuzzled his neck, her horn poking him in the beard. “Besides, technically speaking, you are the only reason Night Flash and I are getting married, so I dare anypony to say you don’t belong here.” Book Binder pulled back from the hug, her smile cautious. “Are you sure you want to be here though Elias? You look… rattled. It must have been some very bad news.” Elias swallowed roughly and nodded. “It was, is.” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “But it doesn’t matter right now, and we’ll talk about it later. You two… I have both of you at my side, and right now, that’s all I need.” He awkwardly ran a hand through his hair. “If you’ll have me of course.” Book Binder rolled her eyes, lighting up her horn. Unlike the castle however, the townhouse was cramped, so when Elias floated up, his head slammed into the ceiling, drawing a grunt from the man. Book Binder gasped, and her magic cut out, dropping Elias right on top of Night Flash. The two quickly became a tangled mess, with each trying to stand to get out of the other’s way. They accidentally headbutted each other, and as they grunted and clutched at their aching foreheads, they made eye contact. They grinned at each other, then laughed. Book Binder flushed red as they both playfully mocked her. “That’s all yours Flash,” Elias said with a grin as he unwrapped his leg from one of Night Flash’s wings. “You’re going to have to watch the kids in case she starts trying to juggle them.” Night Flash stuck his tongue out at Elias as he got the other wing free and got to his feet. “You’re one of those kids she’s trying to juggle Elias. Maybe you should try not to make her worry so much.” “No promises,” Elias snorted in reply. Book Binder rolled up a pair of newspapers with her magic and began swatting at the two, who continued laughing at her expense. She was smiling widely however, and as each hit connected, Elias couldn’t feel any real force behind the swings, just enough to make the presence of the newspapers known. Night Flash winked at Elias, then he dove underneath one of the swipes aimed for his head. The pegasus quickly pounced on Book Binder, pinning the unicorn down to deliver a smattering of kisses along her muzzle. As she giggled and squealed happily, Elias couldn’t help but feel the need to look away, slightly embarrassed by the very public display of romantic affection. Still, the sound of Book Binder happily reprimanding Night Flash for jumping on her made him smile and helped to keep the rest of the world at bay as he settled into a calming rut. Everything else was terrible, and Elias found himself surrounded by manipulative liars, but not these two. They were innocent, and they genuinely wanted him for him, and nothing else. It was enough for the moment. It had to be. The sound of the laughter, coupled with Book Binder’s loud scolding’s drew attention, and a purple unicorn mare poked her head around the corner, curiosity written on her face. She smiled lightly when she saw Book Binder flip Night Flash over, ticking the pegasus’ belly, and causing him to giggle. Her eyes then drifted past the pair to where Elias was waiting silently. She gasped softly, and disappeared back into the kitchen, where hushed whispering quickly began to flow forth once more. The sound made Elias nervous, and he instinctively moved backward, his left hand reaching for the doorknob. Night Flash was at his side in an instant, hugging Elias tightly as he looked up with pleading eyes. “Please Red, don’t go yet. Give our parents a chance.” “Book Binder,” a voice, distinctively female, called from the kitchen, “could you please come here for a moment?” The green unicorn looked like she desperately wanted to make sure Elias wouldn’t bolt, but Night Flash shooed her on as he gently pulled Elias by the hand toward a living room. The pegasus didn’t say anything as he sat them down on a small, yet plush couch. To calm himself down, Elias investigated his surroundings, his thumb subconsciously rubbing the callouses on his hands. The walls were painted a very pale blue, and were covered in an assortment of family pictures, as well as a few paintings. On the far wall was a large, white marble fireplace, in which crackled a small fire. On either side of it was a pair of bookcases, filled to the bursting with tomes and novels. What drew Elias’ eye the most was the large family portrait above the fireplace. He gave Night Flash a quick scratch behind the ears before he stood, walking slowly over to the picture so that he could get a better look at it. It surprised him that both of Night Flash’s and Book Binder’s families were in the detailed painting. The pegasus sat with his wings around an abashed pair of younger siblings. The pegasus looked exactly like Night Flash, though he wore his hair slightly different. The unicorn seemed almost out of place, and if her eyes hadn’t been the same as her brothers and father, Elias would have thought she was adopted. Her coat was a snow white, and she was clearly the youngest of the three, coming to only halfway up Night Flash’s puffed out chest. Behind the trio stood who Elias assumed were mom and dad, a unicorn and pegasus respectively, both beaming with pride as they stood tall behind their children. Next to them, almost pressed together was Book Binder’s much smaller family. She was clearly an only child, but she looked no less happy as she sat, prim and pristine with her mother and father, a pair of unicorns, at her back. They seemed as ecstatic as she was, likely even more so when the painting was made. It probably functioned to cement the future of the two families. “Like it?” Night Flash asked, standing at Elias’ side as he stared up at the painting. “It’s very detailed,” Elias replied with a nod, crossing his arms over his chest. He leaned closer, squinting as he looked at the level of detail the painter had accomplished. He had to say, he was impressed. It was almost like a photograph. “He got the fur right and everything, I can’t imagine how much this cost.” Night Flash snorted and waved a hoof. “It was worth it. Mrs. Breeze and Mr. Shard took care of the cost. I was just surprised that I could get Shooting Star to sit still. That pony has a lot of energy.” Elias pointed at the slightly smaller pegasus wrapped in Night Flash’s wings. “I’m assuming that’s him?” Night Flash smiled brightly at Elias. “Yep! My little bro. I’ve taught him everything he knows about flying!” “And about fighting!” a second Night Flash said. Elias half-turned in time to see Night Flash’s nearly identical brother crash into him, sending the older pegasus sprawling. It quickly turned into a scuffle as Elias watched Night Flash hold back, doing his best only to pin his younger brother, rather than strike him. It took a few minutes of flapping, mock growling, and more than one pegasus hitting the chairs and couches scattered about the room, but Night Flash eventually pinned his younger brother with a grin, plucking out a feather to begin tickling the pony’s belly. Shooting Star gasped and tried to squirm away. “Come on Flash,” he begged as the feather slowly lowered. “I don’t want to look like a wimp in front of your cool guard friend!” Night Flash glanced at Elias, the feather dangling from his teeth. In his moment of distraction, Shooting Star wiggled free by slapping Flash in the face with his wings. As Night Flash reared away from the sudden attack, the younger pegasus rolled to his feet and stuck his tongue out. “Ha! Now I can reveal all of your dorky secrets!” Shooting Star exclaimed. Night Flash growled and pounced, attempting to grab the pegasus again. Shooting Star shot out of the way however, bouncing onto the couch as he smiled widely at Elias. “He has the whole Wonderbolts card collection you know,” Shooting Star said as his eyes darted between Elias and his brother. Night Flash pounced again, this time only a hair away from grabbing Shooting Star as the pegasus flapped across the room, landing in an armchair. “Autographed too!” Shooting Star wiggled his butt and flapped out of the way of Night Flash, landing back on the floor. “He’s very proud, and he shows everypony who comes by!” Shooting Star made to leap away again, but his hooves were quickly glued to the carpet by a familiar green aura. He let out a yelp of panic as Night Flash bowled him over, feather still in his teeth. The younger pegasus began to beg for mercy again, but this time Night Flash didn’t listen, instead skipping straight to rendering his younger brother in a laughing mess. Elias glanced over to Book Binder, who was smiling warmly at him. Elias couldn’t help but take comfort in that smile, so kind and caring, especially for somebody who didn’t deserve it. Whatever tension he had managed to release by watching the brothers squabble immediately reoccupied his body as his eyes drifted to the floor at the nasty thought. Book Binder let out a gentle sigh, and she walked around the two wrestling balls of fluff on the floor, gently grabbing Elias’ hand with her magic. “Come on Elias, I know that look, and I know just the pony you need to meet to make it go away.” She didn’t give him the opportunity to protest as she dragged him out of the living room and into the kitchen, where five ponies were waiting. Elias felt his left eye twitch when all of their eyes fell on him as Book Binder led him in. As if taken directly from the painting, Book Binder and Night Flash’s parents stared at him with mixed emotions. Elias could easily identify who was who. Night Flash’s parents looked like separated out versions of their son. Flash’s mom matched his fur color perfectly, and she was giving Elias the nastiest glare. Next to her was a grey pegasus that looked just like Night Flash in every way save for his coloration. Even the eyes matched, which was downright fascinating. He too was glaring at Elias, his muzzle set in a hard frown. In his lap sat a small white unicorn, who stared at Elias’ bad eye with fear, shivering and cuddling tight against her father’s chest. Book Binder’s parents were a completely different story. Book Binder’s mom, a light purple unicorn, was staring at Elias in what could only be described as awe. A familiar twinkle sat in the mare’s eyes, and if Elias didn’t know better, he would think that the pony was about to try to pounce on him. Her father, a remarkably familiar pony, had the same look, his rump wiggling ever so slightly in his chair. “Is this him?” Book Binder’s mom asked softly. Book Binder’s dad nodded once. “Yup, it sure is.” The light purple unicorn nodded slowly, then looked at Book Binder, who dipped around Elias to stand next to her parents, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “Book Binder, is this the guard you told us so much about?” her mom asked sweetly. Book Binder smiled at Elias and nodded once like her father. “Yup, he sure is.” The light purple unicorn smiled widely. “Have you already shown him how we introduce ourselves in this family?” Book Binder clicked her tongue and nodded again. “Of course I did. In fact, Elias loves it so much that we do it every day.” Her mother’s pupils dilated, and she tensed up, wiggling her rump aggressively in the air. “Excellent.” As a unit, all three ponies leaped at Elias, driving him to the ground in a perfectly coordinated ball of fluff as all three began aggressively snuggling his face. Learning from the lessons of his past, Elias wisely kept his mouth shut to avoid inhaling the copious amounts of fluff that covered the trio. He waited patiently for the ponies to get it out of their system, but when the affectionate creatures didn’t stop after a hundred count, Elias set to work removing them. Their numbers worked in their favor unfortunately. Still, he wouldn’t go down without a fight, and he managed to get his right arm free, curling it around the bright blue unicorn hugging his chest tightly. A few scratches later and the pony’s grip loosened as the stallion purred like a cat, leaning into Elias’ hand. Elias was smart enough to keep the scratching fingers always just out of reach, drawing the pony away as he kept trying to lean into the scratches. With the breathing room afforded him by the departure of one of the ponies, Elias was able to wriggle his left hand free. The limb set about the same plan as his right one had, and he drew Book Binder’s mother away with the promises of ear scratches. That left one, and she was staring at him with an arrogant grin. “You may have defeated my parent’s snuggles Elias,” Book Binder said with a smile, “but I am wise to your ways, and while I enjoy them, your ear scratches will not be enough.” Elias smiled right back. “Maybe, but you seem to forget that we have an audience. Night Flash stopped wrestling his brother less than a minute ago, and he never misses out on snuggling.” Book Binder looked up in confusion, then her eyes widened as she beheld a quivering Night Flash, his tail lashing back and forth as he eyed the two cooing ponies to Elias’ left and right. Book Binder held up her hooves in mock defense. “Now Flashy, think about this, we can snuggle him together! Isn’t that better for everypon-…” She didn’t get to finish as Night Flash let loose all of his energy, too much in fact, which was precisely what Elias was counting on. The force of his loving tackle drove Book Binder off of Elias’ chest, and the human grinned in satisfaction as he ceased his scratching distractions and got to his feet. He immediately heard protests from Book Binder’s parents, but Elias ignored them as he brushed himself off, looking with a smile at the flailing Book Binder, who was being aggressively snuggled by a very happy Night Flash. The pegasus rubbed himself on every part of her body before settling on top of her, laying his muzzle in her mane. The unicorn managed to throw a glare at Elias, who crossed his arms and grinned. “Not so nice on the receiving end, is it?” Book Binder scoffed at him and wrapped her hooves around Night Flash, hugging him tightly. “It is absolutely wonderful Elias, and don’t pretend for a second that you don’t like snuggles. They made you smile, didn’t they?” Elias sighed, but nodded in agreement. Her noticing his smile seemed to drive it away, though Elias did his best to force a grin. Nobody else noticed save for Book Binder, who gently tapped Night Flash. The pegasus gave her one more last squeeze before climbing off, helping her to her feet. Standing side by side, she smiled brightly, then looked around the kitchen. “This is everypony, so let’s do introductions!” Book Binder pointed first to her parents. “Those two fuzzy ponies are my parents, Velvet Breeze, and Ice Shard, who apparently you’ve already met.” Elias nodded and looked at the bright blue unicorn. “We did, not under the best circumstances though.” Elias scratched his nose. “I don’t mean to seem rude, but I kind of figured you might have been somewhat angry with me for leaving you in a room full of changelings.” Ice Shard scoffed and waved his hoof. “Nonsense, I saw how you were fighting! You were quite literally thrown out the window. Heck, if you hadn’t been, I would imagine you would have stayed up there while Princess Luna and the rest of our little group got away.” The unicorn looked to his wife. “Velvet you should have seen it! Night Flash and I were fighting a hallway packed full of changelings, and this fine young guard comes barreling in, telling us to save the princess while he fought them all by himself! There must have been over fifty of the nasty little creatures!” Book Binder gritted her teeth in a forced smile and glared at Elias. “Really?” she asked, her tone clearly angry. “I had no idea that ever happened.” Elias chuckled. He was already going to be in a hole with the mare, what was digging a little deeper? “It was much worse when we got to Princess Luna’s escape route. I locked her and Night Flash inside and faced off a changeling captain and his little attack force with a broken leg and more than a few stab wounds. It’s how I got this lovely thing,” he said, tapping his scar. Elias watched Book Binder twitch with furious energy, but Shooting Star leaped in front of her, flapping in front of Elias’ eyes as he gushed. “That’s so cool!” he crowed. “Did you win? What did the changeling captain look like? Was he just like the rest of them? Can you read minds? Does your eye hurt?” The pegasus yelped as he was yanked backward cruelly by his tail. His mother wrapped her hooves around him and immediately began brushing his mane, causing the young stallion to squirm. “Mom! You’re embarrassing me!” Shooting Star complained loudly. “Hush,” his mother replied. “I already warned you once today about flapping in the house, and I don’t think you want me to notice that you and Night Flash were wrestling again, now do you?” Shooting Star’s mouth clamped closed and he crossed his hooves irritably as he let his mother brush his hair. The unicorn looked at Elias cautiously. “I’m Moonlit Night. You’ve already met Shooting Star of course.” She looked to her right. “This is my husband, Night Twister, and our daughter Sunny Fields.” Night Twister’s eyes seemed to bore into Elias’ skull as the grey pegasus stared at the human. The little white unicorn in his lap was staring at Elias with curiosity now, rather than fear. Elias tried to avoid staring back at the pony, and instead met Moonlit Night’s eyes, extending his right hand slowly. “I’m Elias,” he said. The unicorn looked at his hand with obvious disgust, but she accepted it, giving it a few quick shakes before letting the limb fall way. She looked to Night Flash with a frown clear across her face. “I thought you said your friend’s name was Red, not Elis.” Night Flash smiled, but as his eyes flicked from Elias to his mother, Elias could tell that that smile was strained. “Mom, I already told you all about this,” he said slowly. “I call him Red, but everypony else calls him Elias. Legally, that is his name and Red is my nickname for him.” Elias opened his mouth to surprise Night Flash with some news that would make the pony happy, but Moonlit Night cut him off by scoffing and turning her nose. “Well I think it’s a silly name. What does it even mean? It’s not a sensible name, like Book Binder, or Shooting Star. Now those names have meaning!” Elias scratched his nose with his thumb and looked to the floor. “Elias actually comes from the Greek translation of Elijah, or prophet, in the bible. That’s just the literal translation though, and most of the time Elias is used as a name for someone who is very kind, and outgoing. Somebody who cares about everyone and everything, can always be trusted to be honest, and loyal.” Elias smiled widely and chuckled. “It’s really ironic all things considered, but hey, nobody knew what the world was going to be like when they named me, so…” Elias closed his eyes and took a moment to breathe. The flash of panic that rose in his mind was his own fault this time, but that didn’t make it any easier to drive the horrible images away. These were less gory than usual, but no less painful. The fact that it was such a simple beating made it all the harder to dispose of, and Elias couldn’t help but flinch when he felt a hoof on his arm. “Are you alright Elias?” Book Binder asked softly. “I’m fine Book Binder,” Elias replied. “I just… Needed a second. I don’t know why I said anything.” He took another breath and opened his eyes. Book Binder smiled, but unlike usual, she didn’t make a motherly move, she instead just gave him a quick hug, before turning around to motion at the dining room. “If everypony will take a seat, Mom and I will have food out in a minute!” She somehow got behind Elias and nudged him forward, where Night Flash slipped under his arm, forcing the human to scratch his ears while he picked up his Wonderbolts talk from earlier, chattering away loudly and brightly as he walked Elias to the table. Behind his back, Book Binder not-so-subtly motioned for Ice Shard to join the two. “So anyway, I thought that this year Fleetfoot was going to get a good shot to open the first race, but it was Captain Spitfire again! I mean, I’m as a big a fan of hers as the next pegasus, but come on! You’ve got to let a newer pony take the lead some time!” Night Flash led Elias to a chair on the end of the table, sitting him down quickly as he darted from the room in a flurry of feathers. Ice Shard blinked as the pegasus leaped around him, then he looked to Elias with a smile. “He’ll be back in a second I’m sure.” Ice Shard took the seat to Elias’ right. The human tapped the table with his fingers, biting his lip as he stared at the unicorn. He needed to ask, the question drilling a hole in his mind. “Are you sure you aren’t angry with me for leaving you, accidental it might have been?” Ice Shard smiled and shook his head. “Of course I’m not angry with you, who could be? You fought like a demon, and besides, I spent maybe an hour inside of one of their nasty little pods. They didn’t have time to drag me off to wherever they were storing ponies, so the way I see it, you made my day a whole lot easier. I’m grateful if nothing else.” It unnerved the human with how much the pony was smiling, but he couldn’t see any malice, nor dishonesty in the gesture, so he just accepted it at face value. That thought made Elias blink, and he quickly did a search of his mind. Why did he accept it at face value? Had he not gotten himself into a deep hole by taking things at face value? He took the princesses both at face value, had believed the steady stream of lies they had fed him. Why should he trust these ponies? Just because they were family to his closest friends, that didn’t mean they didn’t have ulterior motives. Already he could see the pieces falling into place. They were trying to make him softer, to make him feel like his service was a good thing. That’s what Ice Shard was trying to do at least. They were trying to make him feel wanted, valued as a brutal warrior. A killer for the right team. ‘What was wrong with that?’ the voice in the back of his head asked. Elias couldn’t find a part of his mind that could answer the question in a way that mattered. His skill set was in that of a warrior. He was a killer, a fighter who knew what it took to destroy one’s enemies, so why was he resisting what the ponies were trying to tell him? They weren’t trying neuter the warrior, only to steer him in the right direction. His devastation of the changeling’s demonstrated that Elias was no softer on his enemies than before, even if he did spare one of them. That was an old tactic as well; to give the enemy fear by letting one tell horrifying stories. Had they changed him? Did it matter if they did? Hadn’t he been happier before today? Elias frowned as he tried to remember if he knew what happiness felt like. Quick flashes popped up, and Elias was more than a little surprised at how many happy memories there were of the ponies who had wronged him. Even in the times where he should have been miserable, Elias could only remember the events fondly. Getting locked in a cell with Luna, his many trips to the infirmary; especially the one where he had attempted escape to avoid that foul medication. Hearth’s Warming morning rose quickly in his mind, and Elias couldn’t help but feel happy as he remembered waking up next to Luna. She had woven that day carefully, and though it had started out horribly, she had helped mend his relationship with Book Binder. That certainly wasn’t a malicious action. Elias squashed all of the happy thoughts brutally, recognizing the voice in the back of his head as he smacked it around, driving it back into its cage. He would not forgive and forget. The ponies had lied to him. Luna had lied to him. She didn’t deserve his help, and she certainly didn’t deserve his forgiveness. He tried to raise a wall of bitterness and hatred to block off the happy memories, but it functioned more like a net, letting many of the smaller moments slip through. A dark joke from Luna while on a throne room shift, a small hug when Nightshade thought nobody was looking. The effort just dug the hole of his anger and confusion deeper, and only when he felt a hoof on his arm did Elias manage to pull himself back to reality. “Red? Are you okay?” Night Flash said quietly. Elias blinked and met the pegasus’ eyes. It was still just the three of them in the dining room, and Elias could hear the occasional chatter coming from the kitchen, so that meant he hadn’t zoned out for long. Ice Shard was giving him a curious look while taking notes on a pad of lined paper, while Night Flash adjusted his head so that they were staring into each other’s eyes. Concern oozed from the pony, but Elias couldn’t help but notice the massive book that was sitting on the table next to him. Elias tilted his head and motioned to it. “What’s that?” Night Flash frowned at the obvious attempt at diverting the conversation. “It’s a binder from my Wonderbolts card collection, are you sure you’re alright Red? You seem really off.” Elias dodged the question by pointedly staring at the thick binder of cards. When Night Flash didn’t move to grab it, Elias motioned toward the book. “Are you going to show me your cards or what? How am I supposed to find my interest in the Wonderbolts if nobody shows me anything about them?” Night Flash looked torn. Elias could tell that the pony wanted to press on and help him with his internal issues, but he could also tell that Night Flash really wanted to further his education about the Wonderbolts. Over the winter they had usually been too tired to mention the flying team, then followed the wedding, and the subsequent changeling hunt. This was the first day that they had the time to sit down and talk, and Elias knew which option would win out. Night Flash didn’t disappoint as he snatched up the binder. He hopped into Elias’ lap, leaning back against the human as he cracked it open, revealing a very detailed list of the different sections the collection was separated into. “We’re going to snuggle and talk later Red, you tricky human, but we have so much to cover!” He stared at the table of contents for a moment, tapping his chin, then he gasped softly and began rapidly flipping through the pages, each packed full of cards. ‘And this is just the first book?’ Elias thought with horror. Night Flash didn’t seem to notice at all as he stopped on a page filled with glowing and shifting cards. He giggled softly in excitement, then looked to Elias. “Tell me Red, what do you know about collector’s editions?” > Chapter 31: Climbing Free > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias shouldn’t have gotten sucked in. He shouldn’t have let Night Flash suck him in. He was a man who had seen battlefields that stretched for miles, had seen mass graves, had sat on piles of bones and watched the sunrise. He had smashed open bank vaults and burned the contents. His world had been a literal playground, where anything was free as long as he had the strength to take it, and Elias almost never found himself lacking. He had traveled as far east as the coast, and as far south as the White House, intent on taking the desk of the president, only to find it covered in piles of feces. He had a dozen homes with a million possessions, and anything and everything had been his, and he threw it all away, becoming a minimalist in his pursuit for far greater, but less material things. But now he was as obsessed with the damned Wonderbolts cards as Night Flash was. There were just so many kinds, and some of them could actually speak! Talking playing cards, who comes up with something like that? Elias didn’t know, but he sat enraptured, firing off questions as Night Flash showed him the best his vast collection had to offer. “This one,” Night Flash said excitedly, holding up a card with a pony who looked like Spitfire, but with all the wrong colors, “is from the one-year anniversary of Princess Luna’s return! It’s tradition for the Wonderbolts to perform during the Summer Sun Celebration, but Princess Luna, at the time, wanted to start her own separate version of the Wonderbolts, so she asked Captain Spitfire and a hoof-picked team to dress up in different costumes with color enchantments to promote the Shadowbolts!” At the word Shadowbolts, the card seemed to come alive. The picture shifted from two dimensional to three dimensional as the little pegasus came to life. She gave a grin and a wink to Night Flash, then took off into the air, doing a corkscrew loop before touching back down with a soft woop. The pony then faded back into the card, leaving Elias to stare with open-mouthed awe. He really wanted to ask Night Flash if he could make the card do its little show again, but there were so many more cards to see, so he asked; “What happened to the Shadowbolts? Do you have a collection of their cards as well?” Night Flash sighed and shook his head. “Unfortunately no. This set was printed before the celebration, and when they prepared to take off for their practice run, Spitfire found that the magic in the uniforms interfered with their traditional pyrotechnics. She and Princess Luna tried to brainstorm to solve the issue, but they couldn’t figure it out in time, so Princess Luna told them to forgo the uniforms temporarily so that they could figure it out for a secret performance for the next Nightmare Night.” He slid the card back into its protective sheet, then drew out another one with a pony that Elias thought was Soarin, with black fur instead of blue. The magic of the card activated, and the pegasus neighed before flapping into the air. Elias followed the motion up until the miniature pony almost touched the ceiling, then the pony flapped down hard, pulling up just in time to land softly on his hooves. “What happened next?” Elias asked, completely enraptured as the pony took off again, spiraling in tight circles. “Unfortunately, or I guess I should say fortunately, the show went off without a hitch, and Captain Spitfire spiced up their fireworks and maneuvers to make Princess Luna’s cutie mark. The princess loved it so much that she became an instant Wonderbolts fan and abandoned the effort to make her own team. I don’t think she’s missed a single race in Canterlot since.” Night Flash closed the book, and Elias almost protested, but then he looked up and found that everyone was watching them intently, with the food steaming and waiting on the table. Elias coughed into his hand to hide his embarrassment, but he leaned close to Night Flash. “Can we look at more later? I really want to see what’s in the other books,” he whispered softly. Night Flash grinned and nodded before hopping from Elias’ lap. The book levitated away, setting down on a side table while Book Binder beamed at him from the second seat to his left. That just made him flush redder, and Elias had to resist the urge to bury his head in his hands as Night Flash moved to the seat directly to his left and plopped down happily. Shooting Star groaned loudly from his place across the table. He didn’t show as much discipline as Elias as his head hit the table with a thud. “I can’t believe Flash got another pony interested in those dumb cards. They’re not even that great,” he grumbled. Night Flash scoffed at his younger brother. “You’re just jealous because somepony shares one of my interests. Besides, they’re really cool Star! I don’t know why you don’t like them.” “They don’t compare to the real thing!” Shooting Star exclaimed, throwing his hooves in the air. “Nothing can compare to seeing the Wonderbolts in action!” Elias cleared his throat, drawing the younger pegasus’ attention. “I’ve never been to a Wonderbolts show, so I wouldn’t know.” He waved at the binder. “Those cards are the closest thing I’ve ever seen, and if that doesn’t compare, I can’t wait to see the real thing.” “Oh,” Shooting Star said as he calmed down instantly. “I guess I get it then. You should go see a show then, it’s the best thing you’ll ever see.” The pegasus sat a bit low in his seat as he tried not to flush with embarrassment at his outburst. His parents were giving him death glares, while Night Flash beamed, alternating between looking at Book Binder and Elias. Velvet Breeze broke the silence by smiling and raising a steaming bowl of potatoes. “So, who’s first?” Idle chatter filled the table as food was passed around. Elias had to be picky with his choices, but he noticed quickly that only one of the dishes contained something that he flat out couldn’t eat, while the rest were simply vegetarian versions of his normal diet. Book Binder leaned over as she passed a basket of bread. “If this isn’t enough, I will make you a snack when we go back to the castle, okay?” she whispered. Elias nodded silently, trying not to meet the glare that Moonlit Night was giving him. He did his best to match the amount of food the ponies around him were taking, but as he set down the last dish to start eating, Velvet tsked and shook her head. “That won’t do at all Elias, you are a growing stallion and need more than us older ponies do.” She levitated the bowl of pasta back over, scooping out a large serving before dumping it over the minute portion Elias had given himself. Before Elias could protest, the potatoes found their way to his plate as well, and they too were upended, making a mound of food that towered over the table. Elias couldn’t help but chuckle lightly as the basket of bread lifted next, depositing the largest two rolls next to his already overflowing plate. “If you keep adding more Mrs. Breeze, I’m going to start growing the wrong way.” Ice Shard smiled and laughed. “Please, Book Binder tells us how much you exercise in the guard. We’d need half the food in Canterlot just to put a few extra pounds on your skinny bones.” The pony patted his belly. “Maybe when you’re my age you can worry about “growing the wrong way”.” Elias felt the beginnings of relaxation creep into his shoulder blades as the pony chuckled. He felt momentary confidence return as Velvet set down the food bowls and motioned for him to start, so he scooped up the awkwardly sized fork, and did so. Any calmness he had managed to achieve blew away like a fly in the breeze as Moonlit Night glared at him, her voice cutting like a cold dagger through the warm atmosphere. “Just how old are you Mr. Bright?” Her gaze momentarily softened as she shot a smile at Night Flash. “My darling little Flashy hasn’t given me a precise number in all of our conversations.” The bread Elias had taken a large bite from seemed to stick in his throat as his mouth became dry. He swallowed roughly and stared at his plate, trying to take comfort in the multi-colored meal. He rubbed his thumb along his eyebrow as he answered. “I’m uh… I’m nineteen.” The ponies reacted just like they always did. Elias tried to ignore their stares as he continued to eat. He could tell that Book Binder wanted to get up and give him a hug, but the pony remained seated, giving him a sympathetic look as she too continued to eat. Elias felt Night Flash rub his hoof against his left knee under the table in what Elias imagined was supposed to be a comforting gesture. It helped, but not nearly enough. “You’re younger than I am?” Shooting Star asked in a daze. Elias sighed and nodded, scratching at the hair behind his ear. “If you’re older than nineteen years old, than yes. Just believe me when I say that every day of my nineteen years felt like a lifetime.” Shooting Star seemed to be floored by the statement, and Elias couldn’t tell whether that was a good thing or not. It bought him silence however, and Elias did his best to continue eating. The revelation seemed to further irritate Moonlit Night, and her glare returned in force as she got over her shock. “And why exactly did the princesses let a nineteen-year-old… whatever you are, into the guard, when my Shooting Star has to wait until he is the proper age of twenty-three? I don’t think it’s fair that some new creature gets special treatment over regular ponies.” Elias felt the rational part of his mind take a nasty hit to the knees as it collapsed under the wave of anger that was rising in his chest. He rolled a bit of food from between his bottom teeth before he set his fork down and looked at her. “Maybe it would have been fair if your son got one of these hmm?” Elias said, thumbing his scar. “Perhaps you would have been proud when your son gets stared at like he’s some kind of rabid animal because he did his job right and got disfigured because of it.” Elias felt his breath catch in his chest for a moment, but for once, he forced his own panic attack away. Damn Moonlit Night, and damn anyone else who looked down on him. He didn’t care what they thought. He didn’t need them. He only cared about two ponies, and from the looks they had on their faces, they were on his side. Elias took a deep breath, letting his body relax as he picked his fork back up and began eating anew. Damn anyone who wanted to ruin the day. It wasn't just any day either, it was Book Binder and Night Flash’s day. Everything had been far too focused on him, and Elias had a mind to change that. He looked to Book Binder with a small, forced grin. “So, have you two started making plans for your wedding day, or is that something that’s in the future?” “Flash and I were hoping to have something small…” Book Binder started slowly. Her mother squeaked in protest. “Absolutely not young lady. You and your wonderful stallion are going to have a proper Canterlot wedding, with all of the bells and whistles! I already have a friend working out availability dates for the castle gardens, and when you’re ready, I have a few dress makers lined up.” Book Binder groaned. “But Mom, I was hoping to wear your wedding dress! We already talked about how well the aquamarines match my fur! It just makes everything pop!” Velvet sighed in exasperation, but smiled. “I know baby, I just want it to be special for you. Either way, we’ll need to get that dress properly fitted if you decide to go with it.” Book Binder snorted. “Mom, are you trying to call me fat?” Velvet rolled her eyes. “Quite the opposite dear. You might have gotten fat if you stayed a librarian, but being in the guard has done wonders for your figure, and I’m worried that my old dress will just slide off. While I’m sure your fiancé might enjoy that, I would rather you make it through the ceremony at least.” Almost everyone chuckled, save for one pony, who had continued glaring at Elias. Moonlit Night’s eye twitched. “Something funny Mr. Bright?” Elias didn’t bother turning his head toward the unicorn. He merely used his eyes to stare back at her as he stabbed at his pasta. “The joke was fairly funny Mrs. Night, both the intended one, as well as the unintended one.” Velvet smiled and cocked her head. “What was the unintended joke Elias?” “Undressing while going down the aisle is a bit ironic considering that ponies are largely nude.” He tugged on his tunic with his thumb and forefinger. “Everyone here is naked besides myself. I just thought it a bit funnier that nudity during the wedding would be frowned upon as opposed to regular nudity is all.” Velvet chuckled and nodded in understanding. Moonlit Night was not so accepting of Elias’ interpretation of the joke. “So our traditions are a laughing matter now?” she snapped. Elias kept the smile on his face as he shook his head and stared with increasingly tired eyes at his half empty plate. “I didn’t say that Mrs. Night, just made an observation about a difference in culture that I thought amusing. Nothing more than that.” He tried again to shift the focus as he looked to Night Flash and Book Binder again. “So, do you two have a date in mind, or are you winging it?” Elias could tell that Book Binder knew he was trying to make an effort to remain civil, and she smiled apologetically as she tapped her chin. “Well, Flash wants a wedding sometime in either summer or fall, but I was kind of hoping for a spring wedding.” She sighed. “Unfortunately, we missed that mark this year, and I’m not sure I want to wait around for an entire year to get married, so I think sometime in the fall, probably before the Running of the Leaves.” “What’s that?” Elias asked quickly, noting Moonlit Night opening her mouth to speak more. She sent him another nasty glare as Night Flash replied. “The Running of the Leaves is how ponies in the smaller towns clear the trees to make ready for winter. It’s a big race where the ponies primarily stay together as a pack and use the combined force of their hoofsteps to knock the leaves down in one go.” Night Flash smiled widely. “Maybe this year we can go watch! We always talk about doing it, but we all get so busy around wintertime, and I think it would be really cool to take a mini-vacation to see the race.” Elias nodded in agreement. “It sounds like fun. If nothing else it would certainly be interesting to see. On Earth the leaves always just fell naturally, back when most trees still had leaves of course.” “What does that mean?” Shooting Star asked curiously. “You didn’t have leaves where you were from?” Elias shook his head. “No, not really. We used to though. We had vast forests that would just stretch to the horizon, lush and green, and completely untouched by man.” He smiled wistfully. “The woods near my childhood home were like that, the trees were tall, and it was always shaded and cool, even on the hottest summer day. I used to run around with my sisters and our dog through those woods, exploring and playing. It was good times.” “What happened?” Shooting Star asked. Elias felt his mood drop like a stone as the happy memories were shoved away in an instant. He had so few good memories, and he wished that he could relish in their pleasant presence for a little while longer. Elias sighed and stared at the table for a second before he answered. “Well,” he scratched the back of his head as he figured out how to best phrase it, “let’s just say things got bad, to a point where very little could survive. The trees died, and once the leaves fell, they were gone for good. By the time I left, the forests were decaying, and all you could see to the horizon was bleak, blasted white husks.” Elias frowned and shook his head as he picked his fork back up. “It wasn’t a good place anymore, let’s leave it at that.” Elias made a mental note to stop talking. Each time he tried, it always brought out more pain, and caused the meal to fall into a silence. He just needed someone else to speak and run with it so that he could listen and eat, then leave. The longer he stayed, the more alien he felt. The glares Moonlit Night continued to shoot him didn’t help at all, and he knew that his continued presence was just causing a rift between the ponies. As he continued to eat, Book Binder asked Night Twister about his work, and she took over directing the conversation, keeping the subjects light and decidedly away from Elias. Lucky for him, she was much better at keeping things on track, and even Moonlit Night would occasionally stop glaring at him as the conversation flowed. They moved through an assortment of topics, some of which Elias listened to with interest, while others he tuned out, focusing on the food before him. He quickly figured out that he wasn’t going to be able to eat half of it, let alone all of it. He had been eating light for days, and the bread, pasta, potato combo was far too filling for his stomach. Velvet Breeze gave him a look of concern as he set down his fork. “Is everything alright Elias? It looks like you’ve hardly eaten a thing.” Elias glanced down at his food, then back up to the unicorn. “That’s only because you gave me enough food to feed a family. I don’t eat this much in a day, let alone in one sitting.” Velvet snorted and smiled, as did Moonlit Night, which unnerved Elias, setting off alarm bells in his head. “That actually brings up a question I had Mr. Bright; do you have any family?” the mare asked, her voice sweet, but her intent clearly malicious. Elias winced as the question bounced around his head like a hand grenade. He waited for the timer to tick down as Night Flash set his hooves on the table and glared at his mother. “Mom, that’s enough. This is supposed to be a party for fun, not an interrogation of my friend.” Moonlit Night held up her hooves defensively. “I apologize Flashy, but I was just trying to learn more about Mr. Bright. The creature that keeps my darling boy and his beautiful fiancé away from my dinner table so often must be pretty important. I just simply wanted to know what his family is like is all.” “Was,” Elias said simply, his eyes staring deadly at the table. The table fell to silence, and Elias glanced up, looking to Moonlit Night with vacant eyes. “Was like. Past tense. They’re dead. Have been for some time.” The unicorn’s mouth opened in a small ‘o’ of shock, but Elias couldn’t find it within himself to care. The meal in his stomach sank like a stone, and Elias knew his mental state was soon to follow. He pushed back from the table and took the napkin from his lap, swiftly wiping his mouth as he stood up. “Mrs. Breeze, thank you for your hospitality, the food was excellent,” Elias said with no emotion as he turned away. He moved quickly to the door, and only Book Binder’s magic was able to stop him from leaving. Elias sighed as the unicorn turned him around and tried to bring herself to eye level. He saw tears in her eyes, and they pleaded with him to stay, but Elias knew that he wouldn’t. Things were only going to get worse if he stayed. “Elias, I am so sorry,” Book Binder said. “I thought we had warned them about this, but I think Moonlit Night is just protective, and…” Elias gave her a small hug, cutting the unicorn off. She sighed and rubbed his back, but Elias withdrew quickly, opening the door with his left hand. “Don’t worry about it Book Binder,” Elias said softly. “Just go back in there and have a good meal with your in-laws. Make sure Flash doesn’t say anything regrettable to his mother.” Book Binder whimpered as he took a step outside. “But what about you Elias? You can’t be alone right now; I can see that. You need somepony beside you. Please don’t go, we’ll figure this out.” Elias shook his head and looked outside, squinting as a beam of sunlight caught his bad eye. His focus was fading, and he could feel his self-control dangle on a thread, worn to the point that the slightest misstep could push him to a breaking point. He needed distance. “There’s nothing to figure out Book Binder. Try to have a good day, we’ll talk later. I’m happy for both of you, and I hope I haven’t ruined anything.” Book Binder sighed and shook her head as her ears flattened. “You could never Elias. Please stay safe. I don’t want to find you in a hospital bed again.” Elias felt a trace of a grin flash across his face, and he looked back at her and winked. “No promises. Now get back in there and have a good time, I’ll be alright. We’ll talk later.” The words felt hollow, but Elias kept his best smile on his face. Book Binder sighed again, but she accepted the fact that he was leaving. She gave him a quick hug around the waist, then held the door open as Elias slid out of the small house. He gave her what he thought was a reassuring smile as he waved, but the look on Binder’s face was one that indicated she didn’t believe it. The door closed slowly, and Elias waited for a moment to see if the unicorn would charge out to stop him anyway. When she didn’t, Elias began making his way toward the castle. He was exhausted. The day had already been an emotional train wreck, and as he walked, Elias realized that the last place he wanted to be was somewhere he could be found. He needed somewhere where nobody would pursue him, not to hide, but to simply be alone. As he walked, a shadow fell across his face, and Elias squinted as he looked up at the massive peak above him. Canterlot was placed halfway up the mountain, and he had read from more than one guide that said it would take an experienced climber only a few hours to reach the peak. While he had no experience with climbing, Elias also had hands, and better, fingers. He should, in theory, be able to reach the peak at least as fast as an experienced pony. Elias felt a smirk touch his face as his mind quieted under the pressure of a new challenge. He quickened place, and he felt his emotions relax as he made his way toward his room. The singular task provided excellent focus and motivation, and the excitement of defeating a massive new enemy filled him with energy as he began to sprint to gather the necessary supplies. ***** Elias grimaced as he sucked on his thumbnail, eyeing the remaining climb with irritation. Scaling a mountain evidently required more preparation than he thought. After reaching his room, Elias wrapped his hands with some spare cloth from a worn away tunic, then grabbed the coil of rope from his ruck. He was fired up and ready to set to work, more than ready to find the perfect distraction. Nobody had stopped him as he moved quickly through the palace, and if they gave him strange looks, he was too focused elsewhere to notice. He had jogged to the free climb area of some no-name park. It was here that he stared up the rock face with a confident, almost arrogant grin, and then he started his climb. It was within the first few hundred feet of sheer rock face that Elias realized he was far out of his depth. The wrappings on his hands did little to protect them from the sharp stone handholds of the mountain, and now the blue strips were painted red as the cloth acted as makeshift bandages. Most of his fingertips were rubbed raw, and he was missing several fingernails as well. The pain didn’t stop him however, and Elias had climbed on. Now, he was sitting on a ledge within two hundred feet of the top, but his legs felt like burning jelly, his back was in bone splitting agony, and he couldn’t feel the blood dripping slowly from his hands. On top of all of that, it was almost dark. The sun had begun setting about halfway up, and as he stared out over the growing lights of Canterlot, Elias noticed that it was giving him barely enough light to see by. If his math was right, he had maybe fifteen minutes before the sky grew black. With darkness came cold, and unprepared as he was, Elias was beginning to shiver. The man sighed and got to his feet, gritting his teeth as he grabbed hold of the wall above his head. Movement would provide the warmth he needed to survive. With immense effort, Elias pulled himself up using his upper arm strength alone. The already strained and tired muscles screamed at him for more rest, but he ignored their cries as he found a foot hold. His left hand rose as his right foot found a hold, and he pushed forward, unwilling to fail again. He would have one victory, even if he collapsed at the top. While he was adjusting his feet, a hand hold pulled free. Rocks clattered down the cliff side, and Elias felt the breath catch in his throat. For that brief second, he hung, hundreds of feet in the air, held only by three nail-less fingers, with nothing else to prevent him from dropping like a blood-filled stone. Then his right hand came up again, and he found a stable hold. His feet followed the lead of his hands, and he scrambled up a foot. Catching his breath, Elias stared down at the ground, then grinned ferally. A low chuckle quickly turned into a loud yell as he whooped, enjoying the rush he felt from his near-death experience. Filled with adrenaline, Elias grinned like a madman as he scrambled up the rock face, abandoning caution. Within a few minutes he could see the edge that led to the top of the mountain, it was just an arm’s length out of reach. If he played it smart, he could carefully scale the rest of the face with ease, but Elias felt high on his pumping adrenaline. Nearly dying had done wonders for his brain, and he had one last risk in him before his body collapsed under the advanced strain he had put it through. Elias leaned back on his calves, tensing his muscles as he prepared to make the jump. He gave himself a six count, bouncing back and forth as he did the minute calculations. If his distance was even a little off, he would drop. The rope was long gone, used up toward the lower areas of the mountain. There was no safety net, no way out if he missed. Elias smiled as the feeling of blind danger gave him the necessary energy. He pushed up with all his might as he made a flying leap, his arm extended to close the last few inches. He only just made it. Four fingers snagged on the edge, and Elias cried out in both pain and victory as he felt one of his remaining fingernails pull back. Before it could crack and fall off his finger completely, Elias latched onto the ledge with his other hand, pulling himself into a weak, quivering mess on the top. His right arm and leg dangled dangerously over the edge, and Elias felt curiosity bloom as he debated simply rolling off the side. Could he catch himself fast enough, or would he plummet? Such questions. Elias panted loudly as he laid on his back, pointedly ignoring the blue alicorn to his left. Luna sat under a very warm looking blanket, next to an even warmer looking fire, with a waiting meal and a tall, spectacular looking glass of water. Elias ignored all of it, as well as the dryness of his mouth as he stared at the darkening sky in victory. He conquered the mountain; not with help, not with ponies. He didn’t need friends, and he didn’t even need to kill to beat this enemy. He just won, all by the strength of his will. Nobody could take his victory from him, for he had won it alone. Victory only kept him warm for so long however, and it grew more difficult to ignore the crackle of the fire just a few feet away. Luna looked to the stars that were beginning to poke through the sunset. “Did you climb on your earth often?” Luna asked. “You spoke very passionately about touching the sky when we first met; was this a way to achieve that goal?” Elias didn’t answer. A shiver passed through his body as he became painfully aware of how his sweat was beginning to freeze to his tunic, and by extension, the mountain top. The stone seemed to leach away his body heat, and the sun going down was not helping. Luna sighed loudly. “Elias, please do not ignore me. Any words, even those that may hurt, are better than silence.” Elias felt a grin split his face as he laughed loudly. “I disagree completely.” He snorted and shook his head. “And don’t say that like it’s some sort of fact that you know, because it isn’t. I know some very nasty words that will hurt you more than either of us would like, so I’m going to lay here in silence until I figure how to climb down in the dark, while you enjoy all of the things you brought up. Talk if you want, I won’t answer. I don’t talk to people I don’t trust in some capacity, and you have shown me that you, and your sister are incapable of that trust.” “Elias, I am sorry that we deceived you, but-…” Elias rolled to his left and stared at her. “No, don’t say that, because that isn’t true. You’re not sorry you lied to me, you’re sorry it didn’t work, you’re sorry that I didn’t just roll over and accept the lie. We both know you’re here for a reason, so don’t lie to me more. You can stop digging that hole.” He rolled back onto his spine and flinched as a cold gust of wind chilled his dangling fingers. The sky was cloudless, giving him nothing to focus on. That left words, so he spoke. “Do you know how awful today has been because of you and your sister? Do you know what I almost did to Night Flash? That poor, innocent stallion saw me losing my collective shit on anything and everything within our room, and he didn’t hesitate to step in.” Elias chuckled without humor. “I almost hit him, because I thought he was one of your little spies, sent to fuck me up and make me weaker than I already am.” Elias rubbed his eyes with the palms of his bloodied hands, doing his best to avoid painting his eyes red. “I almost hit him,” Elias repeated. “I almost struck one of the only ponies that I have left that I know I can trust. He doesn’t deserve to deal with me, and whatever gods you have are cruel for putting us in the same room as each other. I’m a special kind of hell that I wouldn’t reserve for my worst enemies, and Night Flash of all people gets roped into dealing with me. What a joke.” Elias sighed and glanced at Luna. “That’s what you did today. I already lost one adopted family, and you nearly cost me the second one. That’s how my day has been today, so now that I’m done talking to you, I would prefer there to be silence. I’ll take a nap and then climb down, alone.” He closed his eyes and laid still, trying to ignore the cold that swept up through his tunic. It took less than a minute before Luna tried to pipe up. “Elias, I…” Ah!” Elias snapped, raising a finger. “Sleep requires quiet.” Another shiver rolled through his body, and Elias tried to ignore the pounding in his chest as a gust of breeze tried to knock him from his perilous perch. Luna whined softly. “Please Elias, come away from the ledge. I understand your anger toward me, but please do not put yourself at risk because of it. I shall call the guards to come fetch me if that is your wish, just please, come warm yourself and rest.” Elias cracked an eye open and stared at her as he rubbed at his face in thought. “I should just roll off the cliff. It’s a hell of a drop, and nobody can stop me. It would solve everyone’s issues in one fell swoop. A second or two of falling, then sweet, sweet oblivion.” He didn’t mean the words, but the look on Luna’s face as she glared at him was worth it. “Keep looking at me like that, and I’ll do it out of spite,” he said with a sadistic chuckle. Luna’s glare softened and her eyes pleaded with him to move toward the fire. Another gust of wind pushed him toward the edge, and Elias sank his fingers into a crevice as his body weight teetered back and forth on the edge. He knew within a second, thanks to the shrieks of both voices in his head, that he didn’t want to die. He had given an unspoken promise to Book Binder to see her again, and Night Flash still hadn’t shown him the rest of the Wonderbolts cards. The two were plenty of reason to live for. Elias used his hand hold to drag himself back from the edge. He heard and ignored a sigh of relief from Luna as he rolled to his feet, trudging to the fire. The alicorn pulled a candle from a set of saddlebags obscured by her blanket. “I shall leave a page with you to call a chariot should you require it,” Luna said. “My guards will be here as soon as I send this-…” Elias waved her down as he fell on his rump next to the fire wincing as he shoved his battered fingers next to it. “Don’t bother. This conversation is going to happen whether I want it or not, so we might as well get it done now.” He snorted. “Not like anyone cares what I want.” “I care Elias,” Luna whispered. Elias shook his head, not looking up from the flames. “No, you don’t. If you did, you wouldn’t be up here to try to convince me.” Luna sighed, and Elias caught hints of tears in her eyes, but they disappeared quickly as she removed the cover from the plate. She shifted the plate, a teacup, and a blanket toward him. “Please Elias, eat, drink. We shall talk when you have recovered from your climb. It was no easy feat do climb Canterlot mountain without equipment.” Elias smiled weakly, but with pride. “No, not it wasn’t.” His tongue was barren of moisture, so he started with what he assumed was tea. He drank the entire cup in one swig, then did his best to not spit it up as the foul substance slithered down his throat. Elias looked to Luna with a look of disgust. “What was that?” “A dosage of healing potion Elias,” Luna said with a small smile. “You were tracking blood up my mountain, so I thought you could use a mild boost before Scalpel catches you tracking blood through the castle yet again.” Elias felt his bad eye twitch at the mention of the pony’s name. Yet one more potential spy. Another agent designed to make him weak, soft. It was because of Scalpel that he ended up connecting so heavily with Book Binder and Night Flash. The unicorn always just “happened” to cave when the pair of ponies pressed him for more visitation. Another tactic to draw him in, to lower his defenses so that when the sucker punch was delivered, he would have no choice but to lay down and accept it. His face twitched again as anger rose, and Luna sighed. “Elias, please do not think that everything was a carefully planned out lie. It is merely a host of coincidences, matched with a scarce few instances of manipulation. I promise that none of your friends were planted as such.” Elias’ eyes flicked up, and he cocked his head. “Is that supposed to make me feel better? Congratulations Elias, most of the sandwich we shoved down your throat wasn’t made of shit, just a little bit of it was, so see? It isn’t so bad; you only swallowed a small piece of shit.” Elias snorted and his eyes fell. “A grain of manipulation is still manipulation. It makes you no less guilty, but for consolation, it doesn’t make you any more guilty either. I promise,” he sneered, mocking her words. Luna looked pained at his tone, but she didn’t press him, instead falling silent as she stared at the fire. Her hoof reached out and nudged the meal next to Elias. Knowing she wouldn’t stop until he ate something, Elias snatched up a bread roll and the glass of water. He had managed to empty his stomach during one of his breaks, and the water was much needed considering he hadn’t brought any. He drank smart though, taking sips until the glass was nearly half empty. A gust of wind made him shiver and caused the fire to flicker. Luna noticed instantly, and she nudged the blanket toward him. “Take this Elias, you have no fur, and winter has only just concluded. The nights will be chilly for some time yet.” Elias ignored her words and he set down the glass, staring at the fire wordlessly as he thought about how best to tear apart her arguments. Even her help was another piece of the puzzle, another strand of the web to trap him into doing their bidding. More lies disguised as sweet truths. His resolve felt weak though, and each gust of wind brought another shiver as he tried to avoid staring at the blanket. He wrapped his arms around his chest, and huddled close to the fire, letting as much anger free as he could to stay warm. It didn’t help, and his teeth began to chatter quietly as his sweat finished freezing to his back. Luna frowned, nudging the blanket again. “Elias, please, I brought this for you, and for no other reason. Take it, you are pale with cold.” “I’m” ‘freezing’ “fine,” Elias replied. “I’ll get warmer as we talk, so go ahead, sell me the lie you want me to believe. I’m ready to get this done.” A hurt look flashed over Luna’s face again, and she shuffled in her seat. “Elias, I am not trying to sell you a lie. I want to see you happy with your life, and I want to see you freed of your pain. I genuinely believe that by leading, by starting this venture anew, you will find inner peace.” Elias snorted and shook his head. “Really? That’s you’re argument? This is all for my sake?” He chuckled dryly. “And here I thought you were going to try to tell me all about the greater good and how Equestria needs me.” Luna sighed. “There is that as well, but I knew better than to attempt to justify my actions that way. This is all very personal for you, and I believe you can see great personal benefit from this.” Elias’ eyes flicked up, and his face twisted in a snarl. “You think I give a fuck about “personal benefit”? Is that what you think this is about, me? You haven’t listened to a damn thing I’ve said. It’s never been about me, and if you actually cared half as much as you say you do, then you’d know that.” More pain flashed across Luna’s face, but this time she countered his words by getting angry. She matched his snarl with one of her own. “Elias, I do care, and I have been listening. I know that you think you are somehow protecting everyone around you by bottling your emotions and your memories inside, but that is not healthy, and it is killing you. You need to let these things out, to talk about them, grieve about them, and then move past them. You told me not to spend too much time looking back, yet your life is controlled by your past, to the point that for every step you take forward, you are thrown back a hundred. If you say no, I must know why. Let us talk this out, from a friend to a friend.” Elias smirked and looked up at her. “Friend to a friend? You’re making an awful lot of assumptions.” Luna’s anger faded for a brief moment, and she stared at him in confusion. “But… we are friends. You said as much during Hearth’s Warming. We may have been busy these past months, and we may be currently experiencing a rough patch in our friendship, but we are still friends.” Elias’ smirk widened and he shook his head. “No, we aren’t. Every piece of that “friendship” was built on lies and deception, and therefore doesn’t exist. At best, I’m your guard. You don’t want to know what we are at worst.” He snorted dismissively again, and his eyes fell back to the fire, rolling his healing fingers near the heat. “As far as I am concerned, we aren’t friends, and we never have been.” Luna blinked at him in shock. “Elias, that simply is not true, my actions on Hearth’s Warming prove it!” she protested. Elias laughed at the alicorn. “Spare me the shock and confusion, we both know that you just saved me to protect your investment. I can’t well lead an army if I die in the snow. That’s just simple math, try again.” Luna growled at him, and for a moment, Elias felt the air around them grow colder. “I was not trying to save your life for any sort of gain Elias, and I did not need to comfort you following your suicide attempt, nor did I need to cover it up. I saved your life because I care about you, and because we are friends. We connected in harmonious song, and we have spent many an evening together having fun with Nightshade. Despite this argument we find ourselves in, we are friends.” She said it like it was a statement of fact, but Elias knew better. She was a dedicated actor though. “No, we aren’t," he replied. "I don’t care how you spin it, and I don’t care what “fun” you bring up to try to justify it. Nightshade is probably the biggest agent you put on me, and I’m sure she’s fed you a steady stream of information about my habits. Everything that happened between us was just more manipulation, you think I couldn’t figure out why we didn’t bet using money? Because money wouldn’t have made me your docile little pup, seeking whatever treat you dangled from your hoof.” “We aren’t friends,” Elias snapped. “We never have been, and I think it’s more than safe to confirm what I knew in that damn jail cell months ago; we never will be.” Luna had a look that revealed both her outrage, and her anger at his statement. The blanket around her shoulders fell to the ground as she hopped to her feet, her face flush with rage as her mouth opened. “ELIAS BRIGHT, WE ARE FRIENDS AND WE SHALL BE SO TILL THE END OF TIME. CEASE YOU NONSENSICAL PRATTLING SO THAT I MAY APOLOGIZE FOR THE WRONG DOINGS OF MY SISTER AND I!” Elias blinked the moisture back into his eyes as he recovered from the full blunt force of the Royal Canterlot Voice, but instead of what was likely her intended effect of cowing him into submission, he jumped to his feet, his voice preparing to rise as he tried to match her in volume. He jabbed a finger at her and opened his mouth to yell, then stopped, his mouth twisting in a humorless smile. He spread his hands and took a step back from the alicorn. “You know what? I believe you completely,” Elias said to Luna. “In fact, because I so completely believe you, I am going to give you the exact same choice that you forced on me.” The smile dropped as Luna looked at him with concern. Elias put on a fake pout. “Come now, don’t look like that, it’s for your personal benefit after all.” Elias felt his eye twitch as the bastardized version of her words spat out at her. Luna flinched back slightly, and a part of Elias’ mind whispered that he might be making a mistake, that she might be genuinely sorry, but Elias ignored it and continued. “The first option is this;” he raised a finger, “I stay in the Lunar Guard, not as a captain, or some sort of strategist, but as the everyday guard. I will fight, and bleed, and maybe die in your name, but I won’t lead. In this option, we can stay friends, and I will let you take me to all the little cuddle piles your fuzzy pony heart could ever want.” Luna looked briefly hopeful, but that expression died as Elias extended a second finger. “Or, I can be your General. I’ll raise a legion for you, and I’ll teach them to fight, and I’ll lead them to war, just like you and Celestia want. I will fight, and bleed, and maybe die alongside them.” Elias tilted his head and shrugged as he amended his words. “Hopefully die actually. Blood’s going to be spilled, and people will die, I would rather give my life for a legionnaire then see them dead on some nameless battlefield. But back on topic; in this option we aren’t friends any more. End of story. I won’t speak to you, or so much as glance in your direction if it isn’t work related.” Elias spread his hands as he let his face fall into a blank stare. “Choose.” Luna’s face immediately shifted to one of denial and frustration as her eyes flicked back and forth across the ground. Her mouth opened and closed while Elias waited silently, crossing his arms to ward off the shivering. The moon wasn’t up yet, but it was fully dark, and the cold air felt like tiny knives as it sent prickles down his skin. That didn’t matter however, and he kept his still gaze on Luna as she stomped a hoof in frustration and looked at him. “That isn’t fair!” she cried. “I wish for us to remain close Elias, but we need your help! If you are merely a guard in my employ, Celestia’s generals will not listen to you, and they are the majority!” She plopped down and stared at the fire, sniffling loudly. “I need your vote to carry any changes that need to be made, and despite what you may believe, you are an incredibly persuasive, charismatic individual. You can sway their opinions and see things done right. We need your help.” She sniffled and rubbed at her eyes. “But I don’t want to lose one of my only friends.” She continued sniffling, and Elias could tell clearly that she was on the verge of crying. Why he provoked that reaction, he didn’t know, but he could tell from the look on her face that it wasn’t for show. She genuinely felt the weight of the decision as she struggled to pick one of the options. Elias sighed loudly as his anger toward the alicorn evaporated into the air. He plopped down across from her, then as an afterthought, snatched up the blanket. It brightened her mood slightly as he draped it over his shoulders, and the threat of tears vanished as the small concession brought her calm. Elias did his best not to shiver as he huddled in the blanket, staring blankly at the fire. “Now you feel a fraction of the strife I feel. Now you have a taste of why I can’t say yes. I have to decide who’s more important, a million faceless nobodies that I couldn’t care less about, or the people that I care about. I’m just some random human teenager, what do I know about making that kind of call?” He rubbed at his nose. “I don’t know anything.” Luna stared at him in thought for a moment, then sighed loudly. “Before I answer your question, I have to ask Elias; you have referred to me neither by name, nor by title. Why?” Elias didn’t look up. “Because I haven’t decided who you are to me yet. Are you my princess? Just the person I guard every day, is that all you are to me? Are you a traitor to me? You betrayed my trust, that, or you haven’t listened to anything I have told you, and in my mind, that’s almost worse.” He rubbed his hands together and blew between his thumbs, trying to warm his palms up. He met Luna’s eyes. “Or, are you my friend? Were you ever my friend? Because I’m no expert, but if you were my friend, and if you are still my friend, then you have been one of the worst friends I have ever had. You threw me to the wolves Luna. You stabbed me in the back by suggesting that I create an army for you in front of everyone. If you actually cared, you wouldn’t have sprung this on me, you would have talked to me about it the moment you thought the idea up.” He snorted dismissively and stared back to the crackling flames. “But I guess that’s what can answer the question. When did you start considering this? Has every action since you saw me been leading here, or has this only been a recent development, brought on by someone else?” Luna sighed. “I can tell you the truth Elias, but I do not think you will believe me.” She paused, as if asking for permission, so Elias silently waved for her to continue. The alicorn took a long breath before she did so, with her eyes joining his as they stared at the fire together. “The plan to travel to Saddle Arabia has been on Celestia and I’s mind for a bit over a year. The tradeway has always been plagued with issues, and the Saddle Arabian’s have recently become embroiled in the Zebrica civil war, so they constantly send requests for medical aid. They know better than to ask for military aid, but treating injuries, and saving lives? We would not deserve our crowns if we did not contribute to easing the suffering brought about by war.” She sighed and continued. “The main tradeway saw increased use as we encouraged merchants to take their wares to Saddle Arabia, selling goods and services tax free so that their cities could find some measure of relief. As Midnight Chaser said, we believe that Chrysalis was able to breed an army from the love she snatched from that road, but we can’t simply abandon our client state out of fear of the changelings. We have made a commitment to Saddle Arabia, and we will continue to honor it, but we needed a better way.” Luna shuffled her hooves, glancing up for a moment at the space next to Elias before her eyes flicked back down. “I was informed of your greater role in our march two months ago, it was why I was late to one of our poker games, and why I was distracted enough to let you win.” “Let me win?” Elias asked with a raised eyebrow. “I won fair and square; my poker face is excellent.” Luna snorted and waved her hoof dismissively. “If I was paying attention, I could have noticed your bluff. Your poker face is perfect, but you can tell when you lie in poker because you tap your leg with your smallest two fingers.” Her face fell and she looked away. “But I knew that night, and I wished to tell you, but I feared that it would ruin the evening. It was the first time Nightshade and I didn’t have to coax you to play, and you were more relaxed about the bets. I did not want to ruin our fun.” Elias winced as he remembered the evening. It had been an excellent, relaxing day, followed by an incredibly enjoyable night, and even though he had lost nine out of the ten games to Nightshade, he had secured his first victory in cards against the ponies, all because of a bluff that had slipped under both Nightshade, and Luna’s noses. Luna had congratulated him with a hug, one of the first he had accepted without fear or complaint, while Nightshade congratulated him by slipping him a flask full of hard cider. While it wasn’t as rough as his whiskey had been, it was more than enough to brighten a few rough days. If he remembered correctly, he still had some left in the flask on his sword belt. The belt he threw away. Luna shifted slightly, and a glint of metal caught Elias’ eye as the alicorn settled again. His eyes narrowed and stared at a carefully wrapped bundle of cloth. Luna followed his eyes down, then smiled, using her hooves to drag the bundle free of her saddle bags. She passed it over the fire, and Elias took it gently, running his hands up and down the cloth as he unwrapped his sword belt, gladius and all. Elias glanced at Luna, who’s smile took on a sad glint. “That was never ours Elias, and it was never a symbol of your service to me. That belt, and that sword is yours and yours alone. No matter what decision you make, it will continue to be yours.” Elias’ hand rested on the hilt of his gladius for a moment, but he didn’t want to see the blade. Not yet. The hand shifted and Elias withdrew his flask, quickly unscrewing the top and taking a long swig. He then offered it to Luna, who didn’t hesitate to accept it. She took a long swig as well, and passed the flask back as she sighed. “Elias I… I am sorry. For everything. I have brought you great pain, and you are right, I am a terrible friend. Whether it is born of my ignorance of your past or not, I should have talked to you about this. I was a coward for not facing this issue, and I am sorry Elias.” She sniffled and laid down, closing her eyes as tears began to flow. “I’m so sorry. I’m a bad friend.” Her sobs were near silent, but they were audible enough over the crackle of the fire. Elias closed his eyes and rocked as he listened to them for a moment. The voices both began to talk, but Elias crushed them both. He didn’t need any reminders of his failures, and he didn’t need anyone telling him how to act. He knew what was right, and whispers would not help him in the slightest. Elias grunted as he got to his feet, though Luna didn’t notice as she continued to softly weep. Elias moved around the fire, and then when he got close enough to the alicorn, he poked her side with his foot. Her cries momentarily stopped as she looked up with teary eyes, and Elias grunted at her. “Get up, I’m going to sit there,” he said, pointing to the space just before her. The alicorn sniffled and nodded silently as she rose. Elias sat quickly, gently grabbing her wing as she tried to wander around the fire. Luna gasped as he guided her to his back. As her fur pressed against his back, Elias felt the tension drain from his body, and he rubbed his cheek against the fluff affectionately. It was another change the ponies had forced on him, but one Elias didn’t mind so much. The creatures were designed for snuggling, and the mountaintop was cold. He wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to be warm and comfortable, and he knew that it would make Luna just a bit happier. She would need that kernel of happiness for what came next. Luna shuffled as she settled around him, wrapping his body with both her hooves and wings. Elias closed his eyes and let her rock him as she nuzzled the top of his head. “What has brought this about Elias?” Luna murmured. “This is for a reason, I can tell.” Elias nodded and sighed. “I’m going to tell you a story Luna, and I will need your help to get me through it, because it is the reason I am the man I am today. All the horrors of my world just might not have mattered if my legion had survived, but they didn’t, and I am going to tell you why I cannot build a new legion for you.” Luna sighed. “You have made up your mind then?” “No,” Elias replied, opening his eyes and shifting so that he could stare into the fire. “And neither have you. We will both give each other our answers when I finish, but maybe this is all just another one of my innumerable failures. Listen closely, because I will not be able to tell this story twice.” Luna nodded and nuzzled his neck. Her breath was warm, she was warm on his back, and Elias couldn’t help but feel absolute comfort being held by the large pony. “Alright Elias, I shall listen. Stop if it hurts you too much, I do not enjoy seeing you suffer.” ‘And yet here we are,’ Elias thought. He took a few deep breaths to mentally prepare, then he let the words slip off his tongue. “I suppose I should start with the monster. I was younger then, the ripe age of sixteen, and I was little more than an animal. I did awful things to innocent people, and nobody could stop me.” He snorted. “And before you think that there was some noble goal behind it all, there wasn’t. I was causing suffering because I loved it. No more reason than that. I spilled an ocean of blood for laughs, and I can safely say that if I had met me, I would have cut me down without hesitation. No better than a rabid beast.” He sighed and shifted so that his cheek laid in Luna’s fur. Already his mind was alight with painful memories, and he had just started. Her fur was as soft as ever however, and he took as much comfort from her as he could. “I found someone who was different. A man named Tristan.” Elias snorted again. “A man, bullshit, he was a boy like me. A year older, but better in every way. He had walked the same road I had; he was just farther along. When he found me, I was starving, sick, and bleeding to death. The result of a fight with a pack of dogs. I was too beaten up to turn them to food, so while they rotted, I crawled into a hole to die.” Elias let out a long breath of air. “He wouldn’t let me though, he saw “potential” in me, whatever that was supposed to mean. He bandaged me up, then dragged my sorry ass back to a camp he had made with his close friends.” Elias paused and closed his eyes as a sob threatened to ruin his calm. “Those stupid, beautiful people. I had no reason to live, no value, and they didn’t care a bit. They fed me, clothed me, nursed me back to health. They also weren’t so caring about my privacy. They read my journals; saw every nasty detail I had carried out. The books were filthy then, filled with a million wrongs as I cut my way through the world, destroying anything in my path.” He smiled wistfully. “And they didn’t care. Like I said, Tristan saw potential. He wanted to show me a “better way”. Once they got me back on my feet, they set about teaching me how to use my “talents” for a good reason. To hurt the right people.” He looked up at Luna as the first of what he knew would be a torrent of tears crept down his cheek. “How Luna? How did they take a monster and make a man out of him? Any sane person would have slit my throat and left me for the worms.” Elias rubbed his eyes with the heal of his hand. “But not them. Good people. The best really.” “They were your family,” Luna whispered softly. Her hoof found his back and began rubbing small circles. Elias closed his eyes and sighed, leaning into her as he nodded. “They were. Just like Book Binder and Night Flash, they were closer to me than anyone related by blood. I loved them more than anything in the world.” He closed his eyes and refocused. “We wandered for awhile, picking up strays, hurting the people who deserved it. As we got more and more people, we built a town, putting up tall walls while we kept dragging in people from the wastes. We gave them a home, a measure of safety. It was good, things were getting better.” Elias scratched the back of his head and smirked. “Then, me being me, I fucked up.” He giggled madly, and he felt Luna’s grip tighten around his body as his mind teetered near the edge of sanity. “Like anything has changed. I still do the same stupid shit, still overreact to any little thing that comes my way. White Shine was evidence enough of that.” Luna’s hoof shifted and stroked his head. “You protected a friend Elias, and you did not do lasting physical damage to White Shine. At worst you were justified in your punishment.” Elias snorted dismissively. “Whatever you say Luna. Back to then, I beat a man half to death for stealing food. Broke both of his legs, then dragged him outside of our settlement where I kept beating him until my friends pulled me off of him. Tristan, he was our leader at the time, said I wasn’t welcome any more, that I had gone too far. He was mad, and now that we had a community, a bit scared. He was afraid that the lessons he taught me hadn’t stuck, that I was still the rabid dog they found.” Elias sighed, and scratched at his nose. “We shared some nasty words, and we ended up at each other’s throats. I called him a soft-hearted coward, said that he didn’t have what it took to keep our town safe. So being the calm, reasonable man I am, I challenged him for leadership.” Elias’ smirk returned. “I got taught a new lesson that day, because he proved me wrong in spades. He made the beating that I gave the thief look like child’s play. When he was done, the only thing I could do was walk. He broke both arms, my jaw, some ribs, and then when I still tried to keep fighting, he dislocated my shoulder to prove a point.” He tapped the limb as a bout of cold caused it to ache. “Still hurts to this day.” Luna’s eyes stared at him in horror. “That’s… Elias that is terrible.” Elias shrugged and looked back to the fire. “Maybe, but I deserved it. He exiled me after that, and the timing couldn’t have been worse. I had beaten the man because I was concerned about food for the winter. Well, now they had one less mouth to feed.” “So, I stumbled away,” Elias continued. “I could barely hear through the pain, but some of my friends begged him to allow me back in. He couldn’t look weak though, couldn’t go back on his word, so he didn’t listen. Wouldn’t have mattered if he did, because I would have kept walking. “Beaten half to death, and my stupid ass still had a sense of pride,” Elias said with a laugh. “I wandered off, and a few friends came after me. I sent them back, said things to hurt them, to drive them away. Like an old dog, I knew I was going to die, and I didn’t want anyone suffering on my account.” “How did you survive?” Luna asked. “I cannot believe you treated such grievous wounds yourself.” Elias snorted and shook his head. “Maybe a broken leg, but not two broken arms. Lucky me though, because my friends were more stubborn than I was. That first night I walked until I collapsed, praying the first snow would kill me.” Elias felt a shiver pass through his body, and Luna responded by shifting them both closer to the fire. He closed his eyes once more as he rubbed against her chest fur. It was so wonderfully soft. He was going to miss it. “They nabbed me within a few minutes, strapped me to a bed, then dragged me into a nearby building. They had seen the signs of my mental relapse, and they had already prepped for the day I would get myself into trouble. They hadn’t expected it to be so severe, but they managed to patch me up. Then they waited for me to wake up.” Elias sighed. “Two days later, I managed to regain enough consciousness to speak, but this time I used a different tactic. I begged them to leave me, to let me die. I knew what I had done, and it burned me to the core with how weak I was. I was done with living, didn’t want to act as a dead weight on their lives.” “A burden…” Luna said softly. Elias grinned and tapped his forehead. “Now you’re drawing the parallels. Tell me Luna, how much of this little story sounds familiar? Should I get to the part where I came up with the idea where I built a legion? Or maybe the part where I ended up as the leader and built it from the ground up?” He snapped his fingers, his irritation rising to fevered pitch as his mind convulsed with internal pain. “Oh, I know, how about the part where the people I love more than anything decided to fucking volunteer for my little venture?” He snorted, keeping control as he closed his eyes, settling against Luna’s fluffy chest fur. “I know what’s going to happen the moment I ask for trainees. I know which hooves exactly will go into the air without hesitation. I know who will decide to “help” and they are the exact reason why I won’t do it at all. I won’t lost them again. My legion on earth was butchered before my eyes and there wasn’t a damn thing I could to save even one of them.” He rubbed at his eyes, trying to keep the tears back. “I won’t lose them again,” he said, trying to sound angry. “Damn the greater good, I have lost more than enough for the sake of others.” Luna sighed, and Elias felt her nuzzle the top of his head. “The pain you must carry Elias,” she said softly. “I am sorry, and I wish that you did not have to suffer like this. We have begun on a road to your recovery, no matter your answer at the end. Please, continue your tale. I wish to hear the entire story, no matter how much it hurts.” ‘You would,’ he thought, ‘because you’re not the one who’s hurting.’ He continued regardless. The words wanted out now, and even if she tried to get him to stop, he wasn’t sure he could anymore. “We suffered that winter,” he said with a shaky breath. “Food was nonexistent, and more than one of my friends abandoned the effort, not that anyone blamed them. Starving to death is one of the more painful deaths, and I hadn’t stopped encouraging them to leave. January rolled around and we were freezing, starving, and desperate. Then we found it.” Elias smirked. “That damn library. What I thought was salvation. I should have burned it to the ground.” Luna snorted. “Take caution saying that around Twilight. She would attack you for such words.” “If she heard about half the things I’ve done to books, she would have obliterated me on contact and we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” Elias replied. “Wouldn’t that be so bad,” he muttered. Elias could feel Luna’s frown on his back, but he didn’t care, and he continued his story without issue. “We broke in, and the place was untouched. Clean, quiet, dry, even a bit warm. Most importantly though, it was being used for a canned food drive. Why nobody had noticed, I don’t know, but our luck changed in an instant. We had firewood, entertainment, and food enough to last for a year minimum.” “More than that,” Elias said, taking a breath, “we had information. For a few days we just lounged around, but as we got bored, we started combing through the library. As we read, I came to a realization. Nobody was going to last much longer living like we were. There was a finite supply of canned food, and that was running out. That made us look up farming techniques. Then we realized that bullets were all but gone too, so we looked up blacksmithing so that we could make weapons.” Elias waved his hand in a circle. “On and on we looked and read. Then, I stumbled into a section that had been a childhood favorite of mine; history. That particular library had a large Latin cultures section, and it took me less than a day to become obsessed with Rome.” Elias smiled wistfully as he looked to the stars overhead. He wondered briefly why the moon still wasn’t out, but he continued his story without interruption. “My friends were smart, and they encouraged my obsession. They saw me changing before their eyes. I started talking differently, I paid more attention to physical health and appearance. I learned how to become a public speaker, and taught myself ancient battle strategy, I was learning from the greats after all. I taught myself Latin, I read about every great leader in Roman history, and I learned how they got to their greatness. I actually started taking notes, making these vast plans for a… project.” He snorted dismissively. “It was a fools dream, conjured by some idiot kid who spent half of his life as a psychopath.” Luna clicked her tongue. “I doubt that Elias. Tell me, what was this plan of yours?” Elias rolled his eyes; of course she would try to encourage the behavior too. She was no different than any of his friends then, a dreamer. “I wanted to take back the wastes from the scum of the world who saw fit to prey on the weak,” Elias said simply. “I wanted to build a new Rome on the ruins of the wasteland. Once things were up, we could build a senate, and have elections, and an army and just…” He sighed deeply. His shoulders slumped and he stared at the ground. “I wanted to be something else for once. Not just a fighter, or a killer, or a scavenger. I wanted to plan cities, to carve out a society that could learn from the past and make a better way. Maybe we could have reversed the damage our parents had done, or maybe we just had to be the defenders of what was left. I didn’t care, I just needed a catalyst to ensure that we wouldn’t live in fear of those who had more muscle.” “I still have the plans you know,” he said, looking back to Luna. “I kept the most important parts in my journals. Battle formations, standards, material lists… city designs.” Luna smiled down at him. “I never figured you for a city planner Elias, perhaps there could be a future for you in architecture.” Elias rolled his eyes and snorted. “Not likely. I drew the plans in crayon; literally. I burned through all of the pencils and pens in the library, so when the markers and colored pencils ran out, I was left with crayons. To add insult to injury, I, in my infinite naïve stupidity, named my city Pax. What kind of sentimental moron calls a city peace?” Luna leaned over and nuzzled his neck softly. “A man who has been shown hope, and who has embraced it wholeheartedly. Please, continue.” Elias scoffed in reply, but continued with the story. “When spring came, we gathered up everything of value, torched the rest, then went back to the town. Tristan was waiting, watching for our return. Later one of my friends told me that he felt guilty for what he had done and had gone looking for me the same day that he had nearly beat me to death. When he couldn’t find me and came back to more missing people, he sat in vigil and watched, day after day, praying for our return. Everyone I sent home he welcomed back with open arms.” Elias sighed. “But not me. Not the monster, who even now hasn’t changed a damn bit. I’m still the same maniac that beat a man for stealing a can of soup.” “Elias, that isn’t true,” Luna replied. “You are not a monster.” “Aren’t I?” Elias said, tapping his scar. “Used to be that I could pass for normal, freak I may be, but now? The whispers cut deep Luna. They shouldn’t, but each word cuts like a knife, and I can’t help but feel that they’re right. The outside just reflects what’s inside now.” Luna hugged him tightly. “No Elias, none of that is the case. You not a monster, inside nor out. That scar shows that you are a hero to Equestria, and in time ponies will come to understand that. For those who do not understand or take issue with you anyway, send them to me. I shall straighten them out.” “And do what?” Elias said with a snort. “Force them to be my friend? No, it doesn’t matter. I’ll either toughen up and shut them out or I won’t, and I’ll suffer. It’s not important.” Luna sighed again, but she didn’t press the issue. “This Tristan, what did he do?” she prodded. “He stormed out of the walls with this massive knife in his hands,” Elias said, his eyes seeing the blade clearly. “I thought he was going to kill me, and if I’m being honest, I was ready for it. I wasn’t even going to stop him if he decided to just end it right there and then.” He snorted. “Was I in for a shock when he gave me the knife and begged for me to kill him. He was crying and just begging on his knees, pleading with me for some kind of punishment; some idiotic notion that I needed to pay him back for the beating he gave me. When I stopped sending people home, he thought we had all perished. Five lives were on his head, all of whom were close friends. All because he didn’t keep control.” Elias rolled his shoulder. “We were far too much alike in that regard, but at the time, I had no interest in payback, I only wanted to move forward. I threw the knife away and grabbed him, holding him close as he cried, then I just started talking. I showed him my plans on the spot, gave him the left-over food we brought, and then I went on and on about all the good we were going to do. Then I asked him to be let back in. No was never even considered.” Elias smiled wistfully. “You know what comes next of course. Big homecoming party, tears, forgiveness, all of that sappy bullshit. The next day I was put front and center and I laid out my big plan. What I didn’t know was that during the winter, Tristan had made contact with a few other sizable settlements. They were supposed to arrive just after my group came back, and by the end of that week we had some three thousand people, more than I had seen in just shy of a decade.” Elias let out a long breath of air, then tapped Luna’s hoof gently as he rose. He needed to pace. Energy was building in his limbs, and if he got angry, he didn’t want to lash out at her. She didn’t deserve anything that severe. He made small back and forths on the other side of the fire, staring at the stone as he continued. “We were organized, we had resources, and most importantly, we had bodies. It was the perfect environment for an excited, stupid seventeen-year-old to start preaching his gospel about how we were going to be the people who rebuilt the world.” He snorted again. “And they ate it up like they were dying of starvation.” “Perhaps it was starvation of the spirit,” Luna said. “You offered them a better way, and much like yourself, they needed to believe in something.” Elias shrugged. “Maybe. Either way, I asked for volunteers to train up a legion; our protective and offensive arm. Tristan would stay at home since he had made the contact, and he was our de facto leader. So while he maintained and led the home front, my job was to build, then lead the legion. The plan was to have a little senate set up for anyone who voluntarily fought. By the end of the day I had two hundred volunteers, with another hundred waiting in the wings as a reserve.” Elias spread his hands as he made another turn, taking a deep breath. “And then we built. I taught and trained the legionaries the basics of combat, while my friends and I figured out all of the skills we needed. Our books became the single greatest tool we had. Everyone learned a trade; mine was battle strategy, but it extended to everything. Blacksmithing, carpentry, sewing, farming, everything. We trained and built, and worked together and within a month I thought we were ready to take on the world. We had shiny new weapons and slick battle maneuvers. An unstoppable machine to fight back any takers.” “A big shiny threat,” Elias finished coldly. He stared at the ground, the closed his eyes and continued. “We struck out, messed up some nearby raiders, scooped up the slaves they had, and took them home to set free. They just dived into the community, working their asses off to pay us back, and though we told them it wasn’t necessary, we didn’t try to stop them. The work needed done, and if they were eager, more to them. We were riding high, and I honestly thought that we would never lose. That nobody could beat us, and in time, we would win without effort.” He tilted his head. “Taking out the small fries however, attracted some dangerous attention.” “Elias,” Luna said, picking up on the undertone of the story, “you couldn’t have known…” “But I did!” he snapped in reply. “I knew they were out there! I had attacked them before, and they knew me by name!” He let his anger fall as he snorted dismissively. “They had every right to be scared of what I built, and what does a scared animal do when it’s backed into a corner? It fights. Our little victories had put the raiders in quite the spot. Suddenly, somebody was organized, and was acting like a big threat, and word was getting out. They knew how it worked; they knew the strategy I was using.” He lowered his hand to his waist. “You start at the bottom and work your way up. Cut off the small heads first, then when you get good at that, take on a bigger opponent. Pretty soon the boss has no underlings to bully into line, and you can take them out too. They knew what would happen, so they made “arrangements”.” Luna cocked her head. “Arrangements?” Elias felt a nasty flash of rage build up as his thoughts fell back in time. He rubbed his thumb against a callous on his middle finger. “Survivors do anything to stay alive. Betrayal is just another step forward.” A look of horror passed over the alicorn’s face. “Elias, no…” Elias licked his lips and sniffed. “Riding high, I decided to take a swing at one of the big camps in the region. As soon as we left, the village got surrounded and Tristan cut a deal to save their skins. He didn’t even try to use the signaling system we made to make us turn around.” He closed his eyes. “We went to the camp to find them ready for us. Outnumbered us a hundred to one, so after a short scrap, we turned and ran. I thought if we could make it behind the village walls we could hold them back, bottleneck their numbers so that our armor could mean more and we could drive them away. We ran and ran, getting good and tired. All we had to do was get back.” He looked up to Luna. “And we did. We made it to the village gates intact, no losses. Some cuts and scrapes, and we were dead tired, but we hadn’t lost a life yet.” He tilted his head and broke eye contact, turning to the cold black of the night sky. “We hit those doors to find them locked, with the cowards who locked them tucked away in their beds with the promise that they would be safe from the raiders. They had “protection.” My naïve ass thought that that was my job.” Elias felt a sob well up in his throat, threatening to choke his words away, but he pushed it down and pressed on, ignoring the tears that crawled down his cheek. “We were just so fucking tired. We had run for miles with pounds of gear on our back. The gates were closed, and the enemy was close on our heels. I… I didn’t know what else to do.” > Chapter 32: Blood > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Centurion Smith pounded on the heavy wooden gate with his fist, cursing the people inside loudly and violently as he threatened and called for them to come out. Elias ignored the pointless noise as he paced back and forth before the gate, rubbing his bare face with a hand as he tried to think. Bevin and his far too-new wife; Sarah, watched him silently. She sat in her man’s lap, resting her head on his shoulder as they waited for the much younger Elias to make a decision. Though he could feel their support for whatever he decided to do, Elias noted that they didn’t voice that support, no doubt mentally preparing for what came next. Why two grown adults, years older than he was, were waiting on his decision making abilities, Elias didn’t know, but he couldn’t let them down, any of them. So many people were waiting for his orders, so many friends… Elias turned around and walked the other direction, trying to come up with a strategy that could win them the day. Smith kicked the door hard. “Fucking cowards!” he bellowed at the sealed wood. With a huff he turned away from the door and glared at Elias, crossing his arms. “Elias, we need you to say something. We can’t just fucking sit here all night. These fucking traitors aren’t opening up, and the raiders are getting closer. I for one refuse to just sit here and wait to die.” Bevin sighed. “Darius, relax. We’re all going to be just fine, just let Elias think for a minute. He’ll get us out of this.” Smith rolled his eyes and threw his hands into the air. “Yeah, right. Sure. A fucking army is coming down on our heads, and we’re… what? Sitting around? At the very least tell us to get in a line so that we can FUCKING DIE WITH A BIT OF PRIDE!” Elias whirled on the man and grabbed him by the collar of his armor, pulling them so that they were nose to nose. “Darius, kindly shut the fuck up. Everyone is exhausted from running ten miles with full gear, and I’m trying to let them relax for a minute so that when the fight comes, or we start running again, we don’t have to leave anyone. Stop welching like a little bitch, sit the fuck down, and shut your fucking hole so that I can think. You won’t be able to fight off anything if you keep running around like a chicken with its head cut off.” Elias shoved the man away, then resumed his pacing. Darius looked at him with a bit of shock, then did as he was told and took a seat, grumbling softly as he stared at his hands. Elias made three more turns before he spoke up again. “Do we have anything to break down the gate? We could easily refortify the position if we could get inside.” Bevin sighed and shook his head. “All of my tools are in my smithy Elias. Even then, I’d need a couple hours to crack it open. We did a good job when we built it.” Elias nodded. “Which makes me even more curious as to why Tristan decided to throw us to the wolves. The gate is strong and secure, what did the raiders have to make him slam the doors closed in our face?” Darius scoffed. “Or Tristan is just the pussy we always knew him as, and leaving him in charge was the biggest mistake we ever made.” Elias shrugged. “Maybe, but that thinking doesn’t help us now. What about places to hide? We could abandon our armor and bolt for some place to our east. We’d have to start again, but we’re all trained up in survival skills. We’ll make it.” Sarah shook her head. “We’re too tired for that Elias. Our little group could probably get away with that, but everyone else? We’d lose half the legion easily. We also have no idea what the raiders are going to do if they find a pile of abandoned armor outside the settlement. They could burn it to the ground.” “We should burn it to the ground…” Darius grumbled. Elias jabbed a finger at the man. “Darius, shut the fuck up. You aren’t helping. Either come up with a solution, or say nothing. You may have given up like a dickless coward, but I intend to get as many people through this as possible, and I don’t need your stupid pessimism fucking with me. Shut up.” Darius leaped to his feet, and he quickly got into Elias’ face. “Oh yeah? And what are you going to do if I don’t shut up? What can you possibly do to me that matters more than the literal hundreds of assholes coming for our heads?” Elias butted heads with him and growled. “Did you forget who the fuck I am Darius? I will-..” “Enough!” Bevin said as he jumped up and shoved them apart. “This isn’t helping anyone!” He shoved Darius toward the trees where the legionaries were waiting. “Go check on everyone, make sure they’re getting water. We aren’t done today, and you’d better believe we need to be as hydrated as possible.” Darius gave one last hateful glare at Elias, then huffed and stalked away. Bevin looked back to Elias, grabbing his shoulder to make their eyes meet. Elias tried to pull away, but Bevin didn’t let him, and the man used his strong hands to hold Elias in place. “Calm back down Elias, and think. You have a wonderful brain in that head, and I know you can figure something out. Darius is right in the fact that we can’t stay here for much longer.” Elias nodded and pulled away, looking toward the wooden gates that seemed to tower before him. What should have been a comforting sight looked more like a dark specter, black and powerful, threatening to take away everything he loved. “I know. I need to make a decision, a plan, something.” He sighed deeply, shaking his head. “But I don’t have anything. This was the plan. This was supposed to be the fix to my fuck up. We made it back here and then…” Elias walked up to the gate, laying a hand on it. As if it would change by the amount of force used to open it, he pressed lightly, silently begging for the lock to slip open so they could get inside. When it did not give, he punched the door as hard as he could. “It wasn’t supposed to be fucking closed!” He rested his forehead on the door, closing his eyes as desperation creeped in. “I don’t know what to do,” he whispered as tears flowed down his face. He felt a pressure on his back, then felt a pair of arms wrap around his chest. “It’s alright Elias,” Sarah said softly. “It’s alright. It’s not your fault.” He knew better than that. It was his fault; it was only his fault. He had made the plans, he had led them into battle, and he had told them to turn and run to the village. It was all his fault, and everyone he loved was going to die because of him. Bevin turned Elias around and pulled him close as that first sob creeped up his throat. Elias cried helplessly as the man rubbed his hair. “Shh,” he said softly. “It’s alright Elias, we’re here. We won’t leave you behind.” Elias pushed away, using his anger as a hammer to fire up his mind. He shook his head, and shoved them both back. “No, that’s exactly what you’re going to do. Sarah, go get Darius. The three of you will leave your equipment nearby, and then you’re going to run. Go to the town near the library. Stay there for a few days, then sneak back to the village and see if Tristan will let you back in. Then at least you’ll be alive. I’ll take the legion to fight the raiders for as long as we can. That’ll buy you time, and once they see me dead, they won't care about anyone else. Just go, run.” Sarah gave him a pained look. “Elias… we won’t leave you, or anyone behind. That isn’t who we are; you know that. We’re family, and if we die… then we die together.” Elias opened his mouth to shout her down, to insult them both and drive them away, but he couldn’t. Another soft sob wracked his chest, and Bevin grabbed him, pulling him close again as the tears began anew. ***** Elias shuddered as he took a pause. Tears streamed freely down his face. Luna had convinced him to sit back down with her, and he was glad for her presence as he began to cry. She stroked his head. “Like Book Binder and Night Flash,” she said softly. “Painfully like them,” Elias said. “Parallels. It’s all happened before, and now it’s happening again. It’s why I keep driving them away. I have to, I can’t let them too close.” He took a shaky breath and shook his head. “But it doesn’t matter, because it’s already too late. I didn’t do my job and keep them at arm’s length. They love me too much, and if it happens again, they won’t leave. They won’t live for me.” He buried his face in Luna’s fur. “And it’ll kill me when they die.” ***** Elias slipped under a swing aimed at his head, then caught a second bat on his shield. His gladius impaled the first raider, a short woman, in the eye, while it took the second, a massive hulk of a man, in the thigh. The second raider bellowed and tried to grab at the blade, but Elias ripped it free, roaring in the man’s face as the gladius tore through his ribs. His scutum cracked into the man’s chin, and he collapsed with a scream, clutching at the wounds. Elias had no time to finish killing the man as he threw himself into another breach in the shield wall. He had maneuvered them into the forest near the village, setting up a defensive rectangle to protect them from all avenues. He had then set fires far to their flanks to bottleneck the raider advance. As he expected, the raiders came from all sides anyway, denting their armor with an assortment of shoddily made melee weapons, primarily hatchets and baseball bats. For a time, the legion cut through them like a scythe through wheat, but their numbers were endless, and his legionaries were tiring, dulling like any other blade. Elias felt a blow glance off his helmet, and he responded with a brutal slash to the man’s abdomen. The man screamed, but didn’t drop. Elias planted his left heel on the ground and planted the right on the man's sternum, kicking him in the chest and driving him back into a trio of charging raiders. They collapsed in a heap, and it gave Elias the breathing room to help the men to his right and left. His gladius sang as it whetted its appetite for blood, sending more people stumbling to the red mud. A fresh group of raiders let out a battle-cry, and they rushed in without fear. The press tightened as metal met flesh, and more screams split the air. Elias felt the air leave his lungs as a bat made its way behind his scutum, cracking against his armored ribs. He punched the raider in the face, answering her blow with a broken nose. She staggered back, then growled at him and tried to swing again. Elias dipped under her and flipped her over on his shield. He turned his back to the press for a moment to stab her in the throat, then turned back, accepting a nasty punch on the chin. Though it rattled his teeth and made his vision blur slightly, Elias braced his legs and pushed, sending a pocket of raiders sprawling. Elias suppressed a groan as even more barely armored raiders flooded into the clearing, their war cries loud. What surprised him was when the red wearing individuals slammed into the raiders to his front, rather than the legionaries to his side. Attacked from behind, and easily cut off from their reinforcements, the press lightened as his legionaries let out their own war cry, cutting down the raiders with renewed vigor at the sight of their unexpected allies. Elias pointed his gladius high into the air, and rushed forward with a shout, leading the charge to meet the red individuals in the middle. His gladius tore through one raider’s stomach, then plunged into another’s ribs. His scutum acted like a battering ram, cracking into a raider’s knees. The man to Elias’ left killed the injured raider, letting out a feral cry as the body collapsed with a gaping hole in its throat. Elias felt his gladius catch on another blade, and Elias quickly found himself face to face with one of the red wearing raiders. The man was familiar, and in fact was another friend. Steven grinned and winked at him. “Evening Elias, gotten yourself into a scrap, have you?” Elias let his blade drop as he embraced the man. The raiders began to rout, and as they ran, they clogged up their fellows, driving their attack away as panic sowed into their ranks. It gave them a minute of breathing room as the legionaries mixed with the reserves, greeting them with hugs, cheers, and more than a few tears. Elias smiled widely as his eyes teared up. “It’s good to see you Steven, are the gates open? Did Tristan change his mind?” The man drooped and shook his head. “No, and when we win, we can’t go back. We came out here to help with the knowledge that we wouldn’t be allowed back in, and if we stagger back wounded, he’s promised to kill us. A raider representative came to check on the village as we left. He’s real scared Elias, it’s a damn shame. But we got what weapons we got scavenge, and we came out swinging. The whole reserve force volunteered.” Elias let out a long sigh, but his smile didn’t disappear. “Alright, that’s a bit disheartening, but we can do this. Can you take up the rear defense? It will fortify our front and flanks much better if we can tighten up our armor.” Steven nodded. “Can do buddy, let’s give them a nasty nosebleed to remember us by.” Elias grinned and clapped his shoulder in agreement. He turned around. “First cohort spread out to the flanks and front! The reserves will hold our rear!” A cheer went up as the red clad men and women filtered through the ranks of silver. Elias nodded silently as he watched, his mind racing. There was a carpet of bodies at their feet. Maybe, just maybe there was a chance to make it through. The raiders couldn’t keep sending waves of people forward. Eventually the stacks of bodies would cause more fear than whatever the raider bosses threatened. If they could survive a bit longer and inflict more casualties, then maybe they could call a meeting. A deal with the devil would be worth it if his friends survived. He had made worse deals before. Steven gave Elias a slight squeeze on the shoulder, then made to move away. Then the first gunshot split the air. The man collapsed with a hole in his head, hitting the ground with a dull thud. Elias watched with horror as a dozen more people followed, collapsing as machine gun fire mowed through reserves and legionaries alike. He didn’t know what to do. Their armor couldn’t stand against concentrated gun fire. The raiders weren’t supposed to have guns! His intel said everything was empty. Only he and Tristan knew of a pair of SAW’s that still held a few belts of ammunition. As another dozen dropped, the full realization of Tristan’s betrayal flashed through his mind. Raw hate consumed any good memories of the man, and Elias swore to every god in existence that he would see the man suffer for his sins. That anger let his mind snap into focus, and he gave orders as bullets flew by his head. “Spread out! Break formation, and get on the ground! They’re firing blind and will run dry!” His legionaries dropped instantly, with the reserves following suit a few dangerous seconds behind. Almost as soon as they spread out, the guns fell silent, and a loud cry echoed through the air as a fresh group of raiders rushed forward. Elias screamed bloody rage at them as he yelled for his troops to rise. Their heavy armor, so crucial to keeping them safe and alive became their Achilles-heel as his legionaries struggled to rise in the heavy equipment. Far too many were set upon quickly by the swarms of raiders, and Elias couldn’t do anything but watch and kill, praying that his blade made a difference. His gladius split the air as he swung it with deadly efficiency. There was no more formation, no more army. This was a brawl to the death, and he would be damned if he didn’t take a thousand of the bastards with him to hell. A raider with a pair of kitchen knives lunged at Elias. He caught the charge on his scutum, then headbutted the raider, finishing the scrawny woman off with a quick cut to her throat. Another quickly followed with a sharpened stick. That man quickly lost his right hand, and Elias left him to scream and bleed out, jumping over him to slam into a pair of raiders trying to attack one of his legionaries from behind. While one was driven back by his shield, the other managed to block Elias’ first gladius swing. The second caught the man in the thigh, and the third took out his eyes. As the raider collapsed with a shriek, his friend got to her feet, and Elias grabbed her by the throat, slamming his scutum into her face until she became limp in his hands. Taking a dangerous second to breathe, Elias looked around the battlefield. Without the strength of their formation, legionaries started to fall. The sheer number of raiders, coupled with the sudden fire support, shattered any semblance of organized morale. Nobody ran, however. They knew the stakes if they turned their backs, so they fought like rabid animals, fighting with steel and bone as they created an ungodly racket of death. The already bloody ground became slick as the red liquid flowed freely, frequently joined by corpses as lifeless bodies fell. Elias dove back into the fighting, his throat going hoarse as he did his best to kill and demoralize the raiders. At some point his scutum was torn from his grip, so Elias ripped his helmet free and fought with that. It too disappeared, so his dagger appeared in his hand next, quickly becoming slick with blood as he carved great holes in the raiders. Elias ducked under a bat aimed for his skull, then spun around, driving the point of his gladius through the raider's neck. His dagger plunged into the gurgling man's ribs, then both blades ripped free. A legionnaire to Elias' right was dragged to the ground with a shout, and both raiders on top of of the silver-clad man raised filthy machete's into the air. Elias' dagger sprouted from one of their chests, and his gladius stole the life from the second. Elias pushed their bodies off his legionnaire, dragging the man to his feet. He gave Elias a tired nod, then scooped up his gladius and dove back in, stabbing a raider in the gut. Elias didn't pay him anymore attention as he spun on his heel, catching a hatchet on his gladius. His blade locked, so Elias reached forward with his free hand, grabbing the raider by the shirt and yanking her forward. He headbutted her once, and that was enough to get his gladius free. The blade bit into her right arm, then into her throat. She collapsed with a shocked expression and a whimper. Elias didn't care as he looked for someone else to kill. He was not left wanting, and with ease he dove back in. Only a familiar scream dragged his attention away from the fighting, and Elias looked up as his gladius tore the throat from a man. Even across the battlefield, he could clearly see four raiders latched onto a screaming Sarah, dragging her away from Bevin’s dead body with an evil grin present on their faces. They were moving toward the forest, which had an odd orange glint amongst its leaves. Death wasn’t enough for the bastards, and as Elias let out another feral shout, he knew that it wouldn’t be enough for him either. He cut his way through the battlefield, leaving a string of bodies in his wake. It took him far too long, and as he broke free, another loud scream split the air, far to his front. He needed to move quickly, so he didn’t even spare a glance toward his best friend’s corpse. Grief would come later, he had to save at least one. Elias rushed into the leaves, knowing he couldn’t do anything to help his legionaries if his mind was on his friend’s fate. He ignored the leaves slapping against his face, then ignored the smoke as it began clogging his nose. A third scream split through the air as Elias crashed through a clearing. The fire had closed the way behind him, and as a fourth scream split the air, Elias took off, following the sound as best he could through the growing clouds of smoke that burned his eyes and nose. As he sprinted by a tree, two raiders leaped out, with one of them swinging at his arm. Elias caught the bat with his hand, and wrenched it away, plunging his gladius deep into the man’s guts. Directing the body, he caught the attack of the second raider on the body’s shoulder. He then ripped his gladius free and flung himself at the second raider, tackling him to the ground. The blade descended quickly, and though he wanted to make the raider suffer, Elias made the kill quick. He needed to find Sarah. No more screams split the air, but voices did as they loudly shouted at on another. Elias crept through the brush silently. It took him under a minute to find the four raiders, with two helping a third bandage a wound on his arm. The fourth raider stood over Sarah’s lifeless body, shaking his head. “Damnit Brian, why’d you have to go and do that? If we brought her back alive we would have an excuse for not having to fight no more, but now we gotta go back, or the boss will kill us!” The wounded man snarled at his friend. “The bitch stabbed me! She got what she deserved, and so will the rest of them. Besides, just drag me back to camp, and you can say that I got hurt pursuing her, so you took care of me. We’re gonna win, so it’s not like the boss can blame us for being safe.” Elias quickly grew tired of listening to the quartet of murderers, and he moved fast to end them. The first man standing over Sarah was dead before he hit the ground. The other three stared at him with horror in their eyes, and the uninjured pair fumbled at their weapons to defend themselves. They never had a chance. Elias killed the first one with a dagger in his neck. The second collapsed with a scream as Elias slashed out his eyes. The third let out a wet gasp as the gladius pinned him to the tree, lancing through the man’s left lung. Elias grabbed the raider's head and stared into his eyes as the man slowly choked on his own blood. Only when the light died did he rip the gladius free, moving to silence the blinded man. A glance back at Sarah brought out a dark part of his mind, and Elias flipped the man over, pressing on his throat with a sandaled foot. The man’s fists tried to batter away his leg, but Elias didn’t notice the efforts, he merely waited. Once the man was quiet, Elias slit his throat to be ensure his fate, then he let his gladius fall to the grass. His anger vanished in an instant, and his mind seemed to stick in one place. He couldn't think properly, so Elias relied on instinct. He staggered over to Sarah, dropping behind her. As softly as he could, Elais grabbed her head and lowered it into his lap. He brushed her shoulder length hair with his fingers softly and smoothly, going through the motions with practiced ease. She had always forced him to do it as a calming exercise, and as he began to cry, his hand moved without thought. ***** Elias fell silent, staring with numb eyes at the fire. His hand ran down his sword belt, miming the motion of brushing as his fingertips remembered the sensation. Top to bottom. Top to bottom. Luna reached out gently with her hooves, forcing his hands to stop as she pulled him close. “Elias I… I don’t know what to say other than I’m sorry. I am so very sorry.” Elias glanced up long enough to notice the tears on her face, matting the fur around her eyes as she stared down at him. The tears were gone from his eyes, however. He felt numb, dead. Nothing mattered, and all he could feel was a sense of loss as he rested his head against her furry chest. “Thanks,” Elias said without emotion. “After that I fell asleep with her in my arms. It rained that night, and when I woke up everything hurt, inside and out. I lucked out that one of the raiders was using a shovel as a weapon, and I did my best to dig her a grave, leaving her helmet as a marker before I staggered off. She deserved better. A better death, better life. She definitely deserved a better friend than me.” Luna sighed and nuzzled the top of his head. “That isn’t for you to say Elias. She loved you, and that means that she couldn’t have had a better friend. You cannot choose the people that love you, and even if you distance yourself, that love will remain if it is true. I can assure you that she watched you from your afterlife and smiled when she saw that you survived because of her.” Elias flinched at the statement, and he pulled away from Luna, getting to his feet once more. He left the blanket behind this time, he needed to feel the chill of the air. He moved to the edge of the cliff and stared at the lights of Canterlot. So many vibrant, living ponies. So peaceful, untouched. Innocent. Elias desperately prayed that they would remain that way for all time. Without look back to the fire, Elias continued. “I hope you’re wrong Luna, because if she was watching me, then she knows the atrocities I committed in revenge for her death.” He paused, then shook his head. “That is not a story I will share tonight however, and I am fairly certain I will never share it. I did things Luna, horrible things. Tristan deserved it, but everyone else? No. No, and I won’t speak of it further, so don’t you dare ask.” Luna, perhaps sensing the immense tension in the statement, sighed and nodded her agreement. “What happened next? Did you find any survivors?” Elias shrugged and turned back to the fire. “No. The raiders were very thorough. The rain had put out the forest fire, and had put down the smell, but it was still immense as I stumbled back to my legion. They… died. All of them. The legionaries, the reserves… gone. The raiders took the eagle we made, probably as a trophy, but they left the standard, and it still fluttered as the first wind of winter put a chill in the air. By no rights should I have survived that night, and the flag shouldn't have survived either, but...” Elias reached out his fingers as he imagined the proud banner on its pole, then his eyes flicked to his sword belt. He approached it nervously, bending down slowly as he rifled through the pouches. His fingers alighted on the soft fabric as he pulled it out, and he stared at that golden eagle for a moment before he passed the standard to Luna, who took it with equal caution. “The marker of my legion’s death. The raiders at least had enough respect to not defile the bodies, they just left them where they died. It’s the only reason I went as softly on them as I did. If they had polluted my legionaries, if they had defiled the standard, I would have demanded you send me back so that I could kill them all. That revenge died when I came here though, and that slight gesture, so insignificant to most people, meant a lot to me.” He plopped on his rump, snatching up the blanket once more. Luna carefully folded up his old legion standard as he got comfortable, and she set it on his sword belt. “But they were gone, and there were far too many for me to bury, so I had to leave most of them there. I buried Darius, Bevin, Steven, but nobody else. I just didn’t have the strength to keep going.” He sniffled and stared at his feet. “My last great failure. I couldn’t even respect their memory. I took the standard, found my equipment, then left to get revenge.” A tear crawled down his cheek. “But it didn’t matter. None of it did. I got everyone killed by being too big, too ambitious. All of my friends, my family. Gone. Dead. My fault. I-it was m-my….” Luna grabbed him in an instant and pulled him close, letting him weep into her fur. The pain, the suffering was clear across every part of his body, and Luna could only keep him close, praying desperately that she hadn’t just broken him by getting him to share his story. Such losses, and then with everything that had happened since they had found him? He was right to fear a repeat of such losses, was right to be terrified of the proposition they had offered him. In his place, Luna imagined she would react exactly the same way. She could also tell that there was more to the story. His revenge was something even darker, but Luna found that she couldn’t care less about what he might be hiding. Whatever man had staggered away from that battlefield clearly wasn’t the man that had just emptied a piece of his soul to her. It certainly wasn’t the man that was weeping unapologetically into her fur as years of suppressed grief made itself known. This man had things he wanted to protect again, even from himself. He was aware of all of his faults and failings, and he was simply scared of messing up again, of losing it all once more. Luna had little idea what humans were like, but she imagined that one with lesser strength than Elias would have simply collapsed by now, consumed by guilt and grief. Elias’ tears tapered off, and he tried to silently shy away from Luna’s grasp. She didn’t let him, and despite the seriousness of the situation, she found that she simply enjoyed having him close. A flash of butterflies touched her stomach, but this time Luna couldn’t tell why. She just knew he couldn’t escape her. She needed him close as much as he needed her to talk to, even if he wouldn’t admit it. Luna gently stroked his long hair with a hoof. “Listen closely Elias, I only wish to say this once. You did not fail them; not like you think. Perhaps you failed as a leader, though I do not think so, but I know as a fact that you did not fail as a friend. Never as a friend. You fought, and suffered, and you gave your all to make sure they succeeded.” She looked to the sky as her horn pinged briefly. It was nearly time to raise the moon. “Sometimes the world is cruel for no reason at all. No matter how good a person, no matter how righteous the cause, or how tight the bonds between them, the world hurts them anyway. It is what makes life alive. We cannot change what happens in the past, so we cannot look back, just like you told me in my castle.” She nuzzled the top of his head, causing the man to squirm. “I know this will sound cruel given what you have told me, but I just ask you to think on my words, even if your answer is still no. What happened on your world will never happen here. Should you take the position, you will have seven months to prepare, not one. Your legion is as big or small as you desire, and you can recruit from the whole of Equestria. Conscript thousands if you must. You will not need to learn new skills, for your armor and supplies will be provided by my sister and I.” She could tell that he wanted to pull away, to run from her words, but Luna tightened her grip, resting her head against his back. His heart raced in her ears, and Luna sighed as she listened to its furious pumping and continued. “Most of all however, you will always have us. Your friends, my sister and I, even Princess Cadence. All of Equestria will be behind you, and the weight of the world will not be on your shoulders, but will be shared with the other generals. There will be no gates closed when you need them open. I beseech you Elias, this one, final time. Please, form a new legion. Learn from your mistakes and use your vast knowledge to protect the ones you love. Only you have that raw battlefield knowledge, and only you can see the job done right so that nopony dies unnecessarily. I put faith in my other generals, but you Elias, you I trust the most. Your hardships will ensure that no mistakes are made. We need your expertise desperately, and only by making you equal in station will you have an equal voice when making decisions. Please Elias, I beg you; not as your princess, but as your friend, please accept.” Then she let go. Her hooves remained around his body, but they held no force to hold him back. If he wanted to leave, he could do so, and Luna would accept whatever consequences her words brought. No anger rose in the human before her however, and instead he seemed to shrink, hiding behind the wings and blanket that were keeping him warm. He shook his head silently though, and Luna’s heart sank. His voice barely above a whisper, Elias said; “I’ll think about it.” Luna let out a small sigh of relief, and nuzzled his back. “Thank you, Elias, that is all I ask. If we can do this right, we may never have to worry about war to our west again. Take as much time as you need to decide. I will ensure that nobody pressures you into making a decision you do not want.” Elias nodded silently, then looked around. “So how do we get down from here?” he asked quietly. “I have a letter prepared,” Luna replied. “A pair of my guards are on standby to carry us to the castle.” Elias nodded again, then leaned back into her fur. Luna smiled as the butterflies returned. The sight was simply perfect, and she couldn’t find a single thing wrong with the man before her. A flash of fear lanced through her mind as she made the realization that had been building since Hearth’s Warming Eve. She loved him. Everything, even in his weakened, almost beaten state, she loved it all. His scent was overpowering in her nose, and she couldn’t help but find it sweeter than even the most expensive perfumes. His beautiful blue eyes stared into the dark, the usual focus there, but now accompanied by a bit of grief, as well as… gratitude? The scar on his face did nothing to mar his handsomeness, though Luna faintly wished he would shave. He had always had a scraggly beard, but even fully grown, she wished to see his perfect face clean. Luna closed her eyes and sighed softly as he adjusted, leaning heavily into her fur. The sensation was heavenly, and she wished it would never end. Having him close… she would have to give it up. If he accepted, this would be the last time she could snuggle him. For a while at least. She had no idea how to approach such a subject anyway, or if she should approach it at all. What would her subjects think? What would her sister think? After his panic attack in the throne room, Elias and Celestia were already going to have trouble getting along, but if she started publicly courting him, her sister might take a note from her student and blow Luna’s feelings out of proportion. Even worse, what if he did not return her feelings? Would she drive him further away? Being friends was one thing, but she had made none of the traditional moves to ensure that she would woo him, or to test if she should even try. Luna felt herself tense up slightly as she thought about it further. He was also a capable stallion, and while not conventionally attractive, there were plenty of mares with exotic tastes, and Elias was by no means an ugly mate. On top of that, he was still completely available to any attempts at love. A flash of panic raced through Luna's thoughts, and a mean streak of possessiveness quickly followed, creeping into her mind. She would need to act quickly, and smartly. She both needed to keep her feelings a secret until she was sure that he wouldn’t reject her outright, as well as mark him as hers to keep other enterprising mates away. That would require focus, and the utmost caution. She needed time alone, to plan, to make arrangements. Luna sighed as her horn pinged again. She needed to raise the moon, she just silently hoped that Elias wouldn’t judge her sub-par performance too harshly. Elias felt immensely tired. His chest felt heavy, and all of his limbs ached with untold tension and pain. None of it could hold a candle to the agony he felt inside. It felt… depleted though, as if just a little had been chipped away. Maybe all of the BS the ponies had told him about when it came to sharing was right, not like he’d ever verbally admit it. It didn’t matter, he felt tired, he needed sleep. He just hoped that his night terrors would take a night off and let him sleep in peace for once. Elias blinked rapidly as he tried to rid himself of his tiredness. It felt like something was happening, something significant. He looked up with his mis-matched, bleary eyes to find Luna’s horn aglow. The blue light illuminated her beautiful face perfectly, and with her eyes closed, she focused her magic. Even without any concept of what it was supposed to feel like, Elias could almost reach out and touch the power that charged the air. He briefly looked around to find what she was acting her magic on, then realized what it was as the moon slipped into view. From his seat on top of the mountain, the moon looked super massive. Each crater seemed clearly defined, and the brilliant white of it was nearly blinding. Elias could only watch in awe as it shifted higher and higher into the sky. As it carved through its orbit, Elias spotted an ocean of stars spread in its wake, twinkling brightly as they spread across the sky. Everywhere he looked he saw light, brilliant, shining light. His eyes glanced back to the master of such beauty, and he couldn’t help but lean into her fur as he watched the shower of stars unfold. To say he had never seen anything like it would be a drastic understatement. He couldn’t keep the word from his mind, which surprised him as he rarely found the opportunity to use it, but maybe it was because he hadn’t learned the true meaning before he saw the display. It was beautiful, simply, stunningly beautiful. His eyes looked to Luna. She was beautiful. The way the light painted her face with its light, the way her muzzle seemed to hide the hint of a smile. Her green eyes seemed to sparkle in the moonlight, and her hair flowed lightly, matching perfectly with the stars that consumed the blackness of the night sky. She was simply beautiful. An odd sensation touched Elias’ chest, and he did a quick mental check to make sure that it wasn’t some repressed demon taking opportunity of his momentary weakness. No… No, it was something different. Something new. He couldn’t place what the emotion might be though, so Elias ignored it. It wasn’t bad, so it didn’t matter much. Leaning against Luna though, that felt right. Elias felt his eyes begin to close as he rubbed his cheek in her fluff. Exhaustion swept over his mind, and the last thought he had as he blacked out was that it wouldn’t be so bad to snuggle with her at least one more time… Luna sighed softly as she closed her eyes for a moment, letting a cloud of fog drift into the air. The moon hung dead center in the sky, its light providing illumination to the land below. Unlike her usual moon raising ceremony however, she didn’t look out on her ponies, nor did she look out over her kingdom, her domain of the night. Instead, she stared lovingly at the lone human snuggling tightly against her chest. A hand clutched at her fur, while the other was wrapped easily around her barrel. His cheek rested deep in her fluff, and an absolutely dazzling smile covered his face as the first of what she knew would be many snores crept forth. The sight nearly made her tear up with joy, and Luna felt her resolve to court the human harden. She needed to be the rock in his life, needed to make it so that he could have the peace and happiness that he needed. She needed to earn his love, so that she could love, and spoil him in return. She would make Elias her stallion, and then she would protect him for all time. She just needed to guide him through certain steps first. Shifting slightly, his good eye cracked open for a second before closing again. His cheek rubbed deeper into her chest fluff, and a deep, calm breath escaped his lungs as he held her close. “Thanks for letting me share Moony,” he grumbled softly. “And you did good. Best moonrise I’ve ever seen. You did…” He slipped away again, unnoticing of Luna’s wide smile as his words brought her to tears of pure joy. She leaned close and gave him a chaste peck on the cheek before curling around his body. “Thank you, Elias,” she whispered softly, so softly in fact that it was nearly unspoken. “I shall cherish your words forever, no matter what happens. Thank you so very much my love.” Resting her chin on his shoulder, she flared her wings and let them fall completely over his body, shielding him from the cold of the night. She rifled through her saddle bags briefly, then sent away the letter calling her guards, making sure she added a note for them to take their time. She hummed a lullaby softly as she stared at the moon, her mind quiet and satisfied as she waited with her human. > Chapter 33: Choices > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias woke up slowly, which in and of itself was an oddity. He never woke up peacefully, ever. Even his best days led to night terrors, they were simply a fact of life. He went to bed, he woke up a few hours later either screaming his head off or in a cold sweat, it was how things were. Not today though, today he woke up slowly, and in truth, he felt unwilling to leave the warmth of his bed. A knock on his door however, prodded him awake. With a groan, Elias rubbed at his face, and rolled free from the comfortable bed. He felt a dozen aches in his legs and arms, as well as a significant twinge in his shoulder. Elias tried not to groan in pain as he massaged the overly used muscle. He briefly wondered if Scalpel would be able to fix the ages old injury; magic was a thing after all. Maybe the unicorn could make it like new, then Elias would have to deal with one less ache every time he did anything. Another insistent knock came from the door. “I’m coming,” Elias said loudly. Pushing himself to his feet, Elias worked at his shoulder as he walked stiffly toward the door. With a final grunt of pain, Elias opened it, and was immediately pounced by a certain blue pegasus. Night Flash landed on his chest, and immediately pressed his fuzzy cheek against Elias’ as he snuggled in deep. “Red, I am so sorry about yesterday! I thought I my mom would be nicer, but she just got so overprotective and I…” Elias placed a hand over his muzzle, silencing the pegasus instantly. Elias made sure their eyes met, then he silently pulled Night Flash closer and hugged him, softly, yet firmly. The pegasus sighed and returned it, nuzzling Elias’ bare chest. As the pony grew comfortable, Elias kept his voice soft. “Flash, it’s fine. I’m fine.” Night Flash sniffled. “I know Red, I know. I just… I thought she would like you more. When you left… I got scared that you wouldn’t want to see us again.” Elias glanced to Book Binder, who gave him a sad smile. “We were nervous Elias. You just seemed so… lost. Beaten. You were trying so hard to make us happy, but it backfired so horribly. I’m sorry Elias, I am so sorry that that happened to you. You put in far too much effort to have it thrown back in your face, and I am so sorry that it all was.” Elias motioned for her to walk closer. The unicorn hesitated for a moment, then did so. As soon as she was close enough, Elias grabbed her and pulled her into the hug as well. Book Binder sighed happily as she rubbed against both of them, and the three remained in place for a while, simply relishing the physical contact. The lack of bathing must have gotten to the ponies more sensitive senses however, because Book Binder peeled away from the hug first, smiling at Elias as she closed the door behind them. Night Flash was a bit more reluctant, so Elias scooped him up and carried the pegasus to the bed, setting him on an undisturbed portion. Elias then began rifling through the clothes strewn about the room, searching for a cleanish tunic to wear before he took his morning shower. “So what are you two doing here?” Elias asked as he took a whiff of one of his red tunics. It didn’t quite smell bad… Elias mentally shrugged and pulled the tunic over his head while Book Binder answered. She levitated a large white box toward him with a smile on her face. “We thought we would treat you! Doughnut Joe’s is the best in Canterlot, and what better way to celebrate our engagement than with doughnuts?” Elias smiled at the offer, but as he came fully awake, the pressure that he had found momentary escape from pressed down on his skull. The decision he had been given was massive, and his discussion with Luna had brought him no closer to reaching an answer. Her argument rang around his skull, chased by the fear of what could happen, of what could repeat. He couldn’t lose everything again, he just couldn’t, he wouldn't. However, Luna seemed like she was telling him the truth, and no matter what he had said to the alicorn, he didn’t want to lose her either. She was a valuable council in his life, and a source of calm from the turbulence of his thoughts. Save for the instances where he ended up in his death bed, she didn’t treat him like a child or a threat, just a person. Elias’ smile dipped as he thought about that. The relationship between even them had changed, and she didn’t want him to remain a simple guard. She trusted him immensely to offer such a thing to a foreigner, both in species and birthplace. Citizenship be damned, he didn’t know anything about Equestria, not really. He had been outside of Canterlot only two times, and both had him walking about the Everfree. What he did know was war, and that was what Luna was counting on. She, and by extension her sister, knew as well as he did that the ponies would be drastically under prepared for real fighting. The wedding was more than evidence of that. Even if they were infiltrated, the guards should have been able to put up a better fight, yet most were captured within moments of the initial attack. Even if they practiced at a new high for the next seven months, training was only part of the battle. Elias had no idea how they would deal with the logistics of the march, or even if anyone was thinking about those logistics. They needed an expert, and while he was no Caesar or Alexander, he was human, and that made him that expert. Elias blinked as Night Flash’s hoof touched his arm. The pegasus oozed concern as he scooted closer. “What’s wrong Red? You know that whatever it is, we’re always going to be here, right?” Elias sighed and sat down next to him. “I know. It’s that very fact that worries me.” He scratched the back of his head, running a hand through his untied hair. Book Binder looked at him with a frown as the box of doughnuts floated over to rest in their miniature kitchen. She sat down in front of him, laying her head on his knee as she stared up with her wide pony eyes. “Come on Elias, talk to us. What are you trying to hide behind those eyes of yours? Did the dinner get to you that much?” Elias shook his head. “No, or at least not really. It certainly didn’t help, don’t get me wrong, but if I hadn’t gone to see the princesses beforehand, I think I could have dealt with it better.” “What did the princesses want to talk to you about?” Night Flash, leaning against Elias’ shoulder. “You seemed very upset when I found you back here.” Elias snorted dismissively as he reached up to scratch the pony’s ears, doing his best to ignore the still, largely destroyed room. “Upset seems like a gross understatement.” His lame attempt to dodge the question didn’t work as Book Binder and Night Flash watched him with silent, caring eyes. Elias sighed deeply. “The princesses offered me a job, a promotion if you will.” “I’d say that’s wonderful news Elias,” Book Binder said, “but it feels like there’s more to it than a simple rank bump.” Elias nodded. “They want me to make a legion, from scratch, hence why they offered me a position as a general. It’s for some big march in seven months. They want extra bodies, so each guard force is opening recruiting across Equestria, and they believe they need an extra one.” Book Binder gasped softly and rubbed his knee. “Elias I… I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine how that must make you feel.” The phrasing of her words seemed a bit odd, but Elias decided to ignore it as he nodded silently and pushed himself to his feet. Lifting the mattress, he retrieved the set of journals hidden under it. After letting the mattress drop, Elias stared at the worn covers for a minute, then glanced at the pair of ponies beside him. Taking a deep breath, Elias offered the books to Night Flash and Book Binder. “If you want to understand, then read these. I’ve kept them hidden from you for long enough. You deserve the whole truth about me.” Book Binder’s face took on an odd look as she shook her head. “Elias, we don’t need that. We know those are private, and that you have good reason for keeping it that way.” She tried to use a bit of magic to push his hand back, but Elias pressed the journals forward. “No, you’re my friends, and I haven’t been telling you the whole truth. I can’t have our relationships be built on falsehoods. You don’t deserve to be lied to.” Book Binder looked to Night Flash, who sighed and nodded once. The mare seemed to wither as she rose to her feet. She walked in front of Elias, gently pushing the journals back with her hoof. “If today is going to be a day of truth, then… we have something to tell you as well.” Elias noticed tears in her eyes as she looked at him with the saddest expression he had ever seen. He found that he despised that look on her face. “Elias,” she took another deep breath. “We already read your journals. We know everything that has happened to you. Both of us do.” Elias blinked at her in shock as his hand fell to his side. “What?” he asked in disbelief. The single word cause Book Binder to flinch, but she didn’t look away as the tears climbed down her cheeks. “When you got sick. We were cleaning your room and we found the journals and we read them. I told you we didn’t because I was scared you would push us away, but we read them. Every word. Every torture, and terrible act, we read through it all.” The notebooks fell from his limp fingers as shock climbed through his mind, rending apart any coherent thought. “B-but, then why…?” Elias asked stutteringly. “Why did you decide to be my friends? Why try to be my parents? Why didn’t you do the smart thing and run far far away?” Elias demanded, his voice sounding unintentionally sharp in his ears. Book Binder whimpered softly. “Because you aren’t the same now as you were then Elias. The man in the journals isn’t the man we know,” she said, doing her best to maintain eye contact. “You are so much better now. You care about your friends, you do what’s right, you’ve been nothing but kind and honest since you came to Equestria, and when we read the journals, we saw that you were trying to be a better person. Succeeding too!” She reached out for a moment, then seemed to think better of it as her bottom lip quivered and her hoof retreated. “Please Elias,” she pleaded. “We just wanted to help you be your true self, the man we know and love! We didn't want you to hurt all alone.” Night Flash rose from the bed and stood at her side, nuzzling her neck softly. The action broke the dam in her eyes, and Book Binder turned away from Elias, weeping into the pegasus’ fur. Elias had never really seen the expression on Night Flash’s face, but the pegasus looked suddenly tired and so much older, like life had taken an immeasurable toll in only a few moments. His eyes betrayed his exhaustion, covering the usual youthful cheerfulness that Elias usually found. “We can understand if you’re angry Red,” the blue pegasus said. “If you don’t want to see us again, then so be it. We still love you all the same. Say the word and we’ll go.” Elias stood in paralyzed silence for a moment. Very little of his mind actually cared that they had read his journals. He had been prepared to let them read the notebooks, what did it matter if they already knew? No, no that wasn’t quite right. It did matter, but not in a negative way. The voice at the back of his mind screamed at him to act. His friends, and potential family were hurting inside because of him, and he was standing like a lump. Elias moved quickly, his face twisting in a false snarl as he scooped the two ponies up, pressing them tight against his chest in a bone crushing hug. “I don’t recall saying that you two were allowed to go anywhere,” Elias growled. “If you think I’m ever going to let you escape me now, you’re sorely mistaken.” Book Binder gasped happily and latched her hooves around his neck. “You mean you don’t care that we lied to you?” Elias let out a long breath as he plopped down on the bed. Technically speaking, it really bothered him that he had again been lied to, but this was different than what the princesses had done. This was far more to his personal benefit, and it was Book Binder and Night Flash, was he really going to risk driving them away over something that had happened months ago? He stared at the ceiling for a moment before answering. “You read all of that and decided to be my friends anyway. I couldn’t be angry if I wanted to be. You saw a monster and treated him like any other person.” He laid his chin on top of her head. “I couldn’t ask for more from you.” Book Binder let out a sigh of relief and nuzzled his neck, taking care not to stab him with her horn. “Thank you Elias, just… thank you.” Elias matched her sigh with one of his own. “Can you just promise me one thing?” Book Binder wiggled free from his grip so that she could stare into his eyes. “Anything baby boy, just ask.” Elias felt his bad eye twitch for a moment before he dragged her close again, petting her mane as he rubbed his cheek against hers. “Please don’t leave me,” he said softly. Tears sprang from his eyes as a tidal wave of familiar, yet foreign emotions crashed into his battered mind. He felt like an utter child, but he had no idea how to make the sensation stop, so Elias just held on to the ponies in his arms. His grip on the ponies tightened as he kept them as close as possible, as if his hands were the only thing keeping them at his side. Night Flash nuzzled his chin, then grabbed Elias’ head with his hooves, forcing eye contact. “Red, I want you to listen to me carefully, because I’m only going to say this once. Under no circumstances, ever, will we leave you. You are more than just a friend, and no matter what happens, no matter what paperwork we write, no matter where we are, we are your family. It’s as simple as that. It doesn’t have to be official, and if it will make you more comfortable, we’ll never make it official, but we will always be with you, no matter what happens, alright?” Elias sniffled meekly as he tried to dry his tears. Night Flash just smiled and rubbed against his wet cheek. “We’ve got you buddy, forever and always.” The pegasus snorted and wiggled closer, wrapping his wings around the human in a hug. “Besides, I dare you to try and escape our hugs.” The joke was small, but it caused Elias to smirk. Book Binder then chuckled, followed by Night Flash dropping his serious expression. The three hugged each other as they all laughed. With the mood brightened, Book Binder began trying to blow raspberries on Elias’ neck. He responded by grabbing her with both hands and tickling her belly fur. The mare squealed as she tried to escape his dexterous fingers. Flash quickly came to his fiance's aid, pushing Elias back onto the bed as he tried to pin the offending limb, only to be caught by the other arm. Soon, both ponies were wiggling as they cried out for the human to stop his attack on their soft belly fur. Once he made them sufficiently red in the face, Elias stopped, letting them both catch their breath. He sat back, chuckling at their antics. When they recovered, they exchanged a lightning fast look and pounced Elias as one, pinning his arms as they nuzzled his sides. The human groaned in play agony at the overly sweet display, but that just made things worse as Flash tried to find his ticklish areas. Elias, with his battle-torn, numb body, had nearly none, and as the pegasus searched desperately, Elias thought he would get away without being tickled. Only his feet were free from nerve damage, and he knew for a fact that the pair of ponies would never guess it. Until Book Binder made mention of Elias’ unusually bare feet. A trace of fear must have creeped across his face, because the pair grinned at each other, and Elias knew instantly that he was in trouble. Plucking a stray feather from Flash’s wings, Book Binder pinned his legs while Flash held his arms. With her magic, Book Binder began to run the feather up and down the sole of his foot, and it took him seconds to begin laughing uncontrollably. Luckily enough for him, he had enough strength to snatch Night Flash up, resuming his attack on the pegasus' belly fur while he tried to ward Book Binder away from his feet. Once they were all sufficiently red in the face, they collapsed in a pile on the bed, smiling at each other brightly. “You two are mean,” Elias said breathlessly. “Ambushing a man in his room like this. The epitome of cruelty.” Book Binder stuck her tongue out at him. “Would you prefer if we did this in the cafeteria? What would all of the guard ponies think of the big strong human reduced to a giggling mess because of a feather? Your reputation would be ruined.” Elias snorted. “Maybe, but I’d like to see anyone say something to my face.” Book Binder swatted his chest. “Hush. You won’t do a thing. My little sweetheart baby boy wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Night Flash and Elias exchanged a look and a chuckle, causing Book Binder to pout. Her expression melted away as Elias’ fingers found her ears, scratching them gently. The unicorn cooed softly and she snuggled up against his chest. “Mhm, I wish we could do this everyday,” she said softly. Elias sighed. “But alas…” “I know,” she replied. “Whatever happens, we’re going to be here Elias. Flash is right; no matter what any legal paperwork says, we’re family. Nothing can separate us.” Elias stared at the ceiling. “Don’t be so sure,” he said softly, “because I still haven’t made a decision.” He glanced down at the unicorn and pegasus, and both stared back. Their eyes held nothing but complete understanding and compassion, and while it felt nice to have those eyes directed at him, they didn’t help him make a choice. His eyes drifted back to the ceiling. “If I go through with taking the princesses' offer, I can’t have a family, I can’t even have friends. At least not you two. I know you’ll volunteer the second I put anything out.” “Try to stop us,” Night Flash said with a smile. “I’ve thought about it,” Elias replied, looking down at the pony. Night Flash cocked his head and the smile dropped. “Why? Do you not want to have us as fellow guards at least?” Elias shook his head. “No. In fact, if I had my way, both of you would be dismissed from the guard right now. I would send you home so that you could be safe, because I am absolutely terrified of what can happen if you don’t stay here.” He raised a finger. “And before you say anything, I know that’s not my call. I know you could go over my head, I know that you’re supposed to be protecting me, but let’s be completely honest with each other. No matter what the law says about my age, no matter how much I have enjoyed pretending to be less than I am, I’m the best fighter out of all of us. My killer instinct overpowers anybody’s. I've taken hundreds of lives, and nowadays, I don't even blink when I make the call to go for a killing blow. I’m just better at it, and that means I am better at protecting you two, than you are at protecting me.” He sat up as the ponies moved off his chest. Elias stared at his hands as he rubbed at the wealth of callouses decorating his fingers. “Frankly, I’m better at everything when it comes to war. I'm human, it means I'm better at dealing death than anything. My mind is wired for war, especially given what I've been through. It’s why the princesses are right, as much as I hate to admit it. They do need me, Equestria needs me, and I hate the fact that it does. I don’t want to be needed. Not as a killer at least. I just… I don’t know what to do.” He looked to Book Binder. “So what do you think I should do? Should I stay as a regular guard and just fight like anypony else would, or do I,” Elias waved his hand around as he looked for the word, “give in? Give the princesses what they want and do the same thing that got everyone I loved killed the last time I tried it?” He sighed and leaned against Night Flash. The pony wrapped a wing around his body and rested his head on Elias’ back. “If I become a general though, the trial parenthood is over. Full stop. The answer will be a definite no, especially if you two volunteer. I won’t put my parents through the kind of hell I’m thinking about for training. I’m going to need to be cruel, distant. General Bright only, not Elias, not Red, not anything. No friends, no parents. I will need to be absolutely alone so that I can focus on making sure as many ponies make it home as possible.” Book Binder leaned against his other shoulder and exhaled loudly. “I… can’t give you an easy answer Elias. I would love to have my baby boy be “General Bright”, but I think you’re right. You will have to be cruel, especially to us. We’re going to volunteer, whether you like it or not, but if you see us as your parents, you won’t be hard on us, won’t train us like we need to be trained. Not only will we not get the training we need, but you will be so worried and caught up on our safety that other things will slip by, making things worst. If all that happens, then I feel that what you fear will happen will come to pass. It’s not something any of us want.” She rubbed his back with her hoof as she met his eyes. “I just want you to know that whatever happens Elias, we are always going to be friends. I know there will be terrible days, and sometimes, we’ll feel angry at you, but I can see it in your eyes that you want us to adopt you officially, and that will get us through the hard days and make our love for you all the stronger.” She rubbed his knee. “It is something you want, right?” Elias nodded and looked away. “It’s a terrible time to make up my mind about it, but yes, I think I do. General Bright can’t accept though, and it’s one of the reasons that makes this such a difficult choice.” Book Binder nuzzled his neck. “I know baby boy. I will not pressure you to do anything you don’t want, but should you decide to be General Bright, then know that once this “march” is over, I’m foalnapping you and adopting you. No questions, no hesitation. We will have the paper’s signed personally by the princesses, and then I’m taking you home proper like.” Elias snorted at the thought, then hugged the mare tightly. “Good to know Book Binder. I’ll keep that in mind.” He glanced at her and winked with his good eye. “But you should know better than to threaten me with a reward.” Book Binder rolled her eyes, then sprang to her feet, waggling her butt as she pounced on him. Night Flash joined in quickly, settling on top of his chest. As both ponies began nuzzling against his body, Elias made sure to catch eye contact as he said; “I love you.” Book Binder squeaked, then pounced on his head, rubbing his hair as she rocked him back and forth, humming softly. ***** Elias knocked on the door to the infirmary as softly as he could. Scalpel was there in an instant, shooing him in. They didn’t speak as they approached the bed where Scarlet Shield was still asleep, completely dead to the world as he snored softly. Elias gave Scalpel a quick scratch behind the ears as he sat down, staring at the sleeping pegasus. It had taken two days for them to find the pony’s pod, and he had already been trapped in it for almost a month. As a result, the pegasus was one of the last to leave the infirmary as Scalpel made sure that the changeling venom didn’t have any permanent effects. Elias had made sure to visit as regularly as he could once the pod had been found, but he never seemed to catch Scarlet while he was awake. Scalpel claimed that since they had pulled him from the coma, he only woke up for a few minutes each day, and from the gaunt look on Scarlet’s sleeping form, Elias believed him. The pegasus was being fed by an IV, and even though he seemed to be sleeping calmly, his breath would occasionally come in short gasps before settling into a stable rhythm. Scalpel pulled up a second chair and sat beside Elias, sighing as they watched Scarlet sleep. The unicorn turned to Elias for a moment, then leaned against him. “I know you’re not here for a checkup Elias, but how are you doing? For what I’ve heard, the last couple of days have not been easy for you.” Elias snorted. “News about my little freak out spread that fast huh? Guess I shouldn’t be surprised. The gossip mill loves talking about me.” Scalpel shrugged. “I don’t really care what the rumors say, I want to hear your side of it. I know you had a good reason for tearing into the princesses. Otherwise that permanent tattoo on your back would seem a bit pointless.” Elias snorted dismissively. “There isn’t much of a story to tell Scalpel. Everyone I loved died the last time I made a legion, and the princesses want another. Badly. Luna even followed me up to the top of the mountain to make sure I didn’t die, and then tried to talk me into it. If nothing else, it shows me that there’s a need, but nobody seems to be thinking about what it will cost.” Scalpel sighed. “Then... well, you have to do it, because you are thinking about what it will cost. If you’re the only one who can think like that, then they need you. Simple as that, no matter how much it personally hurts, it’s the truth.” “I know,” Elias replied blankly. “In my mind, it’s never really been a question of if they need my help, it’s a question of if I have the strength to give it. Everyone seems to think I’ve got it in me, and for some reason, they're already prepped to stand at my side, but I’m not so sure.” He snorted dismissively. “I’ve already got two volunteers if I accept, but what about you Scalpel? Are you going to charge into battle at my side?” Elias felt a mild sense of relief when Scalpel laughed loudly. The unicorn slapped Elias' back and doubled over, wiping at his eyes as long peals of laughter escaped his chest. “Buck no!” Scalpel said. “I’m a doctor Elias! My place is here, in the castle, making the pain go away, not out on the battlefield hurting ponies. No, I don’t think I’m going to charge into battle with you. Probably ever.” Elias couldn’t help but wrap an arm around the pony and pull him close. “Good. That’s one less friend I have to watch out for then. Makes my job easier. I wish everyone was as inclined to stay behind as you are. Then I would have no doubts whatsoever.” Scalpel grinned, then started as Scarlet rolled over with a scowl on his face. He rubbed at his eyes with his hooves, then looked to Elias. He looked back to Scalpel, then Elias again. A small smile crept across his face. “Hey, you finally came to visit. About time.” Elias’ mirth slipped. About time. About time he noticed that Scarlet was missing. About time he actually checked on his friend, rather than letting his strange behavior slip to the wayside. About time he made sure that his friend was okay. Elias’ eyes flicked to the ground as he let out a deep sigh. Scarlet quickly noticed the change in demeanor and his scowl deepened. “Oh buck no, I am not hearing this speech again.” Scarlet scooted to the edge of the bed and grabbed at Elias’ face with his hooves. “It isn’t your fault Elias, it isn’t anypony’s fault but mine. I shouldn’t have gotten captured, that’s it. The only thing that needs fixed is I need to be a better fighter, so that next time I can beat as many bugs as possible to a pulp. Now get that stupid bucking look off your face and tell me about this legion thing. I only caught the tail end of your conversation.” Elias slapped his hooves away. “No, I’m not telling you a thing, and you’re wrong. It’s my fault completely. I noticed when the bug didn't quite act right, but I didn’t push hard enough, didn’t do enough to expose the changeling that took your place. If Night Flash was just a second too slow, that damn bug could have torn his throat out without a thought. That would have been on me, not you.” Elias gestured to the bed, and the IV’s dangling from Scarlet’s body. “Besides, you’re injured, or at least sick. You can’t leave that bed until you’re better, so telling you anything more than "get better" is pretty worthless.” Scarlet looked at him with disbelief clearly written on his face. “Really? You of all ponies is going to tell me to stay in bed because I got hurt? Really? Buck no. Tell me what this legion is, because I need to get out of here, now. If you don’t tell me, and if you don’t let me in, I’m going to do something stupid like you and climb Canterlot mountain. There isn’t going to be a princess to rescue me, however. Nopony would even come looking.” “I would,” Elias said softly. Scarlet drooped for a second, with his ears pinning themselves to the side of his head. “I know you would Elias, but that’s just it. You couldn’t have known. You can’t detect magic, so you wouldn’t even begin to know what to look for. I got snatched, and replaced. The changeling that did it died, and now I’m going to get better. Let’s both just agree that it’s my fault, and then you can tell me about this legion of yours, because I want to be wherever you are. I need to get stronger, and the more I see and hear, and work with you, the more I know that you are going to make me that way. I won’t take no for an answer.” Elias cocked his head and stared at the pony. “Yeah? And what are you going to do if I tell you no? Attack me?” Scarlet’s eyes narrowed and his hooves drifted toward his IV lines as if to rip them out. He was stopped as Scalpel let out a string of rapid no’s and levitated Elias into the air and onto a separate bed, where he quickly used that cursed rope from his previous visits to restrain the human’s arm. He then got regular straps and threatened Scarlet with them as he glared at the two of them. “Really? The two most injured ponies from the invasion are going to brawl? For what? To get bucked up some more? Not on my watch!” Scalpel whirled on Elias. “And just for the attempt, you are getting a physical evaluation!” he said, jabbing his hoof at Elias. “You weren’t eating before your meeting with the princesses, and from what I can tell you haven’t eaten well since. You’ll be lucky to make it out of here today with your little act.” Elias rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t be so sure Doc. I’m supposed to be eating with Book Binder and Night Flash for dinner. I would love to see you make me late.” The unicorn grumbled something under his breath, but Elias noticed a small flash of fear in his eyes at the mention of the mare’s name. He knew the power she could bring to bear, and so, the rope disappeared from Elias’ arm as Scalpel relinquished. “Fine, but I’m still going to give you a once over," Scalpel said. "I noticed some scarring on your hands that wasn’t there before. Scarlet, stay in that bed, or so help me I will find a pony that can cast a paralyzation spell on you.” The pegasus rolled his eyes, but his hooves drifted away from the IV lines. Settling into his pillow with a huff, he stared at Elias. “Don’t think this has stopped me Elias. Now tell me about this legion of yours, I’ll take any job you give me, I just need to be involved in some way. Make me polish armor for all I care, just so long as I get better.” Elias side-eyed the pony as he crossed his arms. “You assume that I’m going to accept the offer the princesses gave me. I still haven’t decided, still haven’t determined if it’s worth risking my friends.” Scarlet sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. “Elias, you’re going to do it. I know that for a fact. It’s just who you are; you see something wrong and you fix it if you know how to. This is something you can most definitely fix. Besides, most of your friends are guards, and if word got out that you were given the opportunity to help the princesses out and turned it down, how many friends do you think you would have left?” Elias rolled onto his side and glared at Scarlet. “Are you trying to batter me into accepting by using my friendships as a weapon?” “Yeah, I am,” Scarlet said with a nod. “I know you’re going to accept eventually, Book Binder and Night Flash both know you’re going to accept eventually, and I would go so far to say that you know you are going to accept eventually, you’re just wasting time doubting yourself. That’s just it though, you’re wasting time. If you just threw away all the doubt and started working, you would have had a few extra days to make sure everything went perfectly, but where are you? In the infirmary getting dressed down by a pony who got thrown into a bush during the RATE. I say this in the nicest way possible Elias; pony the buck up. My friend wouldn’t run away from a challenge like this, and the more you sit and mope around, the more I’m convinced that that eye of yours isn’t just for show.” Elias felt anger flashed hot in his mind, and despite Scalpel’s protests, he whirled his legs out of the bed and jabbed a finger at Scarlet. “And what the fuck do you know Scarlet? I accept this little general position; I won’t have any friends. None, zero. I will have to push everypony I know away so that I can do my job right. The eye was earned doing what nobody else could, so don’t you dare accuse me of running away. I run from nothing.” Scarlet rolled his eyes again. “Sure, that’s why you’re letting Scalpel fret over you like a mother hen instead of getting out there and kicking flank at your new job.” “Fine you ungrateful parrot!” Elias shouted. “I’ll do it! I’m going to punish your sorry ass so relentlessly in training that you’ll wish you were never born, let alone joined up with me!” Scarlet smiled. “Great! So where do I need to submit my application?” Elias opened his mouth to reply that he would accept any applications through his assistant, but then realized that he didn’t have an assistant. He changed his answer to say that the application could be dropped off in his office, but then he realized he didn’t have an office either. Finally, his mind realized that he had accepted the position to the point that he was already making a mental checklist of everything he would need to just get his legion started, let alone begin recruiting. Elias sighed mentally at the acceptance, but Scarlet was right, he was wasting time. He needed to make a decision and commit, and he knew which answer he was going to take, no matter what doubts he had. The ponies would die in droves if he didn’t implement basic military reforms to their quite sad military forces. Elias’ eyes flicked up to Scarlet, who was watching him with a smug smile. Elias sneered at the pegasus. “Fuck you Scarlet, and wipe that stupid look off your face or I’ll reject whatever application you send me for insubordination. Now get better or you won’t be doing anything with me.” Scarlet gave him a goofy smile and a salute. Unfortunately for him, the motion was too snappy, and he accidentally tore free one of his IV lines. Scalpel immediately set upon the pegasus, yelling at him as he cleaned up the drip of blood. A bevy of tools floated into the air as he prepared to put in another IV line, and while Scarlet tried to convince the doctor that it wasn’t needed, Elias made his exit. Scarlet’s words had helped, but he still needed to think, to make sure he was choosing the right path. He quickly made his way to the castle gardens, wandering through the bushes and trees until he found the spot where he had managed to kill the changeling captain by the skin of his teeth. Impressively, it was free of blood or goo, and instead the marble state shined a brilliant white. Elias felt his bad eye twitch as he stared at the statue where he had nearly died from blood loss, then he began to pace. He intentionally began dragging out bad memories, trying to drive himself into a panic attack. He needed to physically speak with Other-Elias, needed to make sure that his entire brain was set on his choice. If even a little bit of his mind held doubt, then he wouldn’t be able to focus, and he would fail to keep anyone safe. If he held such doubt, he needed to say no, but the more he talked to ponies, the more the reasons seemed to become cemented in his mind. He needed to help them, but he had to be sure of himself first. Elias’ breaths came in short gasps as he riled himself up, using the images of a field of blood and bodies to bring him to the brink. He used the image of Sarah’s grave to shove him over the edge, and cool calm washed over him as Other-Elias took a seat at the base of the statue. “This isn’t healthy you know,” the man said calmly. Elias shrugged and continued to pace as his mind calmed. “Maybe, but it’s necessary. I needed to talk to you.” “The fact that you think me someone separate from you is even more concerning Elias, and I really think we should get that checked out.” Elias felt his anger flash and he whirled on the specter. “Look I just…! I need to talk this out. This is the only way I know how.” Other-Elias exhaled loudly and waved him on. “Then let’s get this done. I think we can both agree that the answer is yes.” Elias nodded in agreement and re-clasped his hands behind his back. “Yeah, but I need to know the limit. Do I keep my friends? I’m going to be relentless, but do I still try to maintain our relationships, or do I drive them away until after?” Other-Elias ran a hand through his hair. “You want an honest answer? I say ban any friends from joining, period. Make it a condition of your acceptance that Book Binder, Night Flash, and Scarlet are evicted from the guard, permanently.” He looked to the sky. “That, or make them stay behind to guard the castle. Whatever keeps them far away from the march.” “Absolutely not!” Center Elias roared as he stormed into the clearing. Elias blinked at the second specter, and he stopped pacing to stare at him. He checked behind him to make sure Other-Elias was still by the statue, then he looked back to Center Elias. Elias snorted in disbelief. “There’s two of you now,” he stated numbly. Center Elias ignored the comment and instead jabbed a finger at Other-Elias. “You’re a fucking idiot. We drive them away like that, and not only will we lose all of our friends, but we won’t have anyone we can trust! We need their sharp minds, and we know they will follow our orders to the letter. Besides, leaving them behind will put them in greater danger than if we trained them up. What happens when foreign nations learn about the departure of the princesses and the sum of all the guards? Suddenly the capital of Equestria looks like a juicy target!” Other-Elias scoffed. “Please, besides the invasion, nothing ever happens here. It’s as peaceful as it can be, and anyone foolish enough to invade will be destroyed by the princesses as soon as they hear about it. All we’d have to do is make one unicorn with long range teleportation spells stayed behind. They could deliver news of invasion before any forces got near Canterlot, then the princesses would abandon their little portal plan and return swinging. Keeping our friends here would be safer and allow us to focus on our legion.” Elias looked between the two and chuckled. “Let me get this straight," Elias said. He jabbed a finger at Other-Elias. "The fucker who said it was a good idea to make the friends in the first place, and has told me to risk everything at every turn is now advising caution, while your paranoid ass,” he said pointing at Center Elias, “is recommending we bring them with us? Am I going crazy here?” Other-Elias rolled his eyes. “We’re already crazy, but that’s beside the point. Putting Night Flash and Book Binder anywhere near a battlefield is a mistake. If that’s the limit of the exclusion, then fine, but we need to make sure those two are safe. We cannot lose another Bevin and Sarah. We just can’t.” “And we won’t,” Center Elias snapped. “That’s why it’s so important that we bring them with us! We train them to be battle-hardened warriors, then keep them at the rear of the field. We will have thousands of other soldiers from the different guard forces around us. We can literally make as big a legion as we want! We can have a cohort around each pony! Hundreds of bodyguards! What could be better? Then we get the added benefit of keeping them close, and using their talents as advisors to make sure we don’t fuck up. We need that voice in our life. Then we don’t alienate them, and after the march, we all go home with fat retirement paychecks, and they can adopt us as planned.” “Sonofabitch,” Other-Elias muttered as he accepted the logic. Elias was of another mind, however. “What do you mean “adopt us as planned”? I told them that if I take this, the adoption thing is done. It was one of my conditions.” Center Elias snorted and waved his hand dismissively. “And then Book Binder said she would adopt us without contest. Those were the terms we agreed to, and if you think our will can match hers, you’re sorely mistaken. That mare is a force of nature when it comes to being a mom.” Other-Elias grunted in agreement. Elias looked between them both with a look of disbelief on his face. “Seriously? You two are just… okay with that? What happened to caution and keeping everyone at arm’s length?” Center Elias fixed him with a deadpan look. “That ship sailed when those two read our journals. Not to mention the fact that you decided to share our life story with Luna. You’re the only one at fault here. If you wanted to keep them at arm’s length, you should have stopped listening to this tool months ago,” he said, gesturing toward Other-Elias. The man shrugged and nodded in agreement. “Not untrue. Still, I think we can safely agree that my advice was largely sound.” Elias sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. “I hate both of you, mostly because you two, much like everyone else, are right. The fact that it has taken this long to figure that out is concerning and brings back the question if I should do this at all. Am I going to do the job right if I keep getting hung up on the past? Am I of sound enough mind to be playing with the lives of hundreds, including the ponies I love the most?” Other-Elias grunted as he got to his feet. “Our past is what gives us the knowledge to do this right, and frankly, its something that nobody in Equestria has. The only thing we need to do to ensure success is have absolute control. No interference, from anyone. Not the other generals, not the princesses, and not our friends. We know what it will take to correct our past mistakes, and I think it’s safe to say that we won’t be as ambitious and idiotic with our tactical decisions like last time, agreed?” Center Elias nodded, then vanished. Elias let out a long exhale then waved the second specter away. “Fine, it’s decided then. Now keep quiet in there unless I need help. I need to make solid choices and I don’t need the two of you getting me distracted.” Elias counted to one hundred before he turned around. Neither specter was there, but a sense of self-confidence seeped through his mind. He could do this, he had to. He ran through the list of things he’d need to do in his mind, but first, he had dinner with two very special ponies. > Chapter 34: Taking Command > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Luna mentally groaned as she listened to the ponies beneath her bicker. She couldn’t care about their words in the slightest as the pair of generals went back and forth, spouting nonsense, seemingly without productive intention. They had been going for the better part of an hour, and if their tones were any indication, they would be yammering away from some time yet. In order to get their ponies into a more militant mindset, her sister had decided that they needed to have daily planning sessions. Both of the alicorns took time from their courts to ensure that each meeting could be attended by at least one princess, if not both. The idea was that the generals would get a feel for working with each other, and then be able to work together more efficiently. Unfortunately, most were still wrapping up their prior duties, so only two, General Lionheart and General Arrowheart, were shouting at each other about how they would split the command of the Solar Guard. Luna rubbed at the base of her horn as she tried to ward away the rapidly approaching migraine that was building. The meeting wasn’t any different than it had been the day before, nor the day before that. They had no direction yet, so when they weren’t trying to brown nose at Celestia’s feet, they would either bicker or fall silent, acting like pouting children. It was positively infuriating. Luna blinked as the talk shifted mid-sentence from command to recruitment strategies. The “debate” intensified as they argued what kind of ponies they would prioritize for recruitment. Lionheart suggested “common ponies”, and argued that a large number of the middle and lower-class ponies would be perfect. Arrowheart, on the other hand, wanted to recruit exclusively from the nobility, stating that they needed intelligent ponies they could trust, not commoners. Both were beginning to get on Luna’s last nerve. She had initially struggled with such issues upon her return, but upon making friends with several ponies in Ponyville, she knew that the label “commoner” had nothing to do with intellectual or physical superiority, but pure economic choices. If anything, the common ponies were superior in every regard save monetary to the noble class. “Posturing imbeciles,” Luna grumbled under her breath as the yelling began anew. Celestia shot her a look that half said she was disappointed with the statement, but also said that she agreed with its sentiment. Luna turned her ears off and looked to the stained-glass windows of the throne room, trying to find some semblance of solace from the turbulence that surrounded her. She really wished she had not promised to not pressure Elias. The only way she felt she could avoid affecting his decision was by avoiding the human entirely. Since he was also technically on leave, she hadn’t seen him at all since she had left him in his bed three days ago. His tall, skinny form had been a constant presence in her life, especially recently, and now she missed that silent stare, those beautiful, mis-matched eyes. She desperately wished to coax him into another game night with Nightshade, to enjoy each other's company as they had before the invasion. Luna’s ears perked up slightly as she heard raised voices in the hallway. The pair of bickering ponies before her didn’t seem to notice. The noise seemed to get louder, and a very familiar shout rang clearly above the rest of the voices. Dead quiet followed, and Luna waited with baited breath as the throne room doors began to crawl open. As they did so, Lionheart and Arrowheart stopped arguing, whirling together to scold whomever interrupted them. They didn’t dare say a thing as Elias strode into the room. Luna couldn’t help but flush lightly at the sight of him. He looked so… powerful. The air around the man radiated with confidence. He was so much the same, but so very much different. His armor was back to a silver color, but it positively shined as he walked, a far cry from the bloodied, beaten scrap they found him in. Red accents lined the edges, and they were matched by a red tunic, and a red plumed helmet under his left arm, and unlike the red of the Royal Guards, it almost seemed brighter, more brilliant, and pristine. Perhaps she was biased, or perhaps it was the difference in contrast from his pale skin and the brilliant red, but it seemed to pop as he walked forward. Most of all however, were the changes to his face and head. Luna had to take deep breaths at the sight of his clean-shaven face. She wanted to pinch herself to ensure it wasn’t a daydream, but she didn’t, instead straightening her posture so that her face slipped into its normal royal mask. She couldn’t keep a slight smile from peeking through as he got closer though. Without his scraggly beard and shoulder-length hair, he looked positively handsome. The chiseled chin, those piercing eyes… Even the long black scar that split the left half of his face did nothing to mar his appearance, and if anything, it made him even more attractive. His red hair had been shaved down on the sides of his head, and the top was decorated by a spiky, seemingly ruffled mop, but Luna could just barely tell that it was intentional. Whatever barber he had gone to, the pony had done a superb job cleaning him up. His face was serious as he walked past the silent generals, making his way directly to the foot of her side of the throne. The motion wasn’t lost on anyone; he saw her as his princess first, and Luna couldn’t have been happier. Despite the fact that he was completely unaware of her affections, he was already growing closer to her. Luna wanted to squeal with joy. She kept her face even as he gave her a crisp salute. “Yes, Guardsman Bright? What can I do for you on this fine afternoon?” His face showed little emotion, keeping a professional mask to rival hers. “I have come to my decision concerning your offer, and I will accept the position of general if some conditions are met.” Luna didn’t try to stop the wide smile that crept across her face. She had already drawn the conclusion from his attire, but to hear the words! It was coming together; everything would work out! He had already proven he would be an invaluable strategist and combat expert, and if he was on equal standing with other generals, he would have equal voice. She could throw her vote behind his words as much as possible, and likely, Nightshade and Chaser would do the same. Luna did her best to suppress her giddiness as she began to reply, but Lionheart snorted derisively, earning him a nasty glare from Luna, which he promptly ignored. “And this is coming from the same low-born guard that decided to try and shame the princesses when he first received the extremely gracious offer? What makes you think that the offer is still open to you Bright?” Luna’s muzzle curled in a snarl, more than ready to protect her human, but Elias looked non-plussed as he cast a single eye over his shoulder, intentionally keeping his back to the pony. It was clearly an insult, and from Lionheart’s face, it was an effective one. The unicorn seemed to turn red as the human spoke with a calm, even voice. “Disregarding the fact that Princess Luna approached me about the matter personally in private? The need is great, and with the help of some friends, I have decided that I will overcome my personal issues for the greater good. The need has not lessened in the past few days and if this little,” he cleared his throat and smirked, nodding toward the table, “planning session of yours is any indication, you have no idea what you’re doing. Seven months isn’t a lot of time, yet here you are, pissing the time away. I have enough common sense to be able to tell when I’m needed, and thanks to some smart ponies,” Luna blushed lightly when his eyes flicked to her for a moment, “I have determined that I can fix any mistakes as they arise. They have my back, and I will ensure that the errors of my past aren’t repeated.” He turned his eyes back to Luna. “If my conditions are met that is.” Celestia cleared her throat, directing the human’s attention to her. Luna almost protested. She loved looking at his eyes. They were so calm, so focused now. They even lacked the normal edge of misery that always seemed to hide within, and that sight alone made Luna ecstatic. She could spend days staring into those eyes. “And what conditions might those be Elias?" Celestia asked. "We would have an idea of what you are asking for before agreeing.” “Of course Princess,” he replied calmly. Elais pulled two bundles of paper from a satchel behind his back. He offered them with a passive look on his face, and Celestia’s assistant levitated the scrolls before the alicorns' eyes. As they unrolled the bundles, Elias clasped his hands behind his back. “That is everything in writing, but I shall summarize it orally as well. Simply put, I have one primary condition, and it is that I have complete control over my legion. You are the princesses, and you hold absolute authority in Equestria, I recognize that, but my legion will be mine and mine alone. Whenever I am in command, I have the only say. Whatever happens in training, or after, I will not stand having my decisions questioned. My terms are addressed fully in the written version, but suffice to say, if I am constantly being second guessed in practice, then my soldiers won’t trust my judgement on the battlefield.” His mouth curled downward into a soft frown. “I won’t train an army that won’t follow my orders to the letter. All that will do is get a lot of ponies killed, and I will not be a part of it.” Luna found that she trusted him completely, and she set her bundle to the side for later reading. The motion brought his eyes back to her, and Luna couldn’t help but blush lightly as their eyes met once more. She fidgeted with her wings, trying to not draw attention from anyone else. What was wrong with her? Sure, she had recently come to terms with her significant feelings for the man, but she was acting like a nervous schoolfilly! She couldn’t help herself though, especially when the barest trace of a smile poked through his stern mask. He was smiling at her! Did he know? Had he been awake when she had made her silent confession on the mountaintop? He had to know! Look at that smirk! She was going to be exposed in front of everyone! Luckily, before Luna could work herself up to her breaking point, Celestia spoke. “This is rather in depth…” she muttered as she flipped another page. “It will take time to read through your request fully, and I must commend your thoroughness, but say we meet this demand, do you have any more?” Elias shrugged. “None so important as this one. The rest is logistical in nature, and concerns smaller things, like recruiting, and work space.” Celestia looked up from her bundle of papers, and turned to Luna. “What do you think sister? You have spent more time with Elias than I; can he be trusted with complete control over our ponies?” Luna shrugged. “I believe he can, but if we have any doubts, then Elias’ earlier protest to our offer was valid, and we shouldn’t put him in a commanding position. We either trust him, or we do not. I for one believe fully that he will mold our ponies into fine soldiers, and that he will not be too rough on them.” She side-eyed him, and he shrugged unhelpfully. “I won’t kill or permanently maim them,” Elias said calmly. “That is all I can promise.” Celestia frowned in thought for a moment, then smiled as she set her bundle to the side. “If you are in agreement then Luna, I think we can concede the good general’s condition. Was there anything else that needed addressed today General Bright?” Elias nodded, showing no emotion to her use of his title. “Two simple things. First, I officially request that I be allowed to accept any volunteers from the Solar, and Lunar Guards. I will need veterans to keep fresh recruits in line, and while my training will be far more taxing than the standard guard training, the veterans will be of immense value to me.” Celestia smiled and nodded in agreement. “Very well, but on the condition that you do not target the other guard branches for recruitment. They may approach you, but I do not wish to see recruitment materials around the castle.” “Of course Princess,” Elias responded, “and you have my thanks.” He looked over his shoulder, and his voice boomed as he called out; “Adiutor Binder! First Centurion Flash! You may now enter the throne room.” Luna watched with amusement as two ponies, already clad in red and silver, trotted forward confidently. As they moved, Luna noticed that all three silver clad individuals were struggling to hold back smiles of pride. She looked to Elias, who avoided her gaze. “General, if I didn’t know any better, I would think you executed your orders before you received them.” He shrugged without looking back to her. “Technically I merely bought two ponies an expensive gift. It’s purely coincidental that said gift happened to correspond with their rank within my legion.” Luna smiled and rolled her eyes. “Quite.” Book Binder and Night Flash stopped before Elias and saluted him before quickly moving to either side of the man. As they got into what was likely a pre-coordinated position, Luna studied their armor carefully. With both of them closer, it was clear that they were wearing very different styles of protection. Night Flash had armor very similar to Elias’ heavy plate. His helmet was decorated with a bobbing white and red plume. Links of chain mail protected his joints, and it looked to her like his wing blades had been modified to act more as armor than weapons. Her curiosity piqued, Luna rose from her throne, walking slowly down to the pegasus. He had perfect composure as she approached, and he remained calm and still as she poked and prodded at his armor. When Luna tapped on his wing, he extended it fully, and she got a good view of the metal shielding it. Each feather was covered with plate, though the metal was thinner on his primaries. Seemingly to compensate, a mesh of chain mail filled the spaces between each feather, leaving no gaps. Luna frowned as she lifted the wing with her hoof to test its weight. “What are his wing guards made from? It seems abnormally light to be made from Equestrian steel.” “It’s still Equestrian steel,” Elias replied, glancing over. “I had Anyon enchant it with a feather weight enchantment, and all the pegasus armors will have the same enchantment. It wouldn’t do to take away their number one advantage.” Luna raised an eyebrow as she stared at the metal covered pegasus before her. “He can still fly?” Elias nodded, and he motioned to Night Flash. The pegasus smiled as he lowered his wing, then he took a step back from Luna before giving a single mighty flap. He shot near to the ceiling, before spiraling back down, landing with a second flap in his previous position. He beamed with pride, and though he tried to hide it, Elias did as well. The slip lasted only a second however, and nobody besides Luna caught it. She admired the armor again, while Elias’s face fell into a slight scowl. “The tunic is bolstered with an endurance, and a speed enchantment," Elias continued. "In full armor, First Centurion Flash could race with the best. He needed to be able to dart around the battlefield and be where I could not be. He should meet that need exceptionally well now.” Luna nodded. “An impressive display.” Luna shifted her attention to Book Binder. The unicorn’s armor looked much more graceful than either of the plated stallions. While Luna spotted key sections bolstered by chain mail and leather, most of it was surprisingly made of silver cloth. Luna frowned as she prodded at it, feeling the smooth material with her hoof. “I must say, outwardly, this armor looks frail, and weak. I honestly expected more from you Elias, what is the secret here?” “Hit her,” Elias said simply. Luna frowned and walked around Book Binder, meeting her eyes. A playful glint was housed there as the unicorn waited silently for Luna to strike. The alicorn’s frown deepened for a second, then she shrugged and turned around, giving the unicorn a hardy buck. The air was driven from Luna’s lungs as the feeling of her hooves slammed into her regalia plate, knocking her from her hooves. She staggered back a step or two, falling to her knees as she fought for a moment to breathe. Celestia let out a gasp and rose to help her up, but Luna raised her hoof and shook her head. It didn’t hurt that much, not like it would have had she had her full earth pony strength. She shot a glare at Elias, who gave her an impassive look back. “Temporal displacement and redirection spell,” Elias said smoothly. “It was expensive, but I will only have one assistant, so I believe it was a worthwhile cost.” Luna snorted as she got to her feet. “You could not have simply explained that? I have extensive knowledge on spellcraft, I would have understood.” Elias shrugged and flicked his nose with his thumb as he looked away. “Perhaps, but I always feel that a demonstration gets the message across clearly. Besides, that’s how I learned what Anyon meant when he hired his unicorn friend to enchant the armor.” Luna smiled at the idea of the human swinging with all his might at it and getting hurt. Book Binder probably goaded him on too, if her smirk was any indication. Luna rolled her eyes again and began looking over Book Binder’s armor again. “Very well General, continue. I wish to know everything about this strange looking armor.” Elias shrugged. “There isn’t much more to tell. Adiutor Binder will be at my side at all times; managing legion records and filtering any written communication I receive, and as such she needs to be well protected. Unfortunately, due to the great deal of supplies she needs to work, we needed to sacrifice armor weight. Her tunic is modified to be thicker and more protective, and it contains several enchanted pockets with her essentials. When we go on the march, she will also have enchanted saddle bags to allow her to carry as much as she wants, provided she can bear the weight.” As Luna continued inspecting Book Binder's armor, she saw the subtle explanation for why he had made sure that the two ponies would likely be more protected than even she and her sister would be, but she knew that he was justified. If for no other reason, it would make him less fearful of their loss, and she would ensure that he received as much funding as possible to make them safe. A few bits was hardly worth the cost of piece of mind for the paranoid man. “I must say General, this is all very impressive, and I hope it is indicative of what is to come. These were gifts you say? They cannot have been cheap, where did you acquire the funding for them?” “Out of pocket,” Elias said. “Turns out being a guard for several months and never collecting a bit leads to quite the interest buildup. Had I the inclination, I could retire comfortably tomorrow.” Luna sniffed. “Then I am glad you do not have such inclinations. You had mentioned a second matter that needed resolved, what is it?” Elias took a deep breath, and looked around. “I just need somewhere to work; an office of some kind. There is a lot I’ll need to iron out before I even begin recruiting, and I’ll need some place to work.” Luna smiled and nodded. She looked to Celestia. “I shall lead General Bright to his new offices, and show him to his new training grounds. I assume you have things handled here sister?” Celestia rolled her eyes and nodded. “Indeed I do. And to you General Bright, thank you. I mean that sincerely. We shall ensure that your every want and desire will be met when this is finished. Your advice and service shall be invaluable in the coming months.” Elias gave her a half bow. “Of course Princess. I live to serve.” Celestia settled back onto her throne with a calm nod. Luna walked past the three silver clad individuals, and she motioned with her wing for them to follow. ***** Elias kept an even, measured expression on his face as Luna led them toward his office. He slowly picked apart his acceptance of his role as general, and every word the princesses had said in reply. It had gone perfectly, with each piece of his plan working as it should have. Even the other generals, the absolute morons they were, had contributed, making him seem godly of purpose by comparison. Let them posture and bicker, he knew what it took to win, and now, both Luna and Celestia knew it. From the occasional glances Luna was throwing his way, she likely already thought like that, but the important factor was Celestia, and by extension Cadence. He needed all three alicorns working to keep their “generals” in line. While he had no issue working with Nightshade and Chaser as equals, even as a subordinate to either, Elias knew that most, if not all, of the other generals were incompetent, and there would likely be many long days ahead as he tried to batter them into a proper military force. The fact that there were no less than ten generals was evidence enough that they had little to no idea what they were doing. If he hadn’t seen the “magic of harmony” in action, Elias would have suspected that they had managed to build and then hold a kingdom by sheer dumb luck. Luna stopped before a door with a frosted glass window, then pushed it open. She smiled at him and waved with her hoof for them to enter. Elias let his subordinates go first, following behind Night Flash as he looked around the office space. Book Binder let out a whistle as she looked around. “Very nice, this is even better than the head scribe office.” “It’ll do,” Elias said with a frown. Moving past the ponies, he set his helmet down on the main desk and looked around at his office space. It wasn’t anything incredible, and the room only included two desks, which suited him just fine. Only he and Book Binder would be working on paperwork anyway. The primary desk looked strange though, in a good way. As he ran a hand across its oaken surface, he quickly pieced together that it was the first truly human designed furniture he had seen in Equestria. Due to the size of the ponies, Elias had adapted easily enough to most things, but the desk and the chair behind it… they had been made for him. He threw a glance back at Luna, who was all smiles as she stared back. “I take it everything is to your liking?” she asked, her teeth shining. Elias looked away and took a deep breath. It was time to do something he was very much not looking forward to. But he needed to do it. He had done it with Night Flash and Book Binder, he had to do it with Luna. Elias took another breath before he turned around and clasped his hands behind his back. “It is certainly suitable, thank you Princess.” His voice was a flat monotone, and Luna seemed almost hurt by the lack of emotion in his words. Her eyes flicked between Book Binder and Night Flash before her smile returned with an almost nervous look to it. “I… am glad Elias. I know you will find much success here.” Elias nodded shortly. “I should hope so. If you should ever need to speak with me, I will likely be here for the foreseeable future, at least until recruiting ends.” Luna flinched again, and for some reason, the motion hurt. Elias ignored it, keeping his blank mask on. Her eyes flicked to Book Binder and Night Flash again. Both ponies gave her apologetic looks, but as he had instructed, neither spoke. Luna chuckled nervously as her eyes resettled on him. “Elias, I… Is something wrong? You are treating me… differently. I believe we are in private enough company to speak as friends.” Elias looked to the floor. The wood was clearly of high quality, and Elias briefly wondered if he should put some sort of decorations in his office to soften the echo the room had. “Princess, what did I say on the mountain top? What did I tell you would happen if I accepted this position?” She opened her mouth to respond, but Elias cut her off, keeping his voice calm and even, as to not seem angry with her. “I said that we would no longer be friends, I said that I would have no friends whatsoever.” He gestured to Book Binder and Night Flash. “Already I have cut personal ties with both Adiutor Binder and First Centurion Flash. Part of our preparations yesterday was moving all of their belongings out of my quarters, and we officially ended our personal relationships. They are not my potential parents; they are not my friends. They are my subordinates, from now, until the march is over, or until they retire from the guard. If things progress how I imagine they will, Scarlet Shield and Gray Granite will also share that fate. The only friend I can safely say that I have is Steel Scalpel, who has personally confirmed that he is not going with us. He will be safe; completely so. Everyone else however…” He spread his hands and let them fall to his side. “It’s the way it has to be. The top is lonely, primarily because it takes immense focus to do one’s job right when you control everything. Perhaps we can rekindle our friendship once this is over, but for now… We are nothing but Princess and General.” Luna looked at him with horror as he finished and waited silently for her reply. Elias watched as a stream of emotions filtered through her eyes, then she straightened and surprisingly, smiled. “Very well General. I shall partially accept this because you have done me a great service by accepting your role. I have heard tale however, that Book Binder shall force adoption upon you once the march has concluded. I shall do everything in my power to ensure she finds success, and rest assured, your adoption papers will be extremely binding.” Luna winked at Book Binder, who wisely said nothing, but a smile crept across her muzzle as she turned away from Elias to conceal it. “Furthermore,” Luna continued, “you have made a minor error in not signing your contract for this position before making such a declaration. I shall make sure to include several clauses about your employment following the march, and should you continue to follow this course, I shall be forced to implement the cuddle clause.” Elias felt his bad eye twitch at that. She had tried no less than eight times to get him to sign a cuddle clause. It was a nasty piece of paperwork that legally bound someone to be freely available to give anyone who asked a hug. It granted a wealth of special privileges, and rewards for doing so, as well as a generous royal stipend, but Elias knew for a fact that Luna would relentlessly hunt him down for its use. He couldn’t well sign something like that and be a general. It simply wouldn’t work. Luna smiled knowingly as his eyes met hers. “Or, I shall keep your original contract intact, and we shall modify our friendship. I can understand remaining professional, and I will personally promise that I will cease any activities to further your pony cultural education. We shall remain on a first name basis only when we are truly alone, and we shall maintain no more physical contact than a hoofshake. You need someone to talk to Elias, an equal, and I can be that pony. Your other potential confidants will be working beside you, while I shall remain away. My sister and I are entrusting you, and the other generals fully with the preparations for the march, and as such, we will never talk about your work in private unless you wish to do so.” Her smile dropped slightly as she took a few steps forward and extended her hoof. “I think this arrangement can suffice to keep you the distant General Bright, while also not losing sight of Elias Bright. Are we agreed?” Elias took a deep breath, taking a moment to think it through. Seeing no viable alternative that wouldn’t flat out alienate one of his biggest allies, Elias nodded and accepted the hoof. “Fine, but if you push my limits, it will have consequences.” Luna nodded, and it surprised Elias when she stepped away, keeping her royal mask up. “Of course General. As I said before, I am immensely grateful to you for doing this, and Equestria will soon be in your debt, of that I have no doubt. I just need to make sure you see the lights at the end of the tunnel, and I cannot do that from the throne. I will send an assistant by to begin walking you through the necessary paperwork, and to deliver supplies to your second. Our next planning session is tomorrow morning at eight o’ clock.” Elias nodded silently, and Luna turned around to leave, stopping just long enough to give him a wink before trotting away. Elias let out a long sigh, but he couldn’t help but smile slightly. “That didn’t go as planned,” he said. Night Flash shrugged. “Maybe, but Princess Luna has a point. Having no friends can be just as dangerous as having too many in your position. We all get the need for focus General, but having one friend? I think you can handle that and keep everything on track.” Elias nodded in agreement. “Let’s hope I can. Now let’s get to work. I want recruiting materials up by the end of the week. First Centurion, take a walk, find what ponies are going to volunteer from the guard forces. Tell them what it will mean to be in my legion. Adiutor Binder, you may set up your working area however you wish, just so long as it isn’t distracting to your work.” She nodded silently, and with a glance at each other, the pair of ponies left the room, leaving Elias to think in silence. He looked around the office again, but upon finding nothing of note, he sighed and stood before his desk. The thought of still having at least one friend popped up in his mind, and Elias couldn’t help but smile faintly. He then cruelly crushed his happiness, letting anger rise up to drive the feeling into submission. He wasn’t supposed to be happy; he was supposed to be focused. Even despite his harsh words, the ponies were worming in, distracting him. Elias punched his desk with a fist, glaring daggers at the wood service. They weren’t listening, and the more they treated him kindly, the more he was slipping backward. It had been less than a day, and already he was compromising his values. Elias felt a familiar cold feeling wash down his body, but unlike usual, he didn’t let his anger fade. He didn’t look up, though he somehow knew that Other-Elias was leaning against the doorframe. “You say a fucking word about calming down, and I’m going to beat the hell from you,” Elias growled. Other-Elias raised his hands in mock defense. “I wasn’t going to say anything like that. I wanted to tell you to buck up. Luna’s still close, and while an issue, it’s also a solution. We keep her happy, and the royal treasury becomes our playground. She’s agreed to keep at arm’s length, which is good. That lets us keep in her graces, while also focusing on our work. If we get distracted, compensate by spending. Better gear, better armor. Build additional training grounds if we need to, whatever. Spend as much as we can get away with, but keep her happy, and Book Binder and Night Flash alive. She was right about the light at the end of the tunnel. We go too dark, and this all becomes meaningless.” Elias scowled at his desk, but nodded in agreement. The argument was sound enough. “Fine. Go away then, I need to review the armor specifications for the legionaries and auxiliaries before I send them to Anyon.” “Did you say something General?” Elias opened his eyes and turned to find Book Binder in the doorway with a pair of saddlebags in her mouth, while another pair sat on her flanks. She looked concerned, but respectively so. That was good, she was respecting the boundaries they had established. Elias shook his head. “Just talking to myself about work that needs done. Carry on Adiutor, let’s get to work before the Princess’s assistant drops by.” > Chapter 35: Laying the Groundwork > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias had a heavy scowl on his face as he stalked through the long castle halls. A massive series of migraines had developed after the third week of waking up in the early morning, rather than in the afternoon. He cursed his choice to be a night guard; it had effectively ruined his sleep schedule, and with the departure of his living pillows, Elias had found little sleep in the first few days following the acceptance of his position. It didn’t help that it had taken direct orders from both princesses to get him to stop sifting through the absolute mountains of paperwork that he had to fill out. Book Binder did her best to soften the blow, but many of the forms required his personal signature, and even with the stamp Luna had given him, Elias had done his job and read through each form in detail, making sure he wasn’t putting his name to anything he disagreed with. Two forms had slid in sneaky conditions that would have effectively made him a slave to the crown, though when he brought it up with Luna, she had flown into a blistering rage, eradicating the forms and sending a few dozen scribes to change the language in the archives. While a bit overzealous, it had eased his fears about further manipulation from the pony princess. Another form had also prevented him from actually recruiting anyone, being that he was not a biological citizen of Equestria. That form had also been burned, but by Celestia, rather than Luna. The white alicorn had recognized the hoof writing, and had found that it had been a recent amendment put forth by one of her generals; Sir Orange Juice. The pony had been subsequently stripped of rank in front of his peers, and when he tried to protest, Celestia threatened to strip his noble title as well. That had shut the unicorn up, and he had fled the throne room in disgrace. Celestia then said in no uncertain terms that anyone found trying to usurp Elias’ position would be met with severe punishment. Perhaps it had been a show for his benefit, but Elias had found that he trusted the white alicorn just a hair more. It wasn’t anywhere close to the devotion she likely sought from him, but it colored her a slightly lighter shade of manipulative in his eyes. Without having to check his back constantly for people trying to stab it, Elias had made good headway with the help of his subordinates. Well over three hundred guards had submitted applications for the legion, and while a few were sent back to their respective guard forces at the requests of the other generals, Elias already had a good base of experience from which to build his legion. Though he would keep the positions fluid until he was sure the ponies were the right fit, he had already offered out all of his commanding positions. Chief Strategist was assigned to Scarlet, on the promise that the stallion would maintain his bed rest, as well as study for an advanced tactics test that Elias would put him through. He had given the pegasus a wealth of hand written study materials, and every time he stopped by the infirmary to discuss medical supplies with Steel Scalpel, Scarlet was always hard at work, his bed lined with books and open notebooks. He usually didn’t register Elias’ presence, and when he did, he gave a wave and a grunt, not even looking up as he studied away. Elias hoped the pegasus would succeed. It had surprised him when Ice Blossom submitted an application, and when he had called her forth to ask why, she had claimed it was simply because she missed serving with her friends. While he was sure that it was part of the reason, Elias suspected there was more at play, especially when Chaser didn’t pester him to reclaim his sister for the Royal Guard. It rankled Elias to think that the the ponies were trying to plant spies, but he needed her experience. A Royal Guard would be an excellent role model, and with his plans for training, a pony role model was what he needed most. Either way, he put her up for one of the centurion positions, and he knew without a doubt that she would work well as one of the training officers. Another pony that had surprised him was Gray Granite, who had submitted an application only for an officer’s role. Elias had granted the request, mostly out of curiosity. The pony was newer to the guard than he was, and he was so soft spoken. How such a pony would fair in a leadership position, Elias didn’t know, but if he failed, Elias would throw him back to the Lunar Guard. Nightshade would be happy to have another capable fighter at least. On a more personal level, things had been going swimmingly with his adjusted relationships, mostly. Luna had been respectful in her modification of their relationship, and the more he dwelled on it, the more Elias had extremely mixed feelings about the whole arrangement. On one hand, it put him on edge. He wasn’t supposed to have any friends, yet he had caved instantly the moment she pressured him. If it hadn’t been done in private, Elias would have worried how that reflected on him and his word, but as it was, he couldn’t help but feel happy at keeping one close confidant. He had poured out a piece of his very soul to Luna, then turned on his heel and said they wouldn’t speak again for seven months? No, he liked their modified arrangement better, especially when he had ambushed her and hammered out the details of their professional friendship sessions. Though the alicorn tried to fight him on writing out the rules, Elias had managed strength in that department, and together they agreed on a once a week, one-hour session in which they did nothing but sit, talk, and relax. Though she had complained about it, Elias had also stipulated a maximum of one physical gesture per session, meaning that no matter what, he couldn’t be made softer. So far, though she had silently complained about all of his rules, it had worked out well, and when he was around the alicorn, Elias felt greatly relaxed. It let him just talk, and they often spoke of little nothings, primarily their work schedules and how much they despised them. While they chatted, Elias came up with new, better ways to organize his legion. He kept a pad of paper at him on all times, and Luna always watched with a smile as his hand moved with lightning speed across the pages, recording his ideas with ease. He didn’t know why, but that smile always seemed to encourage him, and whenever he saw it, ideas seemed to flow freer. On occasion, Elias even asked Luna about one point or another, taking her input into consideration and adjusting his plans accordingly. Unfortunately, not all of her suggestions could be implemented, and Elias had been forced to be cruel when it had come time to address his initial picks for the officer positions. He had made it clear that their previous friendships no longer had value, and that anyone wishing to remain personally close had to retire, effectively immediately. Though there had been a few protests, Elias didn’t waver his position, and in the end, they all fell in line, making the same sort of threats that Book Binder had. Elias had no issue accepting said threats, so long as the ponies giving them would focus until their job was over. Afterword, Elias would give them free reign; he just wanted to see them all survive. The rest of that day had been spent running the officers through the basics of his training plans, as well as all of the necessary protocols and punishments. Elias had received some disgusted looks when he brought out the pair of lashes he had had made, but nopony vocalized their protest, and Elias knew that when it came time to use the beating instruments, they would either use them, or they would leave his legion. The entire time, Elias made notes on the strengths and weaknesses of his officers, collecting a thick packet of notes on each one as he decided precisely where they would be the most useful. It was going to take some work, but Elias felt confident he could make the right choices. Elias struggled not to groan as he massaged his temple. Under his arm was a thick bundle of papers that he was hoping to get approved by his fellow generals. While he had no issue designing the recruiting materials for his legion, the rest of the generals apparently wanted “help” with their recruiting strategies, so Elias was forced to pitch in. or be subject to an endless stream of complaining from the ponies about how he wasn’t contributing to the “greater effort”. The day’s meeting, which was strangely earlier than most, was about the subject, and Elias knew he would be expected to attend, despite only barely learning about it in passing. He would have looked like a fool to show up two hours late, and with the wrong materials. It certainly would have done no favors for his credibility with the ponies. Elias passed by another guard, who was a mare, surprisingly enough. He had so far only seen female guards on his morning walk, and it confused Elias, especially given that the guard was almost an even split on the male to female ratio, with it leaning ever so slightly in the males’ favor. Yet all the guards he had seen since he had gotten up were female guardsponies. Each and every one of them had also given him the same strange look that the thestral was giving him as he strode by, turning the corner to the hallway leading to the back entrance of the throne room. Elias cast a glance over his shoulder to find the pony sniffing the air in his passing, and her eyes seemed to light up as he hit the throne room doors. They quickly shut behind him, and the strangeness was forgotten as he caught sight of his fellow generals, or rather four of them. Elias rubbed at his forehead again as he made his way to the table, letting his satchel fall upon it with a thud. Everfree and Midnight Chaser gave him a shocked look, while Starry Skies gave him the same eyes that the guard had given him. She sniffed the air, then smiled widely at him. Elias might have found it creepy if he hadn’t been staring at Nightshade, who was rubbing herself against Chaser’s side. The mare had eyes only for the pegasus next to her, and she purred loudly as she nipped at his neck. Elias raised an eyebrow, but said nothing to either of them as he looked to Everfree. “Good morning, I believe we are supposed to be discussing recruiting strategies?” “What are you doing here Bright?” Chaser replied bluntly. Elias cocked his head at the pegasus, doing his best to ignore Nightshade as she rammed her forehead into the pony’s neck. Why the thestral was acting like an overly affectionate cat, Elias didn’t know, and he wouldn’t let it distract him. “It’s a planning meeting, and while I have already developed and begun implementing my recruitment strategies, everyone else had expressed an interest in having my assistance to better draw in recruits.” He gestured toward his satchel. “So I prepared an example of my strategies, and had my adiutor create samples for each branch that you can use to develop your own strategies. If you need any assistance understanding or implementing the materials, I am here to consult with.” He shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I be here? And speaking of, where is everyone else?” Chaser and Everfree exchanged a look. The zebra grabbed the satchel and quickly removed all of the paperwork within while Chaser bit his lip, as if he was trying to come up with something to say. Nightshade purred as she nuzzled his side again, and the action seemed to flick a switch in his mind as he met Elias’ eyes again. “You don’t know what this week is, do you?” Elias shrugged and shook his head. “The third week of April?” Elias offered. Nightshade snorted mildly, and for the first time since he had entered the room, she looked at him with a wide smile. “Oh, you are going to be having a lot of fun today Bright. Chase, don’t you dare tell him.” The pegasus sighed. “I wasn’t going to, not in words at least. Saying what it is usually drives every mare nearby into a frenzy. I have no idea why, but hey, at least I’m safe this year.” Nightshade rubbed against his neck and nibbled on his ear again. “I wouldn’t quite say that General, but let’s just say that you have a pass until later, hm?” Elias’ eyes flicked between the two, looking for subtle differences. All he found was a gray feather behind Nightshade’s ear, and a tuft of fur attached to a gold chain around Chaser’s neck. The objects clearly meant something, but what? Chaser had mentioned being protected, from what? Starry Skies licked her lips as she stared at him, and it gave Elias another hint. It had something to do with the female ponies, that much was relatively clear, but what was missing? He had pieces, but not the whole puzzle. Elias silently cursed his lack of social awareness, then doubly cursed himself for being distracted. He had a task to do, and it wasn’t to talk about subtle cultural nothings that had little to no impact on him. Elias let a scowl fall over his face, and he looked to the one pony, or rather zebra, that was actually working with his materials. “Anything I can assist you with General Everfree?” Elias asked shortly, indicating clearly that whatever Chaser and Nightshade were talking about didn’t matter to him. The zebra looked up from his materials. “No, and in fact, I do not think your consultation is needed. Your paperwork is impeccable, give my compliments to your assistant. This will be invaluable in the coming days.” Elias nodded, taking only a little pride in the zebra’s praise. He was an odd one, Everfree. Belonging to a small tribe of zebras that had migrated to Equestria centuries ago, it was one of only three noble families in Canterlot that weren’t unicorns. Apparently when they sought sanctuary with Celestia, they had offered their life-long military aid in any wars the fledgling nation found itself embattled in, and as such, they were distinguished warriors. Everfree was the current family leader, and of the Solar Guard Generals, he was the only one that Elias took no serious issues with, especially since he seemed respectful enough when Elias offered his assistance. “I shall also respect the wishes of silence from General Nightshade,” the zebra said smoothly, “but I would recommend returning to your quarters or your office General Bright. Not unless you are seeking to be claimed.” Elias opened his mouth to ask what he meant by “claimed”, but a glance to Starry Skies told him that she would show him quickly what the word meant in context if he didn’t leave soon. Her nostrils flared, and her tail lashed back and forth excitedly as she quivered with anticipation. Perhaps taking Everfree’s advice would be sound until he had a greater idea about what was going on. Elias kept his cool as he collected his satchel, slinging it over his shoulder in a smooth motion. “If you need any further assistance or clarification, I will be in my office for much of the day.” Chaser and Everfree nodded, while Nightshade made a slight shooing motion as she smiled sadistically at Elias. Elias ignored her, moving back toward the throne room doors. Out of the corner of his eye, Elias saw Starry Skies drop from her position at the table, and begin to follow him, but Nightshade quickly caught the mare’s tail, and fast whispering seemed to cut through the air. What the words were, Elias didn’t know, but they were clearly important as the energy seemed to completely leave the pony in the time it took him to reach and then open the throne room doors. He was sure he heard a sigh of disappointment as the doors closed behind him, but Elias ignored that as well. Did the distractions ever cease? Evidently not, because during his entire walk back to his office, Elias seemed to catch the eye of every member of the staff in the castle, all of whom were for some reason, mares. Elias was certain that there were at least a few stallions on staff, but none of them seemed to exist anymore, and each turned corner found another pair of eyes that followed him down the halls. It drove up Elias’ paranoia, and his steps sub-consciously sped up as he sought the sanctuary of his office. The chair, his chair, was calling his name. Despite his best attempts to ignore the obvious tailor-made gift, Elias could only relax truly when he sank into the faux-leather seat, designed specifically for him. Even mountains of paperwork breezed by in that chair, and Elias was becoming slowly more adept at finding solace in his office. He just needed to get there before the energy building in the air overflowed, and crushed him under its manic weight. By the time he reached his office door, he had at least two tails, and the sound of sniffing followed him through the door, disappearing only once he shut the frosted glass and wooden barrier. Elias waited next to the door for a moment, keeping his hand on the handle, and listening intently. The sound of somepony pawing at the door briefly came through, followed by a slight whimper. Disheartened, the pony trotted away, still sniffing the air. Elias waited until the sound of hoofsteps was gone, then pulled away from the door. Book Binder didn’t look up from her desk as she toiled away at a stack of paperwork that never seemed to shorten. “Finding escape from heat week in here huh? Just make sure you leave soon. General Bright shouldn’t come in, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he did.” Elias blinked at the mare, and cocked his head. “I did come in Adiutor. What is “heat week”?” Book Binder looked up at the wall for a moment, her eyes blank as her mind processed the sound of his voice. Her head then turned to him, and her eyes lit up with happiness, followed swiftly by sheer panic. She dropped her quill and rose from her desk. “Elias, you need to go back to your room, you shouldn’t be out. At all. I’ll deliver you some food, make sure you have everything you need, but you really need to go back to your room.” Elias frowned as he let go of the door handle and straightened. “Ignoring your breach in protocol, why? What is heat week? Is it the reason that only mares seem to be doing their jobs today?” Book Binder sighed, and rubbed at her forehead. “Right, okay, this is going to be a fun explanation. General, can I just… refer to you by name for a few minutes? This is a talk that parents usually have with their foals, and talking from assistant to general is just… strange. It’s a one-time thing, it’s just very important that I not be distracted while I tell you about heat. I don't want to mess up the explanation.” Elias scowled, but he needed the answers more than he needed her to follow their rules. If it happened again, she knew the punishment, and at least she was asking first. Elias moved around the mare and set his satchel on his desk. He then calmly sat down in his chair, doing his best not to slouch into its comfortable leather. “Alright, for the moment Adiutor, you are allowed to refer to me by name. Now, what is heat, and why should I be hiding from it?” Book Binder pulled her chair out from behind her desk and sat it before his, plopping down swiftly. “Alright, I am assuming you know how children are made?” Elias rolled his eyes and nodded. “Yes, I can grasp the basics. Mom and Dad love each other, or not sometimes, and they do non-polite things in the bedroom, and nine months later a child is born. At least for humans. I am assuming just about everything is the same for ponies?” Book Binder nodded. “Functionally, yes, but what I suspect is a difference between humans and ponies is that mares mandatorily go into something called heat once a year. While those seeking to have children go into a regular, milder heat once every few months, a spring heat happens every year without fail. It usually happens in the third week of April, and is the only time that mares are forced to be sexually reproductive.” “Forced?” Elias echoed. Book Binder nodded and bit her lip. “There’s really no known way to combat a spring heat, save for the obvious. Most mares take medication to dull the symptoms, and for those with mates, most of the symptoms go away, since they do not have to actively seek out a mate. For everypony else however...” “Oh,” Elias said simply. Then understanding dawned in his mind. The looks, the sniffing. They were likely checking, not for his scent, but the scent of another female on him. Elias was clean, especially given that Book Binder wasn’t near him anymore. He had essentially dove into shark infested waters while the sharks were in a blood-rage. That wasn’t good. Book Binder nodded at his look of understanding. “It’s why the princesses legislated that all stallions can choose to remain home from work for the week. Only those who are actively seeking mates go out during heat week. All the other stallions usually don’t leave their houses though, with their family bringing them food so they never expose themselves. It’s actually very good business for little fillies and colts, and every year the mail service hires extra ponies to pick up the slack. Think of it as a week long holiday for stallions every year where they essentially can’t show their faces unless their married.” “Is that why Night Flash isn’t here?” Elias asked. Book Binder nodded. “Unless I staked my claim on him sometime this month, the scent will be a little muddled. I kept him safe at my parent’s house, just in case. Most mares will recognize him has taken and respectfully stay away, but some go wild with desperation toward the end of the week, so I thought it better to be careful. Besides, my parents love having him around, and he loves helping them around the house, so who am I to risk him?” “Why keep the stallions inside though?” Elias asked. “Heat sounds… distracting. Wouldn’t it be better to let mares stay home and deal with it?” Book Binder shook her head. “It was tried one year, but with such a severe disparity between the number of stallions and mares, the country basically shut down. On top of that, it didn’t help the primary issue, since the mares knew they could just go out and find working stallions. It was a mess, and the princesses found it easier to just hide the stallions away and send the mares about their business. Heat is annoying, but is manageable when there aren’t any stallions around.” ‘Like me,’ Elias thought. He nodded in understanding of Book Binder’s words, then sighed. “So, I know I’ve been seen out and about by no less than a dozen enterprising mares. Are they going to be hurt by my stupidity?” Book Binder shrugged. “They shouldn’t, not unless they had some prior interest in you. Like I said, spring heat is unavoidable, and most mares are just trying to scratch the itch. There are plenty of… institutions that stallions work at to satiate the desires of most mares, so that they can go back to their lives as normal. You might disappoint a few ponies, but I highly doubt any have taken a romantic interest in you.” Elias glanced from his desk and grinned at Book Binder. “Well that makes it sound like I’m not attractive to them. Are you saying I couldn’t find a mare?” Book Binder snorted and rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to answer that, because Momma Binder has an answer, but it is not appropriate for now. Suffice to say that I will expect you to have a mare by this time next year. You’re coming of age soon, and the control the castle mares have maintained is honestly more than I would have imagined most of them had. You are extremely attractive Elias, so much so that it still mystifies me how young you are. It just shows that your standard for adulthood is what most ponies will go by, rather than ours.” “Most?” Elias asked. Book Binder met his eyes with a smile. “Very soon General. Very soon you will be my baby boy. I for one can’t wait and will follow every rule you put forth to earn it.” She rose from her seat and dragged it back to its proper place behind her desk. “But that is the sum of it. If you would like my advice, I would wait until nighttime to sneak back to your room. I can deliver food, books, paperwork, whatever you need, but unless you intend to get started on a family early, I suggest you remain hidden. You turn heads General, and though you aren’t a pony, fewer and fewer ponies around here are starting to care.” Elias frowned and stared at his desk for a moment, trying to work up a plan to still be productive, while also taking Book Binder’s advice. The recruitment forms for the general populace had only gone out a day ago, and he needed to be on hand when the applications started flowing in. He intended to personally approve and deny each application to make sure nobody that didn't meet his standards slipped through. He and Book Binder had drafted up a healthy set of rules for who could apply to the legion, and while he trusted her completely, his paranoia would only be satisfied if he put his personal stamp of approval on the applications. It wouldn’t do to simply let the work sit until the end of the week. He had already pissed away enough time with his indecision about the legion, and now he had the potential to lose another week of working? That wouldn’t do. A knock came from the door, causing Elias to jump from his thoughts. A brief thought to hide under his desk and let Book Binder handle it flashed through his mind, but Elias crushed it and straightened in his chair. If it was a mare trying to “mate” with him, then he would tell her in no uncertain terms that he was uninterested and that he had been unaware of what heat was. He wasn’t going to let heat week shake his focus, he would just need to power through it. “Come in,” Elias said clearly, and calmly. He was confident that whoever it was, Elias would have no issues talking to them. He was proven absolutely wrong as Luna walked into the room with a brilliant smile on her face. Did alicorns go into heat like all the other mares? How the hell was he supposed to tell the one friend he was allowing himself to have no? Could he tell her no? The dryness in his throat gave him no confidence as she walked into his office. “Ah, so the rumors are true then, General Bright is on the prowl,” she said with a wide grin. She was mocking him, that much was clear. She didn’t seem to be sniffing the air though, was that a good sign? The alicorn looked to Book Binder. “If I had to caution a guess, I would assume he did not know about heat?” Book Binder nodded. “Yes Princess, but I have informed General Bright fully. We were just discussing our strategy to get him back to his quarters, while also maintaining our workflow. It’s going to be interesting trying to deliver all of his work there without anypony other than myself to deliver it. I’m sure we’ll figure something out though.” Luna turned back to Elias, and her smile seemed to grow wider. “That won’t be necessary Adiutor Binder, I have been informed of General Bright’s plight by General Nightshade, and have already devised a solution.” She pulled her saddlebags off and took a seat, rifling through them with her hooves. Producing a thin, silver neck chain, she turned and plucked a larger feather from her wings, then quickly affixed the feather to the chain. She smiled proudly at her quick handiwork, then placed it carefully on Elias’ desk. Her green eyes flicked up the Elias, who had to suppress a smile. She had such pretty eyes. Elias mentally destroyed the thought, why was he so unfocused? Luna was speaking, and to avoid having an internal meltdown, Elias focused on her words. “There, that should suffice to ward away any mares so that you may go about your business as usual. As I promised, I will do everything in my power to assist you, and losing a week of work will only agitate your paranoia. If you wear this, you will be able to move about freely.” Elias took the feather in his hand, spinning it momentarily as he looked at it in the light. It was incredibly soft as he ran his thumb down it, and it seemed almost alive in his fingertips. He looked to Luna to find her still smiling, though her normally flowing tail was lashing back and forth slightly on the floor. “All I need to do is wear it?” Elias asked. Luna nodded, and a trace of nervousness flashed across her face, but her smile didn’t waver. “Indeed General. You may tell ponies who you got it from or not, though between the two of us, I would rather you kept this private. It is an act between good friends.” She put extra emphasis on good, but Elias felt a few pieces fall into place in his mind. Good friends, of course that made sense! Book Binder had a feather behind her ear when she and Flash started courting, and it was likely a sign that they were serious about their friendship beforehand. Nightshade and Chaser always seemed to work well with each other, and the feather this morning meant that she was likely courting him as well, with the feather signifying the closeness of their friendship. It was some sort of tiered system of friendship, with the act of the feather signifying the level just below courting. Elias could see Luna’s ulterior motives plainly; if he accepted the feather, he was basically saying they would be lifelong friends, and that he would never drive her away. It all made perfect sense, and while a blatant act of manipulation on her part, Elias quickly realized that he was completely content with such an act. He vaguely wished he had something to give her in exchange, but surely the concession he was making by accepting her silent offer was enough, right? Elias slipped the neck chain over his head and let the feather fall onto his tunic, the blue standing out brilliantly amongst the bright red of his clothes. He heard a brief gasp from Book Binder, and his eyes flashed up to find her holding her hooves to her mouth. Panic raced through his mind. Had he mis-read the situation? “Is something wrong Adiutor? Have I made a mistake?” His eyes flicked over to Luna, who looked absolutely ecstatic, but who still had nervousness in her eyes, likely caused by his sudden hesitation. “Good friends, right? I’m not reading this wrong?” His eyes flicked back to Book Binder as she nodded quickly and dropped her hooves to her desk. “Yes General, just an act between close friends.” She paused, then added, “and Princess Luna is right, it will certainly keep any mares in heat away from you. Make sure to wear it for the next week at least.” Luna shot the mare a grateful look, then she smiled at Elias widely. “Indeed. To make sure there are no mistakes, keep it visible at all times. The scent on the feather should ward most away, but the sight of the feather will be a guarantee.” Elias nodded, eyeing both ponies carefully. They had gotten more comfortable, and neither showed further signs of nervousness. Had he been overthinking it? Had he mis-read their facial expressions? Only minutes prior he had been unable to detect why all the mares in the castle were interested in him, so it was certainly a possibility that he was just social blind when it came to ponies. Elias frowned momentarily, then rolled his shoulders. It didn’t matter. If it was a pass to move about without harassment, then so be it. He would figure things out if it was anything more than what both ponies told him with some later research, but pony customs was hardly on his immediate to-do list. Besides, the feather was really soft and comforting as he rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger. ***** Luna had to resist the urge to grab Elias’ hand and parading the oblivious human around the castle. She couldn’t believe that she had gotten away with it! For a moment, Luna feared that she had been exposed as she saw his eyes light up with comprehension, but he seemingly made the wrong connection, and saw it as a special occurrence between friends. His lack of knowledge on pony culture served her well however, and seeing his fingers gently massage her primary made her giddy. Just watching the human with her feather was intoxicating, and Luna imagined that if she was in heat like her fellow mares, nothing would stop her from taking the human by force. Luckily, neither she, nor her sister had experienced heat in centuries, even before her banishment. While she would look forward to it in the future, now was not the time to be dealing with such thoughts. She needed to remain subtle, and while gifting Elias a primary was anything but, she knew that Book Binder had her back, especially given the subtle glances the mare kept throwing her way. Elias leaned back in his custom-made chair and met her eyes. “It’s really soft,” he noted calmly. “Are all pony feathers like this?” Luna nodded. “Yes, but note that my feathers are softer than most due to being an alicorn. Like myself, they will last for centuries without tarnish or fade.” Elias grunted, and Luna mentally gushed as his eyes fell back to the feather. She needed to leave though. Restraint was the key, and if Luna stuck around and watched him interact with her primary, it would only clue him in to her feelings about him. Luna closed her saddlebags and rose, draping the bags across her back. She knew just what to do to draw his focus elsewhere however, so she cleared her throat loudly. “General, I know you have already begun implementing your recruitment measures; do you have early estimates on the size of your legion?” Elias stared at her blankly for a moment, then like clockwork, his eyes snapped back into focus, and his hands moved over his desk, snatching up a stack of papers. “I do. In terms of recruits, we’re anticipating somewhere between four and six thousand initial recruits, with nearly two thousand put on a reserve list. I do, however, anticipate that we will lose a great deal of the recruits due to the intensity of my training regimens, so I estimate anywhere from a thousand to three thousand legionaries ready to fight by the end of training. I will be thorough in my effort to weed out the weak, and I can guarantee that we will be sending quite a few ponies home.” Keepers below did she love hearing him speak. Despite his adamance that he despised his position and wanted nothing to do with it, he was very good at his job, and so very passionate about it. The grief of his previous losses acted as a diamond focus for his sharp mind, and Luna knew that with their help, he was going to do great things. She hoped desperately that everything would go right for the man. He had made a brilliant show of strength to his fellow generals, yet his outer façade, so carefully crafted and maintained was just that, false. He was scared, terrified even. It showed in little moments, small, almost non-existent glances toward Book Binder or Night Flash. The pair were always with him, and sometimes Luna was able to catch the little signals. A hand twitch as he passed Book Binder a form, the intentional crossing of his arms to resist hugging Night Flash, an envious look when the two departed together on some errand. He was a master at hiding his emotions, but Luna could tell that he was beginning to suffer again. He had found some small measure of peace after Hearth’s Warming, yet here he was, toiling away again, all while ignoring his personal health. That was her fault, and it was something she would have to beg his forgiveness for when the time came. She had done this to him, had set him on this path. He would have left had it not been for her personal intervention. Would he have found freedom though? Knowing how he thought, his sense of honor and pride would have made him dwell on the decision. He would have spent many days thinking about whether he was coward or not. This way at least, he did his duty, did right by his warrior side, and then would be rewarded handsomely for his service. Then the rest of his life could begin, hopefully at her side. If he rejected her when she began public courting him, it would hurt. That, Luna could be certain of, but she would hold no grudge against the man. Perhaps she would be angry and disheartened for a time, but she could never harm him in any capacity. She had already worked behind the scenes with her scribes to set up a generous retirement fund for the man, with more than enough annual bits to find and start a family should he love a different mare. It was the least she could do for him given what he was risking for her. She didn’t believe he would reject her though. As he spoke, his fingers drifted naturally back to her primary, massaging it lightly. Luna wished she could feel those wonderful fingers behind her ears, wished she could sweep Elias away to some isolated, comfortable place to confess her love to him. She would bring Book Binder and Night Flash of course, he wouldn’t be truly happy without them, but she would help him find peace. It was what his very soul was crying out for, and she would help him find that, in time. “What are your intentions concerning your rejected applications?” Luna asked as he finished detailing his plans for training. Elias scratched his forehead with his thumb. “That depends on the reason for rejection. I’m working with the other generals to ensure that ponies with existing guard family members can’t join up, so I hope that we can create a system to keep those ponies well away from the battlefield. As for the rest… there’s nothing I can force. My health standards are my own, and while some may view them as too strict, I know what it takes to be a warrior. My training will not be easy, and the march will be even less so. The strong will live, the weak will die. It’s just the way of war. I’d like to avoid taking as many weaklings as possible.” Luna nodded in understanding. “Very well. I shall talk with General Chaser and General Nightshade about adopting some of your standards. It is important for our guard forces to be strong. Do you have any opinions on how we could best modify the existing guard requirements to better meet your standards?” His eyes flickered up from his desk, and the genuine smile on his face brought the butterflies in her stomach to life. “And here I thought you’d never ask.” He became more energetic as he talked. Luna loved it. She kept her ears focused on his speech, going so far as to take a notepad from her saddlebags to keep track of his recommendations as her mind compartmentalized. It was a strategy that it had taken her and her sister centuries to develop, but the strategy let Luna hang on every word while also letting her daydream about the human. He clearly loved jobs involving militarism; perhaps she could encourage him to write his experiences down? He was a master at combat, and far above many of the strategists she had met, so perhaps there was a future for him as a teacher. It would allow him to be in control of a classroom, sculpting young minds with his energy, all while keeping him safe and away from the dangers of the world that had taken so much away. Or perhaps he would enjoy something completely different. He loved working with his hands, and while she was sure many ponies would enjoy his talents as a masseur, perhaps he would make a good chef? It was very hands on, and would require the intense focus that he put toward everything else in his life. He would retain familiarity with sharp objects, and then he could interact with plenty of ponies. If he became a true expert, he would even be able to open his own restaurant! He seemed to enjoy building things, and a business would occupy his days and work perfectly with his restless nature. Maybe that was the issue with her thought. Luna scribbled down a note about targeting recruitment, then glanced back up to find Elias’ eyes shining back at her. She blushed lightly and looked back to her notes, writing down his every word. She was thinking about how he currently was, but perhaps he would seek significant change when the march ended. He had voiced a lack of resistance toward Book Binder’s motherly advances when the march was over; it could signify a crossroads for the man, and something close to his new family would be more suitable. The royal library was always looking for more helpers, and Elias loved reading, that much she knew as fact. She could easily arrange for a leading position for Book Binder, keep Night Flash on as a Lunar Guard, then allow Elias to simply be among the books. A quiet existence, a calm one would see him to peace, and perhaps all the tension and pain would simply… disappear. Luna mentally sighed at the idea as she wrote it, and the others down in her footnotes. That one… it was likely the best for Elias, but the worst for her. The librarians had become close to the man, especially with his pending relationship with Book Binder. She had heard many a rumor that they wished for his hand to hold. If he decided to become interested in such an offer, she… would cope. It was not her decision to make. Elias was the man she loved, but she would not stand in his way, would never stand in his way. She was willing to let the man she loved love somepony else if it made him happy, and even if she wasn’t willing, it wasn’t her choice. Elias was nothing if not his own man. She couldn’t force him to love her, she could only do her best to convince him to accept her love. She took comfort in his fingers around her feather. He cared about her at the very least. He was her friend, a close one at that to have made such a concession to her. She had pressed and pressed, yet he did not turn her away. Such a kind man, such a wonderful heart. Luna smiled at Elias as he finished his speech and sat back in his chair. He matched her smile with his own. “Any questions Princess?” She shook her head. “None at all General, you are very descriptive. Thank you for your help, in this matter and all others. I shall see you again soon I hope?” She had to. Her heart ached to see him in more than a professional setting. Luna cursed herself for her weakness, but kept her smile up. Elias didn’t let her down as he nodded. “Of course Princess, just as scheduled. I wouldn’t break a date.” Luna clenched her jaw as she struggled not to gasp. A date. She knew what he actually meant, but a date. She hadn’t even thought of their friendship appointments like that. A date. She and Elias had gone on dates. The lovesick little filly in her chest fainted as she rose. “Very well General, I shall see you Friday in the gardens. Do not be late.” He gave her a nod as his face slipped back into his profession mask. As Luna turned, she noted his fingers on her primary one last time, then trotted away, making straight for her room. She stopped to send a letter to Nightshade, then broke into a jog. She needed somepony to talk to and release snuggle tension on, and as she increased her pace, she realized that she needed it now. > Chapter 36: Training Begins > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias walked calmly, moving at his casual pace. Nobody was at his side, and if all things were well, the ponies that were supposed to be would be standing with the rest, their armor polished till it shined in the early morning sun. It was going to be a very long day, but Elias would be lying if he said he wasn’t a bit excited. It was time to get started, time to start breaking his recruits. After he and Book Binder had went through the stack of applications case by case, they had come up with no less than six thousand recruits. It had surprised both Elias, as well as the other generals, that his recruitment had been so successful. Not a single other guard force could boast the fresh numbers he could, and Elias still wasn’t quite sure why his campaign had been so successful. He had brought in a few recruits for interviews, but their answers had been vague, and they seemed more in awe of his facial scar than anything else. Only after a talk with Celestia had he discovered that his name had become attached to a silly rumor that was quickly turning into a small legend. Elias Bright, the Human Hero of Canterlot they were calling him, and a quick glance at their recruitment posters showed that he and Book Binder had used his full name under the contact information. Apparently, it gave credibility to their recruitment statement; “Serve with the best!” Either way, after weeding out those with existing guard family members, as well as those who didn’t meet the health requirements, Elias had an army of recruits, and so the true tests could begin. Much like the test his fledgling legion was currently taking, that of patience. On the battlefield, waiting for the enemy to appear was common, and if the ponies fell asleep on their feet waiting for a measly three hours before dawn, they wouldn’t be fit for him. All of the veterans should have lasted easily, but the fresh recruits… Elias had a plan. All was going to go well. He had accounted thoroughly for every occurrence, every little step they would need to take to become masterful fighters. He had their training planned out to the second, and every single instance would be punishing, driving them toward their breaking points. Only the strong would be beside him at the end, and Elias knew that this time, he would get it right. He had to. Elias pushed through the doors leading to the training yard. Under one arm was his helmet, its bright red plume straight and clean. The silvery steel shined in the morning light, as did all of his armor. His bad eye was out for all to see, and as he took the long way toward the stage set above the training grounds, he made sure every pony in the front row of the legion could get a good look at it. The set of glasses Luna had commissioned for him waited on the table on the stage, but Elias wanted everyone to see his bad eye, wanted them to know exactly what their “legend” looked like. There was a time and a place for hiding the thick black scar, and the blue changeling eye, but it would not do to hide it in front of his potential legionaries. By the end of training, he would know them all by name, and they would know him personally as both friend and commander. It was the only way he knew to make sure he had absolute command in their minds, above even the princesses. As Elias stalked past the ponies, he saw more than one set of nervous eyes follow his movement, but they wisely didn’t move their necks. No doubt the work of Night Flash or Book Binder. Still, it was a positive sign that they were showing initiative to improve the discipline of his recruits, even on the first day of training. Elias reached the end of the line, then grunted in a mild display of satisfaction. He turned on his heel and walked briskly to the stage, taking the steps two at a time. Book Binder, Night Flash, Ice Blossom, and Gray Granite waited at the top, all decorated fully in their legionnaire armor. None of them moved as Elias cast an inspecting eye over them. Picking one at random, Elias stared down Gray Granite, and when the pony simply stared back without flinching, Elias nodded and moved to his table, setting his helmet down. He pulled his illusory glasses from their carrying case and put them on, feeling a slight warm sensation roll down his face. Though he couldn’t see it, Elias knew that his bad eye now mirrored his normal one, and that the scar was no longer made of chitin. Instead, the long cut was merely pale scar tissue, marking his face clearly, just without the changeling-esque enhancements. Elias had actually gotten used to the eye already. Waking up with the strange looking thing had become a norm, and with his focus on being a general, he had become used to the stares he received. Fear on first contact was a useful weapon, and when he didn’t get something he needed, he could intimidate whoever denied him into submission. On top of that, Elias noticed subtle things about the eye. Luna claimed that it would function just as his other eye did, yet Elias swore he could see better in the dark with his bad eye. In addition, Elias began noticing slight ripples around the royal guards whenever they had their illusory enchantments activated. It wasn’t like he could see through the magic, but he could definitely tell it was there. He had told Scalpel about it, and the unicorn had set up a few tests. Through trial and error, the pair had theorized that Elias could only see illusion magic through his bad eye, something that made Elias incredibly happy. There would be no more replaced friends on his watch, and any changelings that tried would be dead before they knew what hit them. It was a useful tool. Elias looked over his equipment for a moment, inspecting his wrist guards to ensure that they were on straight. He needed the ponies to sweat, needed them to realize he neither valued them, nor their time. They needed to be nothing before he could make them something. He would say so in as many words of course, but they needed to come up with the idea first, needed to learn that they didn’t matter to him, not yet. Quietly, and without turning around, Elias asked; “Adiutor, have all of our training uniforms been delivered?” Book Binder nodded. “Yes General, the Manehattan blacksmiths delivered everything yesterday. Anyon tried to stop them, and then when I told him why we went outside the castle for the gear, he huffed but accepted my response. He lodged a formal complaint with me and wishes to know when he’s going to receive the armor order for the rest of the legion.” Elias nodded as he massaged a callous on his hand. “Tell him in approximately two months. I should have the early weapons estimates in three weeks, but the armor needs to wait. It’s going to be costly stuff, and I don’t need him wasting his time and talent on armor for soldiers that don’t exist. Not even half of this lot will last the week.” Out of the corner of his eye, Elias noticed a few ponies bristle at the insult. He made note of their faces, made sure to remember them in detail for when they failed. Failures deserved insults, and until any of them proved they could succeed, he would insult them freely. Just another way to break them down. Book Binder made a quick note in her leather-bound appointment book, then quickly slid the book back into her saddlebags, straightening back to attention as soon as she was finished. That was good, he wouldn’t have to single her out yet. The first time it happened to his old friends was going to hurt, especially for Night Flash and Book Binder. Elias took a deep breath and ignored the feelings he felt. It didn’t matter. When it needed to be done, he would do it. They knew what they were risking, he had warned them in full. There was simply no more time for warnings or feelings, now it was time to be General Bright. Elias looked out across the assembled ponies with a scowl, clasping his hands behind his back. Without turning around, Elias said; “First Centurion Flash, Centurions Blossom and Granite, join the recruits in their blocks. First Centurion at the center, Centurions Blossom and Granite, go to your cohorts.” To their credit, all three moved swiftly from the stage, and Night Flash found his spot quite easily. Blossom and Granite moved too slow however, with the former getting momentarily confused as she searched for her assigned place. She fell into line, and Elias was pleased to note a bead of sweat on the pegasus’ face as he began approaching with even steps. Book Binder followed him off the stage, standing just to the left of it as Elias stalked forward. Getting close to Ice Blossom, Elias didn’t bother looking down at her, and instead looked out over his recruits. “Do you know where you have failed Centurion?” Elias asked quietly. The pegasus nodded silently. A mistake on her part. Elias’ voice hit the air like a hammer on an anvil, a powerful shout that cut through the training grounds, and made many of the recruits flinch. “If you know your mistake Centurion, then why have you not begun your punishment?” Elias roared in her face. “It is within your duties to distribute punishment for failure, that includes your own. If you cannot have enough foresight to grasp the full scope of your duties, I will find someone who will, am I clear?” Ice Blossom nodded. “Yes General.” “THEN WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU STILL STANDING HERE?” Elias shouted. She took off like a shot, bolting for the training ground gates. Elias knew she would do the full lap of the city. Blossom was a rock-solid guard, and he was happy to have her as a centurion. He just needed the example that nobody was free from punishment, and from the looks of some of the recruits, they understood that lesson clearly. Elias let his face become neutral as he began pacing at the front of the formation. “Good morning recruits,” Elias called evenly. “Welcome to your first day of training. Adiutor Binder has already taken attendance, and while I have not looked at her work, I trust her completely. If you are still here, then that means you were here on time, a good first step. Those that were late should have been rejected at the gate, and rest assured, if I find someone here that was late, there will be consequences.” He stopped before a bright yellow pony with neon green hair. It was a strange coloration combo, but Elias didn’t particularly care about that. He was much more interested in the nervous look in her eyes, and the quake in the pony’s knees. It might just have been because of his close presence, but the pony was a step away from breaking down. Elias stared at her for a moment, then resumed looking above the ponies’ heads. “If there is anyone here who was late, or feels that they no longer belong in my legion, now is the time to back out without punishment. If you wait for even a second too long, you will be whipped before I throw you out. Step forward if you have decided that this is not for you.” Elias waited calmly as a few ponies slipped out of the formation and trotted with their heads down to the front of the formation. Elias extended a hand toward Book Binder, and the unicorn pulled out a list, crossing off names as the ponies left. Elias glanced down at the pony before him. She no longer had her eyes locked on him, but was watching the ponies who were leaving in disbelief. Elias glanced at the small line, then back to the pegasus before him. “Thinking about quitting? There’s no shame in it, yet.” The yellow pegasus blinked at his words, then she shook her head. “N-no sir. I signed up for a reason. I have to give it my best, even if I fail in the end. I won’t quit on the first day.” Elias cocked his head. “But you will on the second?” The pony shook her head. “The third then? Perhaps the fourth day? At what point will you become a quitter? You mentioned quitting on the first day like that is somehow better or worse than quitting on the fifth, or the sixth day. At what point do you think that I should find it acceptable to quit? At what point will you decide to stop wasting my time? Are you going to quit on me? Are you going to let me, my legion, and everyone around you down? Are you going to quit?” Her ears pinned to the side of her head and she looked down. Elias waited calmly as he watched her think. Her emotions flashed clearly through her eyes, and when she glanced back up, Elias saw steel in her gaze. “No sir, I won’t quit. I have to do my best.” Elias nodded and looked out across the legion. “Good. We’ll see how long that attitude will last. Report to Adiutor Binder, you will help her distribute the training armor.” The pegasus nodded, then dipped around him at a brisk trot. Elias didn’t bother watching her go. He instead began pacing between the rows of ponies, looking for signs of weakness. “For those of you who have decided to stay,” Elias said loudly, his voice easily carrying through the training grounds, “your window for leaving shame-free is closing. Adiutor Binder will soon begin passing out your training equipment, and with it will come your legion number, and your legion helmet. Once you receive these items, you will officially be a legion recruit, and any action you take will have the potential to reflect poorly on my legion.” Elias turned around sharply, his face twisting into a snarl. “I do not take kindly to those who make my legion look bad, and in time, neither will those of you who survive to become legionaries.” A few more ponies slipped out of formation; their dignity gone as they raced for Book Binder. Perhaps it was the word survive, but Elias was glad to see them go. If they couldn’t handle his hard talk, they wouldn’t survive his brutal training. He continued pacing silently, frequently making eye contact with some of the ponies that were twitchy. A few withered under his eyes and slunk away, but most did their best to meet his gaze and stay in formation. Once the weakest had quit and left the training area, Elias continued his pacing, ensuring that nobody else was going to leave. When nobody did, and he could no longer find the immediate signs of weakness, Elias spoke again. “Those of you that are left, your opportunity to leave without shame has passed. Know that from this moment forth you are my recruits, and as such, you will not leave my legion without my say so. Punishment can be expected from quitting, because not only are you making me, and by extension my legion bad, you are making those around you look bad. You have taken my name by remaining, and I promise you that if you make my name look bad, I will make you sorry for it.” Elias hear an audible gulp, but upon stopping to glance around, he found nobody that looked nervous enough to have made the noise. Elias let his face fall into a scowl, then began walking slowly toward the front. “Listen well now recruits, because I do not repeat myself, and anyone found ignorant of their orders will be found guilty of disobeying them and will be punished as such.” He signaled for Book Binder, Night Flash, Gray Granite, and the recruit pegasus to begin passing out the training armor. As the first ponies received their gear, Elias made his voice rise to a shout. It was unnecessary, but he saw a few recruits growing lax, and that wouldn’t do. “Your first lesson as recruits in my command is that you are all worthless to me! Whatever you have accomplished before now, whoever your family may be, none of it matters. Not to me, not to your officers, and not to your princesses, though they may lie to your face to make you feel better.” Wisely, nobody chuckled. It was a good sign for so early in the day, it meant they were actually listening to his words, his tone. Elias resisted the urge to grin with satisfaction. “Because a number of you won’t last the month, I will not bother to learn your name. I don’t give a rat’s ass about your special talent, because unless I deem it so, it is unimportant. I will be giving you a new special talent, and that talent will be to follow orders. You are not ponies, you are bodies in a machine. You have one purpose here, to fight. My purpose here is to teach you how to do so, and the best I way I know how is to make sure every step you take is a battle.” Elias motioned to the ponies in the front row who were beginning to put on the dull grey training armor. “What your officers are giving out is your training armor. You will become best friends with this armor, because if you are anything less, you will be punished. This is the equipment you will wear at all times when you are not either sleeping, or bathing. If you are eating, you will be in armor. If you are running, you will be in armor.” Elias spun on his heel, causing a blue earth pony to his left to flinch. “If you are taking a shit, you will be wearing your armor, and you will ensure that you apologize to it for the inconvenience. This armor will shine when you are done cleaning it, and you, and you alone will be responsible for its maintenance. Your officers will conduct an inspection every morning, ensure that if it does become damaged, you fix it by then.” Elias’ ears picked up a small gasp of shock as Ice Blossom bolted back into the training grounds. She was covered in sweat, but she took one glance at her fellow officers, and she moved to the stage, dragging out a larger crate. She cracked open the top, and then she passed out the “specialized” gear. Elias smirked at the sight of some disbelieving faces as the ponies beheld the wing binders, horn nullifiers, and weighted vests he had commissioned. Elias turned about and continued his speech. “Because each of you have no value, and because none of you are special, you shall all be equals until I say otherwise. You will not have special talents, or magical strengths to make you exceptional in my eyes. Instead, you will persevere, you will show inner strength, of will, of intelligence. If you can do that, then I might give you your specialties back.” Elias cocked his head and shrugged. “Maybe.” Taking a breath, he continued. “For the pegasi, you shall receive wing binders. Too many of you are reliant on your wings, and that will not do. I need you to fight on the ground with everyone else, and so I shall keep you grounded until you learn to fight without your precious wings. For the unicorns, it is the same issue, but with your horns. It is high time to start using your hooves, and if you feel like you already know how use your hooves, then congratulations, this shouldn’t be a challenge for you.” “For the earth ponies,” Elias said, then paused. He snorted. “You’re magically strong. There isn’t much I can do to hinder that, other than to push you harder. You will receive weighted vests to push you as hard as everyone else.” A unicorn stepped out of line from the back with a look of disgust on his face. “Alright, if nopony else is going to say something, then I will. This is crazy, not to mention illegal. You can’t expect us to go through all of this crap just because you’re some weird, monkey looking thing. It isn’t fair, and I for one won’t stand for it.” Elias watched Gray Granite drop his crate and begin striding with purpose toward the errant unicorn. The armored pony opened his mouth to no doubt verbally punish the unicorn, but Elias raised a hand to keep him silent. “No words Centurion, just seize him. Give him 10 lashes for speaking out of turn. Then give him a helmet and make him wait by the stage. Tell me when you’re finished.” Gray Granite nodded grimly, and the unicorn gave Elias a look of horror as the armored earth pony grabbed him by the tail, forcing him toward the front. Elias didn’t watch, and instead waited in silence for the sound of the flog. It was another test, one that he needed to ensure that the ponies could go through with. If his hand was the only one distributing martial punishment, the ponies would resent him, and they wouldn’t see the reason of why they were getting beaten. They needed to understand, and as the first crack and cry split the air, Elias knew that Granite was going to excel in his role. Elias would have to watch for blindness when following orders, but otherwise, Elias knew the earth pony would have what it took. The beating progressed mechanically, with each crack of the whip sounding no less forceful than the first hit. Elias walked through the now stunned rows of ponies. Even a few of the former guards looked shaken up, but Elias didn’t care. They would become desensitized in time, or they would leave, and the legion would be stronger for it. Elias began slowly pacing toward the front. “This little demonstration brings me to my next point. There is no task that I will ask you to do that I will not do myself. You will have your restrictions, and so will I. I have no magical abilities however, no wings, no horn, no magic strength or connection to the earth. I have no magic whatsoever. Everything I do is by my own strength, and I shall say this clearly for all to here; that strength is worthless.” Elias got to the front row and stopped as the last crack split the air. The flog was designed to merely be painful, to do little more than leave welts on the back of the pony it was being used on, yet the unicorn who had spoken out was weeping like he had been branded. It was pathetic. Elias watched with no sympathy as Granite untied him from the whipping pole and dragged him toward the center stage, shoving a helmet into his hooves as he forced the unicorn to stand up straight. Elias decided to let the pony stew with his pain for a moment. Elias looked out to the assembled legion. “You are all worthless alone, but so am I. Personal success matters not at all in my legion, because if we cannot succeed as a group, then we are already dead. If you believe you are not capable enough to pull your weight here, then this,” he said, motioning to the large bell beside the stage, “is for you. Name it what you like, but this is for the failures and the quitters. I need only those of you who are strong enough in body and mind to seize victory. Those whose mind gives out before their body are not fit to fight with me, and I will be saving your life by sending you home.” Elias motioned for Granite to bring the whipped pony forward. The unicorn whimpered loudly and tried to shy away from Elias, but the human didn’t make any moves to harm him further. He instead gently took the training helmet from the pony’s grasp and raised it into the air. “This is a symbol of your commitment to the legion. In time, it will be replaced with an actual helmet, but I will not piss away the royal treasury on making real armor for quitters. Should you last the month, the real training will begin; everything else is merely to push you to the breaking point.” Elias gave the helmet back to the pony, and kneeled beside him. Softly, he said; “Take your helmet and place it next to the bell, then ring it and go home. You’re done here.” The pony sniffled and nodded. Elias stood up and waited while the pony set the helmet down carefully, no doubt trying to prevent further punishment. He then took the bell rope in his teeth and gave it a solid yank. The bell rang once, and Elias motioned for Granite to escort the pony out of the training grounds. Elias then looked to the assembled formation of recruits. “To ring the bell means that you accept your failure. It is, in fact, the ultimate acceptance of your inadequacy as a soldier, because rest assured, those that make it through my training will be the finest soldiers Equestria has ever seen. Once you have rung this bell, you will not be allowed to return to my legion, ever.” Elias stepped away from the lone helmet and began his pacing anew. “I can see already that some of you wish to quit after that little punishment, but you will wait. I told you that your last opportunity to leave without shame left, and so it has. Everyone here will know of your failure, so stand up straight and try to act like you have pride. I assure you that you do not.” Gray Granite trotted back to the crate of training armor and continued passing it out without a hitch. Elias watched him move for a moment, then continued to the final portion of his speech. He knew he had conveyed how rough he was going to be, but without a light at the end of the tunnel, most, if not all the ponies would quit. They needed a reason why they were fighting, and Elias appreciated that heavily. In his experience with humans, they didn’t really need a solid reason to fight, they just did so based on some primal instinct. Perhaps ponies were more civilized in that regard, likely the result of either their magic, or the fact that they were considered “prey” animals. Either way, Elias knew how to fire up the strong ponies, and he would wait while the weak saw themselves out. “I shall always be honest with you recruits. I shall always give you a detailed summary of what I, and the other generals are doing, and you shall always have a clear picture of why we are doing what we are doing. This fall, we, as well as the rest of the guard forces, will be conducting a march to the capital city of Saddle Arabia. The reason is to establish a magical portal linking their capital with Canterlot in order to create lasting peace to our west in the minotaur lands. The princesses believe that Chrysalis and her ilk raised their army with love stolen from the main tradeway, so think of this all as a roundabout method of revenge against those black-shelled bastards.” The word revenge caused some stares to harden into glares as the ponies steeled themselves. More than a few of them were Canterlot locals, or at least had family in the city. It was an easy rally point for the ponies, and as he continued pacing, Elias could tell that it was a blemish on the national pride of the Equestrians. Nobody launched an invasion on Equestria, and if they did, they certainly didn’t try to gun for three princesses at the same time. Understanding about his prominent facial scar seemed to dawn in some eyes, and a few nervous looks disappeared. Good, they were beginning to figure it out. “Every action you take will be with purpose,” Elias said without pause. “Before you will act, you will think. My orders are law, but nobody is perfect, and even I need the occasional course correction. In time, you will be able to tell when I am right and wrong, but for now, I am always right. If I tell you to jump, your only response should be to ask how high. You are in my legion, and therefore you are mine. I will decide where you go, and what you do, and I will determine if you even belong here. The next few months will be the most punishing and rewarding months of your lives if you’re willing to toughen up and power through.” Elias made his way to the front of the formation. “Those of you that survive to the end will be the best of the best. You will be legionaries. Soldiers of the eagle, of the Legio I Equus.” Upon the verbal que, Book Binder peeled away from the formation, leaving the rest of the officers to distribute the training equipment. Moving behind the stage, the unicorn quickly dragged out a tall pair of standards. The first, a rearing pony made of pure gold, shined brightly in the morning sun, making it almost difficult to look at. The second was the legion standard, matching the standard of his earthen legion near perfectly, save for the letters that decorated it. The golden eagle was also slightly larger, with its wings spread fully as it shimmered and flapped in the light breeze. Elias smiled lightly as he looked upon both images with pride. Soon, he would have soldiers worthy of both banners. He had a lot of work to do in the interim. Elias took the standard first, holding it into the air with one arm. “This is your symbol. Your every action will be done under this banner, respect it, because nations will come to either fear or respect this symbol. I strive for both.” Passing Book Binder the standard, Elias took the pony and raised it into the air. “This is your representation of Equestria. This is your princess, your home, your family. This represents everything you strive to protect. On the battlefield, should you ever feel doubt, should you ever feel fear, then look to the golden pony, because it is the hopes and prayers of everyone you love, it is the guarantee of coming home. You will honor it, you will fight for it, you may even die for it!” Elias passed the golden pony back to Book Binder and re-clasped his hands behind his back. “In time, two of you shall have the privilege of carrying these standards into battle, and make no mistake, it is an honor. Should we lose either of these standards, then I can safely say that we will be lost. The two ponies chosen to carry these standards will be the best of us, and they will act as the honor guard. If you want that to be you, then push yourself to your breaking point and beyond. Soar for new heights that you couldn’t imagine in your wildest dreams.” Elias paused, looking out over the recruits for hopefuls. He saw a few eyes that were transfixed by the shiny gold of the standard, of the legion pony. That had been a small change that Elias knew would make a big impact. The eagle meant a lot in Roman culture, and while a significant symbol for the legion to have, Elias knew that the ponies would rally better if one of their standards was more meaningful to them from the start. In time both would be theirs, but they needed to see themselves in their legion, and replacing the legion eagle with a legion pony was a small sacrifice to make for unity of action and purpose. His officers finished passing out the training equipment, so Elias made his final offer for freedom. “If any of you have heard my words today and decided that you do not have what it takes to be the best, and that you do not wish to serve with the best, then please step forward now and place your helmet next to the bell.” Three shifted out of the formation, the training gear sitting on their backs. Two of them gave Elias arrogant glares as they stalked past. Likely they thought they were above him, but what they thought didn’t matter, they were the ones who were quitting. All three set down their helmets, but the first pony decided to be a rebel. As soon as he kicked dirt on his training helmet, Ice Blossom was on the pony, dragging him to the whipping post. Granite made the other two wait while the cracks of the whip went out over the formation. The other two ponies flinched with each yelp and cry, but the mild beating soon ended. Ice Blossom gave the rebel no break as she dragged him back to his helmet. Setting the pony up straight, she jabbed a hoof at the scuffed helmet. “You wanna leave? Fine, but show some respect, the princesses payed far too much money for this equipment for you to kick dirt on it,” Ice Blossom spat. The pony cringed, though whether it was from fear of another whipping, or the pegasus’ tone, Elias didn’t know, and he didn’t care. The rebel picked up the helmet with his teeth, then gently set it by the bell. He then looked back to Blossom, who motioned toward the rope, and with an almost shy look, the pony let loose the second ring of the day. Elias knew that many would soon follow. The other two ponies quickly, and carefully set down their helmets, then rang the bell. Granite fell in beside them, removing their training gear, and then Book Binder escorted them out, recording their names on the roster. Elias watched all of it with an impassive stare. The weakest had been weeded out, but now it was time to get to work on the next group, and then the next. He looked to the formation and scowled. “This morning, you will be getting familiar with one another, your officers, and your new quarters. First however, you will be familiar with me. You may address me as General, or General Bright. Sir is saved for the normal guards. Do note, if you call me sir, that is grounds for punishment. I would learn the ranks of everyone above you quickly.” He took one more look over his recruits, then nodded in satisfaction. It wasn’t a bad start, and the morning was only just beginning. “With that out of the way; Centurions! Get the recruits in formation, we’re going for a run.” ***** Elias rolled his shoulder as he stalked back toward his office. In his hand was the members report; they were already down nearly two hundred. His early estimates for recruitment had been spot on, with six thousand meeting his strict requirements. While only a dozen or two left before training had even started, the rest had started dropping like flies as he introduced the ponies to his punishing endurance training. Each day started with a lap of the entirety of Canterlot, followed by physical fitness tests through the obstacle course he and Blossom had designed. It was an incredibly difficult, nigh impossible course, even for him, and every time the ponies “failed” he sent them on another lap of the city. He had personally counted thirty quitting just from that effort. After running them half to death in the morning, Elias let his officers handle them over lunch. He gave them a lengthy first day break; a full two hours to eat, then settle into the freshly built recruit quarters. Elias had made sure to skimp on cost for the recruit buildings, providing only the barest of essentials. The buildings were little more than long barns with plumbing, and the beds were simple cots and blankets. The legionnaire quarters would be far nicer, but until more of the ponies quit, Elias wasn’t going to waste effort, or money on them. The afternoon started with another lap of Canterlot, this time in their “packs”, which consisted of rubble loaded into saddlebags. The entire time, Elias ran ahead, behind, and beside his recruits, hurling insults at them. Two had broken down and cried, while another one had snapped and had tried attacking Elias. After a very public beating in the Canterlot streets, Elias had carried the unconscious pony over his shoulder the rest of the way, balancing the pony’s weight with his saddlebags. Two more bells were rung, with his attacker thrown into the stockade for the night. Raw, violent anger was a tool Elias could utilize; he just hoped the pony would learn his lesson by morning. After the run came basic combat training. The real phalanx training wouldn’t start for another month or so, but while some of the ponies had their guard training, others were starting fresh, they needed to know how to fight when the formation disintegrated, or when they became isolated. Elias spent most of that time observing, ensuring that his officers were being hard on the recruits. Gray Granite caught his eye more than once. It was like the pony had been waiting to step into the role of the hardened, battle-ready centurion, goading the recruits against each other, and when the ponies had enough and began fighting amongst themselves, he stepped in expertly, showing them some new move, or strategy to grapple their opponent. His cohort saw the best cohesion and already Elias could spot the weak links and the rising stars. It had earned the earth pony a compliment, which he beamed at. Then one of his recruits stepped out of line, and the centurion came out again, sending the pony out on another lap of the city. Elias’ part in the day ended with a briefing to all of the recruits, passing out the first version of the official legion manual, which included the basics of everything they would learn in time. It ranged from basic battle strategy and chain of command, to the grooming standards and dress code. For some reason, three more recruits left after he read through that section, declaring his requirements “tyrannical” simply because the tunics they were required to wear would cover their cutie marks, as if the armor wasn’t already doing that. Again though, Elias was glad to be rid of them. If minute, nothing issues caused them problems, he didn’t want them anywhere near a battlefield. Elias rubbed his sweaty forehead. In terms of a first day, it had been an excellent start, and with two Royal Guards taking care of the standards for the night, the recruits would be prepared for the next day. Maybe it would work. Maybe he could do it right this time. Elias snorted dismissively at his optimism, and pushed open the door to his office to find an unwelcome sight. Celestia waited calmly with her rump in his chair, and the sight of the alicorn enraged Elias. That was his chair damnit! He didn’t need some fluffy pony sitting in it! A vaguely familiar pony sat across from her in Book Binder’s chair, and the pony flinched as Elias entered the room. Luna looked up from where she had been pacing behind his desk, and a flicker of a smile passed over her face before it settled into her professional mask. Elias did the same, letting his hands fall behind his back as he stared at the ponies that were in his office without permission. “Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, I did not expect to see you here, is there something you needed from me?” Celestia sighed and shuffled in Elias’ chair. It almost made him smile. Of course it wasn’t comfortable, it wasn’t designed with a pony in mind. “I have received some rather disturbing news General, and I wanted to ensure that things were going well with your first day with your new recruits.” Elias smoothly slid the day’s reports from his satchel and leafed through them. “I believe things have gotten off to a fantastic start. My officers are exceeding my expectations for this early stage of training, and I don’t see discipline within their ranks being an issue." He flipped a page and frowned. "Additionally, I am happy to report that the costs for my legions armor and weapons can already be decreased from my early estimates. It is my intention to speak with Anyon tonight to see about beginning the initial armor fittings, and to see if he has any further improvements on my designs.” Elias calmly passed the reports to Celestia, who gave them a cursory glance before setting them off to the side. Elias clasped his hands behind his back and stared at her with emotionless eyes. “Overall, I think the first day went spectacularly, and I eagerly anticipate tomorrow when the real training starts.” Celestia shifted in Elias’ chair again, and this time Elias didn’t bother keeping the smirk from his face. “Princess, would you like to sit somewhere else? You seem uncomfortable.” Luna knew what he was doing, he could see it in her eyes. Her eyes seemed halfway between warning him not to provoke the larger alicorn, and pleading with him not to. Tough. They wanted to make him a king, he was going to control his little kingdom. That started with reclaiming his throne. Celestia sighed and rose from Elias’ chair. “I think I shall stand General.” Elias nodded and waited silently as she moved around the desk. As she faced him and opened her mouth to speak, Elias went around the other side, setting his helmet down with the facial slit facing toward the door. He then calmly sat straight-backed in his chair, and rested his elbows on his desk. Celestia blinked owlishly at him for a moment, no doubt trying to process why he had thrown a minor offence her way, but Elias quite simply didn’t care. He wasn’t going to play posturing games, and he wasn’t going to listen to their complaints about the weak, cowering pony before him. Elias’ usurping of the room’s metaphorical throne had made the stallion shiver as he looked back and forth between Luna and Celestia. When he finally worked up the balls to look at Elias, he flinched when he found the human’s eyes boring into him. Elias continued to stare the unicorn down for a moment, then looked to Celestia with a professional smile. “So Princess, I again ask, what can I do to help you?” Celestia blinked at him again, then seemed to regain her composure. “I… have heard some concerning reports, and I wished to hear your side of things before passing judgement. This fine young stallion here tells me you have been beating your recruits?” Elias smiled at her for a moment, then his eyes flicked to the unicorn, who flinched visibly. “Does he now? And what tale about my legendary cruelty has he woven?” The stallion whimpered, and sank low in his chair. Luna, no doubt tired of the game they were playing, sighed and moved to the front of Elias’ desk. “General, Wild Strikes tells us that you singled him out, humiliated him in front of his fellow recruits, and then beat him before throwing him from the training grounds. Is this true?” Elias stared at her for a moment, then sighed and scratched at his head. “The simple answer is no, and unlike Wild Coward here, I have proof. You both know what one of my beatings looks like, and this idiot lacks the markings of such a thing. What you will find, however, is ten welts. He was whipped, by the light lash no less, because he decided to speak out while in formation. He received a briefing packet that said such a thing was punishable by whipping, and he made a decision to insult my training techniques in front of all the other recruits. I can not be made to look weak, so I had one of my centurions whip him, and he was then escorted out with the other failures.” Elias shrugged. “He wanted to quit, but decided to be a big tough guy about it. Too bad he didn’t read his paperwork properly.” Elias looked to the pony, who flinched again. “You failed on the first day because you wanted to run your big mouth instead of listening. I can’t imagine this is your first failure caused by talking too much. You then decided you couldn’t live with your failure, so you went to the princesses? For what gain coward? It wasn’t going to make you un-whipped.” The pony opened his mouth to respond, but Elias merely held up his hand. “I don’t want to hear you speak. In fact, I made it very clear that I never wanted to so much as see you again. Wait outside while the princesses and I talk. If I find you spying, you will receive twenty-five lashes with the actual whip. Then maybe you can go and whine to somebody.” The stallion looked to Celestia. The alicorn glanced at Elias out of the corner of her eye, then looked back to the stallion. “Go wait outside Wild Strikes. We’ll be just a minute.” The stallion gave another fearful glance to Elias, then slipped out of his seat and quickly trotted to the door, closing it behind him as he left. Elias stared at the closed door for a moment, then looked to Celestia, who was staring at him intently. Elias stared back. “General, I must express my concern on this matter, I….” Elias held up his hand, and she fell silent, but irritation quickly entered her eyes. Elias stared at her for a moment more, then took a deep breath and looked to Luna. “Princess, what was my number one term when I took this position?” Luna sighed and rubbed her forehead with her hoof. “You would have complete control of your legion, with no outside interference.” Elias nodded and looked to Celestia. “That’s correct. No outside interference. Yet, here we are, not one full day into training, and you’re already sticking your nose into my legion’s business. That coward was escorted out because he wanted to be special and couldn’t take the pressure of being another faceless soldier. He was weak, and he was left behind, just like the rest of them. If he wasn’t so showy, he wouldn’t have gotten whipped at all. Either way, it doesn’t matter why I had him whipped, if it was for a good reason, or if it was just because I felt like it, this is my legion, my rule. If you don’t like that…” Elias slid open the drawer directly to his right, quickly drawing out a thick packet of papers. Without looking at it, he dropped it on the desk in front of Celestia. “There is my resignation. It was the second set of papers I filled out, only because I couldn’t write a resignation without signing my acceptance forms. If you don’t like how I’m running my legion, then there’s your out.” Elias leaned back in his chair, scratching at his nose with one hand as he stared at the white alicorn. “I don’t know what posturing, backstabbing, lying morons you usually deal with, but when I say words, they mean something. I don’t want this job, I don’t want to build a legion, I don’t want to lead. End of story. The only reason I am doing it is because she,” he said, jabbing a finger at Luna, “asked me to, and I couldn’t let her down. She’s been far too kind to me, and I would be an awful friend if I turned around and spit on that.” Elias spread his hands. “But I won’t stand being second guessed. I will play nice this once because you did it in private, but I promise you that if you come to me with some new coward who weeps alligator tears to get me in trouble, I’m done. I will silently give you that packet and leave. It’s all or nothing. I don’t take middle grounds.” Celestia stared at him, but whether it was shock in her eyes or something else, Elias couldn’t tell. He could tell that this was not a normal occurrence for the unquestioned ruler, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t going to skirt the truth. He was taking an immense personal risk doing their bidding, and he was going to do as much as possible to reduce that risk. If they didn’t like that, he didn’t care. Elias subconsciously ran his thumb down his breastplate, miming the motions he would make to rub at Luna’s feather. He was still wearing it of course, but as per her request, he kept it hidden after heat week, telling nobody where he got it. It had made many ponies look at him strangely, but when Elias put his foot down, the ponies stopped asking. Still, he took comfort in the soft feeling of feather, the one allowed weakness he had in his life. It gave him the confidence to keep pushing forward, to press as hard as he could. He was either going to make a legion that would survive, or he was going to be driven out of his position. “I…” Celestia started, then stopped. She stared at his desktop for a moment, and for a brief second, her hoof raised toward his resignation forms. It just as quickly dropped and the white alicorn met Elias’ gaze. “I suppose you have kept your end of our agreement. You did not maim or kill Wild Strikes. While I do not like your definition of appropriate punishment, we agreed that you would have unquestioned authority.” She looked to Luna, who nodded as she continued. “We shall not bring an issue such as this to you again, but rest assured, we are watching, and if you cross a line, we will intervene.” Elias motioned to the resignation form. “Your intervention is right there. Say the word, and I’m gone. I’m not some power-hungry nut, I’m just a fighter. This,” he said, gesturing around his office, “is not my end goal. Nor is anything above it.” “And what is your end goal?” Luna asked with a hint of a smile. Elias looked to her, cocking his head slightly at the playful look in her eye. He didn’t know what had provoked her sudden change in mood, but he didn’t have time to deal with it. He simply shrugged his shoulders at the alicorn. “Right now? It’s the same plan I’ve always had; survive. Unfortunately for me, I have to take care of others now, so my job just gets harder every day.” Elias slipped his watch from his belt and clicked it open. Glancing at the time, he looked back to the alicorns. “Now, if we’re done here, I have paperwork to fill out.” It was clearly a dismissal, but Luna didn’t seem to take it as such. She merely turned around and trotted away in a weird manner with her flanks swaying, while Celestia stared at Elias for a moment more before following suit, albeit in a normal trot, closing the frosted glass door behind them. Elias let out a long sigh when the door jamb slipped closed, and he sank in his chair, enjoying the custom feeling. It wasn’t going to be the last time he and Celestia butted heads, and though Luna was on his side for the time, he knew that that too would change as his training got more intense and more dropouts started complaining. That was for later, however. Elias sat in his lazy manner for a few minutes, then his mind seemed to snap back into focus. Elias quickly snatched his resignation form from his desk, sliding it back into its drawer. He then grabbed a quill and got to work. > Chapter 37: Endurance > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias scowled in the early morning sun as he conducted his inspection of the recruits. As per the usual, they were lined up by cohort, their backs straight and their chins held high. Elias gave them no praise, and instead searched each one closely, looking for the slightest of mistakes. Unfortunately for him, many of the recruits were becoming quite good at meeting his seemingly impossible standards, and at least one row passed the inspection without comment. Out of the corner of his eye, Elias caught more than one recruit smile as the human walked by without saying anything. The pony quickly realized their mistake and their face resumed its serious mask, so Elias let the mistake slide. It was good for the ponies to feel proud when they succeeded, that feeling of success, of having his silent approval was what he wanted. He needed them to strive for his praise, so that every action would be taken with the utmost precision, and fearlessness. Elias frowned as he made his way to the next row, quickly noticing a very blatant mistake. Ice Blossom, upon seeing his displeasure, was at his side in an instant. She blanched when she saw the very obvious gap in the line. The ponies to either side of the empty space seemed to quiver with fear-filled anticipation, and Elias noticed more than a few nervous glances in his direction. Elias walked slowly between the lines of recruits until he was standing before the space. He tried to mentally picture who was usually standing in it, but even he couldn’t memorize the names and faces of five thousand different ponies. Not in only a month at least. Elias looked to the recruit to the left of the hole. “Recruit, who is supposed to be in this space?” The unicorn mare snapped a salute and answered quickly and forcefully. “Star Orchid, General.” The name was familiar. Though it took him a moment, Elias mentally snapped as it clicked. He looked around the training grounds. “Who else was guarding the standard last night?” Nobody answered. Elias looked to Book Binder, who checked her journal. “I have… Recruit Thunderstorm. He and Recruit Orchid were on guard duty for the standard.” Ice Blossom cursed under her breath, and without a word to Elias, she broke into an enraged sprint toward the recruit barracks. The sound of the pegasus slamming through the door seemed to echo around the training grounds, and the sound of yelling soon followed. Content that his centurion would get the pair of failures before him in a timely manner, he continued his inspection. A few minutes later, Ice Blossom shoved a pair of ponies; a pegasus and an earth pony, out of the barracks, then barked for them to sprint toward the front of the formation. They both did so, and Elias watched them both from the corner of his eye. Feigning like he was finishing his inspection, Elias let the pair sweat for a moment as he decided on their punishment. It had to be something substantial, it was the first night the recruits had guarded the standard after all, and they had immediately failed to report to inspection the following morning. Elias frowned at that, and he stopped. He had no idea when specifically they had left their post. That would be the measure of punishment. He just needed to identify where the point of failure was. He stopped mid-row and turned on his heel. Quickly leaving the formation, Elias made his way toward the front of the training grounds. Both recruits stood at attention as he approached. Hands clasped behind his back and with a stern expression on his face, Elias stared at the pair of ponies. Both looked exhausted, but while the stallion seemed nervous, the mare just seemed pissed. She blinked at Elias as he stared at her, and her eyes seemed to hold a dare, as if begging for him to try punishing her. He was nothing if not up to the challenge. Elias turned on his heel and began pacing before them. “Recruits, I must say that I am extremely disappointed. You have shamed yourselves, and your cohort by choosing to skip inspection. Before I let you make your case, answer me this; when did you leave your post?” The mare took a step forward and gave an angry salute. Her eyes carried heat as she glared at him. “We left our posts at precisely five a.m General, just like we were ordered to. When we received no further orders, we went to bed with an alarm set for ten a.m, the beginning of formation training. I-“ Elias held up his hand, and the mare’s jaw snapped shut. Elias stared at her for a moment, then continued pacing. “Thank you for your long, and overly-descriptive answer Recruit Orchid, but you seem to have misheard me. I didn’t ask for the reason why you weren’t at formation, I asked for the time you left your post guarding the standard. By giving me more information than I asked for, you are wasting the legion’s time, a punishable offense on a normal day, but you have already wasted the legion’s time this morning, so I suggest you stop glaring at my back and fall in beside Recruit Thunderstorm, who is currently the only pony before me showing any shred of common sense.” Elias could almost hear Star Orchid grinding her teeth as he looked to Thunderstorm. “So Recruit, what was the reason you two were not at inspection?” The pegasus glanced at his compatriot for a brief moment. “W-Well it’s like Orchid said; we finished our guard duty over the standard, and then we went back to the barracks. Nopony gave us further orders, so we assumed that it would be alright to get some sleep, then be rested enough for today's training.” Elias nodded and looked to Orchid. “And at any point did you think to ask for orders? At what point did I give anyone the idea that my orders can just be assumed?” Orchid huffed. “General, we tried to find Centurion Ice Blossom, but she wasn’t in the barracks yet. I didn’t want to put words in your mouth, and I thought it best that we be rested for the most important part of training! I’m sorry we weren’t here for inspection, but we didn’t know better!” “But you did know better,” Elias snapped. “I provided you with a schedule for the week, and nowhere on it does it say that the legion remains in inspection block while General Bright dismisses two failed recruits. If you have a question, you ask. If you cannot find someone to ask, you search until you do. You have wasted far too much time by not putting in simple effort. You have been briefed about the location of my office, and there are no less than three other ponies you could have gone to besides Centurion Ice Blossom. Now leave your helmet in the line and get out. If you can’t put enough thought into finding someone with authority to answer your question, then I don’t want you. Out. Now.” Orchid looked on the verge of exploding with anger. Her fur puffed out, and her eyes burned from beneath her recruit helmet. Her lips curled in a snarl, but she didn’t speak. She instead huffed and grabbed Thunderstorm by the collar of his armor, dragging him toward the castle doors. Elias turned away from the pair, staring out over his blocks of recruits as he waited for the ding of the bell. When it never came, Elias cast an eye back in time to catch the castle doors slamming closed. A scowl spread across his face, but he didn’t order anyone to retrieve the disobedient recruits. They had pissed away enough time already. Elias turned his gaze back to the recruits. “Let this be a lesson to you all. If you have any doubt about your orders, you ask. Doing so will make the difference between living and dying. You must have utmost certainty on the battlefield that everybody is doing their job. If one pony is not in line, if a pair of ponies are not on guard duty, then it could mean an early death for all of us as the enemy slips into our camp and slits our throats. Consider it a new standing order. Ask questions.” Elias let his hands fall to his sides as he moved toward his gear. “Now fall into formation and let’s get running.” ***** Elias trotted beside the blocks of exhausted recruits, scanning them for signs of failure. They had started the morning run without a hitch, but Elias had added an additional challenge to it. If anyone fell out of formation, the entire legion of recruits would do another lap of the city. They had nearly done the first lap perfectly, a sight that had surprised Elias, but within two hundred feet of the training field gate, a pony had decided that they didn’t want to run anymore, and they had quit, trotting out of formation and to the bell. A few groans managed to pierce the air, so Elias had called to his officers, and the legion had turned on its heel and started another lap. Things had gone downhill from there, and quickly. It had started with one pony dropping from the effort; a failure of body, not mind. Elias quickly had the unicorn dragged away to the healing ward by two of his fellows, and then they had started another lap. This time, two dropped, and so they too were dragged away just as the other two returned. Elias had them pause for two minutes to get water, and then he had set the legion to running again. As the sun began rising, the legion slogged through lap after lap. More ponies dropped as the air grew warmer, but Elias kept them running. After the tenth lap, with no end in sight, four more ponies quit, and Elias halted the legion to ensure that the bell was rung four times. Once it had been, Elias had made the ponies tighten formation to fill in the gaps, then they were off again. Elias spit off to the side to rid his mouth of the excess saliva, then shot a glare over the heads of his recruits. “Keep those fucking feet moving! You do not stop unless you are told to, and I swear to the princesses that if I see one more recruit dragging their feet, we will run laps until the sun goes down! This ends when you want it to! Now keep moving!” The ponies near him shot him nasty glares, but their steps became more focused. Elias took deep breaths as he picked up his pace to get near the beginning of the formation. Ponies were out and about, something that wasn’t an issue during their normal running time, but now that it was approaching noon, the streets were filling, and so a few ponies had to run ahead of the formation to make sure the path was clear for the five thousand and change recruits. As he moved past the formations, Elias spotted an issue immediately. One of the earth pony recruits didn’t have his training vest strapped on correctly, and the weights were sliding toward his front, making him lean into each step. It was only serving to tire him out faster, and each step became dangerous. Before Elias could move to correct the issue however, the inevitable happened, and the exhausted stallion’s hoof tripped on a lose brick of the road. Weighed down by his equipment, and with his momentum still trying to carry him forward, the stallion’s foreleg snapped with an ungodly crack. The pony let out a sharp cry and sprawled into the dirt. The recruits around him flinched and ground to a natural halt, but unfortunately for them, the rest of the legion was set to trample over them. “Legion halt!” Elias bellowed as he raced forward. A healer met him at the fallen stallion, quickly cradling the broken leg as she began taking the needed supplies from her saddlebags. Elias spared the former Solar Guard only a glance before he cradled the stallion’s head, positioning himself so that his shadow fell over the earth pony, giving him a measure of respite from the sun’s heat. The stallion sighed in relief for just a moment, then his eyes snapped open, and they locked onto Elias with pure panic. “G-General! I- I’m not quitting, I swear! I- I just fell! I can keep going, I’ll even do another lap! P-please, I didn’t quit. You’ve gotta believe me General, I didn’t quit!” Elias reached out to remove the stallion’s helmet, but the earth pony whimpered loudly and tried to reach for it with his good foreleg. “No! Please General! I don’t want to quit! I can’t! This is all I have!” Elias blinked in surprise at the stallion, and he quickly shifted from the hard drill sergeant, to the calm, charismatic general; ever the winning politician. Elias put on his best smile. “Relax recruit, I’m getting your helmet off so you don’t overheat, and so that the healer can make sure you didn’t hit anything.” The stallion didn’t seem convinced, and it almost concerned Elias that the earth pony was so easily ignoring his broken leg. The healer didn’t lose focus however, and she controlled the broken limb with ease as she set it with a pair of splints and a long length of white cloth. She growled in mild frustration as she wrapped the leg with her hooves, but even the healers were restricted, and a dampening ring was fastened firmly around her horn. She used her teeth to pull the leg tight, then tied it off quickly. As soon as she did so, the stallion tried to stand. “Woah big guy, no more walking on that for you,” she said quickly, pushing the earth pony back down. “We’re going to get somepony to carry you back so you can heal up.” The stallion whimpered and looked to Elias. “B-but the General is right here! I can’t let anyone down! It’s only the fourth day! I have to get up!” He whimpered softly and sniffled. “I don’t want to be thrown out.” “Why?” Elias asked simply, his curiosity more than piqued. “This can’t be out of blind loyalty to me or the legion, you haven’t been here long enough. Why do you care so much about staying? An injury like this is a shameless ticket home. I would discharge you; not disown you.” The stallion looked at him with desperate eyes. “Please General, don’t send me home. This is my last chance to do things right.” He sniffled again and looked at the pavement in shame. “I’ve never been good at anything, and my cutie mark isn’t something you can just find a job in. Who’s going to pay for a butcher in Equestria? I tried to help out on the family farm, but we raise pigs! When I get inspired I just… do what I’m good at. I cost my family hundreds of bits, nobody in town will even talk with me, and… I got into trouble when I got desperate. I did some bad things, stole from ponies, sold illegal stuff. My family managed to grab me off the streets and force me into a rehabilitation center. Then they gave me an ultimatum. I can’t go back General; I haven’t done anything good yet! I haven’t even made it a week in training!” He tried to scoot forward to latch onto Elias’ armor as he pleaded with tear filled eyes. “Please, I think I have a real chance to do something here, to be someone! I think I can be a legionnaire; I just need one more chance! I’ll even finish the march! A broken foreleg isn’t so bad for an earth pony!” He immediately tried to stand, but the healer pushed him down, and looked to Elias. “General, he cannot walk on this leg. He does that, he’s crippled for life.” “I can do it!” the stallion growled. “I am not getting thrown out over a silly injury!” “It’s not a silly injury you walnut,” the healer shot back. “You broke a leg! You need to have it healed! To do that, it needs to remain set.” “I can walk fine!” the stallion shouted back. “I can do anything for the legion! I-…” Elias raised his left hand and both ponies fell immediately silent. Elias rubbed at his bare face for a moment, then looked to the stallion. He had no intention of throwing the earth pony out for an accidental injury, but it was clear that the stallion didn’t want to be given his place; he wanted to earn it. It was exactly the mentality that Elias needed to cultivate. The strong were rewarded, even in their moments of weakness. “You want to stay in my legion do you?” “More than anything General,” the stallion replied. “This is something special, I can feel it. I know my place is here.” “You know?” Elias replied. “Interesting. Since you know, stand up. I will decide your punishment for delaying my legion.” The stallion nodded and a flicker of a smile passed over his face as he struggled up on three legs. The healer looked at Elias with a disgusted expression. “General, he cannot finish this run! It will ruin his ability to walk for the rest of his life!” Elias looked at her with an even stare. “Noted Healer, now remain quiet until I ask for your opinion.” The pony looked like she wanted to yell at him, but her jaw clenched shut and her eyes shifted to the stallion, who had managed to stand, though it was clearly an immense effort for him. The crippling pain he had been able to ignore while on the ground likely lanced through his leg as he stood, but he did his best attempt at an attention. Elias nodded, admiring the pony’s attempt at posture, then smirked at the earth pony, making sure to meet his eyes. “Very good Recruit. Here is how I will decide if you deserve to be in my legion. I will carry you, but I will not hold you on my back. If you can stay on for the rest of the run, with your full gear mind you, you will still have a place here once your leg has been mended. If you fall however…” “I won’t fail you General!” the stallion said with a grin. Before he could trot forward, the healer moved behind him, quickly unclasping his saddlebags and tearing them free. When the stallion began to protest, the healer growled at him. “Do you really think that you’re going to be able to hold on with one leg, while being bottom heavy? No, I’ll carry your bags, and then when we get back, you and I are going to the infirmary, immediately.” The stallion looked to Elias, who crossed his arms and shrugged. “You heard the healer. What she says, goes, unless I say otherwise.” The earth pony sighed, and nodded, then limped over to Elias. The human crouched as low as he could, allowing the stallion plenty of time to get a comfortable grip on his back. Despite his words, Elias did slip a hand under the stallion’s rump, ensuring that he wouldn’t fall and injure himself further. Whatever his past, the earth pony was the ideal recruit. He had the drive to succeed and push himself past his breaking points, while also knowing who was on top. He was perfect, and Elias wouldn’t let him slip away. Perhaps later he would talk to the stallion in private and find out more information about his previous mistakes. He could use them as a motivation factor if nothing else. Once the stallion stopped shifting, Elias got to his feet. The healer was at his side, watching the stallion carefully, and Elias gave no orders to contradict her out of formation behavior. In time, the healers would know when to push and when to respect his wishes, but for now, he would concede her the ability to be concerned for the stallion on his back. The rubble laden saddlebags sat on her flanks, resting uncomfortably over her medical bags. The healer shifted slightly as she got used to the weight, but she didn’t complain, and as she found some modicum of comfort, she stared straight ahead, waiting for Elias’ order. The rest of the recruits watched him with a mixture of expressions, but Elias ignored their stares and resumed his normal commanding state, and his voice carried high through the stone streets. “Stand at attention recruits! We still have a run to finish, and if anyone drops out, they will run another lap!” With his centurions working quickly, the formations began moving again, with the slightly rested ponies moving in time so that their torturous morning run would finally come to an end. The earth pony on Elias’ shoulders let out a grunt as the man started running, but the pony didn’t complain, and his three good legs remained tight around Elias’ chest. Some part of Elias wanted to look back and grin at the earth pony, but Elias brutalized that portion of his mind. He would not make friends with the pony. This was a test, another trial to make the earth pony into a stronger soldier. Elias mentally cursed the ponies for making him soft before requesting he form a legion. On one hand, it made sure they could actually convince him to do it, but on the other, it made him far too soft, and if anything, made him more like a pony than a human. He felt a need to make a friendship with the stallion on his back, and that made Elias angry. Said anger filled his legs with energy, and despite the fact that his calves were screaming as they made their way back to the training grounds, Elias felt like he could do another lap, pony on his back or no. The recruits, however, were not in such a state. Elias continued carrying the earth pony as he conducted his inspection of his recruits. Without a sound, seven more made their way to the bell, with the rings carrying loud and clear through the grounds. Elias gave them no notice, instead carrying the stallion toward the stage, where a pair of Royal Guards were waiting with a stretcher, no doubt a result of a message sent silently by Book Binder. The pair of black-clad guards gave Elias an odd look as he carried the stallion over, but the stallion couldn’t have smiled wider as Elias finally gave him permission to get down. He did so stiffly, and he nearly collapsed as he balanced on three legs, but he grinned broadly at Elias as he limped to the stretcher. With an off-kilter salute, the earth pony flopped onto the stretcher, and the Royal Guards carried him off to the infirmary. Elias made a mental note to check with Book Binder for the stallion’s application and background forms, then turned his focus back to the legion as a whole. Walking past the newly begun row of training helmets, Elias began calmly inspecting his recruits. He did his best to ignore the sweat pooling under his helmet, and it took strength of will to ignore scratching at his armored spine, where the sweat was running down in rivulets. The noon sun was beating down hot on the shade-less training grounds, and despite his mental fortitude, Elias was feeling it. He cut his inspection short and walked to the center of the formation, ensuring that his voice could be heard easily. “Congratulations recruits! You have just successfully passed the first phase of your endurance training! It is important that your mind be able to push your body onward, even when you feel on the brink of physical failure. For those of you that have decided to quit, you are already gone, so these words are wasted. You have earned a small break before the next stage of your endurance training, so take a two-hour lunch and report back here in full gear. Centurions, make sure everything is shining and is being worn properly.” Elias picked one of his officers out at random, and he got in Gray Granite’s face, glaring hard at the earth pony. “I should have your forelegs broken for the time you have cost me, and for the time you have wasted on one of my recruits. He will spend the next few days in the infirmary, and I should hold you personally responsible for his failures.” Granite didn’t move, though he did gulp nervously. Elias moved away from him, letting his voice rise again. “You have had a rough morning however, and an injury was bound to happen sometime. Better that it happens early to somepony that has the common sense to try and get back up, rather than on the battlefield, where the enemy won’t give you the chance.” Elias rolled his shoulders, trying to ease the weight of his pack. He needed to get himself into better shape if he was going to yell at others on a long march. The afternoon would provide that chance however. “Today, after your lunch, we will be marching to Ponyville. I expect you to be in performing shape, and if you so much as step out of line, you will be sent home. This is not some exercise around Canterlot where the ponies are looking down their noses at you anyway, this is the Equestrian heartland, and you will represent my legion proudly, or so help me I will beat you to within an inch of your life before I throw you out and onto the street. If you do not think you are up to task, the bell waits to collect its toll. For those of you who are strong enough to succeed, fall out, rest up. I will see you all in two hours.” ***** Elias was extremely disappointed with the results of their march. Not with the recruits themselves, they had performed admirably given their minimal training. Nor was he disappointed with his officers, who controlled the recruits with the utmost focus, so quick to respond to failure that Elias found that punishment was being meted out as he noticed the issue. It was a good sign of cohesion, and Elias should have been pleased with the result of their first march. The Equestrian citizenry, however, had let him down in every regard. Perhaps it was because the recruit armor was dull and grey, and they had not yet been given their distinctive weapons and equipment, but as they marched, the recruits only received passing glances from their fellow ponies. While Elias had expected nothing from the ponies of Canterlot, he had at least expected some shock and awe from the more isolated town of Ponyville; it was why the turnaround point for the march was the town center after all. He had planned it as an exercise to show the recruits who they were fighting for, to show them that their fellow ponies would support them fully in their venture, yet nobody showed any interest in the ragged lines of recruits. The civilians instead went about their days like Elias hadn’t marched a recruit army of thousands into their city. From the looks on the faces of his recruits, he wasn’t the only one who was disappointed. More than a few of the recruits were Ponyville locals, and yet their townsponies flat out ignored them as they broke formation to call out and wave. Elias had waved punishment as he tried to catch the eyes of the Ponyvillians, to try to see why they wouldn’t look upon a group of honestly brave volunteers. Elias would weed out the weak, but volunteering gave them a bit of credit in his eyes, and surviving several grueling days of training? Elias was beginning to learn the names of the best recruits. So why did their countrymen ignore them? Elias got his answer when they made for the edge of town on the return trip. With all he had seen of Equestria, he had never expected to see something straight out of a human history book. It wasn’t by any means a large crowd, but it was enough to make a racket. Elias glanced at the hastily made signs the ponies in the crowd had made, and his bad eye twitched as a mild wave of slander struck out at his recruits. It was pitiful to Elias, but he could tell that the words were venomous to his recruits, especially those born of Ponyville. A vaguely familiar yellow pegasus seemed to lead the crowd, and though her voice was soft, it carried the distance to the formations easily, aided by the much louder voices of her followers. “Equestria has no place for war!” the pegasus called out. “We don’t need soldiers! Go home and do something helpful!” Elias paused for a moment, and beside him, the ponies hesitated, causing the formation to bunch up. Gray Granite sprang into action to administer punishment, but Elias raised a hand, stopping the earth pony. “Keep them marching, I caused them to falter. Get First Centurion Flash and Adiutor Binder to me. I’m going to go see what stirred up this little hornet’s nest.” Gray Granite gave the crowd of ponies a nervous look, but nodded and began shouting orders for the recruits to keep moving. Elias took one of the pilla from his shield and walked forward. It took a moment for the crowd of ponies to notice his approach, but when they did, their shouts seemed to dip in volume and fervor. Many eyes flicked to the weapon in his hand, but Elias had no intention of using the javelin on anyone. A few dozen paces away from the crowd, Elias stabbed the weighted end into the ground. The pilum waved in the breeze as Elias took off his helmet and placed it atop the spear point. He slid his shield from his arm and balanced it against the pilum shaft, then slipped his bag from his shoulders and sat it down carefully in the dirt. By the time he had made himself as non-intimidating as he could be, Night Flash and Book Binder appeared at his side. Both looked nervously at the crowd of the ponies, who stared nervously back. Elias felt no traces of nervousness as he clasped his hands behind his back and walked forward, choosing to leave his bad eye exposed. No need for soldiers? Please. An almost successful changeling invasion wanted a word with these dullards. Elias stopped a few feet away from the yellow pegasus. At a glance, she seemed to shy away from him, but as Elias looked her up and down he saw… something around her. Like she was trying to deceive him. A similar distortion seemed to hang in the air around the crowd, but it centered on the yellow pegasus. She was clearly the ringleader, and Elias stared her down as he let his voice ring clearly through the air. “Is there any particular reason you are here harassing my recruits today, or do you just not have anything better to do?” The ponies seemed aghast at the fact that he could speak; at least most of them did. The yellow one faked shock at his words, but the ripples of distortion seemed to increase around the pony, while the distortion around the crowd lessened. Elias had to wrinkle his nose to force his bad eye not to twitch. “W-well,” the yellow pegasus started, “w-we don’t like soldiers! They’re mean, and they hurt things! Nothing good comes of violence!” Elias raised an eyebrow at the mare. “I disagree. A good deal can be gained from violence, especially when it is for a good cause. The princesses believe that they have need to cause present violence to prevent an even greater future violence. A worthy goal, and so here are a group of ponies that have volunteered to give their very lives for you all, yet you would reject them? That seems shameful in my eyes.” Most of the ponies began looking at the ground in shame, while others looked at their signs in confusion. The ripples of distortion vanished from around them as the signs hit the ground, and the ponies blinked, looking around in bewilderment, as if they had just woken up. Elias’ eyes narrowed as he watched them. The yellow pegasus cast a glance back at the crowd and chuckled nervously. “W-well, that’s their choice! We didn’t ask them to become soldiers, and we don’t want them to be soldiers! We have a right to protest you marching into Ponyville without permission!” Elias shook his head at the pony. “I’m a General of Equestria, I have the permission of the princesses to do whatever I deem necessary to prepare my troops for combat, including a leisurely walk into what I thought would be a kind, supportive city of their loved ones. I must say, I don’t believe Ponyville has earned its reputation for friendliness. Even the Canterlot nobles weren’t as cold as some of the ponies I’ve seen today.” The crowd of ponies flinched at his words, and the distortion around them seemed to lessen further. One mare, a pink and green earth pony shook her head and whimpered lightly. She closed her eyes and clutched her forehead. “I… My marefriend waved and I just ignored her. Why would I do that? She… she looked so hurt when I didn’t even look at her.” Her head snapped up toward the rapidly retreating group of recruits. “I have to go see her!” the mare cried out as she bolted away. “Go after her,” Elias ordered Night Flash. “Make sure the recruit in question isn’t punished.” The pegasus nodded without a word and took to the sky like a shot, flapping hard toward the formation of recruits. Elias watched him go for a moment, then looked back to the crowd to find it beginning to disperse. A few ponies looked toward the recruits with regret in their eyes, and a few followed the pink mare, while others turned back toward Ponyville with their heads down. The yellow pegasus, however, was glaring daggers at Elias. Distortion bled off the pony, and her eyes almost seemed to flicker as she took a step back. Elias cocked his head and shifted his hands so that one rested on his gladius hilt. “Now that everyone seems to be thinking clearly again, I’d like to ask you a few questions miss, starting with your name.” The pegasus looked around for help, but she quickly found herself alone as her crowd of protesters dispersed. She smiled at Elias sheepishly and took a step back. “Oh, well. My name is Fluttershy, and I think I’ll go home now. My, um, bunny is no doubt worried sick about me.” The pegasus eeped as she bumped into Book Binder, who had managed to subtly slip behind her while Elias held the pegasus’ attention. Her head whipped toward both of them, unsure of who to look at as she became boxed in. “Remain calm Ms. Fluttershy,” Elias said. “If you answer my questions, you can go home without issue, but I need information from you. We were in sight of Ponyville for less than half an hour, yet you managed to gather a crowd of dozens, with coordinated signs no less, to protest our march. I need to know how you knew we were coming, and I will have my answer now, or you will be making the long march back with us to Canterlot so that one of the princesses can get the answer from you.” Fluttershy flinched, and she looked back to Book Binder desperately. “P-please, I didn’t mean it! I- I just don’t want to see anypony hurt, and imagine all the little animals! I- Please, I won’t do it again, I promise! I- I…” The distortion became nauseating around the pegasus, and Elias’ hand drifted to the hilt of his gladius. The mare seemed genuine, but at the same time malicious. Something was happening here, and he didn’t like it at all. Before he could rip the gladius from her sheathe and strike out, a quartet of voices called out from the direction of Ponyville proper. Elias’ eyes flicked to four ponies, mares by the look of the them, sprinting toward his confrontation with Fluttershy. The yellow mare let out a sigh of relief, then shrank to the ground, hiding her face in her hooves as she let out a low whimper. Elias quickly recognized the mares, especially Twilight. He moved quickly, whipping his enchanted glasses from their pouch and sliding them on. He felt the illusion magic take hold of his scar and bad eye, rending both from visible existence. For some reason, the distortions lessened as well, as if they were being viewed through smudged glass. Elias ignored that for the moment, and instead focused his mind on the potential situation he found himself in. The purple unicorn and her friends stopped a few feet away from where Fluttershy had begun crying. Twilight cocked her head at Elias with a nervous expression on her face. “H- hello Elias. It’s been awhile. I- is something wrong with Fluttershy?” Elias cast an eye down at the yellow pegasus, who peaked out of her hooves for a moment before yelping and hiding again. He felt his bad eye twitch as he looked back to Twilight and her friends. “Not that I can tell, but perhaps your friend had better keep her nose out of guard business. She gathered a crowd of ponies to verbally harass my recruits on our daily march, and when I confronted her to find out why, she refused to answer my questions.” His eyes flicked down again. “In fact, I still have yet to get an answer as to how you knew we were coming.” The rainbow-maned pegasus flapping next to Twilight snarled and set down on the ground, striding with purpose toward Elias. “Personally, I don’t give a buck. Nopony gets to treat Fluttershy like this, especially when I’m not around.” Book Binder was in front of her in an instant, glaring the pegasus down. “That’s quite enough Ms. Dash. General Bright was doing his job and protecting his ponies from what we have been told were friendly ponies. Ms. Fluttershy could have been home by now if she just answered his questions.” Dash got closer to Book Binder and growled. “I don’t give a buck why that monkey thing did what he did. What I care about is that my friend is currently crying in the dirt. Now move outta my way before somepony gets hurt.” Book Binder snarled and butted heads with the blue pegasus. The rest of the mares tensed up, as if preparing to fight the unicorn, but Elias cut everyone off with a shrill whistle. The ponies recoiled at the high pitch, no doubt a result of their much more sensitive ears, but it brought their attention back to him quite nicely. Elias cast another glance down at Fluttershy, then snorted dismissively. “We will be marching here again tomorrow, and the next day, and every day after that for the next six months. I suggest you do not gather anymore crowds." He looked to Book Binder. "Adiutor, gather their signs and burn them, then let’s go. The recruits are getting too far ahead, and I can feel that Night Flash isn’t pushing them hard enough. I’ve wasted enough legion time on this.” Elias looked to Twilight as he turned away from Fluttershy and walked toward his pilum. “I’d advise you keep a close watch on your friend. Her actions have consequences, even if she’s too selfish to see that. Keep her in check, or next time, I will.” Twilight nodded silently, but Elias could tell that his words caused her some measure of discomfort. She and Dash moved toward the still crying Fluttershy while Book Binder gathered the protest materials into a pile and set them alight. The signs were a cheery blaze by the time Elias slipped his shield onto his arm once more. Elias didn’t give the mares another glance as he and Book Binder turned away, falling into a jog so that they could catch up with the recruits. As they ran, Elias glanced down toward Book Binder. “Adiutor, did you notice anything… odd about Fluttershy?” The unicorn shook her head. “Not particularly General, though ponies like that drive me up the wall. Here we are, on the princesses wishes, protecting Equestria, but because we might kill something else, we’re suddenly the bad guys. They take no regard for the fact that its either our enemies, or our friends and families that will pay the price. I understand they have the right to say what they want, but they could at least keep it out of our sight, you know?” Elias nodded in silent agreement, but let the subject drop. She hadn’t seen anything around the yellow pegasus, hadn’t noticed the distortions. He briefly wondered why only he had noticed something. Maybe… maybe he had been seeing things? It wasn’t the first time he had had hallucinations, and with the onset of training, he had begun having daily migraines. Perhaps seeing the crowd of protesters had snapped a piece of his brain and had caused his eyes to see things that weren’t there. He would investigate further in the future. Elias hadn’t noticed signs of distortion from any of the other ponies, not even Fluttershy’s friends. It made him curious as to what the distortion was. Was it simply an effect the yellow pegasus had on other ponies, or something more malicious? Her association with Twilight implied that she was somebody special, but did that extend to some sort of additional magical effect that most pegasi didn’t have? Elias scowled as he and Book Binder rejoined the rear of the formation, catching the recruits just as they filed back into their formations. Their former harassers waved goodbye with wide, happy smiles, and as soon as they fell back in, the recruits were set upon by their officers. The shouting ponies made sure the recruits continued moving as a group, leaving Elias to think. He had a few options when it came to Fluttershy’s actions. It could have been nothing more than a pacifist seeking to shame her fellows into quitting, and she might have had some odd ability that assisted her in gathering strength to her cause. Might. That important distinction between speculation and fact put Elias on edge. He had done more than a little research on changelings, and he knew that mind-manipulation was within their skill set. He couldn’t just act on an Element without evidence, however. Elias felt his bad eye twitch. He squinted and stared out over his recruits, immediately picking out several distortions among them. They had made no attempts to manipulate their fellows, so did the distortions detect something else? Elias didn’t know, and he couldn’t act if he lacked knowledge. He glanced over to Book Binder. “Adiutor, when we return to Canterlot, schedule me an appointment with Doctor Scalpel.” The unicorn nodded and pulled out a scroll, quickly writing a note on it. IT then vanished back into her saddlebags, and she squinted as she looked up to him. “Is something wrong General? Do I need to make arrangements for somepony to stand-in for training exercises?” Elias almost smiled at her clever attempt to disguise her concern. Making it about training was a good trick, but fortunately, he was wise enough to see through it. “Nothing wrong Adiutor, and I will make sure I keep to my schedule.” He gave her nothing more than that, and given the way the mare glanced at him, he could tell she didn’t like it. Elias didn’t let what she thought bother him…. much. > Chapter 38: Fight Like a Man > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias walked along the line of ponies, tapping the shield wall with the tip of his gladius as he did so. The measure was designed to seek out weak points so that he could show the recruits where they were wrong. As he poked and prodded, Elias spoke. “As you all should know, the scutum is one of your most powerful tools. It is a heavy shield designed to weather any blow the enemy can throw at you. While useful on its own, the true strength of the scutum comes from its use in formations, formations that you will know by heart and that you can form to perfection in your sleep.” One of the crimson shields pushed back under the weight of his gladius, and Elias stopped before it, sheathing his gladius. “You have all been briefed and you should have been studying your handbooks for all the formations you will learn, for today will be our first day practicing these formations. Without the strength of your formations, you will be dead weights, doomed to fall to some lucky arrow or sloppily thrown spear. To fight as a mob is to admit defeat, and I refuse to lose and let additional ponies die.” Elias threw his full weight against the weak shield, and the pony behind the scutum fell back instantly. Elias lashed out with his fists, hitting ponies to either side of the breach. He expected them to react and push him back, but instead the shield wall around him disintegrated as the ponies yelped and tried to escape his fists. Elias stopped his assault, sighed loudly and then took a step back, massaging his knuckles as Gray Granite sprinted into his field of view. “Centurion, get to work with your cohort. They either didn’t study like I ordered, or they haven’t been paying attention today. I will let you decide which is worse and give them an appropriate punishment.” The earth pony nodded silently and turned on his recruits, bellowing out orders for them to assemble into running blocks. Elias clicked his tongue as the recruits abandoned their shields in the dirt, but he knew with a glance toward Granite that the earth pony would not let the action slide. He screamed them into motion, and Elias watched calmly as five hundred ponies sprinted from the training grounds. Elias waited until they were gone to continue his inspection, re-drawing Feather as he continued to speak. “I am aware that the position is not suited to ponies. You are not bipedal creatures, therefore it is more difficult. I can assure you, however, that even if I wasn't modifying the formations to better suit ponies, and even if I was not commissioning custom armor like First Centurion Flash’s, you would still be able to fight with these shields! It is simply a matter of trying, training, and succeeding!” Elias picked a pony at random and crashed into their shield with his shoulder. The earth pony gritted her teeth for a moment, then, with the support of those behind her, they pushed him back lightly. If he had been actually attacking them, they would have likely died, but it was a start. Elias slammed into the shield again, bracing his legs so that he could continue applying more pressure as he stared the mare down. “Do you think me dull? Do you think that I wouldn’t have the forward thinking to plan for pony combat? Do I look like an idiot to you?” The mare snarled wordlessly as she shoved him back again, but this time Elias didn’t budge, and he braced his arms against her scutum, pushing back harder. Four ponies filled in behind her to hold the human back, but just before they could set their hooves to brace, Elias released all of the tension in his legs and pulled back, letting them all fall on their faces. Elias offered his hand to the earth pony mare as he continued speaking. “Think back to your first three weeks of training. Have you stopped and wondered why you have spent so much time walking and running in full packs? It is not simply because you need to learn to march, though that is very important.” The earth pony took his hand, and Elias easily pulled the pony to her feet. The mare huffed as she fell back into position, re-bracing her shield in the wall. The look in her eyes dared Elias to throw himself at the shield again, but that wouldn’t serve his point. He ignored her glares and paced onward. “These past weeks have been to strengthen two things, your resolve; the will to press on in the heat of exhaustion, and your hind legs. We will continue pressing these areas until you could hold a shield wall against a horde of Ursa’s until your grandchildren are grey in the hair and wrinkled in the face!” The bravest ponies let out a few low chuckles; chuckles that went unpunished. Many of the recruits still had no idea when to read Elias’ body language enough to know when to relax slightly and when not to, but those that did were quickly catching Elias’ eye. Though he had focused on physical training, he had managed to schedule a few short afternoons of weapons training, and though the best fighters were primarily from other guard groups, more than a few were fresh recruits. It took a second glance at their recruitment forms to spot why, but Elias quickly noticed a trend of either former-convicts or ponies with “frowned upon” cutie marks, mostly consisting of ponies who were experts in handling meat. Why the princesses hadn’t jumped on a pony with archery as his cutie mark, Elias didn’t know, but he put the pony to use, ensuring that a note was put in his file to make him an auxiliary. As for the ex-convicts, Elias had talked with more than a few of them, including the stallion who had snapped his leg like a twig, and had investigated why they wanted to be legionaries. While the talk of some kind of redemption was unsurprising, Elias was relatively surprised that he had become an idol for many ponies with frowned upon cutie marks. His reputation for fighting guard captains had spread as far and wide as his tales of “heroism” from the invasion, and that had earned him a crowd of silent admirers who saw his actions as hope. Though they had tried to phrase it nicely, Elias knew that they viewed him as the successful black sheep of the guard, and that gave them hope for an actual future that didn’t involve waiting tables, petty crime, or roaming about for odd-jobs. Not one had dropped out yet, and Elias hoped that none would. They were quickly becoming the backbone of the legion, and Elias knew that in time, he could prod them to step up and lead their weaker fellows. Elias clasped his hands behind his back as Gray Granite led his cohort back into the training grounds. The ponies were panting and dripping with sweat, and one mare, a bright purple pegasus, tore off her helmet and limped over to the bell. Elias didn’t give her a second glance as she rang it. He instead addressed the rest of the recruits while Granite’s cohort fell back in line. “Today you will spend much of your time being taught drill by your centurions. The shields you hold now belong to you, and like the rest of your equipment, they will be cleaned and made pristine. Each morning they will be inspected for disrepair, and like your other gear, you will be punished if you come up lacking.” Elias paused for a moment, listening for any groans or sighs. When none became immediately evident, he continued. “With that out of the way; split off into your cohorts. Your centurions will teach you the first, and most important formation; the testudo.” ***** Elias pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head as he watched the ponies fumble about on the training grounds. He had offered them the small reward of an early lunch if they managed to march a clean testudo across the grounds, but so far, none of the cohorts had managed the feat. Despite clear instruction, and even tips from the ponies that had already begun practicing carrying the shields, the recruits simply couldn’t stay together, with many flagging behind the formation, or worse, stumbling at the front, throwing all of those behind them off balance. Elias let the centurions do the yelling, and he instead remained atop the small observation tower he had ordered built. Anyon stood to one side, muttering and making notes as he watched the ponies stumble about, while Book Binder stood to Elias’ left, wincing whenever the formations would collapse into massive piles of fur and gear. She looked up to Elias after a particularly nasty spill. “General, pardon me if I’m out of place, but wouldn’t it be better for the recruits to have the full capability of their armor? From what Ni- First Centurion Flash has told me, the built-in handle is invaluable for holding the scutum.” Anyon scratched his head with a claw. “Design ain’t perfect yet, ah can do better.” “That,” Elias agreed, “and they need to know how to keep a formation without their armor on. What happens when we get attacked at night and the only things they have time to grab are their shield and a weapon? Do they fight, or do they do this,” He gestured at the drifting formation, “and hope the enemy laughs themselves to death? They need to know how to fight without the handicaps Anyon is making for them. They’ll get it in time. I’ll only start punishing their failure the day after tomorrow.” The human glanced over to Anyon. “But that brings about a question, what can be done to make sure they remain mobile enough to adjust formations, while also allowing them to brace fully? For a human its easy, but how can we get those kinds of benefits for a pony?” Anyon scowled and brushed at the scroll he was working on. “Ah think ah have somethin’, really just an upgrade to what ah made for Flash, but ah think it will do a bit better if we add deployable braces to their rear legs.” Anyon pointed to a folding bracer of armor on his draft sheet. “See here? Ya get a pony to give a small buck and it drops, then when ya want to move, ya buck again and it retracts. Ah could also put a strap or somethin’ to tie it up for when ya ain’t fighting, jus’ so it doesn’t come lose and trip somepony up while yer doin’ all that walkin’.” Elias frowned at the design. “Could you get a prototype done by this week? It sounds like it could work on paper, but I worry about its use in practice.” His eyes drifted back out to the recruits. “Though if I’m being honest, I’d much rather the shield slot be the only addition to their armor. They need to know how to fight like this without extra equipment, otherwise this exercise is pointless. They might as well receive the same training the other guard forces do and learn to fight like individuals.” Elias stared at a small cluster of ponies that had managed to stay together, though their shield position was slightly off. As he watched, the quartet pressed tight enough that they were quiet literally should to shoulder, and their shields overlapped to the point that the edge of one was touching the central boss of another. They moved as a unit however, and when Granite decided to test the formation with a charge, he leapt at the clustered ponies. The earth pony bounced off their shields as they held and braced, and Elias couldn’t help but grin as the earth pony tumbled to the dirt. He pointed at the cluster. “Adiutor, single those ponies out, write down as much as you can about their adaptation of the testudo, and schedule an interview with the lot of them. I want to have their input on formation adjustment.” Book Binder followed his finger to the braced ponies, who were staring at the downed Granite with surprise, and her horn flashed as a second quill joined the first. Her notebook quickly became filled with rough sketches and labels as the unicorn studied the formation. Satisfied that he would be able to work with the material later, Elias turned his attention back to the testudo exercise. Though they had managed to stop the earth pony’s charge, Granite’s cohort had fallen apart completely when they began to move forward again, and he pushed them off the training grounds for another lecture. Ice Blossom’s cohort was up next, and their start looked promising. The light blue pegasus was at the center of the line, leading the formation by example. Her shield remained steady as they advanced, and her voice called out each step, something Elias hadn’t begun teaching the recruits, yet here she was. The formation moved haltingly, with Blossom keeping things simple by advancing the recruits a step at a time. “One step!” Ice Blossom bellowed. The sound of steel scraping on stone seemed to echo through the training area, and Elias watched carefully as the lines wavered, then fell into place. Without glancing toward Book Binder, he said; “Adiutor, take notes here t-“ “Already on it General,” she replied quickly. Elias let the interruption slide. Getting accurate notes was far more important than the minor act of interuption. He let the matter drop from his mind as he continued watching Blossom. “One step!” A semi-unified grunt seemed to come from the recruits as the scraped their shields forward. “Again!” The shields scraped again, and again a grunt came forth from the recruits. This time, the formation actually moved together, surprising Elias. Blossom continued calling out the steps, and the testudo continued inching forward, with each step including a louder grunt. Elias moved with lightning speed down the observation tower and made for the field, stopping only long enough to snatch up his scutum. Blossom stopped advancing the formation and stared at Elias as he stood before the center of the formation. Elias gauged the height of their shields at a glance, then moved into the middle. “Make a hole!” The shields parted wide enough for Elias to slip in, and though he had to crouch to stay in line with the ponies, Elias’ calves were muscled enough to take the strain. He settled himself beside Blossom, doing his best not to grin. All of the sounds he had stopped hearing well over a year ago were there. The heavy breathing, the shuffling as his recruits made sure they stayed in position. The pony holding a scutum above Elias’ head panted hot breath in his ear, and it only made Elias happier as he began to sweat. The testudo was boiling hot, exactly as it should have been in the early summer heat. Elias kept his voice below a shout as he glanced at the ponies behind him. “Centurion Blossom has been doing an excellent job leading you today, and you all had the right idea with your chant, but now I will teach you how you will sound when you move with each step. Follow my lead.” He looked toward Ice Blossom. “Centurion, carry on, this is your show.” The pegasus suppressed a grin and nodded. Her voice was loud in his ear as she shouted. “One step!” she called. “ONE!” Elias bellowed, matching the volume of her voice easily with his own as he advanced his shield in time with her. The ponies around him jolted for a moment, and the formation seemed to slip. Elias bit his lip as he waited for the recruits to either succeed or fall apart. They managed to hold together, and when another shout came from Ice Blossom, more voices joined Elias as he shouted and moved his shield forward. “One step!” Ice Blossom called. “ONE!” Elias, and the ponies around him responded. They began inching forward. Slowly but surely, the end of the training grounds approached between the cracks of the shields. Throughout, Ice Blossom continued calling the steps, and the recruits began responding as one, their voices loud enough that Elias fell silent, content to just inch along with them until they found success. It took them far longer than it should have, but the testudo reached the end of the training grounds, and with an order from Elias, they fell out and into a standard shield wall. Elias wiped the sweat from his brow, using the motion to wipe the smile from his face. They had months left of training, yet the ponies were already learning. It was a good sign, and it meant he could push them harder, hold them to a higher standard. Once he had sufficiently erased any traces of pride, Elias turned to look at the formation. The ponies looked tired, but they also looked proud of their accomplishment. Elias scowled for a moment, trying to think how best to make sure they didn’t become content with their small leap, without crushing their sense of accomplishment. Elias took a deep breath, then drew himself up tall. “Acceptable work this morning recruits. Tomorrow, I expect you to use the knowledge you have gained to great effect, and for all of those who were watching from the sidelines, I recommend that you practice using the commands in your free time.” Elias pulled out his watch and clicked it open, taking a glance at it. “For now, it is time for lunch. You have an hour to eat, and prepare your gear for the afternoon march. See your centurions for information about properly carrying your scutums. Dismissed.” A few ponies grinned widely and slapped their neighbors’ shoulder as they turned and walked away, chattering excitedly. Elias spotted more than one that looked shocked at Elias’ lack of definitive praise, but as he mentally repeated his words, he was confident that he had found the balance. When he had developed a list of every mistake he had made with his human legion, an overwhelming amount of praise for the smallest successes had stuck out like a sore thumb in his eyes. While he knew that he couldn’t just withhold all praise, Elias also knew that he would have to dangle the smallest of carrots to the ponies, to make them yearn for the words “good work” with no attachments. That would only come with time however, and Elias suspected that more of the five thousand remaining recruits would be long gone before it happened. Elias let out a long sigh as he closed his eyes and looked to the sky, taking a rare moment to breathe and mentally relax. He remained like that for a few precious moments, then straightened, opened his eyes, and began walking toward the castle doors, setting his borrowed scutum back on the equipment rack as he went. His steps carried him toward the infirmary. While he walked, Elias kept his mind blank, using the short time to let his brain relax from its usual stressed state. What he had thought were temporary migraines had become a regular occurrence, and even though he had started regularly visiting Scalpel for checkups, Elias had a nagging feeling that the migraines were just something he would have to live with until after the march. Whether it was from the advanced lack of sleep, the stress inducing paperwork and recruit management, or just the operation as a whole, Elias didn’t know, but for once he wouldn’t have minded one of Luna’s obnoxious cuddle piles. He had received a few letters from the participants, asking where he had disappeared to. Evidently the ponies missed their warm human base, and they made sure he knew his presence was missed. After replying with his situation, more than a few ponies had sent him small gifts of pillows and blankets, as well as promises to talk to him again after the march. He appreciated all of it, and he made use of every gift, making his bed a patchwork of colors and different sized pillows. It helped him sleep slightly longer, and even those few precious undisturbed minutes were blissful. Elias desperately wished he could go sleep. Elias rubbed his forehead at the thought and sighed. ‘Damnit, can’t stop for even a minute,’ he thought to himself as he shoved the infirmary doors open. Scarlet was out of his bed like a shot, and he saluted Elias crisply, keeping his face stern as the human approached. Elias’ face twitched downward into his trademarked scowl. It was his best strategy to keep from smiling. Elias stopped before the pegasus and looked him up and down. “Has Doctor Scalpel given you a clean bill of health yet?” Scarlet's happy posture drooped slightly. “Not fully. He still wants to wait a week to make sure the venom’s passed, but I know it has! I’ve been keeping down my meals, I’ve been doing small laps of the infirmary, I’ve been studying like crazy!” Scarlet groaned and shook his head. “I’m ready General! I need to start training with the other recruits or I’m going to get too far behind! I saw them running formation drills today, how am I going to catch up on something as in depth and personal as that!” Elias glanced at the pegasus’ bed, noticing the tall stack of notebooks. “Don’t worry Scarlet, you will. Your most important job for me will be thinking, however. Where are you at in your studies?” Scarlet sighed and trotted toward his bed. “I just finished my second read through of The Art of War and was about to start on my fourth reading of your roman military formation and strategy guide. I was just brushing up on my notes about castra building when you came in.” “And why do we build a castra, rather than march farther in a day?” Elias asked. “The building of the castra serves two-fold reasons,” Scalpel replied; “first, it acts as a fortified, defendable camp that is harder to infiltrate or sabotage. The second is that it works different muscles than marching does, giving the legion an equal exercise routine to balance out their daily strain. Finally, it is theorized that sleeping in a castra allows the legion to get more effective sleep, better preparing them for the next day’s march.” Elias nodded silently, scooping up one notebook. He thumbed through the notes while he spoke. “Good. Have you begun working on a more efficient castra build for the full guard forces?” Scarlet perked up slightly as he nodded and picked up a different notebook. “Yep! My initial design was a bit rough, but over the last couple of days I managed to come up with this.” Scarlet flipped the notebook onto the bed, and spread out the pages, unfolding a wide map of stitched together pages. Elias did his best to hold back a grin at the pegasus’ effort. From a glance, Elias knew that the work was solid, and with more time it would become perfect. He made a mental note to include Book Binder on the project; she could help Scarlet more accurately define his ideas. The pegasus’ hoof-writing was legible enough however, and Elias leaned forward as Scarlet explained the map in detail. “I initially went the route of simply expanding on the original design of a castra, but then I decided it would be better to modify it so that things were better organized.” He jabbed a hoof at a colored block in the middle of the castra. “This is where one of three things can be. My first thought is to have the princesses sleep here, or the generals.” Scarlet tilted his head and nibbled on the inside of his cheek. “Or, this could be where all the planning meetings are held. If we are worried about spies and such, we don’t want the command tent where somepony can slip in to listen. We want it where it is easy to find for all the guards, and hard to get to for the enemy.” Scarlet scratched his head as he looked out over the rest of the castra. “The rest is kind of simple. Each corner is a guard force, with the Royal Guard concentrated near the center tent. There are still four avenues in the walls. Of note though, I put the medical tent near the edge of our side of the camp. I figure that most creatures won’t attack wounded ponies out the gate, and when they try, we might as well have the best on stand-by.” Elias nodded his agreement, then on a spur of the moment, he clapped Scarlet on the shoulder. “Good job Chief Strategist. You won’t begin today, but have Scalpel give you an all clear, then report to Adiutor Binder.” Scarlet grinned widely, and his rump wiggled with barely controlled excitement. Elias put out a hand to stop him, however. “None of that Scarlet, you know better. The only pony with that kind of permission is Scalpel, and he’s smart enough to hold back. Now, relax today, make sure you’re really ready. If you so much as get a cough, you’re coming back here and staying until Scalpel says your free, got it?” Scarlet nodded and hopped down from the bed, saluting Elias sharply again. “Of course General, I won’t let you down.” Elias nodded and straightened. “See that you don’t. Keep up your studies and planning exercises. After a week or two of training, I’m going to start bringing you and Adiutor Binder to the planning sessions, and if you are not completely prepared, you’re done, got it?” Scarlet nodded. “Yes General. What time should I report tomorrow?” Elias turned away from the pegasus and made toward the infirmary doors. “Schedule it with Adiutor Binder. She will assign your cohort and centurion, and give you your training gear. Now rest up. I expect great things Scarlet, don’t disappoint.” ***** Elias rubbed his knuckles as he stared at the blanket he sat on. Luna sat across from him with what was apparently her favorite board game. Not checkers, or chess, or even a game similar to Risk. No, as Elias watched Luna tap her chin with the small yellow checker, he did his best not to groan with frustration at the Connect Four board. While she claimed that she enjoyed more strategic games like chess and checkers, she had chosen Connect Four for the night, claiming it as the “ultimate game for strategic minds”. Elias knew better. It was all about who went first, and he was fairly certain the alicorn was using a weighted coin to get the opportunity to move first each round. His eyes focused back to the board. There were three ways the alicorn could set a trap for him so that she could win, yet her green eyes seemed intent on a completely different part of the board. Her tongue poked out of her muzzle in an adorable manner as she thought hard. Only her facial expressions kept Elias even vaguely interested in the game, and he made his lack of interest known by trying to point out a solution that would bring about the game’s end. “Luna you can just put it-…” The alicorn reached over the board and slapped his hand, then went immediately back to thinking with her tongue poking out. “I can figure out my strategy just fine Elias, I am simply deciding how total I would like my victory.” Elias rolled his eyes and pointed his finger at a trio of her pieces. One piece to their left would set her up for complete success, with the potential for four of a diagonal or a line. He could only block one. “Just put it there Luna, it’s fine, I can see that I-…” She swatted at his hand again, and her shining green eye darted up from the board as she scowled at him. “I do not need your help in this matter Elias, you are meant to be my competitor. It is not a sporting game if you are actively letting me win.” Elias blinked slowly at her. “Luna, it’s not a sporting game at all. If you wanted to have a sporting game, that weird looking chess set would have been sporting. I’m sure the green cloud over it makes something interesting happen.” Luna scoffed at him and refocused on the board. “That is not just some “weird looking chess set”. It is a cursed board I made myself in an attempt to entrap my sister in the four winds. Unfortunately, I never figured out how to properly create the curse, so all it does is make the loser incredibly flatulent.” The blue alicorn sighed and shook her head. “The poor guard I tested it on had to wear a diaper for the rest of his days. Luckily he was due for retirement anyway, but that poor stallion… Suffice to say the maids were not pleased with me, and I never found use for the board again.” Elias snorted in disbelief. “Alright, first, why is something like that just laying out in the open where anyone can see and or use it, and second; you couldn’t just remove the curse? That seems like something that would be easy to fix.” “Then you do not have a complete education on pony biology,” Luna replied. “All ponies have a magical… essence in their DNA. A curse affects our very being and is incredibly difficult to remove, no matter the severity. It is why some ponies who are dissatisfied with certain physical aspects will seek out witch doctors to procure curses that change things like eye color or muscle mass.” Luna sighed again. “They usually do so little research and never realize that a curse is never as simple as a minor change. There is always some kind of cost.” She frowned at the ground for a moment, then shook her head as if to clear it. Her eyes shot back up to meet Elias’ and she jabbed an accusatory hoof in his direction. “You are trying to distract me so that you can secure the victory! I see your game Bright!” Elias groaned and threw his head back. “Luna just put the damn piece in! We both know you won, so let’s be done with it!” The alicorn glared at him for a moment, then sighed and seemed to admit defeat as she secured her victory on the Connect Four board. Elias slid one of his pieces in at random, not even bothering to block off one of the routes she had set up. Without much effort, Luna slid another piece into the board, and then upon pointing out the four in a row, cleared the board. She sighed again and slumped lower onto the blanket. “You are released then General. I had hoped to continue the game for some time, but clearly you wish to be elsewhere. I shall not keep you.” Elias cocked his head and raised an eyebrow. “Says who? Maybe I don’t want to play this cheap piece of plastic, but that doesn’t mean I’m done with our session. Why don’t we relax in another way; taking a walk perhaps?” Luna snorted dismissively, but Elias noticed her perk up slightly at his wish to continue their session. “And what is relaxing about a walk? This is supposed to be a rest period for you, and walking, by definition of being physically exerting, is not resting.” Elias rolled his eyes and got to his feet, moving around the Connect Four board to offer his hand to Luna. The alicorn turned her face away from him for a moment, looking oddly abashed, but she accepted his hand and he pulled her to her hooves. With no destination in mind, Elias set the direction, walking deeper into the gardens with an ambling pace. Luna walked beside him, throwing the occasional glance his way. When she said nothing however, Elias made the first move. “You seem like you want to say something, what is it?” Elias asked bluntly. Luna sputtered and shook her head. She seemed to flush with embarrassment as her mouth flapped and she tried to say something. Elias didn’t understand a word of it, and he stopped walking as the alicorn sputtered onward. When her nonsensical speech came to its inevitable end, she sighed and stared at the ground. “It is a rather personal question, and given our current agreement, I am not so sure that I should ask it. I rather like being the exception to your rule, and I do not wish to sabotage that.” Elias shrugged and the pair began walking forward again. “Ask away Luna, just don’t press should I decide not to answer.” The alicorn frowned, and her eyes remained on the ground for a moment, before she sighed again and shook her head. She straightened and stared ahead. “How goes things with your legion? I know we agreed not to speak of work, but I wished to see things at a more personal level; through your eyes so to speak.” Elias frowned at her for a moment, gauging whether he should play along with her diversion or if he should press her previous concern. He decided on the former as he clasped his hands behind his back. “Well, I believe we are off to a solid start. We've already lost almost five hundred recruits, which I see as an absolute positive. If they can’t take a bit of training, I don’t need them charging into combat. The more I send home, the less that die.” Elias tilted his head. “But otherwise, it is simply going. It’s hard work, but the base of the legion is forming, and the recruits are growing strong. I think in a month or so we can start on the advanced level courses. Hopefully we’ll have all the weaklings weeded out by then, but we’ll see. Last night was the first real test.” “Oh?” Luna replied. “And what purpose did this test serve?” “Merely one to test their devotion to the legion,” Elias said. “A pair of the recruits stood, or at least were supposed to stand guard for the first time over the legion standard and eagle. The first pair failed the task, but I think tonight we shall have our first success. Hopefully, they will quickly become used to their new duty.” They both fell silent as they walked into a break in the trees. The gardens spilled out onto the marble terrace that in turn dangled over the cliff that was Canterlot mountain. Elias made his way to the railing and leaned upon it, looking around with lazy eyes. The moon sat high in the sky, surrounded by a small sea of stars. Elias took a deep breath of the cooling night air, and glanced at Luna. The alicorn stared up with a neutral expression on her face. The light of the moon seemed to accent her face perfectly, outlining the curve her chin with its white light. Her fur looked positively pristine, and Elias almost wished he could reach out and run his fingers through it, just to get the feeling. Elias felt a small grin creep across his face as he stared at the pretty alicorn. Then, his eyes were staring down, looking for anything else to look at. What the fuck was wrong with him? Why was he thinking of Luna like that? Yes, she was an attractive mare, and he had more than come to terms with the fact that he could, and did find mares attractive, but he shouldn’t be thinking about that! Not with her at least! On top of that point, he was staring at her! What would have happened if she had caught him? Elias felt anger well up in his mind as he stared down and did a thorough search through his thoughts, looking for the source of the strange feelings he was getting. It was like his fight or flight response was ramping up and cooling down at the same time. His stomach did a small flip as he felt a hoof brush his shoulder, and he looked up to find Luna extremely close. Her green eyes seemed to bore into his as she tilted her head and stared at him with a look of concern. “Elias? Is something amiss?” He shook his head and stared back out over the railing. “Nothing at all," he said quickly. "Just thinking. Why?” Luna frowned and her hoof dropped. Elias had no idea why, but he took that as a sign that he might have done something wrong. “I had asked you if there was anything else you would like to do this evening. We have been standing here for some time, and you have not spoken a word to me. Have I done something wrong?” Elias shook his head. “No, I’m just… tired, I guess. Stressed maybe. I don’t know.” An awkward silence fell over the pair. Elias could feel Luna’s eyes on him, as if trying pressure, him into speaking his mind, but what was there to say? He didn’t know what he was thinking, let alone convey that with sensical speech that wouldn’t ruin their existing relationship. The silence seemed worse though, because Luna sighed and turned away. “Very well then General. I believe I shall go finalize some paperwork and take an early rest. Have a good night.” She dropped from the railing and began walking away, and before Elias could think his words through, he spat them out. “I like spending time with you Luna,” Elias blurted. He flushed crimson as the alicorn cast an eye back, as if trying to determine if he had actually spoken the words he had. Her silence did nothing to ease the feeling of embarrassment Elias felt welling in his chest, so he did his best not to panic and sputter as he explained himself. “I mean… All of this? It’s been… nice. I enjoy relaxing with you, even if I may not say it, or show it, and even when I’m a bit antagonistic, and it’s only going to get worse in the coming months and…” Elias stopped as he felt a fuzzy blanket wrap itself around his body. He blinked and realized quickly that he was staring into a wall of that wonderful blue fur as Luna gave him a light, yet firm hug. It didn’t last long, and as Luna pulled away, she smiled and winked. “Thank you for your kind words Elias, I too enjoy our time together.” She looked to the sky again. “I know you have trouble expressing the softer side of your personality, and with your position, you have been actively suppressing it, with good reason of course," she added, "even I can admit that, but you need not fear it.” She sighed, and turned toward him, causing more heat to rise to his face as her beautiful eyes seemed to stare into his soul. “Promise me this Elias; when we have finished with this march business, follow your heart. Whatever it tells you, wherever it takes you, or whoever it takes you to, follow it.” Her hoof raised for a second, then settled itself on the ground again as she stared with longing eyes at his chest. She sighed again and met his gaze with another smile. “Do what you must Elias, but when this ends, set yourself free. That is all I ask. Do not be afraid to be a softer man. I promise that you won’t change at all, yet you will be completely different in every significant meaning of the word.” Elias nodded dumbly. “I’ll… think about it. I can’t promise anything yet.” Luna sighed and her smile dimmed slightly, but she nodded anyway. “I understand. Have a good night General, and though I know it might not mean much; have sweet dreams.” Elias watched the blue alicorn turn and walk away. His eyes followed her until she vanished in the dark of the garden. Then he turned to the dark of the night sky, and he simply stared, his mind aflame with thoughts of preservation, relationships, and what came after. > Chapter 39: Lenois Noctem > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias ripped his helmet free from his sweat covered head as he shouldered his way through the castle doors. The Solar Guards to either side flinched visibly at the aggression of his motion, and why shouldn’t they? Elias was a force to be reckoned with on a good day, but it was slowly becoming a not good day. It wasn’t bad, yet, but the fact that he had been questioned in front of his recruits, during their afternoon march, was unbelievable, and if anyone decided to cop an attitude with him, he was going to give them a massive piece of his mind, before quitting in the most human fashion he could imagine; a big middle finger and a fuck you as he walked away without looking back. They were simply lucky that his outstanding officers had been able to fill in for him on the afternoon march. The legion was slated to return any minute, and Elias intended to be with them for the rest of the day, princesses be damned. The Royal Guards at the entrance of the throne room stared at Elias as soon as he came around the corner, though unlike their Solar lessers they did not flinch as he stalked his way toward the throne room doors. They also didn’t bother opening the doors, and instead seemed intent to let him work out more of his anger. Elias did so with gusto. The throne room doors were easily three times his height, yet Elias shoved them open with enough force for them to slam against the walls. The petitioner Celestia was speaking with jumped and immediately cowered as he spotted Elias’ chitinous facial scar. The white alicorn shot a glare at Elias. “General, I am with one of my subjects, please wait outside until we are finished.” Elias stopped before her throne and snorted in disbelief. “I don’t think so Princess. You don’t get to send me a messenger, interrupting my training, and then tell me to wait. You will see me now, or you won’t see me at all.” Elias crossed his arms and looked to the earth pony. “Besides, what world ending threat are you here for? Someone steal your cupcakes?” The pony shook his head, never taking his eyes away from the left half of Elias’ face. “N-no. I w-wanted to ask Princess Celestia for her help improving crop yields.” Elias nodded. “Improving crop yields. Fair petition I suppose, but tell me, has anyone starved in Equestria this year?” The pony shook his head. “N-no.” “Last year then?” Elias asked. “Perhaps the year before that?” The pony shook his head no again. Elias snorted. “Has anyone in Equestria starved in the last five years, or even the last ten? Has there been a hunger crisis, ever in your life?” The pony whimpered and looked to Celestia for support, but Elias didn’t let the white alicorn speak up. “If the answer to all of that is no, then crop yields are just fine,” Elias snapped. “Get out and quit wasting everyone’s valuable time.” The pony turned on his heel and fled. The doors slammed closed as Elias turned back to Celestia with a frown on his face. The alicorn glared daggers back. “You had no authority to dismiss that pony.” “And you have no authority to interrupt my training,” Elias shot back. “Yet here we are. Are we going to stop wasting each other’s time, or are you going to get around to what you want from me?” He could tell that he was pressing her buttons, but Elias could not have cared in the slightest. She had no idea what anger looked like, and if she wanted to avoid finding out, she would leave him well enough alone. The pair glared at each other for awhile, neither budging or blinking. Elias just waited with cool, calm anger. He wasn’t some soft pony, and he wouldn’t blink, no matter what enemy decided to challenge him. He had far too much to protect to be cowed. Celestia sighed and looked down. “Very well General, let us get this done so that you may return to your training. I assume things have been going well?” Elias let his glare soften into a normal stare. “Well enough. The recruits have started formation training, and will soon begin with weapons. I have high hopes, but only they can have the will to succeed.” Celestia nodded, then looked toward her assistant. The white unicorn sent off a letter, and within moments the side doors of the throne room opened. Elias felt his face return to a frown as a line of ponies in gray training armor trotted through. A few of them gave him smug looks, while others seemed to cower away. Elias didn’t remember a single one of them, other than the fact that they had willingly walked away and quit. Well, save for the last two. Orchid glared daggers at Elias as she and Thunderstorm stalked by, setting themselves away from the rest of the failures. Elias followed them with his eyes, unflinching. This was clearly some sort of play to force him to let the ponies back into his legion, but Elias wouldn’t budge, and he would make sure they all knew that. Luna entered after the last recruit and climbed the throne to stand beside her sister. A small frown decorated her face, but she looked more concerned than angry. Elias didn’t want her to get the wrong ideas about who his anger was directed to, so he shifted his glare back to Celestia. “And what is this supposed to be? Who are these ponies and why are they here?” “You do not recognize the recruits you so recently had in your service?” Celestia asked leadingly. “I do not recognize this batch of failures, no,” Elias replied. “The recruits are soon to be on the training grounds, doing the days drills. The very same training fields that I should be at, and the very same drills that I should be overseeing. Let’s skip this idiotic posturing and get to the point. What do you want?” Celestia’s nostrils flared, but Luna moved first. Her eyes were pleading as she stared down at him. “General, you have been accused of cruelty and unfair treatment, and these ponies have built a case against you that could see you imprisoned. This is not a trivial matter.” Elias’ eyes flicked down to the line of ponies before him as a snarl built on his face. He walked slowly down the line recruits, glaring at each one, daring them to meet his eyes. “Is that so? And just who is brave enough to say such charges to my face, instead of hiding behind the princesses like the pack of worthless cowards they are?” The ponies before him shied away from the intensity of his glare, but one on the end, a unicorn, stepped forward and scoffed. “We’re not scared of you Bright. You’re a bully, and if nopony else will, I will make sure that you can’t abuse anyone else. When we’re done with you, you’ll wish that-…” Orchid stepped forward. “Shut up you stupid failure. You dropped out day one because you couldn’t keep up with the endurance training. Get back in line while the real ponies do the talking.” The unicorn glared at her, but with a light growl from Orchid, he backed down, muttering something under his breath. Orchid then looked to Elias, and gave him a sharp salute. “General, I apologize for this pony’s slander, and for associating with him, but it was the only way that Thunderstorm and I could push this matter higher. Unlike this lot, we did not quit. We have our helmets, and we want to keep training with the legion. Maybe we should have done more to find out our orders, and maybe we failed, but I’ll take a hundred lashes before I quit. Punish me how you like General, but I’m seeing this through no matter what.” She then stepped back and stood at a rigid attention. Elias stared at her for a moment, then looked to Thunderstorm. “And what of you? Are you ready to take a hundred lashes for your failure?” The pegasus met his eyes. “Two hundred if that’s what it takes General. I’ll admit failure, but Recruit Orchid is right; we might have failed, but we didn’t quit. Punish us all you want, but we aren’t finished yet.” The stallion shot a glance to the mare beside him. “Besides, where Orchid is, I’ll always follow. Give me three hundred lashes, four hundred even! I can take it. For her, for you, for Equestria. I’ll take any punishment.” Elias noticed a faint blush on Orchid’s face, but disregarded it. Prior romantic relationships didn’t matter to him save for their use as a motivating force. If he was going to keep one of them, the other would stay. It was simple, and more than mildly irritating. Still, credit where credit was due he supposed, they at least had the balls to stand up to him in the appropriate manner when they thought he was wrong. “Fine, you two want to be in my legion so badly? You’re going to prove it.” Elias pulled out his watch and clicked it open. “It is currently six forty-five. I expect you two to have all of your equipment, and the new equipment from the last three days of training, ready and willing to march in six minutes. You’ve missed far too much work, and I have no doubt in my mind that you’ve been sitting on your lazy asses while you “pushed this higher”.” Elias sneered as he quoted Orchid, but the pony showed no emotion as he got in her face. That was good, very good. She was a strong one, perhaps she was right. She couldn’t know that, he had to appear perfect in mind and sound in decision, but still, Elias could admit his mistakes to himself. Only once his legionaries had full confidence in him would he admit to being wrong. Then it would be a matter of teaching them to think for themselves, but they needed to act first. Thinking came later. “After you get back,” Elias said, switching his glare to Thunderstorm, “you two will stand guard, again, and this time you will be in formation with your armor shining for inspection. Failure at any point will mean five hundred lashes, then as many laps around Canterlot as it takes for you to quit or die. Am I clear?” Both ponies snapped into sharp salutes. “Yes General!” “Then go.” Both sprinted from the throne room without another word. Elias shot another glare toward Celestia as he waited for the doors to close. She had adopted her normal, regal posture, and was doing a phenomenal job trying not to look absolutely enraged. Luna on the other hand looked quite pleased that Elias hadn’t publicly beaten the recruits for challenging his decision. He hoped she would forgive him for what he knew was going to come next. He looked toward the much longer line of failures, and scowled. “As for the rest of you, I gave no orders for you to quit, yet you did so anyway. You failed because you wanted to fail, that is no fault of mine. If you take issue with that, then I suggest growing a backbone and toughening up, because Legio I Equus has no place for the weak.” The unicorn from before stepped forward again with a sneer on his face. “Say what you like about us Bright, but you are in the wrong here, and the princesses know it. I care not for what you, or those other two weirdos think, your little farce as a “leader” ends now.” “Is that so?” Elias replied calmly. He took a few steps forward, and suppressed a smile as the stallion flinched. “And who’s going to enforce that ultimatum of yours, you?” The stallion snorted. “Of course not, the princesses will-…” “Do nothing,” Elias finished as he took another step. “I don’t know why ponies seem to have such short memories, but it appears as if everyone has forgotten who the fuck I am.” Nobody was fast enough to stop Elias from grabbing the pony’s armor and yanking him forward, slamming the unicorn’s muzzle into his forehead. A satisfying crunch caused most of the ponies in the throne room to flinch, while Elias just smiled the pain away. The stallion yelped and clutched at his bloody, broken nose, then stared at Elias with fear as the human got in his face. “You remind me of a piece of shit named White Shine. I beat his face in, and nobody stopped me then, who’s going to stop me now?” The stallion gaped and his mouth flapped without a sensical answer, so Elias shook him. “Nobody,” Elias growled. “The only regret I have with White Shine is that I did not keep enough control to beat him half to death in private. Trust me when I saw that I no longer have such control issues.” “THAT IS ENOUGH!” Celestia bellowed. The pony in Elias’ hand whimpered as the human’s eyes flicked up, his anger not dimming in the slightest as he glared hatefully at the white alicorn. She matched his furious gaze with her own, and Elias swore he saw sparks as her mane flickered. “Put him down,” Celestia said with a low growl. “Now.” Elias snorted dismissively. “Or what?” he spat. He raised the unicorn off the ground, then dropped him, making sure the motion was visible to all. The stallion yelped and scooted back toward the throne, and away from Elias. The human and the solar princess continued glaring at each other for a moment, before Elias sneered and turned his back on her. “You won’t do a damn thing to me Princess, because you’re at fault for all of this. You put me in this position, and if you don’t like how I run things, I already showed you where I keep my resignation letter.” He put on his helmet as he walked away. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have actual work to do to ensure this march of yours succeeds.” Elias slammed out of the throne room doors and began walking toward his office. He would need his equipment if he was going to lead the two recruits on their night march. He mentally sighed. It was going to be another very long night. Longer still given the sound of heavy hoofsteps approaching his rear. Elias paused his long strides and half turned to find Luna racing after him. She looked irritated, but not angry, so that was likely a good sign. Elias rested his hands on his sword belt as he waited for the blue alicorn to catch up. As she did so, he began walking at a slower pace, an easy one that matched her stride. They walked in silence for a moment, then Luna sighed. “Elias… I must ask, why did you try to provoke my sister like that? And for that matter, what about the charges those ponies brought against you? It will not simply go away because you attacked one of them and decided to ignore it.” Elias shrugged. “Sure it will, because their claims are valueless; simple as that. I can recognize that, you can recognize that, and I should hope that your sister is intelligent enough to recognize that. If she can’t, that is her problem, not mine.” Luna whirled about in front of him, forcing him to stop as she shot a mild glare at him. “It is your problem Elias! Cruelty is a punishable offence in Equestria, what do you have to say to defend yourself from that charge?” Elias took a step toward her and spread his hands. “I agree completely; I am cruel, but that’s the point.” He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as she continued glaring at him. “Princess, please do not belittle your own intelligence like this, think! Is the enemy going to be kind when they are calling for the blood of your subjects? Is the enemy going to be kind when they are ripping ponies in half? Is the enemy going to find it anywhere in their hearts to be anything but cruel as they butcher your ponies by the hundred?” Luna flinched at his words, and her eyes flicked down as her irritation vanished. Elias sighed again. He didn’t want to push her away, but she had to understand. “The simple answer is no, they aren’t. They don’t care about ponies, but guess what? I do. I care enough to inflict as many torments as my ponies can stand so that they can take a look at a truly cruel enemy and not waver. I am not making cuddle buddies; I am not making friendship. I am making soldiers, and I am preparing for war. For death. The crueler I am now, the less potential there is that ponies die later. That’s the game I am playing, and if I’m the only one who understands that, then we are doomed to fail.” Elias shook his head and walked around the alicorn, more than ready to leave her to her thoughts. “Now, I have work to do Princess, I hope you’ll excuse me.” He stalked away from her without looking back. He had no doubt she would protect him, would make the accusations of cruelty disappear, but he almost wished she wouldn’t. He didn’t need anyone watching his back, he was his own man, and if his actions met with consequences, he would tackle them head on. He made only one stop, ducking into his office to grab his ruck, then he made his way to the training yard. As he walked into the yard, he regarded the setting sun with a scowl. Their normal route took them through the Everfree, and while he hadn’t encountered anything dangerous during his night in the woods, he imagined that the myths surrounding the place had more truth to them than most imagined, and he had a gut instinct that their night march would be interesting. Elias’ eyes drifted down from the setting sun to rest on the two returning recruits, or rather, the small group surrounding them. Elias’ face fell into a scowl as he walked toward them, making note of the group of ponies that were decked out in their full marching equipment. Ice Blossom cast a glance over her shoulder as he approached. “Evening General, just making sure my recruits are all squared away for their makeup march.” She tightened a strap on Thunderstorm’s back, cinching his scutum in place. The pegasus shuffled slightly under the extra weight, but he settled quickly, letting Ice Blossom give him another once over. Elias outwardly kept a frown on his face, but he was glad Ice Blossom was taking the initiative in seeing necessary work done without orders. No doubt, as soon as she had heard his intentions for the two would-be recruits, she had snapped to work to make sure they were squared away. His eyes, drifted, however, to the other members of the cluster of ponies. Night Flash and Anyon were busy giving Scarlet Shield a once over as the gryphon ensured that his legionnaire armor was properly fitted. His outward frown became complete as he walked toward the red pegasus. “Scarlet Shield, I don’t recall giving you orders to gear up.” The pony snapped to attention, and Elias could tell that he was barely suppressing a grin. “Apologies General! I had just submitted my medical release form with Adiutor Binder, and I overheard Centurion Ice Blossom discussing a make-up march. I thought that since I have been resting for so long, a trot through the woods would do my body some good. Warm myself up for the real training, so to speak.” Elias hated when the ponies were thinking ahead of him, yet he couldn’t help but feel cautiously happy. They were thinking, pushing themselves without being asked. Maybe it could work. Maybe. He didn’t let anyone know they were right, and instead remained short with Scarlet. “Make sure you keep up then Chief Strategist. I will be setting a brutal pace,” his eyes flicked to the pair of would be recruits, “and anyone found lacking will no longer be a part of my legion.” All three nodded silently and fell into a line. Elias looked to Night Flash. “First Centurion, you will also accompany this march; keep the recruits in marching order, and educate them on as much as possible. All three have missed out on important training, and all three will be brought up to par by the end of tonight, am I clear?” The pegasus saluted and nodded. “Of course General. What should the rest of the recruits do this evening?” Elias looked to Ice Blossom. “Inform Adiutor Binder that you and Granite shall be running formation drills until lights out. Binder shall observe and make corrections as necessary.” He jabbed a finger at her. “Don’t let them slack off. Just because I’m not watching, does not mean the standard slips. I will be checking personally for progress when I get back.” Ice Blossom and departed swiftly toward the barracks. With a nod to Anyon, Elias waved his little marching party toward the training yard gates. As they departed, the sun slipped below the horizon, casting a shadow over Canterlot. ***** Elias squinted hard as he tried to stare into the darkness of the Everfree. On his orders, he had made the small group travel without torches, and with no unicorns, they had no other means for light. The sun was long gone, not only had night fallen, but a thick cloud layer had formed as they had moved toward Ponyville. The trio of pegasi and the solitary earth pony walked behind him in a block of four, keeping a close formation. So far, none had complained despite his brutal pace. His long legs already made them trot, but with his fast tempo, the ponies were essentially forced to jog to keep up. They were sweating hard despite the cool night air, and while he could silently commend them for their effort, things were about to get worse in an unplanned way. He hadn’t bothered checking the weather schedule before leaving Canterlot, and even if he had, it wouldn’t have mattered. Ponyville was on a completely different weather schedule, and if the earthy smell in the air was any indicator, it was going to be a torrential downpour any minute. Still, he hesitated to push the ponies any harder. Night Flash had already done a day’s worth of training, yet here he was on the same hike, pushing himself at a much more difficult pace. Scarlet wasn’t faring much better, whether from his lack of activity due to his time in the infirmary, or the residual exhaustion of his time in the changeling pod, the pegasus was sweating hard, and his breaths were becoming shorter. Thunderstorm fared the best of the three pegasi, though he too was sweating hard under the weight of his new shield. That left Orchid, who seemed non-plussed about the situation. She was by far the most alert of the ponies, and the least exhausted. No doubt a result of her earth pony physiology. She matched Elias’ pace with focused ease, with only the occasional shrug as a sign of discomfort. Elias dropped to one knee and held a hand in the air. The ponies stopped and crouched behind him, their eyes focusing outward as they caught their breath. Night Flash broke from the formation and saddled up next to Elias’ right ear. “What is it General?” he asked breathlessly. Elias shook his head in reply, tuning all of his senses outward. He had seen something with his bad eye, a hint of movement. The creature was a master of stealth, clinging to the darkest of shadows with ease. Had it not been from the strange abilities of his bad eye, Elias imagined he wouldn’t have noticed a thing. His hand inched toward his shield, grasping a pilum. As he withdrew it with painful slowness, he whispered to Night Flash. “Take the recruits back up the road fifty feet. Wait until I signal an all clear. Should I come under attack, escort them to safety first, then return to aid me, am I clear?” Elias could practically feel Night Flash’s need to protest, so he cast a glance over his shoulder, glaring at the pegasus in the darkness. “Am I clear First Centurion?” he growled, leaving no question that his words were to be followed to the letter. Night Flash sighed, but nodded silently and he withdrew. Elias remained still as the pegasus crept back to the recruits. He listened as Night Flash whispered his commands, then he listened to the ponies creep away. Then he waited in dead quiet. Wind began to whistle through the trees, and gusts of wind set the branches alive with activity. Like an orchestra of toneless noise, the leaves blocked out all sound, leaving Elias to rely on sight alone to seek out their potential ambusher. Too bad he was looking the wrong way. Elias heard Night Flash cry out as a heavy mass of a creature attacked him from behind. He suppressed a cry of pain as sharp claws tore at his spine. Though his armor largely protected him, the sheer force of the blow sent him rolling forward. Elias gritted his teeth as he skated through a briar patch, then he was on his feet and staring down the manticore that dared think him prey. The scorpion tailed beast growled as it glared at him with shining green eyes. It hesitated a moment as Elias set his feet. It almost seemed surprised that its “prey” wasn’t running for the hills. Elias adjusted his grip on his pilum, ready to throw it straight into the beast’s eye. An eye that flicked to Elias’ right; toward the ponies. Elias roared as the manticore tried to turn toward smaller prey. He raced forward, forgoing throwing his pilum. Instead, he tried to jab it into the beast’s flank. The steel tip pierced its thick hide quite easily, but before he could truly drive it home, the beast whirled on him, lashing out with its tail. Elias sacrificed his pilum to save his shield, clutching on for dear life as the beast tried to swat it away. Elias spun with the force of the hit. He faced the beast and made to draw his gladius, but for a creature of its size, it moved far too quickly. The beast was on Elias just as his gladius came free from of its sheathe, and it drove him to the ground, batting both Feather, and his scutum away. Elias shouted in its face and punched at its muzzle. The manticore answered his roar with its own, momentarily deafening him. Before he could register the spittle on his face, or the smell of death emanating from the beast’s mouth, Elias found himself begin shaken like a rag doll. The manticore’s teeth bit at his cuirass, doing little damage, but finding plenty of grip to toss him about like a ragdoll. It lifted him into the air with ease, quickly slamming back into the dirt. Elias couldn’t get air in his lungs as it dragged him through the dirt, slamming him into the ground over and over again. He did his best to fight back, attacking its face with his fists, trying to kick its legs out, but the beast ignored his attempts. Its iron neck muzzles wrenched the human through the air, and slammed him into the ground once more, giving him a moment to breath as it reared back with its tail. Elias rolled away from the strike, acting before his mind could even get a full grasp on the situation. His helmet was long gone, and as he rolled from a second strike, Elias noticed blood in his mouth. That likely wasn’t good. He rolled away from a third strike, finally managing to get his feet under him. Elias reached behind his back for his dagger, only to find nothing. He blinked stupidly as the manticore pounced toward him. Instinct took over again, and Elias threw himself to the left, rolling just barely out of the reach of the manticore’s claws. Where the fuck was his dagger?!? He had used it on the changelings during the invasion, and then he had… Elias gritted his teeth as his mind clicked. His dagger was gone, and he couldn’t see any of his pilla, nor his gladius. He needed to kill the fucking beast attacking him before it got its damn teeth near his throat again. It was pure luck that it had decided to seize his armor, but Elias knew his luck wouldn't hold. The manticore growled as it turned around again, and it wiggled its hips. He had less than a second. As the beast leapt into the air, Elias felt his toe catch on a large stone. He managed to grab it as he dodged again. This time however, he did not jump free of the beast, and its claws bit deep into his arm. Elias cried out in pain as his grip on the stone failed for a moment, nearly letting it fall free. As the beast slammed him into the ground however, Elias solidified his grasp, and as the beast reared back to claw him, he slammed the stone across its face. He felt cartilage crumble under the stone, and the manticore reared back, wailing in pain. Elias took the moment of weakness to scramble backward. He didn’t make it far. The manticore was on him in an instant, and this time its claws found plenty of purchase, tearing at any bit of exposed flesh the human had. Elias swung the stone again with all his might, but the manticore ignored the pain of its shattered muzzle in its anger. A paw knocked the stone from his hand, then another slashed across his face. Elias cried out in pain, and though he tried to fight back, he could tell he was losing. He just hoped Night Flash was smart enough to move the recruits away. ***** Night Flash watched in horror as the manticore tore apart his friend. He, and Scarlet Shield stood side by side, watching the scene unfold in silence. Despite being dropped on, Elias seemed to initially have the situation well in hand. He had even got in a solid attack against the manticore’s flank as it tried to turn on the ponies. After that though, things had gone rapidly downhill, and it was clear to everyone that the human was outmatched by the seven-foot-tall wall of muscle and fur. Night Flash glanced at Scarlet nervously. Both of them were twitching, unsure if they needed to honor Elias’ orders, or dive in and save their friend. Flash gulped as the manticore tore the stone from Elias’ grasp, and as another scream of pain split the air, Flash made his decision. “Recruits!” Night Flash called out, pointing his hoof at the wild beast. “Spread out and distract the manticore, Chief Strategist Shield and I will attack it!” Scarlet shook his head. “Flash, we don’t have weapons. What are we going to do to that thing? What can we do?” Night Flash growled and grabbed the pegasus’ wing forcefully, drawing a sharp yelp from the pony. He then manually extended Scarlet’s feathers with his hoof, and shifted them so that their hidden wing blades would deploy. Scarlet stared at the glistening blades in awe as Night Flash spoke harshly at him. “Even if we didn’t have our wing blades built in, we would still fight for Elias. Either pony up or go home Scarlet, because I’m not leaving him to die here, and nopony in the legion should even consider doing so.” Without another word, Night Flash raced forward, scanning the ground for pitfalls as he ran. While he spotted no potholes, Night Flash did catch a glint of steel, and he altered his path toward Elias’ fallen sword. “General! Sword!” Night Flash called as he kicked the blade. Elias’s hand fumbled about for the blade hilt as it skittered over, but as soon as he grasped it, the blade went to work, plunging into the manticore’s mane again and again. Night Flash couldn’t tell if the sword was actually doing damage, but he didn’t care. His wing blades lashed out like lightning, biting deep into the manticore’s flank. The beast roared, and its rage shifted focus. A paw lashed out toward Night Flash, but the pegasus dipped back with ease. The manticore growled, and before Night Flash could even move to stop it, its tail lashed down, stabbing deep into Elias’ thigh. The man gasped wetly, but his gladius came across with frightening speed. The stinger came free with a spurt of goo, and the manticore let out a pained howl as it staggered back from the human. Night Flash pursued the beast, lashing out with his wing blades. Long scores of blood appeared on the beast’s body, and it continued to roar in agony as it tried to drive the pegasus away. Between swipes, Night Flash looked back to Elias to find the human being helped to his feet by the recruits. The man said nothing about their flagrant disobeying of his orders, and instead he wordlessly pointed at the manticore with the tip of his sword. Night Flash saw stars as he flew backward. He had looked back for too long, and the manticore did not let the moment escape him. Night Flash felt blood roll down his face as he was launched back by that massive paw, and he heard Elias roar in rage. Night Flash slammed into a tree, knocking the wind from his lungs, but he immediately found Elias with his eyes. The human was up close with the manticore again, stabbing away as he screamed at it. The human’s gladius plunged into the beast’s chest as Scarlet sprinted up to Night Flash. “Are you alright?” the red pegasus asked. Night Flash grunted as Scarlet helped him to his feet. “That’s “Are you alright First Centurion,” Night Flash said. “If General Bright catches you not using rank, you’ll get the whip. Don’t make me warn you again Chief Strategist.” Scarlet stared at him in shock, then nodded slowly. Both pegasi looked to Elias as the man let out a loud shout, followed swiftly by the manticore collapsing atop him, burying the man. They both stared with wide eyes for a moment, and Night Flash felt a tinge of fear. Had Elias won? The manticore wasn’t moving, but was the human alive? Night Flash and Scarlet moved at the same time, sprinting to the massive corpse. They pushed with all their might, but the manticore barely moved. Night Flash shot a glare over his shoulder at the pair of recruits, who had yet to do anything useful. “Will you stop standing around and do something useful you useless fucks?” he bellowed. Orchid and Thunderstorm snapped into action, and they joined the pair of pegasi in shoving the manticore from atop Elias. As it inched forward, they all began to hear a low tone, one that built in volume as the human’s head came free of the wall of meat and fur. Elias was chuckling lightly, and as his eyes opened to behold the group of ponies, it elevated to loud laughter. Night Flash glanced at the recruits, who looked bewildered beyond comprehension. He knew they had never seen the man so much as smile, let alone laugh, yet here he was, cackling like a mad man as the ponies paused in their effort to catch their breaths. Night Flash looked back to Elias and chuckled nervously. “I- Is everything alright General?” The man looked to the pegasus and chuckled. “Y-you said… f.. fuck.” The admittance set the man to laughing again. “I- I can’t believe! Of all the ponies, coming from Night Flash, it was…” His words choked off as his laughter reached a fevered pitch. Night Flash blushed and looked away in mild embarrassment as his fellow ponies grinned at him, but before they could join their general in his laughter, the human began to choke. A wet sound came from deep in Elias’ chest, and with a loud series of coughs, blood sprayed from his mouth. Elias began to convulse. A white foam formed around the edges of his mouth as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. This time there was no hesitation from the ponies. The manticore corpse was pushed away with all speed. Night Flash rifled through his saddlebags, searching for the emergency bandages Elias made them all carry. Orchid moved faster however, and she pulled a long bundle of rope from her saddlebags. She quickly tied it around Elias’ leg above the sting and began to pull it tight. “What are you doing Recruit?” Night Flash asked nervously. “Something my dad taught me for snake bites,” came the short reply. “A manticore sting is the same idea, and it’ll be better he loses a leg than his life, right?” The earth pony gripped the rope in her teeth a yanked, drawing a groan from Elias. Night Flash took the sound as a good sign, and he moved quickly to cut off the excess rope. Pointing to Orchid, he ordered; “Get him on your back. We’re closer to Ponyville than to Canterlot, and there’s got to be somepony in town that can help him.” Scarlet stiffened for a moment, then shook his head. “No,” he said firmly. Night Flash opened his mouth to bark his orders again, but Scarlet met his eyes with surprising steel. “We have to make it back to Canterlot. It’s the only place guaranteed to have manticore anti-venom.” Night Flash narrowed his eyes. “And how do you know that? With Ponyville being right next to the Everfree, I’m sure that their hospital will have something.” Scarlet stomped his hoof. “First Centurion, we don’t know that. The infirmary in the castle has anti-venom, I know that for a fact.” He helped Thunderstorm lift Elias onto Orchid’s back, taking some of the remaining rope to tie the human down. “Let me remind you that I was stuck in there with Scalpel for two months, I know what he keeps on stock, and we can’t take the chance that Ponyville General doesn’t have anti-venom. We’re wasting precious time making this decision, so let’s make a choice, now.” Night Flash scowled as Scarlet scooped up Orchid’s saddle bags, then looked to Thunderstorm. “Recruit, remove all of your equipment, then fly as fast as you can to Canterlot. See if you can’t get somepony to meet us en-route.” Thunderstorm was out of his wing binders in an instant, and his helmet and saddle bags quickly followed. Then the pegasus was gone, flapping hard into the sky in the direction of Canterlot. Night Flash quickly scooped up the fallen equipment, making a mental note to have it cleaned before the next inspection. There would be one, and if Elias found out that it had been thrown into the dirt on his orders, the human would be furious. Night Flash settled the extra set of saddlebags on his back, then looked to his fellow ponies. “Alright, let’s move as quickly as possible. Stay close, and if anything attacks, run. I will buy time, then fly away, clear?” Both nodded, and without another word, the ponies began their race toward Canterlot. > Chapter 40: Discipline > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Night Flash winced as Luna’s voice ruffled his mane for what seemed like the hundredth time since he had entered the throne room. Her voice was simply powerful, and as she lashed out at the row of ponies with her tongue, Night Flash couldn’t help but feel one part impressed, and two parts terrified. The blue alicorn really knew how to intimidate a pony, and Night Flash couldn’t remember the last time he had received a reprimand from the lunar princess herself. He knew for a fact that he would be avoiding a repeat occurrence in the future. They had successfully made it to Canterlot, with a still breathing Elias in tow. Thanks to the speedy work of Thunderstorm, Scalpel had met them just outside the castle, and he had raced Elias to the infirmary in person, applying the anti-venom as he went. Once they had gotten Elias into a bed, Scalpel had pushed them out of the infirmary, stating that he needed quiet to work. That had left Night Flash in charge of the stunned, blood covered recruits, and without any orders from Elias to distribute. Knowing that his human would be livid if he simply did nothing, Flash had set the recruits into their guard positions over the standard, then had roused Book Binder. His fiancé had been asleep at her desk, and once she had woken up, she had understandably flipped out. She had immediately stormed to the infirmary with a heated glare that would have scared most ponies into submission. Scalpel had met them at the door however, and he forbade them from entering on Elias’ orders. When Book Binder had gotten in the stallion’s face, Scalpel had held his ground, drawing out a series of forms Elias had apparently made him sign to continue their friendship. Book Binder had scowled and snatched the papers away to read, and as she did so, her anger began to dry up. The forms were carefully worded and thorough, and Scalpel adamantly defended his keeping to them. As threatened in the forms, Elias would cut all ties with the medical unicorn if he let anypony that wasn’t supposed to be close near in the event of unconsciousness. Scalpel knew how valuable he was being by keeping Elias as a friend, and that meant he would keep to the word of the forms. Unfortunately for Book Binder and Night Flash, that also meant keeping to every single condition. They were both listed by name, and there was simply no way for Scalpel to allow either of them to take care of Elias; not without threatening one of the three friendships the human was keeping up. Book Binder had relented after that, though she still made Scalpel promise to notify Elias that they had tried to visit. After trudging back to their office mired in disappointment and worry, Night Flash and Book Binder had then spent much of the rest of the night doing all of the work that Elias normally did. Night Flash was floored by how much the human did. A mountain of approval and denial forms, ensuring the training schedule was planned out and ready to distribute, cleaning gear, sending recommendation orders to the other generals, and a large assortment of tasks that numbed the mind and the heart. It was soul crushing, and Night Flash considered quitting the legion then and there just so he could join Elias as a non-combat assistant and cuddle buddy. On Book Binder’s caution however, he didn’t, and instead put his nose to the grindstone to help as much as he could. He and Book Binder did their best, but they couldn’t complete much without his signature, so they were largely relegated to busy work. Until Luna had called him forth with the other members of their makeup march. A trio of Royal Guards had come to escort him, and when he got to the throne room, Night Flash could almost feel the lunar princess’s anger. The air was charged with it, and her glowering look did nothing to diminish that fact. The room had been dead silent as Night Flash led the nervous recruits forward, and since he was in charge, he was forced to hold his head high and pretend that he wasn’t scared witless. That brought him to the present, where another loud burst of speech flowed over him like a tidal wave, threatening to wash he, and his fellow ponies away. They stood in a loose line before a blisteringly angry Luna, whose eyes couldn’t seem to settle on any one pony. Her anger flowed everywhere, and if Night Flash didn’t know better, he would imagine that the alicorn was more than a little worried about Elias. “I cannot believe you could be so stupid!” Luna bellowed in her full Royal Canterlot voice. “To abandon your general to fight a manticore alone? What could you have possibly been thinking?” Night Flash took a deep breath and stepped forward, doing his best to keep his composure. He had never been yelled at by a princess before. Nightshade sure, and even Midnight Chaser a few times, but Princess Luna? Never. It was not an experience he wanted to repeat, yet he couldn’t help but feel like it would become a trend. “Princess,” Night Flash said evenly, “General Bright gave us clear orders! We all thought it best that we follow them.” Luna glared fiercely at him, and fire seemed to light up her eyes as her hoof stomped, the sound echoing through the throne room despite the cushion in her seat. Night Flash was almost sure he saw the stone beneath the throne crack. “Do not start with me! General Bright is still learning to be an effective leader of ponies, just as you are still being taught to be a soldier. Neither are wholly capable yet, and his orders should be thought about and disregarded when they are clearly foolish!” Night Flash curled his muzzle in distaste. He knew she meant well, but he did not like Elias being talked about like he was dumb. The human was many things, but dumb was not one of them. “Princess, are you telling me to deliberately ignore the orders I’m given by General Bright?” “I am telling you to use your head!” Luna shouted. “Orders be damned, Elias could have been killed!” “But he wasn’t!” Night Flash protested. “His plan worked out, nopony else got hurt, and we got him back to Canterlot in time!” “And if you hadn’t?” Luna growled. “What if you weren’t fast enough? In this plan of yours, did it ever occur to you that the castle infirmary might not have manticore anti-venom? What would have happened then?” Night Flash stomped his hoof. “Chief Strategist Shield knew that the castle had anti-venom, it’s why we decided to come here first! Besides, General Bright has told us to focus on what is, rather than what might have be-….” “General Bright is not here!” Luna interrupted. “He is lying on his deathbed because he dove into a fight he could not win, like an idiot! He will have his day in court, and I promise you that when I see the man, I will-“ “You’ll what?” a voice called from across the throne room. The ponies collectively blinked and turned, looking to the tall figure standing in the ajar throne room doors. Elias was only wearing the lower half of an incredibly bloody tunic. His stomach and chest were wrapped with thick, red-stained bandages, as was one of his legs. Night Flash bit his tongue, doing his best to suppress his natural urges. His human looked far too pale, and far too skinny, and Night Flash just wanted to leap on him and smother him with love, keeping him safe forever more. Judging from the look in Elias’ gaunt, sunken eyes, Night Flash doubted he would appreciate such a display. Scalpel was alongside him, doing his best to support the hunched human. The unicorn had a soft scowl on his face, and his eyes constantly flicked up to Elias with worry filling them. He was clearly unhappy that Elias was moving about, but he was silent, no doubt the result of a tongue lashing by the human. Night Flash gulped nervously as Elias began to walk slowly forward, using a pilum in his other hand as a walking stick. The clicks of the weapon seemed like massive bells, ringing loudly as he limped toward the throne. It took him a few moments to advance across the entirety of the throne room, but as soon as he was within striking range of the line of ponies, he stopped, scowling at the silent, shocked recruits. His lip curled as a low growl emanated from his throat. “You are standing before your princess; stand at attention.” Night Flash didn’t focus on the scratchy timbre of his voice, and instead snapped to, facing the throne. The other recruits snapped into a line beside him. Elias’ eyes wandered up and down the line for a moment. He clicked his way forward, putting himself between Luna and the row of recruits. After giving each pony a glare in equal measure, Elias’ eyes settled on Night Flash. “First Centurion, why are these recruits not at their barracks?” Night Flash stepped forward and saluted sharply. “General, Princess Luna told us to report to her shortly after we delivered you the infirmary. We followed those orders.” He took a step back as Elias nodded slowly. His mismatched eyes flicked to the ground for a moment, then he took a deep breath and looked back up to Night Flash. “First Centurion… do I look like a princess to you?” Night Flash blinked as his mind froze at the ridiculous question. The obvious answer was no, but Elias had to know that. There was clearly more meaning behind the question, but Night Flash couldn’t fathom why. As the gears of his brain struggled to work, his mouth opened. “S-sir, I….” “YOU WILL NOT ADDRESS ME AS SIR!” Elias roared, getting in Night Flash’s face in an instant. The human immediately staggered back, gritting his teeth as he clutched at his injured thigh. Scalpel’s horn lit up, but Elias waved him away, taking several deep breaths. Night Flash ached to sweep the man off his feet and whisk him to a bed. A soft, cozy bed, with plenty of pillows, and blankets, and Book Binder, and… Elias coughed wetly, looking like he wanted to spit, then he cleared his throat, his face wrinkling in disgust. He looked back to Night Flash, leaning heavily on his pilum. “First Centurion, you know better than to call me sir. I am General Bright, or General. Am I clear?” Night Flash nodded, doing his best to not let his tail lash with nervous energy. “Yes General.” Elias matched his nod, looking back to the floor. He spent a moment clearing his throat, then another one stabbing at the floor with the blunt end of his pilum. Without looking up, Elias asked; “First Centurion, answer the question; do I look like a princess?” “No General,” Night Flash replied quickly, “you do not.” Elias nodded and stabbed at the stone floor again. “Do I sound like a princess?” “No General,” Night Flash replied. “Do I smell like a princess to you, First Centurion?” “No General you do not,” Night Flash replied again. Elias smirked. “That’s good, because I’d be a pretty unintimidating fighter if I smelled like lavender and perfumed soap.” Night Flash caught a twitch from Luna, but a glance up found nothing about the alicorn changed. She seemed to be staring at Elias, either hanging on every word, or watching closely for signs of his imminent death. Elias chuckled softly and twisted his pilum into the stone. Then like a switch had been flipped, his demeanor changed. He seemed to grow taller, more aggressive, despite his hunched over stature. His eyes flicked up to Night Flash, and the anger they held seemed unending as the pegasus tried to not wither under the heat of his glare. Even the sunken gray around his eyes seemed to make him look meaner, more vicious. Everything about his posture and his face told Night Flash that he had bucked up royally in the eyes of the human, and the sight made Night Flash want to ensure that such a thing never happened again. “So tell me First Centurion, if I do not look like a princess,” Elias took a step forward, “and I do not sound like a princess,” another step. Night Flash could feel the energy in the air again. He most decidedly did not like it. “and since I most definitely do not smell like a princess, then do you care to explain to me why, my recruits, are receiving their orders, FROM A FUCKING A PRINCESS?!?” Night Flash felt the heat of Elias’ anger as it radiated off the man. It took all of his willpower not to take a step back. “G-General, I don’t…” Elias’s hand snapped across Night Flash’s face so quickly that it took the pegasus a moment to register what had happened. Only the sting of the blow gave him an indication. Elias had slapped him. Hard. “First Centurion, if you say I don’t know to me even once I will make sure you scrub toilets and run laps until the day you die. Give me an answer, or give me your helmet. Now.” Flash blinked, and he would have been dishonest with himself if he said that he wasn’t a bit hurt. Elias never looked like that, not with him. He had never been on the receiving end of that anger. The man’s pain, yes, but his anger? It honestly scared him, and everything, all the stress, the worrying, the attempts to convince him to quit the guard, it all made sense. Elias had known this would happen at some point, and had tried to prevent it, but Night Flash had stumbled stupidly forward. Now though, it was too late to back out. He would hurt Elias irreparably if he walked out after the dress down he was receiving. He had to be strong, had to be the stallion that Elias needed at his side in the present, and as a father in the future. Night Flash straightened and cleared his throat, trying to make himself more like the stallion Elias needed him to be. “General, I followed the princess’s orders because you were otherwise incapacitated. As the legion manual states, it is my duty to take your place should the need arise, and I accomplished that duty by reporting directly to Princess Luna when she called.” He smiled inwardly. He had made sure to add a reference to the legion manual, and he knew that Elias of all ponies would appreciate that he had read it in detail. Judging by the sudden change in the human’s body posture, he was right in spades. Night Flash could tell that Elias was only just barely holding back a smile of pride. It had been a test, and Night Flash had passed. He felt his heart swell a little as Elias straightened as best he could and nodded slowly. The barest traces of a smile poked at his lips as he spoke. “Good answer First Centurion,” Elias said. “That kind of sound logic is probably why you have the position.” Elias nodded his head toward the line of recruits. “Take the recruits to their beds, and make sure they have their gear clean and polished for inspection tomorrow morning. Dismissed.” Elias watched Night Flash salute sharply, then turn to his fellow ponies and bark a quick order. None of them moved. All of their eyes were still focused on him. Elias acted before Night Flash could. The shaft of his pilum cracked into Orchid’s knees, driving the mare into a crouch. To her credit, she didn’t cry out, so Elias let her off with just the knee crack as he got in her face. “Recruit, you are testing my patience with your insubordination. When I give an order, I expect it to be followed with all haste, am I clear?” The mare’s eyes lit up at the word recruit, and she nodded briskly. Elias shot a glare toward Scarlet, then toward Thunderstorm. Both stallions saluted, and with a look toward Night Flash, the four ponies turned on their heels and trotted toward the throne room doors. Their steps were quick, and as Elias cast a glance back to watch them go, he noticed that they all held a bit of pep in their step, their tails lashing back and forth with a taste of excitement. He didn’t let them distract him from the task that had dragged him from bed. Elias limped his way back toward the throne, stopping dead center before it. He leaned heavily on his pilum, and he simply stared at Luna. She stared back, shifting nervously before his eyes. Elias didn’t let her shuffling distract him for even an instant, and he waited in complete silence for the throne room doors to close. When they did, Elias continued staring at the alicorn in silence. He let the weight of his gaze make Luna nervous, as if the silence wasn't already accomplishing that goal. Scalpel’s tail flicked nervously at his side, but Elias ignored the unicorn. He had already threatened the pony thoroughly, so he knew that the pony would stay in line. After another small shuffle, Luna opened her mouth to speak. “Elias, I…” “Stop,” Elias said quietly, cutting her off. The alicorn’s face twitched with mild anger, but Elias knew it wouldn’t stick. The only one who had any justified cause for anger was him. His bad eye twitched as he stared at Luna for a few more silent moments, then he took a deep breath and asked; “Princess, what did I say when I accepted this position?” Luna let out an exasperated sigh. “You said that you would only do it if you could run it your way, that-…” “Nope,” Elias said simply, cutting her off again. “If you’ll recall, I said that I didn’t want it. That I didn’t want to lead anyone, that I just wanted to be a normal soldier, and do my job. Then I could continue maintaining all of my friendships, and maybe even find a modicum of peace in my ever-violent life.” Elias felt a twinge of pain lance through his chest, and he rubbed at his rib cage, doing his best to massage away the pain without reopening his wounds. Luna’s look of anger changed to one of concern, but she didn’t move from her throne, despite the fact that Elias could tell that she very much wanted to. Her tail flicked nervously, and had it been a few months earlier, the alicorn would have already been on top of him, nuzzling away. One could only dream. Elias cleared his throat, and swallowed a glob of iron filled spit before looking to her again. “But,” he said, ignoring his weak wish to have a certain snuggle buddy again, “I let you convince me. You said I was needed, that more ponies would suffer if I did not help in this capacity, and with all the evidence around me, I believed you.” “I believed,” he said with another deep breath, “that you trusted me. That you were one of the few people to actually put their full trust in me.” Elias sighed and shook his head. “But you don’t. You don’t trust me at all. I expected this behavior from your sister, but Princess, it’s been less than a month since I got my recruits, and I’ve already been questioned three times!” Elias stared to the side for a moment, running his thumb up and down the shaft of his pilum. He took a deep breath and looked back to Luna. “Princess, I don’t know what to say, other than this has to stop. You either need to show me your respect and trust, or remove me from this position, because this halfway thing we keep doing won’t work. I have allowed so much, have stretched my word to the very limits, but no more. I made promises; to you, to myself, and to every recruit under my command.” Elias shook his head and ran his tongue over his teeth. He could still faintly taste iron. “I can’t bring them home alive if they don’t trust my word. If you won’t trust me, won’t respect me, neither will they, and hundreds will die. I will not be party to that.” He sighed. “And I have no idea what to do to earn your trust. I had hoped that the results, the obvious distinguished behavior the recruits are already showing would be my evidence, the clear and utter proof that what I am doing is right, no matter how wrong it looks, but apparently not.” He sighed again. “You just don’t trust me. I can’t work without your trust. I simply can’t.” Luna let out a low whine. “Elias, I… I do trust you. I trust your judgement and your techniques completely, but this situation was different! You could have died! You must be able to see that your ponies needed to be held accountable for leaving you.” Elias nodded. “Maybe, but am I to protect myself over my recruits? Are they meant to be expendable in my eyes?” “Of course not Elias, but…” “But what Princess?” Elias snapped, clutching at his stomach. “But what? Either I risk my life for them, or they risk their lives for me. I promised them that I would bring them home, that I would keep them safe. I can not do that from the back. I must fight, I must bring them home. I’ll throw myself into as many battles as it takes for that to happen.” Luna’s anger made a return, but Elias also noticed tears at the corners of his eyes. “So what then Elias? Are you simply going to through your life away? What would Book Binder, or Night Flash think?” Elias’ face curled in a snarl. “They will think nothing because they are no longer anything to me. They knew what they signed up for. It is my hope that if they decided not to mentally sever our personal ties, then that they feel pride that I saved somepony with my life, rather than simply killing. I do not matter.” Luna recoiled at his words, but Elias felt the familiar heat of his anger, and he continued unheeded. “My legion matters, my recruits and soon to be legionaries matter, my almost adoptive parents matter. Everypony that I have ever considered friend matters far and above me. If I die in the heat of battle, paying my life so that those that matter more than me survive, I will do so with a god damn smile on my face, because I do not matter.” “YOU MATTER TO ME!” Luna shouted. There was no power to her voice this time, a far cry from the usual anger of her normal Royal Canterlot Voice. Instead, all Elias could feel from the alicorn was sorrow as she shrank slightly in her throne. Luna sniffled and rubbed at her eyes as she stared at the cushion beneath her. “You matter to me Elias. I…” She looked up for a moment, her eyes filled with tears, then sighed and looked back down. Her star filled mane drooped over her face as she spoke. “You are my best friend Elias. Perhaps I have not been very good at showing that, especially not recently, but it is why I wished so desperately to keep you close, despite your position.” She rubbed at her muzzle with a hoof. “I know I am selfish, but I cannot bear to be without you on a personal level. I apologize for laying this at your feet now, but I truly care about you Elias, and if you refuse to look after your own safety…” She sighed and looked up with some steel in her eyes. “I will do it for you. I want you to come home, I want you to find peace, with whomever you choose. You are far too young to yearn for death, no matter your past traumas. You matter Elias. To me, and to others, but you do matter, and I’m sorry you won’t accept that.” She sighed again and shook her head. “Thank you for visiting with me General Bright, you may go. I will not interfere with your legion again. You have my word.” She sounded utterly beaten, defeated. Had he done that? Elias hated that slouched posture, the look of pure defeat in Luna’s form. It… it almost hurt to look at. On some unknown, soft instinct, Elias limped forward. Luna seemed to shy away as he climbed up to her throne, but when he stood before her, she glanced up with more than a little nervousness in her eyes. Elias pointed to a small gap on the left side of her throne. “Mind if I sit? Standing on this leg probably isn’t good for my health.” Luna’s eyes filled with confusion, but she nodded quickly and scooted to the side. Elias winced and grunted as he turned around and unceremoniously plopped on to the throne. Luna was just barely avoiding physical contact, but that wasn’t the point. He hadn’t sat on her throne to make her uncomfortable, he had done it to comfort her, to make the look of defeat disappear from her body. Unfortunately, there was only one surefire way to comfort a pony. Elias’ hand snaked around her side, and he dragged the pony close until she was almost in his lap. Luna flushed red as she instinctively nuzzled his neck. Her green eyes found his mis-matched ones. “I- I had thought… Are you alright Elias?” The human nodded and leaned back, closing his eyes. He could already feel his anger fading, replaced by mild pains, and a pure tidal wave of total exhaustion. “Just fine Princess. Cuddle all you like; this is your one freebie until after the march. We’ll resume our normal agreement come tomorrow when I’m thinking clearly.” He shifted so that his head was leaning on her shoulder. He kept his arm tight around Luna’s barrel, and after a moment of tense silence, the alicorn relaxed and surrounded him with those luscious soft wings. Elias couldn't help but feel incredibly warm pressed against all of her cozy fluff. She nuzzled his head and sighed in his ear. “Thank you Elias,” she whispered as softly as possible. “I’m sorry I got emotional, I just needed you to understand that I care about you, and that you matter to…” Luna stopped when she heard a small snore. She glanced at Elias to find his face fully buried in her shoulder, and his mouth slightly open. Somehow, his other hand had a full grip on his spear, yet it was clear that the human had fallen asleep. Luna smiled and shifted so that his face was buried in her chest fluff. She then eased the spear from his grip and passed it to the still silent Scalpel. Without the weapon on hand, the human nuzzled into his living pillow and sighed happily, wrapping both arms around Luna. The alicorn could have squealed with joy, but instead opted to remain subtle, and quiet. She gently wrapped her hooves, then her wings over the human to keep him warm until they could move him back to the infirmary. Luna looked back to Scalpel to arrange it, only to find the unicorn trotting toward the throne room doors. “Doctor, do you not need to oversee Elias’ health?” she called. Scalpel turned and winked at her. “He’s in good hooves I think, and there’s no better medicine than a nice snuggle. Send for me in a few hours, and I’ll reapply his pain spell, and maybe give him another sleep spell. That should get him rested enough for work tomorrow.” He turned away again, trotting happily out with Elias’ spear in tow. Luna watched him go for a moment, then looked back to Elias. The human seemed to be in bliss, snoring softly as his hands gripped at her fur. Luna studied his face as she watched him rest. From the obvious signs, it was likely the first time in weeks he had truly slept. His eyes, normally squinted in anger, were actually heavily sunken in. That wasn’t just the result of the manticore attack, but rather a symptom of exhaustion. Wrinkles that had no place on his face seemed to touch every part, making him look far older from up close. Even a few of his brilliant red hairs had dulled slightly. They weren’t greyed, but they were far less radiant than they should have been. His face was thin, and frankly a bit pale. Luna tightened her grip, making sure that the human would be good and warm while he slept. Elias responded by hugging her tighter, and mumbling something. Luna didn’t quite catch the words, and in truth, it didn’t matter what he had said. His face was still relaxed, still calm. He wasn’t at risk of a nightmare, not yet at least. Luna mentally prayed that he would sleep peacefully for the rest of the night. That left her with time, however. She still had much to get done, but she refused to leave Elias when he had made such a generous concession for her. The kindness of the motion was not lost on Luna. Heck, she doubted he had hugged any ponies in the past few weeks, let alone one of his “former” friends. It was an immense boon, and Luna refused to spit on it. Elias was at peace, if only for an evening, and Luna would not spoil that for her human. Luna shifted as little as possible to reach behind her throne for her saddlebags. Once she had them in hoof, Luna eased them openly quietly, using Elias’ sleeping form as a table. The unconscious human didn’t seem to mind overmuch, though he did swipe at her hooves as she pulled out her dragonfire candle. Luna giggled as she rubbed his back in small circles with her free hoof. Elias moaned softly, and he wiggled his whole body, seemingly trying to dig his way deeper into her fur. Luna smiled at the human, making a mental note to look further into that cuddle escort service. Ponies that could be paid to follow someone around and cuddle them all day, what a brilliant idea, and one that she absolutely needed to take advantage of. Luna stopped writing her letter to her newly hired assistant, Silver Scroll, and switched over to her post-march to do list. At the bottom, she added the note: · To-do: Ambush Elias with no less than thirty cuddle buddies. Perhaps seek employ of cuddle escorts to fill out numbers. · (Stay in the cuddle dungeon?) Too severe, wait and see if this level of cuddles is needed. Luna smiled and tucked the list away, satisfied that it would provide her sufficient reminders of her schemes. She then resumed writing her letter. With her now non-existent use of magic, she had become very adept at writing with her hooves. It took her no time at all to finish it, and almost as soon as it was sent away, her unicorn assistant appeared at her side in a silent flash of light. Silver Scroll took a single blink to adjust her eyes to the light of the throne room, then looked immediately to the human sleeping in Luna’s hooves. She then looked back to Luna with a questioning gaze. “General Bright has had a rather traumatic night and needed rest,” Luna said quietly. “Doctor Scalpel has prescribed some healing pony snuggles, so here we are. Care to join us while you and I finalize this year’s tax reforms?” Silver Scroll smiled and nodded silently. Her horn lit up, and the wall of silence around her disappeared. The mare then trotted around the throne, climbing easily onto Elias’ back. The human snorted in his sleep, hugging Luna tighter. The alicorn giggled as Silver Scroll made herself into a comfortable pony blanket. The grey colored unicorn wiggled herself into the unwounded part of Elias’ back, causing the human to grunt happily again. Silver Shine smiled down at him. “So this is the legendary General Bright? I’m surprised Princess, with all those rumors over what happened during the winter, I expected him to be trapped beneath a pile of cuddlers.” Luna sighed longingly. “One could only wish. Unfortunately, or rather, fortunately for Equestria, Elias is a very talented individual, and he exceeds on the field of battle. It is a crutch we desperately needed in these turbulent times.” Silver Scroll nodded. “Fair enough I suppose. Say though Princess, you wouldn’t happen to be looking for more ponies for another cuddle pile, would you?” She rested her chin on Elias’ shoulder blades. Luna smiled widely. “Officially, I cannot say. Unofficially, talk to General Nightshade. She is the one coordinating a massive cuddle pile for after the march.” Luna wrote a quick note and passed it to Silver Scroll. The unicorn giggled as she read it, and she looked down to Elias’ sleeping form with a wide smile. “Oh you are one lucky pony Mr. Bright, just you wait.” With a glance and a wink toward Luna, the pair quietly set about completing their nightly work, saying as little as possible as they savored the warmth of the snoring human. > Chapter 41: Training Continues > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias scowled as he limped along the line, doing his best to ignore the traces of pain left in his thigh. Even after almost a week of staying off it as much as possible, the limb still ached after even mild use. The manticore’s sting had gone deep, and even advanced medical spells couldn’t permanently mend the wound, couldn’t permanently make the pain go away. Only time would ease both issues, something that grated on Elias' nerves. It had forced him to make Night Flash to lead the runs, something that infuriated the human to no end. Sure, he knew the stallion was capable, and he trusted him fully, but damnit, that was his job! Elias knew his place was at the front, not sitting in some chair under a tree, waiting alone for the recruits to get back. It was aggravating, and if any of his recruits had been dumb enough to make a comment about his “resting”, Elias imagined he would have exploded. Elias’ scowl deepened as he continued watching his recruits throwing their pilla at the long row of straw, pony-shaped targets before them. Even after two solid weeks of half-day long practices, some of the javelins were still falling short of their marks. The ponies had an incredibly difficult time standing up on their hind legs to get in position to throw the pilla. After a lesson from Night Flash and Ice Blossom about balancing on their shields, a second problem for the ponies had come in the form of actually holding the damn spears. Their hooves, while uniquely maneuverable in a way that shouldn’t have been physically possible, just simply weren’t suitable replacements for hands. Clenching and unclenching the frog of their hooves to properly grasp the pilla had taken them hours to figure out, and even still some of the ponies weren’t able to get it right one hundred percent of the time. It would have only been a minor inconvenience if Elias didn’t need every single one of them to do it. Each and every legionnaire would be required to carry and throw two pilla, and if they couldn’t figure out how to properly throw the javelins, one of the distinct new advantages of his legion was moot. Formations were important, but with their shaky progress in solid shield walls, Elias needed to be able to crack an enemy charge before it hit the line with full force. That meant throwing pilla, and so far, the ponies were disappointing him heavily. He didn’t have enough unicorns to make them all auxiliaries, and even if he did, it wouldn’t have the same effect as the entire legion launching javelins at their enemies. Elias mentally sighed as he continued along the line. They were getting close; he could feel it. They were down to a little over three thousand ponies, with fewer abandoning the training with each passing day, they just needed to learn a few key things. Elias had even begun commissioning the formal armor from Anyon, much to the gryphon’s relief. The old bird had been making plenty of noise about Elias going outside the castle to furnish the recruits with equipment, and with how long Elias had waited to provide the quantity for the armor he wanted, the gryphon had been worried that he was going to do so again. The first thousand sets of armor had set the bird into an excited frenzy of work, shooing Elias out of the workshop so that he could finally progress on the job. One sound seemed to stand out above the struggling sounds of pilum throwing, and as Elias’ eyes scanned along the line, he found an unfortunate sight that brought about another sigh, though this one was aloud. Cracking his neck to ease the tension that was slowly building up in his bones, Elias limped forward, quickly drawing up behind a pegasus who was expertly standing on his hind legs. His wings were still bound to his sides, yet his stance was perfect, and he showed no signs of balance issues. The only issue Elias found about the pony was the weapon in his hooves. The arrow left the pegasus' bow like a shot, smacking into the center of the target. The pegasus was masterful at making it look effortless, and on any other occasion, Elias would likely have commended his marksmanship. Not today, however. Elias stared with narrowed eyes as the pegasus dropped to all four hooves and glanced at Elias with clear shame written all over his body posture. Elias said nothing as the pony waited in silence. He instead looked to the target, with the arrow embedded firmly in the center. “Recruit,” Elias started, “you already know what I’m going to say.” The pegasus sighed and nodded. “Yes General, I know.” He huffed and scuffed the ground with his hoof. “I just…” The pegasus paused and continued shifting the dirt around. Elias glanced down at the pony, then snorted and looked back to the target. “Speak freely Recruit; the whipping is coming either way.” The pegasus sighed again. “I just don’t get it General.” The pegasus looked up and caught Elias’ eyes. “I’m amazing when I’m using my bow and arrow, and I know for a fact that you picked me out because of cutie mark and my potential for dedication, I just…” The pegasus shook his head. “This is the first change anypony has given me the chance to really use my special talent. The regular guard kept pushing me out for whatever reason, and while everypony says their “proud” of my archery trophies, none of them really mean it. I certainly don’t care about those stupid lumps of gold.” The pegasus looked to the target with his arrow resting dead center. “But this? This is a real chance to use my talent for something good, something helpful, and I have to use something else?” He stomped a hoof and looked up to Elias again. “Frankly General, it makes me mad. I want to do the best I can for the legion, for your legion, but my best is with a bow, not a pilum.” He sighed for a third time. “It just isn’t. I know you said that we’re not special, but for me, this is a special chance, and my talent is wasted on a pilum.” Elias nodded silently, staring back out over the targets. He then glanced to his left, finding that ever present, comforting unicorn in his life. “Adiutor Binder, what is your special talent?” Without looking up, she replied: “Preserving scrolls and books General.” Elias nodded silently, then took a step back and found Gray Granite further down the line. “And you Centurion?” he called. “What is your special talent?” Granite shrugged as he corrected the stance of a recruit. “Breaking rocks General. It’s how I got so strong.” Elias nodded again, and looked to the pegasus as he spread his hands. “And I have no magical talent Recruit. This whole exercise has nothing to do with what makes you special, it’s about what you chose to be good at.” Elias motioned to the weapon stand full of pilla. “I wasn’t born good at slinging pilla, but with a mountain load of practice and more than a little experience, I became quite good at it.” Elias then motioned to the bow resting by the pony’s hooves. “But you ponies are quite lucky. Once you have figured out what it is, you have one thing in your life that you will always be naturally pretty good at. This though,” he said, sweeping his arm at the wider training field, “this all takes practice. Hours upon hours of practice. There’s a reason we start at dawn and don’t stop until well after dark. You are not good with a pilum because you refuse to practice.” Elias shrugged. “Besides Recruit, you already know what my intentions are for you. You will primarily use your bow in combat, but you must be able to throw pilla as well. It's important within the formations you've learned. That means practice, something you seem to avoid. It’s unacceptable.” The pegasus drooped. “I know General, it just frustrates me to no end. The motions are almost exactly the same, but it’s just that; almost. That little bit of difference makes me terrible at it, and I can’t help but feel like I’m letting everyone down.” The pegasus shook his head and sighed. “I’m a weak link, and I know how you feel about weak links. I…” He turned toward the whipping post with his head still facing the ground and his tail dragging behind him. “I think I might leave. I’m sorry General, but maybe I just got caught up too much in what could be, rather than what fate seems to be telling me. I guess trophies is all I’m good for.” Elias watched the pegasus as he slowly walked himself toward the whipping post. He watched as the pony braced himself against the post, waiting for someone to distribute punishment. Gray Granite trotted up beside Elias and frowned. “What would you like done General? Does this count as speaking out of turn?” Elias matched the pony’s frown and shook his head. “This does not," he said quietly, "it constitutes genuine concern; not like that posturing bullshit the noble kids always seem to pull.” In a loud voice, he continued; “Centurion, bring the recruit back to me. I don’t remember telling him he could leave.” Granite nodded and moved quickly, trotting over to the whipping post and grabbing the confused pegasus by the scruff. The pony yelped as Granite lifted him up and carried him back over to be dropped at Elias’ feet. The human waited as the pegasus got back to his hooves, staring up nervously. Elias bit his cheek as he stared the pony down for a moment. Then he spoke. “Recruit, that’s twenty lashes. You never walk away from me while we are speaking unless its to drop your helmet and ring the bell. Am I clear?” The pegasus cringed and nodded. Elias matched his nod. “Good. Now, let’s continue where we left off. We were talking about your status as a special auxiliary. You have read your manual yes? Know how valued someone of your talents is to the legion?” The pegasus nodded. “Yes General, I just…” Elias held his hand up, and the pony’s jaw snapped shut. “Then you know why this is all important. Your primary weapon will be the bow, and you will have the chance, in the future, to use your special talent to great effect. Until that day however, you will learn how to use the pilum and shield, so that you can function with your fellow soon-to-be legionaries. Is that clear Recruit?” The pegasus nodded silently. Elias crouched down in front of the pony and laid a hand on his shoulder. Elias could tell that he was almost getting through, but toughness would only go so far. He needed to show that glimpse of compassion that would win him absolute loyalty. “I know it’s not what you thought it would be,” Elias said softly, making sure he held the pegasus’ eyes, “but this is only going to work if we do it together. This is so important to get right, and if you want to succeed as an archer, you need to first succeed as an auxiliary. That means the pilum and the scutum, alright? Is it so unfair to ask of you what I’m asking of everyone else?” The pegasus shook his head desperately. “N-no General! I- I just…” He took a deep breath, and straightened. “General, I apologize for my misplaced assumptions.” Elias shrugged the apology away. “I don’t care about apologies; I care about action. Are you going to quit on me? Are you going to throw away this opportunity?” The pegasus shook his head firmly. “No General. I… I let my mind get the better of me. It won’t happen again, I promise.” Elias grunted. “It had better be the last time, because that kind of talk will be punished by a lot more than a whipping in the future.” He got to his feet and looked toward Granite. “Centurion, give the recruit thirty lashes to ensure that this self-doubting behavior doesn’t get encouraged.” Elias cast an eye back to the pegasus as he clasped his hands behind his back and began continuing along the line. “Recruit, I expect improvement by the end of the day. Do what it takes to win.” The pegasus nodded, and as Elias turned fully away, he caught a glimpse of a tiny smile and a bit of a tail wag as Granite led him to the whipping post. Elias rolled his eyes, letting his eyes drift toward the next pony in line. ‘Enough softness,’ he thought. “I expect perfect bullseyes by the end of the week you useless shits!” Elias bellowed at a green earth pony. “Now start throwing those pilla like you don’t want to die in five months!” The mare immediately braced on her shield and threw her pilla, with the javelin smacking into the target just below the "pony's" neck. Elias gave the mare a pat on the shoulder and continued without a word. Further down the line, Elias caught a peculiar, nervous look from a mare with bright red fur. Her mane was an orange and yellow mess under her helmet, but her eyes were what really drew his attention. She seemed afraid, and while that wasn’t uncommon for ponies that stared at him, especially at his bad eye, she didn’t seem to be scared of him. Yet she was still starring him down like he was about to kill her favorite dog. Her eyes flicked up to his face, and as soon as she realized that he was watching, she snapped back to the target, tearing a pilum from the rack beside her and sending it spiraling toward the target. Elias followed the trajectory with his eyes. It was by no means a bullseye, but it hit, and that was good enough for the time being. Elias cleared his mind of the odd staring and went back to focusing on the task at hand. Clearly the mare was already capable enough at slinging pilla, she didn’t require his direct attention. The unicorn beside her however… “Recruit!” Elias shouted as he stalked forward. “How the fuck are you gripping the wrong end?” ***** Elias looked up as a knock came from his door. It was late at night, and even Book Binder had gone home with Night Flash. The only reason he was still up instead of trying to fight off his night terrors to get a few precious hours of sleep was because he had spent much of the early evening with Anyon finalizing the designs and numbers for the legionnaire armor, and that had put him behind on all of his other forms. The other generals, mostly the Solar ones, seemed to lack enough unique thought to perform any of the work needed for the march without the signatures of everyone else, so Elias was forced to review each and every request for equipment, supplies, and scheduled stops within Equestria. The stops were inane and valueless in a military sense, and Elias had the mind to push extra miles out of the army while in safe territory, but after broaching the issue with Celestia, the white alicorn had told him about the morale value of the march for the ponies of Equestria. It wasn’t that much different in principle from what Elias did with his afternoon marches. Each city they stopped at would have a massive parade, followed by a temporary leave for the entire army; designed to expose the civilians to the newly updated military forces, while also showing them that just because the princesses had a war machine, it didn’t mean that the soldiers weren’t regular ponies. After having the value of the action explained, Elias had withdrawn his dissenting opinion and had added the delay accordingly to his preliminary marching plan. The knock came again, a bit louder than the first time. It jolted Elias out of his thoughts, and he straightened in his seat, shuffling his paperwork to the side. His desk was in a state of organized disarray, but in truth, Elias didn’t care about its appearance. The piles of papers just showed that he actually worked at it. He cleared his throat and clasped his hands in his lap. “Come in,” he called. The door opened and Elias was mildly surprised to see a recruit stick her head inside his office. He had expected Luna, but then again, the alicorn rarely knocked. He didn’t mind of course, and in fact, he took her sudden interruptions in an almost happy stride. She certainly took his mind off of the ridiculous paperwork he had to go through daily. “Yes Recruit?” Elias asked, staring the unicorn mare down. She flinched under his gaze, but slipped fully into his office, closing the door behind her. “General, can I… talk to you about something?” Elias blinked at her. “That depends on what that something is Recruit.” His answer seemed to make her more nervous, and her rump thudded against the door as she took an involuntary step back. Elias tapped on his arm rest and stared at her as she seemed to shiver in fear. His frown deepened. “Come,” he said, gesturing to the space in front of his desk. “Pull up Adiutor Binder’s seat and talk. It must be something important if you’re risking pissing yourself in my office.” The pony stared at him for a moment like he had grown a third head. That turned Elias’ frown into a scowl. “Today Recruit,” he said sharply. The mare scrambled into action, quickly snatching Book Binder’s chair from behind her desk. It scraped across the bare wood floor and as soon as it stopped, the unicorn was in it, sitting as tall as possible, no doubt in an attempt to hide her nervousness. She failed miserably. Elias stared at her in silent for a few moments, and when she didn’t speak, he waved her on. “Well come on Recruit, what is this something you wanted to talk to me about? You should be in bed.” She chuckled. “Yeah, and so should you General. Guess we’re both breaking the curfew…” She trailed off and grew pale as she seemed to remember who she was talking to. Elias watched her progress toward a nervous breakdown with a raised eyebrow. The mare sank in her seat, quivering with fear. “G-General, I am so sorry. I- I didn’t mean to…” Elias held up a hand to stop her as he rose from his seat. She seemed to grow more fearful as he moved around his desk, but though she flinched back as he walked by her and moved to a file cabinet on the wall. He rifled through the files as the pony calmed down, taking long deep breaths as she no doubt stared at his back. Elias quickly found the file he was looking for and pulled it free. He closed the file cabinet as he flipped the folder open, taking a quick glance at the contents. He walked back to his chair and plopped down, then closed the file and tossed it before the unicorn. “So Recruit Firelight, I assume you want to tell me all about how you aren’t supposed to be here?” The unicorn blinked owlishly at him, then looked down to the file before her. On the front, in bold red letters it said; DO NOT RECRUIT! BANNED FROM SERVICE UNDER MAGICAL LIMITATIONS SECTION 8! The mare looked up to Elias, who waited silently for her to speak. He slouched back in his chair while he watched her think. The comfort provided by the chair simultaneously put everything in sharper focus, while at the same time making him want to doze off. He loved the chair so very much, and he knew that once the march was over, he would need to thank Luna with something special. Maybe she would appreciate a hike? Elias mentally frowned. No, that wouldn’t work, it wasn’t enough. Maybe if he arranged for a picnic at the end, maybe a cuddle coupon of some kind? Elias mentally swore at himself for getting distracted with thoughts of Luna’s blue fuzziness. Damnit, he had work to do! His eyes flicked up to Firelight, and the mare nervously met his gaze. “Well Recruit?” Elias asked. “What do you have to say?” Firelight looked back to the file for a moment, then sighed. “I… I did want to talk to you about this. I wanted to inform you that I had lied on my application…” She sniffled and looked up to him with tear filled eyes. “Please General, it was for a good reason! Almost everypony in my family has served the princesses, it’s tradition!” The mare stared hard at his desk. “My brothers though, I love them to death, but neither have any interest in this kind of work. One just loves painting, while the other has his heart set on being a bartender. I can’t blame them that, it’s their special talents after all, but me? I live for this stuff, and my parents have prepped me from day one to become a guard.” She stomped a hoof in her seat. “But then I read that stupid book, and got that stupid spell stuck in my head.” “What spell?” Elias asked. “I’m not exactly knowledgeable on magic, and even researching what Section 8 of the Magical Limitations clause for the guard didn’t help. What’s so awful about this spell that you can’t fight with a guard force?” Firelight sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. “It’s… hard to explain to a non-unicorn." "Dumb it down for me," Elias replied. Firelight took a deep breath, then stared at his desk as she spoke. "When I was in magic kindergarten, we went on a field trip to the Royal Canterlot Library and I got lost.” She snorted softly. “I was just so happy to be in such a big library that I kept running around the shelves, looking for books related to fire. I had only gotten my cutie mark the week before, and I was looking for fireball spells so that I could get a fast track into the Solar Guard. Suffice to say, I found myself where I shouldn’t have been and managed to get a book that little fillies should never be within a mile of, let alone reading.” She sighed again and looked up to meet Elias’ eyes. “I didn’t understand most of the book, but I was drawn to a page near the middle. I learned later that there was a small curse on the book, nothing particularly bad, but it could target a unicorn’s special talent and “help” them learn a powerful spell.” “Help?” Elias echoed. Firelight nodded. “Help is a liberal use of the word. I was magically forced to learn the spell, and believe me, I tried to stop. I closed my eyes, cried out for help, tried to run away, but it was way too late. That day, I learned something called a “Destroyer Spell”.” She stopped, checking if Elias needed more information. The human motioned for her to explain. “A destroyer spell is something only the best magic users can perform, ponies like the princesses, or the Element of Magic bearer, Twilight Sparkle. It requires massive amounts of skill and energy to perform, and they are extremely destructive.” She drooped again. “And the one I learned has the power to level Canterlot. It’s a really big fireball essentially, and because of my special talent in working with fire, I could do it as easy as you can throw a pila. Boom, thousands gone in a firestorm.” She motioned toward the file. “The book luckily also had a security spell on it. I got to meet Princess Celestia face to face that day, and luckily, she’s a really great pony. She comforted me as I freaked out, and she didn’t get mad about what I had done. She helped me find my class, then kept me behind. She talked with me about kid stuff until my parents got to the castle, and for a few short hours, I completely forgot what had happened.” Firelight chuckled. “I was just so stoked that the princess knew my name.” She then sighed. “But, once she started telling my parents what happened, I remembered the book, and the first thing that came to my mind was the spell. I didn’t even notice I was beginning to cast it until Princess Celestia put an inhibitor ring over my horn. I initially panicked, being cut off from magic your first time is definitely a shock, but she got me to calm down, then told my parents about my new “situation”.” She sighed again. “And that was that. It took months of training with a pair of tutors to get control of my magic again, and even then, I can’t serve in the guard, or really anything that might involve stressful situations. It’s why I’ve been working at a bakery, lighting ovens for the past two years. My parents, bless their hearts, try to see it as a positive, but they are just so disappointed that our generation is the one that breaks our family’s line of guard service.” “My brothers have been talking about doing short contracts,” she continued, “but all they’re going to do is get themselves hurt. I’m the pony with the skills, and the desire to be a guard. I can do this, my magic is in control! I just… I need a chance. All the other forces know me by name, and I knew you wouldn’t, so… I lied. I lied to get in.” Firelight looked up to Elias with tired eyes. “I just wanted to apologize General; apologize and throw myself on your mercy. I could be executed for this, I know that, but I just needed to take that shot. When I saw you dressing down Swift Wing earlier, I realized that lying to you wasn’t the way to succeed.” She bowed her head. “I leave my fate to you General Bright. I just wanted you to know the truth.” Elias frowned at the pony for a moment. “Is there a way to magically forget the spell?” he asked. “I would think it’s within the realm of possibility to remove memories magically.” Firelight smiled faintly. “There is such a spell, and I even made contact with the pony that can cast it. I have the bits to fund it too, but…” “But?” Elias asked. Firelight frowned. “But, it’s also a destroyer spell, and casting it is highly illegal. The pony who knows it is a great pony; heck, he teaches basic cooking classes to foals for a living, but if somepony with just a hair less of a conscience had it, they could brainwash half of Equestria. They’re called destroyer spells for good reason.” “On top of that,” she continued, “the memory doesn’t just disappear, especially since it’s a cursed spell. He told me all of the little magical details, but I’d have a gem on my hooves that contained the raw power of the spell. If I held onto it for long enough, the curse would just make me relearn the spell, and I’d be back at square one.” She tilted her head. “But I can’t give it to anypony else either. I tried to talk to Princess Celestia into taking the gem, but she forbade me from even trying the procedure because of the risk of complete brain drain.” She clicked her tongue. “I can’t really blame her for not wanting to potentially turn me into a vegetable, but it’s my risk. I just wish she'd taken it. The curse couldn’t overwhelm her, especially since she already knows the spell.” “And you explained to her that you understood the risk and wanted to go through with it?” Elias asked. Firelight nodded. “Yep, but she still said no. I’m just lucky she didn’t put guards on my contact. I still talk to him about it every once in a while, but nothing has come of it.” Elias tapped his fingers along his desk in thought. Without looking up, he asked; “What about family? You said your parents were guards, or at least former guards. Would they have the mental fortitude to put the gem away somewhere safe? Firelight shook her head. “No. Mom and Dad were always a bit zealous about protecting Equestria, so they run the risk of seeing an imaginary threat and blowing it up. My brothers aren’t mentally sound enough to resist the magic of the spell, and I really don't know the rest of my family. I refuse to pass it off to somepony I don’t trust completely. That leaves me with the spell, and unable to do the one thing I want out of life.” She shrugged. “Well, besides have a family and all that normal stuff.” Elias nodded silently and leaned back in his chair, trying to think of a solution. Clearly she was yet another perfect recruit, she just had one key issue that could get her in a lot of trouble if anyone else found out. “And you have complete control of the spell now?” Elias asked absently as he stared at the ceiling. Firelight nodded. “I do. I’ll get the occasional whisper when I light my horn, but I keep an inhibitor ring on hoof if it ever gets to be too loud, and these past few weeks I’ve been wearing a ring anyway, so I’ve felt nothing. I’ve never had a scare since I was a filly.” Elias nodded silently again. He stared at the ceiling for a moment more, then grabbed an unlit candle from a drawer. He pointed it toward Firelight. “Light,” he said simply. He instantly felt a small wash of heat, and a glance found the candle alight. He looked past it to Firelight, who waited for him to speak anxiously. “Good command reflexes,” Elias commented. Firelight blushed and looked down. “Thanks. Mom was always a good drill sergeant.” Elias didn’t reply, and instead reached for Firelight’s file. He dropped it into his wastepaper bin and sat up, rolling the candle in his fingers. He made sure to hold Firelight’s eyes as he spoke softly. “Tell you what; I’ve never been wholly right in the head either. If you’ve got it under control, and I believe you do, then I’ll let you stay. I have conditions for you to meet however.” Firelight perked up in her seat. “Anything General. Anything at all.” Elias grabbed a blank recruitment form and placed it before her. “Your name isn’t Firelight anymore. Only your parents can know where you are, and even then, keep it short until we’re done with the march. This could burn both of us in the ass if we get caught. How many recruits know you by name?” Firelight shrugged. “One? It’s my best pal from school, Steel Heart. She’s the one who vouched for me when I signed up the first time.” “Then you can inform her too, because she needs to back up the lie we’re going to tell,” Elias replied. Firelight stared at the recruitment form for a moment, then looked back to Elias. “What should I put down?” she asked. Elias shrugged. “For most of it, it doesn’t matter. What does is the reason you lied, which I will explain to the legion publicly tomorrow morning. You will receive a hundred lashes for your “lie”, but I will let you stay.” Firelight sighed. “That’s fair punishment, I guess. Could be a lot worse.” “It is,” Elias replied, “because I’m also going to tell them that you’re a murderer.” Firelight stopped filling in the form and stared at him with open mouthed shock. “What?” she squeaked. Elias stopped rolling the candle. “From now until the end of the march, your name is Pyrelight, and you’re a murderer. Killed seven minotaurs in a barfight in Bordertown. You got pardoned however, no doubt a result of family connections, and now after extensive rehabilitation, you’re trying to get your life on track. You joined up so that you could do good, and when I learned of your lie, I decided that despite lying to my face, I could use a good minotaur killer, especially since we’re going to be trespassing in their territory.” Elias spread his hands and stared into the candle flame. “That’s the lie we’ll tell, and the lie everyone will believe. I’ve done some reading, and Bordertown is only a part of Equestria by name. It’s practically its own micro-nation, and nobody is going to do the research necessary to prove us wrong.” “B-But what about the pardon?” Firelight sputtered. Elias shrugged. “I’ll call in a favor to modify the archives and face the heat if I get caught. Don’t worry about the pardon, worry more about how everyone will treat you when they learn that you’re a killer, Recruit Pyrelight,” Elias said pointedly. “I sure hope you and Recruit Steel Heart are very good friends, because you, and then she, will likely face no small amount of harassment. I’ll inform Adiutor Binder and First Centurion Night Flash of your situation, and I’ll ensure they keep an eye out, but they can’t be everywhere. Watch your back.” Firelight nodded numbly, then silently went back to filling in her form. Elias waited as she wrote in her information, looking toward her only when he stopped hearing the sound of the quill moving. He glanced over to find the pony staring hard at him. “General… does this mean I’m in? Not just as a recruit, but…” “As a legionnaire?” Elias finished. “No, I’m thinking the auxiliary core for you. But does it mean you have a set place in the legion? I’m leaning toward a strong maybe. Let that go to your head, or let that information slip, and I’ll cut your horn off and throw you out to the wolves.” Firelight nodded, but Elias caught a trace of a smile pass her lips as she looked down to continue writing. He rolled the candle in his fingers for a moment more, then tossed it into his wastepaper bin. It quickly caught Firelight’s file, and he watched it burn, looking away only long enough to open the window behind him. ***** “Recruit Pyrelight is a cold blooded killer!” Elias shouted as the whip cracked against her back again. “She kills people for looking at her funny, and I must say, that puts a touch of fear into even my bones! I kill because I must, she kills because it’s fun!” The recruits had eyes only for the mare strapped to the whipping post, ignoring Elias completely as he walked through their ranks. He had decided to double the whipping without telling “Pyrelight”, and the mare was close to passing out as Ice Blossom rolled her jaw after strike eighty-three. Pyrelight’s back oozed red, and she would no doubt spend the rest of the day in the infirmary under Scalpel’s care, but the unicorn knew to keep quiet. “I offer these words of warning to the rest of you,” Elias said loudly. “Recruit Pyrelight will be staying with us, because there is nothing I want more than a minotaur killer. I do hope those nice ponies at her rehabilitation did a shit job, because when I’m done, she will be hurling bright orange death and annihilating minotaurs by the hundred! Take my advice though, and don’t go drinking with her. I don’t want to have to deal with the paperwork.” He heard a few low chuckles, but they quickly stopped as Ice Blossom went to work again. The whip snapped against Pyrelight’s back, and she cried out in pain. Elias turned on his heel, making sure to try and catch her eye as he walked in front of the post to get to the next row of recruits. Pyrelight noticed, and she smiled faintly as Ice Blossom drew back for another hit. Elias gave her a small nod and a wink as the whip descended, and Pyrelight cried out in pain again. > Chapter 42: Making Plans > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias kept his usual frown on his face as the Solar Guards opened the doors to the war room. He needed to make a good first impression for the first “official” meeting they would undertake for the march. All of the other planning meetings had ended up being fairly worthless, at least for the other generals. Each had dealt with their little gripes, but did little in terms of helping them, save for the ones that Elias already knew on a personal basis. With the conflict of schedules related to training, and the day to day hectic-ness of Canterlot castle, they hadn’t actually met as a unified group, and if what he had hear was true, Princess Cadence still wouldn’t join preparations for another few weeks. Still, the meeting would involve all of the generals, and both of the important princesses. It would be the first meeting where everyone gave their status updates, and it would be the first time where they could start laying the groundwork for the march as a whole. Excited wasn’t quite the word Elias was feeling, perhaps energetic. He was ready to lay out his plans, and get approval from everyone so that they could begin gathering the resources and start training in a group. His mismatched eyes quickly took stock of the table, locating a trio of empty seats right next to Luna and Nightshade. The latter focused on a stack of paperwork before her, and ignored his entrance, but Luna smiled brightly at him and patted the seat next to her. Elias gave her a respectful nod and moved across the room with long strides. As he slid into the seat, it didn’t escape his notice that the chair was designed for a human user, and he faintly wondered what would have happened if he had chosen a different seat. After a moment of consideration, Elias decided it didn’t matter, and he was more than glad to be close to Luna. They had skipped their weekly session to prepare for the meeting, and Elias had found his migraines grew worse when he didn’t have a bit of free time to spend with the princess. His current headache eased just slightly as the alicorn leaned in to give him a friendly nudged. He gave her the smallest of grins while hiding the expression behind his information packet. He noticed a faint blush as the alicorn smiled and looked away. Elias straightened in his seat and suppressed his urge to match her smile. Damn did it feel good to see one of his only friends. He didn’t know why Luna inspired butterflies in his stomach though. Maybe he was just hungry? He had skipped breakfast… As if on que to his thoughts, Celestia entered the war room with Chaser in tow and a broad smile on her face. “Ah, good, everypony is already here. Since it is still early, I thought it a nice treat to provide breakfast for everypony. Please, take your fill.” As she and Chaser sat down, a swarm of servants flooded the room, and Elias quickly swiped his prepared materials from the table. He passed them to Book Binder to keep safe, then the servants were upon them. Placemats were followed quickly by plates. In the center of the table, a buffet of different platters were unveiled, all filled to the brim with steaming piles of food. Elias felt his stomach growl at the sight of a small pile of bacon, and he reached for the entire plate, knowing full well that the meat was destined for his plate. Only for the pile of meat to fly away in a purple glow as his hand got close. Elias blinked and sat back as he watched the stack of bacon set down on Luna’s plate. The blue alicorn smiled at the unicorn beside her. “Thank you, Silver Shine, I think I can gather the rest myself.” The unicorn nodded and departed without a word, and Elias found himself staring at the pile of meat sitting on Luna’s plate. She noticed his staring and smiled. “What’s the matter General? It is not orthodox for ponies to eat meat, but bacon used to be a staple for the Equestrian diet. I still quiet enjoy partaking in its greasy goodness.” “A mare after my own heart,” Elias muttered under his breath as Celestia made a face of distaste at Luna, who had eyes only for Elias. “I really wish you wouldn’t sister," Celestia said. "There has been a great deal of research over the years to indicate that eating meat is extremely unhealthy for ponies.” Luna scoffed and picked up a piece of bacon. Elias felt his eye twitch as he caught an additional whiff of the meat. Jealous didn’t describe the wave of emotion he felt as Luna bit the meat in two. “I am a nigh immortal alicorn, I can eat as I wish,” Luna replied. Her eyes flicked toward Elias, and he noticed a playful glint in the beautiful green orbs. “Although, bacon is best eaten when shared.” Elias’ momentary hope was squashed as she made a servant levitate the plate toward Nightshade. “General, would you care for some bacon? It is as fresh as it can be.” The thestral curled her muzzle. “Thank you for the offer Princess, but I haven’t tried meat in years. It makes me fat. Mangos on the other hoof…” The bacon levitated away as the thestral reached into the middle of the table and snatched up the fruit basket. Elias’ eyes traced the meat as it made its way around the table, stopping at everyone, including his two subordinates, before setting back down before Luna. The alicorn sighed and picked up another piece. “Ah well, tis a shame. I do so enjoy sharing bacon, but alas, none here wish to join me.” Elias desperately wanted to snatch up the plate, but he could tell that Luna was trying to tease him. He refused to rise to the bait, and he instead took an apple from the fruit bowl that Nightshade was ripping apart. With the everything else being hay based, he was stuck with fruit or the out of reach bacon. Elias suppressed a sigh as he bit into the apple and leaned back in his chair, leaving his plate empty. It took until the fourth bite for Luna to let out a sigh of her own. “Well played General, calling my bluff. Here, the bacon is actually yours. I have no taste for meat.” She passed the entire plate to Elias, who felt himself flush red as the entire table watched the exchange. He blinked owlishly as he stared at the still steaming stack of meat, then looked to Luna. “Then what did you eat?” he asked taking the plate from her hoof. Luna winked and began serving herself some haycakes. “Vegetarian version; hay based of course. I had the chefs label them subtly so that I could tell at a glance, but you didn’t rise to my bait.” Elias smiled lightly and reached a hand out to rub the space between her wings. Her soft fur parted easily for his fingers, and he scratched softly right at the base of her wings, massaging her back with a gentle touch that eased her tense muscles. The mare melted in his fingers as he spoke. “Ah, you underestimated my silence on personal issues. You should know me by now Princess, I don’t talk about anything.” She shuddered as he scratched at the base of her wings, and she smiled brightly at him. “I-indeed General. Please, eat. We ordered the bacon just for you.” Elias smiled at her again, then blinked as he realized that they were not in private. A glance to his greater surroundings found that the table was staring at them in silence. Elias flushed red and his hand dropped from behind her back. Elias sat up in his chair, then hunched over his food, trying desperately to find his composure. “It’s very good,” he commented softly as he bit into the first piece. “I am glad,” Luna replied, equally flushed. Elias noticed the deafening silence continue for a few moments after he began eating, but gradually the other generals set about talking about social nothings; though Elias received a wink from Nightshade, and a glare from Chaser and Celestia. Elias recognized quickly that he made some kind of pony cultural mistake, so he looked over to Luna to apologize, only to find her smiling brightly at him. Elias cocked an eyebrow. “Are you alright Princess?” She nodded. “Better with you beside me General,” she responded. “I know you are busy, but could you have your Adiutor schedule our next friendship appointment? I quite missed our conversation this week.” Elias nodded, and he glanced to his left to find Book Binder already writing the note down in her notebook. His eyes flicked back to Luna, and he smiled. “I’ll make sure you’re informed when I have free time.” Luna nodded and her head lowered as she focused on her breakfast. Elias smiled inwardly and he went back at his bacon and apple breakfast, his mind settled with the knowledge that he hadn’t managed to drive away the mare who was becoming his best friend. With the knowledge that all was well in his personal life, Elias resumed his normal stoicism and began looking around the table, analyzing everyone around it. ***** Night Flash’s mind was on fire. He knew what rubbing between the wings meant, and he was fairly sure that everypony at the table knew. To do something so romantic in public was unheard of for Elias, and Night Flash couldn’t have been prouder of his boy. Attempting courtship with a princess was a bold move, and from the looks Luna was giving him, Night Flash could tell that the feeling was mutual. Night Flash pulled out a small piece of paper and a pencil from beneath his armor, and he scribbled a quick note between bites of his haycakes. He smoothly passed it to Book Binder under the table. He managed to finish another bite before the note was returned, and Night Flash felt even happier as he gazed at his soon-to-be wife. She hadn’t even looked at the note as she wrote it, yet it was in perfect hoofwriting as he unfolded it. I think you’re right that Elias loves Luna, but he doesn’t know that that was a sign of romantic affection. Don’t tell him, let him figure it out. He’ll get too nervous if we start pointing out every little thing about ponies he gets wrong. Night Flash frowned at that, but he understood the logic. Another glance up to Elias found the human staring at Luna again, but this time, there was no bacon to draw his eyes. Night Flash knew that look, it was the same one he and Book Binder shared, and if the blush on Luna’s cheeks was any indication, she felt Elias’ loving gaze on her. Night Flash sighed and scribbled another reply on the note. Stupid march. I can’t wait for it to be over; we are going to have so much fun! Night Flash passed the note back to Book Binder, then settled into his food. Eat now, talk about Elias’ love life later. ***** Nightshade grinned at Luna from across the table. She could tell the alicorn knew she had eyes on her, but she refused to meet Nightshade’s gaze, and that only made the thestral grin wider. Chaser leaned over and whispered in her ear. “What are you staring at ‘shade?” he asked quietly. “Is it the moves Bright was pulling on Princess Luna?” Nightshade heard a touch of anger in his voice, so she kicked the pegasus under the table. “Don’t mess it up,” she hissed in reply. “Princess Luna’s personal relationship with Elias is none of your bucking business, so leave it be. You don’t even get to talk about it unless you support her.” Chaser blinked stupidly at her. “What do you mean support her?” he whispered. “Bright’s the one making moves.” Nightshade gave him a forced smile. “Yeah, and you’re not gonna say a thing, because Princess Luna’s been making moves too. This is the most public either of them have been, so you let them be. She wants him, he clearly wants her, so you have no part in it; got it?” Chaser frowned, then looked toward Luna to find her staring longingly at Elias. The human was working away at his plate of meat, but Luna was watching him like he was singing her favorite song. Chaser could see the absolute love in her eyes, and he could see frequent glances her way that indicated he was thinking in a similar vein. Bright really did… Chaser sighed and started picking at his food again. “Fine, I won’t do anything. He just better not buck it up.” Nightshade matched his sigh. “I think we both know them well enough to know that the only thing that’s going to happen is that they’re going to buck it up.” ***** Celestia felt something going on, but for the life of her, she couldn’t tell what it was. The issue was Elias; the human was positively unreadable. The physical signs on his body told a tale of exhaustion and sleep deprivation, and understandable occurrence given the health reports that Steel Scalpel had on the man, but his body posture; the man looked energized. Was it the interaction he had with Luna? That had certainly drawn the attention of everyone else at the table. Celestia frowned as she glanced at her sister, who was watching Elias eat. She had mentioned that they had skipped their usual friendship session, perhaps Luna just missed her friend? She still hadn’t formed a very large friend group, and Elias had become one of her closest confidants; perhaps that was it. Luna missed one of her best friends, and with the opportunity to interact, they were behaving as friends did. A minor prank, some smiling, some friendly physical gestures. Elias likely had no significance of the between the wing gesture, and he was just imitating behavior he saw others performing. Celestia sat up in her seat and smiled softly at her meal. That was good news then. Elias was slowly becoming enveloped by pony culture, and in time, she saw him losing his past traumas as the power of friendship cured his ailments. If Luna gained a close friend in the process, who was she to interfere? It was a minor social faux pas, and one that Luna would no doubt notify Elias of when they were in private. Celestia resisted the urge to clap her hooves together in giddy excitement. Now she knew what Twilight felt when she solved a friendship problem, it was exhilarating, and it was all happening before her! A few more months, and all would be well, she could feel it. ***** Everfree greatly enjoyed the haycakes. They were in fact is favorite part of any breakfast, and he ate them as he had been taught; with dignity and grace. In truth however, he could have likely just chowed down like he wanted to and nopony would have been the wiser. Though they were hiding it, he could tell that all eyes were on General Bright and Princess Luna. Rubbing between the wings was something only mates did, and while he knew the human was uneducated on pony cultures, he had to know there was some significance to his action. Everfree glanced up at Luna, looking for any signs of distress. He found none, and if he was reading her royal mask correctly, she was quite pleased. Everfree shifted in his seat and focused back on his haycakes. Good for her. It wasn’t an ideal match up, but General Bright was of some station, and he had more than sacrificed life and limb for the sake of his princess, but in truth, Everfree believed the pair would do well together. Some of the nobles, likely some at the very table he was eating at, would take issue with the unlikely matchup, but Luna was princess, and General Bright seemed a stern sort. They could weather any criticism that came their way with ease. With the knowledge that all was well between the pair, Everfree reached out and snagged the bottle syrup, ready to drown his delicious haycakes in sweet goodness. ***** Lionheart was seething behind his immaculate, controlled facial expressions. Years of rejection for his proposals from both princesses, and yet some deformed monkey gets the pleasure? Initially, he had taken rejection with stride; many before him had been rejected after all, and they were of higher station! The princesses required the best in all of Equestria, and if they believed he didn’t meet their noble, godly marks, then who was he to contest their will? But Lionheart had seen Celestia’s offer for what it was; an offer for marriage through higher station. They had given him the ability to gain greater prestige on a silver platter, so that they may be wed. Lionheart had been ecstatic at the news, and when he had received the list of who is co-generals were, Lionheart had been confident that he had been picked for the very reason of wedding. In particular, he had his eyes on the younger of the princesses, Luna. She had very clearly opened the door for such entreaties by having two female generals, one of whom was already involved with General Chaser. That eliminated all the notable competition. Shattered Shield and Dragon-Eye were fine fighters, but they lacked any substantial noble history. Their fathers were great warriors and had earned the title “Duke” for their families, leaving them only a generation into their noble history. Everfree was looking to the zebra lands for a political marriage, and with that, Lionheart was free to open courting with Luna. The blue alicorn was beautiful, powerful, and incredibly wealthy. Marrying her would make him a prince, and he would no longer have any equals, not even the rat Shining Armor. Lionheart snorted into his greens. What a waste of a good princess. Sure, Cadenza was a weaker, younger princess, but she was still the highest form of royalty! Her title meant something, and yet she had been given to some lowly captain of the guard? What sort of cruel joke had they subjected the small princess to? The Sparkle family was so low on the noble ladder that it was a miracle they owned property in Canterlot, let alone married into royalty. It had been outrageous when their daughter had been taken on by Celestia as her personal student, though Lionheart could admit that that decision had been fair. Celestia had played a long game, raising the foal from her squalid backgrounds, and now the news couldn’t get enough of her heroics. Twilight Sparkle at least had merit at her back, unlike her lazy, worthless brother. He should have been executed for allowing the changelings to invade, but no. Instead the princesses had given him a second wedding and a princess as a wife. Unbelievable. Now there was the human. Brilliant was his name, or something of that nature. Lionheart didn’t care. He was a nothing ruffian at best, and a mad animal at worst. Although his former wife had made quite the convincing case about covering up the scandal his little bastard had caused, it didn't excuse the monkey from assaulting one of a noble house, no matter how dull-witted. The very thought that such a creature dared to sit at the same table as two princesses, let alone touch one was barbaric, and Lionheart had half a mind to call in his troops to capture the beast to throw into a cell to rot out his miserable life. That would cost him respect in the eyes of the princesses though. Celestia had given him the position of general, and while it was an offence to life itself, Lionheart had to respect it. What he didn’t have to respect was the monkey’s pawing of his future bride. The dumb animal no doubt thought he was petting a cat, didn’t understand the subtle intricacies of pony courting culture. He could see twinkles of irritation in Luna’s eyes, could see that the princess was only holding a smile to prevent the animal from assaulting her further. Lionheart snorted as he looked away from the grotesque human. He mentally commended the princesses for turning him into a capable meat shield, but he had no place at the dining table, and he certainly had no place sitting beside a princess. He just had no idea how to remove the beast without disrespecting the princesses. His brow furrowed as he turned away from his greens to munch on his imported fruit salad. Doing anything in Canterlot would be nigh impossible, there were simply too many eyes and ears. Even doing anything while in Equestria’s borders was out of the question, and his actions for the princess could be misconstrued as treason. Once they were in minotaur lands however… Lionheart sighed and looked to Luna, hoping to catch her eye so that he could convey his sympathy for her plight. ‘Fear not my princess,’ he thought. ‘I shall save you as soon as possible. Remain strong.’ ***** Elias didn’t like the way Lionheart was staring at Luna. The stallion looked like he was halfway between a heart attack and actually getting up to attack the alicorn. It put Elias on edge, and he scooted a bit closer to Luna. The motion brought Lionheart’s eyes to him, and Elias quickly recognized the emotion on the unicorn’s face. Hate. Hate was something that Elias was intimately familiar with, and he could see pure hate written on the unicorn’s face. ‘Don’t like our friendship, do you?’ Elias wanted to say aloud. ‘Well tough shit pony boy.’ Elias let his face settle into a scowl, and he glared unblinkingly back at the pony as he finished eating. Though he tried to put on a tough face, Lionheart blinked first, and his face fell to his plate, leaving Elias the victor. Elias mentally grinned and focused on his food. After a few more minutes of eating and simple conversation, everyone finished with breakfast, and another swarm of servants descended on the table. They removed all the plates, and then cleaned and polished the table before Elias’ eyes. One servant grunted at the lack of space between him and Luna, but the alicorn subtly waved the pony away, and Elias caught glimpse of a smile in his direction. It was a good sign, if she was smiling, he wasn’t messing their friendship up. That made him happy, and Elias had to fight to keep his own smile from breaking out. The time to work was fast approaching as Celestia sat up perfectly straight in her seat. “I hope everyone is filled to contentment?” She received silent nods. Celestia smiled. “Then let us begin. We have much to discuss today, and I shall start.” She cleared her throat and motioned to Luna. “From this point onward, you will begin to notice physical changes in my sister and I. As we trap the remainder of our unicorn magic, the solar and lunar winds will stop affecting our manes, and in time, they shall return to their natural color. Additionally,” she continued, “we shall begin to diminish in size until we are approximately what we were before we became alicorns. It shouldn’t be noticeable for another month or so, but we thought it best to give you this information before it occurred.” She chuckled. “It wouldn’t do for you to think us ill or dying. It will already be enough of an effort to keep the public from panicking.” “And how will we be handling that announcement?” Shattered Shield asked. “We have kept the Equestrian populace completely in the dark on this, and while some may suspect something is changing due to General Bright’s efforts, they have no idea that it involves you two.” Celestia bowed her head at the unicorn. “A good question General. Luna and I shall make the announcement of our journey to Saddle Arabia in one month’s time. Their dignitaries have been asking when aid would be sent for some time now, and we have had to remain silent to them as well. This should provide us with much needed diplomatic relief, and by the time we announce our journey, our forces should be largely prepared.” She looked to Elias. “Though I suppose that brings up a question for you General Bright. You have conducted the largest amount of training, yet your troops have still not been issued their formal armor. May I ask when they will receive their full equipment? When we make our announcement, I would like to show off our new military body.” Elias frowned and rested his elbows on the table. “Well, I’m afraid they won’t receive their full equipment for another few months. Weapons will take the longest, and I have given Anyon my tall order of pilla. We need thousands of javelins, and on top of commissioning the armor, swords, shields, and replacement materials… it’s going to take some time.” He tilted his head. “Although, I am pleased to tell you that we are concluding the first stage of the legion’s training, and their full armor should be ready and distributed by next week. I will be pushing my recruits hard these next few days, and should they pass the trials, they will be legionaries.” He shrugged as he met Celestia’s eyes again. “I realize the benefit it could have, but I don’t want to present the legion before it’s ready, and unfortunately, a month is too short notice. The recruits are only now getting the hang of throwing pilla, and their formations are still sloppy. It will be two months at least before their ready for anything.” Celestia frowned. “I must say General, that concerns me. I have seen their training, and it looks rather vigorous. Is there some issue with your ponies?” Elias shook his head. “None at all, they’re progressing exceptionally. They just need more time is all. You gave me seven months, and they will be ready by that deadline, not before.” Book Binder passed him his folder under the table, and Elias set it on the polished wood carefully before flipping it open. “What I would like to discuss is how my legion will be coordinating with the other three guard branches. We haven’t had any discussions about marching order, battle formations, camping arrangements, really anything important, as a group.” Elias thumbed through the pages until he counted out the packets he had made. He removed them and passed the stack to his right. “If everyone would take a packet, I would like to discuss some of the option I have drawn up. I think this meeting is the opportunity we need to sit down and truly discuss what still needs to be done, because believe me, we are drastically underprepared to undertake this march as we currently stand and while public opinion is important, it pales in importance when considered to the lives of the ponies under our command.” Elias watched outrage play out on the faces of more than a few ponies in the room, namely the Solar generals, but the one’s he actually cared about nodded in agreement, namely Nightshade and Everfree. Chaser had a hard frown on his face, though that was likely because he had dethroned Celestia as the conversation leader, and his frown was matched by the white diarch. Still, his words were strong, and more importantly, right, so Celestia bowed her head. “Very well then General, if all are in agreement, we shall direct our discussion as you recommend.” She took a packet and passed the stack along to Chaser. Elias waited in silent as the stack made its way around the table, and he watched the ponies go through the plans he and Scarlet had worked for days on. The stallion was coming into his own as a strategist, and even though he was still a bit of a weak fighter, he had made noticeable improvements with Ice Blossom continually riding his ass during drills. Unfortunately, Elias had only obtained permission to bring two ponies with him to the formal meeting, and with his lack of physical prowess, Elias thought it better that Scarlet not miss drill. Elias waited until everyone had at least made it past the summary page before he spoke again. “I know that everyone has recommendations on how the march should operate, these are just my personal recommendations on how things should be organized.” He looked toward the alicorns to his right, both of whom met his eyes. Though he should have been arguing his point to Celestia, especially given that their relationship could best be described as stand-offish, but he couldn’t keep his gaze away from Luna. Her eyes told him that she was genuinely interested in his words, and barring the fact that he cared about the mare, he always worked better with an attentive audience. “I’ve largely based my efforts on adapting Roman style military doctrine to function within Equestrian military doctrine. For this task, I had my strategist, Scarlet Shield study all of the materials I had, and together we drafted these plans. I firmly believe that what we came up with is the safest and most efficient way to get the army through the minotaur lands safely, and with as few casualties as possible.” Elias forced himself to look away from Luna’s captivating eyes to look at the rest of the table. “We haven’t crunched numbers yet, but the packets before you have the equations needed to tell us everything; supplies needed, days needed, economic cost, it’s all there, and I am more than willing to explain anything and everything before you.” Dragon-eye frowned at his packet. “What are these signatures at the bottom? They look to be from General Nightshade and General Chaser.” Elias nodded. “They are. I sent an early draft of my plans to everyone here, and Generals Nightshade and Chaser were the only ones to give feedback. The plans were modified on suggestions they made, and they signed off on sections they had time to re-read.” His eyes flicked to the thestral and the pegasus for a moment before looking back to the unicorn before him. “We haven’t solidified everything, but the three of us have agreed how certain aspects of the march shall function.” Lionheart looked up from his packet and scowled. “So you think just because you talked with General Chaser and General Nightshade in advance that you can bully us into accepting your plans? What a ridiculous notion.” Elias’ neutral face shifted to a frown, but Nightshade was the one who spoke first. “What he expects from you is nothing, ‘cause that’s what he got,” Nightshade spat. “But to answer the actual question, yes, we do, because unlike you, Chase and I read over the plans General Bright gave us and we found some merit to his ideas, worked with him to strengthen the weak areas, and then submitted it for this meeting. If you wanted to be a part of that, maybe you should actually read our communications, rather than hoofing them off on your assistants.” Lionheart glared daggers at the thestral, but Celestia was quick to intervene. “Please gentleponies, there is no need for this. General Nightshade, perhaps the rough draft got lost in the mail, and General Lionheart never got a chance to look it over.” Elias glanced toward Book Binder, who scowled at the accusation. He well knew that the unicorn had personally delivered all of the packets, and that each and every one had gotten to their destinations intact. Still, he said nothing as Celestia dispelled the anger already spilling into the air. She looked toward Lionheart. “And General, please do not dismiss some ideas out of hoof, simply because they are new an experimental to us. General Bright’s people were much more accustomed to war, and as such, he is the resident expert on how to conduct a longer campaign. Even at a glance I can see that many of his suggestions bear merit, so please, keep an open mind. We shall go over everything in detail, signatures or no.” She sent a look his way that he imagined was supposed to express her disappointment at trying to circumvent the other generals. Elias shrugged it off. He knew he was right, and with Chaser and Nightshade’s votes, they could easily outnumber the Solar generals, especially since Nightshade could promise Starry Skies’ vote. Everfree had also sent his recommendations, but he hadn’t had enough time to review the packet in detail, so he had asked Elias to simply give him an edited copy with everyone else. That left three in opposition, and frankly, Elias didn’t see anything coming from the ponies. They would trumpet and make a fuss, but they wouldn’t actually go against him in a way that mattered. Celestia smiled again as Lionheart looked at the table, sufficiently chastised. The white alicorn’s eyes shifted to Elias, and she nodded toward him. “I shall let you lead the discussion for now General, please, explain these plans to us.” Shattered Shield scowled. “Start with what a “castra” is.” Elias sighed and nodded. It was going to be a long day. > Chapter 43: A Canterlot Wedding; Part 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias held his head, shaking it back and forth slowly as Night Flash pleaded with him. The pony had been doing so for the better part of an hour, and while the day’s training hadn’t been particularly exhausting, the conversation was wearing Elias’ nerves down to nothing. He cut off the pegasus’ next sentence with a wave of his hand. “First Centurion, I understand where you are coming from, I truly do, but the answer is no. It will always be no; it has to always be no.” Night Flash’s puppy dog eyes made an appearance as the pegasus scooted forward in his seat, getting as close as possible to Elias without actually touching his desk. “General, I beg you to please just consider it,” Night Flash pleaded. “Shooting Star would be a perfect fit for a scout position. He’s fast, he’s smart, he already knows how to fight a little! I’ve taught him myself, he’s just what we need!” Elias closed his eyes and rubbed at his forehead. He should have seen it coming. He should have known that Night Flash would take the opportunity. While initially planning the layout of his legion, Elias had assumed that the other forces would supply the army with enough scouts to screen the march, letting him focus entirely on making a core infantry group that could protect against any and all threats. What he had learned as training and the planning sessions progressed, however, was that the other generals, save for Nightshade, intended to keep him out of their information loop; at least until they decided to let him in on the scouting reports. While furious, Elias didn’t feel like putting in another complaint form about his “fellows”, so he instead worked with Book Binder and Anyon to design equipment for a small scouting attachment, which he would only recruit from outside the legion. He had already put far too much work into arranging the cohorts and auxiliary groups, and he wasn’t about to change that plan so close to issuing the ponies their official uniforms. So, he set out on a new recruitment campaign, specifically targeting ponies that prided themselves on speed. That had led him to multiple issues. The first had come from Celestia, who once again interfered in his application process. She gave him a list of ponies that she considered “non-applicable”. Elias had responded by throwing the list back in her face, leaving no doubt that he would choose to exclude from his recruitment. Before the two could come to words over the issue, Luna had calmed him down and had helped them reach a compromise. Elias would again wave certain recruits from Ponyville, but at the same time, Celestia was forced to allow him to accept the application of a few lesser known Wonderbolts. The action had to be done under secrecy however, not only because the white alicorn was forcing him to do so, but because Elias knew how some of the pegasi would react if they knew actual Wonderbolts were nearby. He was going to have enough of a time corralling Night Flash. Thinking of the devil; the second issue had come in the form of the pegasus seated before him. Though it had been an open secret, Elias had, with Book Binder’s help, tried to keep Night Flash away from the recruitment posters. Elias had made the pegasus work from dawn till dusk, pushing him harder than anyone else, praying that he would be so tired that all he would think about was sleep. Yet, Night Flash found time after the morning training to get an out-of-castle lunch with his fiancé, and had seen a poster asking for scouts. Book Binder reported that the pegasus didn’t say anything; he merely grabbed the poster and bolted. Less than a day later, Night Flash had trapped Elias in his office with a filled-out application in his hoof and a wide smile on his face. He was happy, energetic, and ready to make his case. Too bad that he had to argue to a stone wall. “Shooting Star is too young,” Elias replied, “and more importantly; he’s your brother. You know the rules First Centurion, you helped write them.” He lightly pushed the application form back toward Night Flash. “No family. No exceptions. He’s going to receive a rejection letter.” Elias scanned Night Flash’s eyes for signs of defeat, but damn the pegasus was determined. His hoof rose and pushed the form back toward Elias’ hands. “General, I can make sure nothing happens to him,” he said firmly. “I’ll train Shooting Star twice as hard as everypony else; please just give him this one chance.” Elias sighed and turned off the compassionate area of his brain. He couldn’t shut down Night Flash with even the slightest trace of empathy in his mind. He had to be rock solid, and brutal. Elias’ eyes hardened into a glare, aimed wholly at the pegasus sitting across from him. “You’ve just given me the exact reason why I won’t give Shooting Star any chances, First Centurion,” Elias snapped. “You would rather focus on your brother instead of your job; which is the safety and preparedness of this legion. It is decidedly not to care for the safety of a single member. The answer is no Flash, I will not let him die under my banner.” “That won’t happen General!” Night Flash countered adamantly. “I promise, you just need to…” “Can you see the future?” Elias cut in. Damn was he tired. It just never seemed to end. Planning and arguments, and more planning, followed by training and arguments about training. So much damn arguing. It was all just so… exhausting. His migraines had only grown worse, and despite talking with Scalpel, he had no real relief from them. He could almost feel the stress ripping his brain apart, but he would power through. He always did. Elias just wished for the moment that he could go to bed; night terrors be damned. Even they would be a welcome return to some semblance of normalcy. At least in his night terrors the people were already dead, and he didn’t have to worry about driving them away. Night Flash frowned and shook his head. “No General.” Elias spread his hands. “Then how do you know what will happen? What magical force lets you know who’s going to live and die?” Night Flash’s frown deepened, and he drooped slightly in his seat. “I don’t General, I… I just…” “Ah ah ah!” Elias cut in again, waving his finger back and forth. “The answer is you don’t. That’s what’s important here; you don’t know.” Elias sighed and sat back in his chair. “The problem is that I don’t know either. All I can do is work and plan and try to push everything to work out perfectly, but I’ll let you in on a secret Night Flash; plans don’t mean shit in the face of battle. They fall apart.” He waved his hand through the air. “A plan in battle is exactly like a sheet of paper in water; fragile and easy to rend apart. It’s messy, it doesn’t rip cleanly. Plans are soft and flimsy, and I am already planning for the absolute worst. I am already writing the speech that I will have to deliver to your mother if you die,” Elias said, jabbing a finger at Night Flash. “I am writing a speech for each and every mother and father in Equestria, so don’t you dare come into my office and ask me to write two for your family. Bring this up again, and Shooting Star won’t be the only one receiving a letter of rejection.” Elias’s arm snapped out and he snatched a large rubber stamp from beside his pens. After a quick splash in ink, he slammed it down on Shooting Star’s application. The ugly red mark left no doubt about the status of the application; throwing it into the rejection pile was only a formality. The motion sapped all of the energy Elias had left however, and he slumped in his seat as he dropped the stamp back onto its hook. He didn’t meet Night Flash’s eyes as he spoke. “Dismissed First Centurion. I’ll see you tomorrow morning for training.” Elias could feel the heat of the pegasus’ anger as he snatched up his helmet and trotted from the room without another word. It cut at Elias’ heart. He had never seen Night Flash angry, and to have that turned on him? It was like a knife plunged into his ribs. Elias knew that he had done damage to their relationship, perhaps irreparable damage, but he had to not care. If he managed to drive Night Flash away, then he might quit, and if he quit, he would be safe. The justification didn’t sit well with him, but… Elias sat slumped in his chair for a while, meditating on the pain he felt at the pegasus leaving him. His only comfort came from the blue feather around his neck. His hand drifted up and stroked it softly. Its fur like quality still hadn’t dulled or faded, and it was every bit as soft as the day Luna had given it to him. It acted as a reminder that he still had one friend; even as he slowly alienated the rest. Elias glanced up as Book Binder pushed back from her desk. Despite the cruel way he had dismissed her fiancé, she still regarded him with a motherly smile as she stood up and stretched. Her horn lit up, and Shooting Star’s application levitated onto her desk. She made a quick edit to the form, then drew an envelope from her desk and placed the form inside. That went into her saddlebags as she draped them over her flanks. “What did you change?” Elias asked wearily. Book Binder smiled sweetly at him. “Merely added the reason why he was rejected, as I do with all of the files. The stamp makes things faster, but it is a bit… blunt. Ponies often take rejection personally, so I try to listen to your process and add what I can to soften the blow. It’s a small thing, but I like to think it helps.” Elias snorted and looked back to the featureless wood of his desk. “More work that I should be doing instead of you.” Book Binder sighed, but her smile never dropped. “No, General. You do your job to perfection.” Elias motioned to the empty doorway. “Others would disagree with that assessment Adiutor.” “Night Flash isn’t angry with you General,” Book Binder replied. “Or at least, he’s not angry with Elias. He understands why you have to say no, but even with all of this work, he still cares about you, and he believes you feel the same. It frustrates him that we can’t act like a family, can’t do favors for each other like a family would.” She tidied up her desk, shifting little things around to make it more organized. “In his perfect world, we would all work together; train together, that kind of thing. He misses when we were guards, and he wishes that he could get us back to that life, with Shooting Star included of course.” Book Binder looked back to Elias. “He just wants to train his brother General, that’s all. He’s not angry with you, he’s just disappointed with the situation we’re in.” Elias spread his hands. “But what can I do? I can’t let Shooting Star in, you know that.” He shook his head and looked toward one of the blank walls of his office. He needed to decorate, put something up. Maybe a copy of the legion banner? “I’m already acting like an idiot,” he continued, “by letting my friends in. If I had a smart bone in my body, I would force you out, but here I am, a big stupid human stumbling his way through life, as usual.” Book Binder sighed again. “Please don’t talk about yourself like that General; it makes me want to break my promise and snuggle the life out of you. You’re not stupid, you’re just normal. You’re acting like any other pony would in your situation; you want those you care about close.” Elias closed his eyes and let his chin hit his chest. “But I’m not a pony,” he said softly. “The reason this is supposed to work is because I’m not a pony. I can’t be a pony, not now, not…” Elias felt a hoof on his shoulder, and he looked up to find Book Binder close, her eyes shining as she locked down his eyesight. “Don’t say not ever Elias, because that day will come.” Her horn lit up and a schedule book floated from her saddlebags, opening to the tenth page. Book Binder tapped a day at the end of the month circled in red. “Four months, twenty-eight days. You’re going to be a pony in the eyes of the law, and in the eyes of the ponies you love, who love you back a million times more. Each day is a step closer, and if I have to remind you a thousand times, I will do so.” Elias’ eyes narrowed, and despite the comfort he took in her words, he needed to shift the subject away. “Did you have my birthday circled? How do you even know that?” Book Binder smiled and the book disappeared back into her saddlebags. “A mare never tattles on her source, and before you say anything, it isn’t anything big. A small gift, nothing more. Training as usual.” She straightened and her motherly smile disappeared, replaced by her usual kind smile. “Now, if you’ll excuse me General, I’m going to go have a talk with Flash, and then head home for the night. Don’t work too hard.” Elias exhaled and slouched in his chair again as his eyes drifted toward the mountain of paperwork on the right side of his desk. “No promises. I’ll see you in the morning Adiutor.” He got no reply, and for a moment, he thought he had made her angry with him too, but as he looked up to the sound of her fast, retreating hoofsteps, his eyes caught a glimpse of a bright spot of color. It was a small letter with glowing pink writing on the front. The writing read; For my baby boy; Elias He sighed deeply. He knew what it was, had expected it a bit sooner if he was being honest with himself. He just wished it hadn’t come on such a bad day. Elias sat up and reached for the letter slowly. Best to read it before he said no. ***** Luna trotted swiftly through the long corridors of the castle. She had wanted to speak with Elias hours ago, perhaps persuade the man to take a lunch break with her, but she had gotten caught up talking with noble after noble. Each and every one brought forth inane laws, without a single good idea among them. They complained and droned on for hours, talking about this triviality, or that social grievance some “uncultured” pony offended them with. It was a complete and utter waste of her time. Agreeing to be awake for the afternoon was easily one of the worst mistakes she had ever made, and Luna knew that as soon as she had her full magic back, she would become a nighttime only princess again. Luna sighed her headache away. The only way she had escaped the prissy nobles was by snapping and ordering her guards to escort them from the castle, something the black armored ponies did with vigor. Even they could only take so much, and they had not been gentle as they pushed the still complaining nobles from her throne room. After that, Luna had taken off like a shot, more than ready to take a lengthy break. As she turned a corner, Luna nearly plowed into Book Binder, who was also trotting along briskly. The unicorn yelped as she dove to the side. The effort only slightly helped. Both ponies tripped and fell to the ground, though luckily, they didn’t fall on top of each other. Luna hated when that happened; her wings always seemed to get tangled up, making standing to get untangled impossible. Both mares scrambled to their hooves and brushed themselves off, with Book Binder looking the more sheepish of the two. “Sorry Princess, I was just trying to catch up to Night Flash and I wasn’t watching where I was going.” Luna smiled at her. “It is no issue fair Book Binder, I should have been more mindful myself, I was merely brooding on the inanity of the so called “noble” class of Canterlot,” She finished straightening her regalia, then looked to Book Binder again. “So, is there some issue between you and Guardspony Flash? I would hope that with your engagement everything would be going swimmingly.” Book Binder sighed. “Between us, everything is fine, it’s between Flash and Elias that is the issue. General Bright won’t let Flash’s little brother apply for the legion; part of the no families rule we made. He’s right of course, but you know Elias.” Luna snorted and nodded. “Indeed, he can be quite blunt. If my guess is correct, I would assume he phrased it in a manner that said, “my way or the high way”?” “Essentially,” Book Binder replied. “so, Night Flash is mad, but I think things will be fine in the end. It’s just a spat the two are going through, their first if I remember correctly.” Luna frowned. “Are you sure they will be alright? Night Flash can best be described as Elias’ first and greatest friend in Equestria, at least officially. Those two never get mad at each other.” Book Binder waved her hoof. “Like I said Princess, it’s just a spat. Once we get through the march, Shooting Star will be free to join up, and he can train with Night Flash all day long. If anything, this is going to make my mother in law happy, so at least somepony will get a bit of benefit from the affair.” Luna watched as Book Binder’s eyes lit up. The unicorn gasped softly and quickly removed her saddlebags, drawing forth a small white envelope, which she quickly offered to Luna with a wide smile. “Here you go Princess!” she said cheerfully. “Your invitation to our wedding!” Luna blinked in surprise as she gently took the letter in her hoof. Sure enough, in pink lettering across the front said; For Princess Luna, my future daughter in law Luna flushed red and looked up to Book Binder to find the mare smiling widely at her. Luna looked back to the invitation as her cheeks became a deeper shade of crimson. How could the unicorn before her be so bold? Had Elias told Book Binder something, made plans that ran parallel to her own? Her tail flicked with nervous energy as she decided to momentarily ignore the text on the letter. “You wish for me to attend?” she asked hesitantly. Book Binder nodded. “Of course we do Princess! I think you more than qualify as “friends and family”.” She saddled up closer to Luna and gently nudged her chest with her elbow. “Especially with you courting my baby boy,” she whispered in Luna’s ear. Luna felt even more heat rise to her cheeks as the unicorn took a step back. Keepers, she was acting like a filly caught in the act! ‘Maintain your composure!’ Luna’s inner voice screamed. ‘You are a Princess! Act like it, even to your future mother in law!’ That admittance made her even more nervous, especially given that the letter in her hooves was basically permission to continue her advances on Elias. Still, she had to play things cool, she had to prove to Elias’ mother that she could be a calm, fitting match for her soon-to-be adopted son. Luna cleared her throat softly. “Ah, you, uh, noticed that?” she asked meekly. Book Binder snorted and smiled. “Princess, I would be a fool not to notice, you’ve been so obvious! The only reason Elias doesn’t notice is because he isn’t a pony and has a tendency to make assumptions and not ask if he doesn’t believe it “matters”.” Luna’s nerves momentarily drooped as her heart sank slightly. “He… he doesn’t think I matter?” she whispered. Book Binder’s eyes widened. “No no no!” she replied adamantly. “That’s not what I meant Princess, of course he cares about you! It’s…” She waved a hoof in the air as she tried to figure out the right words. Luna felt her breath hang tight in her chest as the unicorn spoke. “It’s Elias!” Book Binder blurted. “He believes that matters of his heart come second to everything else in life. With the whole legion thing, it’s coming in third or fourth. It isn’t that he doesn’t care, it’s that he won’t let himself care. He’s trying so hard to stay strong and focus on training and such, and he sees things like friendship and love as a distraction.” She tilted her head. “I want to say he’s wrong, but honestly, with what that man does in a day, I can’t say I completely disagree. He just doesn’t have a lot of time to focus on that kind of thing these days. It’s why I always say, “soon”. Soon, so much is going to happen, and we will be able to watch in real time as his heart expands to absorb as much love as possible.” She shrugged and met Luna’s eyes. “But only soon. Every show of affection until we’re done has to be subtle, save for a plan or two I’m cooking up.” Luna frowned and looked to the carpet, tracing small circles with her hoof in the red plush. “So, he does care about me?” Book Binder smiled sweetly. “Princess, I can’t say for certain, only Elias knows his heart, but I have a strong feeling that he won’t disappoint you, he’s just busy.” She leaned in close and gave Luna a gentle hug. “And if it makes you feel any better, I absolutely approve, and will do everything in my power to bring you two together. I will not let that young man have a princess slip through his fingers.” Luna felt Book Binder’s grip around her tighten, and she felt her nerves return as the pony whispered in her ear. “That being said, if you manipulate my son and try to make him something he’s not, or if you break his beautiful human heart, I will make your banishment look like a thousand-year vacation, am I clear Luna?” The lunar princess felt a genuine tinge of fear. She had no doubts in her mind that if she was at full power the protective Book Binder could inflict some pain, but with all of her magic being slowly locked away? Book Binder’s threat was very real. Luna swallowed nervously. She had thought the letter was bold, but no. Book Binder used her name, publicly! That meant she was incredibly serious, and more than determined to protect Elias with a fierceness that sent a small shudder up Luna’s spine. Adoptive mother indeed. But Luna was no pushover, and while she understood the genuineness of the threat, she steeled her resolve and returned Book Binder’s hug with full force. “I would never do such a thing to Elias,” Luna whispered in reply, “and I think you know that. I only want the best for him, even if that is not me. Should we both be wrong, and he lusts for somepony else, I will do everything in my power to see him happy with them. In that, you have my word.” Book Binder nuzzled her neck. “Good,” she said softly. “He’ll surprise you though, he’s always had a soft spot for you, and I have no doubts the he does love you. Give him time to come to terms with it, then make your big moves, alright?” Luna nodded as she pulled back from Book Binder. The unicorn smiled right back, then looked pointedly to the letter in Luna’s hooves. “So Princess,” Book Binder asked leadingly, “are you coming to the wedding?” “I… wish to,” Luna replied honestly, “but a princess will draw unwanted attention. I do not wish for your family to be harassed by the paparazzi on my account.” Book Binder nodded to the still sealed envelope. “Strike one Princess, check your invitation and try again.” Luna gave her a curious look, but opened the invitation. As she turned it upside down in her hooves to wiggle the card out, a small ring fell out. Book Binder caught it with her magic, and it expanded into a modest, silver hoof ring. She then levitated the ring onto one of Luna’s hooves, and Luna blinked in surprise as she felt magic wash over her body. She looked toward Book Binder to find that she no longer towered over the unicorn, but matched her in height. Luna also noticed an absence in her upper peripheral, and she looked up to find her horn missing. A flash of panic went through her body, and she focused inward, checking to ensure that her magic was still charging. She let out a sigh of relief when she felt her pool untouched, still forming at the base of her non-existent horn. She looked to Book Binder, who smiled widely back. “It’s an illusion spell Princess,” Book Binder said. “It set us back a few bits, but that ring will make you look like a regular old pegasus, save for your cutie mark of course.” Luna looked toward her flank, and was pleased to find that her cutie mark was still in the same place. She opened her mouth to ask Book Binder how she looked, only to find a blue version of the mare staring back. Luna stared at her reflection, turning this way and that to get a good look at herself. Book Binder poked her head above the mirror and giggled as Luna spun in a circle. “Not a bad illusion either I might say. A bit of styling, and you could pass for my twin sister.” Book Binder sighed as Luna frowned at her flanks. “Unfortunately, my more attractive twin, good for Elias though.” Luna blushed and turned back around, sliding into her saddlebags. “You think he will approve?” she asked. “Of course he will Princess,” Book Binder replied as she collapsed the mirror and put it back in her saddlebags. “The spell may diminish your size a bit, but you’re every bit as pretty as always. I imagine you’ll be the talk of the reception.” Luna smiled and slid the ring from her hoof, tucking it into her saddlebags. Returned to her full size, she once more towered over Book Binder, but for some reason, Luna felt smaller than the mare. “I thank you fair Book Binder, and I think that I shall indeed attend, even if only for a short while. Do I need to bring anything?” Book Binder tapped her chin like she was thinking, but Luna could tell from the look in her eyes that she already knew what she wanted. “Well… I could use a fancy, Princess level gift, or….” “Or?” Luna asked. “Or you could bring Elias as your unofficial date!” Book Binder blurted. “I… don’t think that would work,” Luna said, shuffling her hooves on the carpet. “Elias likely won’t want to go, certainly not with me.” Book Binder snorted and waved her hoof. “You aren’t the issue here Princess, the wedding itself is. He’ll say something silly about how he’s too busy, or we don’t actually love or want him. I’m the mare helping maintain his schedules, and everything is on track to succeed on time. He will have an afternoon off to get a tux fitted, and an evening to go to the wedding. It’s going to be your job to get him that tux, get yourself a lovely dress, and then drag that boy to my wedding.” She smiled sweetly at Luna. “Like I said before, he’s a bit blind when it comes to pony culture, but Momma Binder wants to see you two together just as much as you want him, so she’s going to conspire to get things moving along. I can’t well outright tell him all of the faux pas he’s made without stressing him out further, so we do this in a roundabout fashion. He won’t mind when he has a beautiful blue alicorn on his wing after it’s all over.” Luna matched her smile, then scooped the pony up in a bone crushing hug. Even without her alicorn strength, Luna could tell that she was making breathing difficult for Book Binder, but she needed to express her utter joy at having the mare’s approval and aid. “Thank you, fair Book Binder. It may take time, but I shall do everything I can to make a good marefriend for Elias.” “So, are you bringing Elias to my wedding?” Book Binder asked. A small squeak tinged her voice, but ultimately, the unicorn kept her composure despite being crushed. Luna snorted into her neck fur and nodded. “Indeed, I shall do my best to get him there. Do you have any recommendations to get him to accept the idea on his own? I want him to choose to come with me. We shall argue I’m sure, but I don’t want to force him too hard.” Book Binder shrugged as she pulled away from the hug. “The secret is you Princess, he likes you. The only information I know, is that his biggest argument against going will be work, and that he’s in his office right now. Maybe get a stand in for the time off? As long as somepony is running some kind of drill, I think Elias can be coerced into an evening off.” Luna nodded, her mind already racing at the news that Elias was alone. Wedding aside, she could likely get him to take a small break with her. She needed to stop by the kitchen before she dropped by his office. A hot steak would do wonders to improve what was likely a blue mood. To Book Binder, she said; “I shall do my best to convince him then. Have you invited General Nightshade or General Chaser?” Book Binder frowned and rifled through her saddlebags. “I think I have one for Nightshade, but I didn’t really count Midnight Chaser as friends or family. Should I invite him? Ice Blossom is his sister after all, and we invited her…” Luna shook her head. “No, leave him to me. A Royal Guardspony will be able to do much for me in getting Elias to the wedding.” She looked down the hall in the direction of Elias’ office. “If there is nothing else, I wish to go brighten Elias’ mood.” Book Binder giggled. “Pun intended I hope.” Luna blinked into the empty air before she cast a deadpan look over her shoulder at Book Binder. The mare giggled and trotted the opposite direction. “See you soon Princess! Hopefully with my darling human on your wing!” ***** “Enter,” Elias said, glancing up from his paperwork. Supply forms were a bitch and a half, but lucky for him, Luna came through his door, carrying with her the wonderful aroma of freshly cooked meat. The mare grinned as she trotted in on three hooves, balancing a sizeable steak on a plate on the fourth. “Good evening General; a birdy told me that you were still hard at work and that you didn’t take a dinner break. I thought I would remedy that.” Elias tried to hide his smile as he put his quill back in its well. “I can’t say that you’re unwelcome Princess. Please, pull up a chair.” Luna’s tail waggled slightly as she set the steak on his desk, then pulled Book Binder’s chair around her desk. She positively beamed as she watched him sit up. Elias’ eyes flicked up from the steak, but Luna waved him on. “Go on General, you need to keep your strength up. I know how much you work, and this is more than deserved. We can talk a bit once you’ve finished.” Luna looked him up and down as he ate. While he did look a might bit paler than usual, her eyes quickly caught on the spot of blue on his red tunic, and the sight of her primary being shown off so publicly sent her heart racing. Any confidence she had walking into the room vanished as she watched him eat. Her wide-eyed staring unfortunately caused the human to take notice, and despite only eating half the steak, he set down his silverware and looked at her with a curious expression. “Are you alright Princess?” Luna detected a bit of concern in his voice, and that made her chest tighten even further. “I… I, uh…” ‘Think Luna!’ she cried internally. ‘Think damn you!’ “You are still wearing my primary?” she asked, her voice meek. Elias blinked, then looked down to the blue feather draped over his chest. “O-oh. My apologies Princess, I… I can take it off if you’d li-….” “No!” Luna shouted, scooting to the edge of her seat. Elias stared at her with wide eyed shock, and Luna quickly noticed that she had blown him back an inch with the power of her voice. She flushed red and looked at his desk. “I- I mean I was just curious as to why. Heat week has long been over, and I was wondering why you were still wearing it. Just curiosity.” Elias relaxed back in his chair and shrugged. He grabbed the feather gently between his thumb and forefinger. Luna felt her heart melt further as he began rubbing it affectionately. “I don’t know why, if I’m being honest. I just like having it, you know? It’s soft, nice, and for some reason it always feels like it’s a bit warm, like you just plucked it.” He shrugged again as he twirled the feather around. “It smells like you too, and that makes me think of you; the smell of lavender is so wonderful, and I can’t help but think that… wow I just made that really weird,” Elias said as he sat up. “Princess, I apologize, let me take your primary off and-…” Luna scoffed and waved her hoof, doing her best to hide the heavy blush that spread covered her face. “Nonsense Elias, I am pleased that you know how to fully appreciate my gift. Some ponies would discard something like that once it served its purpose, but you show me that you are a true friend by keeping it.” She snorted. “Besides, I think it’s pretty, and it matches your eyes.” Elias gave her a deadpan look, but Luna was happy to note that he made no further moves to remove the necklace. “Which one?” he asked, tilting his head so that she got a good look at both eyes. Luna giggled, then blinked and stopped, giving him a mild glare. “Har har Elias, but that wasn’t funny.” Elias smirked. “Made you laugh, didn’t I?” Luna rolled her eyes as he went back at his steak. It was honestly impressive watching him eat. She had long ago gotten over the queasiness she felt when she watched others eat meat, what with watching a host of carnivore diplomats eat, but it was the way he devoured the meat. Other species seemed designed to rip and tear. Diamond dogs had sharp canines that jutted out of their mouth and sharp claws to tear the meat apart as they chewed. Dragons usually ate whatever they were provided whole, so there was little to watch. Finally, the gryphon diplomats like to fight their meals, and they often asked for the meat to be as raw as possible. Only the combined refusal from all three of Equestria’s princesses had ensured that a law passed prohibiting the slaughter of live animals in Canterlot, and if anyone wanted something fresher than two-day old imports, they had to make do. Still, all the carnivores she had eaten with used their natural features to eat, forgoing any offers for dining ware, usually including a plate. Elias on the other hand, went about eating meat in such a civilized manner. His nails were blunt, kept trimmed and rounded, no doubt to prevent cracking. They didn’t even factor into the equation, as he used a fork and knife like any other pony. He quickly sawed away bite sized pieces, which went into his mouth. He chewed with his mouth closed, keeping the rest of the process hidden from the world. Little sound escaped after that, no growling, or tearing sounds, just the normal chewing that any being experienced. It was easily covered up with light music or conversation. So wonderful, so palatable. It had taken an evening on her throne brooding to come to terms with the fact that her ideal lover was an omnivore, but with the way he ate, she didn’t imagine she would have any long term issues with eating by his side. Especially not with how enjoyable watching his jaw work was. Such a strong, handsome mouth. Elias swallowed the last bite of his steak and set down his silverware as Luna daydreamed about planting a kiss on his clean-shaven face. He smiled at her, sending a fresh flight of butterflies through her stomach. “So Princess, while I appreciate the hand delivered meal, as well as an opportunity to enjoy your company, I’m sure this was for a reason. Nobody drops by my office unless they want something from me.” “That is partially your fault,” Luna replied smoothly. “Your friends would drop by frequently were it not for your rule system, myself included. Still, we have all respected your wishes and kept to the rules you laid out as best we could. Until now that is.” Elias’ brow furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Luna glanced to her right to a torn open pink and white letter. “Is that your wedding invitation?” Elias side-eyed the letter and sighed. He leaned back in his chair and swiped a packet off his stack of paperwork, then began absently thumbing through it. “It is, though I will not be attending. Night Flash is livid with me because I denied his brother’s application. I know Book Binder thinks it’ll be fine, but his mother is already against me. With this, I’ve crushed Shooting Star’s dreams, and those of Night Flash to train his brother, so the odds of everything being “fine” between us by…” He glanced over at the invitation. “A week from this Friday, is little to none. I won’t ruin what’s supposed to be a special day for them.” Elias picked up his quill and set to writing. “Besides, I burned the bridge of being either family or friends. The invitation is very specific.” Luna scowled at the human. Unfortunately for her, his argument did have some soundness to it, and by countering his point of his friendly status with both Night Flash and Book Binder, she admitted that he wasn’t keeping to the rules he had established. It was a devious trap, but Luna had negotiated treaties with dragons in ages past; she could win over the stubborn human before her. Luna cleared her throat, forcing Elias to look at her. “A sound point Elias, but I have been invited, and Book Binder has tasked me with bringing a plus one. I would quite enjoy it if that plus one would be you.” It was blunt, and it risked her secret affections, but Luna kept her cool as Elias stared at her in silence. His lack of an answer put her on edge, but Luna was fairly confident she could be calm if he told her-… “No,” Elias replied, causing Luna’s heart to wither. ‘That hurt far more than I would have liked,’ Luna thought. “And may I ask why not?” Luna asked aloud. Elias sighed, and his quill stopped moving. “Princess, it’s not your fault, I just need to be here. I’m already giving two of my most trusted subordinates almost a week off of training so that they can prepare for their special day. I need to ensure, personally, that the readiness quality of the legion doesn’t diminish with their absence. I apologize if I disappointed you with my answer, but it must be a no. I’m distracted enough from my job as it is.” Luna’s mind worked quickly. Alright, the reason wasn’t because he didn’t like her, that was a positive. She could focus on getting him there easier if she didn’t believe he looked at her with distaste. She shuffled herself as she regained her complete calm. “What if I was able to find temporary stand ins? Training could continue as you specify, and you would have the opportunity to go to Book Binder and Night Flash’s wedding.” Elias shook his head without looking up. “Nobody is educated enough to lead my training. Even if there was somebody, they wouldn’t hold the recruits to the same standards I hold them, and they wouldn’t punish them properly when they failed.” Luna grabbed her saddlebags and set them before her, quickly drawing out her candle and notepad. She quickly sent a hastily written letter, and within moments, General Chaser, Bloody Bandage, and Captain Lucky Swing were inside Elias’ office, saluting sharply. “At your service Princess,” Chaser said. Luna smiled at Elias. “What if I could convince Royal Guardspony Chaser to lead training? He is a skilled combatant who has experience pushing ponies to their breaking points, unless, of course, you think Royal Guard training is less intensive than yours.” Elias frowned at her. “No, but it is different. Do recall that I was studying to be a Royal Guard for a short time before the invasion. General Chaser will make the mistake of asking the recruits to think, which I have not taught them to do yet. His style of training, while decent, is not similar enough to mine. He won’t do the job right alone, and he can’t be everywhere by himself. I’d need more than one pony to run training.” Chaser stepped forward. “Well, what if I asked General Everfree to assist me? I could use my subordinates in place of yours, and the general and I could manage the larger level stuff together.” The pegasus shrugged and looked to Luna. “If you don’t mind Princess, General Everfree and I could shadow General Bright and his legion for the next week or so, get a feel for how they work. Then, General Bright can educate us on the standards we need to meet. By the time of the wedding, we’ll be capable enough to hold down the fort for a day, and he can get things right back where they should be the next morning.” Chaser looked back to Elias, who scowled in reply. The real problem was that the solution was competent. Elias actually respected Everfree and Chaser, and if he had to pass control to anyone, it would be one of them. The pair of stallions and Nightshade were the only generals he trusted in any sort of capacity, and if they were willing to shadow his training, he could probably get away with missing one or two afternoons for a wedding. All he needed to do was make sure the pair of stand-ins were up to date on his training, as well as ensure that Granite had the autonomy he needed to ensure proper disciplinary measures were used. It could work. Then he could go see Book Binder and Night Flash get married, as well as make Luna a bit happier by taking her out on a date. Elias hid his blush at the thought of a date with Luna by glaring at Chaser. He opened his mouth to accept, when the thought occurred that he was slacking. He was letting down his legion, accepting compromise at every turn it presented itself. He was being weak. Again. Anger welled up in his mind, and he shook his head and snarled. “No. I will be leading training the evening of the wedding. I will be down four officers already; I do not need a fifth to be elsewhere when training needs done.” Luna had started to smile as she saw acceptance on his face, but that smile turned to a soft frown at his rejection of the offer. “But Elias, why? I can tell you want to go, and this solution works! You know General Chaser; he is quite the capable pony. I’m more than sure he can lead your training for an evening. He will have your instructions; it is a sound plan!” Elias shook his head and stared at his desk. “It doesn’t matter if he would be capable, because he doesn’t need to be capable. I will perform my duties as usual, and that’s final. I cannot afford to budge on this.” Luna tapped her hoof on her seat in mild irritation. “But why? If you want to see your parents get married, then…” “Because it is a distraction!” Elias bellowed, slamming his fists down on his desk. The sound caused the ponies to jump, and Elias caught the flash of steel as Chaser drew his wingblades. Elias stared the pegasus down, daring him to act. Then his mind caught up and he took several deep breaths, trying to cool his anger. He let his eyes rest on the paperwork beneath his fists as he spoke. “Princess, you of all ponies should know why I can’t afford to be distracted. Book Binder and Night Flash’s wedding is just another event in a series of never-ending distractions, and it will get people killed. I can’t keep compromising on this. I just…” He sat back down and sighed. “I can’t. I’ll tell them I’m sorry, and send them a gift of some kind, but I can’t. I’d rather they be alive and disappointed in me then dead and happy I saw them get married.” Luna watched the man visibly deflate as his anger fled. He looked so painfully tired, and far too old for one so young. She subtly motioned for the Royal Guards to leave as she rose from her seat. She moved around Elias’ desk and before he could protest, she climbed up in his lap. Luna felt a small blush rise to her cheeks as she wrapped her hooves around his chest, but was pleased to note a tinge of red on Elias’ face as well. She pulled him close in a firm hug. “Elias, I understand your concerns, but things are already different from the last time you did this. You have spent months with your recruits, are they soft? Are they underprepared?” The man snorted. “Some of them still struggle with basic tasks, but… I do feel like they’re more focused, less arrogant. I wouldn’t say they’re anywhere close to ready though.” She leaned back and smiled. “Precisely, you have changed as well. You won’t casually run into battle, you think things through, considering even the tiniest details. And you aren’t alone. Thousands upon thousands of ponies are at your back, more than prepared to aid and assist you. You may think they are beneath you, but there are more than a few competent ponies in the other guard forces, General Chaser included.” “I know,” Elias said with a sigh, “but trust… it’s still hard to trust for me. I trusted you Princess, yet you turned on me. Sure, it worked out but… it still hurt. You didn’t trust me enough to tell me about all this before you presented it to everyone else.” He shook his head and stared down, a difficult task with her fluff so close, but Luna didn’t take advantage of his close proximity. His words were far too important to even consider ignoring, even for the case of snuggles. “I just wished you talked to me then, and I wish you would stop hiding whatever it is you’re hiding from me now.” Luna felt her heart drop. By the Keepers, he knew. Her silent effort was for naught, and now the pressure of a romantic relationship was weighing on his mind. She didn’t want to burden him like that! It was all falling apart, she had failed him at every turn! Luna felt tears creep into her eyes as her heart sank lower and lower. She was a failure. She hadn’t managed to maintain her most important friendship, hadn’t managed to be strong enough to keep her feelings hidden until they wouldn’t burden Elias, and now he was going to hate her for it, and drive her away and… Luna sniffled and opened her eyes as she felt a thumb run across her cheek. Her gaze was met instantly with a mis-matched pair of eyes that bled concern. “Luna… is this secret really that important?” Elias asked softly. “I didn’t mean… look, I don’t know everything, I just need you to know that I’m not an idiot, that I can tell when you aren’t telling me the whole truth.” Luna sniffled again and nodded. “I know Elias, and please, never believe yourself an idiot. You are easily one of the most intelligent creatures I have ever known. I just… I have asked so much of you Elias, so very much. My secret is one that would only ask more of you.” “I want to tell you!” she said earnestly, trying to make him see the necessity. “I want to tell everypony, I want to take you and scream my secret from the rooftops!” She drooped slightly. “But I can’t. Not without burdening you further. It’s not that I won’t tell you, it’s just I can’t tell you. Not yet. After. After we’re done with this march business, I want to sit down with you, and tell you everything, start to finish, no secrets. But I can’t until then. Not unless you want to see us both hurt.” Elias sighed and Luna felt a bit of a blush return as he braced her rump with his hand. “I guess… I can accept that. Especially since I’m a hypocrite, demanding full transparency from you without revealing my whole story.” Luna laid a hoof over his heart. Oh, that powerful thumping, so strong and stable. She wished she could lay her ear against his rib cage to listen. “And you never need to Elias. That story is yours alone, do not share it because you feel like you are keeping secrets, share it because you want to.” Elias sighed again. “Maybe. I don’t know. Luna… I’ll go. To the wedding I mean.” “As my plus one?” she asked hopefully. He blushed and nodded. “Yes, as your plus one. You’ll need to arrange everything however, and whatever tailor you’re getting for the suit needs to be fast. They can use one of my lunch breaks for the fitting.” Luna smiled, and she wiped her tears away as she hugged him hard. “It shall be done then Elias. I will take care of everything.” She sat back, and fluttered her wings to escape, but Elias’ bracing hand didn’t budge, and Luna quickly realized that the human had no intention of letting her go anywhere. She looked up to his face to find a smile there, something that made her blush further. Keepers, if he kept smiling at her like that, she wouldn’t be able to get anything done. “I-is everything alright Elias?” she asked. The man nodded and sat up, keeping Luna pressed to his chest. “Yep, but breaking my rules again is going to cost you. I need Chaser and Everfree at the training grounds by six tomorrow; they need to learn how to sweat for real.” Luna nodded wordlessly, and she stared pointedly at her saddlebags until Elias reached out to grab them. She began to pull out her candle, but Elias’ hand stopped her. “Yes?” she asked nervously. His grin widened. “The price, my princess, is that you’re going to be my new assistant; starting right now.” Luna eyed the tall stack of papers on his desk and groaned. “Elias, please not this! I… I always have to do paperwork.” He rested his chin in her mane and chuckled. “Cost of war Princess, everybody has to make sacrifices. Chaser! Get back in here!” The pegasus stuck his head inside Elias’ office. “Yes?” “I will allow you to stand in during training,” Elias said. “Please inform General Everfree.” Chaser nodded, then winked at Luna as he dipped back out. She fluttered nervously. She should have complained about Elias taking a very dominant role in their friendship, if she could even call it that anymore. Was it a sign that he was going to begin making moves on her? Did he know more than he was letting on? She didn’t know, but at the same time, she didn’t care. If he knew, then so much the better. She could be bolder in her moves, and perhaps in private she could start giving him a basic rundown on pony romance culture. If nothing else, it would let him relax and learn something completely unrelated to his current profession. A small break for the man. To resist the urge to purr and snuggle against Elias, Luna sat up and motioned toward the tall stack of papers. If paperwork was the punishment she had to suffer for Elias’ happiness, then by the Keepers she would not be found wanting. Elias grabbed her a page, and as they set about working, they also set about engaging in small talk, something that brought out Elias’ wonderful smile. Luna wouldn’t have had it any other way. ***** Elias loved Luna. What was he going to do? Should he ask her about her feelings for him? Was he misinterpreting everything she had done for him of late? Was he an idiot for even considering that an alicorn, an almost godly being, the ruler of her nation, and the pinnacle of beauty would even want to be with a blood soaked, scarred, and battered monkey like himself? What the hell was he going to do? What should he do? He glanced at her as she clicked her tongue and asked him about a potential recruit from Manehattan. He loved her muzzle, her beautiful face, the blue of her fur. He had thought his favorite color was red, but god was it blue now. He loved the elegant, perfect blue of her fur so much. The texture was unspeakably wonderful, and her wings? Big, puffy, fluffy, perfect. She was perfect. The perfect pony. The most perfect pony. Nobody could compare, would ever compare. But what should he do? Should he talk to her? Try to work it out like the adult he pretended he was? Elias snapped his gaze away from Luna and focused on the page before him, filling in his early estimate for tents needed. No, talk to her about it was not the first thing he would do. Not with how he had treated her. Yes, she had betrayed his trust, but she had worked so hard to fix that, and he was more than ready to fully forgive her, but only moments ago he had brought it up yet again. His brain just wouldn’t let it go. ‘Nice Elias,’ he thought to himself, ‘torture the mare you’ve fallen in love with. That’s a great plan to get her to like you. Let every bad thing she’s done to you dangle over her head. Yup, great plan. Another guaranteed winner.’ Elias let out a small sigh as he filed the form to the side and dragged down the next one. His arm was still wrapped around her, and while he didn’t know much about pony culture, his hand on her butt was a signal in any culture. He just hoped she didn’t think him creepy for being so forward. He prayed desperately that she reciprocated his feelings. Elias winced mentally, and slowly he withdrew his hand. No, that was wrong. He was taking advantage of his ignorance. The ponies knew he was uneducated, and she was probably just being nice, letting him cop a feel in exchange for him not flying off the handle. No doubt she still thought him a raging dumb animal who was only good for-… Luna scooted closer and glanced at his hand. “Please Elias, return your hand to its bracing position. I may slide away if you do not hold me.” Or maybe she did reciprocate some measure of his feelings. Elias swallowed roughly as he let his hand drift back down, settling back on the same warm spot on her rump. Luna sighed softly and leaned against his chest. “Excellent,” she whispered, no doubt trying to keep the words unheard. Still, they brought a small measure of comfort to Elias’ mind, and he settled back as he let his thoughts drift away from the paperwork before him. Talking to her may… no. Still out of the question for the time, perhaps in a month or two. He would try to hint at something, perhaps ask one of his friends for their opinion. If any of them would even speak to him. Elias sighed again and decided that it was not a wandering kind of night. He focused his mind on the paperwork before him, letting it numb his riled-up brain. > Chapter 44: The End of the Recruits > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias kept an even pace as he led the half dozen ponies down the castle halls to the training grounds. It had been a few more grueling days of training, and he had drank himself through a sleepless night or two to finish combing through applications for the scouts, but he had gotten it all done. The ponies behind him was a mixture of his new scout recruits, his usual subordinates, and Everfree and Chaser. The pair of stallions had shadowed three days’ worth of training, and though he could clearly see that they would go soft on his recruits, Elias could tell that they wouldn’t be too soft. For their different reasons, both stallions were strict teachers, and while they didn’t reward failure with a beating, they still gave punishment, with Chaser momentarily forgetting his place and threatening to run the recruits until the sun rose if they didn’t get their formations right. Elias let it slide, and when he received questioning glances from the recruits, he had backed up Chaser’s threat. It took them two more tries to get their testudo right. Although he believed they still needed more work, the first phase of training was over. They had gone over a week without any further rings from the bell, and if the ponies were in their proper inspection formation, they would notice the lack of the bell; replaced by a sculpture made of the helmets of the failures. Energy already charged the air, and he wasn’t even at the training grounds yet. Anyon had been flapping about in excitement when he stopped by the smithy, and for once, the gryphon wasn’t the only one in the workshop. A dozen ponies were working like mad to assemble the massive stack of crates the gryphon needed, and each breath of air brought another string of curses as Anyon went wild, making sure everything was ready. The old buzzard was as excited about what the day would bring as Elias was. Still, nobody but Anyon knew what was about to happen; Elias had even managed to keep it hidden from Book Binder, a process that had involved sealing his invoices to the blacksmith, while also not-so-threatening the unicorn with changing his mind about her wedding day if she violated his trust. Though he knew it would be an exciting occasion, he made it seem like something deadly serious had occurred. The recruits had been roused from their slumber three hours after they had gone to bed, and they were thrown into formation. He had threatened both of his centurions with punishment if he found so much as a scuff on their armor. His acting made the rest fall into place. His commands had gotten harsher as the previous evening progressed, and as he stalked down the hall, he had his face in a stern scowl. His helmet was under his arm, and his shield sat on his back. He was ready. Elias hit the doors to the training grounds with enough force to make them slam into the wall. He had to hide a small grin as he saw a pony hop in place, and for a moment, he was fairly sure it was Granite. The earth pony disguised his surprise well though, and he saluted Elias sharply as the human came stalking up. “The recruits are in order and top form this morning General,” Granite said. “I’ve checked personally, their uniforms are in perfect shape.” Elias scowled at the earth pony. “Well then Centurion, I guess you can accept the whippings for every mistake I find, since you checked it so personally.” Granite blinked in shock at Elias' sharp tone, but his hoof dropped, and he stood stock still as Elias continued on his fake warpath. Oh, it was going to be a beautiful day. None of the recruits dared meet his eyes as Elias prowled along their line, looking for signs of weakness. Though they were tense at his aggressiveness against them, and no doubt because they had been standing in formation for hours, they were still strong. They stood at ready, and though they feared punishment for some minor transgression, they weren’t truly afraid. They didn’t want to be punished, sure, but they weren’t really scared of it. More often than not, he found confusion in the eyes of the ponies as he walked past. They had no idea why he had suddenly become stricter, angrier with his subordinates. More than a few look concerned. Elias found that a bit odd, but he supposed the time for the acting was done. Mostly. Elias scowled as he made his way back toward the stage. “First Centurion Flash, Centurion’s Ice Blossom and Gray Granite, front and center,” he barked, his voice ringing through the training grounds. “Now!” The trio of ponies quickly formed a line before him, and Elias glared hard at them all. “Are you trying to make me look like an idiot?” Elias asked quietly, keeping his voice just loud enough for it to still carry. Night Flash frowned and glanced toward Elias with an inquisitive look, but Granite was the one who spoke first. “Of course not General, we followed your orders to the letter.” Elias stepped to the right so that he was directly in front of the earth pony. “Oh, so it’s my fault that MY ENTIRE LEGION IS OUT OF UNIFORM!” Granite winced at Elias’ spike in volume. The human stood up straight and ran a hand through his hair, faking a deep sigh as he began to pace. “I cannot believe the sheer lack of discipline here today. I specifically asked in my letter that my legionaries be at formation in fully polished armor, and yet all I see here today is a bunch of fucking recruits!” Elias took a breath to continue, but in the space of his inhale, Anyon’s rough voice carried across the training grounds. “Hurry up ya rat-eating bastards! Ya missed our cue!” Elias couldn’t keep his false anger going any longer as the gryphon strutted into view with a puffed-out chest and a wide grin. Elias shook his head and smiled as a large team of ponies yanked a tall stack of crates forward, grunting and groaning as the heavy boxes weighed down their carts so much that the wheels struggled to turn. Still, the collection of mares and stallions Anyon had drafted into assisting him quickly rolled out the massive stock of equipment, and Anyon led the charge, smiling brightly as he stood before Elias. “Here’s yer gear General! Got it all ready, jus’ to yer specifications!” Elias chuckled and shook his head. “Anyon… your cue was when I began commenting on how low quality the recruit armor looked, and how it made them look shameful. You came out early.” Anyon’s one eye drifted down, then to the recruits. It then shifted back to the tired and angry looking workers, before finally settling back on a grinning Elias. The gryphon drooped slightly. “Ah shit.” Elias laughed aloud and looked back to his centurions. “Fall back in, my little prank is over. You can thank Anyon that it didn’t go on longer.” The gryphon muttered something under his breath and kicked at the dirt as Elias turned to address his extremely confused legion of recruits. “Recruits!” Elias called out, “Today is a good day, a proud day. You may have noticed that the bell is no longer here for your use, and has instead been replaced with a statue.” Elias motioned to the horse shaped statue of helmets. It had taken him a bit of searching, but the pony he had commissioned it for had been grateful to work with the odd specifications had set before her. It had taken her a few hours, but he thought the statue looked good. It certainly gleamed in the morning light. “This is a symbol of failure, and I want each and every one of you to burn an image of this statue into your mind, because you can now congratulate yourselves, because you are not failures. Not anymore.” “No,” Elias continued, bracing one hand on his gladius hilt. Damn, the air was so crisp, so clean. It put additional energy into his bones, made his blood run just a tad faster. “Today each and every one of you have earned the right to call yourselves something more than recruits. You have earned the right to call yourselves legionaries.” A host of whispers immediately rose, something Elias silenced with a raise of his hand. “Now, I must offer one thing before we begin distributing your official legion armor. You have done a great thing by surviving through training thus far, but in truth, that was your tryout. What follows in these next few months will be grueling, and back breaking, but I promise by the end that nobody, not in Equestria, nor outside its borders will be able to stop you.” Elias bowed his head slightly. “But I can understand those who feel tired, who are exhausted at this point and who feel the need to end their time with us. I cannot fault you that, this has been an exhausting experience. So I offer this one final chance to you;” Elias motioned to the statue. “You have shown everyone here that you are not quitters, are not failures, but should you feel in your heart that this is the end of your journey in my legion, please step forward and place your helmet at the base of the statue of failures. Walk free of this place with your head held high, and with pride in your step as you walk out with the knowledge that you made it this far.” “There is no shame in leaving now,” Elias said. “But, if you choose to leave after you receive your legionnaire armor, you will not be able to walk away.” Elias reached behind his back and withdrew a small scroll. He held it high in the air. “This, is signed permission from Princess Luna to hold, try, and punish any deserters from my command. Know that if you take your legion armor and then try to walk away later, I will find you, and imprison you until the end of the march, after which you will be tried for cowardice.” Elias looked out over the recruits, looking for fear. He found none. “I don’t think I need to remind anyone here that my punishment for cowardice; is death.” Still nothing. The ponies under his command stood firm, though Elias did notice a frown on Chaser’s face. Elias continued anyway. “Now is the time to make your choice recruits; if you leave, you do so with no shame, but you will receive no glory. If you stay, you stay until the end, whether it comes at the end of the enemy’s sword, or mine.” He motioned to the statue again. “So, here is your chance. Speak now or forever hold your peace.” The training grounds were dead silent. For once, Elias felt slightly intimidated by the mass of ponies before him. His eyes searched for that one spot of meekness or nerves that would indicate doubt, but for once, he could find nothing. He began moving forward, and as he searched different sections of the legion, he found that nothing changed. Their eyes all held the same expression, and they watched him with cool confidence. Had they not been a rainbow of colors, he would have believed he was looking at clones of a single, determined pony. It was terrifying. It made Elias smile. He made his way to the front of the formation, waiting silently for anyone to stand out from the mass of ponies. He made it to the front before somebody stepped out of formation, and a small gasp went up from the recruits as the purple thestral saluted. Elias stopped his pacing to stare at her with a small frown. She faced him, standing at a rigid attention. “Permission to speak General?” Elias nodded. “Granted Recruit.” The thestral’s fangs glistened as she grinned. “I don’t think I’m the only one here who knows they’re in it for the long haul. We haven’t quit yet, and we aren’t quitting now. Sorry to say General, but you are stuck with us.” Elias snorted, then smiled. “Well said, Legionary Steel Heart” he said loudly. His eyes flicked away from the thestral as she stepped back into formation. To the recruits he said; “Adiutor Book Binder has your new positions sorted out, line up by cohort to begin distribution of your equipment. I will speak to you again when you look like legionaries.” ***** Elias felt his heart swell as the ponies fell back into place. The sun was just beginning to rise, and as its golden light spilled into the training grounds, it sparkled off of the shining silver of his legion. As they fell in, Elias looked over them in detail. He had inspected samples from Anyon, but he wanted to see the uniformity of the uniforms over the three thousand strong mass of ponies. The legionary armor looked exactly like those his officers wore, save for the fact that their helmets lacked the distinct plume that all guard ponies had. Elias had been adamant about his break from pony tradition, and his former recruits didn’t seem to mind much. They had been taught why they lacked plumes, spotting officers in a sea of plumes was difficult after all, but still, the traditional roman legionary helmet looked perfect on the heads of the ponies, and they knew it. Anyon had brought tall mirrors with him, and the legionaries ooed and awed at themselves, showing their equipment off to their fellows. They also knew that they were distinct from the other guards, and soon the world would be able to tell the difference from a legionary, and a guard. The auxiliaries were every bit as enthusiastic, despite the lack of flash in their equipment. The helmet was the only thing that they shared with their legionary comrades. Their armor was primarily made of dragon leather, colored brown and then overlaid with silver chainmail, primarily around their core areas and their joints. Elias had made sure to keep the armor lighter so that they could be more maneuverable, and so that they could carry more ammunition. Enchanted sheathes lined their bodies, designed to allow them to easily balance massive loads of pilla and arrows, as well as medical supplies for the healers scattered among the auxiliary core. The third group to receive armor were his freshest recruits, but with the rush to fill in scouting roles, Elias had to also rush the scouting armor. It was modified auxiliary armor, unfortunately made with a weaker material; wild cow hide. Elias had made Anyon compensate by enchanting the leather with additional speed and armor spells, but only so much could be done to strengthen the softer material, and Elias knew that his scouts would be particularly vulnerable, especially given that they wouldn’t receive helmets. The pegasi had agreed as a group that wearing anything on their heads would impede their ability to spot and move about quickly, so Elias had agreed to waive helmets. He just hoped being high in the sky would prevent them from getting killed. With as short notice as he had received, Elias had to cut corners as he developed training regimens for the ponies, so all of them were pegasi. That had come with a healthy mix of benefits and drawbacks. A benefit had been that he had talked with Luna to bring in some pegasus specific trainers, a group of whom were supposed to arrive within hours to drill the scouts and bring them up to their peak physical capacity. A drawback had been that Lionheart had immediately gotten word of Elias’ exclusive scouting detachment and had cried foul to Celestia about discrimination. Elias had responded by pointing out the unicorn’s refusal to include him on scouting reports, and after a heated “debate” in which Elias had almost thrown the pony out a window, the charges had been dropped on Celestia's order. Overall, however, all of the groups of the legion held one thing in common; the red of their underclothes. The cloth was heavy, bolstered with a bit of padded armor as an extra measure of protection, but more importantly, it made them look like real legionaries. No longer would they have to wear their armor constantly. Instead, they would wear the simple red tunic, using it as a clear label that they were in Legio I Equus. It would be yet another note of pride for the ponies, and it threatened to put a wide smile on Elias’ face. It hadn’t been easy to establish the myriad of legion traditions from nothing, and it especially hadn’t been easy to get the ponies to adopt them all, but he was getting there, slowly. The armor was another step, and from the looks of things, it had been a successful step forward. Elias took a deep breath to settle his chest. With all of the excited energy in the air, he couldn’t help but get caught up in it, and his face broke out in a smile as the last few ponies collected their gear and rushed back into formation so that their fellows could help them put it on. It was a good day that was only going to get better, and Elias was in a bad spot. Things were going well, the ponies looked genuinely happy and proud in their armor, and that just made him overwhelmingly happy. So happy, in fact, that he couldn’t put on his usual frown, and he was forced to stay away in case anyone noticed. He couldn’t help it though; it was just like when he had seen Night Flash in his armor for the first time. It just made Elias so incredibly happy to see things coming to life again, but this time the right way. Elias rubbed at his face to try and hide his smile as Book Binder trotted up the stage to stand beside him. “It’s something else, huh General?” she asked. Elias nodded. “That it is Adiutor. I’m concerned that I won’t be able to hold it together when I make them tour their new bunks, and this afternoon’s march?” he scoffed. “I’m going to be a damned mess.” Book Binder gave him a look of fake shock. “General Bright genuinely happy? The stars will plummet, and the world will end! Woe is me; I can’t believe my eyes!” Elias managed to find his scowl as the unicorn nudged his leg and grinned. “I can have you court martialed, you know that right?” he grumbled. Book Binder chuckled and looked back to the legionaries. “You could, but I don’t think you will. I’ve made myself too valuable to your operation. It would take a dozen ponies to replace me.” “Nobody could replace you,” Elias mumbled as he looked away. Book Binder’s ears flicked, but she seemed to pretend not to hear him. Instead, they both watched silently as the last few ponies fell into formation, turning the training grounds into a sea of glistening sea of silver. The sight brought up a lot of things in Elias; memories, both good and bad. His bad eye twitched slightly as he stared at the legion, formed up in shining silver. An image of his human legion coated in blood flashed by momentarily, but with a blink the sight was gone. It had already turned his stomach however, and it helped bring Elias down from his excited high. He rolled his shoulders slowly as he tried to find his calm place. Taking a step forward, Elias clasped his hands behind his back and cleared his throat, trying his best to erase all signs of nerves. “Congratulations! You are no longer recruits, but legionaries! I expect you to act like it. Review your legion manuals if you believe you might be doing something stupid, but for now…” Elias couldn’t help himself as he gave out another compliment. “You all look good; almost like real soldiers. Form up in your sections and clear out the bunkhouses. Gather all of your belongings, because you will not be returning. It’s about time to show you to your real quarters.” ***** To say the legionaries were excited about the drastic upgrade to their living spaces was an understatement. As soon as they had cleared out all of their belongings, Elias had ordered the old barracks demolished to make room for additional drill space; then he had led the legion through the garden “wall” of the training yard to their new bunkhouses. The new bunkhouses blended in smoothly with the greenery, and despite their attempts at discipline, the ponies squealed as they saw the elegant buildings. The sound threatened to bring another smile to Elias’ face, and why shouldn’t it? The buildings had been expensive, and difficult to design. Elias hoped it would be a suitable reward for the hell he had put the ponies through, as well as for what they had yet to endure. The outside of the new buildings was done up in stone, unlike the thin wooden walls of the previous barracks. A small waist-high wall surrounded each building, with wrought-iron gates allowing for access to the barracks. The pillars on either side of the gates held copies of the legion standard, along with cohort designations. It took no prodding for the ponies to separate into their sections, and though Elias warned them about moving too quickly, he began hearing shrieks of excitement as the ponies bolted into their new quarters. He sighed and shook his head in exasperation, then gave the order for the ponies to go wild. In an instant the outside was empty, and the barracks were filled to the brim with ponies, all of whom were admiring and celebrating their superior quarters. Elias didn’t follow them inside, had in fact already done several inspections to ensure that his troops weren’t being cheated. It wasn’t too lavish, but it was designed with the intention to be practical, as to suit all their training needs, as well as comfortable, to help them relax after. Each bunkhouse was outfitted with small smithies for armor repair, expansive bathroom facilities, as well as a laundry facility for those who didn’t want to deal with the castle’s inane cleaning staff. The maid staff were asinine, and had he not been working with General Lionheart, they would have been his single greatest source of complaints. Another addition to the bunkhouses was superior beds with actual bedding, rather than the cheap stuff Elias had stocked the recruit houses with. Finally, he had several magical storage areas installed so that the ponies wouldn’t be crowded by the gear they had yet to receive. Book Binder danced on her hooftips as she looked back and forth between Elias, and the entrance to the nearest bunkhouse, that of the 2nd Cohort Auxiliaries. Night Flash also looked mildly curious, but for once, Book Binder was the more excitable of the pair. A small whine escaped the mare’s mouth as some legionary within the bunkhouse began shrieking about how soft the carpets were, so Elias decided to throw the dedicated mare beside him a bone. “Adiutor, would you like to see the interior of the legion bunkhouse?” The unicorn looked up at him with her massive pleading puppy dog eyes. “Please General, not knowing will be the death of me. Night Flash and I go home every night, if we don’t go in now, when will we?” Elias rolled his eyes. “Fine,” he said as he motioned toward the open door. “But make it fast, and make sure they’re getting settled in there. We still have training to do.” Elias had no idea why he bothered to finish the sentence. Book Binder had bolted through the door as soon as he said “fine”. Night Flash chuckled and shook his head. “Sorry about that General, but Book Binder loves looking at home interiors. She’s the one who found and bought the home we’ll be moving into after our wedding.” Elias glanced down at the pegasus. “And are you excited about that? Getting your own place?” Night Flash looked up and nodded. “Yes General, I am. It’s got a lot of space for our expanding family, and we can finally feel like we’re not just hanging on her parents. We’ve been staying in their house for a little over a year now, and they say we’re fine, but…” “You still feel like a burden,” Elias finished. He looked back to the barracks, noticing a flash of mint green as Book Binder bolted by a window. “Now you know how I feel most of the time.” Night Flash shrugged. “Maybe a little, but I think what you experience is different, probably a bit more serious. Either way, you can ease that feeling of burden with every day of training.” “And why’s that?” Elias asked as he saw a flash of green magic levitating what looked to be one of the entryway rugs. Night Flash gestured around them. “All of this? Frankly General, you’re earning everything you’ve got coming to you. Not counting what you’re earning while a general, your retirement package will be substantial, so much so that you could live comfortably off of it for the rest of your days.” “Ignoring the fact that I’m already an independently wealthy individual,” Elias commented as he saw a red-violet tail whip by. A cry of joy pierced the air, followed quickly by over a dozen. The noise disconcerted him. Night Flash nodded in agreement with his words. “But that’s just the money side. Imagine General, you have so much you can do after the march! Whether you want it or not, you’re going to earn prestige, so keeping your current job would be no trouble. If you decided to quit though, there are still so many avenues open! You could write training manuals, act as an instructor, do foreign mercenary work, anything military related really.” Night Flash smiled as the red-violet tail flashed through the windows, followed swiftly by a dozen flashes of silver. “But say you didn’t want to do something related to war; you could write books on human cultures and other stuff, teach classes maybe. You always seem interested about history, and if you’re bored of your cultures, you could study any number of Equestrian cultures. It’s all in the air, and no matter what, you’re going to have friends at your back to support you.” Night Flash caught Elias’ eye and smiled. “Your future is bright General.” Elias sighed and rolled his eyes. “I do hope that pun was intentional First Centurion. As for my future, I’m surprised you didn’t say my “family” and friends will be at my back.” Night Flash shrugged again. “You know me General; I love you to death. If I get to call you son, Elias, or General, I’m just happy to be by your side. Everypony seems to be making plans for you, but for me? I want you to make your plan; just so long as I get to join you for the ride, I'm happy with whatever it is.” That hit Elias hard. He had no words to describe how absolutely grateful he was to hear such words, and it took everything in him to not scoop up the pegasus beside him and crush him in a hug. He did need to get rid of the pony so that he could collect himself, however. “First Centurion,” Elias said softly, trying to hide the stutter in his voice, “please go retrieve Adiutor Binder before she explodes.” Night Flash grinned and saluted. “Right away General.” The pegasus was off like a shot, and Elias quickly heard the sound of shrieks rise in the barracks. A flash of red violet was pursued hotly by a flash of dark blue as the pair ran amok in the bunkhouse. The sight put a small smile on Elias’ face, and he crossed his arms, letting happy tears stream down his face as his parents made fools of themselves before the legionaries. ***** “Oh, but the carpets were just so soft and pretty!” Book Binder gushed as they marched down the road to Ponyville. “And the color schemes! General, you are a visual genius, who cares about the guard, you should be an interior designer! The crystal chandeliers were so beautiful, and so bright! They lit up the room perfectly, and then the bunks were perfectly spaced out for ponies, and then the sheets matched the carpets, oh it was just so wonderful!” Elias didn’t have it within his heart to stop the unicorn from blabbering on as she talked his and Night Flash’s ears off. The only reason everything within the bunkhouses matched was because Elias had ensure that they were the same red as the rest of the uniform, meaning that everything matched perfectly. The grey stone of the building worked well with the brilliant red, and the rest was simply tailored to match. Book Binder couldn’t have gotten enough it, however, and she had begun talking about his “brilliant interior designing skills” since Night Flash had dragged her from the building by her tail. The auxiliaries had followed the pair out, smiling widely. Elias would have punished them for laughing at a superior’s expense, but since they were already in their marching packs, he let it slide, especially when Book Binder saddled up to him and began singing his praises. Elias tuned out her compliments as he focused on the tasks ahead. For the short term; they were supposed to begin training on the quick construction of the castra they would be using. Despite the protests he had received, Elias had managed to get Celestia on his side for once, and the march would use the fortified camp he and Scarlet had designed. While the rest of the army wouldn’t be informed of their jobs for another month or two, Elias needed to ensure that his legionaries would be able to do their part. Since he could trust them to do what he said, Elias had taken the hardest job; that of gathering materials and constructing the castra walls. The job was made easier with things like magic, but the ponies in his command still needed to be able to properly gauge what was appropriate and what wasn’t. If the wall had even a single weak spot and they came under attack, they would be in a bad spot. As for the long term; there was still so much to do. The castra was only a part of it. The legionaries still needed to be taught their advanced formations, still needed further combat training, and needed to get used to their full rucks. Elias still hadn’t give the ponies their full ammunition loads, let alone their tents, food, and water for the trek. Despite the fact that they were taking supply wagons, Elias intended for each member of his legion to carry at least two days of food and water on their backs in case of an emergency. If his estimates were right, each pony would be carrying their body weight between their armor and their rucks. It was going to be brutal going, but Elias had an instinct that they would need every bit of their equipment. None of that compared to what he still had to get done. Elias knew there would be many more coordination meetings with his fellow generals in the future, and while the fact irritated him to no end, he knew it was necessary. They still needed to decide on the appropriate amount of supplies, the marching order, battle formations, the stopping points along their route, everything. Even the small details weren’t allowed to escape him, and Elias imagined that his stress-induced migraines would only grow worse as the march grew closer. The only comfort he gave himself was that each and every moment of pain he suffered made the army as a whole better prepared, so he pushed on. The formation in front of Elias ground to a halt, and before Elias could open his mouth, a bright blue pony with a green and white mane landed in front of him. The pegasus mare saluted sharply. Elias scowled at her in return. “Report; why have we stopped?” The pony dropped her hoof. “Obstruction in the road General; a broken-down wagon. It’s smack in the middle, so we’re going to need to either move it, or march around it.” Elias nodded silently. “Lead me to it then. First Centurion keep everyone on their feet. We don’t rest until we’re done. Adiutor, follow me.” Elias set off at a trot, moving easily in his heavy armor. Unlike the enchanted versions the ponies wore, his armor was as heavy as ever. It was a silly thing, but it made him feel safer, more protected. From what, he didn’t know, but when he slid into the silvery steel of his cuirass, everything was just a bit better. As he trotted past his rows of stopped legionaries, the edge of a shouting match began to reach his ears. The scout cast a nervous glance back at Elias, but she continued moving forward, leading him toward the pair of arguing ponies in the middle of the road. “Mac, ah’m tellin’ you, we gotta get the axle fixed! I know we’re holdin’ up these ponies, but if we put the cart in that there ditch it ain’t never comin’ out!” The yelling pony was an orange mare wearing some kind of cowboy hat. She was dwarfed by a stallion that was only a few inches shorter than Elias was, and he was fairly sure he had undergone another growth spurt recently. His alicorn reference for height had changed, and he was closer in height to Celestia now. Yet, the red stallion with the green apple stood tall against the smaller mare. He chewed a piece of hay in his teeth as he spoke; slow and low. “Applejack, ain’t nothin’ we can do ta fix it here. Ah realize it ain’t the best, but we’re holdin’ up ponies. It ain’t right.” The orange mare, Applejack, stomped her hoof. “Dangit Bic Mac! Yer not even trying to be reasonable with me!” Bic Mac shook his head and looked toward Elias as the human slowed his jog to a walk. “Nope. Ah’m right. Now ya gotta talk to ‘im.” Applejack whirled with her jaw set in hard line. For some reason however, her eyes seemed to skip past Elias, and instead focused on Book Binder. “Listen here missy, ah know ya’ll got places to be, but so do I! We’ve been tryin’ to get into town all day, but this darn cart ain’t what she used to be. Now unless yer fixin’ to help, I’m gonna need ya’ll to just wait while I run back to the farm to get the spare axle.” Elias tuned out her words as Book Binder tried to act as a mediator. Instead, he looked toward the cart itself. At a glance he could tell that the cart was loaded far past its capacity. Apples were stacked tall upon it, and he could see the entire thing sagging in the dirt. His eyes flicked down to the rear axle to find it snapped cleanly in two. It was all wood, and while it had likely been excellent craftsmanship once upon a time, that time was far past. Book Binder tried to speak, only for Applejack to begin arguing with her instead of Bic Mac. Elias let his unicorn assistant distract the mare as a long-forgotten hobby rose in his mind. He had tried his hand at woodworking, and though he had never been particularly good at it, he was more than sure he could figure out a way to mend the axel with a pilum shaft. It would certainly be faster than trying to calm down the orange farm pony that was agitating his assistant. He pulled his helmet off as Book Binder got in Applejack’s face, and a second loud voice began tearing through the air. Elias shrugged his ruck off and set it on the side of the wagon, then laid down and slid underneath the cart. He realized instantly that if the cart so much as slipped to the side, he would die from its weight. He looked to the front row of legionaries, who were watching Book Binder and Applejack go at it. Elias whistled, grabbing their attention away from the catfight. “Come earn your paychecks and brace this damn thing. I will not have “crushed by an apple cart” on my tombstone.” The legionaries smiled faintly, and three passed of their equipment to brace the wagon. Confident that it wouldn’t move while he worked, Elias scooted himself forward so that the broken axle sat inches from his face. Elias frowned, eyeballing the diameter of the shaft, then reached a handout. “Pilum.” One of the legionaries passed him their javelin, and Elias held it up beside the axle shaft. They were just about the same, but he would need help to properly attach the spear in place of the axle. He laid his head back and stared at Book Binder upside down until she stopped yelling at Applejack long enough to meet his gaze. “Yes General?” she asked with a huff, shooting a glare at the orange farm pony that told him that she wasn’t finished arguing. “We have a carpenter, yes?” Elias asked. “A… Wood Shop I believe? 3rd Cohort?” Book Binder reached into her saddlebags and withdrew her troop list. She flipped through the pages for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Yes, Legionnaire Wood Chop. We’ve been considering her for an additional centurion position.” Elias pointed to the scout. “Go fetch her. Tell her to move fast; I want us moving in the next ten minutes.” The mare nodded and took off, quickly spiraling back along the line of ponies. With a helper near at hand Elias set to work removing the heads from both ends of the pilum shaft. He stopped after a moment when he realized that all was quiet. Elias’ eyes flicked back toward Book Binder to find Applejack staring at him. “What?” he asked. The farm pony winced, and after another silent blink, Elias realized what was likely keeping the pony quiet. After so many mornings waking up to see the black mar on his face, he had just gotten used to it. “Relax, I got it killing changelings. Do you really think the princesses would make me a general if I was fighting for the bad guys?” Elias didn’t wait for an answer, and instead focused on the pilum in his hands. Anyon had done a thorough job in putting the screws on, and despite his dexterous fingers and his experience removing spear heads, he had a devil of a time getting the primary javelin head off. Wood Chop came trotting up just as he got the secondary head off, sliding it in the dirt to one of the legionaries. He looked to the brown earth pony. “You’re Wood Chop?” The pony nodded. “Yes General. Legionnaire Wood Chop, reporting for duty.” Her hoof snapped up to her forehead, causing Elias to scowl. “Quit saluting me and get down here. I need to make sure I’m doing this right.” The earth pony blinked at him stupidly for a moment, then shrugged off her gear and wiggled her way under the cart, turning over so that her head rested right next to Elias’. He held up the pilum shaft where the axle was supposed to go. “What do you think?” he asked. “I’m thinking it will at least do to get this cart moving out of the way.” Applejack seemed to find her voice again. “I ain’t pushin’ mah cart into no ditch!” she barked. “Applejack hush!” Big Mac snapped, stepping up to the orange mare. “The strange looking pony is tryin’ ta help! Ah thought you and yer friends solved this stubbornness of yours!” Elias tuned them out again as the pair began to squabble. He didn’t know why he had the effect of making so many ponies angry at him, but in truth, he once again didn’t care. He had all the ponies he needed, who cared if some apple farmer didn’t like him? Wood Chop frowned at the pilum shaft in his hands. “I… think it’ll work,” she said slowly. “But hoof it here. The pilum is a bit shorter than the other axle, and lucky for us, I can fix that.” Elias passed the earth pony the pilum, and she curled her hooves around it, whispering softly into the wood. Elias watched as slowly but surely; the wood lengthened. Wood Chop motioned with a free hoof toward the broken axle. “We need to have these removed before we can replace them with the pilum shaft.” Elias nodded, and he motioned for the legionaries to lift the cart. A trio of ponies pealed off from the formation, and with a pair bracing one end, the rest lifted the wooden cart into the air. Elias sat up, and scooted out from beneath the cart. He pulled one wheel free, while Ice Blossom went to the other. Out of the corner of his eye, Elias noticed Granite inching toward the pair of arguing of apple farmers, clearly waiting to see if the argument would get uglier. Elias braced the inside of the wheel shaft and pulled the piece of axle free. Ice Blossom quickly did the same, then the pair re-aligned the wheels to their wells and held them steady as Wood Chop slid the pilum shaft into place. It slid easily into the center of the wheel, and Elias again watched as the wood grew and expanded to fit perfectly within the wheel. A cap even formed, making sure that the new axle stayed perfectly in place. He looked to Wood Chop, who smiled at her work. “And that’s that General. Should work good as new now. With the way Anyon’s been making these pilum shafts, it should be good to run for years.” “Good,” Elias replied. “Get out from under there so we can get going again.” Wood Chop nodded, and she rolled over, then crawled out from underneath the wagon. On a three count, the rest of the ponies set the wagon back down, then moved quickly to fall back into their positions. Elias dusted himself off as best he could, then scooped up his helmet and ruck, sliding them both on quickly. Geared up once again, Elias looked toward Big Mac and Applejack. The stallion looked rather happy, and he stepped forward quickly, with his low southern drawl leading the way. “Ah thank ya. This wagon has been a bother for years now. Ah’ll move as fast as ah can to get out of your way.” Elias gave him a small nod. “Excellent. It may have been a minor delay, but as long as we get under way quickly, I’m sure we can make up lost time.” Elias glanced to Ice Blossom, who nodded and turned on the legionaries. “You hear that? We’re double timing it to Ponyville! No more breaks for you lot!” Elias adjusted his ruck straps, then paused as he felt his bad eye twitch. His eyes flicked up to Applejack, who was fixing him with a mean glare. Far more alarming was the massive spike of waves around her head. Elias frowned and met the mare’s eyes. “Something wrong miss?” Applejack growled. “Ah didn’t ask for your help! Didn’t need it neither! Mac and I coulda takin’ care of the cart all on our own!” Big Mac scowled at his sister “Applejack, that is enough! We weren’t movin’ for nothin’. Leave the stallion be and let’s get movin’.” Applejack shook her head, and she kneaded at the ground with a foreleg. “No! Ah heard of this feller before, this is the one that near attacked Fluttershy! Ain’t nopony that can get away with attacking mah friends!” Book Binder placed herself between Elias and Applejack. “Ms. Applejack, I suggest you step away,” the unicorn said with a snarl. “You must have misheard things, because your friend decided to harass our march! General Bright merely stopped her and made sure her little “protest” didn’t impact our training.” Elias ignored the pair of mares as they set to arguing again. His eyes were much more focused on the waves. He could see a faint hint of a line trailing away from Applejack and into the formation of legionaries. Elias’ eyes narrowed as he tried to pick out where the waves were originating from, and what it could mean. He had an idea, but he needed to be sure before he acted. Night Flash appeared at his side and tapped his leg gently. “General, what should we do? Adiutor Binder is about to rip the Element of Honesty in half.” Elias blinked and returned to the real world to find Book Binder and Applejack at each other’s throats. Bic Mac was trying to pull his sister back by her tail, but the mare was planted like a tree. Elias frowned. He had let the farce go on for far too long. “Adiutor!” he shouted, “that’s enough! Return to your position in formation.” Book Binder stopped growling at Applejack to stare at him in mild disbelief. “General, you can’t be taking her side! She’s insulting you!” Elias walked forward so that his shadow fell over both mares. “That may be Adiutor, but if I am so weak as to be taken down by insults, I shouldn’t have become a soldier. Back to your position. I won’t tell you again.” Book Binder stared for a moment more, then huffed and turned away, growling dark words under her breath as she trotted toward the center of the column. Elias took comfort in the fact that she wasn’t glaring at him, but instead at Applejack. A small realization popped into his mind. Anger. Each encounter they had with an Element bearer made his soldiers angry at them. They were forming resentment toward their nation’s heroes. That was one of the ways the spy was starting to divide the ponies. Spreading anger and resentment. Elias’ eyes flicked out among the legionaries again, but the waves were beginning to die down, and the line he had seen vanished. Applejack, while still angry, seemed mildly confused as Elias looked toward her. “As for you, Ms. Applejack, I suggest you move along. I didn’t have to help you, and I could have just as well ordered your wagon upturned and your apples stomped into the dirt. Why don’t you take after your sensible brother and get going?” She glared at him for a moment, but the unnatural source of her anger toward him was gone, and Bic Mac had more than enough strength to drag her toward the wagon. He tossed the orange mare into the back of the apple cart, gave Elias a silent nod of thanks, then strapped himself in and took off at a brisk pace. Elias watched them go for a ten-count, then looked toward his legionaries. One of them, if not more, was a spy. A changeling spy if his guess was right. He’d have to take measures to weed the rat out and eliminate them. For now, however, he just had to get the legion done with the days training. “Alright!” Elias called out. “Enough resting! Let’s get moving and get to Ponyville! We need as much time as possible practicing fast tent set up! Step lively!” > Chapter 45: Traitors in the Ranks > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias stared at the pair of ponies before him, tapping his fingers along his knuckles. Their disguises were impeccable, and because Elias didn’t know either of the ponies they were pretending to be beforehand, he had no idea what little twitches to look for to tell if they were truly changelings or not. No, the only things he had were suspicion, days’ worth of research on the buggy bastards, and his bad eye, which saw small waves climb from the foreheads of both of them. Neither were unicorns however, and they had nothing magical on their bodies, he had made sure of that. They sat before him in their plain red tunics, with all of their armor removed before they had entered his office. It was the only way he could think to ensure that he wasn’t simply misinterpreting the waves his bad eye saw as magic. If he was wrong, a host of things were going to turn sour, but Elias trusted his instincts. While a bit violent in nature, they had never led him astray before. The ponies exchanged a nervous glance, then shifted in their seats as Elias continued to stare them down. Book Binder stood near the door, staring at their backs. Scarlet and Night Flash waited outside, along with a Royal Guard who was keeping a silence spell around the room. No matter what happened, it would stay quiet, if nothing else. The pony on Elias’ left, a pegasus, cleared her throat loudly, drawing the full focus of his gaze. “Ah, General?” she asked meekly. “Shouldn’t we be getting back to training?” Elias’ eyes narrowed at the pony and she gulped nervously in reply. Elias scanned her up and down, looking for a flicker of an illusion spell, a flash of green in her eyes, anything that would tell him that she was a changeling. He had spent three days watching each and every legionnaire, looking for the source of the waves. He was the only one who could see them, and it was clear that the illusion removal spells that had been put over the castle after the invasion were no longer working. Something was wrong, he just knew it. When the legion went to sleep, he stayed up, spending endless hours in the library researching changelings with Neat Shelf, looking for something that would allow them to bypass the illusion rune. While the mare kept him relaxed with her constant deliveries of coffee and hot chocolate, as well as her subtle requests for belly rubs, Elias had forgone sleep in the hope of finding something useful, but he had found little more than a footnote theory that changeling illusions weren’t magically based, but rather a hybrid of magic and biology. The pony who had added it to the creature guide he was reading went on to talk about the possibility of mixing changeling parts with other creatures so that they could use changeling magic, but while interesting, it told him nothing on how to weed the bugs out. So, Elias went about it the old-fashioned way, applying psychological pressure, exhausting the legionaries until things slipped up. He had watched up close, from a distance, and everywhere in between, and the two ponies before him were the only sources of the waves. The one on his left seemed to be involved in a host of minor disputes, while the one on his right, an earth pony, seemed to always act as a mediator. The drastic difference of their behavior was strange, but he had to know for certain if they were truly spies. Elias continued to stare down the pegasus for a moment more, then looked to Book Binder. He gave the mare the smallest of nods, and she locked his office door. Her sword slid from its sheathe, and she stood ready in front of the door with a scowl on her face. Elias stood slowly and drew his gladius. The blade seemed to glisten in the light of his lamp, and both of the ponies before him gulped again as they stared at the blade. “I have spent the past few days looking over and meeting with every pony in my legion,” Elias said, keeping his voice low. “You two have been the only ones with distortions around you.” He tapped his scar. “The eye may be new, but I assure you, I trust it far more than I trust you two.” Elias glared at the earth pony, who withered under his stare. “I expect you to tell me why I’m seeing waves around your heads, or I’m going to execute you right here and now as spies. Give me answers before I collect your heads.” The earth pony shrank further in his seat, while the pegasus chuckled. “General, if you think that we’re changeling’s, I can assure you that we aren’t.” The word smacked around Elias’ head with such force that he momentarily forgot about his daily migraines. He grit his teeth and glared hate at the pegasus as she smiled sweetly back. “I mean, come on! You’re so smart, I think even you would be able to notice that we don’t have horns. How could we be-“ Elias silenced her with a cut across her throat. Or at least he thought he just cut her throat. The waves around her head had spiked until they had touched the ceiling, and a wave of nausea had threatened to consume him completely. As a result, he put a bit too much power into his swing, and Feather had managed to decapitate the pegasus. Her body slumped from its seat as the changeling’s head plopped to the floor. Elias resisted the urge to vomit on his desk as his eyes flicked to the earth pony. The tip of his gladius touched the ponies throat just as he threw his hooves into the air. “I’m not a changeling!” the pony cried. “Please General, I’m not a changeling!” Elias saw a minor spike in the waves above the pony’s head, and he pressed Feather forward. “Then I suggest you stop whatever magic bullshit you’re trying to pull before I remove your head like I did to your friend here.” The earth pony frowned slightly. “She’s not my friend. I’m not a changeling.” Book Binder pressed her gladius to the back of the pony’s neck. “I suggest you tell us what you are then, because I don’t appreciate dealing with the same bugs that almost took my son and my fiancé away from me.” Her eyes flicked to Elias, but he had eyes only for the earth pony in front of him. The pony sighed. “I… Look, I need to remove the inhibitor ring I have and ask what I can tell you. Please believe me, the “waves” you are seeing around me is just chatter. Promise, I won’t try to influence you like she did.” He looked toward the corpse of the changeling with mild distaste, then looked back to Elias. “Please General, just give me one chance to make this right.” Elias snarled. “If you make a single move I don’t like, I’ll end you. Now do what you have to before I stop being so patient.” The earth pony sighed, and his hoof raised to his forehead. Elias caught a flash of a white horn, but it quickly vanished as the earth pony placed an inhibitor ring on Elias’ desk. The waves around the earth pony’s head spiked lightly, but Elias felt nothing as the earth pony raised his hooves again. “I’m going to contact my queen now to ask her what I can tell you. It’s been an honor working with you General,” the pony said, sounding vaguely genuine, “and I’ve already spent too long breaking your trust. I understand your anger toward me, but all I can offer you is my apologies.” “Words mean nothing,” Elias snapped. “Actions are what matter to me.” The earth pony sighed again, and he straightened. Closing his eyes, the pony became completely still for a few moments, then he began to lightly chitter. Elias tensed his arm, ready to strike in a heartbeat. His eyes flicked to Book Binder, who looked much the same. She had inched closer, and while her sword was still pressed against the earth pony’s neck, her horn was also pointed directly at the back of his head, sparkling with magic. The chittering intensified for a moment, then stopped completely as the earth pony sighed and opened his eyes. He slumped in his chair and stared at Elias. “My queen has given me permission to reveal myself on one condition.” Elias pressed Feather a bit deeper into the earth pony’s neck. “You, nor she, is in any position to give terms. You are a spy in my legion, and in case you forgot, that is punishable by immediate execution. I am well within my rights to kill you without so much as an excuse.” The earth pony nodded. “I know General, and if you decide to kill me, I can promise that my queen will not seek retribution. This is all just… a misunderstanding. It shouldn’t happen, but it has, and I really want things to go back to normal. I want to stay here, in your legion, and if I can tell you anything, then there is a chance, however small, that I can stay.” Elias’ eyes narrowed. “And what makes you think that I want you here? I don’t need somebody reporting my movements to anyone, especially someone I haven’t met. Centurion Blossom is just about the only spy I’ll tolerate, and she’s doing it for Celestia and Chaser, ponies I’ve met. Frankly, I don’t know a damn thing about you or your queen. Is Snowball even really your name?” The earth pony nodded vigorously. “It is! My hivemates always call me Snowball because I’ve got the whitest fur! Here, look!” Snowball vanished in a flash of blue light, and true to his word, he was replaced by a snow-white changeling. The creature blinked, then smiled at Elias, and he immediately began noticing differences between the living changeling before him and the one that was soaking the floor with its goo. For starters, the eyes were different. They were colored a bright purple, rather than a blue. The creature before him also appeared to retain his pony fuzz, and in truth, besides the presence of his bug-like wings and eyes, as well as the curved horn on his head, he might have been able to pass for a normal pony. Snowball lacked the distinctive holes the changelings had, and his smile seemed honest and genuine, not like the sadistic fanged grimaces of his black shelled counterparts. Elias scowled at the white changeling as he lowered Feather. “Talk fast and well, because I will kill you if I hear anything I don’t like.” Snowball nodded. “Of course General. My queen has given me permission to reveal many things, as long as I can stay in your service after I’m done.” “Fine,” Elias said. “Get on with it. Start with telling me how you’re not a changeling.” Snowball smiled. “That’s simple; I am a loveling. We’re similar to the changelings, such as our need to feed on love, our innate ability to transform and disguise ourselves, and our hive mind and queen, but unlike the changelings, we are a… kinder people.” The loveling scratched at one of his ears, and Elias couldn’t help but draw the comparison between it and Nightshade’s ears. They were both long, a bit floppy, and extremely fuzzy. The ear flicked as Snowball continued. “It’s kind of hard to explain everything without going into centuries of history and mythos, but suffice to say we are ruled by benevolent queens, while the changelings have a storied history of malicious and evil queens. They have the same potential to be independent and produce their own love like we do, but their queens choose to enslave and steal rather than to earn.” Snowball sighed. “We try our best, but our bad land cousins really don’t like change, as ironic as that is. Either way, lovelings and changelings are not the same, and I have no relation with this fellow here.” Elias didn’t look toward the dead changeling. “That doesn’t explain why you’re here, spying on my legion.” Snowball sighed again and looked down in shame. “I know, and just… I was sent here to gather information on you, and by extension, your legion. News about the “Hero of Canterlot” extends outside of Equestria, and by putting you in command of a small army, the princesses have made everyone nervous. Nobody knows anything about you, and with your successes in the field of combat, it’s a bit intimidating.” The loveling waved a hoof in the air. “I mean, just think about it! In less than a year, you drop into Equestria, become a guard, help the underdog team win the RAT exercise, singlehandedly protect a princess from a changeling assassination attempt, and then become a general of your own guard force! That’s a threat if you’re looking from the outside!” Elias crossed his arms, tapping Feather’s hilt with his fingers. When the bug put it like that, he supposed there was some merit to fear. It didn’t excuse sending in spies, however. “There was nothing “singlehanded” about protecting Princess Luna, but that’s beside the point. Gather intel, that’s it? Then why were using mind magic on my ponies?” Snowball glanced to his right. “Her. I noticed her faster than you, but I didn’t know how to get rid of her without alerting you of my presence, so I resolved the issues she caused. Word began to spread that I was good at keeping ponies calm, so everyone asked me to mediate.” He shrugged and looked back to Elias. “I was just trying to help General. I used my magic to make ponies calm faster whenever they were being a bit too stubborn. Just little nudges in the right direction, I swear.” Elias scowled at the loveling for a moment longer, then sighed and sheathed his gladius. “I suppose that isn’t an executable offense. This queen of yours, what have you told her?” “Just what we’ve been doing,” Snowball replied. “I let her see through my eyes occasionally, especially when it comes to how you punish ponies for slacking, but mostly it’s just the stuff you let everypony see. Formations, training exercises, simple stuff.” He shrugged again. “There hasn’t really been much to report. Queen Flos sent me to make sure you weren’t influencing the princesses with your otherworldly powers, but the only thing otherworldly about you is the fact that you won’t bow just because someone has power.” Snowball smiled. “It’s actually been quite refreshing. You said that you were equally as worthless as everyone else, and you act like it. Yeah, you have power and you wield it, but you never order something you wouldn’t do. Even my queen can’t say that.” He tilted his head to the side. “Though to be honest, she’s a lot more important than you are. She has to produce eggs for the hive, and make sure the hivemind doesn’t become too muddled, and make sure we’re all safe and getting fed, and…” “Enough,” Elias cut in. “Clearly I’m important enough that she had to send a spy to keep tabs on me. Adiutor, grab Flash and Scarlet, escort the spy to Princess Celestia. She’ll decide what to do with him, but he isn’t staying here.” Snowball blinked in shock, while Book Binder sheathed her gladius and pulled out a pair of hoof-cuffs. “B-but you said I could stay if I told you! My queen only gave me permission to talk if I could stay!” “That’s not my problem,” Elias snapped. “If she won’t put trust in me, then I won’t do her the same courtesy. Tell her that the next spy she sends will be returned in pieces. Adiutor, get him out of my office.” Snowball continued to voice his protests as Book Binder fitted him with the cuffs and an inhibitor ring. She opened the door to Elias’ office, and Night Flash and Scarlet quickly seized the loveling, dragging him toward the throne room. Elias remained standing for a few moments as he listened to the loveling’s fading protests. With a long sigh, he sat back in his chair as Book Binder trotted back into his office. He glanced up as she made her way to her desk. “So, think I handled that like I should have?” Book Binder shrugged. “That depends General. You’ve been attacked by changelings, had one of your few pony friends replaced by a spy, and even before Equestria you dealt with betrayal. Ponies take a pretty hard stance on spies, and if he honestly wanted to be in the legion, he should have revealed himself before he was found out.” She frowned as she shuffled a few papers into her desk drawer. “I can’t say I would have lied to get the information out of him, but then again, I can’t offer a better solution. It’s in the princess’s hooves now though, so I wouldn’t worry too much on it.” Elias sighed. “A fair assessment, but I think I’ll worry anyway. It’s my way. Before you and Flash go on leave, send a letter to Celestia. I’d like to know what she does with our little loveling spy.” Book Binder nodded and penned a quick note before sending it off in a flash of magic. She then took off her helmet and smiled at him. “If that is all General, I have a wedding to finish preparing for. I shall see you Friday.” Elias nodded silently, then looked toward the clock. “Damn, is it already three? Luna’s going to kill me if I’m late.” Book Binder chuckled. “Oh? Big date with the princess? Looks like General Bright is moving up in the world.” Elias glanced at her and cocked his head. “He sure is. Almost too far up to go to a certain wedding if his assistant keeps mouthing off.” Book Binder smiled at him, but when Elias didn’t match the smile, she chuckled nervously. “Sorry General, habit. I’m… going to get Night Flash. I’ll see you on Friday.” Elias nodded, and continued to stare at her unblinkingly. “I will see you Friday Adiutor.” Book Binder had a worried look in her eyes as she trotted from his office, but Elias did his best not to dwell on it. His search for the spies had helped him to get a reality check, as minute as it might have been. He was being far too easy to push around. Not a single friend of his was any farther away, not really. He kept letting things slide, kept letting weakness in. He needed to tighten his fist again, needed to be far stricter. He could play games later, now was time for work. Or rather, now was time for his suit fitting with Luna. She had seen him naked no less than twice, yet Elias felt nervous to go anywhere with the mare now. Every time he so much as saw the color blue, he felt butterflies and became distracted. It was yet another reason that he had to become emotionless again. She was far too close for the amount of danger she was going to be in. He had already noticed dramatic changes in her physical state. A month ago she was energetic still, and at her full height, but with each day her energy diminished. Her mane was starting to blow slower, and her tail was beginning to change into a plain blue, rather than a flowing starscape. Elias still thought her beautiful, but the changes were obvious to anyone who was looking, and he had no doubts that the changeling that was seeping into his floor wasn’t the only spy. They could see the rulers of Equestria growing weaker, and he had no doubts that they were planning another invasion to take advantage of the weakness of the alicorns. Elias scowled and quickly grabbed a scrap of parchment to scribble out a note on. He needed to inform the other generals of his spy issue, they were no doubt dealing with the same issue and they didn’t even know it. Hopefully having Snowball brought to Celestia’s attention would make them increase security, but Elias couldn’t rely on his fellows to think for themselves. He had enough time to briefly outline his strategy to weed out further infiltrators before Luna appeared like a wraith in his doorway. Elias held up his left hand as he continued to scribble. “Just a minute Princess, I had to deal with spies, and I have a good plan for purging the castle of them. It could be a good plan to use routinely, maybe once a month, to clear out enemy agents. I just need a few more minutes…” Luna scowled and four Royal Guards dipped past her and into his office. “You have until the count of five General. I had your word that you would be available, and my sister has already put the castle on high alert. Illusion removal spells are being cast on each and every pony as we speak. You can finish your permanent plan later. The situation is well in hoof. You and I have an appointment to keep.” Elias frowned as he scribbled faster. “Just… a minute… more…” Luna sighed. “Seize him. Don’t spill that ink, or he’ll have your heads.” Elias managed to ward off the pair of guards that came at his left with his foot, and with the free hand, he managed to slap away the one that came at his right. The one that abandoned subtly and went over his desk however, managed to wrap her hooves around his chest, and she dragged him to the floor, where her fellows managed to pin his limbs. Elias huffed as they flipped him over and began binding his hands and feet. “I hardly think tying me up is necessary.” Luna smiled as the guards carried him around his desk. “Perhaps not, but this is the first true break you’ve had in months. Think of it like this, this allows for us to move faster, which allows you to get back to work faster. The more you cooperate, the sooner you can get back to executing changelings and running your ponies half to death.” Elias glanced back at the corpse in his office. “Speaking of, I do need a free hand to send a note to Centurion Blossom. I want that corpse gone.” Luna snorted and with a flick of her wing, one of the guards peeled away, sprinting down the corridor in the direction of the training field. “Taken care of Elias. I have also arranged a runner to keep us informed of the spy situation as it develops. Rest assured, that despite how it may seem, we are still keeping Equestria safe, even while taking a small break.” Elias sighed as he shifted to try and find a comfortable position as the guards carried him toward his appointment with Luna’s tailor. ***** Elias couldn’t help but smile as Luna tried to sneak off of the podium that she had been standing on for two hours. His tuxedo had taken him just over fifteen minutes, and while the tailor had made comments about how odd his body was, pants were pants, a shirt was a shirt, and a jacket and tie were fairly easy to make. Luna had seemed disappointed that he had gotten done so quickly, but Elias didn’t particularly like seeing the mare pout, so he agreed to wait out the full appointment. What he didn’t know at the time was the show he was going to get for his patience. As soon as Luna had stepped up to the podium, extra ponies seemed to crawl out of the dress racks, and fairly soon, a small horde of tailors and assistants were combing over her, asking hundreds of questions to ensure that her dress was perfect. She did her best to answer them all and keep a smile on throughout, but Elias could tell that she was flustered from the amount of rabid attention. It also meant Luna was stuck in place as they measured every inch of the alicorn, questioning her thoroughly about how much she would shrink by the time of the wedding. She had tried to escape by claiming she would need to retrieve something from the castle so that they could get the proper measurements, but the army of tailors had quickly seized one of the Royal Guards and dis-armored her. They set her beside Luna, and then set upon the pair. The Royal Guard kept her normal frown on as the tailors shifted through a number of dresses, all while comparing them to Luna’s fur and mane color. The alicorn looked desperate to be away from the situation, but she was more than stuck, so she simply did her best to play along as the tailors played their game. Elias watched it all with crossed arms and a smile. Luna pouted when she caught him grinning at her. “This is not meant to be amusing for your General,” she said as one of the tailors tied up her tail in a pink bow. Elias snorted and glanced toward the shop entrance as the bell rang. “I imagine not. I do believe I was supposed to be the one being poked and prodded while you sat and laughed. I just got the better of the situation because I’m easy. Black tie is black tie. There’s nothing to really shake up with a tuxedo.” Luna huffed and looked away. A black-feathered head popped into the dressing room, and Anyon tried to motion stealthily to Elias. “Pst, youngblood, ah brought that stuff ya ordered. Come on out and see.” Elias waved him in. “Don’t worry Anyon, Princess Luna is far too pre-occupied to get mad at us. Bring it in here so that I can make sure the belt matches.” Luna scowled at Anyon as the gryphon crept into the room with a bundle under his arm and a sheepish grin on his beak. Her eyes shot to Elias, who smiled back. “And just what is Anyon doing here? I thought his interests ended at blacksmithing.” Elias nodded. “They do, but in trying to adhere to Book Binder’s rules for the wedding, I needed something special to slip in unnoticed. I commissioned Anyon here to build me a little something from the old days that would fit perfectly under a suit jacket.” Elias motioned for one of the tailors who had fitted his tux as Anyon unrolled the bundle. Luna’s scowl deepened. “Elias Bright, you are not bringing knives and a hand axe to your mother’s wedding.” Elias scoffed and waved her away. “Maybe, maybe not, we’ll see. No weapons is a stupid rule anyway.” He picked up the hand axe and twirled it in his hand. The shaft was a bit shorter than his forearm, and the head wasn’t overly large, but it was perfect if things got close and personal. Elias ran a thumb along the sharp blade and looked to Anyon. “And this’ll shrink down?” Anyon nodded and pulled out a black leather belt. The tailor set upon it immediately, clicking his tongue and muttering as Anyon tried to demonstrate its properties. “It’ll keep everything nice and-,” Anyon yanked the belt away from the pony and swatted at him. “Hey, that ain’t fer you!” The unicorn hissed in return and seized the belt in his magic. With a cruel yank, he pulled it away from Anyon and bolted deeper into the store. The gryphon scowled after the pony. “Well, when that little bugger brings it back, it’ll hold everything ya see here. Got shrinkin’ spells on each holster, just pull it out, give it a second, and its full size. Acts the same in reverse.” Elias nodded as he set the axe down and began inspecting the knives. There were seven in total. Six of the knives were simple throwing knives, while the seventh was meant to be paired with the axe. All in all, it was a suitable hidden arsenal that he could put to great effect in an emergency. As Anyon began talking to him about the finer points of the knives, a different tailor came back with his nose in the air. He levitated the belt near Anyon, who snatched it away and sat down to begin looking it over, while the tailor looked to Elias. “Sir, I believe I can modify the… garish creation of this gryphon-,” “It ain’t meant to be pretty, it’s meant to be useful!” Anyon squawked. The unicorn fixed him with a look. “Quite.” The pony looked back to Elias. “Regardless, a simply illusion spell stored in a crystal in the buckle should make it appropriate to wear with your suit. Should it be your wish, I could outfit it immediately. It should be ready by the time Princess Luna had finished her fitting.” Elias nodded and smiled. “Excellent. Anyon, give him the belt. Let’s get this done now so I don’t have to worry about getting it back here.” The gryphon scoffed and his grip on the belt tightened slightly. “Gimme another minute youngblood, gotta make sure this fancy pants pony ain’t gonna ruin ma work.” The tailor scoffed. “Your enchantments shall remain intact. Our enchantress is clean and careful.” Anyon hopped to his feet and bumped heads with the pony. “And yer sayin’ ah ain’t? Ah make the best weapons in this kingdom and the next. Ain’t nobody better’n me.” The pony snorted and snatched the belt away again. “Being the best is not an excuse for poor hygiene. You have red head feathers, yet they are stained black with soot. It is unbecoming from a gryphon who should be legendary amongst the outfitters of Equestria.” Elias cocked an eyebrow as the unicorn smiled and looked past him to Luna. “Princess, if I may be so bold, we do offer a cleaning service. While normally for dresses, I’m sure we can make accommodations for the castle blacksmith, free of charge of course.” Luna grinned at Anyon sadistically. “Then we shall take the opportunity. It has been a good month or two since I have seen Anyon bathe.” The gryphon squawked indignantly in protest, but his words were lost as he vanished in a pop of magic. The tailor bowed and smiled. “He shall also be returned by the end of your fitting, no worse for wear, you have my word.” “I would never doubt you Fancy Pants,” Luna replied. “You are a most trusted friend.” She giggled. “Make sure to clean his tail especially, he hates it when his tail is clean.” She then looked to Elias. “And pull another little stunt like that, and you’ll join him. This was meant to be a private fitting.” Elias grinned at her as he carefully re-set his new weapons and began re-rolling the bundle. “This is the only break I’m taking today. If I didn’t do it now, then when was I supposed to do it?” Luna rolled her eyes and stood still again as one of the ponies around her tied a bright red bow in her mane. Elias tucked the bundle under his arm and took his seat once more. Elias watched Luna get spun around and around by the troupe of tailors as they tutted and fretted over what colors her dress should be. Though he could faintly hear squawks of indignation from another room, Elias quickly found himself bored. He had made the mistake of not bringing any work with him, and so he was left with nothing to do but watch. Elias wasn’t a watching sort of person. When Luna turned her back, Elias slipped from his seat, leaving the bundle of weapons behind as he snuck into the dress room. Technically he wasn’t supposed to be in the dress shop’s back room, but with all of the ponies struggling to make Luna’s “perfect” dress, nobody was watching for human intruders. Elias silently perused the dresses, occasionally pulling them out to get a better look at it. Most of them were nothing special, he had seen many gowns while scavenging that looked miles better, but as he made his way to the back of the rack, he found a dress that he thought looked quite pretty. He could actually see Luna wearing it. It was a softer blue color that would go perfectly with her mane, and it even had holes so that her wings could poke out, something the host of tailors seemed to be ignoring as they measured her. Coupled with the thin, nigh invisible streaks of silver flowing down the skirt, Elias imagined Luna would like it. With nobody around to ask to pull the dress down for Luna to try, Elias decided to do it himself. He made sure not to disturb the rack, and he made a mental note of where it belonged before he walked back to the dressing room. His entrance to the room was immediately met with a scowl. “And just where have you been?” Luna snapped. “I wanted to ask your opinion on this gown, and yet you vanished without a word.” Elias looked her up and down calmly, then snickered. The dress was utterly ridiculous. He could tell what the tailors were trying to do, but thick streamers across the gown did nothing but make Luna look silly. The pink bow still tied in her tail certainly didn’t help. “Well,” Elias said. “I have two opinions, I can be half-truthful and nice, or fully truthful, which will be blunt. Which do you prefer Princess?” Luna huffed. “Blunt. You’re always blunt, this occasion shouldn’t be any different.” Elias smiled at her as she continued to scowl back. “Honestly, as beautiful as you are, that dress makes you look like you’re attending a circus as the main act. If I shined a flashlight on you right now, I would blind myself and everyone else in a three-mile radius permanently.” Elias glanced pointedly toward her tail. “And pink is not your color. I’m no designer, but even I can tell that pink and blue don’t mix.” Luna, surprisingly, dropped her angry demeanor in exchange for a blush. She stared at the ground and smiled. “You think I’m beautiful?” she whispered. Elias felt his own cheeks redden, but he did his best to suppress it as he brought his choice from behind his back. “Not in that dress you’re not. Here, try this. I think it’ll go quite nicely with your mane.” The tailors immediately began to protest, but Luna silenced them with a flick of her tail. Elias offered the hanger to the alicorn, and she gently took it in her teeth. She passed it quickly to one of the tailors, who, with a glare toward Elias, turned about and set it on one of the dressing room racks. The rest of the tailors also shot Elias glares as he sat back down and watched as they began undressing Luna. The pink bow vanished, and the silver and black dress quickly followed. As one of the tailor’s opened Elias’ pick, Luna raised a hoof to stop them from pulling it out. “Gentleponies, I think I shall put this one on myself. I shall call you all back in once I am finished so that you may make it a proper fitting.” The tailors looked amongst themselves and began muttering. One of them, a blue pegasus, piped up. “Are you sure Princess? I promise, despite the General’s input,” she shot a glare at Elias, “pink does look quite lovely on you.” Luna smiled at the mare. “I am sure. I just need a moment to breathe and reflect on what I am truly looking for in a dress. Please, wait outside. I shall call you all in shortly.” The tailors droop and dragged their feet as they all slowly walked from the room. Elias got to his feet to leave as well, but Luna fixed him with a look. “Not you Elias. You shall be helping me into the gown you picked out. As punishment for attempting to sneak weapons into a wedding.” Elias snorted. “Two things, first;” he lifted a finger, “There will be no trying, I’m bringing my weapons. Second,” he grinned broadly. “who says helping a princess is a punishment?” Luna blushed as the door closed behind the Royal Guards. She motioned for Elias to step closer, and when he did so, she slapped him in the head with a wing. “Quiet you. You’ll start rumors.” Elias rolled his eyes. “Who cares what other ponies say? The only one I care about is you.” Elias immediately flushed crimson and looked away as the sides of his mind began a shrieking match of pure panic. Why the fuck had he said something so absolutely stupid? Was he trying to let her know his feelings? Could he have been even more obvious? Luna cleared her throat, drawing Elias’ eyes back. She smiled sweetly at him. “I’m glad to hear that Elias. I know you have been stressed these past few months, as have we all, but to hear you say something like that… it just reminds me how good a friend you truly are.” Elias swallowed roughly. Was that her way of trying to let him save face, or was that her way of subtly rejecting him? Elias couldn’t tell, and he did his best to recover his normal stoic mask. Behind Luna’s calm outward demeanor, the little lovestruck filly in her mind was doing backflips. The little pony cheered and shouted at Elias’ words. He loved her! He really did! He was just hiding his affection! Luna noticed his face fall slightly at her diplomatic words, words she hoped he would take the right way. Friends couldn’t begin to describe what they were becoming, and she couldn’t have been happier. She just hoped they could dance around the word love until after the march. She really didn’t want to add strain to their relationship. She motioned to the dress. It was a good distraction. “Well come on Elias, pull your choice out for me. I expect a full presentation of the colors and how they go with my mane.” Elias snorted, but he did as she asked. He unzipped the garment bag and withdrew the dress on its hanger. Luna gave a small gasp as she looked the dress up and down. “Oh my, that is quite beautiful Elias, you have impeccable taste. Where did you find this?” Elias shrugged and motioned to the back room. “It was on one of the racks. I just thought it would look nice on you.” The man blushed again, and Luna smiled. “Well thank you Elias. We shall see, now won’t we?” She directed him on how to properly unzip the gown, and then motioned for him to help her put it on. Elias struggled to keep a blush from his face as he did so. “Shouldn’t one of the tailors be doing this?” he grumbled. Luna looked back and winked. “Maybe, but I much prefer your gentle touch.” She chuckled. “And it’s a rare opportunity these days to feel those fingers of yours.” Elias rolled his eyes, and let one hand drift toward her ears. Luna closed her eyes and hummed lightly as he scratched at the base of her scalp. “Mhm, simply wonderful. Remind me to pay you extra. You deserve it.” Elias rolled his eyes. “You’re just lucky your fur is so soft. I wish I had a pillow as soft as you are.” Luna smiled again as he finished zipping up her dress. “Perhaps in the future you can have a fuzzy pony pillow of your own. I have no doubts that you will be very good at wooing whatever mare you choose.” Elias sighed and dropped his hand from her ears. “Well, I just hope whoever she is, she likes ear scratches.” ‘Oh you have no idea,’ Luna thought. She opened her eyes and looked to the full-length mirrors around her. What she saw was absolutely perfect. The dress fit her body perfectly. It appeared to cling to her form, but in truth, Luna had plenty of moving room, perfect for walking and dancing. She imagined that if she tied her mane and tail with silver ribbon, she would look quite fetching. The dress shined with streaks of silver that scattered the blue, making the dress look almost like a star shower. She looked to Elias with a sly grin and struck a pose. “So General, tell me, does this dress make my flank look fat?” Elias successfully held a blush from his face as he crossed his arms. “Do you want an honest answer? Because you are beginning to look like your sister after cake night” Luna clicked her tongue and flicked his nose with her tail. “Hush, that kind of slander isn’t allowed in public. Only in private where I can laugh aloud.” Elias chuckled. “No, you’re right, we just need to publish it in a newspaper. With pictures.” Luna turned and grinned sadistically at him. “Take thine words back savage, or I shall be required to defend my sister’s honor!” She crouched lower and wiggled her hips. “I am more than eager to see just what this dress can handle.” Elias uncrossed his arms and crouched as well. “Yeah? You couldn’t catch a butterfly if it flew to your hoof. All you’re going to do is make a fool of yourself.” Luna giggled and pounced. “En garde fiend! I shall not have such words said against my name!” Elias dipped to the side and hopped off the fitting stage, remaining out of reach of her hooves. The human winked at her and smiled. Keepers she loved that smile. “You’re going to have to be faster than that Moony. Maybe the dress does make your flanks look fat.” Luna let out a fake gasp. “Rascal! You impugn my honor!” She held a hoof to her breast and turned her nose up. “I declare that I, Princess Luna of Equestria, shall not rest until yon beast has recanted his statement!” Elias grinned. “Only one way that’s going to happen Princess Fat Flanks.” Luna giggled again and let out a false war cry. She charged down the fitting stage and tried to use her wings to increase her speed. Elias dodged away again, teasing her the whole while. Luna was ecstatic. It was the playfulness she had so missed. She saw genuine happiness in his eyes, so unmarred by the day to day workload he sustained. To prolong the game, she let him slip by a few times, but Luna began to hear whispers from outside, and one voice began raising a fuss above the others. Time to end their little conflict. Luna wiggled her hips as she cornered Elias. “Come now General, your run has finished. Tell me how my flanks look, or I shall punish you.” Elias held up his hands in mock defense. “Sorry Princess, but I’ve only spoken the truth. You’ve gotten smaller, but your flanks have not.” Luna grinned. “So be it scoundrel.” She let out another gleeful cry and leapt at Elias. He had nowhere to run, she had him… Elias dipped to the side, and Luna quickly remembered that she had indeed gotten smaller. With her body fully committed to the leap and no human shield to catch her, Luna slammed face first into the wall. She fell to the ground, hearing a sharp gasp from Elias as she rolled over. She winced as she felt his hands on her muzzle. “Princess, I am so sorry, just give me a second.” Luna cracked open her eyes to find him cupping her muzzle. A small puddle of blood formed in his palm as his other hand searched his belt for something to staunch the bleeding. Luna smiled as best she could. “Very nice General,” she mumbled through his hand. “Assaulting a princess is an executable offense you know.” Elias grinned at her. “Technically, you assaulted the wall and the wall won. I just didn’t stop it from happening.” He pulled a small white cloth free of a pouch and gingerly held it to her nostrils. Elias’ smile lessened as Luna flinched at the sharp stings of pain. “Sorry, it’s going to hurt a little. You hit yourself pretty hard.” Luna snorted, sending a small spray of blood onto his face. “Tis your fault. I shall have you arrested for this.” Elias snorted and shook his head in exasperation, continuing to dab at her muzzle as he did so. Luna heard a shout from outside the dressing room, then the door slammed open, revealing Lionheart. The unicorn glared hate at Elias. “You see!” he shouted. “The human is assaulting the princess on your watch! He has injured her you dolts!” Elias shot a glare at the unicorn as Luna’s guards slipped back into the room. She sent them a look that told them she was fine, and though they still looked tense, no doubt at the sight of their princess bleeding, they didn’t immediately jump Elias. “Relax Lionheart,” the human spat. “We were just messing around and Luna hit the wall. She got a nosebleed is all.” “A likely story,” the unicorn snarled in reply. “I think we shall hear it from Princess Luna herself once you get your filthy hands off of her muzzle.” Luna saw anger flash in Elias’ eyes, but she rested a hoof on his back, and pulled him a bit closer. The action forced him to focus entirely on her, and as she stared into his mis-matched eyes, she saw calm filter through. She looked past the human to Lionheart with as calm an expression as she could create. “It is alright General Lionheart; General Bright speaks the truth. We were simply enjoying a simple stress relieving exercise my physician recommended and it got out of hoof.” Lionheart snorted dismissively. “Fear not Princess, I can hear the dishonesty in your words. This beast holds your tongue, forcing you to cower in fear, but I shall end your plight!” Luna felt a flash of anger at the unicorn’s declaration. How dare he? She was the Princess of the Night, magic or no, she was more than capable of fending off who she wished! She opened her mouth to protest in earnest, when the unicorn did something incredibly stupid. “Bright, I challenge you to an honor duel. You have committed assault against a princess of this great nation, and you are even now holding her hostage. Your transgressions are abhorrent, and I will see them stopped.” Elias snorted and began dabbing at Luna’s nose again. “Kindly, Lionheart, fuck off. You have no idea what you’re talking about, or what you’re getting yourself into. The last thing you want to do is fight me.” Luna looked to Elias nervously. “Elias… you can’t refuse,” she whispered. “an honor duel is more than just a simple fight. Lionheart can order your arrest if you refuse. It is the law.” Elias met her eyes. “Luna, that’s dumb, and he’s asking for a duel on a misunderstanding. I won’t kill him over his own stupidity, and none of your guards are stupid enough to think they can arrest me without your say so.” Louder, he said; “I’ll say this one time Lionheart; this is a private fitting, in which you don’t belong. Get out before I throw you out. I won’t warn you twice.” Lionheart stomped his hoof. “Will you accept the duel or not? Guards, prepare to arrest this beast.” Elias sighed and grabbed one of Luna’s hooves. He pressed her hoof against the cloth, and he smiled at her. “Hold it for at least a minute. I’ll try to get you some ice when I come back.” He got to his feet, emptying his blood-filled hand on the floor, then walked across the fitting room in two steps. He grabbed Lionheart by the collar of his armor, and despite the stallion’s protests, he carried him out of the fitting room. One of the tailors followed Elias as he left the room, while the rest swarmed Luna again. Her guards didn’t help, and in fact they also began asking her a myriad of questions. Luna felt far more concerned about Elias than she was about herself, and her patience quickly ran thin. “ENOUGH!” she bellowed. The ponies around her fell into silence as Luna got to her feet. She took a long deep breath through her mouth, then looked to the tailors. “I desire this dress. I like the fit, and am told it looks quite lovely. Is that the case?” The tailors all nodded and offered quick compliments. Luna stopped them with a raised hoof. “Good. I shall return for a second fitting in two days. I would like the appropriate accessories to review at that time as well. A tie as well for General Bright. Make sure it matches my dress.” The tailors mumbled their thanks, and they quickly helped Luna disrobe. The alicorn let one of her guards look at her nose, then after confirming that the nosebleed had ceased, they gathered Elias’ belongings and left the fitting room. They met Elias halfway through the shop. Luna looked past him, looking for Lionheart. “Have you and General Lionheart peaceably resolved your differences?” she asked hopefully. Elias snorted. “If by peaceably, you mean I threw him into the dirt, then yes. Otherwise, no. He ran back to the castle spouting his intent for revenge.” Luna bit her lip. That wasn’t good. Honor duels were not a little thing. Maybe she could catch Lionheart before he reached her sister. Maybe. Luna sighed and met Elias’ eyes as he collected his things from her guards. He smiled at her. “Are you alright? I know it is kind of my fault you slammed into that wall.” Luna sighed and smiled in return. “Indeed it is, but you can make it up to me with a favor, perhaps dinner tonight?” Elias shook his head. “Sorry, Princess, I can’t do tonight-…” Luna drooped slightly, and the human quickly amended his statement. “But, if you could talk to Chaser, maybe we can start our wedding preparations early, maybe with breakfast? We could spend the whole day together, rather than a few hours.” Luna’s smile returned in full force. “That, General Bright, sounds like an excellent idea. Consider it a date.” The word date brought another blush to Elias’ face, but his teeth shined with a smile as they moved back toward the castle. Anyon met them outside the shop, glaring hard at Fancy Pants. The unicorn levitated a small bag to Elias. “Here is your belt good sir, outfitted and tested. It should look quite dashing with your suit.” Elias gave him a small nod. “Thank you.” Elias then looked to Anyon, who refused to meet anyone’s eyes. The human chuckled as he looked the immaculate looking gryphon up and down. “I gotta say though Anyon, you should do clean more often. Red’s a good color for you, and is your fur fuzzier?” “If ya got any sense yer gonna stay away!” the gryphon squawked. “Don’t need nopony cuddlin’ me!” Luna clicked her tongue and smiled as they walked toward the castle. “Not even your marefriend? I believe Split Tip will quite enjoy a clean and cuddly Anyon. I mean just look at how those wings shine!” Anyon blushed, but he stopped grumbling as they teased him all the way back to the castle. > Chapter 46: Infiltrators > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias sighed and held his forehead. It had been a normal morning so far, just another run and the beginnings of drill. He had scheduled for his unicorn auxiliaries to begin practicing formation drills while casting spells, but he had just one small problem. “Auxiliary Centurion Pyrelight,” Elias said slowly as he tried to ward away a migraine, “do you care to explain to me why your troops are unable to throw spells?” The orange mare frowned as she stared at the block of ponies. After a moment of silence, she sighed and glanced to Elias. “I… can’t tell you General. We’ve been doing fine with pilla, but now…” Elias looked at each and every one of the unicorns before him, then looked back to Pyrelight. “Are you sure you can’t figure this out Centurion? You can’t find anything at all wrong with them?” Pyrelight searched desperately through her section, but she bit her lip and shook her head as she cringed back from Elias. “N-no General.” “THEY’RE ALL WEARING INHIBITOR RINGS!” Elias bellowed. “OF COURSE THEY CAN’T USE FUCKING MAGIC!” Pyrelight blinked at him stupidly, causing Elias to groan and facepalm. “Centurion, I gave you this promotion because I thought you would be more attentive. Not every pony has the capacity to level a city,” He took a long breath and shook his head. “Make them take the rings off and run firepower training. If this happens again, I’m giving you fifty lashes and demoting you. Go.” Pyrelight gave him a short salute, then began barking orders to her section. Elias let out another long sigh as he made his way back toward the edge of the training grounds. Scarlet Shield continued writing in his strategy notebook as he approached. Elias stood beside the pegasus and crossed his arms as he watched the lines form up again. “Did I make a mistake in keeping her?” Elias asked. “I mean come on, how does a unicorn not notice that they can’t feel their magic? I imagined it would feel like losing a hand.” Scarlet shrugged and squinted as he watched the formation advance across the training grounds. “I think it’s because we’ve been using the rings so much in training. Everypony just kind of got used to the restrictions. If you’ve noticed, us pegasi have been walking a lot more as well.” Elias sighed and nodded. “Make another note for Book Binder. Put down that I want all restrictions removed before we enter August. They won’t be wearing this stuff when we march, and they need to get re-used to casually using their magic.” Scarlet pulled out a separate, smaller notebook and quickly scribbled down Elias’ note. The pegasus had been acting as his stand-in assistant while Book Binder and Night Flash were preparing for their wedding. Elias had let them take the entire week, and considering they had helped him deal with a portion of their spy issue, he saw the small break as a fair reward. It unfortunately left him without his number one subordinate, and Elias largely had to make do alone. Neither Ice Blossom, nor Gray Granite had the stomach for paperwork, so Scarlet was the logical choice. The problem was, alone time between Elias and Scarlet usually devolved into the two acting like a pair of kids, talking about all of their favorite historical facts and occurrences. While their conversations did wonders for reducing his stress in the short term, Elias quickly found out that they got nothing done, and so he sent the red pegasus to sleep with the rest of the legion. It had taken him less than a day to find himself alone. That meant Elias spent most of the night chipping away at a never ending stack of paperwork, and he was even more exhausted and stressed than usual. The fact that some of his legionaries had started putting on their idiot hats made an already bad situation worse. Elias sighed as the auxiliaries reformed to run their drill again. The only reason Elias hadn’t blown up completely was the promise of lunch with Luna. He just had to make it a few more hours, and then he could sit across from his alicorn crush. Maybe he could let himself be weak for a few minutes, and they could snuggle, just for a few minutes. He needed something to go right. Elias rubbed his forehead again and raised his other hand. “Enough,” he called. “Switch to formation two. Make sure you are watching the other line carefully! If the box doesn’t close all the way, the enemy can turn the trap on its head. Get to it.” Scarlet slid away his smaller notebook and went back to writing in his normal one. He stuck his tongue out, and Elias caught a grin as he watched the auxiliaries form up. “General,” the pegasus started. “I just wanted to say…” Scarlet paused, then frowned slightly. “Well spit it out Tactician Shield,” Elias said as he crossed his arms and continued watching the ponies before him. They began a quick march while Scarlet bit his lip, but the pegasus spoke up again before the auxiliaries could fall fully into position. “I wanted to say thank you. I don’t know if anypony else feels this way, but there is nowhere else in Equestria I’d rather be.” The stallion smiled again as the lines formed up, then charged toward one another, quickly meeting to turn and form a coherent wall of shields and javelins. “I mean, just the sheer amount of stuff I’m learning about warfare, it’s amazing!” Scarlet got to his hooves and flipped his notebook to show Elias. “Look at all of this! Equestria has been militarily stagnant for hundreds of years, but you’ve shaken up everything in less than one!” The pegasus sat back down in a quick move and set to writing. “I mean, when I was starting out as a guard, everypony trained as a group, always. The only time it was different was if you needed specific help, like I did, or once you actually graduated.” Scarlet gestured around the training grounds. “But look at all of this! We have four separate training exercises going on, all teaching different things! Camp set up, formations, the whole nine yards! You made all of this possible!” Scarlet grinned again as he doodled out what looked like a rough version of the formation the auxiliaries were practicing. “And don’t get me started on the strategies again. I know you say you’re just copying what you’ve read about, but General, you’re a genius to me. It’s all just so… wonderful.” Scarlet pointed at his chest. “And I’m a part of it all. I know I probably shouldn’t be, especially given what you’ve warned us about, but I’m just so excited to see how it works for real.” The momentary uplift the pegasus’ words had caused plummeted, and Elias scowled at Scarlet. “I suggest you stop speaking Strategist. I can understand enthusiasm for history, and even training, but never tell me you’re excited for combat again, am I clear?” Scarlet flinched away from Elias’ harsh tone, and his hoof stopped moving as he looked up with nervous eyes. “I-I’m sorry General, I just thought….” “No,” Elias snapped. “You didn’t think. I clearly haven’t been drilling it into your skull hard enough, so take another note. I will begin issuing weekly lectures about the horrors of battle, because I can promise you that there is nothing exciting about going into war, especially not when your friends’ lives are on the line.” Scarlet whimpered slightly, and the noise brought Elias back through the haze of red that had come from nowhere. While he had spoken, he had gotten closer to the pony, so much so that spit was beginning to land in Scarlet’s fur. The auxiliaries had stopped practicing, no doubt to watch Elias’ anger toward the red pegasus. Elias closed his eyes and straightened. He took a deep breath and clasped his arms behind his back. “Make sure the lectures are focused toward maintaining battlefield cohesion in the face of blood. I want some of the healers involved as well, so that we can teach everyone basic battlefield medicine, as well as triage.” Elias’ eyes flicked down to the pony. “Did you get all of that?” Scarlet sniffled and nodded. “Yes General,” he replied softly. Elias looked back to the formation, and he let his guilt at crushing Scarlet’s enthusiasm turn into anger. “What the fuck are you looking at?” Elias shouted. “Unless you intended for the minotaurs to sweep around your flank and kill half your section, I suggest you form up and run it again!” Pyrelight called out commands as the auxiliaries scrambled to do their jobs right. Elias watched them with an angry eye for a moment, but the heat quickly faded as he heard Scarlet sniffle again. The man sighed and glanced down at the teary eyed pegasus. “Scarlet… you need to know better. I know that sounds harsh, but this isn’t something played out on paper, it’s real. You weren’t there for the invasion,” Scarlet flinched, so Elias quickly added; “through no fault of your own, but you simply didn’t see the things that happened. Things went really well, and ponies still died. Just because it wasn’t anybody we knew, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.” Elias looked back to the auxiliaries as they charged toward one another again. “We won’t be so lucky again, and even more ponies are going to die. I’d rather you understood that now, rather then when they begin to fall. I’m trying to get you ready, to make sure you know what all of these plans and formations are for. I apologize if I haven’t been properly conveying the risk we’re all taking, but I’ll change that in whatever way I can.” “It’s because I care so much,” Elias said softly. “The last thing I want for you Scarlet, is for you to become another me. I was right where you are at some point, and it may be horrible to say it, but I’d rather you died in the first wave than live through the things I’ve seen.” He could tell he was making a bastardization of what was supposed to be an uplifting speech, but Elias couldn’t help himself. He was having one of his melancholic spells, and all he could think about was if it was all enough or not. He glanced down to see Scarlet watching him carefully with tear filled eyes. Elias sighed again and shook his head. “It’s going to be rough Scarlet. I’ll talk with you about ancient cultures and battle strategy until the sun dies, but never say you’re excited about seeing combat. It’s not right, and you’ll regret your words for the rest of your life. That I can promise.” Scarlet remained silent for a moment, then slowly sat up, staring at the formation as they formed into their box. “You’ve said that before, haven’t you Elias?” he asked softly. Elias crossed his arms, then nodded slowly. “Just days before I lost everything. In my perfect world, I’d never see battle again. It’s much better relegated to history.” He shrugged and tilted his head. “And yet some part of me can’t wait to kill again. I’m sure I’ll sprint head long toward death once I get the opportunity, but that’s a fate for killers like me,” Elias glanced back at Scarlet. “Not for good ponies like you.” Elias’ eyes flicked back up, and the pair sat in silence. They listened as steel shifted and commands were shouted. Scarlet sniffled one final time before he began writing in his notebook again. “For what it’s worth General, I’m sorry.” “For what?” Elias replied. Scarlet shrugged, his eyes never moving from his book. “Everything I guess. I… I’m just sorry. You're a good pony, no matter what you think about yourself." He rubbed at his nose. "I wish things worked out better sometimes.” Elias shrugged again. “Wishing has never done me any good, work has. Make sure you take the note about the lecture, I want to start those by the end of next week.” Elias rolled his shoulders. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go show these idiots what a box looks like.” ***** Elias sprinted headlong toward the royal dining room. He was more than four hours late for he and Luna’s lunch, and he had been a complete idiot and had forgotten to send a messenger. A bad rainstorm had been scheduled for Ponyville, and the roads had turned to mud before they had even begun their afternoon march. Had he known, Elias would have postponed their trial run with the legion baggage train, but he hadn’t, and he had pushed his ponies through the quagmire of mud. The result had been a disaster. Most of the wagons, leaden with stones to simulate weight, sank in the thick mud, and it had taken them hours to get them free. Book Binder usually kept his dragonfire candle, so he couldn’t send a letter ahead to Luna, and his scouts were needed to ensure that nobody got struck by lightning. The steel armor of the legion acted as perfect lightning rods in the empty fields outside Ponyville, and there were far too many close calls before they got properly moving again. A second storm had then blown in from the Everfree on the return trip, and it had chased them all the way back to Canterlot. Pouring rain, loud thunder, and lightning strikes had been rampant, and only once they reached the limits of the Canterlot weather patrol did they find relief as the pegasi chased away the black storm clouds. The end result was three thousand exhausted, mud covered ponies, completely off of their schedule. Elias could see that they were far too tired to even consider trying to play catch up, so he had given them the night off to rest and scrub their gear clean, then had rushed off to try and save his friendship with Luna. His armor was covered in thick, black mud, and his sandals left a trail through the castle hallways, but he moved as fast as he could, ignoring the angry mutters of the maid staff. Elias entered the final corridor to find the dining room doors unguarded. A bad sign. He increased his pace and shoved the tall doors open, quickly finding the room dark. The only sound in the long room was the sound of his panting, and Elias felt keenly aware how absolutely quiet it was. He blinked for a moment, and he closed his good eye, letting the bad one do all of his seeing. It was much better at picking up low light, and the moon filtering in through the windows at the rear of the dining room was more than enough to see by. Elias could see two places set, each with a covered tray. A solitary candle sat unlit between them. Elias winced. He couldn’t tell if he felt bad about missing what was clearly supposed to be a very personal dinner, or if he was nervous about what that implied. He hadn’t exactly been subtle when it came to his feelings about Luna, but he hadn’t thought he was throwing everything in the open. After further reflection, her line about close friends in the tailor shop had made him think that she was playing along the same lines he was; stay beneath the radar with any romantic gestures until they were both at a better point in their lives. Elias decided on the former as he stalked forward and felt the food in front of Luna’s dining spot. It was cold. She had clearly put in some effort to make the dinner nice, a large steak with a side of garlic bread sat under his tray. The steak was normal for his meals, but the garlic bread was something he had only told her about in passing. It was a childhood favorite of his, one of the few good things he could remember about the time. His mother was the best at making the stuff, and every time he so much as smelled garlic, he thought back to the hot loaves of happiness that came from the oven. It was the smell of a better time, and it was here, cold as it was. It was also a sign that he had royally fucked up. Elias’ eyes flicked up, and he began scanning, much more carefully this time. Something wasn’t right. His bad eye twitched, and a small migraine began forming in the front of Elias’ mind. Luna would have waited him out to make a point and to make him feel guilty, as was her right. She wouldn’t have left everything as it was. The lack of guards was also an issue. He had never received word that the spy issue was fixed, and the hallways should have been lined with guards, princess or no. He moved to the window, looking for someone, anyone moving around. Thousands of ponies didn’t just vanish. A glint of torchlight caught his eye, but the source was covered by a large tree that covered the lower half of the window. Elias looked down onto the castle gardens, then worked backward to the torches, using the context to figure out where the light was coming from. It took him a few moment of staring, but Elias could tell that the torches were on the standard guard training grounds. He moved at a jog, keeping an eye out for any ponies. He only saw the occasional maid, but even they began to vanish, no doubt going home for the night. Elias tried to think back to his time on the night shift, but for some reason the memories seemed a bit hazy. He growled and pushed on toward the training grounds. If he could find someone who knew what had happened in his absence, he could figure out everything else. Elias pushed open the doors to the training grounds, looking hard for ponies. He was rewarded in spades, and his suspicious mood vanished as he groaned at the sight before him. A ring of Royal Guards ponies had been set up, with Celestia and Luna sitting on makeshift thrones halfway around the circle. Opposite of Elias, Lionheart paced back and forth, a look of murder in his eyes. He was decked out in more armor than Elias had ever seen the prissy stallion wear, and while he wore a pair of swords on his flanks, Lionheart also swung a long spear back and forth as he paced. Elias looked to Luna to find the alicorn staring straight ahead, her mouth tied shut and her eyes hazy. Elias blinked in surprise at that, and he opened his mouth to ask her what was going on with the incredibly wrong situation before him, but Celestia cut in. “It is about time you arrived Bright. Are you always so flagrant with your disobedience with my sister?” Elias’ eyes flicked to her, and he tilted his head. “No, but then again, I’ve never tied Luna’s mouth shut. What the hell happened here?” Celestia snorted. “Of course you have no idea. You blatantly disregard our traditions, abuse any power given to you, and you refuse to learn or change. You are an ignorant savage.” She shook her head in disgust. “Not that I expected any less from a mangled beast like you.” Elias bit his tongue to prevent himself from verbally tearing the white alicorn a new one. He took a deep breath and spoke in a calm voice. “You didn’t answer my question Princess. Why is Luna’s mouth tied shut, and what the hell is this?” He motioned toward Lionheart. “You can’t honestly expect this tool to fight me. You and I both know he’ll die if that ever happens.” Celestia growled and stomped her hoof. “You know nothing Bright, you merely stamp through life like any beast, but because I am a more civilized creature, I shall inform you of your plight anyway.” Elias scowled at the alicorn. She was unnaturally hostile. Somebody had to be pulling her strings. He was fairly positive she disliked him, but not this much. This was new, stronger. Celestia’s eyes flashed with an emotion Elias recognized; hate. She hated him, but it was… off. Amplified perhaps. Elias continued watching her eyes as she spoke, looking for a flash of green that told him of a changeling's magical touch. “You struck my sister Bright,” Celestia spat. “An executable offense on a good day. Had it not been for General Lionheart, I would have never found out of your grievous offense against my kingdom. He does not have such a colored past as yours.” Elias stared at her in disbelief, and it felt like the rational center of his brain flicked off. Anger flashed in his mind, and he motioned toward the unicorn as he spoke. “Are you fucking kidding me? You believe this pompous dickhead over your own sister? Are you brain dead?” Elias motioned toward Luna. “Maybe if she wasn’t tied up and…” He stared at the blue alicorn for a moment. He hadn’t noticed it initially, but she seemed to sway slightly in her seat, and her eyes held no sign of awareness. Elias recoiled in disgust. “D-did you drug her?” “Of course not!” Celestia snapped. “She is in a witness trance. Her opinion regarding these proceedings is biased, and as any pony would know, that means she cannot voice her opinion.” Celestia stomped a hoof. “She can not be allowed to color justice, and her fondness for your “friendship” is well known.” Celestia snorted in disgust. “Friendship,” she looked to Lionheart. “The more I see of this human, the more I believe you General. He no doubt held a knife to my kind sister’s throat just to make her seem happy.” Her eyes flicked back to Elias. “But I have had enough. You have hurt far too many, and I have been a fool and given you the freedom to hurt too many more. It ends, tonight. This is an honor duel, as Lionheart demanded. It will be to the…” “Are you an idiot?” Elias snapped, interrupting her. “Because you have to be to not see the damn writing on the wall.” Elias motioned toward Lionheart. “This moron is a liar, and shouldn’t hold the title of dishwasher, let alone General. All that talk about “hurting ponies” is going to look pretty damn stupid when I beat his worthless ass to a pulp.” Celestia growled and rose from her throne. “Be quiet Bright. You are not as strong as your bloated ego tells you. Lionheart is a capable fighter, and I will quite enjoy watching him cut you down to size.” She snorted. “I have let Luna intervene on your behalf far too many times. She has become enraptured with your insanity, and once Lionheart has disposed justice, I shall purge you from her mind. It is a corruption I have let fester for too long.” Elias’ good eye twitched. He had felt anger many a time, it was one of his biggest constants, but now he was seeing red. How dare she disrespect Luna like that. How dare she threaten to pull them apart. She had no right, and it put a new definition on furious in his eyes. Elias imagined if he wasn’t surrounded by Royal Guards, he would have already thrown himself at the weakened alicorn. He knew exactly where to cut to stain her pretty white coat a lovely shade of crimson. Elias blinked, and the spell seemed to snap around him. His anger vanished into thin air, and his sense seemed to fully return. He saw massive waves in the air, particularly around Celestia’s head, but in truth, they were around everyone. The guards, while not nearly as openly hateful as Celestia, were glaring at him as waves spun around their heads. He imagined that he would see them around his own head if he could look. Elias looked around the ring, looking for un-familiar ponies. There had to be another infiltrator. He had trusted Luna when she had said the Royal Guard was handling it, but they had clearly missed something. They were close, they were trying to start a fight, not between him and Lionheart, but him and Celestia. The changeling no doubt knew of the alicorn’s weakened state, and with his history of combat… she wouldn’t stand a chance. It would only take a swing. He had no doubt that with her magic slowly being stored away, her mental defenses weren’t particularly up to snuff either. She was as influenceable as anyone, and that was dangerous. Elias couldn’t find the damn bug. The waves gave no path to trace. Whoever the spy way, they were good at covering their tracks. He needed the changeling to play further into their hand, to expose themselves. He knew of no better way to force that than to play along with the creature’s stupid game. He sneered at Celestia, trying his best to sound genuine to fool the changeling into believing he was still under their spell. It wasn’t too difficult. “Fine then Princess, I’ll play this idiotic little game of yours. Don’t blame me when Lionheart is lying in a pile of his teeth.” Elias’ eyes flicked to the unicorn in question, who straightened and snorted dismissively. It didn’t really surprise Elias to find only a small number of waves around the unicorn’s head. Lionheart his head back and forth and kneaded the ground with a foreleg. “I do not fear you human, and unlike you, I have a sense of honor. Prepare yourself properly for battle. I shall wait so that I may defeat you properly.” Elias rolled his eyes and then rolled his shoulders. “Save the theatrics. I can beat you with nothing, but to make you feel better,” Elias drew his gladius, then flipped the blade into an underhanded grip in his left hand. “There, at least you can say I was armed when I kicked your ass.” Lionheart growled, then looked to Celestia. The alicorn shot another glare at Elias, but his eyes were elsewhere. The waves weren’t slowing down. The changeling was actively influencing everyone, but where? They were clearly close, they had to be if they were affecting the alicorn so strongly. Elias’ eyes narrowed as one of the guards close to Celestia lit their horn. “This is an honor duel,” the alicorn said. “The combatants shall fight on the terms of surrender; do both parties agree?” Lionheart saluted with his spear. “Of course Princess! I fight for the good of Equestria!” Celestia’ looked to Elias, who ignored her completely as he scanned the guards making up the circle. He needed a few more seconds, the waves had to be originating from one of the Royal Guards. He heard another derisive snort from Celestia as she spoke. “Begin then, and may the more honorable be victorious.” Elias’ looked toward Lionheart as the guard near Celestia shot a flare into the air. The unicorn’s horn lit up, and surprisingly, he didn’t start with the usual unicorn strategy of levitation. Instead, he leapt forward with a war cry, swinging hard for Elias’ head. There was clearly some effort behind the blow, but it was still far too slow and weak. Elias turned and caught the spear shaft, then ripped it from Lionheart’s magical grasp. With a quick spin to build force, Elias shattered it against the pony’s head, sending Lionheart to the ground with a cry of pain. Elias shook his head and looked to the pair of alicorns. Luna’s eyes held a trace of awareness, and she looked unsurprised at the result of the “fight”, but Celestia looked less irritated than she had been when they were speaking. He sighed in exasperation as Lionheart struggled to get back on his feet. Elias dropped the shattered spear to continue his search. The waves were lessening, probably because Celestia’ didn’t need to be agitated to watch a fight. Elias decided to fix that. He walked calmly toward Lionheart. The unicorn managed to draw a single sword before Elias backhanded him. It wasn’t that hard of a hit, but with the way Lionheart collapsed, one would think that Elias had the strength to level mountains. The pony cried out as he collapsed, and for a moment, Elias desperately wished that the unicorn was the changeling. Fate was not that kind however. The unicorn was just a prideful idiot. No more waves circled his head after being driven to the ground, but in truth, it didn’t matter. Elias intended to kick his ass anyway. Celestia stood up and shouted at Elias as he grabbed the unicorn’s armor and punched him in the jaw, snapping his head back. “Bright, that is enough! The duel is over!” Her voice sounded more confused than angry. Though he didn’t like her, Elias mentally cheered for the alicorn, praying that she would break free of the changeling’s influence. She still needed more pushing however, so Elias shook his head and sheathed his gladius as he straddled Lionheart. “Nope. Lionrat has to surrender first. It goes until he stops fighting me.” Elias slapped the pony again, then a third time. Though he made it seem like he was staring down at Lionheart, his eyes were up, searching for the waves. They spiked high around Celestia, and for once, Elias could see a trail spiraling lazily in the air, leading him slowly back to their source. He squinted hard as he tracked the near see-through glow through the air. “I said enough!” Celestia bellowed. “Unhand that pony at once before I order your execution!” Most of the guards tensed, and Elias saw weapons slide out of sheathes, but one of Royal Guards was staring hard at the princess, and Elias caught the slightest trace of green in her eyes as her non-existent horn flared with magic. The waves in the air reached a peak as Elias grinned at Celestia. “Come now Princess, you know I wouldn’t attack someone unless I had an agenda. There’s another rat here that needs punishing.” He sighed and looked down at the cowering Lionheart. “And unfortunately, this idiot isn’t it.” Elias lurched to his feet, and he grabbed Lionheart by the collar, throwing him at the disguised changeling. The bug shrieked as the unicorn missile slammed into her. Elias quickly followed with his sword drawn, and as she pushed Lionheart away and got to her feet, he was on her. With her visible wings as a factor, Elias decided to try wrestling the pony to the ground. He tackled her, grabbing her in a bear hug before slamming her to the ground. The changeling shrieked and squirmed as Elias solidified his pin with his knees. He heard a few shouts and saw a multitude of black and red moving in his peripherals. He needed to finish her fast. Unfortunately for everyone around him, that meant he would be messy. Elias slammed a fist into the changeling’s jaw, and her head snapped back, exposing her neck. Elias didn’t think, he just attacked. His gladius rose and fell, biting deep into the meat of her exposed throat. A spray of green answered the blade’s call, and the changeling’s disguise flickered. It was almost unnoticeable in the dim torchlight, and Elias knew that he had been the only one to see it. He swung again, then again. He hacked and cut away with fast, brutal strikes, mangling whatever functioned as the bug’s spine. As the first guards began to attack his exposed back, Elias ripped the changeling’s head free of her body and stood, holding it out like a shield. The ponies recoiled in disgust, and only after staring at the gore-stained head did they realize the purpose of his actions. The waves vanished all at once as the changeling’s brain died, and anybody who had gotten close enough to attack him staggered away, more than surprised by the side of the dismembered head before them. Combined with the absence of outside influence, most of the Royal Guards reeled, ambling about aimlessly. Elias’ chest heaved and he panted hard. It had been mere seconds, but he had easily burned through all of his energy to destroy the spy. His throat burned with dryness as he stood fully, then began stalking forward, the head still outstretched. Celestia seemed to rock back and forth in a daze, and only as he walked into the center of the conjured torchlight did she understand what Elias was holding out. She recoiled in fear and disgust, and it took Elias a moment to realize what he looked like. Green merged with mud from his afternoon march, mixing together and painting the silver of his armor like a grotesque canvas. He could feel warm goo streaming down his face, could even taste it on his lips. His gladius was still in his hand, dripping even more gore onto the flagstones. With how heavy his breathing was, Elias imagined his eyes were wide with apparent madness and anger. While the former was untrue, the latter definitely wasn’t. Elias was enraged, and as Luna shook herself from her trance, she could tell. She slipped the string off of her muzzle and walked down from her makeshift throne, trotting up to him slowly. “Elias…” she said softly, making sure to catch his eyes with her own. “Please. It’s alright. Everything is fine now. We have a lot to talk about, and so much to apologize for, but please, let’s be calm about this. Let’s get you cleaned up before anything. It will be best to make sure everyone is prepared to address this… mess.” Elias stared at her for a moment, then nodded slowly after seeing genuine concern in her eyes. She moved quickly as his energy fled. His post-battle depression was swift and vengeful, and his sleepless nights caught up to him as he wavered on his feet. Pain filtered into his brain from his arms, and Elias blinked, noticing a series of bites the changeling had no doubt gotten in during their struggle. His arm holding the head dropped to his side, and he began to lose his balance. Luna was at his side in an instant, and with a gentle nudge, she braced him fully. Elias was in little state to protest as Luna began guiding him toward the doors to the training yard, but after a moment of dazed thinking, Elias stopped and looked toward Celestia. He tossed the changeling head toward the foot of her throne. It splattered to a stop right at the base of the throne, with its odd, green eyes staring up. “Maybe next time you think with your head instead of your human hating heart, huh?” She stared at him, and for a moment, Elias thought he saw genuine regret and sorrow in her eyes. Then her face fell into her normal princess mask and she stared into the air before her. “Perhaps you are correct General. Please, rest and clean up. We shall have plenty of time to discuss the repercussions of this evening when you are well rested.” Elias snorted dismissively, then looked away, letting Luna escort him back to his room. ***** Scalpel clicked his tongue as he wrapped Elias’ arms in bandages. “One of these days Elias, you’re going to need to find out how to be the big hero without getting yourself beat up.” Elias grunted in response, still feeling a bit dazed. Luna had confirmed that it was an after effect of the emotional manipulation the changeling had enacted on them all, and that it would pass with a good night’s sleep. Something Elias wasn’t likely to get. Training started up again in only nine hours, and Elias needed to stay awake for all of them. The initial reports from the Royal Guards were coming in, and they were incredibly alarming. The changeling was unique, and though they didn’t know much about it, they did know that the bug was particularly strong in the areas of mind and emotional manipulation. It was how she had slipped by the illusion screenings, and it was how she had gotten so very close to turning Elias and Celestia against one another. Elias stared at his hands. It had been far too easy for the creature to get in his head, and he hadn’t even been aware of it. There was no way of telling how many more changelings existed like the one he had killed, and there was no way of flushing them out. Not without risking another brawl between him and Celestia at least. Elias flexed his right hand. He curled and uncurled his fingers, staring at each and every callus. His physical strength had served him well over the years, and his mind had always been sharp enough to stay a step ahead, most of the time at least. How could he fight an enemy that he couldn’t always see? He had gotten used to the almost black and white morality of the world. On earth, it was the strong and the weak, and in Equestria it was the good and the bad. It was almost comical how obvious the difference between right and wrong was, but it was beginning to gray, and evil people were getting smarter. Was that his fault? Elias couldn’t help but think back to the loveling’s words about how much of a threat he was. Elias had instituted many reforms to the Equestrian military, and though the guard at large hadn’t taken to many of them, they would fall in line when they saw how his strategies worked. A nation with a capable war machine was a threat that needed addressing, no matter how well respected and peaceable its leaders were. The changelings especially were poking and prodding, searching for more weaknesses. They were adapting as fast as Elias was, but they had a magical edge that he couldn’t match. Not by himself at least. Elias’ eyes flicked to the door of his room as an idea came to mind. Luna came trotting out of his bathroom with a bucket in her teeth, but she quickly set it down when she saw the intensity of his gaze. “What is it Elias?” she asked quietly. She had been speaking quietly, and moving slowly ever since Elias had destroyed the changeling. He could tell that she was doing it in an effort to make him feel calmer and more relaxed as she helped get him clean, but it was starting to grind on him. She wasn’t his enemy, so why the hell would he snap at her? She was at no more risk than anyone else, and the fact that Elias kept getting treated like some sort of raging animal irritated him further. Elias took a deep breath to cool his mind. The real issue was that she was right to try and keep him calm. The fact that he had been so easily manipulated agitated him to no end, and his anger was on a hair trigger. He needed something to do, and as Scalpel finished bandaging his arms, Elias pushed to his feet. He heard Luna sigh as he snagged his sword belt from his bed, quickly putting it on. “Elias, where are you going?” she asked. “It is late, and you need rest, especially after the night you’ve had.” Elias sat back down to slide on his sandals. “You want to come get something to eat with me?” he replied. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast, and I found our dinner in the dining room.” Luna blinked at him, then smiled. “Well… if you wish for me to join you, I certainly won’t say no.” Elias stood and walked toward the door. “Great,” he said shortly. “We need to make one stop on the way. I have another spy to deal with.” He heard a squeak of protest from Luna, but she didn’t voice it any further as they began making their way toward the dungeon. ***** Elias shoved the dungeon door opened, and slammed into the wall, jolting Snowball awake. The cell looked a lot nicer than when he had been staying in it. Snowball had a comfortable looking bed, a sink, a nightstand with a lamp and what looked to be his choice of novels. Elias spotted a Daring Doo in there, and his mind briefly flashed back to images of being snuggled against Book Binder as she read to him. He missed those days. They were… easier. Elias’ mouth curled into a snarl as he drove the memories from his brain. Now wasn’t the time. He crouched in front of the cell bars, waiting silently as Snowball rubbed his eyes and sat up, pulling his covers back. The loveling blinked at Elias for a moment, then looked past him to where Luna waited silently near the door. His purple eyes flickered back to Elias, and he turned his hooves out of bed, facing Elias fully. “Good evening General, I must express my surprise. What brings you to my humble cell?” Elias ran his tongue across his teeth as he thought long and hard about what he was about to do. He needed a spy catcher, but he couldn’t altogether trust the creature before him. He hadn’t had time to do any research into lovelings, so he had no idea if he should be expecting treachery, or if Snowball could be trusted. He exhaled through his nose. He had made deals with the devil before, this was no different. “I have an offer to make you, and your queen, should she be interested,” Elias started slowly. “I realize you’ll need to come out of that cell to communicate with her, but you’re going to hear out my offer first, and make your personal decision regarding it, before you ever speak a word of it to her, is that clear?” Snowball nodded. “May I ask why?” “Your loyalty, and your life,” Elias said, “belong to me. I have decided to keep the promise I gave to you, but I will not have a traitor standing beside me. You’re either my soldier, or you’re your queens’ soldier. You cannot be both.” Snowball frowned. “That… General, I have to communicate with my hive and my queen. I will still need to act as an informant for her. It is the job I was assigned, and even if it wasn’t, I can’t just cut them all off.” He shuddered. “Even with the cell muting them, I still get whispers. It’s a loveling’s worst nightmare to be without his hive. I can’t understand how ponies, and gryphons, and all the rest live alone in their heads. It’s so quiet.” Elias snorted. “I wish,” he muttered. He looked back to Snowball. “But, it doesn’t matter. I’m not asking you to cut yourself off, and I’m not saying that you can’t tell your queen what happens in my legion. What I will not tolerate is questioning of my orders or interference when things get... darker. You can talk to her all you like, but you will have a job to do, and I expect you to carry it out without hesitation.” Elias noticed a glimmer of hope in the loveling’s eyes, and the bug pony shifted slightly closer to the cell bars. “I… am interested,” Snowball said slowly, “but I’d need to know what my job is to be before I make a decision.” Elias nodded. “Fair enough. Tonight, a changeling spy got close enough to Celestia to manipulate her, and she tried to have me killed via General Lionheart.” Elias snorted and glanced back Luna. “Though I am very curious as to why that was her first idea. She knows how capable I am in a fight, anyone short of Chaser would have a hard time, but really? Lionheart?” Luna shrugged. “You may not believe it, but he has gotten to his position by more than his noble title. His father was a respected guard captain, and he trained his son well.” She tilted her head. “That being said, Lionheart is as pompus and arrogant as they come, and I truly wish ‘Tia would replace him, but even with tonight’s events that is unlikely.” Elias sighed and looked back to Snowball. “It would make my life too easy if I didn’t have some idiotic adversity I suppose.” He focused on the loveling as he continued. “Your job however, is this; I need a spy catcher, one who can sniff out other shapeshifters.” He tapped the scar below his bad eye. “This helps me see when ponies are being influenced, but I can’t rely on it. Sometimes its hazy, and other times I get false flags, particularly around my old friend group. I need something or someone I can count on to find changelings, and I believe that’s you.” Snowball cocked his head at Elias words, then hopped off his bed. He motioned to Elias’ bad eye. “If you don’t mind General, I could take a look at it. Changeling biology is nearly identical to loveling biology, and I have a bit of a hobby studying how our magic impacts other creatures.” He gave Elias a fanged grin. “And you, General, you’re a special study. I mean, you are just filled to the bursting with love, but I can’t detect any magic on you! It’s so exciting!” Elias snorted. “If you agree to the terms I set out, I’ll make sure you have time to take a crack at it. Agreed?” The loveling nodded. “Good,” Elias said. “Starting tomorrow, you will serve at my side as my second Adiutor, beneath Book Binder, is that clear?” Snowball frowned. “But wouldn’t it be better if I stayed among the normal legionaries? How am I going to sniff out more infiltrators if I’m above everypony?” “Because being my assistant is a front,” Elias responded. “Snowball the Loveling will be like a legion mascot, out and about in bright white and silver for all to see, while Snowball the spy goes sniffing around while I send him on “errands”.” Snowball flinched. “Y-you mean everypony is going to know what I am? I won’t wear a disguise?” “Not when you’re in your legion armor, no,” Elias replied. “But until we actually begin the march, you will be spending very little time in the legion silver and red. Instead, you will be infiltrating each and every guard force you can, starting with the Lunar and Royal Guards.” “And how do you expect General Chaser and General Nightshade to react?” Luna asked. “I can’t imagine they will put any trust in Snowball here. An ally his queen may be, but she still sent a spy into our kingdom. ‘Tia and I have yet to come up with an appropriate response to his transgression.” Elias shrugged, not looking back. “They’ll do whatever you tell them, but in honesty, I’m hoping to not be caught. It’s why I said “infiltrate”.” Snowball winced. “I… the Royal Guards are really good though! The Lunar guard I might be able to pull off, even after getting caught, but the Royal Guards? That’s a death wish.” “It’s the way you’re getting out of that cell alive,” Elias replied calmly. “I still have the authority to execute you, no questions asked, and after what I just dealt with tonight, I am more than justified.” Snowball frowned at him, and his ears twitched lightly as he looked past Elias to Luna. “Princess, will you allow this? I am… seriously considering General Bright’s offer, but I cannot well infiltrate a guard service if a princess of Equestria is against me.” Elias glanced back as well, watching her carefully. He could tell from the flickering of her eyes that she was thinking at a mile a minute. From her body language, he believed she would back him, though she would no doubt question him relentlessly about his intentions. It irritated him that he would have to lie to her, but he needed an agent. He would brief Snowball about his secondary purpose when they were alone, and only when they were truly alone. A loveling spy would be a good boost to his tiny, but efficient spy network, and since he could detect changelings, he was invaluable. Luna sighed and shook her head, glancing at Elias for a moment before looking to Snowball. “I cannot say I completely approve of his methods, but I will always hold trust for General Bright. He has proven time and time again that his actions are all done with purpose, and even this has good reason no doubt.” She bowed her head slightly. “I will not hamper your efforts, but I will not aid them either. I must apologize Elias, but if Snowball is caught and traced to you, you must deal with the consequences alone. Even a princess has her limits in the law, and this constitutes high treason.” Elias nodded toward the door. “I understand Princess. I recommend you leave before you become an accomplice.” Luna sighed, but nodded in agreement. “Very well. I shall see you Friday for breakfast?” Elias winked and let a small grin peak out. “Wouldn’t miss it.” Luna’s wings fluttered lightly, but her face remained impassive as she opened the dungeon door and exited. Elias counted to a hundred before he looked back to Snowball. The loveling was watching him with wide eyes, and Elias had no doubt it was related to his ability to detect emotion. Elias caught his eyes, carefully drawing them down to the knife that he drew from behind his back. “Speak a word of what happens here, and you won’t need to worry about being hanged as a traitor, I’ll kill you myself, clear?” Snowball gulped, but he nodded. Elias stared him down for a moment more before he spoke again. “What Princess Luna doesn’t know is that you’re going to be doing more than searching for changelings,” Elias said. “I need up to date information on everyone. Nightshade and Chaser are just a courtesy to make sure they aren’t lying, but Lionheart, Shattered Shield and Dragon-Eye have been stonewalling me from the beginning. I want to know everything they know, and I want it to surprise them how much I really know.” Snowball sat in silent thought for a moment, then looked up to Elias again. “What can I tell my queen about? I am technically still a spy, so this… modification to my job isn’t too bad, if I can keep her informed.” Elias tapped his fingers on his knee, staring hard at the loveling. “Tell her nothing about the Lunar, or Royal Guard,” he replied. “Infiltrating them is just in case, and I’d rather not be responsible for Equestria’s downfall.” Snowball’s face curled in disgust. “I would never reveal the information I learn. Not even if I was tortured.” Elias smirked. “You have no idea how many people have said that to me and then talked anyway.” He reached his hand through the cell bars. “Do we have a deal?” Snowball stared at his hand for a moment, then nodded and shook it. “We do. Thank you General. You don’t know how happy it makes me to still be a part of the legion.” Elias stood and grabbed the keys from the wall. He flicked through the keys until he found the right one, then stuck it in the lock and turned it. “Don’t get too comfortable,” Elias said as he pulled open the cell door. “If you make one slip up-“ Snowball slammed into his ribs, and it took a moment for Elias to realize that the loving wasn’t trying to drag him to the ground, he was just giving him a bone crushing hug. The loveling nuzzled his stomach. “Thank you General. You’re the best.” Elias stood awkwardly as the bug continued nuzzling his stomach, then it was like a switch was turned off. He blinked in surprise, then looked up to who he was hugging. Elias heard a low whimper escape Snowball’s mouth, so he decided to show a hint of compassion. Hopefully it would help his spy stay loyal. Elias lightly scratched the bug-pony between his ears, and Snowball relaxed, sighing softly as he leaned against Elias’ chest fully. Elias continued scratching as he whispered to the loveling. “A word of this to anyone, and I’ll kill you so quickly, your queen won’t notice you’re gone. Don’t expect it again either.” Snowball burped softly. “N-no need General. I’m gonna be fed for a month just on the love in the air.” The loveling smiled up at him. “Don’t worry, I know who you feel that way for, but I won’t tell. Not even my queen.” He burped again, and Elias noticed his purple eyes beginning to slip closed. He sighed and scooped the bug-pony up. Snowball cooed and curled into a fuzzy ball as Elias hugged him close, walking from the dungeon. Elias glanced down at the loveling as the gears in his head started turning. “On second though, I might have another job for you,” Elias said softly. “One that will be mutually beneficial to us.” > Chapter 47: How much a human? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias glared daggers at the black ceiling of his room. He had gotten into bed over an hour ago, yet he was still painfully awake. Dawn was less than three hours away, and Elias was always up before dawn. If he didn’t sleep soon, he wouldn’t sleep at all. Again. For the third night in a row. The human rubbed his face with his hands, letting out a long sigh as he slipped his legs from beneath his covers. He curled his toes in the lush carpet of his bedroom floor, then pushed to his feet, moving into his bathroom. He flicked the light one and moved to the sink, quickly turning on the hot water. Perhaps a warm towel would help him relax. He had read about it in some book, he forgot what about. Just another coverless image that sat in his library of knowledge. So much of it utterly worthless. He had skills ponies had never even heard of, and even if he laid them out perfectly, they wouldn’t understand. Some were relatively benign; cleaning and repairing a dozen types of machines, particularly cars. He had quite enjoyed messing around with cars. He also knew more than a few skills that would impress children, but nobody else. He knew origami, or at least enough to make a swan out of a napkin. He knew how to make a few simple balloon animals, back when he still used balloons for enjoyment instead of weapons. He knew how to tie a million types of knots, though that too took a darker path. He could tie a noose in his sleep, if he could just close his eyes and rest. The list went on, a million skills that he either couldn’t think of a use for, or had bastardized them into violent shadows of themselves. Simple carpentry turned into knowledge on how to make booby traps. Fishing turned into laying snares for people, not animals. On and on his skills spiraled, all horrifyingly violent in some form or fashion. All of which would make the ponies throw him out if they heard even half of what he knew. It put his mind on a spin, driving the nail of his continuing lies deeper into his brain. He wanted to love ponies, and wanted that love returned, but how could he do that if they couldn’t trust him? For all his talk about lying and spies, he was the biggest hypocrite he knew of. The very persona all the ponies knew was a carefully crafted lie designed to keep them innocent and unaware. It was despicable, and it was just another in a long list of sins that made him no better than the beast Celestia thought he was. Elias let out a deep breath, blinking his eyes open. He stared into his mirror to find it fogged, and glancing down found the sink overflowing. The water hadn’t quite reached the carpet though, so he gave it little more thought other than turning off the water and throwing a spare towel at the puddle on the floor. Elias took a washcloth and dipped it into the steamy water filling his sink, then wrung it out and walked back to his bed, laying it across the back of his neck. With a long sigh he flopped onto his bed, staring at the ceiling, while doing his best impression of Lionheart. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make his brain empty enough. Elias snorted at himself. It was sad that he had to create insults about some idiot that wasn’t even in the castle. That was the human in his mind he supposed. Antagonistic, derogatory, cruel and ever heartless. It was a sign that he hadn’t changed too much. Elias sighed again and rolled onto his side, tossing the washcloth away. It had done nothing to relax him, and now he was merely damp, and restless. He stared at the wall, as his mind drifted back. What had changed? Not just his environment, that was obvious, but what had truly changed with him? He identified that he was still as cruel and angry as he had ever been, so why did it feel different? This wasn’t being woken up by night terrors, this was, in his mind, far worse. He couldn’t get to sleep at all, and every single thought he had turned inward, no mater how much he tried to focus it elsewhere. Only times of stress let him focus on other tasks during the night. It was like the sun rising drove away his inner demons in time to act like the big strong human his ponies needed him to be. But when the sun went down and he returned to his room… “Am I really that dull?” Elias blinked, then sat up, scanning his dark room. The voice had sounded almost like Other-Elias, but almost… heavier, almost like his voice was deeper. He couldn’t see anything in the dark, but throwing on a light without being absolutely prepared would put him at a disadvantage. Elias slipped a finger under his mattress and slowly pulled forth a spare knife. Before he could draw it forth however, the lights flicked on, forcing Elias to spring into action. He rolled from his bed, and blinked rapidly to adjust to the light change. Knife in hand, he prepared to catch his attacker. He raised his arm to protect his throat and eyes, only for nothing to happen. He peaked out from behind his arm to glance around the room, and his eyes quickly locked onto the red unicorn sitting in his desk chair. The pony waited patiently for Elias to lower his guard, spinning a small knife of his own in a crimson aura of magic. Elias squinted at the pony as he shifted toward his armor stand. “Who the hell are you?” Elias asked, buying time. The pony would no doubt lie, and Elias suspected that he wasn’t a pony at all. It was just yet another infiltrator that he would have to deal with, no doubt trying to manipulate his mind one on one like Chrysalis had done with Shining Armor. Elias made sure to keep an eye on the pony as he inched closer to his armor stand, without meeting the pony’s eyes. He just had to grab a pilum. The long javelin would be invaluable in the close quarters. The pony huffed and shuffled in his seat. “Elias, just listen. This isn’t a trick or a trap, and I think you already know that. Just calm down, stop going for a pilum, and sit.” Shit. Was he telegraphing his movements that obviously? He had to be more cautious, perhaps lure the pony into a false sense of calm by going for his sword belt, which was sitting on his sandals at the end of his bed. It would be risky, especially with how close the pony was, but getting his gladius would definitely put things in his fa-… “Elias, please stop,” the pony said with a sigh. “Going for your gladius won’t help either, because I’m not here to attack you. I just need to talk. That’s all. Just talk.” Elias’s eyes narrowed. The pony was reading his thoughts. He hadn’t stopped moving toward the armor stand, yet the pony knew he was going for his gladius? The damned changeling already had its hooks in his mind. He had to act, and fast. The unicorn growled and stomped his hoof. “I’m not a fucking changeling!” Elias darted to his armor stand, snatching up a pilum and throwing it in one smooth motion. The pony groaned, and his horn lit up. The pilum stopped midair, held by a red aura of magic. The unicorn hopped out of his seat, then dragged the javelin closer. Elias watched as the pony ran his hoof across the javelin head, then held it out for Elias to see. “There, I’m bleeding red, see? I’m not a changeling. We both know they only bleed green.” Elias felt his bad eye twitch. “It could be an illusion. A new changeling snuck in only a day or two ago. Slipped right under the magical exposure spell. They’re adapting, and fast.” The red unicorn sighed and tossed Elias’ pilum to him. “Come on Elias, just fucking sit down. I think you’re dragging this out because you know exactly what I am, but you don’t want to admit it.” The unicorn tossed his black and grey mane out of his eyes and turned his back to Elias. “Or just get it done with and kill me. You’ll just prove them right, and then we’re stuck. Really stuck.” “Stuck?” Elias echoed. The unicorn motioned to the bed. “I’m not talking unless you’re sitting. Either talk to me or kill me. I’ll wait quietly for either.” Elias eye the unicorn up and down as he sat at the desk again. The pony waited silently, blinking quietly with his brilliant blue eyes. Those eyes looked awfully familiar, but Elias couldn’t quite place where he had seen them before. Probably nowhere, he had never seen the pony before him before after all. He was a threat, kill him. “Well?” the pony asked quietly. Elias let out a long sigh and moved around the bed. He scooped up his sword belt, drawing Feather free. The blade flicked back and forth dangerously for a moment, then Elias sat down on his bed, pulling out a cleaning rag. He let his eyes drop to his sword as he began to clean the blade. “Speak. I’ll decide if I’ll kill you when I’m done.” The stallion sighed and smiled. “That’s my kind of answer. You had me scared for a second Elias, I didn’t think being around ponies would make you into a worse person. Hell, if it had, I wouldn’t exist.” Elias’ mismatched eyes flicked up to the pony, who grinned back. Elias snorted dismissively as he went back to his gladius. His mind seemed to work at a snail’s pace, but he was putting the pieces together. “So what are you, some kind of manifestation of what Luna is trying to turn me into? Some kind of soft pony stooge?” The unicorn snorted. “More or less, just without the stooge part. Besides, you act like you haven’t already made progress into being a pony.” “You’d better pray I haven’t,” Elias responded without looking up. “Because whatever you are, I have a feeling you can die quite easily, and cutting away the ponies I have allowed to stay close is easy. Cutting butter is more difficult.” “Is that why you’re going to Book Binder and Night Flash’s wedding with Luna?” Elias’ eyes flicked up again, and he had to resist the urge to not cut the smug pony’s throat. His hand twitched, and a voice in his head urged him to strike. He let out a long breath as he focused on his sword. “Accuse me of weakness again, and I’ll walk to Luna’s room right now and tell her we’re through. I need to be a general first; a human general. It’s what these soft ponies need.” The red unicorn winced and shuffled in his seat. Elias could feel alarm emanating from the pony as he frowned. “That’s… I think we started wrong. Let’s just…” The pony took a few deep breaths, then seemed to mutter to himself for a moment. Elias felt an itch on the inside of his ear, like someone was whispering in it, but he couldn’t hear a damn thing. The pony’s ears flicked, and he took one long breath before sticking his hoof out. “Hi Elias, I’m Red, your pony manifestation.” Elias stared at the pony blankly for a moment, then snorted, ignoring the outstretched hoof. “And just how did I come to be a pony?” Elias replied. Red held his hoof up for a moment more, then sighed and let it drop. “That’s… a complex question. Technically I don’t exist anywhere but your, or rather, our mind, but, I am pleased to tell you that we can become a pony at any time if we so choose.” Elias snorted again and looked up to Red. “First, no. I already said I need to be a human general, and if you had even a shred of intelligence in that stupid pony body, you’d know that. Second, the answer is definitely no, because you’re weak. I need to be a strong, battle hardened leader, and you aren’t it. You pouted when I didn’t shake your hoof.” Elias regarded the pony with disgust, inspecting him from top to bottom. “On top of that, you have no muscle mass to speak of. Do you even know how to swing a sword?” Red growled. “I can fight just fine. I’m the same as I ever was, I’ve just been offered more. It’s an opportunity I recommend you take.” Elias waved Feather through the air, checking each side of the blade to ensure that it was clean and sharp. “And just who is offering this magical transformation of yours? The tooth fairy?” “The Keepers of Harmony,” Red replied smartly. Elias looked to the pony in disbelief. “The gods of Equestria are offering me, via a piece of my own brain that I have never encountered before this exact moment, the “opportunity” to become a pony, a few months before what is bound to be one of the most violent and bloody marches in Equestrian history. Am I getting that right?” Red huffed. “It’s more than that if you’d just let me talk for a fucking second. I haven’t gotten even a piece of my explanation in without you being a cynical jackass.” The pony snorted and crossed his hooves. “It’s no reason we find it so hard to make friends.” Elias ran his tongue across his teeth, then chuckled and shook his head. He spun his legs around the side of the bed, and faced the unicorn directly. “Alright then “Red”,” Elias said. “Make your little sales pitch, let’s hear what literal gods have to offer me.” Elias tapped his chest with his gladius. “I won’t say a damn thing until you’re done, but I want everything. Start with what you are, how you came to be, then move to what I’m being “offered”.” Red smiled and shuffled in his seat again. Elias watched his movements closely, though for what reason, he didn’t know. “That works for me,” Red said. “Just keep an open mind Elias, I promise that nothing but good can come from this, if we just listen and think it all the way through.” Elias spread his hands. “Then speak, because I am all ears.” “Let’s start with what I am. Again, my name is Red, and I am currently a part of your mind that has accepted life in Equestria, as a pony. With all the cuddling, snuggling, and friendship that entails.” The unicorn paused, clearly expecting Elias to interrupt, but the human said nothing, merely rested his hands in his lap as he sat cross legged on the bed. Red’s tail twitched with excitement as he continued. “As for your second question, I came to be over a long process, though if I had to pick a single moment that I… existed, I would say that it was Hearth’s Warming Eve. Remember when we were all snuggled up against Luna?” The unicorn shuddered and closed his eyes as a happy sigh left his lungs. “Oh, it was so warm, and snuggly and just… great.” ‘You and I remember things differently,’ Elias thought. ‘I distinctly remember feeling the loneliest I’ve ever been, followed by near death, then letting my heart bleed out.’ Red nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly! We started Hearth’s Warming completely at our lowest, but by opening our heart to Luna, and then allowing Book Binder and Night Flash back in, we took a step toward being a pony! It’s when I really began to manifest!” Elias had forgotten that the pony could read his thoughts. He needed to figure out how to… His brow furrowed as he tried to think without thinking. Red gave him an odd look as he continued speaking. “Finally, the opportunity we are being given is simple to explain. You see, the Keepers have been keeping a close eye on us since we came to Equestria, but they like to take a hooves off approach, so they merely watched and waited, analyzing every little thing about us, including how our brain worked.” The unicorn grinned and sat up, puffing his fuzzy chest out. “Did you know that ponies and humans share a ninety percent compatibility ratio? It takes next to no time or magical effort to switch a pony to a human and back again! The only issue comes in respect to acquiring a genuine Equestrian sou...” Red shook his head, blinking rapidly before focusing on Elias again. “Sorry, the Keepers mixed a bit of the Element of Magic in my personality to bring me to life. That won’t happen if you chose to become a pony, promise.” Elias stared at the pony silently, waiting for him to continue. Red chuckled nervously, then spoke. “Anyway, The Keepers have been keeping a close watch on us, making sure we weren’t some big danger they needed the princesses to take care of. It was them, on Hearth’s Warming, who filled us with harmonious song, and it was them who helped connect Luna to our song to get her to save us. Without their help, we would have died there and then.” “Why did they help us?” Elias asked He needed to keep the pony occupied. Red didn’t seem to notice the stray thought as he grinned, no doubt thinking that Elias was hanging onto his every word. “They saw an opportunity! You see, alicorns were basically created as Equestria’s primary defense. The Keepers choose ponies who are exceptionally good, grant them enhanced abilities, and then prolong their lives for a “contract”, something like ten thousand years or some such. It varies each time.” Red waved his hoof. “The numbers aren’t super important. What is, is the fact that Luna used her powers and went rogue. The Keepers have been looking for a good way to make sure she doesn’t turn again, and they believe that we are that method. That brings me to the last point, their offer. If we accept, not only do we have their permission to marry Luna,” Elias’ widened with shock. “Woah now, that’s a bit forward. We haven’t even done anything together, let alone start talk of-…” Red snorted dismissively. “Save it for everypony else Elias, I’m you, I know our feelings. Sure, you haven’t figured them out all the way, but marriage is down the line somewhere. This just speeds things up and makes them simpler!” The unicorn hadn’t noticed his movements. Why was he doing this? Good. “Anyway,” Red continued, “we’ll get permission to marry Luna, we’ll be granted an extended life, so that she doesn’t outlive us, and we get changed into a unicorn, specifically me. If we do good; you know staying loyal, helping out, the like, we even get a free pass to th-“ Elias made his move in an instant, and his dagger plunged without mercy into the pony’s ribs. Red gasped softly, meeting Elias’ snarl with a look of pain and shock. Elias blinked in surprise when he realized that the pony looked incredibly sad. Disappointed even. Then he felt a prickle in his ribs, and Elias choked. Blood spilled out of his lips and down his chin, and Elias quickly found that it was hard to breathe. He collapsed on his side, and to his surprise, Red didn’t. With a small gasp of pain, the pony pulled out the knife and sighed as he inspected the blood on it. His eyes flicked down to Elias’ for a moment, then back to the knife. “I just want to know why,” the pony whispered. “It’s a good deal, and I know we hate who we are now, so why? Why try to kill this part of yourself?” Elias felt fear and confusion flash through his mind, and he stared up at the pony as he struggled to speak. “I… don’t know,” he managed to gasp out. Blackness began swamping his vision, and Elias felt himself slipping away as the pony growled. “Don’t worry Elias, it’s not your fault. I figured it out.” The pony hopped out of his seat and rubbed Elias’ leg. “Go to sleep, I’ll deal with this bully for now. You need a good snuggle break.” The pony growled as somebody cackled out of Elias’ view. The human continued to choke and his vision continued to diminish as the sound of spell discharges filled the air. Elias shot up with a gasp, panting hard as a pony shape squealed in the darkness beside him. The pony flopped off the bed and thudded to floor, but Elias didn’t care about the intruder. He scrambled as he ripped his tunic in two, feeling his ribs. His fingers scanned everywhere, even going so far as to touch the chitin on his hip to confirm that he hadn’t been stabbed. He panted desperately, trying to collect himself as he felt tears streak down his cheeks. He… It had felt so real. The choking, the knife. It all hurt so damned much. Elias wanted to wrap his arms around himself and cry his way to sleep, but the thought of being alone, of having another nightmare like that… The pony popped his head back up, and Elias managed to retain enough of his sanity to recognize Snowball. The loveling’s floppy ears flattened against his head as he stared at Elias. “G-General? Are you alright? I… I was coming by to get some love, like we had talked about? B- but you were so distressed, so I let myself in and…” Elias reached over the side of the bed, snatching up the loveling into a tight hug. Elias felt the floodgates break under the combined pressure of months of lonely stress and his lifelike nightmare. He cried hard as he hugged the bug-pony close to his chest. Burying his face in Snowball’s fur, he cried without shame, just desperate for any kind of comfort. The emotivore was kind enough to return Elias’ hug after he overcame his shock. Elias felt the loveling rub small circles on his back, and he heard small shushing noises come from the loveling’s mouth. The bug-pony embraced him fully, and Elias couldn’t help but feel his heart warm. It felt good to just hug a pony. He hadn’t realized just how much he had missed it, and it felt like a physical ache in his heart was eased by the loveling he was clinging so desperately to. Elias felt a light tug on his chest, and his tears eased enough for him to regain enough sense to momentarily pull away. Snowball took a deep breath and smiled, then opened his eyes. They positively shined at Elias as the bug-pony snuggled against his chest. “You have all the makings of an excellent love-sponsor,” Snowball said quietly. “I took more than enough to feed me for the week, yet you’re positively swelling with gratitude and love.” Elias felt his grip on the loveling loosen, but before he could truly let go, Snowball tightened his grip, and he nuzzled Elias’ cheek until the human met his eyes. Snowball smiled lightly. “It is no insult General. Love-sponsors are some of the most valued members of any hive, and I meant it in the best way possible. You are a very caring individual, and anypony who knows you knows that.” He nuzzled Elias’ neck. “And I think it makes you an even better leader. Everypony can see that you care.” Elias felt the loveling lock his grip around Elias’ chest, and he felt Snowball smile as he rested his chin on Elias’ neck. “Now General, it is time to let somepony care for you. Let’s start with your nightmare, hm?” “I… I can still imprison you for this,” Elias threatened weakly. Snowball nuzzled his neck. “But it won’t make you feel any better. You’re hurting General, and I swear to you right now that nobody, not even my queen will hear of this. This is just between us. Speak, please. I need to know what’s on your mind so that I can give you appropriate comforting.” Elias shook his head. That was too far, he shouldn’t have ever made a deal with the loveling, should have driven him far away. The nightmare had gotten him too shaken up, had gotten him running scared. But he also needed this. What had Red told him to do. Take a cuddle break, Red’s voice whispered in his mind. Elias sighed and laid back, keeping his arms around Snowball. The loveling took it as a good sign, and he nuzzled Elias’ chest before settling, his purple eyes staring expectantly up. Elias let out a long sigh. “I… you swear you won’t say a word of this to anyone?” Snowball smiled. “Not a word, I promise. This is all for your benefit General, just let it out.” Elias flinched at the word general. It bore so much pressure, was the central reason for so many of his problems. His legs subconsciously tucked closer to his chest, stopping only when he felt Snowball’s legs. He fell silent, just absorbing the feeling of having somebody, anybody next to him. The warm feeling of another warm body was simply relaxing, and it set Elias’ mind alight on what he should do to ensure that he always had the sensation. On one hand, he had a small army of friends who would jump at the opportunity to snuggle every night, but on the other, he still needed to stay strong. A part of his mind ensured him that the best way to do that was to remain aloof and alone, but he was beginning to doubt the voice, and it made Elias paranoid. If he couldn’t trust his own instincts, what could he do? IT was terrifying to think he couldn’t rely on himself, and Elias felt a shiver pass through his body. Snowball rubbed the small of his back. “Just tell me what’s wrong General. I know we haven’t really known each other for long, but I can feel your pain, and I am here for you. Let it out, you’ll feel better.” “You can start by never calling me General in private again,” Elias snapped. “I hate that fucking title, I always have!” Snowball frowned, never stopping his gentle rubbing. “I… My apologies General, but I thought you loved your job. You always seem so energetic, so ready to work.” “Think again,” Elias replied, curling tighter into himself. “I hate being a General, and I hate leading ponies.” He was pathetically weak, spilling all of his emotions all over the place. To a spy no less. No doubt the loveling would teach him a lesson and report his every word back to his queen. It would be a suitable punishment Elias supposed as he continued speaking. “I hate teaching ponies to fight, to kill.” He shook his head. “Ponies are by and large too kind, and they shouldn’t have to deal with ugly realities that humans have to deal with. They don’t deserve war and death, and I’m tired of showing them what both look like.” Elias rolled over. He didn’t want Snowball to watch him cry like the pathetic fool he was. “Do you even know how old I am?” Elias said with a sniffle. The air sat in silence for a moment, then Elias felt Snowball shake his head. “I’m afraid not,” the loveling said. “I never thought it important to go looking through your medical records. With your advanced knowledge and leadership ability, I always put you in your mid-forties.” Elias chuckled bitterly. “Mid-forties, that’s cute.” He stared daggers at the dark wall. “I’m nineteen. Barely an adult by human standards, and not even close to being an adult by pony standards. I shouldn’t be dealing in death, shouldn’t be teaching others how to kill, yet here I am. The “Hero of Canterlot”, a trained killer training up more killers.” Elias closed his eyes and sniffled. “I’m just so tired, and so very alone. I didn’t want to lead an army, didn’t want any of this power or responsibility. I didn’t want any of this.” A sob wracked his chest. Elias tried to stay quiet, but as soon as Snowball tried to comfort him further, the floodgates opened again, and Elias began to cry loudly. Snowball shushed him softly, and continued rubbing his back. “Shhh, it’s alright…” the loveling paused, then took a risk, “Elias. Just tell me what you do want to do. What would you rather be doing, if not being a good, outstanding general?” Elias could tell that Snowball was trying to play up how Elias acted, but he knew it was a lie. He was cruel, vicious. He regularly had his soldiers whipped, was liberal in his use of punishment, especially for failure. He was positively heartless, but he also had no idea how to do it any other way. Not one that would work at least. Elias curled tighter in on himself. “I don’t know,” he whispered. “This is all I’m good for. I can’t offer anything else, and everybody knows that. The princesses wouldn’t have even kept me around if I wasn’t such a good killer.” He felt Snowball smile. “Hey now, that isn’t true. I’m sure you know all kinds of stuff, it’s just about finding what you enjoy. You find that, then share it with all your friends.” “I enjoy killing,” Elias spat bitterly. “I enjoy the feeling of fighting somebody, coming out on top, and then erasing an enemy from existence. It’s a special talent of mine.” He snorted. “It wouldn’t matter if I could find something else anyway. I don’t have friends, not anymore. I pushed them all away.” Snowball let out a long sigh. “I know you think that. I can feel your pain every time you try to push them farther, but Elias, they’re still there for you. They can help you move past this… rut you find yourself in. Though you didn’t know about my deception until recently, I’ve been watching you for months. I know you’re more than a killer, more than this self-hating person before me. You feel genuine joy when something goes right, and though it’s sparse, your praise is filled with pure happiness. I can feel it because I’m an emotivore, but Elias, all of the legionaries can tell when you’re happy. The rarity of your praise makes it more valuable than gold, and ponies strive each day to earn just a small “good job”. It’s not quite love yet, but Elias, you’re close. Your ponies look up to you, you’re their idol.” “And if they knew I was this broken?” Elias asked. “What would the ponies think then? Would they laugh at their frail, emotional commander? Would they lose all trust in decisions and training? Would they wonder why they tried to rely on the stupid human at all?” Elias shook his head and closed his eyes. He wished he could just sleep. So many things would look better if he could just sleep. No night terrors, or nightmares, just blissful, empty sleep. He felt Snowball nuzzle his neck. “Elias, the only thing that would happen if your friends found out about your feelings is that they would try to help,” the loveling said. “They care, they really do, I can feel it. Princess Luna especially. If you’d bring these doubts your having to her, she would no doubt-“ “Do nothing,” Elias snapped. “If anyone isn’t allowed to find out about this it’s her. She can’t know. She’s put so much trust into me, and I refuse to let her down.” He left unsaid the reason why he valued her trust so much, but Elias had a feeling the loveling behind him knew anyway. Snowball remained silent for a moment, then slowly began rubbing Elias’ back again. “Have you considered reversing your isolation?” the loveling asked. “To tell everypony, not about your doubts, but about your immense love for them? If you believe yourself cold and distant, it is a solution that I believe could benefit you. With your emotional burden lightened, then you could push forward until the end of the march, destroying your doubts.” Elias sighed. “But then I’d worry I wasn’t pushing hard enough. I’ve done things the soft way before, I let my family stay close, and it cost them their lives.” He frowned. “It all stems from the fact I should be strong enough to withstand all the stress and suffering in the world for the sake of people I care about. I have been before, why not now? Why do I suddenly care so much that it physically hurts to be away from my friends and family? What’s changed?” Snowball seemed to ponder the question for a moment, then said; “Elias, if I’m reading your emotions right, I think you already know the answer to that question. I’d like to hear your thoughts.” Elias sighed again, staring blankly at the wall before him. “I had a nightmare tonight,” he started, “and while that alone isn’t abnormal, this one was different.” He rubbed at his ribs where the knife wound had appeared. “I talked to a pony version of myself. I… see other versions of myself when I’m at my worst. This was different though. When I see another me, it’s usually so I can talk out a problem, but this… pony.” Elias took a deep breath. “It was different. He talked like he wasn’t me, while at the same time, was a part of me. He talked about an offer he was given by the Keepers-“ “Of Harmony?” Snowball asked. “And this other you, you had no knowledge of him before tonight?” “No,” Elias responded. “I didn’t know he existed before tonight. Yet he comes from nowhere with an offer from the gods of Equestria. It should have been easily dismissible…” “But you feel like there was something genuine about the offer,” Snowball finished. Elias sighed, then sat up and nodded. Snowball shifted so that his head rest against Elias’, and the pair stared through the dark toward the bedroom door. “It felt too real,” Elias said. “But the “offer” was something I couldn’t take, probably ever, but especially not now.” He stopped, and Snowball glanced at him from the corner of his eye before giving Elias’ chest a small prod. “What was the offer?” he asked softly. Elias let out a long exhale before answering. “He… said they offered to change me into a pony. A unicorn, like him. He explained this whole plan the Keepers had about me helping to prevent another Nightmare Moon, or something stupid. They also seem to believe I’m some kind of world ending threat, because they believe being a pony will put me under control.” Snowball snorted. “I doubt even being a pony will mellow you out. You seem like the kind of pony to spite the princesses for fun, except Princess Luna. You love her far too much to spite her for fun’s sake.” Elias glared down at the loveling. “And what does that mean?” Elias asked. Snowball chuckled weakly. “It’s not a bad thing, I swear, it’s just… Elias, I can feel your love for her. I don’t believe you would go out of your way to hurt her is all. You try to appease her as much as possible because you value you her.” “I’m not saying you never go against her!” Snowball added as Elias’ frown shifted into a scowl. “You just tend to try and get her on your side, as opposed to Princess Celestia or any of the Solar generals, whose opinions you don’t value. For them, you fight tooth and nail to get your way, but with Princess Luna, you talk, and convince. It’s a softer method, but no less effective.” Snowball smiled. “I could count on one hoof the numbers of times you didn’t end up getting your way since I infiltrated your legion. You are extremely charismatic when you need to be, and stubborn every other time.” The loveling nuzzled Elias’ neck. “What I’m trying to say is that you are, from what I can tell, preparing everypony to the best of your ability, and I think you can afford to have some emotional wiggle room. I’m not suggesting abandoning your isolation, but start letting certain ponies back in, like you're doing with Princess Luna.” Elias sighed loudly. Of course she was the center of everything. It couldn’t have been somebody easier. “Luna. I think I’ve let her affect me too much. She’s made me soft.” Snowball frowned. “I disagree. I think she’s made you social, and because you are used to isolation, you are fighting to return to what you view as your norm. The truth is, being social is your norm now. I don’t know anything about humans, but you are a social creature, and contact is needed.” Snowball tilted his head. “Though I suppose you have already made a small step into re-socializing by allowing me to draw love from you. I personally have quite enjoyed this cuddling session, even if the talk has been a bit heavy. If you want my opinion, I think you should rest on this small progress for a week or two, then perhaps approach somebody else to include them. Take things slow, and show your love to any who want it.” “Or I should cut everyone off permanently, including Luna,” Elias replied. He glanced down at the loveling, “and including you. Perhaps I made a mistake allowing you to stay, and that you are the source of my emotional weakness.” Snowball sighed. “If that is what you believe, I will not fault you Elias, but I think we both know that it is not something you want to do. You need somepony, and if it isn’t me, it’s somepony else.” Elias sat in silence, thinking hard about the loveling’s words. They had done a great deal of talking, but he felt no closer to a resolution. The real issue didn’t stem from his relationship with his normal friends; it stemmed from his relationship with Luna. “Red” hadn’t even mentioned Book Binder and Night Flash, almost like the pony persona was okay with keeping them at arm’s length temporarily. No, the offer was about Luna, and Elias felt himself flush at the thought of marriage. Red hadn’t been subtle; he had said it straight. The Keepers of Harmony were essentially offering him Luna’s hoof in marriage, and while incredibly tempting, he had to think of a bigger picture. He had responsibilities to uphold, and he wouldn’t be able to separate his work life from his romantic life. He had to be the rock Snowball said he was. He had to be stubborn, and if he was married, he would have to be stubborn to his wife. That wouldn’t do, the last thing Elias wanted to do was hurt Luna. He just needed to keep her away, but wouldn’t that hurt her too? They were going on a date in a matter of days, and that was no little thing. It was a turning point, and Elias realized that he wasn’t meant to answer Red, at least not yet. His opportunity came at the wedding. He could either try to get closer to Luna, to firm up their relationship and to become more open about it, or… Elias frowned at the ceiling. He had to remain strong. Uncompromised. Stubborn. He couldn’t have everything. Snowball jarred Elias from his thoughts as he tried to wiggle free of his arms. Elias blinked and reflexively tightened his grip. “You’re leaving?” Elias asked, unable to keep a hint of panic from his voice. Snowball’s eyes seemed to glow in the dark as they stared up at Elias. “I thought we were done. You’ve been quiet for some time now.” Elias rolled onto his side, taking the loveling with him. “I was trying to sleep, but my pillow started wiggling,” Elias lied. Snowball giggled, and wiggled upward to nuzzle Elias’ hair. “If I may be so bold then General, is this a permanent sleeping arrangement? Because if it is, I would like to properly nest.” Elias glared at the loveling. “Call me general again, and I’ll throw you to the wolves.” Snowball grinned. “Noted. Otherwise…?” Elias snorted and genuinely closed his eyes, resting his head on the loveling’s feather soft belly. “You’re not my friend you dirty spy. I just needed to work out my thoughts, and now I need a good pillow. Nothing more.” Snowball chuckled again. “Of course Elias, nothing more. Good night.” “Good night,” Elias grumbled in reply. Snowball hummed softly as he waited for Elias to drift off to sleep. It didn’t take the human long, and Snowball shifted as soon as he heard snores. He wasn’t lying when he said he wanted to properly nest, and while he couldn’t do much in Elias’ bedroom, he could make the beginning of a proper nest. Snowball’s horn lit up, levitating a few spare blankets over to the bed. He gently lifted Elias’ head, then slipped the stack of blankets under it. Snowball stomped them into an appropriate nest, then settled into it, before setting Elias’ head back on his stomach. Elias snorted into his belly fur, and Snowball giggled as he felt a small burst of love from the human as he buried his face in fluff. Snowball snuggled his cheek. “You’re going to make somepony very happy one day General,” he whispered. Before Snowball could close his eyes to join the human in sleep, he felt a buzz on his horn. Snowball sat up as best he could without disturbing Elias and closed his eyes. His mind quickly traveled along the thin thread of the hivemind, and within a moment he was no longer sharing a bed with his general, but his Queen. The gray loveling smiled down lovingly at him, and her blue eyes shined as she smiled. “Hello, my son. Is there anything to report from Equestria?” Snowball felt a small palpitation in his heart as he gazed up at his mother. What nobody knew was that he wasn’t some ordinary loveling, he was a prince, and his mission to spy on General Bright had been his first venture out of the hive. His mother had been a heartbeat away from threatening war just to see him returned safe and sound, but Snowball had played the situation right, and now he had so much valuable information. He opened his mouth to answer, then paused as he thought about the human that was snuggling his body, freely giving a bounty of love that could feed the hive for weeks. Snowball knew so much; despite the words he had spoken, Snowball had gained General Bright’s trust and friendship. General Bright was a cracked, breaking man with dozens of exploitable emotional weaknesses that could be used against him by anyone, changeling, loveling, or otherwise. General Bright also held severe doubts about his capabilities to command, and he was incredibly young and over-stressed. Finally, General Bright was isolated from his friends, and that made every other problem exponentially worse. Snowball frowned up at his mother, who waited patiently for him to speak. He took a deep breath, weighing the decisions quickly in his mind. Though the mantle would likely pass to one of his sisters, there was always a chance, no matter how small, that he would one day become queen. He needed to make smart decisions. Even if it meant telling half-truths to his mother. Snowball sighed and smiled up at Queen Flos. “I have good news my Queen.” His smiled widened, and his tail swished in their nest. “I made a new friend this evening!” Flos smiled and nuzzled his back, drawing a purr from the smaller loveling. “That is always excellent news Nix. Just who is this friend?” Snowball’s mood dimmed slightly. General Bright hadn’t made a good first impression, and his mother would no doubt feel a bit angry. Still he had to be strong. General Bright was relying on him! “General Bright,” Snowball said. Flos’ mood quickly shifted, and her muzzle curled in a hard frown. “Nix, I don’t think it is wise to grow close to the human. He is dangerous.” Snowball nodded and did his best to sit up. “I know my Queen, but he is also kind, and very loving. Please, take a small taste.” Snowball let some of General Bright’s excess love filter through his mind and into the air. Flos looked doubtful, but her horn lit up with shining blue magic, and she reached out to collect the human love. She immediately gasped and recoiled. Snowball felt a moment of alarm, and he began to rise, but Flos quickly calmed and she nuzzled his back again. “My apologies Nix, I was just surprised by the power of it. He is… quite giving.” Snowball smiled. “Yup! I have been debating whether or not to invite him as a love sponsor! I know things seem bad, especially with how he treated me when he found me out…” “He threatened to execute you,” Flos spat. Snowball nuzzled his mother’s chest. “I know, but with good reason. Canterlot Castle has a changeling problem, and I have been tasked with helping destroy it. It is one of my new duties.” Flos raised an eyebrow. “By saying it is “one” of your new duties, it implies more. What else does the human have you doing? Something degrading no doubt.” Snowball shook his head. “Nope! I’m his snuggle therapy pony, and tonight we made big progress!” He blushed as he let his voice drop from his shout, and he stared down as he smiled. “I apologize my Queen, I can’t say everything, or really anything. I have earned his trust, and I can’t violate it.” Snowball thought he heard a chuckle as she leaned over and nuzzled him again. “Not ever for your dear mother?” Flos asked. Snowball bit his lip and shook his head. “Sorry?” he offered weakly. Flos chuckled, louder this time, and nuzzled the top of his head. “Don’t be. You do the hive well by being so loyal. I hope your good will rubs off on the human.” Snowball beamed up at Flos. “I don’t need to my Queen. General Bright is great, you’ll see. He’s just having a rough time right now, but once everything is done, he’ll be the nicest, most loving pony you could ever meet!” Flos shook her head and snorted but Snowball caught a smile on her face. “I shall take your word for it little one. If there is nothing else then, you should rest. We shall speak again soon.” She gave him one last nuzzle. “Loving dreams my son.” He returned her nuzzle, then offered her a small kiss on the cheek. “And you my queen. Give the hive my love.” He closed his eyes, and within an instant, he was alone again. Snowball blinked as he felt a hand grab his stomach, and then with a small yelp, Elias flipped him over, hugging him tight into his chest. Snowball looked up for any signs of distress on the human’s face, but found none. If anything, he looked almost content. Snowball smiled and gave the human a nuzzle as well. “And goodnight to you Elias. I pray to the Keepers that you have loving dreams.” The loveling settled in, making sure the blankets were pulled up before he let sleep take him. > Chapter 48: At the end of war > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias sighed and rubbed at his forehead. He thought he knew what stress was, but he was working double time to ensure that everything was prepared for Friday. He wanted to make sure he spent no time thinking about work during his date with Luna, and that meant spending every minute of the days leading up to the wedding planning and working. All of his meetings had been squeezed in before Book Binder had left, and Scarlet and Snowball were beside him as they moved quickly to the first meeting of the day; an inventory meeting with Lionheart. The Solar General had been given a minor slap on the wrist for his part in the duel, with Celestia writing it off as the stallion being under the influence of the changeling. Elias knew it was a lie, but he didn’t care. Both Celestia and Lionheart were stepping lightly around him, giving him plenty of space to work. They knew they had fucked up, and they were doing everything they could to keep Elias on board with the plan. It meant they were bowing to his every whim, and more often than not, he barely even had to raise his voice to get what he wanted. He just needed to push through a few more things before the wedding, then he was set. Elias took a deep breath and hoped his migraine would lessen as the morning went on. As he pushed open the throne room doors, he had a feeling that such a boon would not come to pass. ***** Cadence practically skipped alongside Twilight and her friends. Even with her magic being slowly packed away, she felt as light as a feather. She and her new husband had the best extended honeymoon a pair of newlyweds could have. As soon as she returned, she had made plenty of space in her schedule to make up for lost time with her favorite sister in-law, all culminating in the most enjoyable, relaxing months of her life. Even the morning they were all coming back from; a simple trip to Doughnut Joe’s followed by a walk in one of Canterlot’s many parks, had been simply wonderful, and Cadence couldn’t keep a wide smile from her face as she listened to Twilight chatter with her friends. The Elements were all wonderful ponies, and Cadence hoped everything went well with their meeting with Celestia. She had been advised to bring as few retainers as possible, but if she had Twilight and her friends, the march might just be enjoyable. The golden clad guards opened the throne room doors without a word. Cadence continued listening to Twilight as she and Rarity talked about how they wanted this year’s gala to go, and as they entered the throne room, her aunt looked up and smiled. “Welcome all, I am happy to see you, and extend my warmest welcome.” Twilight charged ahead, prompting Celestia to rise so that the mentor and student could share an affectionate nuzzle. It also gave Cadence a brief moment to study her aunt. Though it wouldn’t be noticeable to most ponies yet, she could clearly see that her aunt was much shorter, and her mane was beginning to lose its multi-colored glow. The solar winds that made it move were also blowing slower, so much so that only the tip of her mane shifted. After they finished with their more intimate greeting, Twilight trotted down from the throne with a light blush on her face, while Celestia resumed her seat and smiled. “I hope that it was not too difficult to get past our increased security?” Rainbow Dash snorted and waved a hoof. “Please, the guards couldn’t stop us if they wanted to.” She leaned over and nudged Twilight. “’specially when Twi’s brother is a captain, and doing the dirty with-“ The pegasus hissed as Applejack swatted at her with her stetson. The farm pony jabbed a hoof at the blue pegasus. “Ain’t no need for bein’ crude while there’s princesses present.” She turned to Celestia with a bashful smile as she put her hat back on. “Beggin’ yer pardon for ma friend Princess.” Celestia snorted lightly and glanced to Cadence. “I don’t think it is private knowledge what Captain Armor and Princess Cadence got up to on their extended honeymoon, though I appreciate the sentiment Applejack.” Cadence giggled as Applejack gave Celestia another bow before whirling on Rainbow Dash. The pair quickly set to quietly bickering, while the rest of their friends looked on with a range of facial expressions, mostly exasperation. Twilight sighed and looked to Celestia with a ‘Please help me’ look. Cadence decided that she could get the ball rolling easily enough, though for some reason she felt her ear twitch. “So, Auntie, we received your letter, what would you like for us to help with today?” Celestia gave her a near invisible wink and grin, before smiling at Twilight. “It is not so much something you can do, but rather somebody I’d like you to-…” “I’m telling you that we absolutely must have the extra wagons!” a golden clad pony shouted, drawing everyone’s attention. “We simply need to carry more water!” Cadence had no idea how she had missed the table that sat in the back corner of the throne room. A swarm of ponies dressed in silver and red ran about pell mell around a large table that seemed to be so covered in papers that the tabletop wasn’t visible. Standing at the center of the madness was a tall, pale creature, also dressed in silver and red. The “human” she had heard about seemed like a giant when compared to the ponies around him, and it took Cadence a moment to realize that he was more than likely taller than her aunt was at her diminished size. The human didn’t look up as he wrote something down on a sheet of paper before passing it to a white pegasus that sat beside him. The pegasus in turn passed the human a small note, which he gave only a passing glance at before handing it back. “Tell General Nightshade she can bring some of her guardsponies on our afternoon march, only if they can keep up. We slow our pace for nobody.” The pegasus passed the note to one of the other silver clad ponies, who sprinted away immediately. The human then looked to the golden armored unicorn and Cadence winced as his words seemed to punch into the air. “And I’m telling you that we don’t,” the human snarled. “I’m tired of arguing this. We planned to march near a river for a reason. We will get our water from there.” The pony tossed his purple mane and groaned. “We should not have to drink filthy river water! It is unsanitary.” The human went back to writing on the paper before him. “General, I don’t know how I am the only one who seems to remember this, but you have magic. We will use sanitation and filtering spells to ensure that the water is clean and drinkable. If we have to haul water with us, we’ll need to protect at least forty more wagons, something we do not have the troop strength to do. We need to be doing everything in our power to reduce the number of wagons we bring, not add an inane number of worthless wagons.” Cadence heard Rarity snort and the white unicorn leaned over to Fluttershy. “How garish, look how stifling those uniforms are. Those poor ponies must be suffering!” Fluttershy whispered back a reply that Cadence didn’t catch. The pony Cadence was fairly certain was Duke Shattered Shield tossed a hoof into the air. “Fine then, why don’t we just throw away all of our wagons? Why not just take a single barrel, or better yet, since we’re so interested in saving space, why take any? Let’s just take a single canteen, and share it all, like animals!” The human didn’t glance up from his work. “General, stop acting like a child. You act like I’m threatening your well-being. We are taking empty barrels to store and transport water on the march, I believe that we should take two hundred, with half-filled at all times. What do you think we should take?” Shattered Shield slumped and glared at the table. “Make it three hundred, that way we have spares in case some of the barrels get ruined.” The human nodded silently in agreement and wrote the number down on a separate slip of paper. The white pegasus at his side quickly snatched the slip away and began recording the number into a large notebook. “Snowball, make sure those are made and ready by the end of today. I want to be conducting advanced practice marches by the end of the week.” “Yes General,” the pegasus replied without looking up. The table fell into a relative silence, and Celestia seemed to sense and opportunity to regain verbal control of the throne room. She cleared her throat softly, and Shattered Shield’s eyes shot up from the table. He saluted instantly, and Cadence could have sworn she saw sweat beading on his forehead as he spoke quickly. “My apologies Princess, General Bright and I were merely involved in very detailed discussion. Was there something you needed?” Celestia smiled warmly in return. “No General Shield, I was merely hoping your planning session could wait for a moment while I spoke with General Bright.” Shattered Shield bowed. “Of course Princess, I will be out of your way then.” The unicorn bowed again and moved away from the table, casting nervous glances at the hunched over human. Everyone waited quietly as the human continued to work, occasionally mumbling to himself. As a minute ticked by, even the silver clad ponies around the human began to show signs of nervousness, but none of them said anything. They instead continued carrying out their jobs, thought they were slowly grinding to a nervous halt. An angry itch began in Cadence’s ear as the second minute passed by with nothing from the human. Celestia looked as calm as ever as she cleared her throat again. “General Bright, I would like a moment to speak with you.” Cadence’s ear flicked. That wasn’t the language her aunt had taught her to use with subordinates; that kind of speaking was reserved for foreign dignitaries, and then only the important ones. A princess of Equestria certainly didn’t have to ask one of their employees for time to speak. It just wasn’t how things worked. The human stuck a finger in the air. “Just a second Princess, I am almost finished.” Cadence noticed a small tail flick from her aunt, but the elder alicorn’s face was still calm. “Can it not wait? I promise that this will take only a-…” “It can’t wait,” the human replied rudely. Cadence saw a slight frown break through her aunt’s professional mask, and she saw looks of horror on the faces of Twilight and her friends. None of it matched the emotion she felt; rage. How dare he disrespect Celestia like that? How dare he treat anypony like that? Her muzzle curled in a snarl and she stomped a hoof. The noise carried easily through the throne room, and it acted as a precursor to her voice. “General,” she snapped. “You will stand at attention and address your Princess properly. Now!” Elias stopped writing mid-sentence, and the room fell into a silence that seemed almost unnatural. A glance upward in his peripherals found his legionaries waiting with bated breath for his response, but if they were expecting him to explode in reply, they would be disappointed. He slowly finished writing the rest of the sentence he had been working on, then set his quill back in its well. Taking a deep breath, Elias straightened, glancing at Snowball. “Have the troops finish their drills and move onto formation practice in the next fifteen minutes,” he said softly. “I will be out shortly to inspect their progress. Dismissed.” His legionaries scrambled into action, efficiently gathering up all the paperwork into neat, and orderly stacks as they raced through the rear entrance of the throne room. Snowball was the last one out, waiting for the ink to dry on the supply sheet Elias had been working on. With his troops out of the way, Elias glanced toward Shattered Shield, keeping his voice low as he spoke. “General, I think it best we pick this up later, don’t you agree?” The pony looked like he was about to soil himself, but he kept his composure and nodded quickly. “Indeed I do. I will set it up with your assistant.” Elias gave him a nod, motioning slightly toward the exit through which his legionaries had left. Shattered Shield beat a hasty retreat, and Elias had to suppress a smirk as the doors slammed behind him. At least there was some shred of intelligence amongst the Solar generals. Behind him, the alicorn he was certain was Cadence snorted. “Well General? I am waiting.” Elias stared hard at the table before him for a moment, then decided he would play the pink alicorn’s game. He slowly straightened to his full height, and Elias swore he heard a small gulp behind him. Resting his hand on his gladius, Elias spun on his heel and walked toward the group of assembled ponies. All except Cadence were vaguely familiar, and Elias quickly remembered the faces of the Elements from their various meetings. They all used different strategies to try and seem unintimidated. Rainbow Dash and Applejack tried to puff up, but the latter withered back slightly when Elias’ eyes flicked to her. Twilight and Rarity seemed the most collected, but he caught nervous twitches from both of them. Fluttershy hid behind the pair of unicorns, while the pink one Elias had only seen once, Pinky Pie, seemed to bounce in place. She had an odd look on her face; an unnaturally cheery smile, accompanied by a strange twitching. Looking at her made Elias feel a trace of nervousness race up his spine, but he ignored her. Strange as she was, his reports indicated that she wasn’t a threat. That left Princess Cadence. The pink alicorn was doing her best to look calm, but perhaps her experience with being taller than almost everyone around her made her less confidant when the person she was trying to reprimand was a good foot or two taller than she was. She did a good job keeping a passive expression on her face though, at least until Elias removed his glasses. The illusion peeled away, exposing his bad eye and his long black scar for the world to see. He was pleased to note a flinch out of Cadence as he came to a stop, clasping his hands behind his back as he glanced to Celestia. “Princess, what can I do for you and Princess Cadenza today?” He kept his voice short and low, making each word forceful. Though he was at most mildly irritated about being treated like some kind of lap dog, he knew what anger sounded like, and so pretending to be a step away from furious was easy. Cadence glanced toward Celestia, who smiled calmly. “General, we were merely hoping for your opinion on a matter concerning the march. It shouldn’t take much time at all.” Elias gave her a small nod. “Of course; should Ms. Sparkle and her friends be dismissed?” “Hey!” Dash protested. “We have names you know. What makes you so special that you can just ignore a princess?” Elias fixed her with a glare, saying nothing. The flapping pegasus crossed her hooves and glared back. “The Elements are more than welcome General,” Celestia intervened. She looked to Dash with a smile. “As to your question Rainbow Dash, General Bright is the guard that escorted my sister to safety the day of the royal wedding. His scars are a result of that staunch defense.” “Oh,” Dash squeaked, setting all four hooves on the ground. “Yeah, that’s pretty special.” Elias felt his bad eye twitch as a hint of real anger broke through, but he quickly suppressed it and looked to Celestia as she spoke. “General, I asked the Elements here today because you have the final say in a matter concerning them. I have already taken the liberty of discussing it with everyone else individually, and we have come to agreement.” Elias noticed the word individually. No doubt she had talked any dissenters into whatever plan she had one on one, and now hoped to bully him into acceptance with the presence of a second princess, as well as the ponies he would no doubt reject. Apparently, her memory about his experiences with public pressure hadn’t stuck. Elias grinned internally. He would make sure this time she remembered good and well. “Regardless,” Celestia continued, “I wished for you opinion before making the final decision, since your honesty threatens to rival that of fair Applejack.” “Aw shucks Princess,” the orange farm pony said, tipping her hat, “it jus’ don’t feel right sayin’ nothin’ but the truth.” Elias never let his face change from a soft frown. “And what is the matter in question?” he asked. Celestia seemed to take his query as a positive sign, because she straightened in her seat, and her smile didn’t waver as she spoke. “As you well know, the Elements of Harmony are a powerful tool that we have found great use for in the past few years. It is my belief that they can do even more good again. It is my wish that Twilight, and the other Elements join us on the march to Saddle Arabia.” Silence fell like a shroud on the room as Elias stared at the alicorn. She stared back, waiting for a response, no doubt expecting a quick, ‘yes!’. ‘Probably expects me to bow and say “how do you do?” to,' Elias thought. “And Luna okayed this?” he said aloud. Celestia nodded instantly. “Of course. It took a bit of convincing, but she and Twilight are close friends, and with their minds working together, they could no doubt offer further assistance in planning out the logistics of the march.” ‘Just say you don’t trust my judgement,’ Elias thought. Instead of giving a verbal answer however, he looked to the Elements, looking over them with an appraising eye. Several of them puffed out their chests with pride, as sure of his response as Celestia was. Elias loved the thought of crushing their misplaced pride into the dirt. He looked back to Celestia and shook his head. “I hate to disappoint,” he said diplomatically, “but my answer must be a firm no.” Celestia’s smile fell, and though it was slight, her posture did as well. “May I ask why not?” she replied. Elias nodded and looked back to the Elements. “Simply put, they’re a safety risk. I see maybe two fighters in the whole bunch, and that is only with substantial training. Training they will not receive in time for us to leave.” He glanced back at Celestia and shrugged. “Princess, maybe if this had been your plan from the beginning, we could have thrown them in with my legion and we could have gotten them up to fighting strength, but with only four months left? I’m not going to be responsible for leading the Elements of Harmony to their deaths.” “Now hold your horses!” Applejack protested, drawing another glare from Elias. She ignored it as she spoke. “We may not be fancy guardsponies, but we know how to hold our own!” “Yeah!” Rainbow Dash said. “We were at the wedding too!” She flapped into the air and began jabbing with her hooves. “We kicked mad changeling butt!” “You were captured,” Elias replied bluntly. “I read the reports, and had it not been for Princess Cadenza and Captain Armor, you would have been imprisoned or enslaved by changelings, at best.” Elias spread his hands. “On another note, did you actually kill any changelings? Any at all?” The group of ponies looked amongst themselves, then shook their heads collectively. Elias nodded. “Right, that’s what I thought. This is not as simple as you may believe. We intend to go through the lands of a warrior species, and while you may hesitate to kill them, the minotaurs will not hold the same reservations toward you. I know for a fact that I wouldn’t.” Elias snorted and looked back to Celestia. “A definite no. They’ll only get themselves killed, leaving Equestria without one of its defenses. I highly advise against bringing them.” Cadence moved into Elias’ line of sight, sitting at the steps of Celestia’s throne. She seemed to have recovered from his grim appearance, and was instead trying to act as calm and collected as the elder alicorn. She wasn’t bad at it, if Elias was being honest. She met his eyes evenly before she spoke. “Could we not just bring more guards? We could train the Elements quite a bit in the next few months, and what knowledge or skill in battle they lack could be compensated by assigning them each a group of bodyguards.” Elias frowned and shook his head. “I’m afraid that won’t work Princess. We are already taking just about everyone with us. Captain Armor will only be left with about five hundred guards, ten of which are veterans. The rest are fresh recruits that he’ll be training while we’re gone. There is simply nobody to spare.” He straightened slightly. “If you want my honest opinion, I would leave the Elements in Canterlot as an additional safe guard. If they are as good a defense as you think they are, then they should be able to help Captain Armor immensely, especially given the situation we’re leaving Equestria in.” “What situation?” Twilight asked, piping up. Elias glanced back to the unicorn. “I’m a historian Ms. Sparkle, and I’ve done my homework. World ending threats have a nasty tendency to occur when a princess is distracted.” He glanced toward Celestia. “And this march will put all three out of commission. That’s dangerous. I think we should leave the Elements here to help Captain Armor protect Canterlot.” He spread his hands. “If you don’t want that for them, then I’d recommend not involving them at all.” Celestia frowned. “General, I had hoped you’d be more agreeable on this matter.” Elias snorted in reply. “I didn’t accept this position to be agreeable. I accepted to make sure the job was done right. I’d recommend you trust my judgement.” “And just where is this judgement coming from?” Cadence asked. Elias’ eyes flicked to the pink alicorn, who stared back evenly. “Who really are you?” she continued. “I’ve heard quite a few stories about the human called Elias Bright, but what authority do you have here that wasn’t given to you on a silver platter? Where does all of your so called “knowledge” on military affairs come from?” Elias felt anger spread through his mind even as a smile appeared on his face. “It’s quite simple Princess,” Elias replied calmly. “I have seen more war and bloodshed in my nineteen years of life than Equestria has since its inception.” He looked to Celestia and tilted his head. “Permission to speak freely Princess.” The white alicorn bit her lip for a moment in thought, then spoke. “I… would like to hear your qualifications as well General. I trust in your judgement, but perhaps a bit of history would alleviate all our worries. You said yourself that you are a historian, perhaps you could enlighten us on what makes you so experienced at such a young age?” Elias chuckled. “Fair enough.” He cracked his neck and straightened. “Let’s start with a simple resume then. My name is Elias William James Bright, also known as “Rubrum Aquilae”, or the Red Eagle.” His grin widened slightly. “That title was earned from my choice method of execution for traitors.” He clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace back and forth. “As for my qualifications; I have spent hundreds of hours researching Graeco-Roman culture, specifically their methods for making war. I used this knowledge to recruit, construct, and train one human legion, and now, one Equestrian one. My human legion, Legion I Americana, won seventeen engagements before its total destruction.” His smile dipped slightly. “Unfortunately, I made a bad call, and my troops were exhausted. The battle was pitched, and there was a chance for victory, but a traitor gave the enemy firearms, and my troops were slaughtered.” His bad eye twitched as the smell of gunpowder seemed to fill the air. Elias did his best to press on quickly, hoping the smell would dissipate. “I blood-eagled the traitor for his actions.” Elias fell silent for a moment, then straightened, looking back to Cadence. He could see traces of horror in her eyes, but she was still keeping her face in a tight mask; a stark contrast to the Elements, who were beginning to stare at him in horror. They had no idea what was coming. “I suppose that brings me to qualifications in killing,” Elias continued. “I have seven thousand three hundred and ninety-eight confirmed human kills. Two thousand and forty-six of which are by firearm, one thousand seven hundred and forty-nine of which are from stabbing, eight hundred and three of which are by explosive.” Elias looked toward the ceiling as he continued his tally. “Something like nine hundred were from booby traps, and about five hundred more were from fires.” He tilted his head and shrugged. “The rest were from miscellaneous means, save for eighty-seven, which were blood eagles.” “M-miscellaneous meaning?” Twilight asked quietly. Elias glanced toward the unicorn to find her writing his words down on a scroll. Evidently her scholarly nature outweighed her horror. He nodded to her question. “Drownings, beatings, a few more… creative methods. I believe I also hanged a few people for thievery.” Elias shrugged and looked back to Cadence. “I can’t remember them all sometimes. The faces of the earlier ones blur a little. I was at a dark, dangerous crossroads in my life, but suffice to say I got better, and now I only kill the right people. Changelings, as it were.” He stopped his pacing for a moment, then looked up to Celestia. She was staring at him with regret in her eyes, but he knew she wouldn’t act against him. She knew what he spoke was true, that he had changed substantially, even since he had nearly beaten White Shine to death. He had a great deal of restraint, and while their already terrible relationship would take another hit, she would still trust him to do his job, because he was the only one who had the experience. But that was just it, what did they know about his experiences? What did they know about what he was still experiencing? His scars ran deep, and he was a battle-hardened human that had spilled so much blood that the sight of it didn’t even concern him. Ponies on the other hand, ponies would feel killing on a deeper level than him, even if it was less intense. That was the point he needed to make to get them to understand, and luckily, he had a great example. Elias ran a hand across his mouth. “Princess, allow me to convince you why the Elements should stay here by using a hypothetical.” Celestia’s eyes held a trace of nervousness, and her wings fluttered lightly, but she nodded. “I said you were free to speak General, and if this helps us to reach the right decision, I shall endure.” “Let’s say we bring these ponies on the march to Saddle Arabia,” Elias started. “And let’s pretend that they can perform at the level of your average guard. They stand tall in the face of the enemy, doing their duty to protect those around them.” He raised a finger. “And let’s also pretend that they all manage to survive without so much as a scratch.” He smiled and motioned to his bad eye. “No ugly scars for them, no physical agony from taking a sword to the guts, or from losing a limb to some lucky sweep of an axe. Nope. Not a damn scratch.” He clasped his hands behind his back, swaying in place. He felt energy rising in his body. This was going to work; he could feel it. He would finally get somebody, anybody to understand what they were walking into, would get them to understand why he pushed so hard, why he made the sacrifices he did. He just had to ask that all important question that he struggled with every time he saw his friends in legion uniforms. “Are you prepared to deal with what will follow them home after the killing is done? Are you prepared for them to do that absolute worst thing you can do in a war?” “Which is?” Celestia asked quietly. He had her. She could tell, and she likely already knew what he was going to say, but Elias didn’t care. He was going to make himself very clear. He stood stark still as he asked; “Are you prepared for them to survive?” The throne room fell into a chilling silence. Elias listened to it with pure joy. War was all fun and games on paper, but when talking about living and dying? That was where understanding came in. Nobody wanted to die, not unless they understood. Elias understood better than anyone, and he was already doing his best to prepare for the increase of his burden. He would survive of course, nothing he would do could stop it. He just had to do his best to make sure as many of his friend survived as well. The more that lived, the less damage they would face after. One of the Elements broke the silence. “Well,” Rarity started, no doubt trying to find her nerve, “I simply don’t understand in what world that living could be worse than death.” Elias grinned widely as he glanced back at the white unicorn, so much so that he imagined he looked a bit mad. He was just so unbelievably happy that she had asked such a perfect question. “Then allow me to explain,” he answered. “You see, us humans, we are quite good at war. So good in fact, that we managed to kill our planet and just about everyone on it.” That alone put her in her place. Rarity cringed back, scooting closer to Twilight, who was still taking note with a look of horrified fascination in her eyes. “But,” Elias continued, “even human minds aren’t designed for the stress of war. We have a dozen names for it; post traumatic stress disorder, shellshock, combat fatigue,” he shrugged. “Take you pick. The name doesn’t matter. It’s simply what those who have lived through war would become afflicted with after they got back.” Elias spread his hands and began pacing again. “Now, everyone reacts differently of course. Some only see minor symptoms, but those who aren’t mentally prepared for the horrors of war? Those who lose all of their close, personal friends?” He smiled. “Let me paint you all a picture.” “It starts with mild paranoia,” Elias said. “Your body is so used to being on guard, that you can never truly relax, even when you’re in a completely safe, and comfortable environment. It’s understandable given what you’ve been through, you’ve fought in battles after all, killed other living creatures.” He tilted his head. “You may jump at a loud noise or two, flinch a bit when things go bump in the night, or when somebody calls your name, but in truth, it isn’t anything out of the ordinary. Everybody gets scared and surprised occasionally. It’s not an issue, really.” Elias turned on his heel and paced the other way, glancing up to find all eyes watching his every movement intently. The ponies were hanging on his every word. “Then you start becoming a bit more irritable. When someone asks you questions about what happened while you were “away”, you do your best to shut it down, change the subject. It’s better, you think, to try and forget. So you dodge and avoid and keep moving forward. You attribute everything to the nasty dreams you’ve been having, but those will go away eventually, right?” Elias shook his head and continued. “But the problem is, they do care, and they notice these little changes. They press and press and press, until one day you snap under the pressure. Anger and hate fill your very soul as you unleash a tirade that sets those nosey friends in their place. You want to make them never bring it up again, you want to make them understand, but the problem is, words are often not enough, and you have no idea how they can truly “get it”.” “And that just makes you angrier,” Elias said. “you drive them away for a time, and after you calm down, you realize that you might need some help. You might need at least one person to come to terms with everything that’s happened to you.” His mind flashed to Luna. What would she think of him if he showed her his journals in their full, ugly glory? He had lied to the ponies; he remembered every single person he killed. He had written down a very accurate logbook, and if she ever saw them… He shuddered and kept pacing. That wasn’t going to happen, at least not for a long time. He just had to keep lying to her until they were in a better spot. “But you shove that notion away,” Elias continued. “You don’t want to be a burden to anyone. It’s better to suffer a little on the inside than to let anyone else share your pain. They can’t take the pain you hold in your heart, so you keep holding, and you stay as quiet as possible. You’re quicker to anger, but it isn’t anything overly concerning yet.” “Until you start having the real nightmares,” he said bluntly. “Until you start hearing the screams, tasting the blood in your mouth, having your lungs filled with the stench of death. It’s all flashes, violence, blood. Dreams made of death and destruction that make you avoid sleep like you would the plague.” He stared at Cadence as he turned around on his heel again. “Now you’re waking up in the middle of night, and you can’t go back to sleep because the nightmares are waiting. As you get more and more exhausted you realize that the shadows all around you are growing deeper now, so deep that they can now hide your enemies, so now you’re getting more paranoid.” Elias took a deep breath before shifting his eyes to stare at the floor. Talking about it was making his own symptoms flare up, but he had to continue. He pressed forward. “So you keep pretending you’re fine, and you push on,” he said. “It will all fade with time, you think. There’s no reason for anyone to know about what you’re suffering through. Besides, it’s just sleep. You’ll catch up later.” Elias shrugged. “But now you’re quicker to anger, even getting mad at the little things. It’s just a lack of sleep you say to yourself, but now your enemies are out in the daylight. You seem them around every corner and in every piece of shade. Even worse, some of your friends are starting to look at you strangely. Your paranoia just gets worse and worse, and most nights you don’t sleep at all.” He snorted. “Not like you were getting sleep anyway.” “But now you’re tired, angry, and always paranoid,” he continued, counting the symptoms off on his fingers. “And by now, your friends have started to notice for real. They ask you if you’re alright, if you need any help. “Of course I’m alright”, you answer.” He tapped his nose and smiled at the Elements. “Don’t want to be a burden now, do you?” “But they keep asking, and asking, and you get angrier and more isolated, because despite your best efforts, they treat you like the ticking time bomb you are.” His voice took on a harsher tone, but Elias knew he was far too gone to consider stopping. “You push them away,” he spat. “It’s a lie, some claim about how you need space, time to think. Well they listen, and when you’re alone, you hear the first whispers. Your friends, when they do see you, are concerned. They tell you that you don’t act the same, that you aren’t like you used to be. They tell you that you haven’t so much as smiled in days. You can’t help it this time and you snap again.” “Another stream of hate and anger, sprinkled with a taste of fear comes from you,” Elias said. “They still don’t get it, and now you know for a fact that they never will. But that makes you think; maybe these aren’t you friends. Maybe your friends are gone, replaced by spies and enemies. All of their so-called concern is designed to make you weak, and complacent.” Elias took a breath. “Everyone is out to get you, and you can’t tell how wrong you are. You’re not sleeping at night after all, and you’re ever paranoid. You only have two choices now; trust in what your “friends” are telling you and accept their help, or go with your gut and isolate yourself for safety. Can’t do the former, so you fake it, try to act “better”. The shadows are everywhere now, and the enemy is multiplying before your eyes.” He tapped his chest. “And the real problem is that the enemy has always been inside. You try to protect the world from yourself while trying to protect yourself from those around you. You don’t sleep, you don’t eat. You can’t turn to your friends, because you drove them all away. Whose left to turn to? Your hate turns inward, and suddenly, taking a walk off a pier with a set of concrete shoes doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. At least then the nightmares would stop.” Elias felt his bad eye twitch as he stopped pacing to stare at the pair of alicorns, who stared with horror back. Celestia’s eyes held complete understanding, and though he intended to state it outright, she knew exactly who he was talking about. She understood, just a little, and the nightmares his little speech would cause would be worth it. “At the end of the road you find yourself on, you are alone, and dead inside. Your very soul is hollow, and the idea of death stops becoming something you’re afraid of, simply because you have nothing left to lose. With that acceptance comes the death of your fear, and as long as you can keep pushing, you can do great things. Until you break. Then it ends.” He looked to Twilight, who had tears in her eyes. “That’s what you bring back. That’s why survival is worse than death, because at least the dead know the end of war.” He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, then straightened his posture and clasped his hands behind his back. He looked to Celestia and sighed. “Ultimately, the decision is yours. I am but one voice among many, and despite my wealth of personal experience, I am not perfect. I could be wrong, but I highly doubt it. Either way, it’s on you.” Elias raised a finger. “But before you make the decision, I offer you a challenge.” He pointed to the Elements. “I want you to look into their eyes and tell them you don’t care if they die. I want you to get off that throne, take off that crown, walk down to your student’s level, and tell her that you don’t care if she risks losing her soul. That’s what killing is. That’s what war is. When you kill, or bear witness to killing, a piece of your soul is torn out. You die just a little inside, and when you’ve seen what I’ve seen, done the things I’ve done, you start to wonder if you ever had a soul at all.” He let his arm fall to his side. “Because I task you, Princess, with saying that you hold no value over their lives. I think you well know who I’m talking about when I talk about PTSD, and I want you to know that I hold no value over my own life as it currently is. If I die tomorrow, I do so with a smile on my face. The simple truth is that if I can sacrifice myself to save one of my legionaries, I’ll take the opportunity in a heartbeat.” “That’s what you want for them,” he finished, jabbing a finger at the Elements one final time. “That is what will happen if they come on the march. No value in their lives. That’s the cost. Take all the time you wish, talk to who you want to, it’s not my choice. If you want my advice though? Keep them well away. They’re safer that way.” Elias gave her a slight bow. “If that is all however, I have drills to conduct.” Celestia gave him a small nod in return, but she made no sound. Nobody did. Elias held no satisfaction at their silence. He just prayed that they would understand and make the right decision. Without another word, he walked toward the rear throne room entrance, quickly shoving the doors open. He made it halfway to the training yard before he heard the sound of someone running after him. Elias stopped and turned, expecting to find a messenger of some kind, but instead found the hallway empty. He frowned slightly and his hand drifted toward his gladius hilt. He knew he had heard something, but… Elias took a deep breath to calm himself. It was just his paranoia spiking up. Talking about it always made it worse. He just needed to get to his legion and run drills. They were excellent for keeping his mind occupied. It took every ounce of his willpower not to draw his sword and cut the pink pony’s head off when he looked forward to find her sitting before him. Feather made it halfway out of her sheathe before Elias realized who was before him. His heart pounded as he took several calming breaths, doing his best to recover his composure. When he did so, he glared hard at the pink earth pony. “Ms. Pie, I don’t think startling an experienced killer is such a good idea.” She smiled. “Don’t worry Red, I knew you wouldn’t hurt me! You’re super strong and smart!” She extended her hooves, offering him a small box covered in bright green wrapping paper. Elias eyed it nervously, but he did reach out to take hold of it. “What’s this?” he asked. Pinkie Pie giggled. “It’s your birthday present silly! When I first saw you, my Pinkie Sense told me that somepony had had a bad birthday recently, and now it’s telling me that your birthday is in three weeks, two days, and three hours!” ‘That’s eerie,’ Elias thought. She had gotten his birthday down accurately, but he had no idea if the hourly time was right. He hadn’t been old enough to care when his parents had died. “And how do you know that?” he asked aloud. Pinkie giggled again. “There’s an itch on the inside of my hoof, followed by three right blinks and two left ones! That means birthday approaching!” Her demeanor changed in an instant, and she looked at him with one of the most genuine expressions he had ever seen as she reached out to touch his hand. “And Red?” she said quietly, “I’m really sorry. I know it doesn’t mean much, especially since we really don’t know each other yet, but I am really sorry for everything you’ve had to go through. I promise that things will get better eventually, you just have to keep going, no matter how bad things get.” “How bad things get?” Elias asked. “What does that mean?” Her demeanor shifted in an instant again, and she bounced around him and back toward the throne room. “Don’t know what you’re talking about Redsy! See you in a few years!” She bounced around the corner, leaving Elias standing in a stunned silence, holding a gift-wrapped box. To try and get himself moving again, he looked at the tag to find it addressed to him, along with a note that said; “Don’t open until your birthday!” Elias grunted at the note, then looked back up the empty hallway. He had no idea what to think about the encounter, and eventually he managed to get his mind back on track. He walked down the hallway toward the training yard, stopping long enough in his office to drop to present off. > Chapter 49: A Canterlot Wedding; Part 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias groaned as Luna balanced on his shoulders, staring hard at his blue bowtie. She frowned hard at the tie, and her hooves barely moved as she tried to make it perfectly straight. Elias had thought it straight half an hour ago when he put it on, but apparently it was not enough for the blue alicorn, and as soon as she had seen him, she had started fiddling with it. The ending of the week had gone well in his eyes. It had taken some convincing on his part, but Elias had managed to talk Celestia into officially releasing Snowball back to him. He believed that the alicorn had only put up a fight for appearances sake, but the simple truth was that she was looking for any solution, no matter how radical, to solve the changeling issue. The Royal Guards could only do so much, and with Snowball at their side, sniffing out spies would be a great deal easier. Elias wasn’t the only one who knew how close of a call they had, and the unspoken resentment between himself and Celestia was in the open air. They both acted civil, but after a few conversations with Snowball, Elias had learned that changelings couldn’t create new thoughts or emotions, only exaggerate or downplay existing ones. It meant that Celestia didn’t trust him. Why, he didn’t know, but she considered him an outsider and a threat. It mystified him as to why she continued keeping him on as a general, especially with the further rift caused by his position on the use of the Elements. Though she had taken his advice, she was anything but happy about leaving them behind. Either way, they played nice, and Elias made sure things flowed smoothly in preparation of his short break. Midnight Chaser was especially grateful that Elias had sniffed out the rat in the Royal Guard, and he had decided that his method of paying Elias back was to make sure training was conducted exactly as Elias would conduct it. The pegasus had even surprised him by personally whipping a legionnaire whose mess-up had put three others into the infirmary. The sight of Chaser using a whip put Elias’ mind at ease, and when the time came to put down his work, Elias had done so with little hesitation. Mostly. Snowball sat on Elias’ bed, watching Luna mess with his tie. The loveling had been welcomed back to the legion with mixed results. Some hated him simply for being a spy, but more than a few ponies gave him a second chance, quickly realizing that the pony he had been disguised as wasn’t altogether gone. Snowball acted the same, resolving problems, smiling and laughing often. Though there was a small initial wave of suspicion, the white bug-pony quickly found himself surrounded by friends once more, and he couldn’t have been happier when he was with the legion. Elias’… other task, had made Snowball quite happy as well. Before he had been discovered, Snowball had to steal scraps of love from those around him for food, but Elias had given him an easy food solution. When Snowball visited, he was always welcome, especially after the events of his first visit, and when one of them couldn’t sleep, usually Elias, they would sit up and socialize like normal ponies did. It was a breath of fresh air, and though Elias had allowed the loveling the closeness because they weren’t friends, Elias found himself silently appreciating the bug-pony more and more. The human glanced at the loveling. “Did you have anything else to report?” Snowball shook his head. “No General. General Shattered Shield is completely unaware of my infiltration, and I believe he is my best shot at staying hidden in the Solar Guard. I start my official work as his assistant tomorrow.” Elias nodded, and slipped his watch from his belt. He waved his free hand as he clicked it open. “Dismissed then,” Elias said. “I expect a full report by Monday.” He glanced at Luna. “As for you, we’re going to be late at this rate,” he noted. As Snowball slipped out of the bedroom, Luna stuck her tongue out in an adorable manner and continued fiddling with his bowtie. “Give me just a moment Elias, I can get this right. It is only a degree off angle…” Elias rolled his eyes and waited silently as Luna poked at the tie. Things had gone better than okay with Luna in the past few days. Though they hadn’t officially scheduled anything, Elias felt like he saw her everywhere. After the early morning run, she greeted him with a frigid canteen of water and an invitation to lunch. Elias had happily accepted, and though it was a short meal, Elias couldn’t help but smile walking away from it. She had pulled the same trick when they got back from the afternoon march, and again, Elias had accepted. The blue alicorn was simply intoxicating to be around, and Elias found that he couldn’t tell her no. She always asked, that was what got him. She met him with a smile, allowed him to drink his fill, then posed the question. He knew she would be disappointed if he said no, but he also knew that she would accept such an answer with no stipulations. He always said yes anyway. He had to be near her, had to hear her beautiful laughs and snorts when he made a bad joke. He was so glad he had agreed to go with her to the wedding, or rather he would be, if she would quit messing with his tie. Elias’ eyes flicked down to meet Luna’s. “Princess, respectively, leave the tie alone. It’s fine. I’m not the focus of today, and as a note, you aren’t even dressed yet.” Luna snorted and waved a hoof. “Oh please, it takes me moments to dress. I have an entire staff specifically for it, in fact.” She clicked her tongue at him. “You on the other hoof, need all the help you can get. Now let me just get it straight…” Elias grabbed her hooves and looked her square in the eye. “Princess, you need to let it go. My tie is as good as it is going to get.” She sighed and shook her head. “I disagree, but I do need to get ready eventually. Come, I shall dress on the way to the carriage.” She led the way out of her room, humming as they walked through the halls. With each corridor they passed, another pony would simply appear, and Luna would turn to them, letting them apply a spot of makeup, or apply a pin to her starry mane. By the time they got to the castle gates, a small herd had formed behind them. Luna turned and smiled at them. “Thank you all,” she said loudly, raising her hoof into the air, “you have made your princess look quite beautiful, and I truly appreciate the work you’ve done this night. Rest, take the weekend as a token of my thanks. I insist.” They let out a reserved cheer, then departed, chattering lightly amongst themselves. Luna smiled at Elias as they climbed into a large, ornate carriage with a pair of disguised Royal Guards strapped to the front. Luna sat opposite of Elias, and as soon as her rump hit the seat, she began rifling through her saddlebags. Her dress quickly emerged, and she threw it at Elias, who managed to catch it and keep it on its hanger. Luna scowled as she continued digging through her bags. “Where is it?” she grumbled. “I left it in here, but where could it have gone…” She stuck her head into one of the saddlebags, disappearing up to the neck. Elias mused over the fact that such casual magic had no effect on him anymore. Not a year before he had been living in a world of sane, human annihilation. Now he lived in a mostly peaceful pony world, with magic everywhere, and he was in love with a princess. A princess who, he was hoped loved him back. Elias distracted himself from the dark thought of rejection by chuckling at Luna as her saddlebags slipped over her shoulders. “Need a hand Princess?” He heard a muffled huff, then her head shot out of the bag and she grinned at him. “Got it!” she exclaimed after spitting a silver ring out of her mouth. She wiped it off on the seat, then slid it over her hoof. Elias watched as the large, blue alicorn before him turned into a normal sized pegasus. Luna flapped her wings and wiggled in her seat, then spun in a circle, and sat back down before Elias. She smiled up at him. “Well Elias, how do I look?” Elias blinked at her stupidly, and when her face began to turn at his silence, he blurted the first thing that came to his mind. “Smaller.” It didn’t help. Luna frowned at him. “Really?” she asked. “That’s it? Smaller?” Elias blushed and looked away. “Sorry, I just… you look different.” “Different how?” she growled softly. Elias took a deep breath and looked at her. He scanned her body from top to bottom, starting with her mane. It was no longer a flowing starscape, but rather a simple blue that just barely made it to her neckline. Her brilliant green eyes were almost exactly the same, and had small silver dots surrounding them, making them truly pop. Elias had to mentally force himself to move on from her stunning eyes. There was more than a little risk that if he started staring, he’d never stop. Moving downward, Luna’s muzzle was curled in a frown, but on a closer inspection, it was much more of an adorable pout. Her blue lips seemed incredibly soft, holding only the slightest tint of lipstick. It was enough to make them standout, but not enough to seem garish. Elias continued down, quickly finding Luna’s chest fluff. Though she was smaller, her fluff looked like it was the same size, and Elias almost reached out to pet it. Even he knew that that would have been a mistake, so he pressed on. Like he had noticed, she was much smaller, and her body had a different build to it. As an alicorn her legs were a bit longer, ending in thicker torso, particularly around her hips and chest. As a pegasus however, Luna was better rounded out, and her fluff seemed to poke out more. The alicorn was stunningly beautiful, while the pegasus was much more cute, and adorable, while still retaining her prettiness. Elias realized quickly that he was staring, and he looked away and coughed as another blush consumed his face. “You look… nice.” Elias said weakly. Luna huffed and crossed her hooves. Her increased pout made her look even more huggable, and her mane falling in her face didn’t help. “That was not the answer I was hoping for Elias,” she snapped. Elias shrugged and smiled at her. “I don’t know what to say Princess. You’re beautiful as an alicorn, but, not as an insult, being a pegasus makes you adorable. If we were in this situation six months ago, we would never have made it to the wedding. I’d be too busy hugging all of that cute little pony fluff.” Luna blushed and pouted harder. “I’m not cute,” she grumbled. He couldn’t tell if he had genuinely insulted her or not. Leaning forward, he stroked her between the ears, and her pout vanished. She purred and leaned into his hand, causing Elias to smile. “Sorry Princess, but you are very cute. Maybe once you’re dressed that’ll change, but right now? Cute as a button.” Luna snorted, but she smiled at him. “Fine Elias, I will grant you that, but only if you refer to me by disguise name from now on.” She reached into her saddlebags and withdrew a piece of paper. “Which tonight is… Night Sky!” Elias chuckled. “Had to go with the night theme huh?” Luna swung at him, but with her shorter hooves, he was able to dodge her easily. The pegasus huffed and pouted as Elias grinned at her. She turned her nose up. “Perhaps I did, but it is my expertise!” She passed the paper she was reading off of to Elias as he passed her the dress. “I am Night Sky,” she said again. “I am an astrologist who is working out of the Canterlot observatory for the year. We met in the castle gardens one evening, and you decided to ask me to be your date to the wedding.” Elias frowned at her persona sheet, then looked to Luna as she began fiddling with her dress’s zipper. “I hate to criticize what I can imagine wasn’t easy cover story to think up, but don’t you mean an astronomer?” Luna stopped with her teeth around the zipper and gave him a quizzical look. “Nay,” she said as she pulled it slowly down. “Astrologist. Studier of the stars.” Elias shook his head. “Not quite Princess,” “Night Sky,” she cut in. “Night Sky,” Elias corrected. “But either way, astronomy is the study of the stars and other planetary bodies. Astrology is a human thing about non-existent messages in the stars. Equestria has no such concept because your stars are a bit more fluid and changing. I know, I checked.” Night Sky cocked her head. “And why were you studying up on the stars Elias? I didn’t think it within your range of interests.” Elias coughed and glanced away, scratching at his nose. ‘Because I wanted to be able to carry a conversation on one of your key interests with you,’ he thought. “Curiosity,” he replied. “You always need to shake up the subject of research, otherwise you aren’t really thinking. Only studying one topic makes your mind go stale.” Night Sky seemed to see right through his lie, and she blushed faintly as she went back to unzipping her dress. “Well… my thanks then Elias. I would have confused many ponies with that mistake. An astronomer I shall be.” Night Sky flipped her mane so that it fell over her face and grinned at him, making Elias blush harder. The pegasus noticed, and she giggled. “No need for feeling abashed Elias, you have helped me into a dress before. Come now, chop chop, we will be there any moment, and I’d rather be dressed.” Elias sighed and reached over, easily unzipping the dress with his fingers. Night Sky turned around, and with Elias’ help, she easily slid into her dress. She held her mane away from her neck, allowing Elias to zip it up without issue. Night Sky gave him a wink as she spun around and sat back in her seat. She withdrew a pair of bows from her saddlebags, and began tying one to her tail with her hooves. “So Elias, tell me honestly, are you looking forward to tonight, or are you doing this because you know it will make everypony happy?” Elias shrugged. “A bit of both. The more I deal with the other generals, the more I find that still needs done. I need every minute to be productive if we hope to survive the march intact. I don’t mean this as an insult, but ponies are just in general soft.” Night Sky raised an eyebrow, but didn’t meet his eyes as she tied off the silver bow on her tail. “I’d like some clarification for that statement, because if I do recall, you’ve been nearly killed by ponies on several occasions.” Elias shrugged again. “And? I’m not talking about individuals; every species has their standout members after all. Ponies as a whole are just soft. Underprepared. I would think that you and your sister would understand how dangerous war is, but no offense, you seem a bit too calm about the march to Saddle Arabia. It unnerves me.” Night Sky frowned and looked up from her bow. “What would make you believe that we were taking this seriously?” she asked. Elias flinched at her flat tone, and opened his mouth to offer an apology, but Night Sky raised a hoof. “I am not angry, or even offended, I merely wish for you to tell me honestly what you believe we should be doing. I do not like seeing you stressed, and if a moment of complete seriousness and discussion is what we need to alleviate your fears, then so be it. We still have a minute or two until we arrive at the wedding parlor.” Elias slouched in his seat. “I don’t know what else we should be doing,” he said with a sigh. “Maybe it’s the other generals, maybe I just don’t trust traditional Equestrian guard training. I don’t know. I just have this nasty feeling that something is going to go wrong.” He snorted and stared at the floor. Night Sky reached out and rubbed his knee gently. “Speak what is on your mind,” she said softly. Elias continued staring for a moment, trying to find answers in the darkness of the floorboards, but they gave him nothing. Instead he looked up and met Night Sky’s beautiful green eyes. The illusion did nothing to change them, nor to diminish the shine Elias always saw in them. Those perfect eyes forced him to speak, and so he did. “I’m scared,” Elias said softly. “I’m scared that I have risked far too much, and I am scared that I am making mistakes. I don’t know what’s right and wrong, and I think this is the first time in my life that that has ever been the case. I’m used to everything being clear, easy to judge and make hard calls, but now? I’m afraid that I’ve just gotten lucky until now, and with everything I’ve built back, I’m just gearing up to lose it all again.” Night Sky sighed and slipped from her seat. Elias scooted over as she hopped onto his side and leaned against him. “I’m afraid simple words cannot remedy such worries Elias,” she said quietly. “What I can offer is tonight. It may be a tall order, but do not think of yourself as a general today. Just enjoy yourself, flow through the wedding like you would have before all of our preparations. Relax tonight, then tomorrow, we shall sit down with General Chaser and General Nightshade and truly discuss what still needs to be done.” She lightly nuzzled his shoulder. “With your Adiutor at your side once more, we shall make a thorough, in-depth plan to make sure things go on without a hitch. Plans within plans Elias. Together we can ensure absolute preparedness, and hopefully ease some of your fears.” She met his eyes and smiled. “And if it makes you feel any better, I trust your judgement. You have done much to ensure the success of our march, and you have done so without fear.” She chuckled and rested her head on his shoulder. Elias resisted the urge to stroke her much shorter mane. “Not many ponies would argue with two princesses at the same time, and while my sister was not happy, your words convinced her to your point. If you can convince an alicorn that has ruled for a millennium to change her mind, then you are truly right of cause. I believe in you Elias, and I thank you for sparing her the pain you suffer.” “Being a witness to pain can be almost as bad as experiencing it,” Elias replied. “I’m just trying to shelter all of you as much as possible. I don’t understand why everything is a battle though. I have the experiences; I’ve seen what war is. Why can’t your sister trust me?” Night Sky sighed and nuzzled his neck. “It is her own fear of failure. We all fear something Elias, and she has gotten quite used to getting her way, largely because she is level-headed and of sound judgement. It is as odd for her to be questioned as it is for you to be confused. Neither of you like it, and both fight hard to prevent it from happening. Perhaps when we are done with this march business you two will connect further. You are more similar than I think you realize.” Elias snorted in mock disgust. “Don’t say that. I’d look terrible with a gold crown. Too gaudy.” Night Sky slapped his chest. “Hush you, that was a gift from the original pony tribes. Princess Platinum herself helped to craft it.” “Lovely,” Elias replied with a small grin. “That makes it almost as ancient as you.” Night Sky let mock outrage filter across her face, and her hips wiggled aggressively just before she pounced at him. Elias let her grab hold, and she smacked the back of his head. The pegasus shot him a glare as she nuzzled his chest. “I’m not old,” she said. “I am merely long-lived.” Elias smiled and gave in to his instincts, running his hands through her mane. He worked his way up, ending at her ears, which he scratched softly. Night Sky sighed happily and closed her eyes. “So nice,” she groaned. Elias snorted and continued scratching as the carriage began to slow to a halt. He made no effort to alert Night Sky to the fact that they had arrived at their destination, and only when the guards opened the carriage doors did she seem to realize that they were no longer in motion. She blinked at the pair of ponies as Elias continued scratching her ears. She blushed hard and sat up, wiggling free of Elias’ hands so that she could exit the carriage. The guards exchanged a glance, and Elias caught a small glare from each as Night Sky stepped free of the carriage. Elias quickly followed, only to be stopped short of leaving. The guards continued glaring at him silently for a moment, until Night Sky cleared her throat, drawing their attention with a brilliant smile. “While I appreciate the gesture, the last person I need protecting from is my date. Please let Elias join me so that we can enjoy our night.” The guards exchanged another glance, then shot a third glare at Elias before relenting. They stood back, allowing him to exit the carriage. Night Sky’s smile widened, and she quickly pinned herself to his side. “Thank you gentlecolts, we shall see you in a few hours.” They both gave her quick bows, then went back to glaring at Elias as he and Night Sky walked toward the parlor entrance. The human cast an eye back, a small frown on his face as he watched the guards strap themselves back in to drag the carriage away. “What was that about?” he asked. Night Sky smiled up at him. “Black Skies and Shadow Mark are just a bit protective, and more and more ponies are seeing our friendship as something more. With our date tonight, they have become a bit fatherly.” She giggled and looked toward the parlor entrance, where Book Binder’s parents were greeting ponies. Both spotted him and gave small waves, then went immediately back to their greeting duties. No doubt they would have something more in-depth when it was his turn to be greeted. “Why would they be “fatherly”, as you said it?” Elias asked as they got in line. “When I got back, I was much smaller,” Night Sky said. “You’ll see in the coming months, but I truly put the word ‘little’ in little sister. I was cuter than anypony in Equestria before the Keepers restored my full alicorn magic, and those two were my first pair of recruited guards. Though I am hundreds of years their elder, they appeared much older than I was, so they became almost like uncles.” Her eye drifted toward the dark sky as she smiled in memory. “And in truth, I quite appreciated it, and even encouraged the behavior. I have been without parental figures for well over two millennia, and after a tour of loneliness on the moon, I welcomed the affection. It certainly did not help that neither wished to marry, and so all their love and affection was given to me.” Night Sky’s smile diminished slightly, and she looked down. “That relationship is largely ended though. When I returned with ‘Tia from the Keepers, I was how you know me, taller, more visibly powerful. I attempted to keep them close, but our time together as a pseudo family was done. We became more friends than a niece and her uncles, and while I am glad for their continued friendship, I feel like something special was lost.” With a deep breath she straightened and smiled again at Elias. “But it would seem that old habits die hard, and now their precious niece is going on a date with a notorious bad boy. I am surprised that they were as mild as they were.” Elias snorted. “And should I expect further issues from your “uncles”?” Night Sky shook her head. “No, I shall make sure they know their limits. While I appreciate the rekindling of that kind of relationship, I shall not have it at the cost of our friendship. You are far too special to me for that kind of sacrifice, and I will not have you driven away because of over-protective ponies.” Elias frowned. “Don’t drive them away on my account,” he said quietly. “I’m definitely not worth sacrificing long-time friends over.” He waited in silence for a moment, and they moved up in the line. It was only after he felt something burning into the side of his head that he looked down to find Night Sky’s glaring eyes attempting to melt his skull. “What?” “What?” she hissed. “Elias Bright, I swear you act intentionally dense sometimes. I just told you that I consider our relationship special, and you immediately turned and said that I shouldn’t sacrifice other relationships for it? I care about you Elias! A great deal! I’d rather you didn’t belittle us.” Elias blinked at her with mild surprise, and raised his hands in defense. “Luna, re-“ “It’s Night Sky,” she growled. Elias nodded in agreement. “Fine, Night Sky, just relax. I’m not belittling our relationship; I’m just suggesting you don’t ruin your other ones for my sake. I think you forget that I can take care of myself, and a bit of bullying won’t shake me from doing what I want, which is currently to have a nice night, with you.” Night Sky blushed and looked away, her anger disappearing. She shuffled the ground with a hoof as she smiled faintly, hiding behind her mane. “Well,” she said slowly, “if you don’t believe I should worry, then I suppose I won’t.” Her green eyes poked out of her mane, still holding a hint of anger. “But please do not belittle yourself. I value you, not just because you are being a general for me, but because you are you. I care about you Elias. I hope that you can see that.” ‘How much do you care, I wonder?’ Elias thought. He let them fall into a silence however, and they remained in line, waiting patiently as it inched forward. It took a few minutes for the pair to reach the front, and when they did, Velvet Breeze smiled widely and wiggled her hips. Elias quickly found himself with his arms outstretched and his feet planted as the unicorn leaped at him, wrapping his chest in a firm hug. Though it was forceful, the mare didn’t weigh enough to bowel him over, and Elias managed to stay on his feet as she wriggled and nuzzled. Ice Shard snorted, smiling as Breeze pulled back in disappointment. “Pooh,” she said, looking Elias up and down, “I was hoping to tackle you again. That’s the traditional greeting for family.” “For family?” Elias echoed. Breeze’s smile widened and she winked. “I won’t say anything, but Book Binder has been very happy about the end of this year. I hope you like snuggling mister.” “I’ll have you know that Elias is quite the snuggler,” Night Sky said, moving forward to shake Ice Shard’s hoof. “Night Sky, I am Elias’ date.” The stallion met her hoof and gave her a hearty shake as she introduced herself. “Pleased to meet you Ms. Sky” Ice Shard said with a smile, “Have you two known each other long?” Night Sky smiled back at Elias, who was still holding up Velvet Breeze. “A few months,” she lied smoothly. “We actually met a little after he became a general. He was relaxing in the castle gardens while I was setting up my telescopes for a star pattern observation study I’m working on with Princess Luna.” Velvet let out a small gasp and looked back up to Elias. “She works with the Princess too? You have quite a talent for catching special mares Mr. Bright.” She snorted and wiggled in his arms. “Speaking of, could you please set me down? I’m going to fall asleep if I snuggle with you any longer.” Elias crouched and set Velvet down on all fours. The unicorn gave him a peck on the cheek, then a wink as he stood tall again. “We’ll make sure to meet your lovely date more at the reception Elias, but why don’t you two go get seated? We should be starting in a few minutes.” Night Sky saddled up to Elias’ side, and using one of her wings, she guided him into the wedding hall. Elias gave one last wave to Velvet and Ice Shard, and both returned his wave with broad smiles before turning around to continue greeting guests. Elias quickly began a mental run through of the entire encounter, looking for any place he might have slipped up and alienated anyone, but in truth, Elias could only feel two things: warmth of familial love, and absolute dread of the same. The warmth helped him largely suppress any dark thoughts however, and Elias went a step further to bury his emotions by studying the architecture of the wedding hall. With Night Sky leading him along, Elias used the opportunity to focus his mental energy on looking around rather than walking. He had been inside of many religious structures before; mosques, hundreds of churches, big and small, but his personal favorite had been the rare, but stalwart cathedrals. Their polished stone had been battered by nuclear war, but those that hadn’t collapsed completely were still a sight to behold, and a few had even had intact stained glass. Elias loved the ornate nature of each room, and the main cathedral hall was always beautiful and complex. By comparison, the Equestrian wedding hall seemed almost… simple. It had many similarities to a church. Its ceiling was tall, and the hall was split into two sections of crimson cushioned pews, divided by a single aisle down the center. The red carpeted walkway lead to a small stage, decorated with candles and a piano sitting to one side. The altar had an arbor over it, decorating it in a simple white. What drew Elias’ attention however was the massive stained-glass window above the stage. It was easily as tall as he was, if not taller, and it depicted an image of Celestia elegantly raising the sun, her eyes closed. It was a sight to behold, yet Elias couldn’t help but frown as a question popped into his mind. He waited silently while Night Sky shuffled them into a pair of seats in the rear-most pew. They sat on the end next to the center aisle, and Elias watched as Night Sky shuffled in her seat, making sure that her saddlebags were situated properly out of sight. Once she had finished, Elias leaned over, speaking quietly in her ear as he motioned toward the glowing window. “Is there a religion surrounding you and your sister?” he asked. “I was under the impression that the Keepers of Harmony were the only gods of your world.” Night Sky smiled faintly as she looked to the window. “That is a complex question. In a formal sense, I say no. We have no churches, or great ceremonies in our name, no sacrifices or any such foolery.” She tilted her head. “But I cannot say we have never had worshippers, or that there are some ponies who follow us out of anything other than absolute devotion. You would be surprised the lengths ponies would go to accrue favor.” Elias held back a smile as Night Sky leaned against him, still looking up. On an unknown instinct, Elias wrapped his arm around her barrel, using his fingers to scratch lightly at the exposed chest fluff poking out of the neck of her dress. He noticed her lips spread in a slight smile, and though she didn’t nuzzle him, he could very much tell that she wanted to. “I’d love to hear the history of it,” he said, continuing to let his fingers drift across her fluff. “You know how I enjoy history.” Night Sky snorted. “I didn’t know I had such a big history nerd as my best friend. Still, if it is tales of ancient ages, I suppose I can tell while we wait for the ceremony to begin.” She let out a long exhale. “Where to begin? I suppose when it started is too on-the-nose, so I shall start just before my banishment. ‘Tia and I had risen to power over the three pony tribes for a little over four centuries by that point, and we were well received. We drove away the wendigos, helped the tribes to work together as a single society, and sent out a stern message about Equestria’s borders. Raids were becoming less frequent, and while my sister sought administrative improvement, I worked more with the realms of the arcane, using a team of my best mages to craft new runes to spread across the lands, hoping to better ponies lives.” She sighed dreamily. “Ah, those were the days. A cadre of ponies locked in a tower for endless nights, writing and studying and talking, but most often not. We did a lot of thinking in those days, created many new spells, some sillier than others, but all of them useful in some form. We even inspired new kinds of magic, and expanded magical theory so that ponies like Starswirl the Bearded could get his start. Did you know that we, the supposed rulers of Equestria, didn’t know there were more than two types of magic?” Elias gave her a deadpan look. “I have no frame of reference for any kind of magic; I’m a human, remember? I was under the impression it was all the same.” Night Sky scowled at him in return. “No need for the snark mister. Simply put, we have discovered that while there is one basic type of magic from which all magic originates, there are many other forms. We have found and catalogued five; discord, dark magic, shadow magic, friendship, and the ambient magics.” “What does this have to do with your history with religion?” Elias asked. “I apologize if it seems rude, but I don’t think I’ll be able to understand magic theory in a single go at a wedding.” Night Sky smiled at him. “I think you could if you put your mind to it Elias, you are an intelligent individual.” She tilted her head. “Still, I shall not force the point. Essentially, it was a time of great advances in Equestrian society, and the beginning of the divide between my sister and I. While she sought the love of the general populace through events and massive construction projects, I saw fit to benefit Equestria by silently improving it. We created a rune that made rogue clouds easier to destroy, and another that created new waterways throughout our nation, making it easier for ponies to establish new towns and cities.” Night Sky frowned. “Unfortunately, this meant that I was out of the public eye for great swathes of time, and while those working with me appreciated my efforts, few others even knew they were occurring. So called “explorers” began discovering new rivers of my creation, then stole the credit for them and approached my sister for settling grants.” Elias switched his rubbing of her chest fluff to rubbing her back. Her voice had gotten sharper, and lower, and it worried him that she would get angry during what was supposed to be a happy time. “Hey,” he said at a whisper, “if you don’t want to talk about this, don’t. I was just curious is all.” Night Sky shook her head slowly and let out a deep exhale. “I am fine Elias; it just still agitates me to some extent.” She took another deep breath and sat up, then smiled at him. “I have long since matured past the petty jealousy that created Nightmare Moon, and talking through this is just proof of it.” With another breath, she pressed on. “Regardless, I was not the only pony who recognized that my credit was not being paid, and it is there that I began to gather a bit of the zealous following that formed the backbone of my Nightmare army, and that still function as a hidden society to this day.” “Most were simply devoted to me, and supported me by attempting to shower me with gifts and praise,” she continued, “but others took their devotion to the next level. They stopped functioning at all during the daytime, and many political leaders began to denounce the diarchy. They had a name for their group, but it escapes me at the moment. Something to do with night I am sure.” She frowned lightly in thought. “I am fairly sure portions of the group are still functioning, hidden away of course, but I have not made contact with them in some time. Perhaps I should change that.” Elias looked forward. “Aren’t there any books on this supposed secret society? Why haven’t I heard of this until now?” Night Sky chuckled. “There is much that is unavailable to the public. We princesses have a restricted section for a reason after all, but in truth, they did not exist as an organized part of Equestrian society long enough to validate writing anything down. My transformation stole the stage I’m afraid.” Her eyes became hazy with what Elias could only assume were dark thoughts, then she shook her head and her eyes drifted back into focus, looking out over the crowd of ponies as they filtered into the wedding hall. From what Elias could tell, they would be starting soon. Bridesmares were beginning to filter on the stage. Elias recognized none of them, and in truth, he doubted he ever would. Book Binder would try to introduce him to her friends, and he would alienate himself from them. He had gotten lucky with Night Flash, and only his influence had drawn Book Binder. He doubted he would make friends with ponies from outside the castle. “There is nothing that I am unaware of that contributes to my story,” Night Sky said, “but, before Nightmare Moon, a cult began to form as a desperate effort to give me the acclaim I so desperately sought. They worshipped the very ground I walked, and since they worshipped me as a goddess, my sister had to be, by relation of blood, a goddess as well. Her own cult came about soon after, though it never truly gained traction. ‘Tia was very good at making sure to stay grounded at the time, and so her ponies never found cause to give her extra worship.” Night Sky tilted her head as a door beside the altar opened and a group of stallions walked onto the stage. Elias quickly spotted Shooting Star, followed quickly by a nervous looking Night Flash. The stallion’s eyes quickly flicked out over the crowd, clearly searching for someone. Elias raised his hand, giving the pegasus a small wave. Night Flash’s eyes lit up, and his nerves seemed to disappear. His tail began wagging back and forth at a desperate pace as he and his groomsmen ascended to their positions. “My religion,” Night Sky said, “continued up and until I transformed into Nightmare Moon. They took it as evidence of my divine right for the throne, and so threw their lots in with me, helping me to build my forces. When I was banished, some were arrested, others fled. The cult itself was destroyed, and with that, organized religion supporting my sister and I was finished. All of this,” she said motioning around the wedding hall, “merely honors us as the noble officiants for all weddings. The “lower classes” have elected their officiators in order to ensure that everyone that wants can be wed, but my sister and I still conduct the ceremonies for all nobles, and any friends we wish to.” She nodded toward Celestia as she entered from the side door. “It was a stroke of luck that Book Binder’s family carries some minor noble blood. If they hadn’t, I would have been officiating this evening.” Elias snorted as music from a piano started playing, and everyone rose. “What a shame. It would have been an evening of me doing my job. Such a tragedy.” Night Sky slapped his leg. “Hush you. Even if you are suffering, which I don’t believe you are, this is for the benefit of Night Flash and Book Binder. You saw how that stallion’s eyes lit up when he saw you, and I can only imagine that Book Binder will be the same.” Elias reached behind his back and scratched her ears. “Alright, alright, no need to get after me. I was kidding, and besides, how could I suffer with such a cute date?” He could practically feel the heat of her blush, but Elias dropped his arm and fell silent as the doors opened to reveal Book Binder in a brilliant white dress. Her eyes shined as they momentarily locked with Elias’, and she had to take a moment to wipe away her tears before the wedding ceremony could truly begin and her dad escorted down the aisle. > Chapter 50: A Canterlot Wedding; Part 3 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias had no frame of reference, having never been to a formal human wedding, but while beautiful and well-coordinated, Elias found the whole ceremony boring. He could understand what they were trying to do, and he listened intently to every word, especially when Book Binder and Night Flash shared their vows, but in truth, the wedding couldn’t hold his interest. When he began to glance around, he was surprised when he found many ponies crying, including Night Sky. She sniffled and wiped her eyes, her makeup staying perfect as she sat leaned forward in her seat. The sight made Elias look inward, trying to remember the last “wedding” he had gone to. It had been a simple affair between Bevin and Sarah, and it had been outdoors. They had both been in their legion armor, and with Tristan acting as a minister, their whole community had come together to celebrate with a small feast harvested from their first crop. The ceremony had taken minutes to complete, after which a simple party had followed. With ponies there was much more ceremony. First, Celestia welcomed everyone with a lengthy speech about the magic of friendship and how marriage was just a lifelong friendship between two close ponies. Then the best mare gave a speech about Night Flash and Book Binder, talking all about their lives together. What should have been full of entertaining stories was mostly just cutesy things or stories Elias had already participated in. He had pushed Night Flash forward, and while he wasn’t mentioned by name, the dark blue stallion sent him a happy look. The speech was followed by the exchanging of the vows, which were also lengthy and personalized. Then came the rings, another speech from Celestia, and finally the ceremony was over. Elias hated that he almost yawned. Everyone stood as Night Flash and Book Binder began making their way back down the aisle together. They both seemed ecstatic and energetic as they pranced down the center aisle, and both shot him brilliant smiles as they walked by, chased out of the wedding hall by a thunderous stomping. Elias remained silent, not knowing if he should clap like a normal human, or if he too should stomp. Instead, he merely waited, staying completely still as ponies began filtering out of the pews to follow the newlywed couple out of the wedding hall doors. Elias looked back to Night Sky to find her wiping her eyes, and smiling up at him. “It is a simply wonderful thing when two ponies get married,” she said. “It is the ultimate form of friendship, and is a tradition I will never tire of.” Elias nodded and scratched at his chin. “It was a nice ceremony,” he agreed. “makes me curious about a few things.” Night Sky snorted and shook her head. “Oh Elias, so eloquent when it comes to speaking of ceremonial beauty, but I suppose I can share in your bored sentiment.” She raised a hoof when Elias tried to protest. “I did not mean insult, I simply observed that look you get in your eyes when something loses your interest. Believe me, I noticed your attempts to remain focused and attentive. You are simply not an individual who likes to remain a bystander.” She slipped off the pew bench and scooped up her saddlebags. “I think you would have enjoyed one of the ancient wedding ceremonies. The best mare was actually the most adept magic user the groom and bride knew, and was there in case any spurned lovers or jealous herd mates decided to interrupt the ceremony.” Night Sky giggled. “I was once at a wedding where a stallion had seventeen herd mates, and he hadn’t informed any of them that he was getting married again. To say that Blue Arrow had her work cut out for her would be a great exaggeration.” She sighed longingly as she took Elias’ arm, leading them out of the largely empty wedding hall. Only Celestia was left, and Elias could feel her eyes on his back as she talked with Book Binder and Night Flash’s parents. No doubt she was wondering why he wasn’t working with his legion, and as Night Sky continued speaking about past wedding ceremonies, he couldn’t help but think about it himself. What was he doing? He was on a date with somebody who wasn’t even in the same species as him, let alone the same class. Why Luna had given him so much as the time of day was a mystery, and not only was she distracting him from his job, she was distracting him from the job that she had forced him to do. He was supposed to be a solider, an elite killing machine. He was decidedly not supposed to be watching ponies celebrate their marriage with a princess on his arm. And yet that was what he was doing as he watched Night Flash chase a shrieking Book Binder around as the pair waited for their carriage to the reception hall to be brought around. The building wasn’t far at all, but from what little he knew of pony marriage, it was traditional for the bride and groom to be taken by carriage to the reception. The fact that he had put any research or thought into that fact worried Elias. Was he being played? Was the mare at his side actually a changeling in disguise, making him complacent while his legion was infiltrated under his nose? Elias’ bad eye twitched and he looked down at “Night Sky”. The pegasus’ tail wiggled happily, just like Luna’s did whenever she was over-excited. Elias had seen her wiggle her tail exactly three times. Twice when she was trying to cuddle him, and once when he had accepted her as his date to the wedding. It was accompanied by a slight scrunch of her muzzle, and her green eyes poked through her illusionary disguise, sparkling happily in the light of the streetlamps. Elias felt his throat tighten with nervousness, and as he continued to stare at her from the corner of his eye, he knew that she was the same Luna he had always known. Her smaller, hornless state was just to keep the public eye away. He knew that. She had also promised to enact further measures to ease his concerns about the march. Why would a changeling spy do that? No, a spy would try to simply draw his thoughts permanently away from the march. The wedding was supposed to last a single night, then they would bounce back into work with more fervor than ever. So why did he still have a sour feeling in his stomach? Elias didn’t know, and he couldn’t keep a small frown from his lips as the carriage finally arrived, and Book Binder and Night Flash climbed inside. It began to rumble away, and the cheers of the crowd naturally fell to light chatter as the ponies began to make their way to the reception hall. Elias felt a slight tug on his sleeve, and he looked down to Night Sky. “Come along grumpy,” she said with a smile, “let us get to the reception. I am eager to see if they have any cider.” Elias snorted, but he stayed at her side as they began walking at a leisurely pace. “You think I’ll be able to get anything hard?” he asked absently. “I’m not even twenty yet.” Night Sky scoffed. “Unless Book Binder specifically ordered the bartender to not give you drinks, I imagine you can pass for a much older stallion. Besides, your birthday is in a few weeks, yes?” Elias side-eyed the pegasus. “A month,” he replied. “How do you know?” Night Sky’s tail continued to wiggle, and her muzzle curled up in a wider, cuter smile. “You told me, remember? It was our first real moment together as friends, locked in the castle dungeons.” “We wouldn’t have been locked in that cell if you hadn’t locked us in there,” Elias replied. Night Sky slapped his pant leg. “Hush you, I eventually realized, and took fault for my mistake. It took thorough research to find your lack of a magical soul. I couldn’t have possibly known that other worlds truly have no manifestation of magic. It is unnatural.” “Says the talking pony to the talking monkey,” Elias muttered. Night Sky conceded the point with an incline of her head, and they fell into a comfortable silence. They continued following the crowd as they made their way to the reception hall. The building wasn’t as ornate as the wedding hall. In fact, it looked to Elias that it was merely a space that would cater to any kind of large party. It stood at four stories high, and the outside was an unremarkable white, decorated with lamps and flowers. Elias let Night Sky guide him toward the door, and his eyes took in the roomy interior of the building. The ceiling was relatively tall, and was decorated with a series of chandeliers that held dimly burning candles. Half of the hall was empty, and Elias spotted a large pair of speakers with a sound system sitting idly between them. No doubt it was some sort of dance floor. The walls were decorated in a myriad of whites and blacks, and as Night Sky nudged him toward a table with their names on it that sat close to the bridal party table. Elias took note of the table settings. The tablecloths were all white, and the center pieces were simple, consisting of a slim glass vase with a mixture of blue and green flowers, no doubt to match Night Flash and Book Binder’s coats. Small orbs of light drifted through the air, giving plenty of light to the room where the candles slacked. Overall, he thought it all looked quite nice. “Elias, are you all right?” Night Sky asked in a worried tone. He blinked and looked down to the pegasus. “I’m fine, why?” She frowned at him, then turned to her saddlebags. “You seemed out of sorts, and you don’t seem to have noticed that you are bleeding.” Elias blinked stupidly at the mare. It took her less than a second to pull a handkerchief out of her bags. She hopped up onto Elias’ shoulders, then pressed the handkerchief to his nose. “I’ve got it,” Elias said, placing his hand over her hoof. Night Sky blushed lightly, but withdrew the limb. She pulled out a seat and tapped it lightly. “Come, sit down. Let’s see if we can’t get your nosebleed to stop before most ponies get here.” Elias took the offered seat, and Night Sky quickly pulled over another chair, hopping onto it. She tipped his head forward. Elias pinched the base of his nose, applying enough pressure to slow the bleeding. As he breathed through his mouth, Elias looked to the mare staring at him with obvious concern. “What?” he said. “Are nosebleeds not a common thing for ponies?” Night Sky shook her head. “No, not unless the pony has an underlying condition. Nosebleeds are usually the first indicator that something is wrong. I assume things are different for humans?” Elias shrugged. “I wouldn’t know, but I’ve had nosebleeds once or twice every year for a while now. ‘t isn’t anything special.” The pegasus didn’t seem like she believed him, but she did relax slightly. They sat in silence for a while, watching ponies stream into the reception hall without much interest. Most of them he didn’t recognize, and they gave him curious glances in return, whispering about him whenever they thought his eyes weren’t facing their direction. None of the whispers were anything hostile however, just the casual gossip that normal people seemed to indulge in, and since he was a different species, he supposed it was just par for the course that he would be looked at and whispered about. Elias occasionally peeled back the handkerchief to check if the bleeding had stopped, and after the third check, it had. The lights of the room dimmed as ponies settled down, and music started to play softly. The bridal party entered the wedding hall, and while most of the ponies made their way to their table, Moonlit Night pealed off from her family. She made straight for Elias, making no effort to disguise her target. Elias felt Night Sky tense up at his side, and he briefly wondered if he ever told her of the reaction Night Flash’s mother had to his presence. The blue unicorn wove through the crowd before coming to a stop just before Elias. Her expression was closely guarded, and even though he had a great deal of experience with reading emotions, her face was a blank slate. She had a better mask than Luna did. Night Sky cleared her throat. “Good evening General Bright.” Elias gave her a nod. “Mrs. Night, enjoying your son’s wedding?” The unicorn snorted. “I should be asking you a similar question. You’re a guest here after all.” She glanced to Night Sky. “Hello dear, enjoying your date with General Bright?” Night Sky’s muzzle twitched with irritation. “Indeed, but for tonight there is no General. It is merely Elias here with me.” Moonlit Night nodded slowly at her words and looked back to Elias. The human regarded her carefully, keeping his face blank. They stared at each other for a moment, then Moonlit Night sighed and stared at the floor. “General…” she paused to take a deep breath, then met his gaze. “Elias, I came over here because I wanted to apologize, and to thank you.” “Thank me for what?” Elias asked. “And save the apology. You were trying to protect your family from what you viewed as an external threat. While I didn’t appreciate your words, I understood your actions after some reflection.” Moonlit Night scuffed the floor with her hoof and sighed again. “And that is doubly so the reason why I have to apologize. I thought you were some kind of immature threat that was making my Flashy act rash and immature, but even now you act like any grown stallion would. In fact, I would go so far to say that you are more mature than many stallions twice your age.” “So,” she continued, “I am sorry. I should not have treated you as I did, and for what it’s worth, I am glad that you have become so close with Night Flash and Book Binder. All of their talk has been about you, and if they have faith in you, then I can’t go against them.” Her facial mask slipped, and a genuine smile appeared on her face. “And I wanted to give you my sincerest thanks for rejecting Shooting Star’s application. I know Night Flash wanted to work with his brother, but knowing that at least one of my sons will be safe at home is… well it’s a gift that any mother should cherish. Thank you, General Bright. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.” She shuffled shyly, then extended a hoof for a hug. Elias would have laughed at the strained smile on her face, but some small part of his mind whispered that it would make Night Flash happier if her got along with his mother. Elias leaned forward and embraced the mare, and the awkwardness in the air became stifling. Unlike every other hug he had with ponies, Elias couldn’t tell when it was supposed to end. It seemed that neither did Moonlit Night. After a few seconds of awkwardness, Elias pulled away and looked toward the dance floor, clearing his throat loudly. “You’re welcome,” he said stiffly. “I was just doing what I thought was right.” “Right.” The blue unicorn shuffled in place for a moment, then coughed and nodded. “Right, okay. I… will go sit with my husband now… then.” She coughed again before trotting away, pointedly not looking back toward Elias. The human continued to look anywhere other than Moonlit Night, and a snort drew his eyes. Night Sky held a hoof over her mouth, barely suppressing a giggle. Elias gave her a deadpan look. “What?” The disguised alicorn threw her head back and laughed aloud. “What?” she said through her giggles. “What he asks. Oh, by the Keepers, Elias you are too precious.” Elias flushed red with embarrassment and looked away. As he crossed his arms over his chest, Night Sky hopped out of her seat and flapped onto his shoulders, resting her chin against his ear. “Oh don’t be grumpy,” she chuckled. “All ponies get nervous when talking with family. ‘tis simply the way of the world.” Elias grunted in response, drawing further chuckles from Night Sky. One of her legs kicked out and dragged her chair over so that she could permanently settle against him. The blue mare hummed in his ear, and he could feel her smile as his muscles instinctively began relaxing at his presence. The dancing floor lights flicked off, replaced by two spotlights twirling around the empty floor. An announcer’s voice came through the speakers, and the lights focused on a curtain, from which a pair of ponies walked out of. Everyone cheered and applauded for Night Flash and Book Binder, but from some reason, the pegasus’ eyes immediately locked on Elias. Like a fuzzy blue bullet, Night Flash leaped forward at breakneck speed, and Elias had no time to stop the pegasus before he slammed into his chest and sent him smashing backward into the table. The clatter of a breaking table and destroyed place settings were ignored by Night Flash as he snorted and snuggled hard against Elias’ chest. After a moment of contemplation, Elias gave in and hugged the pegasus tight. ***** Elias felt on edge. The reception had so far gone off without a hitch, save for needing to clean up the results of Night Flash’s snuggle fit. The pegasus had remained locked in his fervor for almost half an hour, and the entire time Elias spent trying to contain him within his arms. Night Flash wouldn’t quit squirming however, and after trying his best to put up a fight, he simply stopped, letting the pegasus get the snuggling fever out of his system. Even when he came down from his snuggling high, Night Flash was unapologetic about his aggressiveness, and he refused to come down from Elias’ lap. It took Book Binder a great deal of coaxing, as well as Elias threatening to leave the reception, to get the pegasus to go to his proper place at the bridal party table, and even then Night Flash would occasionally send glances Elias’ way. His wings puffed out happily as he wiggled in his seat. His energy for the occasion never diminished, and without the ability to snuggle against Elias, Night Flash decided to let the energy out on his new wife. Book Binder tried to fight him off, but the pegasus won out eventually, and he curled around her as dinner was served. Dinner was a simple thing; spaghetti with marinara. Night Sky and Elias ate in relative silence, only occasionally speaking between bites of noodles and garlic bread. They were alone at their table, and it was one of those times that they didn’t need to speak. They simply enjoyed each other’s presence. After dinner came the cake cutting, and after that the party began. Most of the ponies moved to the dance floor as loud music started up. Night Sky joined in after a few moments of nervous twitching, giving Elias a look that she wanted him to join her, but that she wouldn’t force the issue. The few who didn’t join in the rave drifted toward the bar, Elias included. He had no idea how to dance, and the electronic music blasting through the speakers wasn’t really his taste. Instead, he glanced over the bar menu, then ordered a glass of the hardest drink they had. Once the cider was in his hand, Elias leaned against the bar and watched the dance floor. He didn’t know what he expected when he thought of ponies dancing, but it wasn’t what he saw. Some of the older ponies were doing their best to waltz to the music, while the younger ponies simply kicked and jumped about. Night Sky seemed to be locked halfway between the two as she “danced” beside Night Flash and Book Binder. The pair of ponies did their best to help her loosen up, but the disguised alicorn often fell into a stiff three-step that made others around her step wide. She looked like she was having fun however, which was more than Elias could say as he looked over his shoulder. He couldn’t shake the nervous feeling that sat on his chest like a ton of bricks. Something was going to go wrong; he could just feel it. It took all of his discipline not to jump when Night Sky seemed to appear at his side. After giving the bartender her order, she hopped up on one of the bar stools at his side and leaned back. She fluttered her wings and panted softly as she smiled up at him. “Enjoying the festivities Elias?” He shrugged in reply. “It’s fine I suppose.” Night Sky rolled her eyes and snagged her drink just as the bartender set it down. Elias glanced at the drink as she began to suck it through the twirling blue straw it came with. It was made in a coffee mug, and it had a mountain of whipped cream on the top, but if it was hot, Night Sky didn’t seem to care as she took a long gulp of the beverage. The mare shuddered and smiled as she took a breath. “I do so love cold chocolate,” she said, looking out over the still raving dance floor. “It has all of the deliciousness of a milkshake with less of the fattening properties. It is so difficult to find ponies who do it right.” “So why don’t you hire someone for the castle?” Elias asked. Night Sky shrugged. “I tried once in the past, but it was as if his abilities failed when he hit the castle kitchens. After that fiasco, I simply took to doing my best to find it in the wild.” She wiggled in her seat happily. “And apparently Book Binder hired just the right ponies to make my favorite celebratory beverage.” She began slurping again, and Elias silently took another sip of his cider. When he glanced over again, Night Sky’s drink was gone, and she was staring at him expectantly. He stared back silently, waiting for the mare to speak. After a few moments of silence, Night Sky snorted and rolled her eyes. “I assume you did not hear me?” “No,” Elias answered. Her brilliant green eyes shined in the dim light. “Then let me repeat myself; will you come dance with me?” Elias stared at her blankly for a moment, then snorted and looked away. “No. I don’t know how to dance, and even if I did, I wouldn’t. I’m not the dancing type.” Night Sky matched his snort. “That’s what all the tough stallions say just before they start dancing, then they have a blast. Come on, join me. Just for one slow song.” Elias motioned to the dance floor. “They’re not playing slow songs.” “Book Binder promised me that they will in a moment,” Night Sky replied. “So will you join me?” Elias scratched the back of his head and refused to meet the mare’s eyes. He instead focused on staring at the crowd, watching the ponies dance about as if interested. On one hand, dancing with Night Sky would be like something straight out of a trashy romance novel, but from what he could tell, ponies ate that kind of thing up. It was likely that he would make the mare very happy by at least giving her one dance. On the other hand however, he really didn’t know how to dance and stood to make an absolute fool of himself. Even though he wasn’t attending the wedding as a General, he still had a reputation to uphold. If he was lacking in any area and ponies found out, he would lose respect, and he needed every scrap of it to maintain the level of discipline he had established. Doing his best to hide his shame, Elias shook his head and finished off his cider. “Sorry Night Sky, but no. I can’t dance, and can’t afford a fuck up.” He felt a hoof on his arm, and the sensation of absolute caring underneath the gesture forced him to meet the eyes of the mare at his side. She smiled gently. “Elias do not worry. I may be inept when it comes to party dancing, but I am a master at ballroom dances. I can teach you as we go, and with a slow dance, it is little more than swaying. I promise you; you won’t regret this.” The music slowed to a crawl and the electronic sounds were replaced by the sounds of bows and strings. Most of the ponies filtered away, chatting quietly amongst themselves, while a select few remained behind, pairing up. Night Flash curled a wing around Book Binder, and the two closed their eyes and began to sway back and forth. Night Twister and Moonlit Night did the same. Velvet Breeze and Ice Shard, likely due to the fact that they were both unicorns, hopped up on each other’s shoulders, looking closer to what Elias imagined humans would like when they danced. His eye flicked down to Night Sky, who still smiled gently, awaiting his answer. A sense of overwhelming nerves washed over him, but Elias wouldn’t let fear overcome him. He nodded silently and pushed away from the bar. Outwardly she gave no sign of her happiness other than a smile and a short tail flick, but Elias could tell from her posture that she was ecstatic. She led him to the center of the dance floor, staying a few paces away from Book Binder and Night Flash. Neither pony gave him so much as a glance, and when Elias looked over his shoulder, he found that nobody was watching him. They were either helping themselves to the remains of their meals, going to the bar, chatting, or a combination of the three. They didn’t seem to care about the strange tall creature and his date. Night Sky hopped her forelegs up on his shoulders and smiled at him. “Alright Elias, this is very easy,” she whispered. “Pretend your giving me a loose hug, but don’t slouch into it. You’re taller than I am, so I will lean on you.” Elias nervously wrapped his arms around the pegasus. Her wings twitched as his fingers brushed her feathers, and she giggled lightly. “A little higher you naughty colt.” She adjusted his hands up to rest at the base of her wings. His fingers rested against the softness of her dress, and he could have sworn that he could feel her plush fur beneath the fabric. Night Sky hummed in contentment as she leaned her head against his chest, and slowly, she began to rock back and forth. With as close as they were, Elias had no choice but to follow along, mirroring her motions along to the song. Night Sky let out a long sigh and closed her eyes. “Perfect.” Elias didn’t know why, but alarm bells started to ring in his head. He wanted desperately to relax, to simply “dance” with his date, but he couldn’t help but feel something was wrong. His mismatched eyes flicked around the reception hall, but he didn’t see anything. No waves, no malicious eyes watching his every move, nothing. Yet he couldn’t shake the sick feeling in his stomach that something was wrong. “Elias,” Night Sky said, her voice barely audible. Elias looked down to see the mare smiling up at him. Her eyes shined, and it was almost as if he could see little hearts at the centers of her pupils. They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment, then Night Sky’s began to close at a snail’s pace. The world around him seemed to slow, and Night Sky pursed her lips and stretched up to meet him. All Elias could feel is dread. His heart pounded in his ears as the music seemed to die away, and despite the attractiveness of the mare he was holding, he couldn’t meet her lips with his own. His bad eye twitched as images of blood flitted by. She was already so much weaker, so frail. He could picture Luna with her throat opened, twitching in a pool of blood. He could feel the wet clumps of her luxurious fur as it fell from the cuts that scarred her. He could smell the stench of death as her body collapsed under the weight of wounds far too horrible to heal. The living nightmare ended with a snap, and Elias saw reality. He saw Luna lowering herself to love him, and all he could think about was the tremendous risk she was taking. All he saw was the absolute danger she was putting her in. He couldn’t bear to watch. So he turned away. When his lips didn’t meet her own, Night Sky opened her eyes and seemed to wither in his grasp. “Elias…” Her voice bled hurt, and Elias flinched at the knowledge that he was the sole source of that pain. His stomach plummeted like a stone, and he stared at the floor. “I’m sorry Luna,” he whispered. He couldn’t meet her eyes, but she wouldn’t look away. After a moment, Elias realized that she wasn’t pulling away either, and he was forced to look up to figure out why. Night Sky stared hard at him, as if her sight alone could tell her why he had turned away. It was almost as if she thought he was nervous, or that he found something wrong with her, when the opposite was the case. Elias heard the song come to an end, and out of his peripherals, he noticed the couples separate back into the crowd of ponies moving back onto the dance floor. He pulled away from Night Sky slowly, giving her more than enough time to hop off his shoulders. He shook his head and turned away. “I need to get some air.” He walked away, doing his best to keep his standard stride as he made his way out of the reception area. As he walked toward the exit, he noticed a set of stairs going up. He altered his course and took the stairs two at a time, bypassing the second and third floors in favor of going to the fourth-floor balcony’s he had noticed on the way in. He went out the first set of doors he found, and Elias quickly found himself leaning over a stone railing, his mis-matched eyes staring off into Canterlot. Despite the moon being up, it was still early enough that plenty of ponies were out and about. Elias spotted more than one family trotting by, laughing and playing as they moved through the cobblestone streets. None of them looked up, and Elias was glad for it. He didn’t need his tall, beaten figure putting anyone off a good night. Anyone else at least. “What were you thinking?” Other-Elias snapped from out of his sight. Elias sighed and rubbed at his forehead. “Don’t attempt to scold me like some kind of child. I thought I could find a balance, but I couldn’t and now I’ll correct that mistake. Leave me alone.” Other-Elias cackled. “Oh no, you don’t get to just say ‘I’m done’. That’s not how people work, and we know that. So I ask again, what the hell were you thinking?” Elias clenched his fist and whirled around at the specter. “I was thinking with my stupid bleeding fucking heart instead of my head!” he bellowed. “I was thinking that things could be different, without doing a single damn thing to make sure they were! Don’t play stupid with me, you know what will happen! Am I supposed to just let Luna die because it will make me happy for a few months?” “It isn’t about you,” Other-Elias snapped. “It never has been. If Luna wants to have a relationship with you, and you return her feelings, then you should accept her advances, like a normal person would do.” Elias laughed aloud and turned away, throwing his hands in the air as he spoke. “I’m not a normal person! I’m anything but a normal person! Normal people don’t see blood on their friends faces, normal people don’t have night terrors every fucking night. Normal people certainly don’t have to tell their friends to march right to their deaths.” Elias jabbed a finger at Other-Elias. “And most importantly, normal people don’t play this little game. Normal people aren’t haunted by themselves. Normal people can’t see themselves when they talk to themselves. I can’t act normal because I am not normal.” Other-Elias rolled his eyes. “Fine, we’re not normal, but don’t you think Luna knows that and doesn’t care? Don’t you think that maybe, just maybe, the centuries old alicorn princess is trying to give us her heart now of all times for a reason?” “And what reason would that be?” Elias spat. “What, she cares?” Other-Elias’ eyes hardened into a glare. “You shut that up right now because we know better. Of course she cares, she always has, we’re just an ass.” He tilted his head. “As for real reasons, there are many. Give us a greater reason to fight, while also giving us the reward, making us relax, because we are beyond stressed out, and it will impact our work if it hasn’t already.” “What do you mean?” Elias interrupted. “My work hadn’t slipped whatsoever until I started seeing Luna more.” Other-Elias shook his head. “That’s not true. You’ve been slowly getting more and more irritable, and though Snowball has helped, we’re sleeping less. We need to get closer to ponies not further away, and unfortunately, you’ve fucked that up.” The specter straightened and smiled. “Lucky for us though, ponies are a forgiving bunch, and I’m sure if you groveled enough, Luna would take us back, even after you rejected her. Now sack up, and go and beg for forgiveness.” Elias’ lip curled into a snarl. “Fuck that. I don’t know what part of my head you crawled out of, but I don’t beg. Maybe I fucked up, but I don’t think so. I think my decision is right, and you’re just some weak, soft part of my brain that either needs to die off or get with the program. I am going to do what I believe is right, and right now, that means actually sticking to the principles I laid out, and that I should never have broken. If you don’t like that, then crawl back into your hole until the march is over.” Elias opened his eyes and sighed at the sound of the balcony doors opening. “Time to fix my mess,” he whispered, letting the anger her felt toward himself slip away. Luna certainly didn’t deserve his anger. She was at no fault; he had given her signs that he reciprocated after all. His only wish was that he had sat down with her and talked before it had gotten to confrontation and rejection. No matter what words they spoke, it was going to hurt. “Elias… I simply want to know why. You have been receptive these past few days, and I know in my heart that you feel love toward me, so why? Why will you not accept what already is?” The human sighed and turned to look at the mare. She was still wearing her dress, as well as the disguise ring. For some reason, his anger made a sharp return, and he looked away again to hide his look of disgust. “Take the ring off. I don’t want to talk to ‘Night Sky’. I want to talk to Luna.” Elias heard a clatter of silver on stone, then felt a slightly larger Luna press into his back. She wrapped her forelegs around his stomach and nuzzled between his shoulder blades. “Speak then,” she said at a whisper, “I am not angry with you, I just want an answer. I need a reason why you turned away.” Elias stood up straight, and turned, forcing Luna to let go. She waited silently as he sat down and leaned back against the railing. Elias draped his hands over his knees and stared at her. “I don’t know what to say, if I’m being honest,” he started. “I’ve expressed my concerns about preparedness in the past, and we’ve both ignored my words.” He raised a hand as Luna began to protest. “I’m not assigning blame; I am just plainly stating what we’ve done. I am as guilty in ignoring my thoughts as you are. More so actually.” He sighed and stared up at the sky. “But I’ve figured out that I should never have let any of this happen. I should never have compromised my principles, because all it’s done is hurt you and distract me.” Luna sat down and seemed to shrink as she stared at the ground. “So I am but a distraction to you?” Elias closed his eyes and sighed again. “Luna, you know that isn’t what I meant.” The alicorn shrugged and remained silent. Elias let out a third, longer sigh. “Luna, all I can say is that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for leading you on, I’m sorry for hurting you with every word I speak.” He stared at his hands. “I only wish that I had remained distant, so that we wouldn’t-“ He stopped as a hoof gently pressed his mouth shut. His eyes flicked up to meet Luna’s. Her eyes were shining with tears, but they didn’t hold any anger or bitterness toward him, just sadness. “Please don’t apologize for that,” she said. “Even now I wouldn’t trade the moments we’ve shared for anything in the world.” She removed her hoof and wiped at her eyes. “I just want the answer to one question. Is this the end of us for good?” Elias stared at her. “I hope not, but I can’t decide that alone. I’ve hurt you tonight, I’m not that stupid. Will it be possible to forgive me once the march is over?” Luna snorted and he saw a smile creep across her muzzle. “Oh Elias, you may not be a complete idiot, but you are fairly stupid sometimes.” She rose and walked to his side, then flopped against him, nuzzling his shoulder. “There was never anything to forgive.” Elias shook his head. “How can you say that? I just-…” “Followed your heart and did what you believe is right,” Luna cut in. “Even if it hurts you, and risks our relationship, you strive to do what is right. It is proof of the strength of your character, and I only wish I was as strong as you.” Elias sat in silence for a moment, then wrapped his arm around her barrel. He laid his head overtop hers. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. Luna sighed and closed her eyes. “I know, but we shall persevere. Is this our last snuggle until the march is over?” He nodded silently. Luna sighed again and wrapped her wings around his chest. “Then I thank you for giving me this one last concession my friend. We shall meet again soon.” Elias felt his heart ache as she pulled away. She offered him a sad smile as she stood and began walking toward the balcony doors. “Goodnight General. I hope you rest well.” She grabbed her ring off of the ground and slid it on before trotting back inside. Elias stared after her for a long time, then with stiff muscles, he rose and made his way back into the wedding hall. It was far past time to say his goodbyes and get back to work. As a group of ponies came in sight and his nerves started to rise, he thought about a certain bottle squirreled away in his room that would help bring his focus back to it's proper place. > Chapter 51: Aftermath > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Luna sat alone in her carriage as it rolled back to the castle. She had managed to keep her composure enough to say her goodbyes at the wedding, but as soon as she had climbed in her carriage, she had begun to softly cry. No amount of logical thinking or justification could calm her cracked heart, so she simply told her guards to take the long way back so that she had time to grieve her lost friend in private. She truly wanted to find Elias again, to make him shout and scream at her, so that she could argue in turn. She wanted to make him change his mind, but she had seen the look in his eyes that meant he would stand his ground no matter what. No matter how wrong she believed he was, Elias had his heart set on remaining isolated, so she would not push. She would let her friend slip away, hurt and alone, until the path she had forced him on came to its conclusion. Then maybe she could try to reconnect. Luna wiped away her tears and let out one last sniffle as her carriage pulled up to the castle gates. She needed to buck up. Few ponies knew that she had gone to a wedding with Elias, and none of them needed to find out that he had hurt her. His reasoning was sound, and though she was in pain, the last thing Luna wanted was retribution. She just needed to put on a brave face until her heart hurt less, then she would wait patiently until she could have her friend back. The carriage halted, and Luna let out a small sigh as she rose from her seat and pushed the door open. Her guards exchanged a glance as she stepped out of the carriage, her head bent low. Black Skies cleared his throat and shuffled in place. “Would you like someone to escort you to your room Princess? Shadow Mark can put away the carriage by himself…” Luna shook her head and answered without looking up, or stopping. “Nay my friend, I wish to be alone for a moment. I appreciate your concern, but…” She suppressed a sigh and felt her tail begin to drag behind her. “I am tired. I wish to be alone so that I can rest.” She could feel their wish to protest in the air, but neither spoke. They instead quietly closed the carriage door and began pulling it to its storage house. Luna pushed through the castle doors and turned toward the hallway that would lead to her room, and hopefully some measure of comfort for her aching heart. Before she could leave the entry hall however, she heard heavy footsteps approaching quickly, and she heard her sister call out. “Luna?” The blue alicorn flinched as Celestia trotted up to her. Luna straightened and put on her best fake smile. “Yes sister?” she said with a too-toothy smile. “What are you doing up so late in the evening?” The white alicorn’s expression bled concern as she stopped just short of her younger sister. “I was going to the kitchens for a bit of cake before bed, but then I saw you coming in, and could practically feel your distress. Are you alright? Did something happen at the wedding?” Luna drooped and looked away. There was no way she could hide her feelings on the night’s events. Her only escape was to evade and walk away. “Nothing at all sister,” she said. “It ‘twas a lovely evening. I am merely tired after all of the excitement.” Hooves wrapped around her barrel, and Celestia nuzzled her starry mane, pulling Luna into a tight hug. “Please don’t tell me you’re tired Luna,” Celestia said in her ear. “I hear that white lie far too many times when something was always wrong. I failed you last time by not pressing further, and I refuse to do so again. Please, I’m begging you with all my heart, talk to me. Whatever it is, we can at least talk about it. I want to be here for you.” Luna opened her muzzle to lie again, but found that she couldn’t do it. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she desperately turned and wrapped her hooves around her sister. She sobbed aloud, crying into Celestia’s fur, uncaring of how she looked. Celestia took the outburst in stride. She rubbed small circles on Luna’s back, while also humming softly in her sister’s ear. The display of affection and caring was more than enough to push Luna over the edge, and words began to spill out as she cried into her sister’s fur. “He turned me away ‘Tia! I understand why, but it just hurts so much. Why can’t he let me love him?” Luna felt her sister’s grip tighten, and Celestia growled. “Elias Bright did this to you?” Luna immediately felt warmer, and her tears dried enough that she could see her sister’s fur start to flicker with flame. Luna tightened her grip on Celestia and stared up at her with pleading eyes. “You cannot do anything!” she said quickly. “It was his choice; I merely grieve what he has chosen! Please, he hurts as I do, I do not blame him!” Celestia growled louder and her mane briefly flickered orange. “After everything we’ve given him, he still dares to hurt my baby sister. That ungrateful wretch will beg for the day when wendigos were his greatest threat!” Luna sniffled as Celestia’s grip tightened. “T-tia, you’re hurting me,” she whimpered. The heat and rage vanished from the air, and the white alicorn immediately loosened her grip. “Luna, I am so sorry, I was just…” Luna sniffled again and nuzzled Celestia’s chest. “It is of no concern,” she said. “You wished for me to talk to you, and I shall, but only on the promise that you won’t do or say anything to Elias. He doesn’t deserve punishment because he has done nothing wrong, and despite his words tonight, I love him as much as ever.” Celestia’s eyes flickered with anger again, and she slowly shook her head. “Luna, he cannot be allowed to escape this unpunished. He hurt-…” Luna pressed her nose with a hoof. “Himself. He rejected me not out of want, but out of believed need. We are both in great pain, but ultimately, I grieve for him, because he has nowhere else to turn.” She put on a small smile. “At least I have my best big sister to turn to.” Celestia sighed as Luna withdrew her hoof, and though Luna could still see some flickers of anger in her eyes, they began to slowly fade. “Fine,” Celestia said. “I shall pretend that this does not involve him, and that the actual perpetrator has been thrown into the sun. Would you like to join me Luna? Perhaps we could turn my snack trip into a little feast?” Luna seized the opportunity for company and junk food. With how she was now, she knew that she could get anything she asked for. “Pizza with extra peppers please,” she said with a smile. Celestia chuckled. “You and your spices. Anything else?” “Moonpies?” Luna asked hopefully. “That was assumed,” Celestia replied, scooping up her sister. The magic drain had impaced Luna’s size more than Celestia’s, so she fit quite well on her sister’s back. Luna wiped her eyes free of tears as the pain in her chest dulled just slightly. “Lot’s of buttery popcorn!” she continued. “And cider! From the cellars!” Celestia chuckled and began to trot toward the kitchens. “Are you trying to force a growth spurt Luna?” Luna giggled and poked at her sister’s rump. “Perhaps, but it would take quite a bit of effort for the moon to become anything like the sun, don’t you think?” “Har har, you’re very funny Luna.” The blue alicorn flinched at the familiarity of the line. She always said that to Elias, and he always replied with; ‘But I made you laugh, didn’t I?’ Luna felt her momentarily uplifted spirit fall, and she hugged her sister’s back. “Tia?” “Yes Luna?” “Can I sleep with you for a while?” Celestia stiffened slightly, but kept walking. “Luna, are you sure that…” “Please?” Celestia sighed and glanced back with a smile. “Of course Lulu, anything for you.” Luna sniffled and hugged her neck. “Thank you, Tia. Things will get better eventually; I can feel it. It just…. hurts for now.” ***** “General, I have news that I think you’ll like to…” The loveling froze in the doorway to his office like he had run smack into a brick wall. Elias squinted at him from his slouched position and waved his hand. “Well come on then, out with it. Just because I’ve had a drink doesn’t mean I can’t listen to what intel you’ve brought.” Snowball blinked rapidly, then slowly walked into his office, looking about like he was about to be ambushed. His purple eyes flicked to the bottle on Elias’ desk, then to the man himself. “What happened Elias?” he asked. “I thought you would feel overjoyed and bursting with love tonight, but now… you feel hollow.” Elias snorted and looked away from the loveling. “I did the right thing. That’s what happened. I did something that I should have done a long time ago, but now I’m in the final stages of wrapping up. It would seem that the universe agrees it should be done, because you have been delivered to my doorstep.” Snowball’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean? Don’t tell me that this is more of that dumb notion that you can’t have any friends.” Elias picked up his bottle of bootleg vodka and raised it to his lips. “It isn’t dumb if it’s true.” Before he could take another drink, the bottle flew from his grasp and shattered on the wall. Elias stared after it, watching as glass mixed with the vodka as it slid down the stone wall. “That cost me two-hundred bits,” he said absently. “I don’t care!” Snowball shouted. “I won’t let you throw away all the progress you’ve made because you’ve got a stupid idea in your head. Everypony else might let you get away with it, but not me!” Elias glanced at the loveling. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting? I haven’t even said anything yet.” “You don’t have to,” Snowball spat. “I felt your emotions shift as soon as you saw me. I’m smart enough to know that you likely pushed everyone else away, and now intend to do the same to me. Am I wrong?” Elias sighed. “No, you aren’t. I’m sorry, but it was a mistake to invite you to be my friend in the first place.” He picked up a page from his desk. “I was actually working on the orders I would issue to Adiutor Binder for your love rations. She and First Centurion Flash should be more than capable of…” The page caught fire in his hand, and after a brief moment of pain in his fingertips, it was nothing but ash. Elias glanced over to Snowball, who’s nostrils flared with anger. Elias rolled his eyes and looked away. “Stop being immature and accept that it’s going to happen. You won’t like the alternative.” “No, you won’t like the alternative,” Snowball snapped. “But you’re going to go through with it anyway, because despite how stupid you’re acting, you know that this isn’t right.” Elias’ bad eye twitched and he slowly straightened in his seat. “I suggest you change your tone Adiutor Snowball, because I can have you thrown back in the dungeons on a whim. You should be grateful that I’m still keeping you in my legion.” “I’m still here because you need me,” Snowball said. “And not for some stupid spying on the other generals, but because I allow you a small measure of comfort. If you turn me away now you will be dead inside of a month.” Elias snorted in disgust. “Please, I’m not some weak pony. I don’t need all of your stupid softness to survive. I managed fine on my own before all of this, and I can continue to do so without you, or anyone else.” A file thicker than a textbook slammed down on his desk, and Elias stared at it blankly for a moment. “What is this?” Snowball snorted. “You’re medical history. I was bringing it here because I found General Lionheart trying to find it in Doctor Scalpel’s file cabinets. The good news is that Scalpel was keeping it in his safe, and he trusts me to hold on to it, because I’m your current best friend.” “And what do you think is so important about my medical file?” Elias asked with a sigh. “Page forty-nine to page fifty-seven,” the loveling replied. “It is undeniable proof that you need me to still be your cuddle bug, or that you at least need someone to do the job.” Elias glared at him for a moment. “You read it?” Snowball rolled his eyes. “I’m a spy General, I read everything. You of all ponies know that.” He tilted his head. “If you’re looking for a reason, it’s because I wanted to know what General Lionheart was looking for, so that we could curb his attempts in the future. I read the entire document, but aside from a few oddities, I don’t think there is anything he can use against you.” Elias picked up the folder and began thumbing through it. “Scalpel’s thoughts on my night terrors are ground for dismissal I’m sure.” “But Princess Celestia and Princess Luna know about those,” Snowball replied. “They should never have given you the job if they didn’t think you mentally stable.” “Exactly what I said,” Elias muttered. “I wouldn’t have any of these damn problems if Celestia would get that stick out of her ass and listen to me for once instead of blindly thundering ahead with her great “plans”.” Snowball sighed and took Book Binder’s chair from behind her desk. “I agree, she really needs to discuss things more. That’s what I particularly love about the hivemind. Mother always takes all of the information on hand into consideration, makes the plan for the decision, then discusses it with us to weigh emotional response. It’s all very efficient and we have fewer incidents where ‘lings are hurt because of mistakes that could have just been avoided.” He blinked as he paused, then he straightened in his seat and leaned toward Elias as the human set the file on the desk. Elias motioned to the pages. “What am I supposed to be looking for here that is your “undeniable proof”? All I see is different heart rates.” Snowball nodded. “That’s exactly what’s important. If you’ll notice,” he pointed at the top of the page, “here is just before you started sharing your love with me.” Snowball turned the pages and tapped a result near the middle. “And here is yesterday. We’ve only been doing this for a couple weeks, and already your heart is beating at a much more normal rate, and your blood pressure is way down.” Snowball reached into his saddlebags and withdrew a document. “Here is the performance, discipline, and morale logs for the last three weeks. Notice how performance is going up despite the fact that you’ve disciplined less ponies? I’m not saying being a tough general isn’t effective, because the results show otherwise, but these last few weeks you’ve been showing small glimpses of kindness that show your legionaries that you really care about them.” Snowball sat back in his seat. “I think that if you turn me away now, not only will you have a heart attack, but all of this work will be undone, and morale and performance will plummet. You’ve been pushing just the right amount recently, and a drastic change in your emotional state will undo that. If you truly care about seeing as many ponies as you can through the march, you cannot push me away. You’ll get them all killed.” Elias stared down the loveling. “I should break your muzzle for saying something like that.” Snowball shrugged. “You only feel that because you know I’m right.” Elias continued staring at him, then sighed and looked to his desk. His hand drifted down to one of his drawer handles, and after a pull, he removed another bottle of gryphon vodka. Snowball’s muzzle curled in distaste, and his horn began to glow. Elias’s free hand shot out and smacked the loveling across the cheek. As Snowball blinked in stunned silence, Elias jabbed a finger at him. “You break this bottle and I’ll send you home to your mother in a box. This was a very expensive gift, and I won’t let you ruin it.” “A gift from who?” Snowball asked, rubbing his cheek. Elias sighed and withdrew a pair of glasses with small silver fangs surrounding their bases. “Anyon and Nightshade,” he said. “He got the booze, she got the glasses. Nobody knows I have it, and nobody is going to find out unless you want to see the three of us thrown in jail for possessing a class four illegal substance.” Snowball stared at the bottle with a look of horror. “That stuff is as dangerous as distilled nightshade?” Elias shrugged and popped the cork. “It’s old and magically preserved is what it is. Costs a small fortune on the market these days, but Anyon got it when he still worked for the king. Said he was “saving it for a special occasion”. My promotion apparently fit the bill.” Elias snorted as he poured the vodka into the glasses. “Probably had enough foresight to realize how much of a shit show this job would be.” He set the bottle down and picked up one of the glasses, holding it up to the light of his lantern. He smiled faintly as her swirled the clear liquid. “I’m told that this stuff is enough to knock even a full-grown dragon on its ass. Here’s hoping I stack up.” He saw a look of dismay pass over Snowball’s face as he put the shot back. Swallowing it brought about an intense burning sensation, and Elias immediately closed his eyes and leaned forward. “Are you alright?” Snowball asked. Elias coughed once, doing his best to keep the vodka down. Damn did it burn. “Do you know what regret tastes like?” he growled. “Because I do.” Another cough escaped, followed by a third as he sat up in his chair. The fiery alcohol stayed down however, and after a bit of heat rose to his face, Elias convinced himself that he was fine. The rumbling in his belly was nothing, he was sure of it. Elias pushed the second glass toward Snowball. The loveling stared at it with wide eyes, then looked up to Elias, who cleared his throat. “General, I’m not really sure that…” Elias raised a hand, and the loveling fell silent. “If you really want to stay, I will allow you if you can prove that you’re tough enough to survive. You’ve managed to approach this issue in the one way I can’t refute, and you’re right. I cannot allow my standards to slip, and you’re needed to keep me going.” He raised a finger. “But, there will be terms and this time I will not budge on them. First, you are nothing but a soldier when we’re out and about. You only get to be my cuddle bug once the day’s work is done.” He raised another finger. “Second, there will be no talk of allowing others to act with your privileges. The ponies I have cut off will remain so until after the march.” Snowball sighed lightly but nodded. “Okay. I don’t think now would be a good time to reconnect anyway.” Elias motioned toward the glass. “The third term is that you drink that and keep it down. I’m not putting another drop of love in you unless you can prove to me that you have some sort of stomach for survival. Drink it. It might taste like bleach, but it isn’t half bad.” Snowball eyed the glass and swallowed nervously. After a moment of deliberation, he raised it in his magic and pumped it back. The loveling’s ears flattened and he choked as he fell from his chair with a chirp of distress. Elias laughed aloud as the loveling sputtered and spat. Despite his struggles, Snowball didn’t spit up. The human rose from his seat and grabbed his canteen. He kneeled beside the loveling and offered him the water. Snowball paused in his flailing to sniff at it. Elias rolled his eyes. “It’s water Snowball. Quit being dramatic and take it.” Snowball sniffed the canteen again, then snatched it away. He drained it in desperate gulps, stopping only when the canteen was empty. He laid his head on the floor and panted softly. “That was awful,” he said. Elias rolled his eyes and grabbed his canteen. “It wasn’t that bad. You survived, didn’t you?” Snowball huffed and pouted, but nodded. After a moment of laying on the floor catching his breath, he rose and moved back to his seat, glaring at the bottle of vodka the whole while. “I’m going to find a way to destroy that,” he muttered. “If you do, you’ll be fired,” Elias said in reply. “I drink, get used to it.” Snowball sighed. “Fine, but now you’ll hear my terms.” Elias poured himself another glass. “You are in no position to give terms.” Snowball shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. You’re still going to listen though.” Elias stared at the glass for a moment, then smirked and nodded as he corked the bottle. “Fair enough. What terms do you have for me?” “First,” Snowball started, “I’m in charge of your schedules from now on. You work too late in the day and wake up too early. I’m putting limits on you.” “The work needs done,” Elias replied. “It can’t just be left unfinished.” “And it won’t be,” Snowball said. “This is not part of the term, but I’d like to bring in a few of my kin to work as non-military assistants. Just to relieve you and your official subordinates of the extra paperwork. Do you really want to spend hours on end approving each and every letter home?” Elias sighed. “No, I don’t.” “Exactly, we can develop guidelines for what can and can’t be talked about, then they will do the actual work. If you’re worried about further spies, fear not, I have authority as a prince. They will keep their noses out of specific things.” Elias tapped his shot glass absently. “Your mother has been trying to slip more spies in, hasn’t she?” Snowball nodded. “Yes General, she’s worried that I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. I can present two of them to Princess Celestia as changeling trackers, and the rest we can just add on as temporary assistants. No march for any of them.” Elias sat in thought for a moment, then nodded. “Granted, but only once your kin prove themselves capable. I won’t let work get done sloppily.” Snowball inclined his head and continued. “My next term is an increase in cuddle sessions, for your sake. I can feel your heartache General. I know I am a sore replacement, but you need someone to love, and to love often. We will cuddle no less than four times a week, more if your health deteriorates. The third term is that I will monitor Doctor Scalpel’s physicals so that the second term can be adjusted if you deteriorate.” “Which is why you also want to bring in more lovelings, as cuddle backups,” Elias said. Snowball nodded. “Yes, though they aren’t as friendly as I am. I begged my mother for the chance to infiltrate ponies, because they’re about the only species that meets my cuddle needs.” Elias snorted. “Good to know that I’m trusting an awful lot to a potential weirdo.” Snowball grinned. “I could say the same to your General. At least my species is natural to Equestria.” Elias conceded the point with a snort, and after a brief lull in the conversation, pumped back his glass again. The vodka burned just as much the second time around, and Elias closed his eyes to savor the pain. A low heat was beginning to radiate across his body, a sign of the alcohol’s strength, but he was nowhere close enough to where he needed be to function. He cracked open his eyes to pour another glass to find the bottle gone. Snowball held it in his magic, keeping it far away from Elias’ hand. The human squinted at him. “Give that back, I’m not done yet.” Snowball shook his head. “I’m sorry Elias, but you can’t have more of this stuff tonight. I’ll even go out and buy something softer, but not this. Please. Even gryphons have a hard time drinking a lot of this stuff.” Elias sighed and leaned back in his chair. “So then what would you suggest we do Snowball? I’m not exactly in a sleeping mood.” Snowball frowned in thought as he levitated the bottle over to Elias’ hand. He briefly considered popping the cork for one more drink, then decided against it. He was already starting to slow down mentally. He couldn’t quite remember why turning Luna away had been such a good idea, but he knew it was the right decision. He was fairly certain. At least he still had… Elias blinked as the drawer shut with a clack. His mind focused on a fact that he hadn’t really processed on an emotional level yet. Save for Snowball, he had finally succeeded in the goal he had set for himself when he had woken up in the castle. He was once again well and truly isolated. He had nobody to turn to. Nobody to comfort him if things went horribly wrong. He was once again surrounded by ponies, but unable to interact with any of them. There would be no overly friendly pegasi to approach him now however. “Elias?” The man blinked, then wiped his blurry eyes. He sniffed and wiped his nose, then looked to Snowball. “Yeah?” “Are you going to be alright?” Rather than answering the question, Elias slowly pushed himself to his feet, doing his best to ignore all of his aches. “I’m fine,” he replied. “Come on, I think I’ll give sleeping a try after all.” As he moved around the desk, Snowball pinned himself to Elias’ hip, and the pair made their way to his bedroom. ***** Luna looked around in the darkness of her sister’s room. It was a little after midnight, and though she had tried as best she could to stay awake, Celestia had eventually turned in. Luna had joined her instantly, unwilling to be left alone. The elder alicorn slumbered peacefully beside her, and while her comfort had been enough for her to fall asleep, something had driven Luna to wake up. She blinked at the dark wall for a moment, then started mentally walking through the halls, doing her best to determine what was in the direction she couldn’t turn away from. It didn’t take her overly long to figure out who’s bedroom sat only a few hallways away, and she sighed aloud as she laid her head back down. Though her dream magic was essentially non-usable, she could still detect when a nightmare was occurring, and with the power of Elias’… “Oh my love,” she whispered. “I wish I could help you now. I wish I could do my duty to put your nightmares to an end.” Celestia’s head rose. “Did you say something Luna?” she asked blearily. Luna nuzzled her sister’s side. “Nay sister, merely thinking. Thank you for letting me rest with you.” Celestia returned her nuzzle, then settled back down. Her breathing quickly resumed its slow tempo, and Luna let out another small sigh as she laid her back down. Even though she closed her eyes, sleep came slowly. All she could think about was what could have been if things had gone differently. ***** Unseen by anyone, a trio of beings watched in brooding silence as the blue alicorn fell asleep next to her elder sister. Though she had found temporary solace from her pain, they all could very well see that she was lying, both to herself, and those around her. Her soul screamed in anguish, crying out for something it could not have. All because of a stubborn, chaotic alien. A tall white alicorn snorted and turned her head away from the scene. “This is repulsive. Avatar Moon is supposed to be a mature being spreading joy and harmony, not this sad, lonely thing. She will break her vows once more. We must nip this in the bud and remove her.” Another alicorn, her fur a sharp blue with brilliant gold streaks, snorted. “Don’t be so hasty Generosity. Avatar Moon has not failed her duties yet, and while her heart is not in it, she is still accomplishing her vows. If we remove her now, Equestria will plunge into absolute chaos as Candidate Sparkle becomes self-doubtful. Do you truly think taking away her first victory will inspire further harmonious acts? Nay, she will falter, then fall, and the Elements will need to find new bearers. That may take centuries, and that time is better spent growing harmony, not squandering it over one problem.” Generosity snorted. “Then you agree there is a problem that needs fixed Loyalty?” The blue alicorn sighed and the view shifted to the sleeping human, curled around the loveling prince. “As much as I hate to admit it, yes. The human has shown a strong sense of loyalty, but his own mind works against him. It sows doubt, makes him weak when trying to form lasting friendships. Even now he thinks of driving away his family. It is… not what I had hoped for him.” The third alicorn grunted. “I believe that is understating things. We are responsible for this, we are the traits he embodies most, and yet he still falls short. He’s lying, to those around him, and himself. It’s causing division where there shouldn’t be any. To make things worse, he’s started to believe these thoughts as truth, and now he is acting on falsehoods. He drove away Avatar Moon on such an internal falsehood.” “Thank you for telling us the events of the last hour Honesty,” Generosity sneered. “It is almost as if the human is unstable and dangerous. If we cannot remove Avatar Moon, we must remove the human.” Honesty nodded in agreement. “Yes, we do. Avatar Sol had the right idea trying to use his foreign abilities to the advantage of Equestria’s military, but his usefulness is coming to an end. He needs to be removed from power, then disposed of. It will hurt a few ponies in the short term, but they will move on once he is gone from memory.” Loyalty looked aghast at the red and green alicorn. “You’re suggesting we kill him?” she spat. “That is not our way.” Generosity held up her hooves and put herself in front of Loyalty. “Breathe my friend, breathe, you know better than that. Honesty has ever been blunt. She did not mean remove in that fashion.” The red alicorn shrugged and looked back to the human, who frowned in his sleep. “Maybe I didn’t. I cannot say more than that.” Loyalty growled. “You’d better explain yourself, or this is going to be brought up with Keeper. We are not killers.” Honesty sighed. “No, we are not. We have never taken direct action of that nature with our planet, but perhaps this is the one time that we need to. This human is not ours, does not follow the rules of our world. His very being is poisoned, and it is leeching into the world around him. I do not suggest some dirty murder in the middle of the night by a trusted friend, but rather a quiet, peaceful end in his sleep. We convince Sol to remove him from power, then give him reason to move on from Canterlot. Once sufficiently alone, we do the mercy of ending his battered form, then offer him a place in the Verdant Fields.” Loyalty scoffed. “Because that plan worked so well when Generosity did it, or did you forget the part where he rejected Moon’s hoof in marriage? Peace does not interest him,” She paused, then frowned. “But neither does war. He is… conflicted. We just need to let things play out naturally. Yes, Moon is hurting now, as is the human, but give them time. They are adults. We must trust our ponies to find their own way. Whether he was born ours or not, he is here now. The human counts as ours.” Honesty sighed and shook her head. “I disagree, but I think we will not find agreement this night. Go about your duties Loyalty, think on my words. We must come up with a solution to this, letting it sit is no more our way than direct action. We must fix this problem. Generosity and I shall talk, then approach you with better solutions.” The blue alicorn matched her sigh and nodded. “Fine, I shall think on it.” She vanished in a flash of blue magic, leaving Honesty and Generosity alone. They remained in silence for a moment, merely watching as the human began to toss and turn. The loveling prince woke from his rest, and while he did his best to snuggle and comfort the human, his efforts were for naught. A long scream escaped the human’s lips, and the loveling moved off the bed as the human thrashed about. Generosity shook her head in disgust. “We cannot let this stand. The human is dangerous, and he has already hurt an Avatar. He will cause more strife.” Honesty looked to the white alicorn. “And what do you suggest? I noticed your silence when I spoke of solutions.” Generosity nodded slowly. “That you did. I had an idea, and it functions well within our plans for Candidate Sparkle. The Crystal Heart has many uses, do you think it could force harmony into this one?” Honesty frowned in thought. “Maybe, but that carries a healthy dose of risk.” Generosity nodded. “Of course, but as you said, the human’s body is filled with poison. He is already dead; it is simply a matter of letting his body die. If nothing else, the Crystal Heart would be quick, merciful, and painless.” Honesty sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Though it is distasteful, I agree.” Generosity trotted over and hugged her tight. “It is alright sister, I know that this is not a glorious part of our duty, but you are right. This is a difficult circumstance with a being that is not one of our own. We did not create the human, we did not bring him to our realm, and we did not fill him with these poisons. It was a wild act that brought him here, we merely have to fix the problem.” Honesty nodded with tired eyes, sighing as she watched the human wake up, tears running down his face. The loveling leaped into his lap, and tears began to flow faster as the human wept and hugged him tight. “I know sister,” she replied softly, “I simply wished we could act more. I almost regret Keeper giving ponies free will. Things become messy, and chaotic.” Generosity snorted. “Ah, but then they wouldn’t be as enjoyable to observe. You love trying to guess their paths as much as any of us. Besides, the little touches of chaos are what make harmony all the stronger.” Honesty sighed and stared hard at the human. “True, but this one… He does not belong here. He rejected our offer to fix him and give him a happy life, so now he forces our hoof. He is a negative influence on the Avatars.” “Indeed,” Generosity agreed. “Hopefully the Crystal Heart will fix him, or it will put him to sleep. Either way, the Avatars will endure, and Moon will forget this foolish love that hurts her so.” The white alicorn gave Honesty a quick nuzzle, then faded from view as she returned to her duties in Tartarus. Honesty remained over the viewing portal, watching the human as the loveling prince comforted him back to sleep. There had to be a way, had to be a solution. The red alicorn opened a separate window to the still sleeping Crystal Empire, and she focused her vision on the Crystal Heart. > The Crystal Empire Interlude: Part 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias did his best not to stare at Luna as he and his Adiutors stood at attention before the steps leading up to the throne. Most things had settled back into the normal rhythm, and his troops had been growing steadily stronger for weeks. Despite the heartache he had caused himself, Elias felt more and more confident in his decisions with each passing day. Save for whenever he was in a room with Luna. The blue alicorn had a perfect mask to hide emotions, but after spending so much time with her, Elias could just barely see through it. The weakness was always in her shining green eyes. They held immeasurable regret and anguish, and it hurt to know that he had caused that. “General!” Elias’ eyes snapped away from staring at Luna to meet Celestia’s smoldering gaze. That had been another change. The silent dislike between himself and Celestia had flamed up into full on hatred, and he didn’t need to be a psychic to figure out why. The white alicorn had done her best to make the past weeks of his life into hell. Meeting times would change on a whim, and when he did receive a correct schedule, the subject of the meeting would be changed so he looked like a fool. Lionheart in particular always seemed to be three steps ahead, and he relished his newfound power over Elias. Only his fear of Elias’ physical prowess kept him from outright mockery, but only just. Elias hadn’t figured out his response quite yet. He had half a mind to disregard any further meetings in favor of planning things out behind the scenes with the ponies he trusted, but Midnight Chaser and Nightshade had also begun giving him the cold shoulder. The only general who still worked with him was Everfree, who was simply unavailable most of the time. The zebra seemed confused at the new animosity toward Elias, and as such put a small amount of distance between them, but nothing more. The silent war against him should have provoked him to a deep anger, but Elias simply ignored most of it, and while he hadn’t made any plans to run counter to Celestia, he had given her a pseudo-response. He simply kept going. Every morning started with the normal drills with his legion, and he followed his own schedule throughout the day. Said schedule was given to the rest of the generals as usual, and he knew for a fact that Celestia still got hers. He had no doubt in his mind that by not reacting, he infuriated the solar princess, and being called to the throne room was just further evidence of that. As was the fury with which she regarded him. “Yes Princess?” he responded calmly. Celestia gritted her teeth and suppressed a growl. “When I am talking to you, I expect you to look at me. You are a citizen of my nation, and you are my subject. I have tolerated your flippant disregard for my authority for far too long, and if you don’t start acting like a professional, I will order General Lionheart to replace you at the head of the Legio I Equus, am I clear?” Elias couldn’t help that his hand curled into a fist and that his bad eye twitched with anger. He wanted to spit back at her that he would murder the unicorn before such a thing would ever happen, but his eyes drifted to her right to where a pair of crystal-clear green eyes were staring at him. Luna’s eyes were begging him desperately for him to just bite his tongue, were sending the message that he was being plainly and painfully baited so that Celestia had an excuse to take his legion away. Another attack on him, another stab in his ribs that he had no way to deflect or stab back. His only saving grace was that the mare he had hurt was still his ally, separated as they were. Elias gritted his teeth and looked back to Celestia. “If you were going to do that Princess, then I suggest you get Lionrat in here so that you can brief him on your little assignment.” He offered her a small bow. “Just a recommendation of course.” The snort Celestia let out was audible, but she straightened in her seat and her open grimace vanished. Her bluff had been called, something the now audible, logical section of Elias’ brain realized. She still knew they needed him, and despite all her posturing, Celestia would have to hate him more than Equestria to throw him out. Elias didn’t celebrate his minor victory, and instead adopted his own mask as she spoke. “That won’t be necessary. General Lionheart is on a far more pressing mission. This assignment should be so simple even you can’t find a way to destroy it utterly.” Luna let out a deep sigh and rose from her seat. “Sister, that is enough. I will handle the briefing from now on. Please, go await your student and her friends. We shall not be long.” Celestia’s expression shifted from hate to regret instantly, and she seemed to shrink before her sister’s eyes. “Luna, please, I can…” Luna nuzzled her side, and the motion prodded the white alicorn from her throne. “Go. I do not deserve my crown if I cannot give simple mission briefings, and I am not nearly as combative with General Bright. Have trust in me.” Celestia sighed and moved down the stairs. She shot Elias another hate filled glare as she left through the rear throne room entrance. Elias met her glare with an even gaze, keeping his chin high as she stalked away. As soon as the door closed behind her, he looked to Luna. She sat tall on her throne, looking down at him with an expression that he wasn’t used to receiving. The few nights she had ponies in her night court, it was the same straight, slightly hostile expression she gave them until they started explaining themselves. It was almost the opposite of Celestia’s motherly smile, and Elias couldn’t help but shrink under her gaze. She seemed to notice, and her expression softened just slightly as she spoke. “General, despite my sister’s words, this mission is extremely important, and there is nopony we would rather send. You have our absolute trust.” “Your sister has a funny way of showing it,” Elias said. “You hurt me,” Luna replied evenly. “And while I recognize that you did not intend to do so, Celestia doesn’t care. She is still my overprotective big sister, and so she seeks to see you hurt as I have, unknowing of the pain you already subject yourself to.” She bowed her head. “But that matters not. I will put more effort into curbing her protectiveness. The matter at hoof, however, is; thus,” A black armored unicorn seemed to peel away from the shadows, and her horn glowed with magic. She gritted her teeth as her eyes took on an unholy red and green glow, and Elias felt both Book Binder and Snowball shy away from the unicorn as a sickly beam of light left her horn. It splattered onto the floor, and a circle appeared, quickly turning into the map of a city. Black crystals mixed with the silvery ones that made up the buildings on the map. The unicorn gritted her teeth, then let out a sharp gasp as she cut her magic off. Luna walked down from her throne and patted the pony’s back. “Thank you Darkshape. You may go now.” The unicorn gave her a small bow, then walked away, still rubbing at her horn. Elias ignored the retreating guard however. His eyes poured over the map, taking in every detail. “My sister will prepare young Twilight Sparkle in a far different manner,” Luna said, “but you need to know of the threats you may face.” She gestured to the map. “This is the Crystal Empire, an ancient pony civilization that was cursed hundreds of years ago, but has only recently reappeared. To give a quick sum of its history, The Empire was once ruled by a tyrant king named Sombra, and when my sister and I confronted and defeated King Sombra, he laid a curse over the empire, causing it to vanish. Since the Empire has returned, it is safe to say that King Sombra has returned as well.” “Celestia sent my niece, Cadence, and Shining Armor to the north with a small force of guards last week,” Luna continued, “but they have not returned, nor sent any messengers. This silence has provoked our concern, so we are sending the Elements of Harmony to see what has become of our expedition.” Her eyes flicked up from the map. “That is where you, and your legion come in General. You will be providing security for Ms. Sparkle and her friends, and once you find Cadence and Armor, you will help them in any way you can to secure their borders.” “Do you think King Sombra wiped out the expedition?” Book Binder asked. “No,” Luna said, “but I do not think my niece would suddenly stop communicating with my sister. She and Celestia regularly exchange letters, and she missed that communication last evening. ‘Tia is worried, so we are making every effort to find Cadence and secure the Empire.” Elias crossed his arms and stared at the map, more than grateful for a visual distraction. “And what happens if we get there, find Cadence, and find that the situation is untenable?” “I will leave that to the discretion of Princess Cadence and Twilight Sparkle.” Elias couldn’t help but wince. Her words were a plain statement; I don’t trust you to be in charge. Coming from Celestia, he would have dismissed the notion out of hand, uncaring that she didn’t trust him, but from Luna… Elias ignored the bottomless pit that formed in his belly and kept a straight face as he continued to stare at the map. “So I’m just supposed to act like one of your sister's brown nosing grunts then? I suppose the work will be easy enough.” His eyes flicked up to find a hurt look on Luna’s face, but it was gone as soon as he had noticed it. Luna kept her royal mask on tight as she spoke. “That is not the case General, but think of it what you will. Your orders are to escort the Elements of Harmony safely to the Crystal Empire, and then to ensure their continued safety until you return to Canterlot.” Another Lunar Guard slipped from the shadows with a scroll in her mouth, and Snowball moved forward, taking the scroll with a mumbled ‘thank you’. He quickly passed it to Elias, who unrolled it and skimmed through it, looking for the dangerous phrases ponies like Lionheart liked to slip into the wording to trap someone. He found none of that however, but what he did find made his nose curl in disgust. Passing off the scroll to Book Binder, he scowled at Luna. “This is a test?” he spat. “Since when have I, or my legion need tested? Put us up against any of the guard forces, and we’ll send them right back with their tails between their legs. My legionaries are the best soldiers in Equestria, if not the whole planet.” “The test is less for their sakes,” Luna replied calmly, “and more for yours. You have recently shown a certain volatility when working with others, so instead of acting on my sister’s suggestion to have you removed from office while we test your emotions on a deeper level, I am extending this opportunity for you to prove to us that you will not fall out of line during the march.” “It is not my fault that I have been having difficulties of late,” Elias growled. “Your sister has been making things more difficult, and your generals have not been helping.” “I am well aware,” Luna snapped, her tail flicking with anger. “And I will clean house while you are gone. This is a very simple task General, and it was given to you because I know you can accomplish it without issue. Stop trying to make it a fight when I am your ally in this.” Some of the heat left Elias’ mind, and his posture slumped slightly. The words ‘mistake’ floated around his brain, but he did his best to ignore the part of the mind that was whispering it. “Of course Princess,” he said, “apologies.” Luna sighed aloud. “Adiutors, Guards, leave us. General Bright and I need to finalize logistics in private.” Book Binder and Snowball looked to Elias for permission, and he gave them a small nod. They departed quickly, and once the throne room doors shut, the room was silent. Elias ran his tongue along his teeth, but pointedly refused to look up. He cursed his lack of self-control, and did his best to harden his heart so that he could focus. Luna’s words still struck his stupid, soft heart like a ton of bricks. “Are you having regrets General?” she asked softly. Elias snorted. “Did you think I wouldn’t?” Luna matched his snort. “Of course I knew you would, but I also thought you would stick to your principles regardless of your regrets. Am I wrong?” “No,” Elias said with a sigh. He met her gaze with tired eyes. “I know I’m right. It’s just this stupid heart you ponies gave me. It keeps sending me mixed messages.” Luna chuckled. “I would apologize General, but that would imply that I’m actually sorry. I quite like your heart, thank you very much. It’s full of strength and conviction, and no matter my personal feelings, I trust your judgement. We simply need to figure out how best to work with each other.” Elias let out another sigh. “We’re not the only ones. Nobody works with me anymore. I’m running Snowball ragged just to stay informed, and I’m still lagging behind. I may have more focus on my legion now, but that means nothing if I can’t coordinate with the other generals. Nightshade and Chaser look at me with nothing but disgust these days.” “As I said General,” Luna said, a hint of anger creeping into her tone, “I will handle them while you are away. Our relationship is none of their business. But…” she paused, then sighed, “their concern is my fault, and for that I give you my apology. I have worn my emotions too openly, and for no good reason. My heart has caused me just as much as issue to me as yours has to you, and I will take after your example and harden it.” She let out a humorless chuckle. “You would think that the knowledge of the resumption of our relationship in a few months would be more than enough, but the emotion of love is fickle, and I don’t know how to silence its grieving tongue.” She shrugged. “We can only control so much in our hearts General. It is the way of the heart to be overdramatic. It is why we have brains in our skulls.” “Too bad some of us struggle using theirs more than others,” Elias quipped, jabbing a thumb at his chest. Luna snorted and he saw a slight smile grace her muzzle, but it quickly vanished. “Very funny General, but we must get back to the matter at hoof.” Elias ignored the twinge of pain he felt in his chest and nodded. “Of course Princess. I assume you have prepared a method of transport for my legion?” Luna nodded. “Indeed, the full details have already been given to Adiutor Book Binder, and First Centurion Night Flash. Your legionaries are preparing as we speak. The train leaves in one hour.” Elias gave her a small bow and turned away. As he walked toward the throne room doors, she called out; “Oh, and General?” He turned as he put his helmet on. “Yes Princess?” She smiled. “Do come back safely. These halls would be absent a kindred spirit if you died.” Elias snorted. “And here I thought you only wanted me for my killer’s instinct.” Luna rolled her eyes. “Har har General, you’re still not funny.” Elias’ mouth opened to give her his normal reply, but his brain caught the words before they could be spoken. Suppressing a sigh, he offered a slight grin and a small bow. “I know Princess. I shall report to you once the mission is complete.” He quickly walked away, unwilling to look her in the eyes as he did so. ***** Elias scowled as snow whipped at his exposed face. The train station was alive with activity as his legionaries disembarked and fell into their sections, organizing their equipment for the march to the Empire itself. Off to the side, the Elements chattered away inanely, occasionally glancing toward his red-clad ponies as they moved about in silent efficiency. The train ride had been largely quiet in his train car. He and Book Binder hadn’t had any time to pack up any of the paperwork he needed to get done, so without it, Elias had little to do. His legionaries reclined in their seats around him. A few made quiet chatter, while others took the opportunity to polish their armor and sharpen their weapons. Most however, took the opportunity to sleep, and more than a few ponies had snored and snorted in their sleep, something that had helped Elias relax for the ride. Book Binder had taken the opportunity to read in the seat next to him, while Night Flash snoozed away opposite him. Snowball had curled up by the window, laying his head in Elias’ lap. The loveling’s ears gave Elias’ hands an idle distraction, and he had simply stared out the window as the landscape shifted from brilliant green to bleak grey and white. A sight that he was unfortunately familiar with. Elias was jarred from his thinking by a pony clearing their throat. He glanced down to find Book Binder at his side, her magic suspending a map that supposedly led to the peaceful, sunny Crystal Empire. Where such a thing was in the white wasteland he saw before him, Elias didn’t know, but he also didn’t care. He had a job to do, and he would make sure it got done quickly, and safely. “Our guide isn’t here,” Elias grunted. “We’re two minutes early General,” Book Binder replied smoothly. “If he isn’t here when that time is up, I’d recommend we set out anyway. Maybe we can catch him en-route.” Elias grunted again and nodded, then winced as a happy shout reached his ears. He shot a glare over his shoulders towards the Elements. He loathed their presence, but knew he had to bear it, if only so he could give good, clear reasons why his mind wouldn’t change. Celestia’s attempt to show their “competency” to him was as plain as it was heavy handed, but Elias knew that at least one of them would die if they joined the march, and then the rest would crumble. Then the solar diarch would blame herself, and a whole heap of troubles would spring up that he would no doubt have to deal with. They weren’t worth the trouble, especially when he had already spent months training up a professional legion. A legion full of ponies that were also starting to glare at the Elements with distaste. Rainbow Dash was by far the most irritating in his eyes. Her mouth didn’t seem to have an off switch, and while she watched his soldiers work, she kept complaining about slow everything was. The white unicorn, Rarity, was almost as bad. She earned the majority of the glares as she whined about how “garish” the legion armor was. Judging by the scowls on the ponies milling about around her, she was one nasty insult from being left in a snowdrift. The other four weren’t earning anyone’s ire, but neither were they at all prepared or helpful. Fluttershy more than earned her namesake, and cowered and flinched away from each and every pony that moved by. Her file said that she could be brave when things got rough, and that she was the only one of the Elements with useful training, having spent some time volunteering at the Ponyville hospital as a nurse. Her eyes met Elias’ as he inspected her, and she shrank lower onto the platform. Elias snorted and looked toward the map in his hands. “Adiutor, assign one of our healers on Miss Fluttershy. We need to make sure she doesn’t bolt.” Book Binder nodded silently, and her horn flashed, sending away the order. Out of the corner of his eye, Elias saw a snow-white unicorn trot up to Fluttershy and offer a smile and a hoof. The yellow pegasus seemed to welcome the kind attention, and she rose, with the pair quickly setting about talking quietly. A different whisper drew Elias’ attention however, and he glanced back over the other shoulder to the other half of the Elements. Twilight stood stiff as a plank next to the pair of earth ponies in their group. Applejack was giving his back her best glare, while Pinkie Pie wouldn’t stop fidgeting as she stared at him. The pink pony leaned over and whispered something to Twilight, who frowned and joined her friends in staring at his back. Part of Elias’ mind was curious as to what they were saying, but he needed to focus on the task at hand. His eyes scanned the map, then flicked up to the snowy wastes. “Are we having any issues with our compasses?” Book Binder withdrew her guard watch and shook her head. “No General, but two minutes have passed, and our guide isn’t here.” “He’ll have two more minutes to show up then,” Elias grunted in response. Louder he shouted; “Let’s pick up the pace! If it isn’t ready in two minutes, we aren’t bringing it! If that’s you, then make sure to leave your helmet at the station when you take the train back! You were supposed to be ready when we got off, and I am getting tired of waiting!” The threat was unnecessary, he knew that. His legionaries had followed his orders to the letter, with most getting ready as soon as the air outside of the train had begun filling with snow. The pace of their preparations increased anyway, and the ponies fell into formation, waiting silently for his next order. Elias clicked open his pocket watch and watched the seconds tick by. As they waited, Night Flash trotted up with Snowball shielded beneath his wings. Elias barely spared a glance at the shivering loveling. “I warned you that you would need your winter gear Adiutor Snowball.” The loveling’s teeth chattered as he spoke. “Y-yes General, and I’m wearing it! Us desert dwellers just don’t do so well in the cold I guess.” Elias felt a chill race up his back and he looked out into the snow, looking for the eyes he felt pressing down on him. “Stay next to First Centurion Night Flash, keep warm. We’ll find you more clothes once were in the Empire. Adiutor Book Binder, pick five ponies, guard the Elements. I want them in the center of the Second Cohort Auxiliaries.” She saluted and moved to execute his order as he shouted out his next one to Gray Granite. “Centurion Granite, First Cohort is on point! Form up in the double square formation and deploy scouts to the extremes of our sight lines.” The earth pony saluted, and his voice boomed through the whistling wind. The legion moved quickly, falling into their proper places with well-practiced ease. As they finished falling in, Elias did one last check over his equipment, making sure everything was in its proper place. The wool of his arm length gloves rubbed irritatingly against his tunic, but he did his best to ignore the sensation. The additions were the only things keeping him warm. He had ordered winter clothes for the entire legion to be made, especially since they would be leaving for the march at the start of fall, but his clothes weren’t done yet. He had been forced to make do with a few hastily made scarves and gloves from some of his tailor-turned-legionaries on the train ride. His legs were covered by a birthday gift Book Binder had been holding for after the march. Luckily, she had chosen something subdued to get him used to the fuzzy pony custom, so few, if any of his legionaries had even noticed the fuzzy black stockings. Elias hoped it would stay that way. The only other piece of warm clothing he had was a sweatshirt in his pack that wouldn’t fit under his armor, so he was forced to go without it. Gray Granite trotted out of the legion formation and saluted sharply. “We’re ready General.” Elias nodded and followed him into the center of the formation. Night Flash gave him a small nod as he continued sheltering Snowball from the worst of the wind. The loveling offered a weak smile to Elias, who frowned back. They needed to get out of the cold. He could already see a few of the ponies starting to shiver, and the snow pouring in around them wasn’t going to lessen. Elias raised a fist in the air. “Let’s move out! Keep an eye on our flanks. Just because visibility is low doesn’t mean I want to get bitten in the ass.” With Flash, Snowball, and Granite in the first square, and Book Binder guarding the Elements in the center of the second, the legion began to move forward into the snow. The wind seemed to grow colder as they left the torchlight of the train station and the snow began piling up around them in deeper and deeper drifts. Elias kept the pace brisk anyway, making the ponies trot as they pushed through the snow. Shadows began flitting around the edges of their torches once they were out of view of the train station. Though he saw more than a few ponies begin to look around nervously, Elias didn’t let himself tense up as the shadows flited back and forth. His hand did shift to rest on the hilt of his gladius, however. As they pushed forward, a slumped body came into view. Elias raised a fist in the air to halt the formation, and ordered a trio of legionaries to investigate. The ponies moved fast, the snow kicking up under their armored hooves. Elias watched them carefully as they approached the body, then a shout rose in the air. “General, it’s Strong Breeze!” one of the legionaries called. Strong Breeze, one of his scouts. Elias suppressed a feeling of alarm, and instead looked to Night Flash. “Get the legion in a block around Scout Breeze, then I want the rest of the scouts pulled in, now.” The pegasus nodded and began barking orders. The legion double-timed to the mare’s body, and Elias couldn’t help but stare at her frozen fur as a pair of healers rushed over to her. Even as she began to wake up from the body heat of her saviors, Elias couldn’t get the image of her still corpse out of his mind. Images of a different pegasus lying still on the ground flashed through his head, and Elias had to look out into the black to keep control. The thought that the princesses were right to test him popped up, but he cruelly crushed it and focused on Strong Breeze. Standing idly by while others worked ground on his nerves, so Elias moved forward and crouched beside the pair of healers. “Is she going to be alright?” he asked softly. One of the healers looked up and shook her head. “Not if we can’t get her warmer immediately. Her core temperature is far too low, and my heating spells aren’t doing enough to get her up fast enough. All we’re doing right now is delaying her death.” Without a second thought, Elias shrugged off his pack. “Centurion Blossom!” he shouted. The pegasus appeared at his side as he began stripping off his armor. Elias nodded toward his cuirass as he dropped it into the snow. “You’re carrying that. I’m going to warm Scout Breeze up myself.” It only took him a few more seconds to remove his armor, and Elias had to suppress a shiver as the wind cut through his thin tunic. The armor had a heating rune in it, but with it gone, he was going to be a lot colder. Elias tapped the other healer and nodded toward his pack. “There’s a black sweatshirt in there, get it out.” Elias scooped up the comatose Strong Breeze and lifted his tunic, shoving the mare inside. Ice Blossom helped him get her head up through the top, and he snatched his sweatshirt out of the healer’s hooves. Ice Blossom again helped him in getting Strong Breeze situated, and Elias took it as a good sign when the mare woke up enough to wrap her hooves around his chest. She nuzzled his shoulder absently, and tried to turn, but with her size, it was impossible. The pony seemed to figure it out quickly, and so she relaxed, humming softly as she rested her head on his shoulder. Elias braced her rump with one hand and looked to the healers to give more orders, but found them already waiting with Strong Breeze’s gear on their backs. Ice Blossom shifted awkwardly under his pack, but she quickly found her balance and she looked to the healers. “Give General Bright a heating spell. That shirt is not enough to combat this kind of cold.” “I’m fine,” Elias said, even as he felt the spell pass over his body. When he gave a harsh look to the healer, she shrugged. “Sorry General, but you need to be warm enough for two.” Elias let his glare slip away as he grunted in agreement at her logic and stood, noticing the last of the scouts as they filtered into the legion’s ranks. Many of them had frost coating their armor and their fur, but none were at immediate risk of death. He needed to make sure they stayed that way, and he knew of only one surefire way to get the ponies warm. He quickly found Night Flash again. “First Centurion, tighten formation to a single box, have the auxiliaries surround the Elements in the center.” Night Flash nodded, and with a shout his orders were executed. The formation shifted, and Elias found himself surrounded by six extremely jumpy ponies that whimpered and flinched at every shadow. Even the supposedly “tough” Elements were looking around like an army of changelings was going to swarm through and slaughter them. Elias snorted with contempt at the group and yelled the command to move, causing them to jump again. By comparison, the drowsy pegasus resting against his shoulder merely frowned at the volume of his voice, her ears folding down to block out the noise. Elias ignored the urges a small part of his brain was whispering for him to act on. His legionaries began moving forward as a group, and as they moved, the Elements slowly packed in around Elias, remaining just far enough away that they weren’t clinging to him for dear life. Mentally Elias had an inkling to kick the ponies, but he instead flashed his best diplomatic smile at them. “Don’t worry ladies, we’ll get to the Empire safe and sound.” Twilight shuddered as a gust of wind tore through the formation. “A-and if something does happen?” she chattered. Elias nodded toward Book Binder. “Stay with Adiutor Binder. She has a bolt team on stand-by, and they’ll get you back to the train station. You can get back to Canterlot from there.” The group of mares looked unsure, but another cry rose from the front of the block, and Elias spotted a shadowy form trudging through the snow. Elias raised his fist again, but this time the mystery pony moved toward them, and as he came within their torchlight, Elias recognized the bright blue hair and white fur. Twilight did as well. “Shiney!” She teleported out of the legion's square and hugged the unicorn tightly. Gray Granite and two legionaries from the front-rank broke formation and grabbed the pair, shoving them roughly back into the formation. Gray Granite held Twilight in his teeth until he was back at the center, and he dropped her before Elias. Shining Armor quickly joined her as the other two legionaries shoved him through the mass of armored bodies. Both were on their feet in an instant, with Shining Armor glaring hard at Elias. “What was that for?” Elias gave him an even stare. “Being late, and for your sister breaking the formation. If she wants to die, she should develop a drinking habit like I did. How far are we to safety?” Shining Armor scowled at him for a second more, then sighed and nodded toward the direction he appeared from. “It’s not far that way, but we need to move fast. King Sombra is out and about, and this many ponies will draw his attention, strong or not.” Elias nodded sharply to Night Flash, and after a shouted order, the legion moved forward at a double-time. As they moved, the wind seemed to howl louder in their ears, and the shadows flitted faster back and forth around the torchlight. Luckily, Shining Armor was another useful set of eyes, and he kept checking behind them. his horn occasionally sent bolts of magic into the darkness. When a massive shadowy figure rose behind them, Elias recognized the bolts for what they were; probing attacks. The sound of cackling seemed to merge with the whistling wind, and the ponies began exchanging nervous glances, more than unnerved by the sound. The snow to the legion’s left exploded in a ball of sickly black and purple magic. The shadowy figure shifted forward, and Elias felt a chill touch his heart as he caught his first sight of the shadow king. The shadowy blob that was Sombra’s body was easily three times his height, and it writhed like some grotesque horror. Near the top, a pony-eque head flowed in and out of the shadows, grinning at them with sharp fangs and a glowing red horn. Another bolt of sickly magic lashed out, this time striking the outer left flank. A trio of legionaries cried out, and fell into the snow, writhing in agony as the dark magic swept away the wards in their armor. Healers raced to drag them deeper into the formation, while the rest of the legion looked to Elias for orders. The human felt his bad eye twitch as he regarded Sombra with a scowl. “I’ll collect your head for that,” he hissed. “What do you want us to do General?” Night Flash asked, appearing at Elias’ side. “Have Centurion Granite draw up First Cohort for a delaying action. You will lead the rest of the legion and will double time to the Crystal Empire with the Elements and Shining Armor. I will lead our fighting retreat.” Night Flash nodded and began barking out orders. Gray Granite took his place immediately, staring at Sombra with a slight frown. “Orders?” “All shields up,” Elias replied. “Tell everyone to save their ammunition. I’m no expert on whatever Sombra is, but I have a feeling a javelin isn’t going to do more than tickle him. Form up in three lines, we’ll tortoise up once the rest of the legion is out of sight and we know we have his attention.” A third bolt of magic lanced toward the legion, but was stopped mid-air by a glowing purple shield. The dark magic splashed harmlessly to the ground, and Sombra let out a loud growl before pulling backward. Elias glanced back to find Shining Armor standing tall with his horn alight. The unicorn met Elias’ eyes. “I’m not going anywhere.” “So it would seem,” Elias replied evenly. “Before anyone else decides to play hero, however; First Centurion! Get the legion moving sometime today!” The pegasus popped up above the formation of ponies for long enough to give a quick salute, then he was hidden once more in the armored mass. With a barked order, the legion pulled away and began trotting swiftly through the snow. The ponies of the First Cohort fell into their battle lines, bracing their shields in the snow. Sombra seemed to notice the separation of the groups of ponies, and his eyes flickered with outrage. Strong Breeze snorted and shivered against all the noise, wrapping her hooves tight around Elias’ chest. “Was happenin’?” she mumbled blearily. Elias removed his bracing hand from her rump and used it to snatch up his shield. “Nothing to concern yourself with Scout,” Elias whispered. “Just hold on and focus on keeping warm. That’s your job right now.” Strong Breeze mumbled something else, but followed his command. Her legs kept her locked in place around his chest, and she nuzzled in, sighing softly as she soaked in his body heat. Knowing the pony would stay safe as long as she held on, he focused elsewhere, namely the large shadow demon writing back and forth before them, clearly looking for weaknesses. “Watch him closely,” Elias said aloud. “Mage Auxiliaries, if he moves towards the First Centurion’s group, hit him with your best. I want all his focus on us.” He glanced at Shining Armor. “How long can you keep your shield up?” The white unicorn grinned. “Long enough to get everypony back in the Empire.” “Let’s hope so,” Elias muttered. “Auxiliaries keep his eyes on us! First Cohort, one step back!” “ONE!” the ponies shouted in reply, dragging their shields backwards through the snow. A trio of fireballs sprang out of Shining Armor’s shield, and while two disappeared harmlessly into the dark, the third exploded in Sombra’s shadowy body. The shadow pony howled, but Elias couldn’t tell if it was a howl of pain or anger. Granite tapped his side. “The rest of the legion is out of view General.” Elias gave him a silent nod in reply. He started mentally whispering a hundred count, making sure that his ponies had plenty of time to make it to the Empire. “One step back!” he bellowed aloud. “ONE!” The auxiliaries lashed out with more spells as the shields dragged back again. This time, the trio of fireballs were chased by a sickly-looking beam of green light. Sombra howled again as the spells struck at his black form, and his crimson horn lashed out in return, sending purple and green magic splashing across Shining Armor’s shield. The unicorn gritted his teeth at the onslaught, and Elias noticed a small crack form in the unicorn’s shield. “We definitely have his attention,” Shining Armor commented as the assault ceased. The auxiliaries sent out another barrage of spells against Sombra, and Elias reached one hundred in his mind. “Turtle up!” he shouted, “Captain Armor, tighten your shield. That should shore it up.” “It’s actually Prince Armor now,” Shining Armor said, following Elias’ orders, “lost the rank when I got married unfortunately.” Gray Granite’s shield locked with Elias’ as the human crouched beside Shining Armor, grabbing the unicorn with his free arm. The motion earned him a knicker of protest that Elias elected to ignore as he pulled the unicorn tight against his body. “What are you doing?” Shining Armor demanded. “I can walk on my own!” Elias began to reply about how the unicorn had no idea how to function within a testudo formation, but Strong Breeze raised her sleepy head and smiled at the white unicorn. “General Bright’s giving out snuggles,” she said with a giggle. “Don’t be mean and tell him no.” Shining Armor blinked at the mare, then met Elias’ eyes. The human glared back. “You nuzzle me, and I’ll break your legs and leave you here.” “Noted. What’s the real reason you’re carrying me?” “So you can focus on the shield keeping Sombra back while we move. Any more questions, or are we done wasting time?” Strong Breeze giggled and nuzzled his chest, while Shining Armor huffed and looked toward Sombra. “Just make sure we get to the Empire in one piece.” Elias nodded to Granite, who gave out the commands for their orderly retreat. The called out single steps were replaced by lifted shields and a slow crawl backward. The formation wavered slightly over the uneven terrain, but the ponies had more than enough training to maintain their formation. There was no stumbling, no falling out of the cadence Granite belted out. Though the occasional crack appeared in their shields, Elias was overall satisfied with the ponies as the withdrew toward the Crystal Empire. Sombra was of the opposite mind. He howled in hate, and more powerful spells roiled and crackled against Shining Armor’s shield. Even with the increased strength it had gained from being tightened, the shield began to show the beating it was taking. Shining Armor began to grunt and strain from the focus, and Elias had to resist the urge to wince as sparks from the unicorn’s horn burned his hand. “Are we going to make it Armor?” A crack in the wall of scuta let Elias see a massive black sphere slam into the shield, scattering across the purple magic with a screech. A spiderweb of cracks formed in Shining Armor’s shield, and the pony let out a pained grunt. Sombra bellowed out in rage and another spell pounded at the shield. “Double time it Centurion,” Elias bellowed at Granite. “I don’t think Prince Armor is going to last much longer.” The earth pony immediately called out the double time command, and the testudo began to lose some of its cohesion as the ponies struggled to move with their heavy shields through the ankle-deep snow. Elias suppressed a wince as another massive crack formed in Shining Armor’s shield. “How much farther to the Empire?” “We should be almost there,” Shining Armor replied through gritted teeth. “Less than half a mile.” Elias did the math quickly in his head. Walking that distance would mean their deaths if Shining Armor’s shield broke, and even though the stallion was trying his best, his shield couldn’t weather the attacks he was facing. All of the legionnaire shields had some enchantments to repel magic, but they would be like paper in a tornado against Sombra’s attacks. The best strategy Elias could think of was to try and surprise the shadow pony with a breakout retreat. The risk with such a maneuver was somebody getting left behind. If that happened, he knew they would never even find a body. Images of a similar choice flitted across his brain, but Elias did his best to ignore them. The ponies were better runners, and the distance was far shorter. They would make it. “Auxiliaries, light him up on my three count,” Elias ordered. “As soon as they let their spells fly, everyone break formation and run. Follow Prince Armor to the Empire!” Sombra kept slamming the shield with spells, while the testudo continued inching back. Keeping a careful eye on the shield to make sure it didn’t break early; Elias began his count. “One!” Shining Armor’s horn poured out further power, lighting up the interior of the testudo. Some of the cracks in his shield mended, holding back another roiling black sphere of magic. “Two!” The ponies tensed up, ready to throw their shields on their back and turn away from the shadow pony. The crackle of horns charging up reached Elias’ ears, and he felt heat building up at his back. Tightening his grip on the pony under his arm, and checking to make sure Strong Breeze was still clinging tightly to his chest, Elias bellowed out the last number as loud as he could. “THREE! MOVE!” A final trio of fireballs were flung at Sombra, and this time a brilliant ball of white light followed. The fire disappeared into Sombra’s mass, but the light seemed to disrupt the shadow pony, and he howled, withdrawing from the formation of ponies. The testudo shattered as the ponies scooped up their shields and bolted, with Elias leading the way, using Shining Armor as a compass. The unicorn’s horn flickered, and his shield vanished as his focus shifted to the direction they were heading. Despite the snow whipping at their faces, Shining Armor seemed to know exactly where they were going, with his horn casting a light purple glow as he directed their steps. From behind them, Sombra howled again, this time in frustration, and Elias knew without looking back that the shadow pony was in hot pursuit. Despite their heavy armor and the snow slowing their steps however, the ponies made good speed, and most kept pace with his longer stride. Granite stayed near the back, nudging, goading, and outright threatening the ponies to run faster. Elias covered his eyes as a shower of snow threatened to blind him. He glanced to his left to find the aftermath of a writhing black ball of shadow. Tendrils of darkness curled and flicked in the snow, but luckily Sombra’s first shot had been off. Elias prayed that the shadow pony’s shoddy aim would hold. The universe spit on his prayer as a second ball of darkness splashed down in the middle of the fleeing group of ponies, scattering them. While most managed to get back to their feet, a few curled up where they fell, their bodies blistered with cold. Elias let out a shout of frustration and slid Shining Armor forward. He then turned on his heel and rushed toward the nearest downed legionary, one of the auxiliary unicorns. The pony let out a low whimper and shivered as Elias grabbed her by the collar of her armor. With said armor, the pony was simply too heavy to carry, so Elias laid down his shield and rolled the pony onto it, then began running at a crouch, dragging the shield behind him. A loud cackle reached his ears, and Elias could feel the cold sharpen on his flesh as Sombra targeted him. Though he wanted to turn and fight, the two ponies he was carrying took precedence, so he ran on, bracing for the inevitable spell that would see him nothing more than a frozen corpse. He heard the sound of a horn discharging magic just as the border to the Empire came into view through the haze of snowfall. The pony on his shield let out a scream of terror, but the spell never came. Elias glanced back in time to see Sombra’s spell smash against Shining Armor’s shield once more. The white unicorn stood tall, his horn shining as the legionaries made it to the barrier, dragging their wounded compatriots behind the safety of the barrier. A pair of healers sprinted out of the barrier and took the pony from Elias’ shield, then another pair latched onto him and shoved him into the Crystal Empire. ***** Elias stared at the crystal clear blue sky while a pair of the legion’s healers mended his frostbitten feet. Due to the pursuing shadow pony, he hadn’t noticed when he lost feeling in his limbs, and since his socks had soaked through, their capacity to keep his toes warm had failed. As a result, the remaining four toes on each foot had blackened during the snowy trek, what one of the Mage Auxiliaries attributed to magical qualities she had noticed in the blizzard outside of the Empire. He had only noticed when he tried to walk normally and had tumbled to the ground. The warm air and sunny skies within the Empire warmed everything, and when he had pulled away one of his stockings, he had been greeted with the nasty blackness of frozen flesh. Luck was on his side, however. First, none of the ponies had gotten frostbite, though Strong Breeze was looking at a nasty case of hypothermia. Second was the fact that ponies could fully heal frostbitten extremities. He was looking at a full recovery, something that would be accomplished within minutes. Some of his legionaries weren’t so lucky. Sitting to his left as the healers worked, Book Binder told him the toll Sombra had extracted. Counting Strong Breeze, nine ponies had suffered grievous enough wounds to put them out of action, though due to the quick reactions of his healers, none of them were going to die. The wounded laid to his right. A few were already sleeping, put under heavy sedative spells with their wounds were bound tight, while others bit back moans as the healers implemented triage, saving the strongest spells and immediate treatment for their more heavily wounded fellows. Elias fixated on a large shard of black crystal that poked through an earth pony’s abdomen. The mare stared with pain filled eyes at the grass, not making a sound as three healers worked to safely extract the crystal. They were having some trouble, since the black crystal seemed to resist their attempts to magically remove it. One of the healers called over a pegasus healer, who eyed the crystal appraisingly, then began putting on a pair of rubber gloves. As she set about carefully extracting the shard, Elias looked to the other pony stricken with the magic blocking crystals. Shining Armor sat next to his sister and her friends, rubbing at his horn, which had small crystals sprouting from it. The stallion had come flying through the barrier shortly after the legion’s healers dragged Elias and his load of wounded ponies through. While the human had begun to berate the ponies for dragging him away from the fight, the healers had shot back, pointing out that he was carrying two wounded ponies, and was injured himself. He had forgone any right to fight a holding action while carrying away the wounded. Luckily, after Shining Armor’s cannonball appearance, the tally had come back that everyone was safe in the Empire, and despite their injuries, everyone would live. It was these facts that had helped Elias relax somewhat, enough to let the healers work on his feet when he collapsed at least. Elias strained to hear what Shining Armor was saying to his sister and her friends, but after a few moments, he recognized that the effort was futile. Elias shifted his gaze to Book Binder, who was watching him carefully, her muzzle curled down in a frown. Elias snorted and looked back at the sky. “I’d wipe that concern off your face Adiutor. A little frostbite never killed anyone.” The unicorn’s muzzle didn’t change. “Maybe if it was natural frostbite, but your feet were black General. My concern is that of a subordinate who is worried if her General will be able to walk.” Elias closed his eyes and mentally chastised himself. Of course she would think like that. She had been one of the best ponies at keeping to their agreement, yet here he was testing her once again. It needed to stop. “Apologies Adiutor,” he thought aloud. “That is a valid concern, but in truth, I could fight on my hands and knees if I needed to.” He smiled. “Whether I be allowed to is another question.” One of the unicorns at his feet, a pink mare named Kind Heart, snorted. “If I had any say, and I do, you wouldn’t walk today even after we finish restoring your feet. If you had been out there for a minute more, or if you hadn’t had those socks on, you wouldn’t have feet right now. There would have been nothing we could have done to fix this.” The healer smiled at Book Binder. “And I believe we have you to thank for that Adiutor.” The unicorn blushed and looked away. “It was nothing Healer, just a little something I wanted to gift General Bright ages ago. We just never found the time, what with preparing for the march and all.” “Well the timing couldn’t have been better today,” Kind Heart said with a smile. “And I’m sure General Bright is very thankful, even if he only expresses that thanks with glares and growls.” Elias sat up on his elbows and glared at the unicorn, who grinned back. “I said that your orders superceded mine when it came to giving medical care,” Elias growled. “I did not say you could be flippant.” The healer shrugged. “Then fire me General. I’m sure the Solar Guard will welcome another healer.” Elias scowled at the mare, but he laid back down, conceding the point. That had been another development in the days and weeks following his personal separation with Luna. His legionaries had started receiving enticing offers to join the other guard forces. Pay raises, additional benefits, awards; the offers were as numerous as they were lucrative. To his surprise, the offers were universally rejected, with some of his legionaries even getting in fights over them. He had received more than one report of legionaries brawling with Solar Guards during their limited free time, and while the legionaries always came out on top, he had been forced to revoke their leave until he found a solution. After bribing a bar owner for legion exclusivity, he had loosened his reigns slightly, giving the legion clear terms that if they were found brawling with other guards, no matter who started it, they would be punished. Fights continued occurring anyway, with the offers continuing in intensity, joined by attempted smear campaigns in the castle rumor mill. The legionaries responded in kind, taking whatever punishments he dished out with smiles. Elias heard more than one pony bragging about the amount of times they had been tied to a pole for a lashing, taking each strike as a mark of pride, a badge earned in defense of the legion’s name. It was hearing the pony’s words that made him realize that his plan was working. He didn’t know when it had truly taken affect, but his ponies were loyal to him to the core, and any attempt to draw them away from the legion was met with harsher and harsher reprisals. It probably helped Elias’ cause that he offered them everything he could on conclusion of their contracts. Scarlet Shield had dubbed the rewards the Elilisinian Reforms, and while Elias hoped they would be adopted into the wider Equestrian military, he was more than pleased with the knowledge that his legionaries would be taken care of. Each of the ponies under his command would receive the best lifelong medical care for themselves and their immediate families, a permanent pay grant that depended on how many times they extended their contracts, as well as a cascade of accolades and awards for honorable service. He, Book Binder, Night Flash, and especially Scarlet Shield had spent days pouring over Equestrian and Roman military codes, comparing what worked and what didn’t with both, all in the effort to make the ideal reward for the soldiers. Even without his reforms, however, Elias saw the sense of the legion coming together. The ponies wore their red with pride, and gone were the days when he had to order ponies to guard the legion standards. If taking a whipping for defending the legion’s name was an honor, then guarding the standards had become synonymous with guarding the princesses to the legionaries. Calls for volunteers were unnecessary, with the legionaries establishing their own schedule of who got to guard the standards when. Inspections were slowly becoming unnecessary as well, as Elias caught his centurions spending more time with their cohorts, making sure each piece of equipment was at its absolute best. Despite all the setbacks and the jostling from the other guard forces, his ponies were becoming professional soldiers, and the better they got, the closer Elias felt to them. They took pride in what they were doing, and even the weakest pony was at the very least capable. It made Elias not want to lose a single one, and so far, that had been the case, but the legionaries knew they had a slight bit of power over his head now, and while they wouldn’t dare to abuse it or genuinely threaten him with it, they did engage in the mildest bits of teasing when they were able, with the healers being the worst offenders. As he stared up at the sky, Elias knew that he wouldn’t have had it any other way. Flippant healers kept him humble, and loyal troops that were ready to take a whip to defend his legion? He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of such devotion. “All finished General,” the healer said, breaking Elias from his daydream of a shining legion, completely whole and victorious after a long march. The human sat up and wiggled his toes, savoring the feeling in each of them. “Thank you Healer,” he said. The unicorn pulled back with a look of mock surprise and looked to Book Binder. “Adiutor, I think I need to submit a medical injury form, because my ears have to be damaged. Was I just thanked by General Bright?” Book Binder giggled. “Your ears are fine Healer Kind Heart, though I would recommend toning back that wit just a tad. Thanks can be rescinded.” “And nopony is non-expendable,” Kind Heart finished. She bowed her head to Elias. “Thank you for your words General.” Elias felt a twinge of embarrassment at the unicorn’s bowing. “What did I tell you lot about bowing?” he asked. “I’m not royalty, so don’t bow.” He nodded toward Shining Armor. “If you really want to get it out of your system, go bow to him. He’s the one who saved our asses anyway.” “Uh huh,” Kind Heart replied. “I’m sure our General didn’t dish out any orders, certainly none that helped keep ponies from scattering across the Frozen North.” “He certainly didn’t form an orderly retreat that allowed us to withdraw the majority of the legion into the safety of the Empire,” Book Binder joined in, “And it goes without saying that he didn’t carry two wounded ponies back of his own volition, all without his body armor. Also, he-“ “Alright enough,” Elias cut in. “I get it, I helped.” He squinted at the sun. “Now instead of trying to get a rise out of me, why don’t one of you do something useful and fetch Prince Armor and First Centurion Night Flash. There is clearly a problem that needs solved here, and while Princess Luna said that Twilight Sparkle is taking point, it doesn’t mean we can’t start forming a plan of attack.” Book Binder got to her hooves and offered a short salute. “Of course General. Right away.” The unicorn trotted away, leaving Elias to pull his sandals back on. The leather was a bit cold on his freshly healed toes, but the socks Book Binder had given him were becoming soggy as they thawed out, so there was no hope of putting them back on. With the sun beating down, Elias quickly found himself pulling the scarf from his neck and the gloves from his arms. It was strange how warm it was given the snowy waste outside the barrier, but Elias chalked it up to magic and moved on, focusing on the mission at hand. Sombra was clearly an opponent that Elias would have a difficult time fighting. The shadow pony hadn’t been able to follow them into the Empire, meaning that Elias would have to take troops outside the safety of the barrier to fight him. That meant dealing with the cold again, and while ponies could withstand the lower temperatures for a time, they would eventually succumb if the engagement ended up being prolonged, which Elias imagined it would be. The auxiliaries he had kept with him had longed at least a dozen spells at Sombra, but besides some bellows of anger, the shadow pony had seemed unaffected. Elias hadn’t tried to fight the unicorn with conventional weapons, but he highly doubted that they would be any more effective than magic was. That left the big question of how to fight Sombra. “General?” Elias blinked and looked down from the brilliant blue sky to find his requested ponies waiting quietly. Shining Armor was giving him a cautious look, while his legionaries waited patiently for orders. Elias cleared his throat and pulled his legs in, getting to his feet to rest in a crouch. “Right. Prince Armor, I’m assuming your sister told you that she’s running point on this little errand?” Shining Armor shrugged. “She only told me that Princess Celestia sent her here to check up on Cadence and I.” He looked back to where the purple mare and her friends were talking amongst themselves. “She said that Princess Celestia told her about King Sombra, but that she didn’t expect to actually find him.” His blue eyes met Elias’. “But you seemed very prepared, and the fact that you’re even here tells me that the Princesses knew more than they told Twilight. What’s going on here? Is this some sort of test?” Elias snorted. “Unfortunately. I can’t speak for Twilight and the other Elements, but Princess Celestia has decided that she no longer trusts me with my command. This is her way of determining if I’m strong enough to lead my legion through the Saddle Arabian march.” Shining Armor frowned and stared at the ground for a moment. “Why would you of all ponies need tested?” he muttered under his breath. After another moment of staring, he snorted and rolled his shoulders before again meeting Elias’ gaze. “Ultimately, I don’t care why you’re here, I’m just glad you are. We are in desperate need of ponies to help get the Empire moving again.” “What do you mean?” Book Binder asked. “I’ll explain while we walk to the castle,” Shining Armor said. “Are your guards ready to move?” Elias snorted and pushed himself to his feet. He stripped off his hoodie and tucked it into his sword belt. “They’re soldiers, not guards, and yes, we are more than able to move. A few minor injuries won’t stop us.” He put his fingers in his mouth and blew a shrill whistle, drawing everyone’s attention. “Listen up!” Elias bellowed. “I want volunteers to bear stretchers for the wounded. Everyone else, form up in the marching block. We will be making a good first impression.” Night Flash, Ice Blossom, and Gray Granite immediately began bellowing out orders, directing the legionaries into their appropriate positions, while Book Binder and Snowball moved to help the healers. Almost as an afterthought, Ice Blossom trotted back over to Elias and shrugged off his armor, then trotted away. As the human crouched down and began refitting himself, he squinted up at Shining Armor. “So, what’s the situation here?” He tilted his head. “Aside from the demon that seems to be keeping you boxed in.” Shining Armor looked toward his sister, and with a nod of his head, the purple unicorn and her friends came trotting over. Though they gathered around, Elias noticed that they stayed well clear of him, staying at arms length as they did their best not to stare at him. He elected to ignore the overly nervous ponies and instead focused his eyes and hands on putting his armor on, while his ears were focused on Shining Armor’s words. “You’ve all met King Sombra, and while he’s a big problem, he’s unfortunately not our biggest,” Shining Armor said. "Really, we have three problems. The first being Sombra, but the second is the crystal ponies themselves. You’ll see what I’m talking about when we get into the city proper, but they’re all… out of it.” “Out of it?” Twilight asked. Shining Armor nodded toward the city. “You’ll see. General Bright, are we ready?” Elias rose from his crouch and finished strapping on his cuirass, then looked toward his legionaries. Save for the healers taking their time in getting into position, the legion was standing at attention, their armor gleaming in the brilliant sunlight. Elias looked back toward Shining Armor. “We are. Let’s get moving.” He led the way to the front of the formation, casting an inspecting eye on his ponies as he passed. He saw a few chests fluff out with pride, and again he found himself having to suppress a smile. Upon arriving to the front of the formation, Elias let Shining Armor lead the way, with the legion falling in behind them with ease. As they began making their way toward the center of the Empire, Shining Armor talked. “I’m really glad you’re here Twiley,” he said with a smile toward his sister. That smile dropped as he looked back toward Elias. “And you as well General. When Cadence and I came up here, it was my responsibility to gauge the power of the Empire’s military and establish a new guard force to keep the borders safe, but…” They hit the first of the Empire’s houses, and as they walked past, a few doors opened, revealing dazed looking ponies. While they weren’t colorless, Elias thought the crystal ponies looked duller in comparison with the Equestrians. Their eyes in particular seemed off, almost grey in color, and what life he saw behind their dull gazes looked hazy, and confused. The gazes of the crystal ponies seemed to pass over the obvious alien in their midst, and instead focused on the rows of silver-clad ponies. A look of fear seemed to fill their eyes, and they hid behind their doors, their voices muddled in scared whispers. Elias watched a purple mare shepherd a pair of fillies inside, slamming the door behind them, and a glance back found some of the chest puffing diminishing. Shining Armor noticed too. “They were like that when Cadence and I arrived too,” he said. “A little less, but the fear was still there. It was only after we got to the castle and Cadence announced our intentions to help them did they seem to relax. We’ll make an announcement for you and your legion, don’t worry. They’re just still a bit skittish after what King Sombra did to them.” “And what exactly did he do to them?” Elias asked. “Princess Luna was rather vague on the ‘what’ of his reign.” “He enslaved them,” Shining Armor answered grimly. “Used mind control to make them fight Equestria’s armies when Princess Celestia and Princess Luna tried to intervene. Not much more is known than that though, the library in Canterlot had next to nothing, and we haven’t had the time to go through the library here, not with Sombra trying to beat down the door.” Twilight began to bounce as her voice took on a cheerful note. “Ooooh, research! I can’t wait to see the library! The first week we’ll spend just cataloging, then the second we can organize everything! Then, we can-“ She froze when she found Elias glaring at her. The purple unicorn shrank and looked at the ground, remaining silent. The human looked back to Shining Armor. “How much longer will that barrier hold?” The unicorn sighed and looked toward the castle. “A few days, if that. I was giving Cadence as much of my magic as I could spare, but with my horn all blocked up, I don’t think she can last much longer.” “Could someone else donate their magic to give us time to find a solution?” Elias asked. Shining Armor shook his head. “Maybe Twilight, but unicorn magic is more complex than just passing energy back and forth. Typically only those who share true love can share their magic.” He looked toward his sister. “I don’t doubt that Twilight and Cadence share a familial love, but it might not be enough, and even if it is, it won’t be as strong a transfer. At best it will buy us a week, while also incapacitating the only pony I believe that can figure this out.” While Twilight blushed and gave a humble reply, Elias frowned in thought. He looked around as his mind raced, taking in the architecture of the Crystal Empire. Like its namesake, everything was made from crystal, from the roads to the houses. It put an odd glint on everything that Elias found irritating. Of course some of the Elements had differing opinions. “Oh my, look how beautiful it all is!” Rarity gushed. “It’s gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous!” Elias kept an even expression on his face and did his best not to glare at the Elements as they began chattering about the “natural beauty” of the Empire. Instead, he used his eyes to start making a mental map of the roads surrounding the central palace. A basic plan for establishing lookout posts and guard stations started filling his mind, and he glanced back to call for Scarlet. The pegasus seemed to read his mind as soon as they made eye contact, and he flapped into the air, then spiraled to a landing next to Elias. In his hooves was a crudely drawn map of the Empire as they had seen it so far. Elias did a once over of the map, then grunted. “Start putting guard positions on the main route. We’ll put barricades at every other block.” “Do you think that will help?” Shining Armor asked. “You saw Sombra. I’m not sure barricades will do anything to even slow him down.” Elias snorted. “Probably not, but they do keep my legionaries active and focused, as well as tell the crystal ponies that we’re here to defend them. Perhaps once they realize we’re friend, not foe, they’ll start coming forward with useful information.” “Actually El- I mean General,” Twilight amended. “I was thinking that maybe after talking with Cadence, my friends and I could go out and talk to some of the crystal ponies and conduct some research, while you worked on getting your guards set up.” Ignoring the unintended insult, Elias nodded slowly. “Fine. Once we’re at the palace, Adiutor will go with you to the library to look for a complete map of the Empire.” “There’s a war room we can coordinate from,” Shining Armor added. “I’ll show you once we’re inside. Can your ponies keep up?” Elias snorted. “Please. They could outrun everyone here, and keep the pace for hours. LEGIONARIES! DOUBLE TIME!” The order was met with immediate response, and the ponies’ walk became a brisk trot as they sped toward the palace. ***** Elias poured over an in-depth map of the Empire, while around him the Elements got in the way of his legionaries. The armored ponies were like a hive of bees, trotting around to deliver useful materials about the Empire, while also taking away the books deemed worthless, as well as taking his orders to the troops. Scarlet sat on the floor with a pencil in his mouth and a small frown on his face as he combed over a different map that showed Sombra’s old defenses. The crimson pegasus’ job was two-fold; use the old defenses to assist in the faster placement of new guard stations, as well as determine if there were any secret routes that Sombra could use to slip into the city. So far the shadow pony had seen fit to remain outside the barrier, but glancing over his shoulder, Elias knew the barrier wouldn’t hold for long. Even though she had shown some energy when greeting Twilight and her friends, Cadence looked to be in rough shape. Shining Armor had told them that she hadn’t been eating or sleeping, and she looked it. She sagged on her throne, and heavy bags weighed down her eyes. He had rarely seen pure exhaustion on a pony’s face, but he had seen it on the faces of the some of the triple shift guards just before the royal wedding, and he was seeing it now. Only willpower kept the alicorn going, and Elias knew better than most that willpower only lasted so long. Elias closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he tried to drown out the noise of the Elements sorting through the books they had discovered at the Crystal Empire’s library. Shining Armor had managed to secure him peace and quiet for a few precious moments when they had first entered the castle by taking the Elements to see Princess Cadence, but almost as soon as they had finished saying their hellos, they had decided to track Elias down to begin formulating a plan. He had been in the midst of taking a cohort’s worth of legionaries through the castle, sweeping rooms and establishing patrol routes, all while looking for something that resembled a war room. Shining Armor’s return with the Elements and Cadence brought the good news that he knew where such a room was and was more than willing to guide Elias and his assistants there. The bad news was that the Elements followed, making noise as they did so. Elias had always thought the guards an overly affectionate and chatty bunch, but he quickly realized that they paled in comparison to Twilight’s friends. His previous interactions with the pack of ponies had been limited, with them being largely silent due to his presence, but the longer he was around them, the more relaxed they seemed to become, and with mental relaxation came a relaxation of their tongues. Endless babble filtered forth of their mouths, and none of Elias’ subtle indicators made the ponies shut up. His legionaries could tell, and they became quieter and more nervous as the Elements continued to yap. Elias respected Shining Armor’s control, and upon arriving at the war room, he had immediately taken the Elements to the side, guiding their chatter onto task. Elias kept one ear on their conversation while he directed his legionaries to set up his command post, and it was during the Elements’ conversation that they had returned to the idea to talk to the crystal ponies, then to search out a source of information; namely the Empire’s library. A task he thought would take them hours took them less then fifteen minutes, and Twilight returned with stacks of books in her magic and her friends in tow; all with the intention of sorting the tomes to look for relevant information, in his command post. So far they hadn’t found much, aside from the maps he and Scarlet were looking at. Though if there was a silver lining, it was that even untrained rabble had their uses in freeing his legionaries from menial labor. Elias sighed and opened his eyes, pushing aside his growing irritation to continue his duties. He poked a finger at the ring of roads around the central palace. “I’m thinking we alternate guard posts on every other street,” he said. “as you all notice, the roads all connect in a large ring, and they all lead inward. Trying to keep an eye on every single ring is a waste of manpower, and unless Princess Celestia decided to send additional reinforcements, we’re undermanned to fully protect the palace as is.” Scarlet popped his head up. “General, I’ve noticed some odd markings on this map I believe are hidden tunnels, and most, if not all lead to the palace. I’m still checking, but…” Elias waved a hand at the pegasus. “I trust your eyes Scarlet. Mark them and see if you can’t get a layout of the palace interior to identify entrances to these tunnels. We don’t need Sombra slipping into the castle and slitting Princess Cadence’s throat while she sleeps.” Shining Armor looked at the walls around them. “He couldn’t,” the stallion said firmly. “The barrier is keeping him out. The tunnels are probably just sewer pipes.” Snowball looked over Scarlet’s shoulder for a moment, then looked toward the wall opposite the entrance to the war room. The loveling trotted over, and his horn lit up. After a moment, the outline of a door appeared, and it slid back, revealing a passage that led into darkness. Elias spared a look toward Shining Armor. “Do send a maintenance crew here then. We appear to have a sewage problem.” Gray Granite snorted and trotted over to the entryway, poking his head inside. After a moment of looking around, he looked back to Elias. “Permission to take a few ponies to take a look?” Elias nodded without looking up from the map. “Take an Adiutor with you, try to map out the passage and find as many entrances as you can. I want you back here within an hour.” Granite nodded briskly, and with a few words, he, Book Binder, and three legionaries entered the passage. Elias pointed a finger at Snowball. “Find some chalk, mark the entrance with an ‘x’, then put a guard over it.” The loveling chirped in acknowledgement. A whisper reached Elias’ ear, and a glance in the direction of the Element’s found Rainbow Dash whispering to Applejack. Both were staring at him, but while Applejack still had suspicion written clearly on her face, Rainbow Dash was giving him a look of admiration. Elias made sure his eyes were clearly looking down while he listened to the blue pegasus’ words. “This is so awesome!” Dash whispered. “Secret passages, and all of these guard ponies are just like in the books! So efficient and cool, with orders and….” “Hush up and focus Rainbow!” Applejack whispered back. “We ain’t here to live out a Daring Do book!” Elias blinked slightly, then on further analyzation, he realized that yes, certain things were playing out just like a Daring Doo book. He had to suppress a smile of nerdy pleasure, disguising it as a cough. He glanced up to Shining Armor. “Prince, could you convince your sister and her friends to give Princess Cadence, you, and I a moment of privacy? I have questions that aren’t for most ears.” Shining Armor nodded and trotted over to his sister, who was pouring of a book. Elias straightened and cleared his throat, drawing the eyes of his legionaries. “Everyone, go outside and take a few minutes to rest. Get your bedrolls set up in one of the rooms Prince Armor directed. Meet back here in fifteen.” The ponies left their work where it was and left silently, and after a few moments of quiet conversation, the Elements followed. Once the door clicked shut, Elias turned around and leaned against the map table, crossing his arms across his chest as he looked to Cadence. The pink alicorn straightened in her seat and met his gaze evenly. Keeping his tone passive, Elias asked; “I really only have two questions Princess. First, I’d like your no bullshit assessment; how long can you keep the barrier up?” “Three days at best,” she replied. “but it will weaken, and Sombra will get in long before that. If it was just the snow and cold, then I could keep going for weeks with the magic I’ve stored up, but with Sombra outside, poking and prodding…” Elias nodded silently and looked at his feet. “I suppose that brings me to my second question; how does this affect the Saddle Arabian march? I thought you needed the power of three alicorns to make this portal of yours.” “We do,” Cadence said. “and to be honest…. I don’t know what we’re going to do. We may have to push off the march until next year, but I won’t apologize for acting as I have. What would you have had me do, abandon the crystal ponies to Sombra?” Elias snorted, not looking up. “Do tone down the Celestia in your speech Princess, I’m not some kind of heartless monster.” “Luna’s heart says different,” Cadence said. “Luna’s heart is none of your business,” Elias replied calmly, fixing the alicorn with a glare. “Nor is mine, so butt out.” Cadence’s nostrils flared in anger. “You don’t get to tell the Princess of Love whose love is her business.” “I can, and I will,” Elias snapped. “I can see it in your eyes, and let me stop you early, because I don’t need your help to “realize my true feelings” or whatever sappy pony bullshit you want to conjure up as an excuse to interfere. I made my choices, and perhaps they were mistakes, but they were mine to make, and my patience with interfering ponies is coming to its end. I no more need your help then I needed this side trip. Let’s just fix this mess as quickly as we can so that I can get back to drilling my legion.” Cadence scowled at him for a few more seconds, then sighed and looked at her hooves. “I don’t have the energy for this argument General. If nothing else I trust your ability to arrange your forces in the Empire’s defense. I am going to try and rest somewhere quiet until Twilight comes up with a way to protect the Empire without my barrier. Goodnight.” The pink alicorn rose and walked from the room slowly. Shining Armor followed her to the door, then paused and looked back to Elias with an even expression. “I don’t really know what you two are talking about, but I do know that asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness General. Those “interfering ponies” may just have your best interests at heart and are only trying to help you.” Elias turned around and stared down the map again. “I would rather they focused on getting through the next year alive, then they can worry about my well-being. Survival is all, or at least it should be.” “General?” Elias blinked at the sudden change in Shining Armor’s voice, and he looked up to find Night Flash staring at him with an openly concerned look on his face. A glance around him found the room beginning to fill with ponies once more, and though some gave him odd looks, they went about resuming their work quietly. Elias looked back to Night Flash, who seemed on the verge of throwing aside his helmet to pounce on him. Elias straightened and ran his hands down his face. “It’s been fifteen minutes?” he asked. “Yes General,” Night Flash replied. “Are you alright? Did you need something to eat maybe?” Elias exhaled loudly and shook his head, letting his hands drop. “I’m fine. I’ll eat when everyone else does. Have our quarters been set up?” “Yes General, almost everyone is moved in and awaiting orders. I’ve also set up the guard posts within the palace, and have a few ponies on standby for the secret tunnel detail.” “Good,” Elias said with a tired nod. “Then let’s figure out where we’re putting the external guard posts. After that we’ll have dinner and take as much sleep as we can before Twilight Sparkle and her friends conjure up a solution to Sombra.” Night Flash bowed his head. “Of course General.” The pegasus moved away and began quietly giving out Elias’ orders. Every so often he would glance toward the human, and though Elias wanted to reprimand the pony, he said nothing. He instead focused on the map in front of him, and after Scarlet joined him at the table, the pair began laying out the places where the guard posts would be set up. ***** Night Flash watched Red intently as the human laid down slowly. He could see each ache and pain the human experienced as he lowered himself onto his bedroll, and each time the human winced or grunted in pain, Night Flash felt a little dagger stab into his heart. That was his human, his wonderful, strong, brave human, and he was suffering. Night Flash wanted to know why. He wanted to drag Red to every doctor in Equestria in beyond, he wanted to find a spell that fixed Red’s every ailment and scar. If there was so much as a bruise on his human’s pale skin, he wanted it gone, just so Red could experience precious moments without pain. It was something Night Flash had started noticing more and more as Red’s mental state waxed and waned. He could understand the justifications behind each of the human’s actions, he could even understand his human purposefully driving everypony away, but his body…. Something was wrong. Night Flash could feel it. He had no medical knowledge whatsoever, but he knew that Red was sick. The small aches and pains, the almost foolhardy charges into the jaws of death, they were all symptoms of a greater issue. What was that greater issue? Book Binder settled down next to him, and the green unicorn took less than a second to see where Night Flash was fixated. She sighed and kissed his cheek. “He makes it hard to stay, doesn’t he?” Night Flash shook his head. “No,” he whispered. “I always want to stay near Red. I’ll do anything for him.” He felt a minor twinge of jealousy as Snowball trotted over and flopped down on red. The human playfully shoved the loveling, offering up a reprimand Flash could tell he didn’t really mean. Snowball smiled the scolding away and nuzzled in, hugging Red’s chest tightly. Night Flash had to look away for a moment when Red scanned the room for anyone watching the exchange, but once he was sure nobody was, he settled back down, draping an arm over his snuggle buddy. Night Flash’s eyes were on him again in an instant, and he felt his jealousy melt away as Red’s breathing became slower and easier. “Good job Snowball,” he said, his voice nearly silent. “Keep those arms warm for everypony.” Though he became momentarily jealous of the moments of snuggling he was missing, Night Flash was truly appreciative of Snowball. The loveling had managed to stay close when nopony, not even Princess Luna, had been able to. Night Flash knew that the bug-pony was a sign that his human, his Red was waiting in all his snuggling glory for the end of the march. Then everything would be perfect, just empty days filled with snuggling and laughter. Red could be anything he wanted, and he could finally be happy with no worries whatsoever. Night Flash sniffled and turned over, hugging Book Binder tightly. The unicorn sighed and glanced back at him. “It’s alright Flashie, he still loves us.” “I know,” he whispered in reply. “I just want to make him happy Bindey. I wish we could just run away from everything and just… make his life better. He shouldn’t be responsible for all of this. He isn’t an Equestrian, why should he have to solve Equestria’s problems? It isn’t fair.” His wife sighed and rolled over to face him, nuzzling his chest fluff. “I know honey, but we’ll get through all of this, and then we’ll take him home, just like we planned. If it makes you feel any better, I already ordered his bed.” Night Flash looked at her with wide eyes. “Really? The really big one for super-sized cuddling?” Book Binder giggled. “It’s actually alicorn sized for our extra long human, but yes. It’s also super-sized for cuddling.” Night Flash sniffled again, this time holding back tears of joy as he nuzzled the crook of his wife’s neck. “We’re gonna break that bed,” he whispered. Book Binder giggled again as he wrapped her within his wings and settled down. Night Flash closed his eyes and fell asleep to dreams of snuggling with his beautiful wife and their warm, lanky son. ***** “I’ve got it!” Elias jolted awake and sat up, gladius drawn and in hand. Snowball popped off his chest with a snarl on his muzzle and his horn glowing a furious blue. Book Binder and Night Flash also popped up from their bedrolls, their weapons drawn as they faced the doorway where Twilight and her friends stood. They all stared like wide-eyed deer at the room of armed, bleary ponies, and the lone human, who recovered his faculties the quickest. Letting out a loud sigh, Elias set his gladius down and rubbed his face. “Please, do come in. Not like we were sleeping anyway.” Snowball’s horn powered down, and the loveling yawned broadly. He tried to turn and settle back down on Elias’ chest, but found his warm sleeping spot sitting up. He whined slightly as Elias forced him to climb off, but that was all the protest the human received as he slipped out of his sleeping bag. Elias let out a loud groan as his old injuries decided to make themselves known. He stood and stretched tall toward the ceiling, then, scratching his head, he walked over to the map table. “Well come on,” he said to Twilight. “Clearly whatever you had was more important than me getting clothes on or you would have knocked.” The purple unicorn blushed in embarrassment, but trotted fully into the room. “O-of course,” she squeaked. Her friends filed in after her, followed by a yawning Shining Armor supporting and exhausted Cadence. The stallion carried a tray of steaming mugs in his forehoof, and as everyone assumed a position at the map table, he set the mugs in front of everyone, Elias included. He scooted a small box off the tray as well, and Shining Armor rubbed his eyes as he asked; “Who wants coffee and who wants tea? I brought some instant versions of both with us from Canterlot.” Everyone voiced their drink of choice when the stallion looked at them. When his eyes settled on Elias, the human shrugged and nudged the mug toward the center of the table. “I drink neither coffee, nor tea.” Snowball slid in beside Elias, setting the human’s sword belt next to his hands. He smiled at Shining Armor and said; “I’ll have a coffee, sugar and cream please.” Elias cast a glance down at the loveling, who smiled upward. “No sense in letting it go to waste General.” Elias slid the flask from his sword belt and unscrewed the cap. “No, I suppose not.” He took a pull from the flask while the ponies prepared their drinks. The gryphon vodka burned something fierce, but it served as just the wake up call he needed. A tunic landed on the table, thrown by Book Binder, and after slipping it on, Elias put on his sword belt. He then looked to Twilight. “So, what’s this thing you’ve “got”?” Any sign of Twilight’s nerves vanished as she went into lecture mode. Clearing her throat, she placed a large, red-covered tome on the table, then placed a hoof on its cover. “This is the answer to all of the Crystal Empire’s problems,” she started. “It’s a nearly complete guide of the Empire’s history before Sombra took control, and reading through it, I’ve figured out that we need to host something called a Crystal Fair. I’ve even made myself an expert on the subject and have read through the book twice already.” “Then start telling us what needs done,” Elias said. “We’ve already lost a day looking for this book, and we are running against the clock.” Twilight deflated slightly. “S-sorry. I just love the history of it all, and-“ Shining Armor laid a hoof on her withers. “Twilight, I love you to death, and on any other day I’d listen to everything you found, but General Bright is right, just get to the point. Cadence’s shield won’t last forever, and we don’t want to be here if it falls.” Twilight swallowed audibly and nodded. “Right. Basically, the Crystal Fair serves to draw out the love and joy from the crystal ponies, and at the end of the festival, they used their overflowing emotional magic to power something called a crystal heart. It was this that powered a protection spell over the whole Empire, and broadcasted the harmony of the Empire across all of Equestria.” She spread out a packet of notes across the table. “I’ve already talked with everypony, and we have already decided what parts of the Fair we can recreate in the traditional manner so that we can inspire the crystal ponies to charge a crystal heart Rarity will make. I believe that the crystal heart will also lift any remaining curses Sombra left on the crystal ponies. “A crystal heart, or the Crystal Heart?” Elias asked, looking over the purple unicorn’s plans. Twilight blinked owlishly at him. “I don’t see how that makes a difference.” “As a scholar, you should,” Elias said. “If its lower case and mentioned as ‘a’ then your plan works. If its capitalized and referenced as ‘The’ then we’re talking about a specific artifact, which means we have a problem, because we don’t have said artifact.” “And what makes you think that?” Shining Armor asked. Elias’ eyes flicked down to the semi-covered map as he did his best not to blush with embarrassment. ‘Daring Do’, he thought. Luckily, he was saved from answering by Twilight flipping open the book to a bookmarked page and groaning before slamming her head into the table. “No, he’s right,” she mumbled. “The book says ‘The’ Crystal Heart. We’re looking for a specific artifact.” “So that’s it?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Just like that we have no plan?” Scarlet tapped Elias’ leg, then offered the human a sheet of paper. Elias took it and skimmed through the pegasus’ writing. He smiled and gave Scarlet a nod. “Good work Strategist.” While Scarlet beamed at the rare praise, Elias passed the sheet to Shining Armor before catching the eyes of the table. “No, the plan works, it just needs adjustments.” Twilight perked up slightly as he spoke, her ears flicking as she listened intently. “Act on your Crystal Fair plan as you’ve laid it out,” Elias started, “but while you do that, a team of my legionaries will sweep the castle. I’m willing to bet that the Crystal Heart disappeared around the time Sombra took power, and if he’s responsible, it’s here somewhere.” He laid out the preliminary map that Book Binder had drawn up. “With this many secret passages, it has to be here. I’ll task Adiutor Binder to do another sweep of the castle. Maybe some of these dead ends weren’t and we just missed something.” Cadence leaned forward and squinted at the map, then slowly turned it to face her. After a moment of scanning it, she said; “None of these passages lead to the throne room. From what I know about Sombra, he was an egomaniac. There has to be something near the throne. He would have liked how obvious it was.” “Then we’ll start our search there,” Book Binder said as she strapped on her saddlebags. The unicorn was already geared up, as was Night Flash, and with each flash of her horn, Book Binder sent out orders calling the legionaries to their stations. Twilight cleared her throat, drawing Elias’ gaze. “Respectfully General, I think that I will go with Book Binder. This is my test from Princess Celestia, and I need to be the one to complete it.” She waved a hoof. “Besides, I have the best knowledge about dark magic in case we need to counter traps, and I don’t really have a job for the Crystal Fair outside of organization.” Elias glanced back to Book Binder, who shrugged at him. “I have no issue with Ms. Sparkle tagging along General. With her brother’s reputation, and the power of her magic we had actually thought she would join up in the Lunar Guard to balance things out.” She smirked at Shining Armor. “Lucky for us though, Captain Armor got promoted out of the Solar Guard instead.” Elias frowned for a moment, then looked up to Twilight, making sure he caught and held her gaze before he spoke. “If either of them gets hurt because of you, you’d better start saying your prayers to whomever you believe in, because you won’t leave this place alive. Am I clear?” Everyone stared at him in shocked silence, no doubt due to the openness of the threat, but Elias couldn’t have cared less. He had also done reading on Twilight’s reputation; namely how she got in the School of Gifted Unicorns in the first place. He wasn’t about to have Book Binder and Night Flash end up as potted plants, accident or not. After a few moments of dead silence, Twilight nodded slowly, with a bit of steel entering her eyes. “I always do my best to make sure everypony is safe at the end of the day General, and I would never willingly throw someone else to the wolves to win.” “Hope you never have to,” Elias replied. “But that wasn’t an answer. Am I clear, Ms. Sparkle?” She nodded. “Yes, on the condition that by the end of today, when the Empire is safe, you’ll apologize. Frankly, I’ve been a bit offended about how you’ve been treating my friends and I since we got off the train. I understand you might think differently than we do, being a guardspony and all, but we contribute too. We’re not worthless like you seem to think.” Elias snorted. “I don’t think you're worthless Ms. Sparkle, I think you’re dangerous to me and mine. Arrogant, reckless. You’re not doing the math in your head. You’re not counting the bodies that need to be stacked to win, but I am, and I still haven’t gotten my answer. I won’t put the lives of my ponies on the line until I do. Am. I. Clear?” The unicorn stared at him for a moment, while her friends shot him numerous glares, but she nodded. “Yes General, we’re clear. Crystal in fact. I still want that apology when everything turns out fine.” “If we somehow get through this with nobody else getting hurt,” Elias said pointedly, “then I’ll personally fund a three night drinking fest for the entire Empire.” He nodded toward the door. “Now get busy, time is wasting away.” He looked toward Shining Armor and Cadence. “While they're busy preparing the Fair and finding the Crystal Heart, we need to figure out a plan to engage Sombra.” The ponies that had begun filing out of the room all stopped, with Book Binder being the one to speak. “What do you mean General? As a backup plan?” “As a battle strategy that you don’t need to concern yourself with Adiutor,” Elias replied. “You have your job; do it. The faster it gets done, the faster Sombra ends up not being our problem. Git.” The green unicorn scowled at him, but she and the other ponies left. Elias looked to Shining Armor. “We need to pick out a squad of ponies that have the best magical capabilities to combat Sombra, and since you’ve engaged him the most, you’re the expert.” The white unicorn glared at him. “I don’t appreciate you threatening my sister General.” “And I don’t appreciate Celestia throwing her up here in the first place,” Elias spat. “If she was so confident that her pet student could accomplish this task, she wouldn’t have sent three thousand armed-to-the-teeth ponies along with her. Do spare me your contempt and use that piece of meat between your ears to think of a plan where your sister and your wife make it through this alive, yes?” Shining Armor’s muzzle curled in the beginnings of a growl, but he was halted by a pink hoof on his withers. He looked at his wife with a scrunched muzzle and a confused look, but Cadence merely smiled and nuzzled his side, looking side-eyed at Elias. “Don’t worry dear,” she whispered, just barely loud enough for Elias to hear. “General Bright was just threatening Twilight from a place of love. He could no more help himself than you could help scaring off Twilight’s little coltfriend when she was still in magic elementary school.” Shining Armor flushed red. “He was a little snobby jerk,” the unicorn mumbled. “Twilight would have hated being with him.” Cadence chuckled and nuzzled him again before fulling facing Elias. “Please General, let’s put the nastiness away and talk about this plan of yours.” “It’s not much of a plan,” he said, ignoring Shining Armor’s embarrassed look. “We just need to buy more time. Searching the whole palace would take days if my whole legion was working on it, but I can’t spare them for that, not with the Crystal Fair. They’ll need to be manning guard posts, making ponies feel secure.” “I agree,” Cadence said. “But in truth, I don’t understand why we need to fight Sombra right now. He’s outside, and while I’m getting weaker, I’m not done yet.” “Can you tell me honestly that you won’t be able to keep barrier up for longer if he wasn’t out there prodding away at it?” Elias asked. Cadence frowned in thought for a second, then sighed. “No, but putting the lives of your legionaries at stake isn’t a solution. You can’t fight him like he is right now. He’s too slippery.” “And magic does almost nothing to him,” Shining Armor added. “Believe me, I tried every spell I knew, then learned a few new ones and still nothing. However he made himself into that shadowy… thing, it’s protecting him from harm.” “We don’t need to harm him,” Elias said, “just distract him. Hit and run attacks to keep him from lashing out at the barrier.” Cadence shook her head. “General, I forbid it. We need every single pony here in case we can’t inspire the crystal ponies enough.” Elias squinted at her. “What do you mean?” The pink alicorn brushed aside Twilight’s leftover papers so that the roadmap of the Empire was visible. “I did some cursory research when we first got here, but I didn’t really put the pieces together until Twilight talked about the Heart. While crystal ponies are the most effective creatures at contributing their ambient love magic to the heart, technically speaking, anyone can do it. It’s entirely about focus, and your ponies know well about focus. They’re a very disciplined bunch.” “Yes yes I did a good job,” Elias said. “Why does this matter?” “It matters,” Cadence continued, nonplussed, “because we need everypony to stay near the palace for when Twilight finds the Crystal Heart. Even if the crystal ponies are still trapped in apathy, or even if Sombra somehow got in the city and made them terrified, we could still power the Heart enough to drive him away until we could calm them down. Normal ponies don’t contribute as much to the Heart though, so we need as many as possible.” She motioned to the ‘x’ marks on the map. “Your guard posts make it easy to summon the entirety of your legion back to the central plaza, where I believe the Heart is supposed to go. As long as your ponies stay within the area you have laid out, we should have enough magic in case of an emergency.” Elias sighed and rubbed a thumb along his eyebrow. “Alright, then I guess things just got a great deal simpler. Adiutor Snowball, you and Strategist Shield will assign a guard detail for Prince Armor and Princess Cadence, then you will establish a new command post here,” he tapped an area just off the main plaza. “Make sure all legionaries know to report there for orders, and inform First Centurion Flash that he is in charge should he return. Tell him to send a party to come find me.” “Find you where?” Snowball asked. Elias' mouth tightened into a line. “Well, since Princess Cadence has requisitioned the entirety of my legion, I will be going out to distract Sombra alone. I’m not sure how effective I’ll be, but I’m sure even an impossible to kill shadow pony will take some pleasure in beating a living punching bag. I’ll remain at the border of the Empire, and if I believe the shield is weakening too much, I’ll engage.” With Snowball looked at him aghast, Cadence frowned and shook her head. “I thought it was implied, but I include you when I speak of ponies General. We need your love magic just as much as we need everypony else’s.” “I have nothing to give,” Elias said, drifting away from the table and toward his armor. “Ask Adiutor Snowball.” The loveling sighed. “I mean, yes, technically speaking you don’t produce love magic, but you produce love that I can feed on! That’s got to mean something!” “Yeah, it means you might be out your snack machine,” Elias said sarcastically. “Save your complaints and protests for later Adiutor. The plan will move forward as I’ve described it. I don’t care how much trust everyone seems to place in Ms. Sparkle, we need every second we can get, and it’s worth noting that if she’s as prodigal with her skills as everyone seems to believe, I won’t need to engage Sombra, now will I?” “That’s not the point General,” Snowball said. “You saw what happened to your feet with just a few minutes out in the snow. What happens if Sombra accelerates the magic in the snow, and you end up without feet? What if you die out there for no good reason?” Elias pulled his cuirass straps tight and stood, locating his scutum and his pila. “If it was for no good reason, then Princess Celestia should never have sent anyone up here, and second, you’re making some bold assumptions. I’m not going on a suicide mission. Believe me, you’d know if I was doing that.” He walked toward the door, scooping up his helmet on the way. Before he could get fully around the map table, Snowball appeared before him, placing a hoof on his stomach to stop his forward momentum. “General, please don’t do this. It serves no purpose other than to put you at risk. We may be desperate for time, but not desperate enough to start throwing bodies at the problem. Not yet.” “I know when and where bodies are needed better than anyone,” Elias growled at the loveling, “and if you are so concerned for my wellbeing, I’d suggest you use some of that emotional manipulation magic you’ve been hiding away to get the crystal ponies on board with this plan of ours. Speed is key, so contribute to getting things done faster.” The loveling drooped, with his ears pinning themselves against the sides of his head. “Yes General,” he mumbled. The loveling slinked away toward Elias’ bedroll. Elias did his best to ignore Snowball’s moping and instead looked to Cadence. “I’ll be on the edge of the city, right beside the pair of crystals that marks the entrance of the Empire. Send a messenger if I need to attack Sombra earlier than my discretion.” Cadence began to speak, then clutched her head as she let out a loud groan. The magic pouring from her horn flickered, and Elias could have sworn he felt the slightest bit chillier. He sheathed a pilum in his shield, and left the war room without another word. Leaving the palace was simple, and as he moved through the Empire’s streets, Elias could tell an instant difference in the crystal ponies. They were moving amongst the stalls Twilight and her friends had set up, and their demeanors were completely different. Gone were the nervous, timid glances, gone was the fear of his legionaries. Instead, the crystal ponies seemed more colorful, and they rushed around to see each and every attraction, barely paying any mind to the red and silver clad soldiers in their midst. Those that did notice the stony-faced legionaries did their best to engage the ponies in conversation, and when that didn’t work, they tried to make the ponies laugh. Elias paused in his march momentarily to see a pair of foals poking and prodding at Pyrelight, who was sweating hard in her attempts to hold back a smile. One of the foals frowned at her, then wiggled her hips and hopped onto Pyrelight’s back. She then began to poke at Pyrelight’s helmet, while the colt rattled off questions. “Hey Miss, where’d you all come from? What’s with the armor? What’s that thing around your horn? Why are you wearing a potato sack?” Pyrelight’s eyes managed to find Elias, and she silently pleaded with him to help her, but Elias only chuckled and shook his head, continuing his walk. He knew that with his bad eye out and about, the only thing he was capable of doing to a pair of foals was terrifying them. That fact was only made more evident with the fact that as soon as ponies truly started to notice him, they started not-so-subtly moving to the opposite side of the street. The usual whispers came up, but Elias ignored them with ease as he hardened his thoughts. He had only one purpose for the day, and that was to see Sombra back into whatever hole he had crawled out of. Leaving the Empire proper, Elias spotted the archway of crystals. Beyond it was a brilliant cyan dome, and as he walked, he noticed the dome flicker. A cold wind blew past him, and flakes of snow began to fill the air, and Elias momentarily noticed a tall black wall of smoke and shadow. A pair of green eyes looked in on the Empire, and he could have sworn he heard a roar of anger as the dome re-solidified. Elias stopped for a moment, watching for any further signs of flickering. When none came, he finished the last leg of his walk. Spotting a large crystal shaped like a tree trunk, Elias took a seat. He placed his shield and pila beside him, then drew his sword and his whetstone. Keeping an eye on the dome, Elias set to work calmly sharpening his gladius. ***** Night Flash wanted to scream at the ceiling. He had read many reports, had helped hundreds of ponies, had even wrangled Canterlot nobles, but nothing, nobody, was as infuriating and hard to keep on task than Twilight Sparkle. Oh guardsponies, look at this dumb book that I found that doesn’t help our current situation at all! Oh guardsponies, look! An interesting rock that is obviously not the Crystal Heart! Oh look guardsponies, I want to ramble for twenty minutes about how important this “test” is, all while ignoring the immense risks everyone is taking! Snowball had delivered a message about Red’s whereabouts, and Night Flash had almost lost his cool when he read that the human was going out to confront Sombra alone. Luckily for him, Book Binder had, and still continued, to rant and rave. “I mean really,” she spat. “I am going to throttle that stupid boy! I will personally cut off his legs so he can’t walk, then strap him into a bed to be cuddled until he drops dead! I’m never letting him out of my sight again! Every time, every single bucking time he does this!” Night Flash cast a glowering eye toward Twilight, who was nose deep in a book they had found in Sombra’s secret laboratory. They had searched the entire palace, starting with the throne room, combing through every room, and upturning every piece of furniture, but they had found no additional secret passages until the princess’s pet had suddenly remembered key information that could have saved them hours of effort. Twilight had used dark magic to open a secret room beneath the crystal throne, and they had found a massive staircase, at the end of which were two doors. One was locked with some kind of strange crystal, while the other led to the lab where they were currently looking for the key. Night Flash had sent the rest of the squad to keep an eye on Princess Cadence and the festival, giving them subtle orders to extract her from the Empire should things go south. His head thudded into a bookshelf as he tried to remain calm and friendly. He loved being a nice, understanding, curious pony, it was his whole deal, but with Red in such immediate danger, he couldn’t help but be frustrated at their lack of progress. Unfortunately, the ranting he usually found comforting and adorable was putting him further on edge. Taking a deep breath, Night Flash straightened up into his guard persona and caught Book Binder’s eye. The mare stopped her ranting and sighed. “I’m sorry Flashie, I’m just worried.” “I know,” he said evenly, “but your behavior right now is unprofessional and isn’t helpful. Go upstairs and update Princess Cadence and Prince Armor on the current situation.” A normal pony would have been hurt by his words, but Book Binder knew him well enough to ignore his criticism. Taking another deep breath, she nodded and turned toward the doorway. “Do hurry up Ms. Sparkle,” Book Binder said. “If Flashie is making me leave, it’s because he wants to use some of his uglier interrogation methods to speed things up.” She then trotted from the room, and Night Flash listened to her hooves as they climbed the spiraling staircase. He noticed a flicker of motion in his peripheral and found Twilight staring at him. He turned his head slightly to meet her gaze. “Adiutor Binder wasn’t joking Ms. Sparkle. Not even my Red knows about some of the things I’ve done for the sake of my family and friends. You need to have an answer now, or you’re going to be in trouble long before the Empire is.” Twilight gulped and nodded. “I-I think I have an idea for the crystal, but I’m not sure if it will backfire or not.” “Seeing as you’re going to be the one making the attempt, I’m not sure I care.” He motioned to the doorway with his wing. “Please, after you.” Her legs seemed to lock, and her gait was awkward as she moved out of the lab and back to the locked door. She stared up at the crystal lock, then looked back to Night Flash. “He’s going to be okay, you know that right?” The pegasus felt his eyes twitch. “Ms. Sparkle, I suggest you remain focused. Each moment wasted with idle chatter is another moment Red is in danger. I hold you directly responsible for his state of well-being.” Twilight looked back toward the crystal. “Well I’m not worried. Pinkie Pie said that her Pinkie Sense told her that he would end this trip better than he started out.” She closed her eyes and charged her horn. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to think dark thoughts.” ***** Elias slowly rocked to his feet as the barrier flickered again. Just on the other side Sombra sat, watching him carefully with those unnatural eyes. The shadow pony had noticed him almost as soon as he sat down, and with the barrier’s increased flickering, they had begun a staring contest. Occasionally, Sombra would unleash a spell against the barrier, and small gaps would form. Nothing ever substantial enough for him to slip through, but enough for them to glare at each other. Sombra unleashed a wave of darkness at the barrier, and the section in front of Elias flickered just as the spell hit. In an instant, an area the size of a school bus vanished, and Sombra surged forward. Elias met him head on with a war cry and a pilum throw. If the javelin did any damage, Elias didn’t see it as he charged through the barrier and into blinding snow. Sombra cackled and a ball of black energy leaped out of his horn. Elias immediately dove to the ground, and gritted his teeth as the magic exploded behind him, pelting him with frozen dirt. Just as quickly he was back on his feet, and he closed the difference between himself and the shadow pony. His gladius hit nothing but air, and Sombra continued to cackle, with his voice rising to amused laughter. Another spell lashed out at Elias, and with it being point blank, he had little time to do anything other than raise his shield. As he was sent spiraling through the air, he had no doubt in his mind that the sputtering enchantments on the shield had saved his life. They did nothing to halt his flight however, and he flew clear threw Cadence’s barrier. Elias slammed into the ground, leaving a healthy divot in the grass. He groaned and rolled onto his back, doing a quick run down of his body. While a great deal hurt, he didn’t think he had broken anything, nor did he feel any blood pouring free. That was a good sign. The screaming shadow pony that managed to rip and tear his way through the barrier was not so good. The cyan barrier disintegrated behind Sombra, and a freezing wind chased the shadow pony into the warmth of the Empire. Elias rolled to his feet, and immediately dodged away from a ball of magic. The grass blackened and small crystals sprang up, but Elias didn’t have time to analyze them. He tried to get closer to Sombra, but the shadow pony continued lashing out with spells. Elias didn’t trust his shield to take another direct hit, and he certainly didn’t want to test his body armor. That left him to run and dodge, staying just ahead of each attack. The game of cat and mouse provoked louder and louder laughter from Sombra, who seemed to enjoy playing with his food. Elias got lucky however. The barrier slowly began to reform, and with Sombra so distracted, he didn’t notice until it was too late. Elias was no expert on magic, but judging from the shadow pony’s cries of pain, Cadence’s magic didn’t mix well with Sombra’s. The shadows surrounding the pony faded into oblivion, and Sombra quickly lost size, going from a towering being to just above the average sized pony, likely a perfect physical match to Shining Armor or Cadence. His horn was curved and glowed an eerie red, and a flowing red cape covered steely grey armor and even greyer fur. The shadow pony’s mane continued to flow in black shadow however, and when his eyes opened, they glowed that same green and red. Sombra looked toward the palace and scowled. “It would appear that the crystal princess has more power than I thought.” He shrugged and looked toward Elias with a smile. “But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing given my plans for her. So monkey, what hole did they dig you from?” Elias rolled his shoulders. “Probably a prettier one than wherever you’ve been rotting for the last thousand years. Tell me, was it fun getting your ass handed to you by a pony that turned into a big white bureaucrat?” Sombra snorted and he began to circle Elias. The human matched his pace, and they carefully stalked around each other. “Funny that Sol would send a chattering monkey with no respect to face me, but then again, she was always a bit barbarous.” “That’s rich coming from the guy who was all snarls and snorts two minutes ago,” Elias shot back. “Why’d you suddenly become so chatty? What, the magic didn’t kill me, so you thought talking me to death would work?” Sombra’s head pithced back as he laughed aloud. “I like your spirit monkey! A quick-witted attack dog, something new, and fresh! Hopefully I can reanimate your head when I mount it on my throne. I do so love vocal sparring.” Elias rolled his eyes. “While I can’t say the overconfidence is new, at least you aren’t babbling on about your plans of conquest. Here’s my deal for you Sombra,” “That’s King Sombra to you welp,” Sombra growled. Elias spat at the unicorn’s hooves. “You’re king of nothing, and even if you were, I wouldn’t care. Leave the Empire and crawl into the tundra. Twilight will find the Crystal Heart any minute now, and I have a feeling that if you don’t like Princess Cadence’s barrier, you’re really not going to like the Heart.” Sombra cackled again. “Ah, so that’s the Princess’s grand plan! Not a bad one, but you should be more concerned monkey. I doubt the Crystal Heart will take a liking to one of your breed just like it detests me.” Elias stopped his circling, arranging himself so that he had his back to Cadence’s barrier. Sombra’s muzzle curled just slightly in confusion, so Elias shrugged and dropped into a combat stance. “I wouldn’t want you to leave when the beating starts,” he said. “Now let’s see if the little pony you is as immune to being cut as that big shadowy fuck.” He let out a war cry and rushed forward. Sombra’s horn sputtered, and the unicorn’s eyes widened in panic as his spell produced nothing more than a spark. Closing the distance between them, Elias cut at the unicorn’s neck, trying to get an easy kill. Sombra was slippery, however, and he managed to hop backward. The unicorn closed his eyes tight, and before Elias could swing again, he teleported away. Elias whirled on his heel and raised his scutum in time to deflect the swing of a massive scythe. The crimson blade leeched the color from Elias’ shield, but the human was forced to smack away another hit aimed at taking his head off. As Sombra prepared to strike him a third time, Elias braced his feet and shoved forward. The tip of the scythe scratched his helmet, but Elias felt the satisfying crunch of wood meeting flesh and bone. Sombra staggered away, taking his scythe with him. Elias took the brief respite to catch his breath, as did Sombra. The shadow pony glanced back at the barrier, then at Elias, making sure the human hadn’t moved. “So the crystal princess’s little shield reduces my strength? No matter, I still have enough power to kill you.” Elias smirked. “If that were true, you wouldn’t be panting after our little skirmish. Guess you should have spent more time on the training grounds than studying.” He rushed forward again before Sombra could reply. Feather picked off a scythe swing, while Elias’ scutum swung at Sombra’s muzzle. The shadow pony managed to avoid the shield, but with Elias so close, his scythe was nearly useless. Elias’ gladius stabbed at the pony, keeping him dancing back with a series of jabs and stabs. Completely on the offense, Elias was able to think his next attack through, and as Sombra charged his horn to teleport away, Elias abandoned both his sword and shield. Sombra became momentarily confused again, and in that moment Elias rushed forward and snatched the pony up in a bear hug. Elias immediately let his superior weight drag them both to the ground, and he began to pound on Sombra’s face. His fist rose and fell like a hammer, splitting his knuckles by the fourth hit, and knocking one of Sombra’s teeth loose by the seventh. Sombra’s horn lit up again, and Elias switched tactics, wrapping both hands around the unicorn’s neck in an attempt to strangle him. For a moment, Elias thought his tactic worked as Sombra’s eyes bugged out and he tried to scramble free. His hooves beat futilely against Elias’ armor, and the human tightened his grip, trying to throttle the unicorn as quickly as possible. A thin black beam sprang from Sombra’s horn despite Elias’ best effort, and before the human could react, it raced into his forehead. Elias immediately sat up in bed, clutching at his chest. He took long, deep breaths in an attempt to slow his heartrate. “I think I’m going to have a heart attack,” he said aloud. He nearly jumped again when somebody rolled over next to him and smiled. “Mhm, well don’t do that love,” Luna whispered blearily, “I do like my human with his heart intact, thank you very much.” Elias blinked stupidly at the alicorn, clearly laying in his bed, underneath his covers. After a long moment of thinking, all he could say was; “Luna?” And then he was back. Elias opened his eyes and rolled onto his side, immediately vomiting out what little he had for breakfast. As he emptied his guts and struggled to find his breath, Elias cast a hateful glare toward Sombra. The unicorn was in a similar state, panting hard as he glared daggers back at Elias. “So you’re weak to mind magic then? Good, I’ll use that to make your life Tartarus before I end it.” “Big…. Talk,” Elias spat in reply. He staggered to his feet and stumbled his way over to his discarded gladius and shield. By the time he had scooped them up and fell into a proper position, Sombra had managed to get to his feet. The unicorn snarled at him, and then their blades clashed again. As they fought, Sombra’s horn would light up, and when it did, Elias always made sure to press harder, to prevent… whatever the unicorn had shown him. The vision had been so clear, so real. He had really felt Luna beside him, and had he not been so confused at the presence of the alicorn, he had no doubt that he would have succumbed to the illusion. While Sombra struggled against him in physical combat, Elias noticed continued flickers in the barrier, increasing in intensity the longer they fought. He tried to shove Sombra with his shield, but the unicorn cackled and managed to teleport away. Elias braced his feet and pivoted, hiding behind his shield as black magic splashed against it. “It seems that the crystal princess is failing monkey!” Sombra said with glee. “And soon you will as well!” Elias poked his eyes above his shield, and found Sombra, then tried to charge the unicorn again. Sombra met his charge with a scythe swing, and another laugh. “Although, I believe we should stop this little charade we have going on. You are an exceptional combatant, but the more that barrier weakens, the greater my magic becomes. All I have to do is outlast you monkey, and I am more than capable of that.” Elias batted aside another swing aimed for his chest, then lashed out with Feather. The blade just missed as Sombra slithered away. “But then again,” the grey unicorn continued, “I could have uses for one of your… ferocity. Please, let’s stop this farce and have a little chat.” Sombra again teleported, and Elias was again forced to turn and brace as shadow magic splashed against his scutum. The shield had lost most of its red color, and now even then brilliant silver lightning bolts were draining away. “Why does everyone talk so much when they fight?” Elias spat. “Is it too much to ask that you just shut up and die?” “Oh you poor creature,” Sombra said. “I’m not trying to talk to you, I am merely trying to explain to you your true potential." His horn sparked, and he vanished. Elias turned on his heel to meet another magic attack, but quickly realized he had been duped. A pop resounded in his ears and he felt another bolt of magic enter his head. Blackness consumed his vision, but after a moment, Elias realized that that was just because his eyes were closed. He cracked them open to find himself on a completely different battlefield. Ponies writhed and fought around him. The sounds of clashing steel, bones crunching, and the screams of pain and triumph from the brawling ponies touched his ears like a sickening orchestra. He saw three distinct armor colors amongst the ponies, and it was clear that the silver clad ponies had an advantage of the ponies decked in blue and gold. In fact, on a second glance, Elias realized that none of the corpses strewn about were wearing silver. Night Flash had a sadistic grin on his face as he dipped around Elias, and his wing blades ripped some unfortunate solar guard apart. Book Binder raced by next, her horn glowing brilliantly. Three lunar guards suddenly dropped, their necks twisted and broken. Elias watched as more and more ponies he knew raced forward, tearing into their fellows with ease, and throughout it all he felt a foreign sense of pride, and satisfaction as the silver clad ponies, his ponies, triumphed over his king’s enemies. His eyes flicked to the ground, and Elias realized he recognized the body at his feet. Nightshade’s vacant eyes stared up, and a small trickle of blood flowed from her mouth. The sight provoked a turn in his gut, and the feeling of pride, of victory, vanished. A second later, the illusion did too. Elias staggered forward, quickly finding his balance as he let out a furious war cry. Feather slashed at Sombra’s throat, and Elias was pleased to feel the slightest impact as his gladius traced a bloody line in the unicorn’s fur. “Do you really think killing my friends is what entices me?” Elias roared. “Do you think seeing the ones I love turned into killers is what I want?” Sombra winced as Elias continued his furious assault, but he teleported away again. This time, Elias found him immediately and began to stalk forward. Sombra frowned slightly as he eyed the human up and down. “Perhaps I was mistaken,” Sombra admitted. “You are a warrior out of need, not personal gain. You seek no glory, but only what your prowess in the art of killing can earn you.” He flashed a grin and sent out a blistering bolt of magic. Elias slapped aside the magic with his shield, ignoring the freezing sensation in his arm as he rushed forward. Sombra’s horn charged brighter, and a second bolt leaped out. Elias braced behind his shield and locked his feet to block the blow, then, as soon as the magic had faded, he poked his head to charge the unicorn again. A small lance of blackness entered his forehead without resistance, and his vision once again vanished to black. “There is always more that entices the strong willed,” Sombra whispered in his ear. “You mentioned friends and lovers, so tell me human, which would you consider these?” Elias opened his eyes to find a to pairs staring back; one pair magenta, and the other a sparkling green. He blinked at Celestia and Luna stupidly, then looked up and around him. He was half naked, lying in a lavish bed, set in an equally lavish bedroom, decorated to the ceiling with books and trophies. Accolades, medals, everything he had earned, had taken justly, just like the mares draped over his bare chest. Luna sat side by side with Celestia, and both were staring at him with nothing less than absolute adoration. Luna traced a long scar on his belly with her hoof, while Celestia rested her muzzle on his left bicep, staring up at him with a smile. Only when he felt something moving lower on his body did Elias notice that two other mares were nuzzling at his crotch. Cadence giggled as she noticed his eyes on her, while Nightshade didn’t seem to notice his gaze at all. She was instead fixated with his… Elias shook his head and frowned in confusion. That wasn’t right, none…. None of it was. “What’s wrong my lord?” Luna asked, her voice at a sultry whisper. “Don’t tell me you’ve grown tired of your breeding slaves again.” Celestia giggled and nibbled at his chest. “It’s alright if you are though. I take no issues with a fresh crop, just so long as you are happy my lord. Tell us who you want, and we will deliver.” Elias shook his head again, his bad eye twitching as he stared at the black collars around their necks. “T-this isn’t right. I don’t love you. Not like this, not-“ “What does it matter?” Sombra asked, appearing in a longue chair across the room. It unnerved Elias with how genuine the unicorn’s smile was. It was almost like he truly cared what Elias thought, how he felt. Your king always cares, a voice whispered. Before Elias could drive the voice away, Sombra spoke. “You don’t need love them to own them Elias Bright. You are above them; you have the power in your hands to take what you want, and we both know you know that. Love is a lie ponies sell to make themselves seem stronger than they truly are, but we both know that love means nothing in the face of true power; that of our strong wills. Look at your slaves, look at how you can finally exercise your will over them, keeping them happy and safe. Isn’t that what you want? To keep these ponies safe?” Elias screwed his eyes shut and clutched at his head. It took all of his willpower to shake off the illusion, and even then it was barely enough. He staggered backward, trying to get his rebelling mind back under control. Foreign thoughts were infiltrating, trying to change what he knew, but he wouldn’t let him. He forced up his rage, and used it like a hammer. He only loved Luna, and he knew for a fact that he wouldn’t if she was reliant on his every command. She was just as strong as he was, hell, she was likely stronger. He just needed to focus, to kill Sombra. That was his only… Another beam entered his head, and Elias found himself back in the bed with Luna pressing her lips tightly against his. “It seems I’m getting closer my friend,” Sombra hissed. “I can feel your heart, your very soul. Give in to me.” Elias melted into the alicorn’s kiss, unable to resist the warmth of her body. She giggled as his hands braced her cheeks, and she hugged him tight as she pressed deeper into the kiss. As his breath ran short, Luna pulled away, and smiled at him. Elias couldn’t help but feel complete at the sight of that wonderful smile. His heart would do anything to see that smile over and over again. “I can give you the lunar princess,” Sombra hissed in his ear. “She means nothing to me. I can give her to you, make her your slave for all time. All you must do is submit…” Elias nodded slowly, locking eyes with Luna. “I love you so much…” The blue alicorn giggled. “And you own me utterly my lord.” The words sounded hollow to his ears, and for a moment, Elias couldn’t figure out why. “Own?” he echoed. “B-but you love me too, right?” Luna rolled her eyes and let out another giggle. “Why would that matter my lord? You took me. Our king broke me, and you took me like the savage beast you are.” She purred, ignoring Elias’ growing revulsion. “Isn’t this what you want? To see me utterly yours?” Elias’ mind snapped into focus. The illusion shattered just as Sombra began lowering an infernal looking helmet onto his head. Elias ducked out from beneath the helmet, then grabbed it and threw it as hard as he could at Sombra’s face. The unicorn’s head snapped back as the helmet crunched into his muzzle, and his magic sputtered for a moment. Elias panted as he picked up his normal red-plumed helmet and slid it back on his head. He then grabbed his scutum, clenching the handle tightly in his fist. “If you think weak shadows and hollow offers will break me, your dead wrong, and I’ve had enough of these mind games of yours. You’re going to die, right here, right now.” Sombra wiped the blood from his nose and glared daggers at Elias. “Fine human, if you don’t want to be awarded for loyal service, then I’ll make you follow out of fear. Let’s see how much you truly love those ponies of yours.” Elias rushed forward as Sombra charged his horn and sent more bolts of darkness lancing toward the human. ***** Night Flash ran as hard as he could up the stairs with Twilight at his side. They had lost more time as the unicorn lived through her worst nightmares, but fortunately for Night Flash, he had been able to shake off the illusion caused by the dark crystal relatively easy. He had already seen Elias at deaths door, had already stared down rejection from his wife. Both he had conquered, and the illusion had simply ended. After a few moments, he had managed to shake Twilight free, and after telling her what he had seen, she had come up with a solution. Instead of charging the crystal with dark magic, like she had first attempted, she instead charged the crystal with harmonious magic. The result had opened the door easily, and they had been presented their next daunting task; a massive spiral staircase leading straight up. Night Flash hadn’t given the stairs a second glance, and had instead tried flapping up. It was then that he had learned that Sombra had laid a trap specifically for pegasi. Just like the crystals locking down Shining Armor’s horn, his wings were frozen to his sides, locked in place by heavy black crystal that had simply appeared as soon as he had taken flight. With flight not being an option, he had led the charge up the stairs, making a mental note to thank Elias for all of those days of running in full armor. He had thought it was little more than a way to break down ponies via exhaustion, but he could feel his well-formed muscles easily adapting to the weight the crystals added to his wings. Twilight was having trouble keeping the pace however, and he couldn’t really blame her that. Who was truly prepared to climb thousands of stairs? He just had to keep pushing her, had to keep motivating her to reach the top. “We’re getting closer,” he noted as the purple unicorn paused to catch her breath. “I don’t know how many stairs are left, but we’ve come up at least three or four stories.” Twilight stared up at the remaining climb and managed to frown despite her panting mouth. “I… think I have an idea.” She levitated Night Flash into the air. Lifting herself, she levitated them under the stairs, so that their hooves rested on the underside of the stairs. Night Flash frowned as the unicorn strained herself. “Ms. Sparkle what exactly is this iDEA!” He wasn’t proud to admit that his shriek was slightly girlish when Twilight reversed gravity and they began sliding down the now ramp-like stairs. Twilight let out a squeal of joy as they sped along, and she beamed at Night Flash as they continued sliding. “Princess Celestia used to always tell me to work smarter, not harder!” she shouted over the wind rushing in their ears. “Since all the crystals are super smooth, I thought that a little bit of force, combined with a smooth gliding spell to reduce traction and prevent rug burn was just the trick to get us moving!” Night Flash looked at his sliding rump to find a light purple glow keeping his fur from rubbing away. For the first time since they had started their search for the heart, he laughed. All it took was a hoof to send him spinning, and he continued laughing as they spiraled to the top of the palace. It steadily grew closer, and with little effort on their part. Night Flash grinned at the thought of having plenty of energy to rush out to Red once they had retrieved the Crystal Heart. ‘Hold on Red,’ he thought. ‘I’m coming as fast as I can.’ ***** Elias managed a surprisingly agile move for somebody in his situation. Sombra had gotten craftier and his attacks more potent as the barrier continued to fail. Elias leaped between two beams of darkness aimed at his head and stomach respectively and managed to land in a roll, springing up to slash at Sombra’s throat. The unicorn growled and summoned a black crystal as a shield. Feather bit into the stone, and Elias managed to rip the gladius free, momentarily cursing himself for learning to fight in heavy armor. After nearly thirty minutes of fighting, he was exhausted, and every part of his body was crying out for a break. The thick plates designed to turn swords and arrows just slowed him down as he was forced to dodge magical attacks. Sombra so far hadn’t been able to act on his threat to show Elias what he was afraid of, but the human knew that the threat would be realized sooner than he liked. He just hoped that the grey unicorn would waste time torturing him when he could be rushing toward the Empire. Teleporting away, Sombra appeared between the crystals marking the entrance to the Empire. He took a deep breath and straightened, smiling as all of his sweat and the minor wounds Elias had managed to inflict melted away. “I think I’ve figure out the perfect formula to break you forever human. The time I spent sifting through your thoughts gave me many ideas, but I’ve pieced together quite a journey to take you on.” Elias chest heaved as he tried to think of a clever answer, but he was at a loss. He just wanted the unicorn before him dead. That, and a drink of water. His throat was dry and burning from his exertion. Sombra chuckled at his silence. “No more witty comebacks human? I must say, I’m disappointed.” He shrugged. “It is of no consequence, however. While I enjoyed our little duel, I have much more to do today, and our time must come to its end so that I can take back my Empire.” His smile took on a wicked glint. “But I think the icing on the cake will be having you at my side, helping me enslave all of those delicious ponies.” Elias forced his legs into motion, and readied his shield to block the shadow pony’s attack. Sombra unleased a single beam that lanced toward Elias’ head, then, just as it was about to splash into his shield, it split into seven parts, all of them swerving around the small piece of protection. Elias dropped to the ground and clutched at the arrow embedded deep in his chest. Air refused to enter his lungs, and blood poured from his mouth, making his slow suffocation all the worse. Cruel red eyes looked down at him, and Sombra sneered. “Hm, not a bad look for you, but this is more blind panic than fear. Let’s try something else, shall we?” Elias managed to get in a gasp of air before he was thrown face into the dirt. A glint of sunlight stabbed at his eye from the glare of a descending dagger. Elias rolled away from the blade and to his feet to find Nightshade glaring hate at him. Elias glanced down toward the bloody gladius in his hand, then toward the thestral. “Come on Nightshade,” he said slowly, extending his hand, “We’re friends. Despite our differences, we always have been. Remember? You and Scalpel were technically my first friends.” The thestral growled and leaped at him, swinging hard for his throat. Elias parried the blow and shoved Nightshade back. The grey thestral rolled to her feet and hissed at him. “We were never friends Bright. You were just a tool for the princesses, but you couldn’t even do that right. Everything was a fight, every attempt to help you pushed away. You didn’t, and don’t deserve our help. You’re a pathetic failure, and I wish I had just killed you on the night we met.” Elias gritted his teeth, trying his best to ignore her words. “That all may be true, but I still succeed where it matters. As long as they’re safe…” “They?” Sombra whispered in his ear. “Oh, perhaps you mean these ponies….” Elias felt a sharp pain on his cheek, and he took a step back as he stared down at a furious looking Book Binder. The green unicorn spat in his face and pushed him back another step. A glance around showed him that he was at their new house, the one they had invited him to visit. He had initially rejected the invitation, but Night Flash had managed to convince him to forego a lunch break to give the place a look. Their plans for the upstairs space were already laid out, but they had kept just enough secret to keep to their agreement. “How dare you come here?” Book Binder shrieked. “After all the times you’ve hurt us, turned us away, did you really think you would be welcome back?” She shoved him to the dirt. Elias winced at her snarl, but did his best to stay calm. “Book Binder, you know why I turned you away. It was for your safety, if not for the march, I…” “I don’t love you!” the mare bellowed. “I never have, and I never will! You burned that bridge Elias. You don’t get to tell us no time and time again and then come back when it suits you. You’re no son of mine, and as far as I’m concerned, you never were!” Elias felt tears creep into his eyes, and his heart dropped as Night Flash seemed to appear at her side with a deep scowl on his face. The first pony to truly approach him, the first pony to work with him, to just be there. The first pony he had called friend spat in his face. “Get out Elias,” he said coldly. “We’re tired of your games. You’re not welcome here, ever. Get out and don’t come back.” Elias screwed his eyes shut and held his hands to his ears. “It’s not real,” he whispered. “It’s just an illusion.” The hateful words vanished and Sombra chuckled, pacing behind the man. “Perhaps not, but would you like to see something that is real? Dark magic has many wonderful uses, including seeing the future…” Elias tried to find his strength, and managed to find enough to grab his sword and stand. His legs were shaky thought, and he couldn’t find his normal white-hot rage. The looks on their faces, the words they had said. He told himself that it was all lies, but he couldn’t get the sound of their voices, so filled with loathing, out of his head. Sombra smiled at him. “Come now human, where’s that bravado of yours? One so strong as you should be able to tough on through these images, yes? You’re the kind of creature that believes he can “change his fate” yes?” Sombra barked out a laugh and the world around Elias began to shift and change. “Let’s put that mentality to the test, shall we?” The scenery around them shifted to give them a bird’s eye view of a forest. Many of the trees were scorched clean, and great swathes of grass had been burned away. Broken weapons and shields lay scattered amongst a carpet of bodies, but even on a first glance, Elias could tell that there were far more minotaur bodies than there were ponies. Living ponies trotted back and forth across the battlefield, treating the wounded, while also executing the dying minotaurs. Sombra snorted with barely concealed disappointment. “It seems you achieved victory. Congratulations. How much, I wonder, did these friends pay to achieve this victory of yours?” Elias ignored his words. He was already looking. The first he saw was Gray Granite, his neck twisted at an odd angle, and his eyes wide open in a lifeless stare. Beside the earth pony was a whimpering Nightshade. A pair of healers were trying their best to heal the thestral, but they had their work cut out for them. One of her eyes was nothing but a bloody mush, while one of her wings was gone altogether, ripped off at the base. All that remained was a dripping stump. Further down the field, Elias saw Ice Blossom wailing into the air as a solar guard staunched the bleeding stump of her tail. Next to her, Scarlet Shield looked almost like he was sleeping peacefully, save for the trio of arrows jutting out of his throat. Dozens of legionaries created a silvery carpet across the bloody ground, and Elias knew the names of each. Unfortunately, he couldn’t even begin to think of grieving for them, as his eyes locked on the carriage that was supposed to protect the princesses. He could see a brilliant red trail leading up the carriage steps. Sombra grinned at him as the image zoomed in closer, letting Elias see every gory detail. Outside the carriage, Midnight Chaser stared into the air, his throat ripped open, and his fur soaked red with blood. Bloody Bandage was almost unrecognizable next to him, her bones turned to powder, and her body mangled. The door to the carriage was gone, and it was too easy to step inside. Elias immediately wished he hadn’t. Another him was hugging Book Binder tightly, and they both openly wept over a limp, dark blue form. Next to them sat Celestia, pleading futilely with a vacant eyed Luna, an arrow speared directly into the alicorn’s heart. Elias could only stare at the carnage, his mind unable to fully process what he was seeing. Sombra stood beside him, his smile absent. “It’s truly a tragedy Elias,” he said solemnly. “An utter waste of talent and beauty. Luckily for us, however, this is preventable. I can feel the love you have for these ponies, and especially the lunar princess.” He put a hoof around Elias’ waist. “I too have a great love for ponies Elias, but I recognize that they are so very fragile!” He waved a hoof at Night Flash’s still body. “This doesn’t need to be. You and I, we can make sure this never comes to pass! If you just submit to me, together we can take my Empire back, then, I promise on my crown as king that I will make sure each and every pony you love is taken care of.” Sombra tilted his head toward the scene. “Don’t, and well…. You are strong human, but even you cannot fight fate.” Elias felt his fingers twitch of their own volition, and he felt something in his mind snap. The logical side of his brain calmly explained its points to the irrational, emotional side. It spoke of how he was being played, that Sombra was lying to him. The emotional side listened, then slowly began realizing that it didn’t matter if Sombra was lying or not. The unicorn dared to threaten his parents, dared to threaten Luna. The emotional side fed the conclusion it reached to the wild beast kept pacified in the third part of his mind. Together, the beast and the emotional side built up into a blinding fury, and Elias’ hand curled into a fist so tight that his fingernails caused his palms to bleed. “How dare you?” he whispered. Sombra cocked an eyebrow at him. “Human, I did not do this, it is merely a vision of your-“ His words stopped as Elias’ scutum slammed into his throat. Elias screamed like a wild animal as the illusion shattered, but if he noticed, he didn’t show it. His eyes were focused on only one thing. A fist slammed into Sombra’s jaw, followed by another hit from his scutum. The unicorn crumpled to the ground, and Elias pounced on him. The unicorn tried to curl up to protect his body, but Elias pulled his limbs apart by force and began raining down blows, beating the unicorn bloody as he let out pure mindless rage. Sombra’s muzzle broke under the powerful blows, and when the unicorn tried to escape with his magic again, Elias grabbed his horn in one hand. His scutum slammed into the base of Sombra’s horn until it shattered, and Elias tossed the remains behind him. Sombra wailed and cried out in pain, flailing at Elias’ chest futilely with his hooves. Elias discarded his scutum and gripped the unicorn’s head in his hands. He brought his forehead down to meet the pony’s muzzle, and felt a satisfying crunch ripple through Sombra’s face as the bones in his muzzle shattered into more tiny pieces. Then, the beating continued. Elias lost count of how many times his fists rose and fell, but each hit made him smile, and he felt truly alive punishing the unicorn. Somehow, despite many of his teeth begin gone, and his tongue swelling up, Elias heard Sombra mumble; “They found it. The Crystal Heart is charging. We will be dead in minutes” Elias looked up to find Cadence’s dome completely gone. Snow whirled about in the air, and shadow magic was slowly encroaching on the Empire, but it didn’t matter. The hairs on his arms stood up as a light emanating from the palace began to pulse. He growled and slammed his fist into Sombra’s jaw again. “Damn them,” he hissed. “I want more time.” He glared downwards with hate filled eyes. “I need to make you suffer.” Elias drew his dagger from behind his back and plunged it into Sombra’s flank. The unicorn cried out in pain, and he began to beg. “Please, please enough! I relent; I foreswear the Empire. I… I…” Elias slammed a fist across the unicorn’s face. “I don’t give a fuck about the Empire you stupid bastard!” Elias screamed in his face. “You wanted me to break, well guess what, this is what that looks like! Now suffer!” Elias tried to punch the unicorn faster as a massive glowing barrier formed around the palace. It slowly began moving outward. “Keepers, please save me,” Sombra wept. “I’ll be good, I’ll take your punishment. Please just save me.” Elias backhanded the unicorn, shutting him up, then grabbed his dagger and ripped it free. Immediately he plunged it back in, twisting it in Sombra’s ribs. He snarled as a hum reached his ears, and he looked up to find the barrier almost upon them. Elias looked back down to Sombra, making sure to catch the unicorn’s eyes. “If you ever try to come back, I’ll be waiting.” Elias punched him in the throat. “If you thought today was hell, then I’ll teach you the meaning of-“ The barrier passed over them, and Sombra let out a final shriek of pain before vanishing in a cloud of smoke. Elias watched as the smoke immediately dissipated, and he struggled to hold back a howl of frustration. With no target to unleash his rage on however, his anger began to slowly cool, and Elias regained his mental faculties. Taking several deep breaths, Elias grabbed his dagger from the grass and slid it back into its sheathe. Just as his heart began to slow, and calm began to focus his mind, his skin ripped apart. Great gashes appeared on his arms and legs, and Elias felt blood drip into his eyes. Then the pain hit. Elias felt back onto the grass, screaming in agony as his nerves seemed to catch fire, making him writhe in pain. The world seemed to turn white as his jaw stretched as wide as it could, and Elias lost consciousness as he let out another long scream. > The Crystal Empire Interlude: Part 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Night Flash smiled as he stood among the group of ponies looking themselves up and down. He and Twilight had managed to successfully find the Crystal Heart, and while he had gotten momentarily trapped while trying to grab it, Twilight had helped him escape. With the help of a few legionaries from the ground, they had managed to get the Crystal Heart to its proper resting place, where the crystal ponies charged it up to full strength. Then, as the Heart charged, they had withdrawn to the balcony where Cadence had been supporting her protective barrier. When the Empire’s protective barrier had passed through them all, it had made everything crystalline, and surprisingly the treatment actually complimented their legionary armor quite nicely. Night Flash gave his wings a good flap, eyeing them up and down to make sure there were no left-over black crystals. The Heart had been kind however, and had fully stripped away all of Sombra’s left over traps. Book Binder rolled her eyes as Rarity squealed, and Night Flash nuzzled her neck with a knowing smile. “Have to give the civilians their little fun,” he whispered. “Are you telling me you don’t like looking so beautiful?” Book Binder put on a fake pout. “Aw Flashie, are you saying that I’m not normally beautiful?” The blue pegasus blushed as he recognized his unintended insult, but Book Binder giggled and kissed his cheek. “Don’t worry love, you can apologize properly when we get home.” Her kiss quickly changed to a lick that ran up to his ear, where she breathed hotly. “And believe me stud, there’s going to be a lot of apologizing.” Night Flash blushed harder and nuzzled her while she continued to giggle. Letting his teasing wife be, Night Flash looked around, making sure everything was in order. The Elements were busy complimenting each other, while Princess Cadence and Prince Armor leaned against each other, swaying in place with closed eyes. His eyes turned down, and he found most of the legionaries still manning their posts, staying as stone faced as they could while the crystal ponies celebrated around them. Looking upward found cheery blue skies and brilliant sunshine that felt just fantastic as it warmed his fur. Night Flash smiled and looked toward Snowball, who looked to be in a daze. “Are you alright Adiutor?” Night Flash asked. Snowball nodded and staggered over, leaning against Book Binder as his legs wobbled. “S-so much love. C-can’t really….” The loveling burped and plopped onto his rump. Book Binder gave Night Flash a wink, then levitated Snowball onto her back. “Careful Adiutor,” she said. “if General Bright catches you napping on the job, you’ll be running laps for days.” Snowball burped again, and his ears flicked. “N-not my fault. W-work related sleepiness.” Book Binder continued to giggle, but her words had brought something back to the forefront of Night Flash’s mind. His smile disappeared as he looked toward the entrance to the Empire. He could just barely see the crystal arches, and he could have sworn he saw a flash of silver… His ears flicked as a long scream pierced the air. The ponies on the ground didn’t seem to notice the sound, but those on the balcony certainly did. It cut the air like a knife, and any sense of giddiness quickly died. It was an unnatural sound, so guttural and filled with pain. What little mirth Night Flash had left faded as he propped himself up on the balcony railing, staring hard out into the green surrounding the city. One of the scouts that had helped bring Twilight down trotted up next to him. “First Centurion?” “Shhh,” Flash replied, straining his ears. A second scream ripped through the air just as Night Flash spotted a small piece of red. “There!” he shouted, jabbing a hoof at the spot of red. “Fly to whatever that is as fast as possible! I think General Bright is in trouble.” The scout blinked and a bit of panic entered his eyes. “Trouble? But-“ “Go!” Night Flash screamed. The scout flapped upward on instinct, taking to the sky in a fast spiral before shooting off toward the red blob. Night Flash spun away from the balcony and began going inside, only for Prince Armor to stop him just before he could reach the doors. “What’s wrong First Centurion? Do you know what that sound was?” Night Flash pushed past the unicorn and made his way through the palace. Book Binder quickly fell in beside him, and after a moment of shaking off his daze, Snowball did as well. Shining Armor trotted backwards in front of Night Flash, a frown still on his face. The unicorn was silently demanding an answer, so Night Flash decided to give him one. “I think General Bright is in trouble,” he admitted. “But I’m sure it’s nothing.” Something about his diplomatic smile must have been off because Princess Cadence immediately sprinted back to the balcony and took to the sky. Shining Armor briefly eyed his wife, then met Night Flash’s eyes. “I’m coming with you. Twilight, you and your friends stay here and keep everypony occupied.” Night Flash’s group quickly left the Elements behind, and they broke into a run. As he entered the main plaza, Night Flash began bellowing out orders. “First Cohort on me! Second Cohort, collect all of our gear and stand ready for further orders!” The ponies of First Cohort fell in behind Night Flash as he sprinted ahead of the pack, running headlong toward the edge of the Empire. A sinking feeling had started filling his gut, and he wouldn’t rest until he was sure that Red was safe. They quickly approached the crystal archway, and Night Flash detected the scent of iron in the air. As he cast about for Red, he noticed a crimson substance spilling into a wide puddle in the grass. A look of horror spread across his muzzle as his eyes settled on the bleeding human. Red was splayed out in a steadily growing puddle of blood. Open wounds crisscrossed his body, and what made the scene even worse was the human’s open eyes. Those beautiful blues told a story of pain indescribable, and Red’s mouth was curled in obvious agony. Arcs of blue energy raced up and down Red’s body. Cadence merely sat over him, her horn not glowing as she stared down at him. “What happened?” Night Flash demanded as he ran to Red’s side. He pressed his hooves over a cut on Red’s leg and looked up to Cadence, who had a haunted look in her eyes. Night Flash resisted the urge to shove the princess just to provoke a reaction. “Did Sombra do this? Princess, please answer me!” Cadence shook her head and looked away. “No, Sombra didn’t do this to General Bright. His magic doesn’t work like this.” “Then what did?” Night Flash asked. He looked at his hooves to find them soaked in blood. With a snarl he turned and ripped his saddlebags off, scattering his belongings in the grass. He quickly located what he needed, snatching up a thick roll of bandages. Night Flash did his best to ignore the tears beginning to build in his eyes as he unwrapped the bandages and began applying them to the worst of Red’s wounds. “What did?” Night Flash bellowed at Cadence. “What did this to my baby boy?” The pink alicorn met his eyes. “I think it’s the Crystal Heart.” Night Flash stared at her as his brain misfired. The Crystal Heart. The artifact he had helped retrieve. The very same artifact he had thought would help protect Red was killing him. And it was all his fault. Night Flash swallowed roughly and looked back down at his hooves as he bound the first wound tight. Biting the bandage in two, he picked out another target at random and went to work. “No, you’re wrong. Red’s a good pony. The Crystal Heart is only supposed to target bad ponies, like Sombra.” Cadence let out a slight sigh. “Well… maybe that isn’t true First Centurion. Twilight’s book was very clear. The Crystal Heart targets evil and destroys it, keeping the Crystal Empire safe. Maybe… Maybe General Bright came up short when the Crystal Heart looked him over.” Flash felt his blood run cold, but he didn’t stop wrapping wounds. He tied off the second wound and moved to a third. “Not my Red,” he growled. “My Red is a good pony, and yeah, maybe he does some bad things, but it’s always for the right reason.” He sniffled and tried to rub the tears from his eyes, but only succeeded in smearing blood on his face. Night Flash ignored it and went to work on a fourth wound. He mentally began to panic as he realized that he was running out of bandages. “Look, I don’t care what the Crystal Heart thinks, we have to help him. Can you heal him? Shield him maybe?” “I don’t think we should.” That caused Night Flash to freeze again, and he looked up to Cadence with his jaw agape. “What?” Cadence gently reached out and held his hooves. “Night Flash, I know you love General Bright deeply, but he can’t be what you think he is. The Crystal Heart reads a lifetime of actions, it reads a pony’s very soul! If it decided he was evil, then don’t you think that it’s in everyone’s best interest if he just… died?” Night Flash felt his face twitch with disbelief. That disbelief quickly turned into rage as he yanked his hooves away from Cadence’s. “No, I don’t think that’s best,” he spat. “And you’re an idiot if you think differently! Red is a kind, wonderful pony with a heart of absolute gold that suffers and sacrifices at every opportunity simply because he believes it will help us!” Night Flash pulled the last of the bandages tight around another wound. With it gone however, there wasn’t much more he could do. That left him with nothing else to focus on other than the mare who would take away his Red. “He didn’t have to come here!” Night Flash continued. “He didn’t have to say yes when Princess Celestia asked him to be a general! But he did. He did because he loves us so bucking much that he’ll do anything, including repeating his worst nightmares just to do it! If you believe a stupid rock more than his actions, and since you’re too stupid and blind and… and heartless to see that, then you can buck off! I’ll make him better all by myself!” Night Flash pushed Cadence away from his human and grabbed the collar of Red’s armor in his teeth, then began trying to drag him toward the edge of the Empire. If he could get Red to the train station, then he could get him back to Canterlot. Scalpel was a good pony and would help him there. The dark blue pegasus pulled with all his might, yanking the heavy human across the grass. As he pulled and struggled however, his hooves slipped in the pool of blood, causing him to fall. The sticky red substance clung to his fur and filled his nose with the stench of iron. There was just so much of it everywhere, and he could practically feel the warmth leaving Red’s body. His tears mixed with the blood on his face as he tried to get back to his feet. Night Flash felt a hoof on his shoulder and he looked up to find his wife smiling gently at him. “Let me help,” Book Binder said softly. “I’ll take care of Red, you get his legion moving.” Night Flash swallowed his tears and nodded, smiling brightly back at her. Book Binder levitated Red onto a waiting stretcher, where a trio of healers set to work, their horns aglow with magic as they set about binding every cut and wound. Snowball seemed to appear before Night Flash, and the loveling saluted sharply. “What’s the plan First Centurion?” Night Flash sniffled and wiped away the last of his tears as he let focus fill his mind. Red wouldn’t be happy if his legion was left behind, and he had to take command; it was his duty. Night Flash put a scowl on his muzzle as he looked toward the shocked looking legionaries. “Get First Cohort to escort General Bright to the train station. If the Crystal Heart is hurting him, then maybe taking him out of the Empire will help. Next, get me all of the scouts. I have to send messages to Second Cohort.” Snowball nodded and began shouting his orders. A trio of pegasi flapped out of the formation and slammed down next to Night Flash. The dark blue pegasus began gathering his discarded belongings as he spoke. “Get the word out. All legionaries need to be back on the train in the next thirty minutes. If they’re not, they’ll have to wait for it to make a return trip. Gather as much of our equipment as we can. If we can, I’d like the full strength of the legion packed up and returning to Canterlot with us.” Two of the scouts took off, and as the third one began to, Night Flash stopped him as an idea popped into his head. “Blankets!” he blurted at the pony. “Get as many blankets as we can. General Bright doesn’t have fur to keep him warm, and outside the barrier it’s still cold! Get a message to all the healers to start drawing blood from ponies! General Bright needs as much as we can spare!” Kind Heart glanced up from Elias’ body. “Do we know if a transfusion will work? I don’t want to kill him by giving him bad blood.” “He’s on death’s door anyway,” Night Flash replied. “We have to try, unless you have a way to make sure he can run entirely on saline.” The healer frowned, then shook her head. “We don’t. Blood it is. Adiutor Binder, do you have his…?” Book Binder dropped a file onto Elias’ body, with the front page open. The healer scanned the sheet, then grunted. “Then it looks like we’re in business ladies and gentlecolts. I need volunteers with O- or A+. If you have that, your orders are coming only from me.” Four ponies peeled away from the gathered ponies and stood beside Red’s stretcher where one of the healers used a piece of chalk to put a mark on their helmets with their blood type. Kind Heart looked to Night Flash for permission, and he gave it with a nod. “Get going, make sure he stays safe.” Kind Heart bowed her head slightly. “We will.” She bellowed out for the cohort to move, and the ponies fell into a loose block around her as they sprinted out of the Empire, moving toward the train station. Night Flash watched them go for a moment, then looked to Cadence. “Without your permission Princess, I will be withdrawing the entirety of General Bright’s legion from the Empire. Since he’s so evil in your eyes, you certainly wouldn't want the ponies trained by him standing guard, now would you?” The pink alicorn sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry that you can’t see it Night Flash. He’s not good. If the Crystal Heart-“ “I wish the Crystal Heart had remained buried,” Night Flash spat. “It’s a stupid rock that has no idea what it’s talking about, and I can see perfectly Princess. I see a man who gives and gives time and time again to do better for wrongs that he refuses to tell anypony about. I see a man who may have been evil at one point, but who is now doing his very best to be good and keep ponies safe. I see a man who has crawled back to good, and who has suffered the whole way, and he is a sight better than a “good” princess who just watches as that man suffers more.” He flared his wings as he prepared to take off to grab the rest of the legion. “And I’d follow the good man who fought past his evil any day, because I at least know who he is at face value. You Princess? I’m afraid I don’t know anything about you.” He gave a single mighty flap, then he was high in the air, and moving back toward the Empire. ***** “No, no, no,” Loyalty said as she sprinted away from the observation image. It was all so wrong, so twisted and broken. She had thought the test so simple, so perfect! When her sisters had told her their idea, she had thought it to be what it was. Yes, the human had issues with the other ponies, but his exit from Canterlot had been a perfect excuse for Moon to clear house, and she had! The ponies under her command were once again willing to cooperate with the human, and the human was even triumphant over Shadow! Yes, his methods had been blunt and a bit nerve wracking, but he had been victorious! But then the Crystal Heart had eradicated Shadow and sent him to Tartarus, and then the magic of the Heart had twisted inside the human, causing the creature immense injury. It was only then that Loyalty realized she had been duped. It was rare for her sisters to lie, especially Honesty, but the truth-telling Keeper had always been slippery, had learned that by not speaking, she could honor her element, as well as keep secrets. Now though, now their plan was laid bare, and Loyalty had to act directly to fix it. She finally found what she was looking for on the mortal plane, and she poured herself into the human’s head, sifting through his memories. She winced as his immense pain lashed out, but she was a goddess. Pain was a thing mortal forms had, with their blood and their nerves. Looking at his body, Loyalty noticed the quick actions of the ponies around him, and she smiled in satisfaction. Her element had always been strong with the human, and he had passed his loyalty on to his ponies well. They would solve his physical injuries, leaving her free to solve his magical and mental ones. As she sifted through his thoughts, she realized that her task was mightier than she had initially thought. Shadow had shown him horrifying images, and combined with the human’s past traumas, his very psyche was shattering, fragmenting into embattled sections that ripped and tore at each other. His otherworldly soul was in tatters, and his emotional state was decaying. She need to stabilize him first, then act to return him to his norm. Fixing him was unfortunately not an option. Honesty and Generosity had tried that, and the results were appalling. Loyalty parked herself at the center of the hu-… No. If she was to heal him, she had to address him as more than a mere mortal. The human was Elias Bright, son to Night Flash and Book Binder, would-be lover of Moon. He was a mighty warrior, a great friend, and a staunch protector. He was capable of great harmonious acts, as well as acts of immense violence and chaos. Loyalty felt a memory of his flash through her brain, and she briefly considered looking at the image, what Elias’ mind told her was a “nuke”. A warning about the image whispered in her ears, and she followed the memory to its core storage. It sat firmly in Elias’ protected memories, and so, Loyalty ignored it. If the human wanted to share his knowledge, he would, and when he did, she would listen. She would not violate him like her sisters had. She would only help. “Please think happy thoughts Elias,” she whispered. “It will ease your pain so much quicker.” Loyalty focused once more at the center of Elias’ mind, then located his consciousness. Grabbing as much of the battered consciousness as she could, she carefully constructed the perfect dream, then merely plopped the human inside. She felt his thoughts awaken, and as he began moving through the dream, she set to work reconstructing his mind. ***** Elias walked lazily down the Canterlot streets, doing nothing in particular. His mind felt surprisingly blank, a rare sensation that he took great pleasure in. Instead of the ever-present floods of thoughts and analyzations that filled his mind, for once Elias was allowed to choose his thoughts, and he decided to walk back on a few recent memories. The day’s training was done, and he was off duty for the night. In truth, he had no idea why that was. Nightshade had been rather coy when he asked, and after a few wasted minutes of trying to force an answer out of her, he had given up and had accepted his sudden leave. That left him to walk home with his armor strung together over his shoulder. He passed by a bakery, giving a small wave to Baked Loaf. She had scolded him for ducking her invitation to visit, but now they talked every day when Elias walked to the castle. She would tell him about how well her business was doing, and Elias would talk about how well training was going. She would then give him a bagel, and he would be on his way. It was a simple pleasure, but a pleasure nonetheless. It paled in comparison to home though. Book Binder and Night Flash had secured their new house, and as soon as they had moved themselves in, they had come for him with a wagon, a dozen cardboard boxes, and an alicorn princess with an eviction notice on hoof if he refused to go with them. He had taken it all with the good intentions the action had, but had gotten in his own little blow. After the kiss he and Luna had shared on the night of the wedding, Elias had asked her for a small break to think. In reality, he had used the time to finally withdraw his guard pay to buy the alicorn a special gift. She “happened” to pack the portion of the room with a friendship ring in it, and upon finding it, he had asked her to be his marefriend. The panic that ensued was anything but small as Luna tried to start unpacking his belongings. When Book Binder had protested, she and Luna had gotten into an argument that grew heated. The “tiff” Night Flash had called it, had resulted with Luna backed into a corner by a growling and hissing Book Binder. Once the alicorn had bowed her head in submission, Book Binder had gone after Elias, threatening him with a family bath if he didn’t get the rest of his things together. It was then that Night Flash had stepped in, and with Elias’ help, they managed to convince both mares that nobody was being left behind. The talk had switched to the future, about plans to be made, and dates to be set. When the ‘W’ word had come up, Luna had pounced Elias, pressing her lips against his. Like a switch was flipped, Book Binder turned from over-protective mom to loving mother in-law. She took Luna by the wing aside to “talk”, leaving Elias and Night Flash to finish packing. It didn’t take the pair long to do so, he didn’t have much in the way of personal belongings, but Night Flash assured him that that would change once they got him settled. Once his remaining belongings were outside and tied to the wagon, Book Binder and Luna had popped back up, talking and giggling as if they had been best friends forever. Their smiles had grown wider when they had found Elias packed and ready to go. Luna had wished them all a farewell, then she had given Elias a kiss on the cheek and a rump wiggle before trotting away, leaving the man with his jaw agape and his cheeks flushed red. Book Binder took the opportunity his stunned silence had brought and hopped onto his shoulders, clinging to his head, and pointing in the direction of their house with a cry of joy. The house looked small from the outside; it was two stories tall, and was fairly slim. The door was shorter than Elias was, resulting in him having to duck. More assurances came about how a carpenter was supposed to come by within the week to fix the door, but Elias didn’t really notice the short doorway. He could walk through the rest of the house without issue, and after a short tour of the downstairs space, Night Flash and Book Binder led him upstairs. The entire floor was designated as his room. It had a full bathroom, and clear signs that it had once been split into three bedrooms. The paint was slightly uneven where the previous walls had been ripped out, but Elias wasn’t one to complain. The new room was at least twice the size of his room in the castle, if not more, and it already had a few pieces of furniture, as well as some other homey decorations. The floor was largely hardwood, but a massive blue rug covered the floor next to his bed. Night Flash joked about having to get an “alicorn sized” mattress for it. The curtains for his windows matched the rug, as did his bed spread. When asked about the color choice, Book Binder had giggled and said; “I think you’re marefriend will like it.” Elias had rolled his eyes, but in truth, there was nothing he could do but smile. His belongings were simple to put away, and his unofficial parents had left him to unpack. By the time he had finished, the sun had begun to set, and his stomach had started to rumble. When he had gone downstairs, he had been surprised to find the house packed with ponies and food, all of which were inviting. To his surprise, Luna attended the housewarming party in the gown she had worn to Book Binder and Night Flash’s wedding, making him feel woefully underdressed. She had used that fact to great advantage, and by the end of the evening, they found themselves in his bedroom, revisiting their kiss in detail. After that had come talk about the future, and then further kissing when the talk had gotten stale. By the time midnight rolled around, they had a bare bones plan laid out, and they simply cuddled, holding each other loosely as they savored each other’s presence. Elias smiled at the memory of Book Binder storming up the stairs with a broom. Apparently, he and Luna had been “making a ruckus”, which earned him a scolding. She had then shooed the “fluff brained harlot” from his bed. The game was obvious as the two went in circles around his room, with Luna diving in to snatch the occasional kiss from Elias. What swipes Book Binder did manage to land were gentle, and both mares grinned as the chase continued. It had come to end with Luna giving him a wink and a rump wiggle before departing to the castle. The days that followed were a blur. The alicorn’s primary sat openly on his chest, and the whispers of a second royal wedding began circling in the castle rumor mill. Elias’ night shifts were largely spent with his marefriend, either standing as her personal guard, or taking on an assistant role in getting things sorted out for the Saddle Arabian march. But tonight he had free time, and he had no idea what he was going to do with it. Elias slipped his keys from their pouch on his sword belt. As soon as he opened the door to the house, Elias had his answer. ***** Night Flash paced back and forth as he tried to get glimpses of Red past the trio of healers working on him. They had made it back to the train without incident, and Night Flash had secured a car specifically for the human. Since the Elements were staying in the Empire, one had been free, and it now functioned as Red’s personal medical ward. The train was chugging along back toward Canterlot, but it would be hours before they reached the city. The scouts had gotten word to Second Cohort in record time, and the ponies had moved like lightning. No legionnaire had been left behind, nor had any of their equipment. As soon as everyone was loaded, the train had departed. The motion had caused Red to groan, which Night Flash had taken as a good sign. At least it meant he was still alive. Night Flash stopped mid-step as the human moaned something again. The blue pegasus stuck his head between two healers, eager to see if his human was awake, but Kind Heart pushed him back. Night Flash whined slightly, but didn't protest. He instead immediately set back to pacing, casting the occasional glance at Red. “Come on buddy,” he whispered. “Pull through. I’ll do anything to have you back.” ***** “SURPRISE!” Every light in the house suddenly flipped on with the sound of dozens of voices filling his ears. Out of shock, he took a step back. His direction was immediately reversed by a green aura surrounding his body and yanking him into the house. Elias quickly found himself buried in a pile of his fluffiest friends and family, all of whom either laughed at his flushed expression, or wished him a happy birthday. Usually both. One pair of ponies in particular found their way to the center of the pile, and both snuggled against him with happy smiles on their faces. Book Binder kissed his cheek. “Happy birthday baby boy, did we surprise you?” Elias tried to nod, but found that he couldn’t with Scarlet’s rump pressed against his head. “You did, mostly because I’m fairly certain I never told you my birthday.” Book Binder giggled as Night Flash wriggled his way into Elias’ arms. “Maybe not, but you did tell that marefriend of yours.” She clicked her tongue and sighed. “Some filly trying to take my baby away and she knows his birthday before I do. What’s the world coming to Flashie?” The pegasus chuckled and nuzzled Elias’ chin. “Mmm, something good I bet. Red’s gonna have foals before us at this rate.” “Woah hold on now,” Elias protested. “That’s a bit….” The pile seemed to vanish, and Elias locked eyes with Luna. She seemed to glow, and everything about her seemed to attract him. Even the coy grin on her muzzle as she sauntered forward invited him in. “A bit what lover?” she asked. “Don’t tell me you want to go back on our plan….” “N-no never,” Elias stuttered. Luna grinned, then with a flap, she leaped onto his chest and pressed her lips against his. Elias melted into her kiss, and Luna had no trouble taking the offered space. Her tongue invaded his mouth, combing over every inch, dominating him completely. Only when their breath was running short did she pull away. Her eyes shined at him as she stared down at him with a wide smile. “Happy birthday lover,” she said. “Get what you wished for?” Elias braced her cheeks and smiled. “I think I….” He felt something in his mind halt, and when Luna tried to lean in again, he ever so gently pushed her away. The blue alicorn tilted her head slightly, her smile never diminishing. “What’s wrong love? Did I not do a good enough job?” Elias shook his head. “No, it’s… something isn’t right. This…” He looked around to find the party in full swing. Scarlet was blindfolded and being led around by Night Flash. The crimson pegasus swung blindly at a piñata, causing laughter as he missed time and time again. Book Binder was chatting with Nightshade and Midnight Chaser. Her parents stood near the punch table, while Night Flash’s family chatted with guests near the stairs. What struck him the most was that they were all smiling, all laughing. They were all happy, happy for him. And he was happy. Or at least, he had been. Elias felt something creep down his cheek, and after a moment he realized it was a tear, but for the life of him, he couldn’t understand why he was crying. But then he suddenly knew. It struck him like a bolt of lightning, and he felt a numbness creep through his body. “This isn’t real,” he whispered. Luna sighed and nuzzled his chin. “Of course not love. You are a brave, strong leader, but in your bravery, you have become isolated. In reality you have nobody to turn to, but what is so wrong with enjoying a fantasy, just for a little while? Are you not allowed to be happy for one night?” Elias smiled slightly at the alicorns words. He rubbed her cheeks and met her eyes again. “Well, maybe just for one…” The bright lights vanished in a blink. Elias’ arms were extended into a dark, cold room. Nobody was there. He was alone. There was no house, no party. There was no family, no friends, and certainly no Luna. Elias felt completely numb as he let his arm drop to his covers. He sat in the dark for a while, simply staring into the darkness. His mind was alight with thoughts of the choices he had made, and he couldn’t help but wonder what could have been. ***** Luna shot awake at her desk, her heart pounding. Keepers that dream… She had been with Elias; they had been together. He had been so filled with love and happiness and she had the pleasure of being part of that. He had been happy. Everything had gone so well, and had seemed so real. She was a master at creating dreams, but even she couldn’t quite believe that at least some of it hadn’t happened. It was only when they were at the birthday celebration that Elias had seen through the illusion, had been able to penetrate the dream enough that she could also see it for what it was. But as suddenly as he had noticed, she had been cut off, no doubt a sign that the dream had ended. Luna blearily rubbed at her eyes as she looked toward the curtained window behind her desk. Cracking the curtains open, she swore as blinding sunlight stabbed right into her tired eyes. Daytime. That meant Elias should have been awake. Ever since he had left the Lunar Guard he had shifted back to a daytime work schedule, nighttime sleep schedule. Had she been able to use her dream magic, she would have spent many an evening trying to soothe his dreams, but alas, she was unable to. But that begged the question, why had he been asleep? It was far too early in the day for him to be dozing off from exhaustion, and the General Bright she knew didn’t take naps. The only logical conclusion she could draw from that information was that somebody was keeping asleep, somebody at least as good at dreamcraft as she was. If he was being kept asleep, that meant he was in trouble, and if he was in trouble… She blinked as a scroll popped into existence and fell onto her desk. She unrolled it, and just as she read its content, a shrill whistle sounded from the Canterlot Train Station. ***** Loyalty frowned as Elias’ mind rebelled and shook off her dream. She had thought the creation perfect, an excellent blend of his greatest wishes, merged together into one happy, blissful situation, including the slightest ounce of realism by including Moon. It was the best one could do outside of the Verdant Fields, yet the human had found a way to reject it, to claw his way into a different dream. Thankfully his mind was still asleep, still believed that he was not in agonizing pain as the Crystal Heart’s magic continued to try and rend his physical form from existence. She was making steady progress, and with the help of the mortal ponies, his body was stable, but she still had a great deal left to do. His body was not designed to redirect any amount of magic, and she was forced to go cell by cell, stealing the Heart’s magic away before the cells could die from overload. The only luck she was having was that healing magic didn’t actually flow into his cells, it merely mended them. Had the opposite been true, the unicorns at his bedside would have been steadily helping kill the poor human. Loyalty rubbed at her horn as she finished purging his heart of magic, and she moved on to his lungs, leaving behind a simple spell to clean any remaining blood cells of magic. She hated how thorough the Heart had been, and she knew exactly who was responsible. Honesty was watching her, trying to contact her, but Loyalty ignored her errant sister’s pleas. She could stew on her guilt for a time. Only when Elias was well again would she deal with Honesty. “May I help?” Loyalty felt her meld with the human’s body slip as she regarded Laughter. The white alicorn smiled lightly as Loyalty regained her bearings, compartmentalizing a portion of her consciousness to hold conversation, while the rest of her mind focused on the task at hoof. “Why would you want to?” Loyalty asked. “You have made clear your wish for non-involvement with the human. You even called him a foreign invader on our realm.” “True,” Laughter said, “but just because I detest his presence, doesn’t mean I fail to recognize his potential. Besides, there is very little joy surrounding him right now, now is there? That means his well-being falls within my purview, and I would like to help. To selfishly see the ponies around him smile of course.” She flashed a wide grin, which Loyalty did her best to ignore. “Alright, no need to rub it in,” Loyalty grumbled. “If you could begin working from his legs up, I will finish ensuring his internals don’t rupture.” Laughter bowed her head slightly, then she joined Loyalty in her meld. The white alicorn frowned slightly as she focused on the cells in the human’s feet. “Hmm, there are many faults in these horrid legs of his. Maybe if we just cha-…” “That is neither our place, nor our right,” Loyalty interrupted. “I am merely restoring the human to his natural state before the Crystal Heart’s interaction with him. Anymore is no better than what Honesty and Generosity tried to do, and if you have come here as their agent to see me fail-“ “I have not,” Laughter snapped, showing a rare breath of white hot anger. The white alicorn immediately calmed and focused on her task. “I was merely noting that there may be more we can do. These toes of his are ugly little things. A hoof would work so much better and would be far more durable. Make him like a minotaur perhaps.” “He is human,” Loyalty reiterated. “His ugly little toes are his, and they shall remain that way.” She momentarily shifted her focus to Elias’ feet. “Though I do wonder, are there supposed to be more of them?” Laughter shrugged. “We’re all powerful, not all-knowing. Diamond Dogs only have eight toes.” “Then Elias has the same,” Loyalty said with a smile. “Excellent, the damage isn’t as severe as I thought. He hasn’t lost any parts, which is more than I can say for Shadow.” Laughter rolled her eyes. “I swear, that pony is going to get himself fully obliterated one of these days. First, he antagonizes Sun and Moon, then he goes after Candidate Sparkle and the Crystal Heart. I share the human’s pleasure in seeing Shadow blown asunder. Of everything that happened this day, that was by far my favorite part.” Working with one of her sisters made the job so much more enjoyable. Loyalty smiled as she re-centered herself and went back to work. “Ah, but what about when Candidate Sparkle returned the Heart? Had it not had this adverse effect; it would have been wonderful!” ***** Night Flash paced at the foot of Red’s bed, eyeing the human as Book Binder snuggled up against his head. The human had survived the train ride in silence, and they had immediately rushed him to the castle. Scalpel had met them halfway, with a worried alicorn and a dozen Royal Guards in tow. With the bolstered escort, their run to the castle infirmary had been quick, and as soon as they had gotten in, a fresh team of healers had taken over, powering magic through Elias’ body, replacing bandages, and keeping his wounds closed. It had been nearly two hours, but the human’s body had finally begun to accept the treatment, and though the occasional bolt of blue energy rippled down his body, they were becoming fewer and fewer. As the energy lessened, his wounds stopped reopening, and they started making progress. After the most harrowing part of the trial had ended, Night Flash and the legion healers had gotten a scolding over transfusing Red with pony blood, but ultimately, Night Flash had only felt joy that the risky method had worked. They had pumped pints into the human, and now that he was more stable, a single blood bag sat on his IV stand, surrounded by saline drips to keep him hydrated. Scalpel was the pony on duty at Red’s bedside, his horn pouring more healing magic into the human’s body. There was still a great deal of healing left to do, but he was stable, and if they gave him around the clock care, he would recover. That was what was important to Night Flash. Red would recover. Now he was struggling with what his place was. As soon as she had been able, Book Binder had snuggled up with Red, brushing his hair lightly with her hooves, while she held a Daring Doo book in her magic. She read at a whisper, occasionally pausing to smile down at Red, pretending almost as if he was listening. If he was, he didn’t show it. His eyes had drifted closed some time ago, but he showed no other signs of consciousness. Night Flash ached to join the human in his bed. He wanted to throw his armor off like Book Binder and snuggle up to his human, keeping him warm while he healed, but he also had duties to take care of. Luna was absorbing Book Binder’s duties with Scarlet’s help, and the pair were making a healthy dent in Red’s stacks of paperwork, but there was no other First Centurion. Red trusted him to keep the legion safe, and unfortunately, the ponies needed him. They were shaken, and most were waiting on word that Red was in the clear. Waiting meant they weren’t working, and if Red was able to speak, Night Flash imagined he would have yelled at them for worrying. He would want them training and drilling. He would want business to resume as usual. The door to the infirmary opened to reveal Snowball, and Night Flash regarded the loveling for a moment before he sighed and slipped his helmet on. “I’m glad you’re here Adiutor,” he said. “Keep Red company. Bindey, please give Red my love. I’ll go check in on everypony, make sure they’re gear is being taken care of, then I might take them for a jog around the city. General Bright would want the legion to keep moving, so that’s what we’ll do.” He began moving toward the door, only for Snowball to stand in his way with a fanged smile. “Apologies First Centurion, but you’re not going anywhere.” “Excuse you?” Night Flash said. “As Elias’ official best friend right now, I get the final say on who looks after him, and that’s you and Adiutor Book Binder,” Snowball said. “You’re already right where you belong.” Night Flash frowned. “Adiutor Binder has ponies picking up her slack, and I made an agreement with Red. Even if I didn’t, I have duties Red trusts me with. He wouldn’t be happy if I shirked them.” He nudged Snowball to the side. “I’m going to check on the legion.” Night Flash’s ear flicked as he heard his voice again. “I’m going to check on the legion,” Snowball mimicked, his voice slightly garbled. Night Flash stopped and stared at the loveling. “What are you doing?” “I’m going to check on the legion,” Snowball said again. His voice sounded exactly like Night Flash’s, and the loveling grinned as he cleared his throat. His horn lit up, and Night Flash watched as the snow white loveling was replaced by an exact copy of himself, armor and all, save for a helmet. “Night Flash” smiled and plucked the helmet from Night Flash’s head. “I have fully researched and studied all of your duties as First Centurion, and I will conduct them,” Not-Flash said as he plopped the helmet onto his head. “You stay here and make sure General Bright gets nice and healthy again. There’s nothing better than a family cuddle to heal wounds.” Night Flash frowned at the loveling. “Or you could stay here disguised as me. Red wouldn’t notice, and-“ “He’d know,” Not-Flash cut in, “and then he’d lose trust in me. I will make regular reports on the legions status, and when he wakes up and questions why you’re here helping him heal, you can answer truthfully; medical science proves that having ponies you care about nearby when healing speeds up the process. You wanted him back on his feet as soon as possible, and this was the way to do it. You can then present him with my reports on how standards were maintained, and then everything is perfect. He’ll resume his place as General as healthy as can be, and absolutely filled to the bursting with love.” Not-Flash shrugged. “Besides, I could always just put you in a half-cocoon right next to him and do this anyway. You’re staying here First Centurion. I’m not asking.” Night Flash’s frown turned into a scowl. “This is blatant manipulation.” Not-Flash grinned. “It sure is. I’m a loveling First Centurion, I’m practiced at manipulation. The difference between me and a changeling is that I try to spread as much love around as possible, while they try to hoard it like the greedy little bugs they are.” Not-Flash nodded toward Red’s bedside. “Now get in there and make sure he gets better. Nopony will know I’m not you. My Night Flash impression is pretty good.” He puffed out his chest so that his fluff poked out of the gaps in his armor. “I’m First Centurion Night Flash, and I love snuggling ponies and making them run laps when they make fun of my snuggling.” Before Night Flash could protest, Book Binder giggled. “Wow, just like the real thing.” She winked as Night Flash turned around. “Not nearly as attractive though.” Night Flash sighed, then looked back to Not-Flash. “Fine, you might do a good impression, but no lax standards! Tell everything to Centurion Granite and Centurion Ice Blossom. They’ll help you make sure everything is exactly how Red wants it to be.” Not-Flash saluted, grinning the whole while. “Yes sir First Centurion Fluffy!” Night Flash’s eyes narrowed. “That’s five laps of the city. You may have convinced me to go along with your plan, but the moment you step out that door, this stops being a game. It shouldn’t be considered a game now.” Not-Flash drooped slightly. “Of course First Centurion, apologies. I’ll get to work immediately.” Night Flash gave him a short nod. “See that you do. I’ll await your report.” Not-Flash gave him a sharper salute, then he turned and left the infirmary. Night Flash looked back to Red’s bedside, then with a slight smile, began to remove his armor. ***** Elias frowned as he tapped on the line of shields before him with his gladius. Each prod was met with stiff resistance, and Elias had to fight to keep a smile from his face. He found no weakness, not so much as a budge from the shield wall. The only things keep him from smiling like an idiot was the steady downpour that made the ground muddy. His sandals squished and squelched with every step, and Elias used the uncomfortable feeling to remain stiff and aloof, forcefully dampening his mood. He made his way back down the line until he stopped before Night Flash. “Good work First Centurion. If we keep at this pace, we might have a fighting force worth all the time we put into it.” The dark blue pegasus grinned. “I should hope so. We’re all really excited to die for you.” Elias had begun to walk away at the first sentence, but the second stopped him in his tracks. He cast an eye toward Night Flash. “What did you just say?” Elias felt his stomach curl as he looked at the pegasus again. Night Flash’s face… A nasty, bleeding cut split Night Flash’s face in tow, but it was like he didn’t notice. He just smiled on, completely unaware that half of his lip simply didn’t exist. Elias felt his bad eye twitch as the pegasus gave him an unnatural smile. “We’re ready to die for you General! I can’t wait!” A round of cheers came from the ponies around Night Flash, and only on a second glance did Elias’ realize that they were all wounded horrifically. Pools of blood and gore mixed with the mud at their feet as their wounds dripped and oozed. Missing eyes, ears, jaws, limbs, and so many different cuts and wounds. Elias’ stomach rebelled, but for a moment, he almost saw the image for what it was. “General?” Elias flinched back as a bony hoof touched his bare arm. He whirled on his heel to find a unicorn skeleton wearing Book Binder’s armor. The sight drew a fear filled yelp from Elias, and he tried to draw back, but the mud stole his balance, and he fell, splashing himself in mud and blood that slipped between the cracks in his armor. The skeleton tilted its head and grinned at him. “What’s wrong General? Isn’t this what you wanted? We did this for you Elias, what’s wrong?” Elias felt another hoof on his arm, followed by another. The cheers became screams and wails of agony and the ground sank as dead and dying ponies stacked on top of him. As more bodies fell, the stench filled his nose, and Elias did everything he could to fight free, but they were everywhere. Their hooves grabbed him, dragging him deeper into the mud, and their screams filled his head. His vision went black, but at the same time filled with images of his friends and family. A flash of ponies in silver ripping other ponies apart. Book Binder screaming in his ear, telling him how much he hated her. The feeling of Night Flash’s fur, dead and cold in his hands. A blue alicorn rose through the muck and wrapped herself around his chest with an evil grin on her face. Her horn was shattered, and patches of fur and flesh began dripping off her muzzle as she giggled. “What’s wrong lover? Aren’t you proud to see your work completed? Aren’t you happy to see what your actions brought about?” Her hooves clutched at his face, and she tried to pull him closer, to drag him down into the pile of bodies and death. It was all too much. Elias let out a terrified scream as he finally managed to break free, and he left everything behind as he felt one thought in his mind. Run. ***** Night Flash sat up right just in time to catch a fist in the muzzle as Red let out a bloodcurdling scream. The pegasus fell to the ground, clutching at his muzzle as Red lashed out at Scalpel. The unicorn took the hit in between the eyes, and he fell without a sound, completely knocked out. Book Binder’s voice rose in the air, trying to calm the human down, but the wild animal they were facing wouldn’t be calmed. Red swung at Book Binder, forcing the unicorn to dive away. She lit her horn, slamming the infirmary doors open. “We need some help in here!” she screamed. Red ripped out his IV lines, and began to try to get out of the bed, but Night Flash wiped the blood from his muzzle and pounced, holding the human’s arm down. “It’s okay Red, we’re here! Everything is okay!” Night Flash grunted as a fist slammed into his ribs, but he didn’t loosen his grip. He saw the fist raise again, but it was pinned under green magic, then a green body. “Please baby boy, it’s us!” Book Binder pleaded. “We’re here, we both are! Just calm down and talk to us!” Two Royal Guards rushed into the room, and they latched onto Red’s legs, but the human still writhed and fought, trying to break free. Unfortunately, the human was very strong, and Night Flash was slowly losing his grip. Worse yet was another terrified scream that emanated from the human’s throat. It was the single most heartbreaking sound he had ever heard, and Night Flash felt tears fill his eyes as he held onto Red’s arm. “Please Red, I’m here,” he begged. “It’s going to be alright.” ***** Loyalty ran as fast as she could after Elias’ conscious being. She and Laughter had only a moment’s warning that the human had entered a night terror, and as soon as he had, his mind had gone wild. A mixture of nightmares, old and new, mixed to form a maelstrom of pain in the human, and when confronted with such a situation, mortals only had one reaction; they either fought, or they ran. After so long fighting, for control, for peace, Elias’ mind had finally snapped, and he had run. Now she had to pursue him on his ground, had to offer comfort to his psyche before it ripped itself apart. She had her work cut out for her. His foreign, otherworldly mind dulled her power, so she had to run like a mortal would. She was unused to the sensation, but she kept up the pursuit regardless. Elias wove through blank corridors and black walls to escape, and after a while, he succeeded. Loyalty slowed her pace and lit her horn, listening carefully for steps in the ever-shifting labyrinth of the human’s mind. She felt a bit of calm enter the human’s mind, and she cast about with her magic, searching for the source. She felt surprise as her magic brushed against Kindness’ magic. The yellow goddess had also sworn off the human, primarily because of his cruelty, but she could feel some calm spreading within the human’s mind. She also knew it wouldn’t last. He was fighting, them, himself, his friends in the mortal realm. He ached for release, escape. His mind and his heart were twisting, becoming darker and uglier as the Crystal Heart’s magic mixed with… Shadow. Loyalty snarled as she felt the evil pony’s presence. Dark tendrils poisoned Elias’ emotions and his thoughts. She summoned a memory door and peered inside, watching as a good memory of Elias sleeping with Moon turned into her attacking the human. He stood his ground for only a moment, then he turned heel and fled. Loyalty shut the door and opened another, powering as much magic as she could into making sure the memory remained pure. She opened the door and watched Shadow and the human battle once more. She watched the black tendrils of dark magic enter the human’s head, and then she watched the human shake each attack off in turn. She had assumed he had fully broken the attacks, dispersing their affect, but as the fight wore on, she noticed that he didn’t ignore the visions, he simply powered through. By doing so, the magic still stirred in his mind, and with every good memory they poisoned, they gave the Crystal Heart more to attack and destroy. It was the good memories keeping Elias strong, but as they faded, he simply grew weaker and weaker. Loyalty sent a message to her sisters, and she immediately felt their magic target Shadow’s lingering presence. Satisfied that they could make real headway in purging the human of the pony’s evil, she set off into the maze of the human’s mind. As the shadow magic was peeled away, the corridors became lighter, and memory doors began appearing by themselves, slowly falling into organized sections. Loyalty strained her ears, listening carefully for any sounds the human might make. Logically speaking she was a magical construct within his mind, but mortals always parsed things by their senses, even within their own minds. So, she listened, and after a few moments, she heard something. It was incredibly faint, but it gave her a direction. At the next intersection, she took a right and found the walls around her shifting to look like those in Canterlot castle. The sounds grew louder in her ears, and Loyalty pressed on. She continued until she hit a pair of double doors, through which she found a large library, as well as the source of the noise. She stepped lightly as she got closer to her target, and when she stepped around a bookshelf, she found him. Elias Bright was in a sorry state. His body was a mess of open, bleeding wounds, almost as if he had just been attacked by the Crystal Heart. Curled into a ball, the human cried, rocking back and forth as he wept. Loyalty slowly crept forward, eyeing him up carefully in case he tried to run again, but Elias didn’t seem to notice, he merely rocked, and as she stood above him, Loyalty realized that he was whispering something. “They’re going to die because of me. They’re going to die because of me. They’re going to die-“ Loyalty let out a small sigh as she sat slowly before him. Using her wings, she dragged him slowly into a hug, then let her horn glow as she penetrated the deepest layers of his mind. “Show me.” Loyalty closed her eyes and saw the world through Elias’ eyes. She lived through the images Shadow had shown him, then she lived through the night terror he had found himself in. Then it kept going, showing more faces, more blood. It was a never-ending loop, and figures, human and pony alike filled her mind, showing her his every suffering and worry. His every fear. They were innumerable, and Loyalty finally understood. She understood Elias completely, but she also understood what she had to do to save him. If he ever found out what she was about to do, his heart would twist and the love he contained would die, but she would ensure that he would never find out. “You poor creature,” she whispered. “I am so sorry Elias Bright. You have fought and suffered so much, and now your fear is trying to poison your heart. I am sorry for what you have suffered, and for what you have yet to suffer.” She closed her eyes, and her muzzle curled as she began to cry. The hypocrite she was, judging her sisters harshly. Yes, had they not meddled with the Crystal Heart, none of this would have happened, but she was about to make their meddling look positively saint-like. Her horn charged with magic, and she lowered it to Elias’ forehead. “Sleep little one,” she said, “Sleep, and be happy. You won’t remember an ounce of this suffering.” She plunged into Elias’ mind, cutting away every vision Shadow had shown him. Unfortunately, his tendrils had reached far, and she had to cut away further memories to make sure the corruption was purified. Ultimately the damage was negligible, with only a few good memories being cut away, but the sheer disgust she felt for directly altering the human’s mind was more than she could bear without her emotions turning dark. She felt an emotion she had trouble keeping in check flare up, and she sent a message to Laughter, asking the goddess for her help in remaining calm and on task. Laughter responded by sending harmonious energy into her form, as well as some news that once she was finished with her work, she was to report to the judgement chamber. Keeper was calling. Loyalty focused, and with a few more adjustments, she felt Elias’ mind finally beginning to calm. She had erased all the dreams he had experienced since the Crystal Heart had touched him, and had erased all of the visions Shadow had shown him. His mind would be fuzzy when it came to his short visit to the Crystal Empire, but ultimately, he would still be sane and as whole as he could be. Scanning over Elias’ mind, the thought to alter things, to change him for the better again flowed to the forefront of her mind. She squashed the thought once more, though this time took a noticeable amount of willpower. She withdrew herself from the human’s mind, and she made sure to drag Laughter and Kindness with her. She brought them to their viewing room, sending a brief message to Keeper that they would attend him shortly. Beside their viewing ball sat an image of Elias’ mind, slowly cooling from a polluted black and red to a cool blue, alive with flickers of gold and red. Loyalty prodded each color in turn, taking samples to taste his emotional state. The cool blue once more held firm resolve, bolstered by the removal of the polluted memories, as well as Kindness’s soft touch. The red was as burning hot as ever, remaining untamed, and chaotic. Though it clashed with her very being, Loyalty recognized the wild heat as Elias’. Until he tamed it himself, it was to be left be. Finally came the flickers of gold, and upon tasting them, Loyalty felt a swell of joy. The human’s harmonious element, the part of him that loved, the happy part, but also his responsible core. It was his intelligence, his curiosity, his studious spirit, it was what Loyalty wanted to fortify beyond recognition. It was his pure potential for good, and immersed in it, she once again was challenged not to make him better, not to make him into a pure, harmonious pony. The temptation grew as she danced in the feelings, in his inquisitive spirit. Perhaps she could make him a gryphon, or a minotaur. Surely the change wouldn’t be so bad if he still kept his hands. Then again, a horn had the same utility as hands, and if she… “Sister, enough.” Loyalty opened her eyes to find Kindness gently pulling her free of Elias’ mind. Her horn was awash with golden light, and when she glanced toward the human’s brain, she found it in a similar state. She felt a rush of dread, but Laughter gave her a giggle and a nuzzle. “Don’t worry sister, I recognized that look in your eyes.” With a small push of magic, the golden glow surrounding Elias’ brain pushed away, revealing a pinkish sphere protecting the human’s brain. The magic remained in place for a moment, then seeped deep into his brain. Loyalty let out a small gasp. “What did you do?” Laughter giggled again. “Nothing negative. Merely a permanent, advanced level spell against mental intrusions. Something to make it harder for Shadow to corrupt his thoughts if they meet again.” She began to dismiss the image of the human’s brain. “And it is a small alarm spell. If any of us attempt to alter Elias Bright again without permission, Keeper will know.” Kindness scoffed. “He is all-knowing and all-powerful. An alarm spell is hardly necessary.” Laughter grinned. “Perhaps, but go ahead, try a little alteration. Try to make the human nicer. Try to make him like bunnies.” Kindness frowned, then sent a little jolt of magic at the human’s mind. She immediately let out a shriek of alarm as her horn charged with power, and she vanished with a pop. Laughter grinned broadly at Loyalty. “Just because He sees everything doesn’t mean we can’t make it easier to find those responsible.” Loyalty felt a smile spread on her muzzle. “Clever. You have my thanks sister, both for the protection of the human… and for pulling me away from a mistake.” Laughter gave her a small bow. “We all have our moments of weakness Loyalty. As much as we strive to be like Keeper, that feat will take a supreme effort that we haven’t quite exerted yet. Go on, I have one thing left to do before we attend Him.” Loyalty gave her a nod and a curious look before disappearing with a flash of magic. Laughter dismissed the image of the human’s brain without a look, and instead focused on the viewing sphere. In it was Elias, sleeping once more on a pristine white bed. Straps covered his wrists and his ankles, holding him in place, while a pair of guards stood opposition the bed, watching him intently. In the bed beside him was a unicorn, sleeping off a mild concussion. Laughter’s smile dimmed when she saw two ponies sleeping beside the human’s bed, a slight nervousness in their forms. The pegasus bore bandages around his muzzle, while the unicorn, unscathed physically, was clearly in great emotional pain due to the human’s unconscious actions. Further away in the castle, a restless alicorn tossed and turned in worry, trying to sleep but only just barely succeeding. That wouldn’t do. That wouldn’t do at all. Laughter’s horn glowed and her smile returned as she set things right. The two guards watching Elias’ bed drifted off to sleep, cuddling against one another on the floor. The straps holding the human down vanished, replaced by an extra layer of blankets to keep him warm while his injuries healed. Moon appeared in the room with a silent pop, and suspending her into the air along with the green unicorn and the blue pegasus, Laughter began to settle them around the human. The unicorn sighed happily as Laughter placed her against the human’s hair. As her hooves began sleepily stroking the human’s cheek, Laughter prodded awake a forgotten idea in the mare’s head, giving her the inspiration for a small idea that might yield joy-filled fruit. The pegasus she settled in the crook of the human’s arm, and Elias did the rest, pulling the pony tight to his chest. The blue pegasus giggled and nuzzled the human, squeaking in slight pain as his muzzle bumped against the human’s ribs. The jolt of his battered muzzle didn’t wake the pony, however, so Laughter let him be. She regarded Moon for a moment, briefly wondering if she should involve the alicorn so directly, or if she should simply bear witness to the scene to achieve piece of mind. Fortunately for her, Elias answered the question as his mind began a simple, yet elegant and happy dream. She let the human’s mind wind it’s path through, but she skipped ahead, finding what she needed. She let Moon drift down, and as soon as the alicorn touched the human, he dragged her to rest under his other arm. The nervous, worried twitching vanished from Moon’s body, and she sighed happily as she rested against Elias. Content that her job was finished, Laughter charged her horn to appear before Keeper. The god stopped her magic with a gentle nudge, and he assured her that her presence was not needed, that he was meting out punishment well enough without her. Instead, he whispered in her mind. Watch my child, watch the human’s dream. You will be inspired, and you will have a decision before you. I trust you to make it. Laughter frowned at his words for a moment, then looked toward the human. A smile decorated his face, and so, she decided to watch. She lit her horn, and slowly melded with the human. It didn’t take long for the dream to run its course, and when it had, Laughter was amazed. Laughter couldn’t help herself as the dream ended. She laughed. She laughed and jumped for joy as she squealed and giggled. The human’s dream was something she could have never thought up. It was so simple, so in-tune with his very being. Of course he would use such an excuse to relax, of course that was what he required! She had never truly understood the rigidness with which he carried himself, but now it made sense. It made the peaceful moments, the love-filled moments all the more potent. If it had really happened, then it would be a memory forever sealed in both Elias’, as well as his family and friends’, minds. But it was only a dream… Laughter frowned for a moment, then widened the view of the orb. All of the necessary ponies were asleep, save for a pair guarding the legion’s standard. She instantly made them tired beyond comprehension, and they settled in beside each other, snoozing away by the standard. Laughter compartmentalized her mind twice; once to maintain the standard’s guard, and the second to prop up and awaken the guards once she was finished. For them, it would feel like a drowsy blink of the eyes, not the restful sleep it was. Doing another scan of the ponies she needed, Laughter felt her muzzle twitch into a smile of satisfaction. She closed her eyes and centered herself, preparing for the largest direct action she had taken in millennia. She melded with Elias’ brain first, simply taking the dream he had created and perfecting it, inserting in all the necessary faces where there were once amorphous blurs. Then, one by one, she melded the dreams of every sleeping legionary into one. She included ponies from Ponyville as well, spent moments gathering all of the ponies in Canterlot who had the slightest bit of care about the legion, and she put them all together in the temporary realm. Then, with a smile, Laughter simply let the dream replay from the beginning, letting Elias and his friends live out the wonderful day all on their own. ***** Elias kept a hard scowl on his face as the photographer arranged the legion to Book Binder’s specifications. The picture had been the green unicorn’s idea. It had taken some convincing, but he had eventually agreed to it, on the condition that she took the lion’s share of the work, and that it took place on the legion’s one light day. Book Binder took to the extra work with enthusiasm and no small amount of secrecy. The legionaries didn’t even know it was happening until the morning of, with some still distrustful of their schedules until they had seen the massive bleachers the photographer had erected. Once in sight of the bleachers, Book Binder had announced the afternoon’s itinerary; first, the legionaries would take a series of pictures at her direction, then, they would have the option to stay in Ponyville for a day off, or take the train back to Canterlot for the same. She gave out a warning not to party too hard or to stay out too long, as the next day would hold the same training as usual. Still, after the photos were taken, the day was there’s. They had earned it. Elias squinted against the bright sunlight as Book Binder trotted up to him with a slight smile. “Alright General, we’re all set. If you will follow me, we are at the bottom center.” Elias gave her a silent nod, and followed the unicorn as she led him to their position. Night Flash danced on the tips of his hooves as they approached, and he positively beamed as Elias fell in beside him. The human rolled his eyes as he tucked his helmet under his left arm and face the camera with his normal, stern expression. Book Binder took a few steps back, then smiled and nodded. “Everything looks great!” Addressing the legionaries, she said; “Alright everyone, serious one first! No smiles or I’ll make you run back to Canterlot with a timberwolf tied to your tail.” Elias heard small shifts and shuffles behind him, but they all quickly fell silent. Once they had, Book Binder smiled again, and looked back to the photographer. “We’re all ready when you are.” The pony behind the camera waved a hoof in a thumbs up gesture and smiled, ducking behind the camera . Book Binder’s smiled dropped, and Elias watched both her, and Night Flash puff out their chests slightly, making themselves look taller. His eyes flicked up when the photographer raised a hoof and then began counting down as if she had fingers. “3… 2…. 1…” The camera went off with a bright flash, and after a moment of blinking, Book Binder darted forward. She and the photographer checked the photograph as it came out, and a grin spread on Book Binder’s face. “That one came out great everyone!” she shouted. “Just stay in place for a moment.” Whispering something to the photographer, Book Binder glanced at Elias with a grin, provoking a frown from the man. The unicorn trotted up, her tail swinging happily. “So General, since we have a camera all set up and ready, and since the photo package I paid for has a minimum two photo requirement…” Elias sighed and shook his head. “You want a funny one.” It was a statement of the obvious, made even more so when Book Binder bobbed her head. “Just a quick one! And one without armor, so we can make it easier for everyone to find themselves in the pictures!” Elias sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fine, just get it done quick, and make sure they know what happens if they lose or damage their armor.” Book Binder squealed loudly and bounced into the air. Her mouth began to open, no doubt to spill out more joy, but Elias raised a hand to stop her. “And I decide what we’re doing for the funny picture.” Book Binder stopped her bouncing to tilt her head. “Planned ahead for this did you General?” She giggled and shrugged, then bounced again. “Aw who care, we still get to take one!” She looked to the stands of legionaries. “Funny picture first everyone!” A cheer went up among the legion, and Book Binder trotted back up to Elias with a grin on her face. “Now, what did you have in mi-“ She eeped as Elias scooped her up. Night Flash was grabbed next, and with both ponies tucked under his arms, Elias located Snowball, Gray Granite, and Scarlet Shield, telling them to balance on his shoulders and back. Snowball lifted away his helmet first, then his bug-like buzzed as he alighted onto the center of Elias’ back. He rested his head overtop Elias’, while his hooves wrapped gently around Elias’ neck, giving the loveling balance. Granite came up next with a hop, settling on Elias’ right shoulder. He balanced by holding onto Snowball with one forehoof, while the other used Elias’ arm as a balance point. Finally, Scarlet flapped up to Elias’ left shoulder, using his wings to balance the whole effort, as well as to lighten the load. While extremely heavy, Elias felt fine, just so long as he didn’t try to move too much. He looked to the camera with a slight smile, and the photographer began the count down again. “Everypony say cheese! 3… 2… 1…” “CHEESE!” the ponies behind him bellowed. Though the photographer jumped at the sudden volume of the shout, the camera went off without a hitch. The legionaries let out another cheer, and Elias set down his heavy prizes. Granite and Scarlet both hopped down while Book Binder crossed her hooves and fake pouted. “Now I look silly,” she grumbled. Elias winked at her and grinned as Snowball hopped off his back. “It’s under the arms or no picture. Your choice Adiutor.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “You’re just lucky I’m getting copies for my scrapbook General, and I’m about to get back at you like you wouldn’t believe.” Elias cocked an eyebrow at her. “What was that?” The unicorn smiled sweetly. “Nothing at all General.” She turned to the legionaries and shouted again. “Alright everyone, last picture! Make sure to organize your equipment by cohort!” The legion trampled down the bleachers quickly. Moving off to the side, away from everyone else, Elias carefully took his armor off, including the sword belt, and set it in a pile, making sure that each piece was pristine in placement. He also ensured that nothing was at immediate risk of dirtying the armor. No sense in giving himself more work. Elias got to his feet and turned around to find everyone already back in position and waiting for him. A few chuckled, and all of the ponies smiled as a light blush of embarrassment rose to his face. Night Flash and Book Binder said nothing as Elias moved back to his spot, falling in between them, though he did notice an odd waggle in the former’s hips. He ignored the slight movement as a twitch, and looked to the camera with a half-smile, a smile that dropped when he noticed a mischievous look on the photographer’s face. “Alright everypony, 3…2…” The camera flashed on two, then Book Binder shouted; “HUG THE GENERAL!” She pounced into his side, then Night Flash tackled him from the opposite. Then, a tidal wave of thousands of ponies came crashing down on his back, burying him in a tall pile of fuzzy, laughing ponies. Elias grunted as he hit the dirt, but he found that as the ponies pressed in, he could breathe with relative comfort. Moving, however, was a different story. Book Binder nuzzled his face and grinned. “Sorry General, it’s been months and I was getting antsy. It’s just a one time thing, I promise. You’ve just been so stressed lately, and doctors say that a snuggle a day lowers blood pressure by seven percent!” “Which doctor?” Elias grumbled as Night Flash wiggled his way between the human’s smushed arms. “I’ll kill them.” Book Binder chuckled. “A little birdy told me that Scalpel published a report about the subject. Whatever vendettas you may have against the good doctor, this was our way of saying thank you, and to show you how much we care about you, just like you care about all of us.” Elias’ scowl didn’t diminish. “I could have you all court martialed for this.” Scarlet nuzzled the back of his neck, wrapping his forelegs around Elias’ chest. “You could try General, but we could also just hold you here forever and ever. Imagine; we’d just eat and snuggle, and talk about history all day long, every single day.” He snickered. “Besides, you can’t court martial us if you can’t get paper, now can you?” Night Flash wriggled, drawing Elias’ eyes. “How about it General, do you wanna be our permanent snuggle buddy?” A string of giggles passed through the mass of ponies pinning him to the ground, and Elias felt almost as if they all pressed closer. He let out a sigh and looked to Book Binder and Night Flash, who both stared smiling back. “You only get leniency for this little stunt because it’s the legion’s light day. Pull something like this again, and you’re all fired.” The mass of ponies giggled and wriggled about some more. Remaining in place for a few precious moments more, the ponies slowly began peeling away, laughing and talking as they eased their fuzzy weight off of Elias; save for two. The pair seemed far more reluctant, and their eyes pleaded with him as Book Binder spoke. “General… I know it’s a complete breach of all the effort we’ve put in the last few months, but can the three of us have a nice afternoon together? We’ve never gone out together, and this is the perfect time. I’ve heard wonderful things about Ponyville!” Elias opened his mouth to tell her no, and to say that he had paperwork that needed doing, but as he looked between them, the human felt a spark of immaturity. Maybe it was stupid, and a dumb risk, but they were worth a little bit of risk. Elias let out a sigh and nodded. “Alright Book Binder, but only this once, and we need to be back in Canterlot before nightfall. I have a meeting I need to plan for, and I-…” He grunted as she crushed him in a hug. Book Binder sniffled and smiled up at him with shining eyes. “Thank you Elias. We’re so close now, and this will be just the moment of fresh air we all need to focus and finish strong.” Elias smiled at her and booped her nose, causing her to sneeze. She put on a pout as he and Night Flash laughed, but that expression disappeared when the human scooped her up, offering her a place on his shoulders. Book Binder hummed happily as she stroked his hair, then she pointed him to their armor. With Night Flash’s help, Elias carried the armor to one of the waiting wagons, and he stacked most of his gear on-board. He kept only his sword belt, content to let the rest be flown back to Canterlot. Once all the gear was secured, Book Binder pointed them to the town proper with a cheer. As the trio began their walk, a quartet of mares trotted up to Elias with broad grins on their faces. Elias paused. “Yes legionaries?” The mares giggled amongst themselves as their leader spoke. “General, this is a rule free rest day, yes?” Elias nodded. “Within reason.” “Then would it be considered a punishable offense to say… foalnap Centurion Granite and snuggle him till the sun sets?” Elias noticed the earth pony in question out of the corner of his eye, watching him carefully for his answer. Elias looked back to the mares, who seemed on the verge of pouncing. Frowning slightly in thought, Elias shrugged. Love amongst his soldiers was a bit risky, but they knew that. Elias scratched his nose and looked away from Granite, making it so the earth pony couldn’t see his mouth. “I wouldn’t waste the day asking questions when you could be catching him. Make sure my Centurion stays in one piece ladies.” The mares vanished from his sight, and Elias heard a loud cry as they tackled Granite. Glancing his way, Elias watched as the lashing tails smothered the stallion, then within seconds, they had him up and on their backs, carrying him toward Ponyville with a cheer. A look of thankful betrayal decorated Granite’s eyes as he shot a playful glare that promised revenge Elias’ way. The human gave him a two-finger salute in return. He looked to Book Binder. “So, what’s the plan?” Book Binder hugged his head. “You and I are going to the library to pick out a book, while Night Flash goes to the market to get our dinner. I’ve heard of this lovely little pond just outside of town that is perfect to have a little snuggle next to.” Elias snorted. “That seems tame for you.” Book Binder flashed a grin. “Am I hearing a no to my plan?” Elias shook his head and he started toward Ponyville with Night Flash at his side. “No you did not.” The afternoon became a blur for Elias. They moved into town with the legion, with their reception being far greater than the last time. Legionaries mixed with their friends and families, and those without milled about the town, sightseeing, or stopping in one of the numerous shops and restaurants. Near the center of town, Night Flash took off in one direction, while Elias and Book Binder moved in the opposite. All Elias could really remember of the library was that it was a tree, but their visit wasn’t long. After catching up with Night Flash, who bore a fully stocked picnic basket, Book Binder pointed to the edge of town. The walk wasn’t overly long, and throughout, Elias savored the feeling of the sun on his pale skin. He couldn’t quite place it, but everything just simply felt… right. Elias paused as they crested the hill, below which rested a pond with a single tree beside it. Night Flash stopped as well, and gave him a curious glance. “What’s wrong Red?” Elias shook his head slowly. “It’s nothing, it’s just… this was the first place I saw in Equestria.” He motioned to the tree. “Twilight Sparkle was there with some of her friends. In hindsight, Prince Armor was as well. His report about that day mentioned seeing something strange,” he pointed to the tree line not far from the pond, “in those woods. That’s where I was. Half dead, dehydrated beyond measure.” He snorted. “I thought I was hallucinating, not when I saw rainbow colored ponies, but when I saw how blue the sky was, how green the grass and the trees were. He smiled faintly and looked down to Night Flash. “I could have never imagined it would all lead to something insane as leading a new, freshly trained legion of ponies.” The pegasus smiled back. “Nopony can predict the future Red, but for today, let’s ignore all the craziness and just be a little group of friends. No legion, no responsibilities, no nothing. Just the three of us, relaxing as ponies do.” His tail waggled, causing Elias to snort and shake his head. “Ponies are too clingy. Always wanting to hug and snuggle.” Book Binder chuckled and hopped off his shoulders. Using her magic, she spread out the picnic blanket and began laying out the food. “It’s our charm Elias. Besides, I seem to remember a certain somepony staying in the cuddle pile for longer than he was supposed to.” Elias gave her a false glare as he took a seat before a plate of turkey. “That was the results of days of brutal torture at the tufts of my pony wardens. I was a prisoner.” Book Binder rolled her eyes. “Indeed, you truly were suffering a terrible sentence. Surrounded by all your friends, warm and comfortable, well fed, not to mention-“ Her muzzle curled as a piece of bread thumped into it. Her eyes took on a vengeful gleam and she grinned at Elias. “Fine, want to play it that way? Night Flash, get him.” Elias stood no chance as the pegasus rammed into his side and began trying to snuggle his face. ***** Laughter hummed in satisfaction as happiness spread across Equestria. She made minor adjustments, making the dream feel like a slightly distant memory, rather than a fresh one. She put a set date when it had “occurred” in everyone’s minds, then made small additions to the world. Newspapers from Ponyville the day after the visit suddenly included a bonus page about the visit of the legion, the worn trail the legion always took on their afternoon marches looked slightly more trampled, and the lakeshore still had the faintest traces of compression from the ponies and the human who had rested upon it, but far more important were the pictures. The photographer she had included in the dream was very real, and had actually hijacked her position. The pictures she took were also very real, and so it was simplicity to create copies for everyone. The pictures found their way into bags and onto nightstands. Frames appeared, and some of the more careless ponies even “misplaced” their pictures in ways that seemed obvious. No doubt laughs would be had when the images were again found. The most important members were in the infirmary. Laughter made sure Book Binder had the lion’s share of the pictures, but she let the mare take all of the joy of their use. The pictures remained in her saddlebags, awaiting scrapbooking. For Night Flash, Laughter merely brought to the forefront of his memory a small gift he had not yet given Elias. A simple silvery locket, in which now rested miniaturized versions of the pictures. She prodded the pegasus’ mind, and without much instigation, he resolved to give the human his gift, consequences be damned. Finally, Laughter looked to the human himself, but was surprised to find that he had already logically worked out where his pictures were resting. A hidden place, close to his heart. Laughter looked to his sword, and gently unscrewed the hilt, gasping lightly as a bundle of older pictures fell out. She briefly considered unrolling them for a look, but decided against it. Loyalty was right, his privacy was his own. It was not her place to violate it more than necessary. She cast a minor enchantment on the blade’s hilt, extending its storage capacity enough to fit his new pictures in safely. Then, she slid in small copies of the legion’s official photograph, as well as the one he had taken with his family at the lakeside. Returning the sword to its proper place, Laughter looked to the human, sleeping happily, snuggled amongst ponies. She smiled wistfully, knew that she couldn’t preserve the moment any further. Despite all of their work, he was going to suffer more. It was the way of mortals, especially the more chaotic ones. She felt the same temptation Loyalty had, but she was easily able to ignore it. She had had her fun, had made a joy filled memory from a dream. That was enough. It had to be enough. She pulled away from the viewing ball and departed to her duties, leaving the sleeping human to lie. ***** Elias awoke with a wide yawn. His mind felt fuzzy, but he felt alive, so that was a good sign. Not wanting to open his eyes just yet, he blindly felt about for the fuzzy bodies that he knew had been resting against him. Unfortunately, the spots they had occupied were empty, and somewhat cold; a sign that they had been gone for some time. Elias let out a small sigh and reached a hand up to his eyes, scraping away the crust that had formed. He felt a slight pull as he moved his arm, no doubt the IV lines jabbed into his veins. A sign that he had been injured, thrown to his death bed yet again. For some reason however, he couldn’t quite remember how. Elias blinked the remaining crust from his eyes and opened them to find Book Binder sleeping in a chair opposite his bed, a book hugged tightly in her hooves. She snorted softly in her sleep, provoking a small smile on his face. He decided to let her sleep as he looked to the windows. The sun was setting, its orange rays lighting the sky on fire with color. He didn’t have his watch on him, but he imagined that the legion would be pausing the day’s training for dinner soon. He briefly wondered if he could sneak out to view it. The infirmary doors opened, and a dark blue poked its way inside. Elias regarded Luna with an even smile, and pressed a finger to his lips, nodding toward Book Binder. The alicorn smiled and slipped into the infirmary, closing the door softly behind her. She moved with the utmost care, staying silent as she made her way to his bedside. As she moved to occupy one of the chairs by his bed, Elias scooted over and patted the empty space beside him. “Come up if you want to,” he whispered. Luna stared at him for a moment, frowning slightly. “Are you feeling alright Elias?” she asked. “Any strange new sensations or cravings?” Elias crossed his arms and looked away. “Fine, don’t.” Luna put a hoof on his arm, drawing his eyes back. “That isn’t what I meant,” she whispered. “I need to make sure you are of whole, and sound mind. You were gravely injured, and at some particularly risky points, your brain wasn’t getting enough blood. Combined with the magic Sombra put in you…” Elias frowned. “Sombra? Who’s that?” Luna’s muzzle curled in worry, and she hopped into the bed. Elias vaguely noticed that she was much smaller than he remembered, and that her mane was far shorter. Her hooves held his cheeks as she stared into his eyes, and she clicked her tongue. “Definitely not a poor practical joke,” she muttered. She cleared her throat loudly; jolting Book Binder awake. The unicorn’s eyes shot to Elias, who stared back in confusion. Book Binder then looked to Luna, who gave her a soft smile. “Do fetch Doctor Scalpel, as well as Adiutor Snowball. He has some expertise when it comes to the workings of the mind.” Book Binder nodded silently and sprinted from the infirmary, a grim expression on her face. Elias stared after her for a long moment, then looked back to Luna. “What’s wrong? Did something big happen?” Alarm flashed in his mind. “Did I miss the march? How long have I been out?” Luna smiled and withdrew her hooves. She settled next to his legs, fluttering out her wings to act as an additional warm layer. “You have not missed the Saddle Arabian march General,” she reassured, “but you have been unconscious for just shy of two weeks. We will be leaving in approximately eight weeks.” Elias let out the breath he had been holding. “That’s… enough time to get back to full strength.” He laid back and stared at the ceiling, then let out a loud sigh. “So what happened? How did I end up out for two weeks?” Luna seemed to ignore his question, asking her own instead. “Tell me, what do you remember last?” Elias’ brow furrowed in concentration, and he felt a mild headache begin its pounding in his forehead. “The last thing was… Book Binder and Night Flash’s wedding. We… we were dancing, and then…” His eyes fell. “Oh. That’s why you…” He felt a hoof rub his leg. “It’s alright Elias,” Luna said. “I have found that my worrying for your health was quite the remedy for my heartache. My suffering is no longer, and is replaced only be eagerness for what you promised.” She smiled sweetly. “You do remember your promise, yes?” Elias nodded slowly, blushing slightly. “Yup. After this is all over, I’ll give us a chance. A real one, without the emotional baggage.” Luna chuckled. “Not completely without my friend. Once I have you warming my bed one way or another, we’re going to make those night terrors of yours a thing of the past. That is my promise to you.” Elias smiled faintly. “So… we are friends?” Luna rested her head on his thigh. “You’ve tried your best General, but I’m afraid I won’t be driven away anymore. My resolve is firm in this. Your willingness to even discuss this subject in this capacity is enough to firm it further.” Elias’ smile widened, then vanished completely. “We still have to keep professional distance Princess.” “Of course General, and this time I shall respect it.” He nodded slowly, then his even expression molded into a frown. “The wedding was some time ago… and I certainly didn’t end up in this bed because of it. So what happened?” The infirmary doors opened, revealing Book Binder, Steel Scalpel, and Snowball. As they trotted over, Luna spoke. “Now that the experts are here, we are going to try and see how much memory you have. You were very badly injured Elias, and as such, the memories you have lost may be permanent.” She looked to Scalpel, who also hopped into the bed. The unicorn shined a light in Elias’ good eye first, then his bad one. Frowning, he let out a dissatisfied hum and sat back. “I don’t believe there is any physical damage to his skull, as much as I wish this was something easy to fix, but I can’t imagine losing that much blood was healthy. What was your last concrete memory?” Snowball popped up on Elias’ other side, and he settled next to the human, his horn charging with magic. When Elias regarded him with a suspicious frown, the loveling regarded him with a smile. “I’m just going to do a little surface level melding with you Elias, to absorb any pain, and to encourage your brain along. Answer Doctor Scalpel’s question.” Elias felt a strange prickling in the back of his head, then felt as if Snowball was suddenly much closer. His bad eye twitched, but he almost immediately felt calmer as the loveling let out a happy sigh. “You have such a pretty mind Elias,” he mumbled. “Too bad you didn’t appear in our corner of the world. The things we could have done. The love you could have made.” He nudged Elias’ leg, prodding the human to answer Scalpel. Doing his best to ignore the sensation of someone sharing his head, he looked to the unicorn. “The last thing I remember clearly is the wedding, when Luna and I separated.” His eyes flicked to the alicorn for a moment. “Though for what it’s worth, that appears to be behind us.” Scalpel smiled faintly. “At least there is some good news to be had.” He settled in an upright seat position, holding Elias’ eyes with his own. “Now, I’m going to tell you all the events I know about, and you’re going to tell me if they sound familiar, or if anything comes back, alright?” After a nod from Elias, Scalpel continued. “After the wedding, you spent two weeks training with the legion. It was fairly normal, routine behavior, but you had clashes with the other generals.” Elias frowned. “They… Celestia. She decided to play defensive, to meddle where she didn’t belong.” His gaze hardened. “She needs to stop doing that.” Luna hummed. “She will butt out from now on Elias. Like my Generals, she too has been brought to heel.” She sighed and rubbed her forehead. “But now she’s gotten a bit clingy. No doubt due to my smaller stature. It’s a fight to get a bath to myself these days.” Scalpel cleared his throat, throwing a slight glare at the alicorn, who flushed and looked away. “Of course, off topic. Do continue.” Scalpel looked back to Elias. “So you remember running into troubles with the other generals?” Elias nodded. “Can you give me a specific example?” Elias frowned, and he felt the pressure increase in his forehead. Snowball’s horn charged slightly brighter, and the sensation vanished, followed instantly by a vibrant example. “Yes,” Elias said slowly. “Lionheart always changed the schedules, but I was never informed.” A small grin spread on his lips. “I laced his morning coffee with crushed null-stone.” Scalpel groaned. “So that’s why his magic kept sputtering out! I never did figure that out.” He glared at Elias. “Also, don’t do that again. If he didn’t drink so much tea, and use the coltsroom so often that would have crippled his magic.” Elias shrugged and grinned. “He deserves a little adversity in his life. It builds character.” Scalpel let out an exasperated snort, but he returned to a state of even calm. “Alright, then something happened, a mission given to you by the princesses. Can you tell me what it was?” Elias frowned in thought again, and again his headache began to grow in intensity. Snowball let out a small sigh as he charged his horn brighter. “The memory is fractured. Elias may not have the full picture.” “That’s alright,” Scalpel said, not looking away from the human, “Just tell me what you remember, if anything.” Elias closed his eyes and rubbed at his forehead. “It… was a test of some kind. We were to go…” He snapped his fingers and smiled. “North! We were to head to the north, to… help… someone.” His smile diminished. “It feels like something else happened, but I don’t know what.” Scalpel looked back to Luna, who met Elias’ gaze. “We spoke of our regrets Elias,” she said. “We talked a little of the wedding night, and how despite feeling terrible, you were firm on your position. I accepted that, and made clear that I was going to ensure that you would meet no more hostility from my generals, and from my sister. Then you departed.” They all sat in silence for a moment, and when it passed with Elias remembering nothing else, Scalpel nodded and summoned a notepad. “Alright, that gap is noted. Next, you left on a train to go north, do you remember anything at all about your destination?” “It was something to do with rocks,” Elias offered weakly. “The Quartz Kingdom maybe?” Snowball chuckled. “Honestly, that’s better than the actual name.” Scalpel also smiled faintly as he shook his head. “It was in the same vicinity as the correct answer, but you went to the Crystal Empire Elias. Do you know why?” All of a sudden, Elias’ mind went completely blank. He stared at Scalpel as he tried to remember anything at all, but he found nothing. He shook his head and frowned. “I’m afraid not.” Scalpel looked to Snowball, who also frowned. The loveling scooted closer to Elias’ head, asking; “Would you mind if I took a little deeper of a dive? Nothing personal, just looking specifically for memories related even slightly to the Crystal Empire.” Elias shrugged. “Go ahead, just don’t go poking around where you don’t belong.” Snowball nodded seriously and closed his eyes. His horn charged with magic and he remained silent as he worked. The pressure in the back of his skull increased. Throughout the process, Elias felt as if his surface level thoughts were being squashed against the side of his skull, making it hard to think. The one decision he could make was that he wanted to lean back, and he wanted something fuzzy to occupy his hands. His speech was a bit garbled when he spoke, but the message came across clearly. With a mischievous grin, Luna shoved Scalpel into Elias’ open arms, which immediately closed and began petting the soft pony. With his solitary need met, Elias relaxed and stared blankly at the wall, keeping a mental eye on Snowball as the loveling sifted through his brain. It was nearly ten minutes later when Snowball let out a sigh and left Elias’ brain completely, giving the human his faculties back. He blinked slowly, then let out a breath and sat up slightly. Looking to Snowball he said; “Let’s never do that again.” The loveling smiled. “I can only promise that I won’t do it again if it’s not an emergency.” His smile diminished and his ears drooped as he looked away. “But I didn’t find anything. No scraps, nothing. It was like you never went to the Crystal Empire.” Elias looked down to Scalpel, who was dozing under his fingers. Elias poked the stallion’s belly, jolting him awake. Wide eyes stared up at Elias, who stared back with a frown. “What does that mean? Are the memories gone for good?” Scalpel sat up, wriggling free of Elias hands. He blushed as he coughed and cleared his throat into a hoof. “Well, I um…” Coughing again, he regained his calm and sat up straight. “If your words and Snowball’s evidence is to be believed, I think the memories are gone. We can schedule an appointment with a licensed mind-reader, but otherwise, I suggest simply waiting to see if the memories return. Brain damage isn’t an exact science, and while I’m very well-read, I am just a surgeon. This is hardly my area of expertise.” He glanced at Elias. “That being said, you seem to be in your normal mental state, though you are far calmer and more centered than usual. More like you were before the changeling invasion. I’ll keep an eye on your emotions and your responsiveness over the next couple days to be safe, but largely I think you’re alright mentally. You just need a day or two more of bed rest, then you can begin light duties again.” Elias grunted and stared down in thought for a moment, then shrugged. “If that’s your prognosis, that’s good enough for me. The memories I lost moment don’t matter, ability to perform does. Just give me the report from the trip. That’s all I need to know.” He looked to the windows to find the sun nearly gone. Thoughts of the weeks of training he had missed flashed in his head, and he briefly wondered; “How has training been progressing?” ***** Night Flash cracked open the infirmary door and stuck his head inside. Book Binder had told him that Red had finally woken up, and while there was some memory loss, she also told him that the human was mostly okay. He still needed to rest and get a few more healing treatments, but ultimately, he would be okay. Sniffing the air, and flicking his ear carefully, Night Flash was able to figure out that not only was Red asleep, but he was alone. He knew that Book Binder had gone to their home to clean up and prepare for the next day’s training, but he briefly wondered where Snowball had run off to. As Night Flash slipped into the infirmary, he theorized, coming upon an idea he liked rather quickly. Snowball was likely off gathering love from somepony else while Red gathered his strength. That was probably it. Like a ghost, Night Flash managed to reach Red’s bed silently, and he carefully poked his muzzle above the mattress, staring intently at the human’s sleeping face. He looked happier than normal, though his lip would occasionally curl in discomfort. His arms were empty, and Night Flash could tell with a glance that the human was cold. Little bumps covered his pale arms, and the occasional shiver would run down Red’s body. Night Flash grinned and fluttered his wings. Perfect. With a silent hop, Night Flash let his wings soften his fall, going so far as to make sure the mattress didn’t bow under his weight. Then, with great care, Night Flash crept up to Red’s chest and settled in, laying on his back in the crook of Red’s arm. A wing extended, offering warmth to his human, and he sighed happily as he closed his eyes to let sleep take him. He felt an arm wrap around his barrel, hugging him tightly, and he began to drift away, only for his blood to run cold as Red spoke. “I knew it.” With the human’s arm around him, Night Flash knew he was finished. Red knew he had been sneaking cuddles while he was out, and now it would all fall apart. He screwed his eyes tighter and did his best not to tear up as nasty thoughts rippled through his mind. Then he felt another arm around him, and he felt his body shift as Red dragged him onto his chest. Night Flash cracked open a teary eye to find the human smiling at him, his teeth shining in the dark. Night Flash rubbed at his eye and stared hard at Red, looking for any trace of anger. “Y-you’re not mad?” Red chuckled and scratched Night Flash’s ears, drawing a purr from the pegasus. “No, I’m not mad. I spent the day reading reports First Centurion, and all accounts tell me that you’ve been keeping my legion to standard, even going so far as to drill them harder just so I wouldn’t be disappointed.” He sighed and stroked Night Flash’s back. “You missed the point of why I push everyone so hard, but as long as it’s done the right way, the reason doesn’t really matter.” Red let out a chuckle. “Besides, technically speaking, you’re the general of Legio I Equus. That means you can implement any policies you like during your free time, just so long as the quality of training doesn’t diminish.” Night Flash’s ear twitched. “Policies such as… midnight cuddles for relaxation?” Red rolled his eyes and sighed again, this time in exasperation. “Yes, Night Flash.” The pegasus perked up. “And dragging you home to your new bed?” Red frowned at him. “Don’t push your luck. I’m still officially General, and our agreement still stands.” Night Flash shrank. “Sorry.” His tail lashed back and forth in nervousness, but when Red didn’t push him away, he began to relax. An idea flashed in his mind, and he figured that if there was any time to ask, now would be it. Clearing his throat, Night Flash sat up slightly. Red regarded him with a tired look. “Yes?” Night Flash withdrew a small box from beneath his wing and offered it to the human. “I know we kind of overshot the day, but happy birthday Red.” Red stared at the package for a moment, then looked to Night Flash. “You’re going to need to get off my chest if you want me to open it.” Night Flash slid off, sitting just beside the human as he sat up. Red took the box in his hand for a moment, gauging its weight. Night Flash felt a smile on his muzzle as the human removed the ribbon, then opened the box. A look of confusion spread on Red’s face as he regarded the small silver locket, and he looked to Night Flash. “I would think you of all ponies would know I don’t wear jewelry.” Night Flash chuckled. “Maybe not, but your journals mentioned something about you hiding pictures of your old family. I thought you’d like a nice safe place to store photos of your new family as well!” He reached up and pressed the small button on the locket. The silvery face opened, revealing a pair of miniaturized pictures. Red squinted at the pictures, and a small smile spread on his face. “Oh, that’s pretty interesting.” Night Flash’s smile didn’t diminish at the careful praise. “I would like to see my friends,” he spoke aloud. Red blinked in surprise as the pictures glowed, then expanded, growing until they were about the size of a book page. Red stared with wide eyes at the pictures for a moment, then gasped slightly as he leaned in. “They’re… they’re moving.” Night Flash chuckled and nodded. “Just like those Wonderbolts cards I showed you. It was a bit pricey to get the enchantment on the locket, but I like to think it was worth it.” His smile diminished slightly. “I had no idea why I bought it without having some pictures in mind, but then we had that day off in Ponyville, and it all… clicked.” Red nodded silently, a smile spreading slowly on his face. “Night Flash…” The pegasus jolted as the human’s arms were suddenly wrapped around him. He felt tears wet this fur, and his smile softened as he nuzzled Red’s face. “It’s alright buddy, no need for tears.” The human sniffled and laughed. “I know, it’s so stupid that I’m crying, it’s just-“ Night Flash pressed a hoof to his lips. “You don’t need to explain yourself to me Red. I’m just glad you like it.” Red looked back to the locket, analyzing every detail in the pictures. Night Flash watched the human’s face carefully, could tell the instant that Red began to grow tired again. He smiled at the human and nuzzled his chest, listening for that powerful heartbeat. “Go to sleep Red,” he whispered. “Rest as much as you can so you can get back to work. I for one miss getting yelled at.” He waited for the human to make some kind of joke, likely a self-deprecating one, but all he heard was gradually slower breaths. Night Flash glanced up to find the human asleep once more, a small snore emanating from his open mouth. Night Flash chuckled and nuzzled the human’s chest, then reached up to the locket, closing it. He took a moment to slip the locket over Red’s head, so that it dangled safely from the human’s neck, then Night Flash settled back down, guarding Red’s sleeping form with his wings. Closing his eyes, he said; “Good night Red. I’ll see you when this is all over. > Chapter 52: Final Goodbyes > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias stood silent and stoic next to the other generals on a tall stage. Before them was a massive crowd, separated into two sections. On one side stood gleaming, perfectly straight rows of armored ponies, organized into tightly packed columns by the color of their armor. On the other stood packed stands full of ponies, old and young alike. The early morning ceremony had been announced days prior, and as a result, as many ponies as possible were in attendance. Elias knew he had surprised Celestia by pushing hard on the advertisement of the ceremony, but he knew the real importance of it. It wasn’t some show about the growth of Equestria’s military, or the extension of the country's aid to the Saddle Arabians. No, it was the latter part of the ceremony that was so important, the farewell to the families. Elias let himself blank out as Celestia continued to drone on about the march. With his injury, as well as Cadence’s new kingdom in the north, the ceremony showing off the shiny new legion, and the greater expansion of the other guard forces had been pushed off until the last possible minute. Luckily, Cadence had reported that she was fully able to restore her stores of magic using the Crystal Heart, and as such, they were able to leave on time. The alicorns had already spent nearly an hour calibrating the Canterlot side of the portal; a massive archway made of marble, cut through with twisting veins of silver. The science behind the magic was again lost on Elias, but he didn't much care. Just so long as the goal of the mission worked. Now all they had to do was finish the farewell ceremony, then the journey would begin. Glancing to his left, Elias managed to catch a sorrowful glance Cadence was throwing his way. He knew why of course; the report he had received from Night Flash had been very clear, if not slightly obscured by furious passion. The pegasus had tore into the pink princess about her stance on his near-death experience, but in truth, Elias couldn’t find it within himself to care. Yes, she could have been solely responsible for his death, but that was more out of negligence than any malice. He held no more hate in his heart for her than he did Celestia. In truth, all the new knowledge had done for him was force him to keep an eye on yet another opponent. Her disdain, perhaps hatred, had been thrust into the limelight, just where he wanted it. The more enemies he could see, the better he could combat them. Even more fortunate was the fact that Cadence seemed to have second thoughts on her actions, making her a non-player in the game of his life for the moment. Elias’ eyes flicked outward, slowly sweeping over the armored ponies. They numbered just over ten thousand, with three-fourths of the guard forces having spent some time under his training. After he had recovered enough to stand, Elias had thrown himself back into the swing of things, drilling his legion harder and harder. Several new areas of training had been added, further dividing the cohorts into specialized sections, each with their own unique job, and each kept in the utmost secrecy. He had already had a hard time justifying why he needed thirty barrels of blasting jelly, but with Anyon handling his under the table crafting needs, the matter was settled, and his legionaries were already prepared to lug the heavy barrels of explosives alongside the empty water barrels. Nightshade had approached him within days of his escape from the infirmary, asking if he would be willing to include her guards on the legion’s afternoon marches. Elias wasn’t one to turn down additional, more realistic practice, so with a few instructional lectures, the Lunar Guards had begun marching alongside his legionaries. A few days after that, Midnight Chaser had asked the same, and Luna had volunteered herself to sit in a stand-in carriage that the black clad ponies were supposed to guard. Their marches suddenly garnered a great deal more attention, and though the first few marches were slow because of their new add-ons, the Lunar Guards and Royal Guards quickly adapted, adjusting to the rapid pace the legionaries set. As they stood, most of the army was prepared for the long march. With the emotional issues finally separated from the military ones, Elias, Nightshade, and Midnight Chaser had once again coordinated, making arranges without the approval of the solar generals. Once their proposals had been finalized and looked over by Luna, they had put them forth at the weekly logistics meeting. It had brought a smile to Elias’ face when Lionheart was once again kicked to the bottom rung. No longer did Elias find himself late at meetings, and no longer was he kept out of the loop. Instead, with the backing of three-fourths of the guard forces, he found himself in a position to do a great deal of good. Instead of taking after Lionheart’s petty example, Elias had taken to his work with zeal, doing everything in his power to make sure even the slightest details had been taken care of. Supplies were bought and paid for, new armaments were commissioned and distributed, and every minute of the march had a plan, and a back up plan. Elias felt confident that they would be able to respond any threat, and that there was almost nothing left to do but leave. Almost. The human glanced at Celestia as she continued her speech. The white alicorn had once again become outwardly neutral to his actions, always treating him with a minimum level of respect, but never attempting to undermine him, openly or in private. Whatever Luna had done to drag her older sister back in line, it had worked well, and Celestia once again found the value in his experienced counsel. There was only one matter she had left undecided; who would act as the sole diplomatic voice for the army. Technically speaking there were two matters, but nobody, save for Lionheart, doubted that Elias would be assigned as overall battle commander for the army. It was his force that was the most militaristic, and it was he would had the greatest degree of actual battle experience. He couldn’t confirm whether it was rumor or not, but Elias had heard whispers that after the march the guard forces would return to being just that: guard forces. The Legio I Equus, however, was to be molded into Equestria’s official standing military. The justification he had heard was the rising number of world ending threats that the standard guards hadn’t been adept enough to even stall, let alone halt. With the increasing turmoil on the border of the Zebra lands, ponies wanted a more visible presence of Equestrian might, and his shining silver and red ponies more than met that want. By leading the army on the battlefield, Elias could prove once and for all that he was fit enough to manage an army on a grand scale. While the idea of managing a permanent army did rouse his age-old nerves, the idea did provide some hope in the human. He still hadn’t answered the question of what his purpose would be following the march, and while he had ideas for his relationships, he still lacked a greater goal for life. Maintaining peace and drilling ponies for a living wasn’t so terrible a fate. Elias’ attention snapped to the present as Celestia looked back to the line of generals. “It is these fine mares and gentlecolts who will lead our brave guards through this trying time, and it is they who I place my utter trust in. Generals, Equestria is ever in your debt.” The pink maned alicorn offered a slight bow to their line, and Elias noted a few chests puffing out, but he showed nothing on his face, merely kept a slight frown across his lips. He didn’t care at all about the alicorn’s words, even if they weren’t wholly empty. Elias instead looked the alicorn up and down one more time, making note of all her new weaknesses. As the weeks had passed, the results of their magical storage became more and more evident. Cadence was the least impacted, only losing an inch of her height. A haggard look sat on her face, but whether that was purely the result of the storage, or of guilt, Elias didn’t know. Celestia was much shorter, now the height of her pink niece, and like her niece, her mane had turned a bright pink. Her hair no longer waved, and both her mane and her tail were tied into short buns. Even her horn had grown shorter, looking far more like the normal stub most unicorns sported. Finally, was Luna. For some reason, she was shorter than both Cadence and Celestia, making her look positively adorable. Standing just above the height of a normal pony, her mane had also ceased flowing, and it had become a static blue, undecorated by stars. Unlike her sister however, her mane still hung down, and on more than one occasion she had to brush it from her face. Elias glanced in her direction just in time to catch her mane once more falling into her eyes. The blue alicorn’s muzzle scrunched up in barely concealed frustration and she wiped the hair away again, tucking it behind her ear. “On that note,” Celestia said, bringing her speech to a close, “we had best conclude this ceremony so that you may say your goodbyes. No matter what happens on this journey, we will not be home for some time, and unfortunately there is no mail service in the minotaur lands.” From her tone, it was clear that she meant the final statement as a joke, but few, if anyone laughed. Elias knew, as did many ponies, that the lack of news would be one of the worst things about their march. Any of the guards could die within the first few days of the march, but their families wouldn’t be informed until weeks later, when the march concluded. Since something like the march to Saddle Arabia hadn’t been attempted in Equestrian history, many ponies were going to spend the entire time worrying, and Elias couldn’t blame them. Celestia gave a few final words, then she, Luna, and Cadence were escorted off the stage and into their magically enhanced carriage. Elias watched them go for a moment, noticing something he had picked up on before, but hadn’t quite confirmed until the ceremony had concluded. After nearly an hour standing in the sun on stage, all three alicorns looked exhausted, particularly Celestia. She leaned heavily against a pair of Royal Guards, practically being carried to the drab brown carriage they would ride in for the duration of the trip. On the outside the carriage looked normal, if a bit dull for royal tastes. It was a plain brown color, with pale highlights. While they were still in Equestrian territory the top of the carriage would remain off. The effort was at Celestia’s instance, something about needing to inspire ponies of their cause. Elias had let her have the small concession, since his own regarding the carriage were met in full. The dull color was his choice, and allowed it to blend in when amongst trees instead of sticking out like a sore, brightly colored, thumb. Once the top was put on and sealed in place by Anyon, the carriage would be magically protected as well. Dozens of spells had been placed in the piece of wood and steel, and it would take a supreme to even open the door without one of the keys designed for such. One such key sat on the chain Elias kept around his neck. It rested comfortably next to Luna’s feather, and the locket Night Flash had given him. Once the carriage door was locked, the alicorns likely wouldn’t leave it, not even while in camp. With the top on, the carriage’s interior magically extended to the size of a spacious bedroom that included beds for each alicorn, as well as a cabinet that was linked to Canterlot’s kitchens, providing the trio with their every meal. Unfortunately the magic required to power the cabinet didn’t accept living beings, and it didn’t allow for more than a certain poundage of food to be sent through in one day. He had drifted off during Luna’s lecture about the little magical reasons such magic wasn’t more widespread, and the only reason he hadn’t been smacked was that she got a free chance to cuddle his comatose form. The only thing the carriage couldn’t provide was plumbing, and so the alicorns had been allowed one maid each to help handle bathroom trips, a staff Elias had been made familiar with when Luna had asked him to run them through rudimentary camp maintenance training. They had performed well enough for quick trainees, and for Celestia, Luna, and Cadence respectively there was Open Flame, Feather Duster, and Soft Touch, who Elias recognized from her legion application. When he had questioned her on it, she had informed him that she had actually been Cadence’s secret bodyguard since childhood, and had remained on the pink alicorn’s employ by first being a caretaker, then a maid. When he had asked why she hadn’t helped the pink princess in the Crystal Empire, she had merely smiled and winked, saying; “Believe me General, if my Princess was ever in real danger, I would have been the first to intercept it.” Elias noticed Soft Touch as she gently took Cadence’s wing and helped her into the carriage. The plum colored pegasus glanced his direction, showing no signs of recognition other than a split-second wink. The slight motion provoked him to look away, lest the alicorns think he was staring. His eyes drifted out to the armored ponies, most of whom were already dispersing to intermingle with the tidal wave that was their families. The ponies in silver and red, however, remained still, watching him carefully as he made his way across, and then off the stage. Once he was on the ground, Elias began stalking through their lines, looking for any lingering signs of slacking discipline. It was the very last chance he had to weed out the weak, to potentially save lives by removing those who were just slightly out of line, by finding those who had the split second lack of attention to detail that would get them killed on a battlefield. He found no such thing amongst his ponies, and though he felt a thrill of satisfaction in his mind, he didn’t show it. No longer could he offer praise, not when battle was so close. His night terrors had once again shifted, showing him a battlefield he had never seen before. The strangest part of the dreams was the lack of evidence of battle. There was no blood, no bodies, no shattered weapons. There was simply nothing but grass and trees, yet he knew there would be a battle. No matter what his scouts said about the cooling tempers of the minotaurs, no matter how much the other generals made assurances to the princesses, he just knew. He prayed to whoever was listening that his premonition didn’t come to pass. “Listen up!” Elias bellowed. “You have twenty minutes! Make sure you say your goodbyes and leave whatever keepsakes out intend to behind. I have read through your wills, and I know that each and every one of you signed the box stating that you know this may be a one-way trip. Don’t waste this time with your families. It might be the last chance you get.” Elias scanned the faces of the ponies before him, remaining silent for a moment. When it passed in relative silence, he gave a short nod. “Dismissed.” The silver clad ponies broke formation and scattered, loudly calling out for their loved ones. Within a few moments Elias was alone on the assembly fields, and he clasped his hands behind his back as he watched the ponies embrace their loved ones. He was mildly surprised when two ponies came trotting up behind him, and he looked in question to Snowball. The loving grinned back. “I already said my goodbyes to my hivemates in the castle,” the loveling said, answering the unasked question. “Besides, I’m always connected to everyling.” He tapped his horn. “The hivemind is great like that. I really don’t get how everyone else gets by without having everyone you love all cuddled up in each other’s brains.” Elias resisted the urge to gag at the thought of such privacy violation, but luckily, Granite did it for him. “You can’t tell me you enjoy having everyone buzzing around in your head,” the earth pony said in disbelief. “I would lose my mind if my family was anywhere near that close.” Elias frowned slightly. “So you do have family then.” He could feel the earth pony wince, and when he didn’t reply, Elias glanced down at him. “Well?” Gray Granite refused to meet his eyes, instead opting to stare at the ground. “I… do. Parents, two brothers, one sister.” Elias looked to the crowds of ponies, looking for anyone still searching. “Are they here?” “I don’t have anything to say to them General,” Granite said. “They didn’t get why I joined up then, and they don’t get why I’m going into harm’s w-“ “That wasn’t my question Centurion,” Elias cut in. “I asked; are they here?” The earth pony shrank slightly. “Y-yes General. My sister is.” “Then go talk to her,” Elias said. “Go say your goodbyes. You may be strong Centurion, but nobody is invincible. Say your goodbyes while your still alive, even if it makes you uncomfortable. You still love these ponies, right?” “Well, yes, but-“ “But nothing. Git.” Granite let out a sigh and he drooped. “Okay General, I will.” Elias grunted in surprise as a firm set of hooves wrapped around his chest, managing to squeeze him despite his steel cuirass. “Goodbye Elias,” he whispered. “You’ve been the best friend I ever had, and no matter what happens, you always will be.” Before Elias’ brain could fire enough to come up with a response, Granite was gone, trotting into the crowd without looking back. Elias stared after him blankly, while Snowball chuckled. “While I can’t say I didn’t see that coming, I’m still surprised he went through with it.” He shook his head. “Just shows that you can’t predict ponies.” Elias gave him an incredulous look. “You knew he would do that? I…” he shook his head slowly. “I thought we were just barely friends. We’ve barely ever spoken to each other.” Snowball snorted. “He’s a quiet pony Elias. He isn’t Night Flash. Not every interaction is an excuse to cuddle.” The loveling gave a shrug. “Granite has always looked up to you, at least as much as I’ve seen. All the ponies in the legion idolize you to some extent, but Granite puts you above everyone. I’d almost go so far as to say he believes you infallible. He’s loyal to a fault.” “Why?” Elias asked. “What have I done to earn that level of loyalty? Yes, I’ve taken measures to ensure that the legion follows my orders above all else, but that’s a command thing. It doesn’t extend outside of all this.” He motioned around them. “It certainly shouldn’t extend to a personal level. Not to this extent.” Snowball shrugged again. “I don’t have proof that you’re wrong, but if I had to guess, I would say that you were the first pony to offer him his own path. You heard what he said about his family not understanding this life, but you do. More than anypony, you do. Maybe it’s that. How did you two meet?” “He was standing beside me during the RATE exam,” Elias said. “When we were going to the teleportation circle, he was tailing behind Book Binder, Scarlet, Night Flash and I, so I called him over to tag along with us. He was the newest Lunar Guard at that point. That was that. He just became our, or really my friend, after.” Snowball smiled. “That is such an Elias friendship story.” When the human shot him a glare, the loveling raised a hoof. “Not criticizing or making light, merely observing.” He straightened and his smile returned. “But I think that’s it. Loyalty doesn’t have to always be earned by great sweeping gestures. For some ponies, it’s the little things. You’ve just done a lot right for Granite, and he loves you for it.” Snowball smacked his lips, and his eyes took on a sharp glow for a moment. “And that hug wasn’t for show either. He loves you as much as Night Flash and Book Binder do.” His muzzle curled and his tongue flicked out. “Though his love does have a different taste to it. It’s a little dulled by all the official masking from being one of your officers, but it does have a distinct brotherly tinge.” He shrugged and let out a small chirp, blushing slightly as he did so. Coughing into a hoof, Snowball looked toward the stage, pointedly avoiding Elias’ eyes. “Nothing I’d be worried about for the moment General, and if you're concerned, I’d just talk to him after the march.” “Going to be doing a lot of talking after the march,” Elias muttered. He then straightened and began walking toward the storehouse where their gear was stowed. “Either way, let’s get to work Adiutor. When twenty minutes are up I want everyone on the street in formation, in full gear. Ready the inventory lists.” ***** The rest of the day was a simple blur of shouting, lines, and marching while ponies cheered and wept on the side of the road. For the march out of Canterlot and through Equestria, the column moved by the age of the force. The first established came first, and the crowds roared as the somewhat secretive Royal Guards led the parade. Formed from the original bodyguards of the princesses, the Royal Guards were the eldest guard force by thousands of years. Elias had never really made the connection, but when it had been pointed out to him, he realized that he had never actually seen Royal Guards in their own colors outside the castle. Typically, their units were sent as secret back up, using the enchantments in their armor to blend with whatever force they were supporting. Now, however, their black and red armor gleamed in the sunlight, and they marched in clear, disciplined lines. Second came the Solar Guard, which had formed from the defunct Equestrian Army. Disbanded after the Nightmare War, the Solar Guard had become the first response group to smaller threats, like raids and border disputes. As the Royal Guards faded into the background, letting their quiet legend build, the Solar Guard became the public face of Equestria’s guards, and so came second in the parade. Nearly half a mile of street was filled with golden bodies, though Elias attributed that to the somewhat lax approach some of the Solar Guards took to their “march”. Many of them carried bags filled with sweets, and they raced about, making sure every foal in sight got swarmed with candy. The faces of the ponies were a direct match to their armor; shiny, eye catching, and oozing with cheer. They were followed immediately by the royal chariot, decked out in both the lunar, and solar banners of Equestria, and filled with the three princesses and their caretakers. The alicorns were all smiles and waves as they passed the crowds of ponies, and as expected, their passing brought about near riot levels of cheering. Though it shouldn't have, it surprised Elias just how devoted ponies were to their princesses, and seeing the alicorns depowered and taking such risks on their behalf had only driven that devotion up further. The roads were lined with ponies carrying signs showing their support for the princesses, and though they hadn’t declared anything, the beginning of the march had become a de-facto holiday. Most of the businesses in Canterlot were closed, and those that weren’t were located along their exit route, profiting off of the hordes of ponies. Directly behind the carriage came the Lunar Guards, and though they were similarly armed with bags of candy, the blue armored ponies didn't perform quiet as cheerily as their Solar Guard counterparts. Elias knew from his experience among them that most of the Lunar Guards liked the quiet of the nighttime. Most of the castle scribes were in the Lunar Guard, and as such liked cool nights spent reading in silence to sunny days filled with cheery ponies. Nightshade in particular looked uncomfortable, and she, as well as the other thestrals, was sporting a pair of sunglasses, keeping the yellow rays from her sensitive eyes. Still, the ponies lining the parade route gave the blue clad guards cheers that matched the intensity of the guards before them. Their history was an interesting one, and Elias, having been a member for at least a few months, had put the most time into his knowledge of the Lunar Guard. Officially, the Lunar Guard was an entirely new force established upon Luna's return, with no history to speak of. Those within the group knew better of course, knew that the first set of armor commissioned for the Lunar Guard had been purple, before being replaced by modern blue. The purple armor had been from Luna's original guard force; the Midnight Raiders, a force that had completely turned traitor when she had become Nightmare Moon, and who had attempted an assassination attempt on Celestia after Nightmare Moon had been banished. In retaliation, Celestia had the group's surviving members hunted down, and those that hadn't fled to the mountain thestral cities were killed. The force had then been stricken from the record, a record Luna had mended on her return. The blue alicorn had seen wisdom in letting the name, and eventually the armor, be relegated to history, but the Lunar Guard's knew they had a storied past, even if it wasn't openly discussed. The thestrals in particular were proud of the Midnight Raiders, as the ancient force had almost exclusively been manned by their people. Elias smiled faintly at the memory of exchanging a cuddle with Nightshade in exchange for the full tale. It was one of the only times the thestral had given even the slightest care about her people's past, and though she had shut down any further talk, he had managed to glean that she had unresolved with her ancestral home. Elias left that tale for another day. He knew it would cost a great deal more than a snuggle. Second to last in the column, tailed only by the lengthy baggage train, came the Legio I Equus. They had no history, but ultimately, it didn't matter. They would soon have one, and Elias knew that no matter the legion's fate, it would be a glorious history, if nothing else. Marching with their shields strapped to their packs and pila in their hooves, the legionaries moved on three legs in crisp, perfectly straight lines. It had been on Night Flash’s recommendation that the ponies march with one leg occupied, had justified it by talking about how impressive it was for the legion’s marching lines to be perfectly straight despite not having use of all four legs. And ponies were impressed, Elias could see it in their eyes as he walked with the legion standards. Besides the temporary banners attached to the royal carriage, none of the guard forces had their own banners, save for his. The gleaming silver armor of his legionaries clashed with the brilliant red undershirts they wore, drawing eyes to the legion. The rearing pony that was the legion ‘aquila’ gleamed in the sun, showering golden beams of light onto the street. It was paired with the red-backed, golden eagle standard, and both standards were carried by the only two ponies with unique armor in the legion. Elias wasn’t someone who often publicly admitted his mistakes, but it had been a carefully planned out ceremony when he had presented Star Orchid and Thunderstorm with their modified helmets. Throughout the final weeks of training, the pair had proven themselves as the best fighters in the legion outside of his officer core, and so he had offered both an apology for their near dismissal, as well as a promotion that they had both eagerly accepted. Accompanied with a title change, as well as a pay raise, was a unique set of weapons, as well as new helmets. Thunderstorm’s wings gleamed with enchanted wing blades, while on his head sat a helmet that had been outfitted with a manticore pelt by Anyon. He carried the aquila, bearing the golden pony with a calm, even gaze. Star Orchid’s helmet sported a unique purple plume, the color jarring amongst the legion’s red. Her tunic matched the sharp purple of her plume, and had been modified to include heavy leather padding around her core areas. The tunic alone could turn aside arrows and spear jabs, but coupled with her heavy legionary armor, now enchanted to be more durable, nothing short of a full-sized dragon could hurt the mare. It was easy to fall into his smile-less stature, but Elias felt close to beaming with pride as his legionaries drew eyes. The assignment of the formal standard bearers had been the final step on his miles-long checklist for legion preparedness, and save for actually leading the march, it signified that his job was largely complete. His ponies were as ready as he could make them, and though he fretted and worried in private, there wasn’t much more he could do but maintain their training. The crowds along the parade path continued until they were well out of Canterlot, and even then, the break in the walls of cheering ponies wasn’t long. Over a mile before they reached Ponyville, ponies once again started lining the road, their cheers welcoming the army to it’s first stop. Technically speaking, the Saddle Arabian march was to last four weeks, with the first full week taking place within Equestria’s borders. The army was to march slowly from town to town, with six stops before they picked up their supplies on Equestria’s westernmost border city; Bordertown. The whole manuever had been sold as a PR campaign, and whatever reason Celestia claimed it was for, Elias knew that it was yet another method to broadcast Equestria’s newfound power. He wasn’t prideful enough to think that he had taught them the lesson, but he knew that all three alicorns knew the power of scare tactics. It was in Bordertown where the army would shed the additional passengers it had accompanying it through the easy portion of the march. Anyon was still working on some of the special weapons Elias’ had commissioned, with his marefriend hidden in one of the wagons, while Scalpel was simply additional medical support if anyone happened to get injured. As they had left Canterlot, a few families had also joined in the march, hopeful that a few family cuddles would ward away harm. It was also in Bordertown that the army would pick up the remainder of its supplies. While Elias’ legion was already packing much of their gear and weaponry, they still had to pick up fresh food and water, while the other three guard forces had to pick up the full weight of their marching packs. The princesses had commissioned a massive storehouse for the army’s needs, and the other generals had used the storehouse to its fullest, commissioning Bordertown's smiths, carpenters, and seamstresses to outfit them, then store the gear to wait until their arrival. Since they weren’t packing nearly the same level of tools and equipment he was, Elias supposed it didn’t matter. The first night in Ponyville was quiet, and while most of the guards were given shelter in town, Elias had all of his legionaries sleep outside under the stars. The weather ponies were supposed to keep things dry and relatively mild, and everyone needed to get used to sleeping where it was colder, himself included. On the first night, once all the tents had been set up in the proper arrangement, he had withdrawn to a quiet spot under a tree, and had merely laid out his sleeping bag, and slept in the open. The act reminded him of old times, and early in the morning, it reminded him far too much of old times. Nightmares after midnight drove him awake, and until dawn he had sat up, checking through his pack by the light of a small fire. Once the sun broke the horizon, and he had re-packed his ruck, then had woken up the camp, and within another hour the army was moving again. The same thing happened each time they stopped. Each town offered to house the army in full, and Elias politely rejected their offers, opting to get his legion used to sleeping in colder climes. Each night he found somewhere alone to sleep, and each night he woke to a night terror, sometimes slowly, and sometimes suddenly, momentarily flying into a panic that it had all been a dream, that he was again trapped in a desolate wasteland. Luckily, lights from the guards watching over the legion standards always jarred him free, and he built a small fire to ward off the air’s chill. On the final day, the march was far quieter, with fewer and fewer ponies appearing along the road. Those that did slowly became muted, and eventually, they regarded the marching ponies with a wide range of stares. Some were still happy of course, especially when they noticed the princesses, ever smiling in their open-top carriage, but others stared at the passing guardsponies with looks of fear, anger, or disgust. The loose formation of the Solar Guards quickly tightened up, and where there had been talking and occasionally singing, there was nothing but silence. The absence of sound was music to Elias’ ears, as was what it indicated. None of the ponies could feel ecstatic about marching into foreign territory, and even though it wasn’t the calm stoicism his legionaries projected, the other guards could at least hold some trace of nervousness. It would make them check over their shoulders more often, and with a greater sense of awareness of their surroundings came a reduced chance of ambush. If nothing else, he was glad more ponies were becoming paranoid. Unlike the other towns and villages in Equestria, Bordertown was not a leisurely farming sprawl. Instead, the town was built like a fortress, with soaring walls of stone that kept a tight ring of the town. What farms did exist outside the town were carefully fenced in, and Elias noticed guards of all species watching over the croplands. Gryphons sat in the thick canopies of oak trees, crossbows sitting idle in their talons. Overlooking some earth pony workers, a pair of minotaurs kept a careful eye on the army as it marched by, and Elias noticed steel warhammers glinting in the sun on their backs. The grey walls of Bordertown were easily visible for miles, and by the time they came into view, what creatures were on the roads were rarely ponies. Instead, a mix of minotaurs, diamond dogs, and zebras plodded along, regarding the army with open suspicion. On more than occasion the Royal Guards broke formation to drive off some particularly prideful creatures who refused to move out of the way. None of them put up a real fight though, especially not once weapons were drawn. They managed to make it to Bordertown’s gates without great issue, and they were met outside by a small group of grey armored ponies. Messengers sprinted through the army, and Elias, as well as the princesses and the other generals made their way to the front of the formation. Elias and Nightshade ended up arriving first, and watched as Midnight Chaser removed his helmet and trotted forward from the Royal Guard section. A cobalt blue pegasus trotted forward from amongst the grey clad guards, meeting Chaser with a grin. At first glance, Elias noticed that the stallion was slightly bulkier, and almost a head taller than the grey general. “Well I’ll be,” the blue pegasus said, “is that Little Chase I see before me?” Chaser began to reach out for a hoof shake, but the larger pegasus reached out a foreleg and dragged him close, nuzzling Chaser’s head. Nightshade looked toward Elias with an aghast expression. “Little Chase?” she whispered. Elias shrugged and looked back to the pair of pegasi as Chaser pushed away from the hug, flushed red and brushing his mane back down. He coughed loudly and tried to avoid anyone’s eyes. “Storm Chaser, it’s been awhile. I see you still haven’t stopped hugging as a greeting.” Storm Chaser’s grin widened. “And I see you still haven’t learned to take a friendly little hug. Other than that though, I have to say, you’ve changed quite a bit since I last saw you.” His muzzle curled slightly. “Though you still look too fluffy. Have you been spending any time in the clouds?” Midnight Chaser flushed harder. “Not all of us were able to juggle lightning bolts out of flight school Storm. Some of us actually specialized in combat.” Storm Chaser’s grin didn’t diminish and he threw a hoof around Midnight Chaser’s withers, spinning the grey pegasus around. Storm Chaser winked at Nightshade. “He just says that because he never was too good with storm clouds. A master with wingblades, but a rogue thunderhead?” He jostled the grey pegasus. “This one is about as useful as a unicorn.” While the tall blue pegasus laughed, Nightshade stuck her nose in the air and moved forward, sticking herself between the pair. Using her wings, she pushed them apart, and tucked one of her wings over Midnight Chaser’s body. “Well I for one like how fluffy he is,” she said. “It makes him an excellent cuddler.” Elias’ mouth tightened into a thin line as he tried not to grin. Midnight Chaser turned a deeper shade of red, and he just slowly shook his head as he tried not to run away. Most of the Royal Guards were only just barely holding back open laughter at his expense, and he, as well as everyone around him, knew that he would be in for a relentless amount of teasing later. Elias was just glad he wasn't on the receiving end for once. Luckily for General Chaser, the rest of the generals arrived with the princesses in tow. The alicorns moved slow, supported by their maids, but each stood up straight as they approached Storm Chaser. The blue pegasus’ smile finally disappeared and he trotted up to the princesses with a professional glare on his face. He saluted the alicorn's sharply. “Royal Guard Captain Storm Chaser, Border Detachment 2, at your service princesses.” Celestia inclined her head slightly, and Storm Chaser’s salute dropped. “It is good to see you again Captain,” she said. “I trust Bordertown has been treating you well?” The blue pegasus snorted. “It’s still rife with crime and spies, but everyone pays their taxes and there aren’t many murders, so I can safely say that it’s better than it was when I arrived. I hope your not trying to stay the night in town though.” Celestia chuckled. “It has been many years since my last visit Captain, but I still know better than to try that. We will be sleeping in our camp tonight, and we will leave first thing in the morning.” Storm Chaser smiled once again. “Good, my guards will be ready by then. Who will be replacing us?” Celestia looked to Nightshade, who let out a shrill whistle. Within a moments Captain Cinnamon Twirl came trotting forth with a mixed contingent of Lunar and Solar Guard forces. Nightshade then looked to Storm Chaser. “Captain, these ponies will be watching over Bordertown while you’re gone.” Storm Chaser frowned at the ponies as they fell into a loose block. His eyes took on an inspecting look, and the longer he stared, the more disappointed he looked. “Well,” he started slowly, “we’re only supposed to be gone for three weeks anyway, and there are more of you than we normally have… I guess you’ll do. Follow Sergeant Horncutter over there. He’ll get you settled in the barracks and briefed up on your duties.” A brown unicorn stepped away from the grey clad ponies, and he led Cinnamon Twirl and her guards into the city. Storm Chaser then looked to Midnight Chaser. “I’m guessing your in charge of everything else then?” Midnight Chaser’s eyes flicked toward Elias for a moment, before shifting over to the princesses. “Actually, who holds full control of the army has yet to be decided. As of now each branch has been handling their own logistics and lodging.” Storm Chaser shrugged. “That’s a bit odd, but since everyone’s here…” He flapped into the air and pointed to a barren field off to the side of the town, his voice loud as he called out to them. “Out there’s the perfect spot for setting up camp. We’ve got the weather patrol keeping it upwind of the sewer outflow, so it shouldn’t stink, and with so many guards, nobody is going to mess with you. My guards will mingle with the replacements for the night, so don’t worry about posting watchponies. Just have a night on the town, don’t do anything stupid, then get a good night’s sleep. We’ll make sure nothing too bad happens.” His wings closed to his barrel, and he plummeted to the ground, landing with an audible thud. The blue pegasus took the hard impact without issue however, and he offered a slight bow to Celestia. “If you need any escorts feel free to let me know Princess. Bordertown may be rough, but everyone knows my rules, and one of them is respect the guards. Nobody will so much as look at you on our watch.” Celestia smiled and glanced back to Luna and Cadence. “I think I can speak for the three of us when I say that we shall pass on a formal visit for now. Perhaps once we have some measure of our power returned.” She bowed her head slightly to Storm Chaser. “No insult intended of course. I’m sure Bordertown is a fine place to visit.” The blue pegasus laughed. “Only if you like shady dealings and more illegal contraband than we can handle! No offense taken Princess, I wouldn’t visit our little town either.” He chuckled and looked back to the stone walls. “Although, I’m sure a few of our residents are glad for that very fact.” He looked back to Celestia. “Still, my guards will keep watch for trouble, so anyone who wants a little trip into trouble can take it. I promise they won’t get too roughed up.” His eyes flicked to Chaser. "Besides, now Little Chase and I can catch up!" Elias glanced toward Midnight Chaser, who, while still flushed red, managed to maintain his composure. After a nod of permission, the human turned toward the still waiting column of ponies and let out a shrill whistle. Waving his hand in a circle to further grab eyes, he motioned to the spot Storm Chaser had indicated. “Set up camp!” he bellowed. “Castra arrangement. The sooner you are finished, the sooner you get to have a night off!” Inspired by the thought of having time to relax, the three guard forces broke formation in a rush, only showing hesitation when they had to wait for the legion engineers to show them where to play their tents. Without needing his direct orders, his legionaries moved forward in their normal formation and began ringing the field with their supply wagons. Storm Chaser seemed to appear at his side as he let out a low whistle. “Now that’s discipline,” he said as the rows of legionaries marched by. “I’ve gotten more than a few letters about this little guard force of yours, but Chase didn’t do it justice. I’ve never seen ponies resist the call of leave.” Elias snorted. “You’ve never seen ponies trained by me then.” As the legion engineers marked off the boundaries of the castra, the legion quartermasters began passing out tents to the legionaries. Calls of confusion quickly began to ring out as blue and gold armored ponies mingled with the silver clad ones, and Elias frowned as what should have been the normal, orderly set up became muddled and slowed with too many bodies packed into a too small space. He glanced over his shoulder to where the other generals were talking in a huddle. Storm Chaser followed his eyes, then looked back to the mass of ponies gathered around the legion supply wagons. “Did they not bring tents?” he asked. “Apparently not,” Elias said. “But I thought they were supposed to be waiting in some big storehouse here.” Storm Chaser let out a small sigh of realization. “That’s right, Chase mentioned something like that. I’ll send someone to start dragging those wagons out here in a minute.” Clearing his throat, the pegasus asked; “So General, I’ve heard a lot about you. Any intentions on going into the city?” Elias let a small grin spread on his face. “Go into a place where there’s no drinking age and plenty of booze? Please, not even the princesses could stop me. The castle blacksmith and I are going in once we’re done with set up.” Storm Chaser grinned. “My recommendation is the Festering Water Hole. Smells terrible, but they’ve got the strongest stuff in town. I’ll see if I can’t do a fly by so we can talk more.” “About what?” Elias asked. Storm Chaser shrugged. “I don’t know. We’ll see. Any friend of Chase is a friend of mine, and I like getting to know all of my friends.” He spread his wings in preparation of taking off, but he paused and grinned up at Elias. “That, and Ice Blossom tells me that you got snagged by the Cuddle Master himself. We’ll see if I can get you drunk enough for a quick cuddle.” Storm Chaser immediately took off, even as the last words were coming from his muzzle. Elias scowled after the pony as he landed amongst the generals, leading them toward the city gates. “Like that will ever happen,” he growled. He turned on his heel toward the supply wagons, where the quartermasters were a step away from starting a riot, shouting at legionaries, and guards alike. > Chapter 53: The March; Part 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias rubbed at his forehead, trying to ward away the last vestiges of his hangover. The night in Bordertown had been perfect, even including the barfight Anyon had started, and aside from a minor incident after he had blacked out, he was ultimately pleased with the haul he had the gryphon smuggling back to Canterlot. Anyon was set to escort the families of the guards back, and in the floorboards of his wagon was case after case of illegal booze, as well as a few illegal narcotics they planned to experiment with under Scalpel’s supervision. The after party for the march was going to be interesting, if nothing else. The human’s walk was in search of said unicorn. After they had been let free of the jail, in which nothing unusual at all happened, Elias had staggered his way back into camp just in time for the sun to rise. Preparations to march out were already well under way under the supervision of his centurions, and while he had received strange looks, nobody had mentioned his filthy, blood splattered attire, nor the fact that he was the one late to roll call. The only pony waiting for him had been Granite, who had been carrying a whip, and a sad look on his face. Elias hadn’t even bothered with a post. Ten lashes was light. Still, the whip left its sting on his back, and after getting dressed and collecting all of his gear, he had left the legion just as they were beginning to get into marching formation to find Scalpel before he left with Anyon and the families. Better to use the spells of a pony that wasn’t coming on the march. He found Scalpel near the royal carriage, where Anyon was helping the Royal Guards put on the top. The unicorn noticed him quickly, and smiled brightly as he trotted over. “Well hey there Elias, you’re looking better than I thought you would.” Elias shrugged his shoulders, wincing when the motion caused his armor to shift across the fresh lash marks on his back. “I think things went well last night, all things considered,” he replied. “But I was hoping you still had that detox spell so I can shake this hangover. I’d like to be at my best.” Scalpel’s horn lit up, and Elias immediately felt all of his pains lessen, including those on his back. “And I’m sure the cuts from that whip weren’t feeling too good either,” Scalpel said. Elias felt slightly bashful as the ache on his back vanished. “How could you tell?” he muttered. “A good doctor always knows,” Scalpel answered. “Besides, I heard Centurion Granite going at it.” He let out a small sigh. “Of all the things your legion does, whipping is one of the only things I absolutely don’t understand. There are better ways of punishment, and studies prove-“ “The people writing those studies can say all they want from the comfort of whatever office they write from,” Elias interrupted. “My methods work, and until they don’t, they’ll stay. I’ll talk about it no more.” Scalpel sighed again. “Fair enough I guess.” His horn’s glow gradually dimmed, and he smiled up at Elias. “I’m all done Elias. Feeling better?” “Much.” Elias looked to the carriage, where Anyon was fitting on a matte steel door. The gryphon fiddled with the hinges, tapping at them lightly with a small hammer. Elias counted to a hundred once, then twice. When he made it to three hundred, he cleared his throat aloud. “You do realize we’re supposed to leave sometime this century, right? “Perfection can’t be rushed!” Anyon squawked. “Leave me be, or I tell the princess what we got up to yesterday.” Luna slowly poked her head out of the carriage doorway and squinted hard at Elias. “And what, pray tell, did you get up to?” Elias glared at Anyon’s back. “Yeah Anyon, tell her about the bar fight that you started.” The gryphon’s wings immediately puffed up and covered his head. “Didn’ start nothin’” Anyon muttered. “Unlike you, I have witnesses to the contrary,” Elias said. “So maybe make less griping and finish up so you and Scalpel can get going. The walk to Canterlot isn’t getting any shorter.” Anyon continued grumbling to himself, while Luna slowly withdrew into the shade of the carriage, still bearing her critical, squinting eyes. Scalpel, however, regarded Elias with a curious look. “What do you mean Elias? I’m not going back to Canterlot.” An alarm bell rang hard and fast in Elias’ head, but he ignored it, looking cautiously at the unicorn. “You’re staying with the garrison here then?” A smile flitted across Scalpel’s muzzle. “Of course not, they have their own healers. I’m coming with you on the march!” Suddenly the noise of the preparations died away. Palpable tension bled into the air as Elias’ brain worked hard to process the words that had just been thrown at him. It was the tone mostly. Scalpel sounded so… excited. Happy even. Elias closed his eyes and tilted his head, putting one hand on his sword belt, while the other rubbed his chin. “Mind running that by me again?” “I’m an officially recognized officer in the Global Healer’s Core,” Scalpel said. Elias cracked an eye, and he found the unicorn motioning to a yellow plus sign on his saddlebags. “Of course, I can’t treat any active combatants,” Scalpel continued, “but I am the castle doctor, specifically for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Since I have world recognized immunity to harm, I thought it was safe to join them to make sure nothing bad happened. Just a pre-caution of course.” “Immunity to harm,” Elias echoed. “Meaning?” “As long as I don’t fight, and don’t go anywhere near an active battlefield, it is illegal to even touch me,” Scalpel explained. “If anyone were to do so, or Celestia forbid actually hurt me, they would have a bounty of one million bits put on their back, recognized by every nation under the sun. Ponies, gryphons, diamond dogs, minotaurs, even changelings recognize the yellow cross! Didn’t you ever wonder how I escaped being put in a pod during the wedding?” Elias looked toward the ground and closed his eyes again. “Chrysalis usurped the princesses, and you got special treatment because of a healers group?” “Her entire species would have been blacklisted from our help,” Scalpel said. “The Global Healer’s Core has a few dozen doctors operating in the badlands, and-“ Elias held up a hand, and the unicorn fell silent. A switch flipped in the human’s brain, and he felt rage building at a fiery rate. He struggled to keep the growing anger from his voice. “I am assuming you have been a part of this organization for some time?” When Steel Scalpel didn’t immediately answer, Elias’ eyes opened, then slowly raised to rest on the unicorn. The yellow pony’s face told the depth of his realization, and he clearly didn’t want to continue talking himself into a hole. It was far too late for that, however. “I can tell that your answer is yes,” Elias said, “which means you knew that you would come on this trip, and you decided to lie to my face anyway.” Steel Scalpel’s mouth flapped, and just as he began to figure out his words, Elias raised his pointer finger. “For more than six months I might add.” “It was far your own good,” Scalpel said with a gulp. “You needed a friend, and at the time you had turned everyone but me and Anyon away. I… I thought you wouldn’t mind when you took on Snowball…” “Snowball was a lying parasitic spy!” Elias spat, his anger finally boiling over. “He tricked and lied his way into my legion, and what I did was all to earn a devout spy! I fed that leech to keep him playing for my team.” Anyon stopped working on the door and glanced back. “Ya don’t mean that Youngblood.” Elias took a step back and let out a short huff. “You’re right Anyon. Sorry. Snowball’s been good to me, and I’m glad that he’s my friend.” His eyes fixed Scalpel where he stood. “It’s because he’s been honest with me. He risked his life coming forward, but he’s stayed completely honest with me since, and because of that, he’ll be one of my best friends until the day I die.” Elias drew in a deep breath and straightened to his full height. He let the anger fall from his face, and drove as much of it from his tone as he could. He had to be cold and calculating, and despite a small cry of regret from the back of his head, Scalpel had been warned. Everyone else had broken his rules on occasion, but never as blatantly as this, and they never lied. They had always been upfront, had always said their exact feelings. Scalpel had lied, and he had been doing so for a long time. Elias didn’t want a liar for a friend. “Doctor, I suggest you join your charges,” Elias said, his tone short. “And I’d suggest you stay well away from me from now on. Our friendship is ended on the grounds of betrayal. You betrayed my trust, and you’re lucky I have so much self-control, because if I were a lesser man, you wouldn’t be going on this march on account of a broken spine.” Steel Scalpel recoiled slightly, and Elias noticed a slight quiver of fear from the pony. Most present in the unicorn’s eyes, however, was hurt. His words were viscerally hurting the pony on an emotional level. ‘Good,’ Elias thought. His eyes flicked to Anyon, who closed the carriage door and glanced back at a Royal Guard. The unicorn charged her horn, and the handle of the carriage began to glow. After a few moments, the unicorn’s eyes rolled back in her head, and she collapsed, caught instantly by two of her fellows who had been lying in wait behind her. Anyon walked to the door and gave a sharp knock. The handle turned and Soft Touch stuck her head out. “All’s well in here gentlegryph. The expansion spell is working perfectly and everypony is getting comfortable.” Anyon gave a slight bow. “Give the princesses my regards.” The gryphon looked to Scalpel, who was still staring at Elias with an open mouth and teary eyes. Anyon let out a sigh and moved the unicorn’s way. “Come on now Doc, in ya go,” he said. “Ya shoulda known this was comin’. Did ya expect t’ get a hug?” Not waiting for an answer, Anyon used a wing to push and prod Scalpel to the carriage. The unicorn moved along with the gryphon until he got the carriage door, then he seemed to recover his wits, and he stopped, planting his hooves and pushing Anyon away. His sorrowful look was replaced with one of anger, and he stomped toward Elias. “No! Elias, I am your friend, and these past few months have more than proven-“ As soon as the pony came within striking distance, Elias backhanded him across the muzzle. The human had to suppress a flinch as Scalpel yelped like a beaten dog, and he fell to the dirt, clutching at his muzzle. Feather found her way to his hand, and the sound of steel leaving sheathes vaguely touched Elias’ ears. He didn’t care as he laid the tip of his gladius next to Scalpel’s terrified, quivering muzzle. Holding the unicorn’s gaze, Elias made sure he had a look of absolute calm before speaking. “You don’t listen well,” he stated. “I just said to never come near me again, and threatened you with violence, yet you came at me like I’m the type of man who breaks his word. But perhaps the mistake lies with me, maybe I didn’t make myself clear enough.” Elias poked the blade forward, forcing Scalpel to lean back to avoid being pricked on the gladius’ razor-sharp tip. “If you ever come near me again, if you ever even attempt to speak to me, I will make sure you shit teeth for the rest of your life. You will drink out of a straw, and you will shit teeth, and you will remember every painful second the face of the man you betrayed with your lies.” His jaw tightened into a snarl. “I fucking warned you Doctor. I gave you the same fucking rules as everyone else, and then gave you a pass because I thought you would be safe, but since you are so inclined to put yourself in danger, then congratulations, you’ve pissed me off. I can afford a million-bit bounty, so do test me.” “Youngblood,” a voice whispered next to him. Elias glanced to his right to find Anyon, his face calm, but bleeding concern into the air. His eye held the most of the emotion, and the solitary orb pleaded with him. A talon touched Elias’ sword arm, applying a gentle amount of pressure. “It’s alright Youngblood, he gets it,” the gryphon continued. “He gets it. It’s okay.” The words, clearly meant to be calming, infuriated Elias, and he shrugged Anyon’s hand off. “Is it?” Elias hissed. “Are you going to tell me that you’re joining the march too? Who else has been lying right to my face?” “Ah’m goin’ back to Canterlot,” Anyon said, again grabbing Elias’ arm. “Jus’ like ah said ah was. Got plenty of cargo to deliver, remember? We’re gonna have a great big party to celebrate when y’all get back.” Anyon’s eye flicked down for a second. “Jus’ put yer sword away Youngblood. You’ve made yer point, and it’s a good one, don’t doubt my support. It’s over now though, okay? Anymore and you’ll regret it forever, and ah know you well enough to know ya don’t need that on yer mind.” Elias pondered the gryphon’s words, slowly running them through his mind. It didn’t take him overly long to realize that the gryphon was right, and by them time he had fully processed that fact, Feather again rested in her sheathe, and he was walking away. He saw blades quickly vanish back into sheathes from the surrounding Royal Guards, but he noted a lack of hostility amongst their gazes. Feigned or not, most seemed indifferent, while a few held sympathetic gazes, evenly split between Elias and Scalpel. The unicorn sniffled and cried softly, helped to his hooves by Anyon, and escorted into the carriage by Soft Touch. Elias simply walked away from the scene without saying anything else. He silently lamented the goodbye he could no longer give Anyon, but he decided that the previous day in Bordertown was goodbye enough. He could always apologize if he saw the gryphon again. He made his way toward the steadily gathering legionaries. The quartermasters were still doing their tallies; making sure the day’s rations were distributed, making sure everyone had ammunition, making sure all of the tents were packed away with their additional equipment. Lines were forming though, and while most of his officers were occupied, one seemed to appear from nowhere beside him. Elias didn’t spare the white loveling a glance as they walked, silence raining between them. A single question burned in Elias’ mind, and he couldn’t help but ask it. “Did you hear what I said?” “I did.” The answer drew a sigh from Elias, and he closed his eyes for a moment. “I’m sorry. You’re not a parasite, I didn’t mean that.” Snowball smiled and bumped his rump into Elias’ hip. “I know General. You were angry with Doctor Scalpel, justifiably so.” He glanced up to the human. “Would you like my advice, or just a silent, supportive friend right now?” Elias pondered the question for a long moment, then, closing his eyes, made a split-second decision. “A friend would be nice for now,” he whispered. Snowball’s tail curled around his leg, hidden easily by their armor, gear and clothing. “Then you have my support Elias,” Snowball whispered. “Whenever you want to talk, about anything at all, I am here.” Elias considered remaining silent for all of a minute, but his mind still burned with anger, and he felt that there was only way to alleviate the heat. He walked away from the column of ponies, making sure he and Snowball were just out of earshot. “Am I a liar?” he asked. “Have I built a reputation that I lie to those I care about? If you heard what I said, then you know how Scalpel reacted. Did I mislead him? Did I mislead everyone?” “I don’t think so,” Snowball replied. “Yes, you, at times, went back on your promises, but always for good reason, and you always resumed your promises right after. Every time I observed you, the pony who wanted to break the promise asked first. Scalpel didn’t do that here. He lied right until the end.” “Observed.” Elias closed. “Scalpel was on your watch list. Did you know he would pull this little stunt?” “It was a possibility,” Snowball admitted, “but none of his actions before today led me to believe that he would join us. I knew about his enrollment with the Global Healer’s Core, but I thought that he would remain behind. While it is true that they receive protection due to their status as members, it doesn’t mean he’s entirely safe. There have been multiple recordings of Healer Core members being executed specifically to prove a point about trespassing.” Elias closed his eyes. “I would rather have not known that.” “I’m sorry, but like you told Doctor Scalpel, you value me for my honesty.” Elias remained silent for a few moments, doing his best not to further inspire a panic attack, then opened his eyes. “It ultimately doesn’t matter,” he said, his voice firming. “Doctor Scalpel made his choice, and if it kills him, then so be it. All we can do is make choices. I’m sure there has been more than one time that he has believed my choices foolish, but I pursued them anyway and was proven right. Pray that his belief in his little club is warranted.” He glanced back to the rows of armored ponies. “Could you fetch Adiutor Book Binder for me? I’d like to see where we are in preparations.” Snowball nodded. “Of course General.” His tail held firm around Elias’ leg for a second more, then the loveling pulled away, trotting away into the mass of ponies. Elias’ eyes followed him until he disappeared, then the human let out a long sigh, idly combing over his gear to make sure he had everything. His ruck was loaded down with dried meat, as well as the day’s water and his additional gear. A full load of pila sat in his shield sheathe, and full sets of clothes filled out his pack, along with an updated survival kit that included necessities like a small tarp, fire starting materials, and a bulky flashlight. The only thing he wasn’t carrying was his tent, which he was supposed to share with some of his legionaries, and his spare pila, which were loaded onto one of the wagons. The javelins were as sturdy as always, but they were different in make to those that his legionaries used, and he didn’t want to find himself in a situation where he ran out. If the march went as he believed it would, there was a very real possibility of that happening. Once his self-inspection was completed, Elias looked up, letting his eyes comb over the gleaming rows of ponies. What families had tagged along were slowly being herded toward the small line of wagons heading back to Canterlot under the escort of some “friends” Luna had gotten into contact with. He didn’t know much about the shadowy ponies, hadn’t asked many questions when Luna had brought them up. The only note he had made when she spoke of them was that he didn’t want them on the march. They were too great an unknown, and Luna had asked their leader, a pony with a false leg and a wispy mane, to escort the families home safely. While they were still in Equestrian territory, the news that the majority of the guard was departing wasn’t secret, so a bit of visible protection was always welcome. Anyon led the way, shepherding wayward ponies toward the wagons, trying to get them moving. Tear filled goodbyes filled the air around the more difficult ponies, but eventually the one-eyed gryphon was able to get them into a wagon. Elias watched the crying ponies impassively, even felt a twinge of irritation as his gaze flicked skyward. With the trio of princesses locking up the last of their magic, Celestia had assigned her student; Twilight, along with a team of powerful unicorns, to raise and lower the sun and moon while they were departed. Because of this, the sun was rising, albeit slower than usual. It was another magical discussion that had largely gone over his head, but so long as his subordinates understood and could simplify the risks and dangers, all was well. Said subordinates appeared from the crowds of ponies and trotted toward him, their tails waggling with barely contained excitement. The sight made Elias sigh, but he was glad that most ponies were so easy to read. His ability to pick up on the little things had only grown with time, and these days, he noticed it all. What the differences in tail height meant, all of the different types of tail wagging and rump waggling, the little ear flicks, the wide range of dramatic emotion a pony’s face could hold. An image flashed in his mind of Scalpel’s hurt expression. The wideness of his eyes, the little tears that crept in as he stared into Elias’ soul. The way his yellow fur flattened, a leftover of a long unused instinct to not get eaten; the way his ears folded back, emphasizing the way his muzzle curled in the beginnings of a whimper. The utter flatness of his tail, the lack of movement. Elias knew that if the pony had been standing, that tail would have been tucked firmly between his legs, maybe out of fear, maybe out of pure sadness. Elias let out a long sigh, and did his best to drive the image away. He wouldn’t care. He wouldn’t let himself care. Not about a pony who had broken his word. Scalpel deserved what he had received. It was only fair. The justification didn’t help him to keep the image of the heartbroken pony away. Book Binder wisely kept a smile from her face as she came trotting up, loaded down under the weight of her pack, stuffed to the brim with her administrative supplies. “Your legionaries are ready to go General,” she said. “And I’ve already talked with our engineers. Tonight’s castra set up should be efficient and easy.” A piece of paper levitated into one of the pouches on Elias’ belt. “That,” Book Binder explained at his questioning glare, “is your tent assignment, since you apparently lost the first one I gave you.” “Or I just like sleeping outside,” Elias countered. “In a jail cell more like,” Snowball grumbled. Elias’ eyes flicked to the loveling, and he cocked his head just slightly in warning. Snowball immediately shrank, saying nothing. Book Binder sighed and shook her head. “Guess we couldn’t get off to a good start. Adiutor Snowball go double check our rations. Make sure we’re not missing anything.” The loveling nodded and darted away, eager to be from beneath Elias’ critical eyes. The human looked back to Book Binder; who’s grin returned. “Don’t worry General, Momma Binder is firmly locked up today. She can yell at you for getting in a bar fight later.” Elias immediately looked back up to the fleeing white backside, noticing briefly the flap and waggle in Snowball’s tail. He growled. “That little rat.” Book Binder giggled. “Believe it or not, it was General Nightshade who told us. Your little escapades were the talk of the Royal Guards, and since she’s sleeping with their general, she’s privy to their rumors. Amongst your legionaries, however, your party has been well received, and I have gotten several notes asking if you’d be free for a night on the town when we get back.” Her gaze softened. “I also heard what happened with Scalpel, and I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. I’m sure Snowball has already offered, but I’m here if you need to talk with somepony.” Elias frowned and continued staring at the column. “That won’t be necessary Adiutor, especially since I don’t want to make a repeat of that little falling out.” An eye flicked down, meeting the unicorn’s gaze. “Am I clear?” Book Binder nodded slowly. “Of course General. My offer stands open nonetheless.” Elias looked up once more. “Good. Then let’s get things moving, shall we?” With Book Binder and Night Flash at his side, they moved to the line of legion wagons, making sure that all of their food, water, and other special equipment was accounted for. Since his legion had brought most of their equipment from Canterlot, retrieving the remaining wagons full of provisions had taken little time or supervision, giving Elias the opportunity to take his first optional break in months. While he had spent the night in Bordertown, Book Binder had overseen the sorting and packing of the supply wagons with Night Flash. Both ponies had shown little interest in diving into the dirty, crime ridden city, and had welcomed an excuse not to take leave. By the time the trio were done inspecting the wagons, the army was formed up. Elias sent his scouts to the front, and after a brief exchange of communique between himself and General Chaser, the column began its arduous trek. As they left Bordertown and approached the tall trees that marked the beginning of minotaur territory, they marched in the same order they had left Canterlot in. Since the princesses had neglected to assign the overall commanders of the march, they had to work with each other as equals in everything, and though most of his plans held a voting majority, Elias had managed to convince Midnight Chaser on his marching order. Apparently even Nightshade couldn’t pierce the pride of the Royal Guard, because even the suggestion that legionnaire scouts acted as the vanguard was met by stern refusal. Chaser refused to let anyone but his own lead the army, and so, they marched in parade order, with what Elias knew was a weak formation. Having the strongest elements of the army at the front and rear wouldn’t have been thing if they hadn’t placed precious cargo in the form of three vulnerable alicorns in the center. A single precise strike could panic the center of the column, snatch away all three princesses, and then disappear before either the Legion or the Royal Guard could respond. Elias tried not to let that fact bother him as they marched. He remained near the wagons, content to let his centurions drift about to gauge the overall morale of the legion. Every hour or so one would drift by him, giving him a report on the boredom that was rampant, but otherwise, there was nothing wrong. The legion’s mood was hopeful, excited even. To the ponies, they were embarking on a grand adventure, despite the peril they faced. The excitement had even inspired a song, one that had lasted for nearly an hour. Perhaps it was the length of the song, but somewhere around the half hour mark, Elias caught himself humming along. Once he had realized, he found that he couldn’t stop. Any time he tried, his throat caught, like it wanted to speak for him. Something told him that if he opened his mouth however, something much worse than humming would happen, so he kept his mouth shut, and he continued humming. He hummed when Snowball buzzed to his side, singing his heart out, and he hummed when Night Flash and Book Binder joined them. The ponies clearly noticed his slight addition to their musical number, and while they were smart enough not to bring attention to it, aside from what they were forced to by the magical harmony, he knew that Luna would have been doing everything in her power to draw song out of him. When the song began coming to a close, Elias made a silent promise to himself that he would die before he was ever caught singing. The bout of musical harmony finally finished just as they reached the forest edge, and even Elias found himself slightly intimidated at the massive wall of trees. Fingers scratching the sky wasn’t an apt enough metaphor to describe the trees. The massive evergreens were more like thick talons, their tops tearing a green swathe in a bright blue sky. Had there been any clouds, Elias imagined the treetops would have cleaved them apart as well. A wide, clearly marked road continued into the trees, and the column didn’t slow its march as it walked into the shade the of the forest. Day became twilight as the pines did their best to block out the sun, and as he crossed the borderline, Elias immediately felt eyes on his back. He looked around, looking for any sign of spies, but he found nothing amongst the trees. The forest was merely quiet, with only the sounds of distant birdcalls, and the marching of feet to break the silence. The feeling of being lasted the entire length of the quiet march. The sun rose, and then began to set as they walked to their first pre-determined castra site. The maps of the Saddle Arabian trade road were well marked, so Elias, Scarlet, and a few of the legion engineers had already planned out where they would stop each night, evenly spreading out the massive distance they had to walk. They would march at a brutal pace by human standards, but a rather moderate pace by pony standards. Each day would consist of twenty-five miles marched over eight hours, ending the day early to set up the castra. A castra that only his troops knew how to set up. It was the duty of each guard force to gather their own water, firewood, and to arrange their own latrines, and tents. On top of these duties, the legionaries had to cut down trees to build the castra walls, dig the trench around the camp, and then construct the walls and the temporary watchtowers at each corner of the camp. Additionally, the legion’s engineers had to lay out the interior tent layout of the castra, ensuring that all of the guard forces were placing their tents appropriately. The seemingly massive workload would have been worrying to anyone else, but Elias knew his legionaries were prepared. During their specialized training sessions, the ponies had become quite adept at constructing a castra from top to bottom. Their record was just shy of an hour. Even by adding in tasks like water retrieval, Elias imagined it wouldn’t take his legionaries much more than two hours to be finished their days work. His estimate turned out to be correct when they arrived at their temporary home. With orders from Centurion Granite and Centurion Blossom, the ponies went to work, tearing into the trees surrounding the natural clearing. Specialist Wood Chop oversaw most of the engineers as they set up a mobile lumber mill, while Book Binder and rest of the engineers marked off where the castra walls would be set. Once the area was marked, she began directing the placement of the army’s tents. Carved logs were steadily driven into the ground as the legion’s soldiers constructed the earthen rampart around the camp, their shovels tilling the earth with ease. Elias couldn’t help but marvel slightly at that, and at some point, he shed his gear and picked up a shovel merely because he wanted to feel how easy it was. The trench formed up in no time, finish at almost the same time as the castra walls. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, and depositing his shovel in the appropriate wagon as it passed into the camp, Elias ordered a pair of legionaries to act as the first watch gate guards, then moved to help unload the water barrels, gathering his equipment along the way. By the time that task was finished, the interior of the castra looked like a small city. Tents filled every corner, and while the majority of them were for sleeping, the larger ones weren’t. Near the center of the castra sat the command tent, where the generals would meet every day for planning meetings. Near the southern castra entrance was the food tent, and already Elias could smell fires alight in preparation of dinner. Outside the north entrance was the latrines, while just inside the western entrance was the medical tent, which sat quiet and empty. A massive yellow plus decorated the side of the tent, and the sight of the symbol made a temporary twinge of regret flash through Elias’ brain, but he ignored the sensation, instead letting his belly guide him to his next destination. Dinner was a boring fare of potato soup; made only slightly more interesting by a few slices of the beef he had bought in Bordertown. Elias ate in silence with Snowball, who largely ignored his soup in exchange for staring hard at Elias’ arms. A silent deal was made once Elias’ bowl was empty, and Snowball chirped happily as the human held him to his chest with one arm, while the other lifted Snowball’s ignored soup to his mouth. The second bowl lasted no longer than the first, but Elias felt full enough to move on from eating. With a small tap on the loveling’s rump, Snowball moved away, and Elias rose to his feet. The human collected his gear and moved to the command tent, his bad eye twitching with mild irritation almost as soon as he cracked the tent flap. The tent was relatively simple inside. Lanterns lit every corner with brilliant light, and the floor was grass and dirt. At the center of the tent was a round wooden table, on which was a feast fit for a party, not a military operation. All of the generals were at the table, taking choices from every food item available, of which there were numerous, colorful options. Behind the table was a tall pile of pillows, forming a pseudo-throne for the trio of alicorns to rest upon. All three were smiling and engaging one another in conversation while sipping at goblets filled with what Elias imagined was wine, while they snacked from trays piled high with treats. Elias mentally reminded himself that the food wasn’t a waste, that nobody had to carry it, that it had been magically delivered straight from Canterlot’s kitchens, but the thought offered only slight comfort. The soldiers were eating crappy soup, but the generals and the princesses got special treatment? They couldn’t spare a single fresh fruit or sweet for their troops? Even the normally high level of respect he had for Luna dimmed somewhat as she bit into a cupcake. The human took a breath, chastising himself for being immature with his judgement. The generals deserved a bit of his ire, but the princesses, despite his issues with two-thirds of them, did have reason to be treated with special provisions. They were talking immense risk for their ponies, and though he still believed the attempt was misguided, they were far more long lived than he was. He had to trust their judgement. It was their world after all, their kingdom. He was just a human that was good at fighting. Elias took one last breath to calm his irritation, then walked into the tent, letting his ruck fall to the side, followed quickly by his scutum. While he pried a pilum from his shield, Lionheart looked his way with a grin and a raised wine glass. “General! Where have you been? We had to start dinner without you.” The too-happy tone of the pony’s voice grated on Elias’ nerves, but the human ignored the irritation, letting it all in the simple motion of stabbing a pilum into the grass. He removed his helmet, glad to be rid of the sweaty thing, and placed it atop the javelin’s butt. “There was work that needed done, so I made sure it was,” Elias said calmly. “It is my responsibility as general to see that my troops are set up, fed, and safe for the night.” His eyes flicked to the table. “But I found myself directing ponies from other units as well, so it took me additional time to make sure all the camp tasks were finished. Duty comes before dinner.” Elias noticed a small droop from Nightshade. The thestral focused hard on a fresh orange that was sitting on her plate, while next to her, Chaser let a scowl slip onto his face, clearly offended at Elias’ words. Lionheart, however, took the thinly veiled insult in stride, and he laughed and turned back to his fellow golden clad generals. “I guess our human compatriot still hasn’t learned the power of delegation.” Shattered Shield was the only other pony to fully laugh with Lionheart, while Dragon Eye and Everfree let out polite chuckles, still eyeing Elias nervously. Lionheart smiled brightly at Elias and waved him over with a hoof. “Well you’re here now General, come eat with us! Even you can’t argue that today has been a complete success!” “Success?” Elias echoed. He moved toward the table, and Everfree and Nightshade made a hole for him. The thestral’s eyes flicked between him and the table, her wish for him to take some of their food for himself so obvious it was almost a need, like she needed validation from the human. Elias took the spot, but crossed his arms, not bearing the food on the table a look. It was all bright, colorful, and was almost certainly delicious, but Elias refused to put himself above his legionaries. If they would eat potato soup, he would eat potato soup. Anything else would spit on the lessons he had taught them. “Of course!” Lionheart said, pouring more wine into his glass. “We successfully completed a full fifteen-mile march into minotaur territory without opposition. No Equestrian army can boast the same, and not just because there hasn’t been an Equestrian army in almost a thousand years. No, it’s because we have such strength that the cows fear us! The little spies they had planted in Bordertown likely fled back to the tribe lands as soon as they saw our great march.” Only one part of the unicorn’s rambling mattered to Elias. “So their spies have already begun reporting back to their leaders? We can expect a response within a few days then. Likely a diplomatic approach fronting a military campaign.” He glanced to the princesses. “If they’re already on their way, then we need to make a plan. We already drew up the basics of a battleplan, but we need to determine who will lead the army as a whole.” Before either of the three princesses could speak, Lionheart scoffed. “Business can wait until after dinner General. We will need to be at our best, and while we have been recovering our strength, you still haven’t eaten a thing.” His muzzle curled in disgust. “And you could use a bath as well. That nasty rag you wear just absorbs sweat, and you frankly stink. How you got so hot without fur is a mystery to me, but well, I can have one of my guards draw up some hot water for you after we have finished.” The unicorn’s eyes flickered over the table, then lit up. His horn charged up and a plate loaded with bread and bacon levitated to Elias. “Here you are General, I believe this is specifically for you!” The plate set down before Elias, who glared at it for a moment before looking back up to Lionheart. “I already ate,” he said flatly. Lionheart scoffed again. “Hopefully not that slop the common ponies are eating. That stuff isn’t fit to feed to dogs.” Elias’ bad eye twitched. “If it’s slop, then why the fuck did we chose it as their rations?” he growled. If the tension had been roiling in the air before, it immediately became visible as Elias glared daggers at Lionheart. Before the unicorn could say something that set the human off, Luna cleared her throat, the sound whisper soft, yet able to immediately cut through the air. All eyes looked to the small blue alicorn, who smiled sweetly. “General Lionheart, my cup is empty, and I find that I’m in the mood for something a bit more… exotic. You wouldn’t happen to have brought along anything from that marvelous wine cellar of yours, have you?” The unicorn stared at her in utter, excited shock. His muzzle flapped for a second, then his head bobbed, and he straightened, very nearly saluting the alicorn. “O-of course my Princess! Would you prefer the Manehattan 26 PNMMR, or perhaps something from my personal vineyard? It may be young, but I promise that the Gold Standard Green Grape wine will light up your palate like it was made a century ago.” Luna gave the unicorn a wink, and her smile seemed to flash. “Well, if your recommendation is so stellar, I think I will try the latter.” Lionheart’s tail flicked with excitement and his head bobbed up and down again. “Of course my Princess, I shall fetch it immediately!” He sprinted from the tent, and Luna glanced to Elias. “Forgive his words General, General Lionheart is merely used to a higher standard of food quality, and he’s just excited, as are we all. Yes, there are likely trials ahead, but we cannot discount the success of today because we worry for tomorrow.” She looked toward the food table. “And I would like you to eat something we had prepared for you. You have a ravenous appetite to stay as fit as you are, and I know that potato soup is not enough. Please, eat. Your position does grant you some privileges, to counteract your innumerable responsibilities of course.” Elias hated how much sense the alicorn made. Already he could feel his belly rumbling again, and the smell of the bacon, still warm, before him was tantalizing. Still, he couldn’t just gorge himself without giving his troops something. He stared down at the plate of bacon for a long moment, then looked up to the colorful centerpiece of the table. An idea popped into his head, and he grinned. “Well, if the opportunity arises…” The tension began to escape the air, but it was immediately replaced by general confusion as Elias momentarily ignored the meat in favor of snatching up the centerpiece. He took a moment to check that the fruit inside the basket was, in-fact, real, then began gathering food from the rest of the feast. More fruit, some cupcakes and cookies, anything that was non-alcoholic really, it all went into the basket, filling the wicker object to the bursting. A glance back found Luna rolling her eyes, a grin still present on her face, while Celestia stared with a look of pure confusion at Elias’ back. “Are you trying to save snacks for later?” the white alicorn asked. “If so, I promise that we can acquire any food that you may need. Our cabinet works as expected, and we can receive plenty to match even aggressive diets.” Luna giggled. “I should hope so. How else are you going to get your midnight cake?” While her sister blushed furiously, Luna looked to Elias again. “Should I send for a messenger General?” The human shook his head. “That won’t be necessary Princess. We tested, and I’m loud enough to hear throughout the entire castra.” All the ponies winced as Elias shouted, bellowing Snowball’s name at the top of his lungs. The white loveling appeared in the tent a few seconds later, blinking stupidly like a moth in lamplight. “Yes General?” Elias smiled at him and lifted the basket in both hands. “Take this around to the gate guards for all the shifts. We had a bit of difficulty getting volunteers tonight, and I think that this should be more than enough to inspire more raised hooves next time.” The basket floated over to Snowball’s side, and the loveling’s ears flickered as he did his best to restrain a smile. “Thank you General, I’ll make sure everypony gets a share,” he said, turning to leave. “Before you go Adiutor,” Elias said, “this task falls outside your contracted duties, so I’m afraid you can’t leave without a treat of your own.” The human slid most of the bacon into a cloth napkin, then wrapped it tight and tossed it to Snowball, who caught the greasy bundle with his magic. “There, a reward for you as well. That will be all.” Snowball took a deep breath, and his eyes glowed with magic. The loveling’s ears flickered again as he stared at Elias, but all he gave was a curt nod before he left the tent. Elias snatched the two remaining pieces of bacon from his plate and ate them in a second. Once the bacon had disappeared into his gullet, he looked to the princesses. “What a filling meal. Can we get to business now, or would you like dessert first?” Luna snorted, and hid a giggle, while Celestia stared Elias down, scanning him from foot to forehead. He stared back impassively, knowing full well that she was trying to find some negative justification to criticize his action. After a few more moments of staring him down, the white alicorn sighed. “I suppose if everyone is finished, we can begin our planning meeting.” She looked to the other generals, who all nodded silently, or mumbled their agreement. Celestia’s maid, Open Flame, began clearing plates, holding them all within her magic, while Soft Touch and Feather Duster began preparing cups of tea. Each of the generals picked a few more items from the buffet, placing them on plates that they kept near them, but the rest of the round table was cleared, and once it was free of crumbs and juices, Elias laid out the road map. Lionheart came crashing back through the tent flap as the tea was served, and the look of disappointment was clearly visible on his face when he realized that dinner was done. The sight almost made Elias smile, but luckily, he was more professional than being that petty. He merely stared at the map, combing over it like he had so many times before. Cushions were laid out for each pony, with Soft Touch even offering Elias one, an offer the human declined, opting to remain on his feet. The table was designed for ponies that rested their forehooves atop it, and as such was only slightly shorter than he would have liked. It was comfortable enough, however, and once everyone was settled, Celestia cleared her throat, drawing all eyes to her. “Mares and Gentlecolts, I would like to express my congratulations, and my gratitude. As General Lionheart said, we have completed the first day of our long journey successfully. That is no small task, and you have yourselves to thank for such an accomplishment.” While the ponies around him puffed up slightly at the praise of their princess, Elias remained impassive. The lack of chest swelling caught Celestia’s eye, and the magenta orbs shined as she met his gaze. “As General Bright as noted, however, there is still much ground to cover. Dangerous ground. It is for that reason, that I believe we will need a dangerous man to lead our campaign to success.” Her eyes flickered over to Midnight Chaser. “I’m sorry General, but while you are my most loyal Royal Guard, General Bright is the clear choice for this endeavor. He has more fresh military experience than any here, and despite our,” her eyes flicked back to Elias for the barest of seconds before shifting back to Chaser, “disagreements on method, he is a stern leader that wants only what is best for this march. I trust nobody more as our battle commander.” The gray pegasus smiled at the alicorn. “I couldn’t agree more Princess. General Bright is a capable fighter, and a good combat leader. He’s a perfect fit.” Chaser snorted. “Though he has the diplomatic skills of an avalanche. A bit terrifying, but his tactics are always blunt force. I’d be concerned if I hadn’t seen firsthand that he can back up threats.” Elias didn’t know whether to accept everything Midnight Chaser had said as compliments or not. On one hand, he liked the sound of good combat leader, and being named an avalanche, while a bit crude, was pretty cool, but a capable fighter? He was far more than capable. He quickly realized how childish his thoughts were, and he squashed them, listening intently as Celestia spoke again. “It is for the very reasons you have addressed that I will be appointing a different pony to act as our representative on the diplomatic battlefield,” Celestia said. “General Bright will control all facets of the army, particularly on the battlefield, but when it comes to negotiations, I thought General Lionheart would be a better fit.” Elias noticed more fur puffing out as the red-maned unicorn swelled with pride. Stepping away from the table, Lionheart offered the princesses a low bow, his muzzle nearly brushing the grass. “I am honored Princess,” he said. “I will do my utmost to see your kindness represented in our every encounter.” Celestia smiled and offered him a nod. “Rise friend. Though it may be temporary, you are now functionally above even my sister, niece, and I.” She looked to Elias. “You both are. Though it will only be for the duration of the march, and we expect you to utilize the advice given by your fellow generals, the two of you are now in full control of Equestria’s fate. I cannot understate the direness of that fact.” Elias tapped the table impatiently. “Then perhaps we can move on from this little ceremony and get to work. If I command the marching order, then things are going to change, and they’ll be changed by tomorrow morning. That means we can get started now and still get to bed before the midnight, or we can simply work straight and march dead on our feet.” He glanced at the other ponies. “Any takers on an all-nighter?” He waited for a few silent moments, then nodded and looked back to Celestia. “That’s what I thought. Thank you for my updated position, Princess, but if you’d like, you all can go somewhere quieter to rest. I have no doubt that tonight will be somewhat… difficult.” “Difficult?” the white alicorn echoed with a tired sigh. “Just a little pride that needs to be stomped out,” Elias replied. “Don’t worry. I won’t start a civil war that quickly. This isn’t Rome.” The reference flew clear over all the ponies, though Luna looked like she desperately wanted to understand his joke. Celestia still looked a bit irritated about his non-Lionheart-like kissing of her ass, but her weariness won out and she let out a sigh before rising. “Very well General, I believe we shall take our leave. I do hope that our marching schedule shall not be changed? I don’t wish to raise the sun on the move.” Elias cracked a grin. “No such thing, just a few adjustments to make sure we balance our strength. Nothing more, nothing less.” Celestia sighed again. “Very well. Good night then my ponies.” She snorted as she leaned on Open Flame. “Unfortunately I can’t call you my ‘little’ ponies at this time for obvious reasons.” A light chuckle passed through the tent, shared by all save for Elias, and Cadence, with the pink alicorn frowning at the human as her eyes flickered with the signs of intense thought. She rose to her hooves as Celestia climbed down from the stack of pillows, then spoke just as the white alicorn began for the tent exit. “Auntie, shouldn’t we at least have some oversight? Just because we’re containing most of our power doesn’t mean we’re suddenly not princesses.” Celestia smiled at her. “I’m surprised Cadence. Usually it is Luna who is overly suspicious of others in power.” The blue alicorn squeaked in protest. “Still, I trust our Generals, especially General Lionheart and General Bright. Do remember that it was General Lionheart our treaty with the Zebras bordering our south, and that it was General Bright who sacrificed life and limb to save you and Luna on separate occasions.” She glanced Elias’ way. “He may be rough at times, but General Bright has more than proven his loyalty. I think that paired together; they can accomplish much good.” Cadence shot another look toward Elias. “Do you remember that… thing I talked to you about?” Luna snorted, still unrisen from her place on the pillows. “Dear niece, that is enough. We already discussed this decision at length, and made clear that General Bright is trusted. If it will put your mind at ease, I shall remain here and keep watch to warn you of any coup attempts.” She flashed a coy smile at Elias. “I, for one, know the mighty General’s weaknesses, and can use them to great effect.” She looked back to Cadence. “So worry not.” She waved a hoof at the pink alicorn, shooing her away. “Away with you. I have gotten much sleep during our ride, but you and Celestia spent the entire ride chatting like a pair of hens. You need sleep.” Cadence looked unsure, but a nudge from Soft Touch, then the encompassing wings of Celestia finally guided her from the tent, still throwing the occasional look Elias’ way. Once she was gone, however, Luna merely settled back onto her pillows with a smile and a nod his way. “Do carry on General. I can enjoy watching for the moment.” Elias’ brow furrowed in mild confusion, wondering what she meant, then realized that it didn’t matter. He had work to do. Ignoring the alicorn’s stare on his back, Elias focused on the task of the night. ***** Re-arranging the army, both in its marching column, and on the battlefield, took hours to complete, mostly because Elias had to spend the time putting his newfound authority to use. Protests to his plan ranged from seniority to acclaimed superiority, but he brushed past every excuse. He had spent countless hours analyzing the fighting styles of each section of the army, and he knew who went best where. Only once it became clear that he wouldn’t budge, and that he officially had the backing of the princesses did work finally start to get done. The end of their meeting was largely silent, dissatisfied grumbles, but Elias was overall happy with the progress they had made. He bid everyone goodnight, then stayed behind for a few precious minutes, making additional markings down on the map, while also making private notes on other areas of the army that could potentially use additional improvements. Improvements that would be far harder to implement, but could always be kept on the backburner until he could actually implement them. Luna and Feather Duster left when he did, with the blue alicorn attempting to steal a rule breaking goodnight hug. The prank was mild, and she showed no sign of disappointment when the human refused, deciding to blow him a kiss instead before she was led back to her carriage. Elias did his best to ignore the butterflies he got from the motion. The best strategy he could find to squash the sensation was finding his tent. Though they weren’t too far outside Equestria’s borders yet, he could already feel the stark contrast in temperature. The forest air caused his breath to turn to fog, and though his sleeping bag could keep him alive for the night, he preferred to rest with other warm bodies nearby. He walked slowly down the main path of the castra. The fortification was lit up like a small city, with the light of magical lamps mingling with the torchlight available at the main intersection. Most ponies were already in their tents, hiding away from the frigid night air, and there were a few tents that were dark. The sound of snores told him that sleep was already king amongst the dark tents, and the thought of the cute little ponies, curled into snoring, fuzzy balls, brought a smile to his face. Elias looked to the small slip of paper Book Binder had given him. He had no idea who he was supposed to be tenting with, having spent the first week of the march sleeping beneath the stars. He looked to the numbers on the sides of each tent and began walking down the north facing path. The numbers ascended as he walked, and he eventually found a tent marked 243. Its flaps were closed, but light and quiet whispers emanated from within. Elias double checked both the paper, then the side of the tent, then, with the number confirmed, he knocked on the tent post before throwing back the tent flap. “Hope everyone’s decent, because…” He paused as he beheld the ponies he should have been expecting all along. Snowball and Night Flash looked up from where they were preening Scarlet’s wings, while Book Binder set down the notebook she had been writing in. The green unicorn smiled sweetly. “Well, well, well, gentlecolts. It would seem that General Bright has finally decided to grace us with his presence.” Scarlet’s wing fluttered, smacking Night Flash lightly in the face, drawing a snort from the other pegasus. “And on my turn!” Scarlet squawked, pumping a hoof. Elias let out a loud sigh and briefly considered sleeping alone in the command tent. “I really don’t know what I expected from you Adiutor.” Book Binder giggled. “You told me to treat you like any other legionary, and I did.” She pulled a thick packet of papers from her saddlebags. “Here,” she said, offering Elias the papers, “I organized the entire legion by section, then rank. From there, I put six to a tent. Since none of us were in a section, I figured that we were the command section, and since there were six of us, we fit in one tent!” Elias waved the packet away. “Fine, I believe that you did your job properly. What does Scarlet mean by “his turn”?” Book Binder shot the red pegasus a glare. “Well technically he wasn’t supposed to say anything, and now he’s off the rotation for his next night.” Scarlet drooped. “Aw ponyfeathers.” “But,” Book Binder continued, looking up to Elias, “there were some cries of foul play and hogging amongst the army’s officers, so I decided to set up a small rotation to prevent tails from getting stepped on. Specifically, Scarlet, Gray Granite, and Nightshade will trade tents every night so that they can share with you.” Elias snorted in disbelief. “Doesn’t Nightshade have a coltfriend?” Book Binder shrugged. “General Chaser asked to be added as well, but I thought you wouldn’t be as comfortable with him.” “How many ponies asked to be added to this rotation of yours?” Book Binder chuckled. “Enough. Some were curious, envious, or just wanted to see if a few select rumors were true. I made other arrangements for most, but figured a few choice officers could have a bit of special privilege. For morale’s sake of course.” Her muzzle curled into a mischievous smile. “Besides, it gets cold in these woods, and we need to keep you warm General. If you’d like, we can abandon the rotation and have a nice sleeping pile.” Elias wanted to be angry, but in truth, despite how successful the day had been, he was exhausted. The sound of a pile of ponies sleeping on him was all too enticing, but luckily he had enough willpower to shake his head. He let out a sigh and tossed his bedroll into an empty space. “Fine. Just know that I get up earlier than anyone, and I am not a quiet sleeper. Stay here at the peril of your sanity.” He turned around and set his ruck down with the gear of the ponies, then stripped off his sword belt and armor. When he turned around again, he found his bedroll in the center of the tent, with the ponies all gathered around it, their expressions eager. Elias jabbed a finger at Night Flash, whose tail lashed with excitement. “No snuggling. Sleeping in the same tent next to each other is one thing. Being smothered in pony fluff is-“ A chill breeze raced through the tent, cutting through Elias’ tunic. Suddenly the material seemed far too thin, and Elias felt a familiar, yet utterly foreign sensation. The light in the tent seemed to dim, and he couldn’t get away from the sudden cold he felt. Amorphous fear clawed at the corners of his mind, and the shadows seemed to stretch, flickering with a strange green and red light. Elias shivered, and his mind changed instantly before Night Flash could so much as pout. “Actually,” he said, lying down, “Cuddle away. My sleeping bag is getting thin anyway.” Night Flash was already in said sleeping bag at the world cuddle, and he wrapped his strong hooves around Elias’ hips, hugging him tight. The pegasus looked on the verge of tears as he rested his smiling muzzle on Elias’ stomach. Snowball nuzzled up under the crook of Elias’ right arm, while Scarlet settled under the crook his left. While the crimson pegasus spread a wing out over Elias’ chest, Book Binder let out a giggle and shifted the bedrolls to surround them like a fortress. “Well you’ll certainly be warm tonight General.” Elias shot her a slight glare, which she only smiled at. She trotted to his head and curled around it before turning off the lamp, allowing them all to drift away. > Chapter 54: The March; Part 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias awoke with a gasp. His eyes flicked about the dark tent, and he felt a nervous panic rising in his chest at the unfamiliar environment. Something moved against his arm, and he felt an immediate urge to grab for his sword. Something tightened around his neck, and Elias recognized a pair of hooves trying to strangle him. Another pair was pinning his arms, clearly trying to make sure he couldn’t resist the midnight ambush. Elias kicked his legs, but found them trapped in his sleeping bag. Before he could begin to truly wriggle free, a pair of glowing eyes poked up from his hip, and they locked onto his snarling face. The color flickered briefly, and Elias made a realization about his enemy. Changelings. Of course. They had been awfully quiet since their failed infiltration attempts and what better time to spring a trap than when he let his guard down in the middle of a well-armed and armored military camp? Elias clenched his jaw, and tried to free his arms as the creature crawled up his torso. “Look at me,” the bug hissed. Mind control, Elias thought. He intentionally screwed his eyes shut and turned his head away. Tugging at the limbs wrapped firmly around his arms, Elias managed to free one hand, and it quickly found its way out of his sleeping bag. To hit his target, however, he had to open his eyes, and so, steeling his mind, Elias opened his eyes and prepared to strike. Instead of his fist, calm struck the human as Snowball grabbed his hand with the gentleness of a butterfly, slowly leading it to rest deep in the loveling’s chest fluff. Snowball’s purple eyes shined in the low light, and he simply hummed softly, making sure that Elias got fistfuls of fluff. Elias’ bad eye twitched as the loveling held his eyes with a kind, unblinking stare. For a moment, the slitted purple eyes were replaced by glistening green eyes, and Elias could have sworn Snowball’s plush fluff became even softer, just like… Elias closed his eyes and took a deep breath as a new kind of panic set in. Fully awake, he glanced around to find the ponies still dead asleep, their snores and adorable snorts finally reaching his ears. The hooves wrapped firmly around his chest belonged to Night Flash, the pegasus’ muzzle buried into his hip. The hooves around his neck weren’t strangling him, they were merely a tight hug as Book Binder cuddled against his shoulder. The words Snowball had spoken, they hadn’t been a threatening hiss, but rather an attempt at a comforting whisper. The threat wasn’t real. Elias’ eyes opened again, but he couldn’t match the smile he found on Snowball’s face. Dark thoughts about what his reaction could have been plagued his mind, something that must have been clear on his face. Snowball inched closer. “Give me a minute and I’ll move everyone so that you can get up,” he whispered, his voice as soft as it could be. Elias nodded and laid back, staring at the ceiling of the tent in silence. Snowball moved past, offering a little nudge or tickle to the ponies surrounding Elias. Though some grunted in obvious sleepy protest, none of the ponies awoke as Snowball moved them away. As soon as the loveling pried Book Binder’s hooves from around his neck, Elias slipped out of his sleeping bag and out of the tent, snatching all of his equipment up in a bundle. The human showed little care as he tossed it all into the dirt. He merely let his body do the work while he tried to keep his brain away from dangerous thoughts. His sandals found their way to his feet, followed swiftly by his greaves on his shins. By the time he heard the tent flap open behind him, Elias had on his cuirass and was making himself busy on his knees stuffing his dusty sleeping bag into his ruck. Snowball watched the human work in silence for a moment, then spoke. “They wouldn’t blame you; you know.” Elias kept packing his ruck. “I wouldn’t forgive myself if I struck one of them. I’m not exactly weak, and neither are my punches. Would you have liked it if I decided to punch you like the changeling I thought you were?” “No,” Snowball admitted, “but I also knew that you wouldn’t hit me. You’ve never struck one of your friends in anger before, and I don’t think you’ll start now.” Elias shook his head. “It isn’t about anger Snowball.” Don’t say anything, Other-Elias whispered softly in his ear. You can’t show weakness. Not now. Elias did his best to ignore the specter. “I can’t control myself when I have night terrors,” he stated flatly. “It’s not about emotion, it’s about reaction. I wake up in a state, and think that I’m still in the dream. What happens after is only a result of that, and I won’t attack them. Not even if they know it’s not intentional, and even if they are willing to forgive me.” ‘I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself,’ he thought, but left unsaid. He also left unsaid the lie he was telling, mostly due to shame. He knew the prime reason he swung first when coming out of a night terror, and that reason was in the name. His dreams scared him to no end with the kind of irrational fear that even he couldn’t drive away. It was mad fear, unintelligent and violent. Snowball let out a small sigh, and Elias almost felt that he knew despite his lack of speech. “So what does this mean? You can’t avoid sleeping.” Elias cinched the top of his ruck closed, then clicked open his pocket watch. “It’s about three in the morning. Everyone will be up in two hours. I’ll check in on the night watch, then go plan out the day in the command tent.” He could feel the loveling frown at his back. “That may be a solution for today Elias, but what about the rest of the march? You need to sleep, and it’s better to sleep somewhere that I can help you come out of your night terrors.” “Or somewhere far enough away that nobody notices when I have them,” Elias said. He stared down at his ruck in silent thought for a moment, then shook his head again. “I’ll figure it out. Go back to bed Adiutor. Thank you for making sure I didn’t do anything stupid.” Snowball waited in silence for a few moments as Elias sat back on his haunches, putting on his wrist guards. A small, unhappy sigh filled the air behind him, then he felt hooves wrap around his torso. An attempted nuzzle was halted by the cold steel of his armor, but that didn’t stop Snowball from nuzzling away. “I’m so sorry Elias,” he whispered. “I know everyone keeps making promises, but we’ll find a fix for this. Somehow, some way, we’ll free you of these dreams. Everyone deserves to sleep at night. Everyone.” Elias felt his bad eye twitch and images of red stained the dirt before him, just for a second. “No,” he whispered. “Not everyone. Certainly not me.” When he heard no reply, he looked back to find Snowball already gone, the tent flap waving gently wish the loveling’s passing. Elias let out a small sigh, wishing he could rejoin the ponies in their nice warm tent. A chill breeze ran up his spine, sparking him to finish getting dressed quicker. Once he was finished, he rose to his feet, rubbing at his bare arms as he made his way to the command tent. He was already awake, might as well get started on the day’s work. ***** Late into the day. the column ground to a halt at the sound of a horn. With well-oiled practice, the legionaries fell into small boxes, with shields locked and spears pointing outward. Elias had to keep back a scoff of disgust at the milling clumps of other guards. The new marching strategy he had implemented once the army had awoken had been designed to spread out their strength. Instead of being packed into their neat and tidy sections which ranged widely in training and combat ability, Elias’ method had split most of the guard forces up and mixed them together using a far more advanced copy of the abilities guide Scarlet had created. While Elias had been comatose following the incident in the Crystal Empire, Scarlet had taken the abilities guide he had crafted for their old section of the Lunar Guard and had expanded it with gusto. He had taken stock of each pony in the army, then divided them by guard force. Then he had made a number of section recommendations, offering different arrangements that varied in utility. If Elias wanted a solid, unbreakable wall, Scarlet had created a division chart that created perfectly balanced sections to provide physical and magical defense on an entire front. If he wanted to make it so the army could perform as a guerilla force, Scarlet had outlined which units would be best used for bait, and which ones could act the fastest for a hit and run campaign. Comprehensive didn’t begin to describe how thorough the guide was, and once the pegasus had awoken, he and Elias had perfected the marching order, then distributed it to the army. As a result, the column no longer shimmered in easily identifiable colors. At the front of the column was the 1st Cohort Auxiliaries, augmented by most of the legion scout’s as a vanguard. Behind them came the first third of the Lunar Guard, followed by a third of the Solar Guard. The carriage was no longer merely placed between the Solar Guard and the Legio I Equus. Instead, Royal Guards formed a defensive wall on all sides of the carriage, including a pair of unicorns on the roof. All eight-hundred members were packed tight beside each other, making sure that nothing short of a dragon flight would have easy access to the princesses. Behind the carriage came 1st Cohort, 2nd Cohort, and her auxiliary regiment, and they were followed by the second third of both the Lunar Guard, and the Solar Guard. Finally came the lengthy baggage train, pulled and guarded by the final third of the Lunar Guard, Solar Guard, and the 3rd Cohort. Elias stalked in front of the shield walls of the 3rd Cohort, gently prodding the crimson shields with Feather. His scutum still sat on his back, loaded down with pila. He didn’t particularly want to draw it if he didn’t need to; strapping it back onto his ruck would be a hassle and a half, so Elias scanned the trees atop the hill from which the horn call had originated. It didn’t take long for him to spot a trio of tall figures waving a green flag. Elias drew a pilum with a green flag tied to the end from his shield and raised it high in the air, answering the call for a peaceful talk. Twirling the javelin around, he called out; “Remain at the ready. We don’t know if this is a trap, so treat every single blade of grass as an enemy!” One of the Lunar Guards standing nearby snorted and reached a hoof out, stomping a patch of grass. “I guess I just killed a dozen enemies then,” he laughed. “I bet the real thing is just as easy.” Granite appeared behind the stallion like a wraith, and immediately laid into the blue-clad guard. With the sound of a well-earned chew-out gracing his ears, Elias left the situation, knowing it was in good hooves. He stalked forward, advancing up the hill toward the figures. As he pulled away from the formation and began moving up the hill, several ponies sprinted from separate points in the column, running hard to catch up to his long-legged strides. Elias made it half-way up the hill before the other generals caught up, with Lionheart running especially hard to cut the human off. Elias stopped as the unicorn placed himself between the human and the minotaurs at the top of the hill. In a move that surprised Elias, Lionheart spent only a moment catching his breath before he straightened. “The Princesses assigned me as our diplomatic liaison.” “That may be true,” Elias said, “but they also mentioned taking the advice of others into account. I intend to do so with you all when a battle plan becomes needed, and I expect the same respect when it’s the other way around.” He looked past the unicorn to the minotaurs. “I did some cursory research on minotaurs when I was still in the infirmary, and I think I can speak their language.” “And I’m sure you’ve come to some conclusion about how your blunt diplomatic style would fit with theirs,” Lionheart said, “but I have actual experience with minotaur relations, seeing as the western border of Equestria was included in my administrative province. In all likelihood, I know these fine gentlecolts personally or at least know allies of theirs, and therefore will know how to speak to them, while you would no doubt say something to offend them and draw us into open war.” He took a step forward, sneering up at Elias. “I understand that you pride yourself as a fighter, General, but this situation requires tact and diplomatic precision. I think even you can realize that you are lacking in both areas.” Elias almost wanted to crouch down so that he could directly butt heads with the pony. Unfortunately, that would only prove Lionheart’s point. His bad eye twitched with irritation at being thought of nothing more than an over-aggressive brute, but he decided that now wasn’t the time to settle any kind of argument, insult or no. They had a job to do, and Lionheart had been assigned to do it, whether he liked it or not. Elias swallowed his pride and motioned up the hill. “Well go on then liaison. I’ll keep quiet.” Lionheart snorted, showing supreme effort to not roll his eyes as he turned around. “Somehow I doubt that,” he muttered, just barely below his normal speaking voice. Elias suppressed the urge to smack the pony at the second insult, but decided to keep his word, and merely fell in beside Nightshade and Midnight Chaser as they continued the march up the hill, with Lionheart at the lead. Upon reaching the minotaurs, the first thing Elias noticed was the amused, almost mocking grins that two of them wore. They had likely been able to hear Lionheart demean him, and no doubt thought less of him for it. The second thing Elias noticed, as he stabbed his green-flagged pilum into the grass, was that the minotaurs were huge. He had thought those in and around Bordertown were fairly large. Those minotaurs stood a little over a head taller than he was, but these minotaurs were easily a foot or more taller, with a height difference almost comparable between Elias and a normal pony. Elias removed his helmet and set it atop his pilum, then slid his ruck off, analyzing the three minotaurs out of the corner of his eye the whole while. Unlike the ponies, who were all in largely the same armor with mere color differences, the minotaurs were each completely unique in equipment. The left-most minotaur looked to be the youngest, his hair short and a rich brown, with his fur much the same. His short horns gleamed white in the sun. The rest of his attire matched that white glow. Gleaming silver plate covered most of his key areas, with layered furs and leather protecting the rest. On his hip sat a sword that might have been long in Elias’ hands, but seemed like little more than a dagger to the minotaur. On his back sat the head of a massive two-bladed battleax, and judging from the corded muscles of his arms, each as thick as a pony, the minotaur could use it. The minotaur in the middle was the shortest of the three, with a nearly white head of hair that stretched down his back in a long ponytail. He seemingly lacked any weapons or armor, aside from a simple wooden staff with strange carvings on it, as well as the massive, yellowed horns on his head, and he was dressed in simply brown robes that clung to certain parts of his frame while hanging loose from others, adding to his aged appearance. He hunched over, almost as if the horns were straining his back with their weight. Still, despite his apparent age and seeming infirmity, he was only slightly less muscled than his two counterparts, and he bore two golden rings, one pierced through his septum, and the other attached to one of his horns. The third minotaur, however, was the largest of the three, made all the clearer by the fact that he was stark naked. His skin was barren of fur, and the sun glistened off of what Elias guessed was anointing oil, or sweat that covered his entire body from head to hoof. His horns were larger than the armored minotaur’s, but not quite as heavy of those of the white-haired minotaur. If anything, they looked shaved, with the points gleaming as much as the minotaur’s bald head. The thing that shined the brightest about the minotaur was a thick golden septum ring hanging from his nostrils. The naked minotaur seemed to notice his appraising eyes, and he gave Elias a wink and a hip wiggle. The human showed no reaction, instead continuing to arrange his gear while Lionheart approached the armored minotaur. The red-maned unicorn held a smile on his face as he gave a small nod to the minotaur. “Greetings Chieftain,” Lionheart said, “I appreciate your approaching us under a flag of peace. Would that all matters in this world happened as such.” The minotaur snorted and crossed his arms. “The Keepers clearly wish differently, as they keep giving us warriors strong enough to rip changelings in two.” He looked toward Elias, who stood back with his thumbs in his sword belt. “But clearly you know something of our traditions, so why is the strongest among you not speaking first? We have heard many a story about the mighty Savior of Canterlot, yet I see one before me who matches his description, and he appears weak, his leash held by soft ponies.” Elias’ eyes narrowed and flicked toward the armored minotaur; his posture unchanging. “Care to rephrase that?” He might take the occasional insult from a pony to keep the peace, but he wasn't going to make a habit of letting slights pass without challenge. If the cow wanted to lose his tongue, Elias was more than willing to remove it for him. Before tension could fill the air, Lionheart let out a too-loud laugh. “Believe it or not, I am the strongest one here! After all,” his horn charged with magic, and the ground beneath their feet shifted and roiled. A touch of arrogance entered his smile. “I am a well-studied mage, and our human general, while a fantastic warrior, has no magic to speak of.” The naked minotaur perked up at the words “fantastic warrior”, and he eyed Elias up and down with a leering smile, as if eyeing a piece of meat. The center minotaur did the same for a moment, though he lacked anything other than an even expression and an appraising eye. After a silent moment he looked to Lionheart with a soft, diplomatic smile. “Forgive my son, he is young, and doesn’t quite appreciate that sometimes power is silent, and hidden away.” The minotaur's voice was low, but Elias could detect that if the white-haired bull wanted to be loud, he could be in an instant. The robed minotaur stepped forward and offered a low bow to Lionheart. “As Elder of the Stone Crusher tribe, I offer my welcome into our lands.” Lionheart stepped forward and matched the minotaur’s low bow. “My thanks Elder,” the unicorn replied sincerely. “I apologize that we could not warn you directly of our pass-through, but well, we have no intention to stay in your territory for long.” He straightened and smiled. “But I’m getting ahead of myself. I am General Lionheart, Duke of Western Equestria, and one of the leaders of her Majesty’s army.” He glanced back and motioned with his hoof to each general as he named them. “These are my fellow generals; Shattered Shield, Dragon-Eye, Everfree, Nightshade, Starry Skies, Midnight Chaser, and Elias Bright.” Elias was surprised to hear no trace of disgust when Lionheart said his name. The armored minotaur let out an amused snort at the long list of names. “That seems like too many leaders. How do your people know who to listen to in battle?” Lionheart’s smile remained unchanged as he looked to the younger minotaur. “We manage well enough; there is strength in variety and uniqueness after all. Regardless, the princesses have delegated their diplomatic responsibilities to me. I speak for this army, and any requests you would have for them should be addressed with me.” The naked minotaur jabbed a fat finger at Elias' chest. “And what does he do? Bark like a little puppy?” Elias’ scowl deepened, his jaw tightening as he tried not to let his anger make him hasty in action. The minotaurs were trying to get him to strike, to give them some excuse to attack the army. If he was going to do that, he wouldn't do it on their terms, if at all. Lionheart again surprised him when he merely said; “He acts. I am the tongue, and he the sword. I have faced him in combat before, and I wouldn’t recommend provoking him.” “And Chieftain Bare Hide won’t,” the elder quickly assured. His staff thwacked the naked minotaur across his chest, drawing a slight wince from Bare Hide. He took a step back, bowing his head just slightly, his eyes never leaving Elias. “Apologies Elder," he mumbled. "Merely testing the welps. Hiding under so much armor, they need a good prodding.” “If I wanted anyone tested, I would have done so,” the elder growled. “Now remain quiet before I rip the ring from your nose, and then test if your hide is really sword-proof like they say.” "Sword-proof?" Elias echoed. "I'm afraid I've never heard of something like that." His words played perfectly on Bare Hide's obvious pride, and the minotaur stood straighter, flexing his muscles. "It would take the best blade in the world to pierce my hide," he boasted. "I hide behind no armor because I need none! My fists outpower any mace, and my skin is tougher than any prissy pony armor." His grin turned into a sneer. "Even if it's worn by a skinny little calfling with big legends behind him." Elias spat into the grass at his feet and smiled back. "We'll see." Bare Hide's sneer widened back into a broad smile and his eyes began combing over Elias from head to toe once more. From the corner of his eye, Elias could see that Lionheart was half-way between happy that he hadn't provoked the naked minotaur into a fight, and furious that he had spoken at all. The elder, on the other hand, just looked happy for the former, and he looked back to Lionheart with his diplomatic smile. “Apologies for the provocative words of my ally, General Lionheart. Younger warriors are always hot-blooded. I’m sure you’ve had some similar issues.” Lionheart’s eyes flicked to Elias and then back to the elder. “Of sorts. Now, to whom am I speaking, and what business do I have with you?” The minotaur offered another low bow. “I am Elder Stone Hoof of the Stone Crusher tribe.” He motioned to the armored minotaur. “This is my son War-Chief Stone Horn, and as you’ve already heard,” he motioned to the naked minotaur, “this is Chieftain Bare Hide, of the Jagged Horn tribe. The matter we must discuss is the toll for your, as you described it, pass-through of our lands.” Lionheart’s smile wavered ever so slightly, becoming strained. “Toll?” he echoed. “Pardon gentlecolts, but there is no toll for this road. That was written into the treaties that were signed when it was constructed.” “The treaty also stated that nopony would ever leave the road,” Stone Horn said with derisive snort. “Yet you have already done so twice in large numbers, or perhaps our scouts were mistaken when they mentioned your construction of a large fort on our lands.” “That fortification is temporary and will fall to pieces in a year or two without maintenance,” Elias said. “We built it only to ensure that our camp was safe.” ‘And easy to defend,’ he thought, but left unsaid. “Regardless,” Elder Stone Hoof said, “your forces violated the treaty first, and as such, we have the right to enact a toll for trespassing on our lands.” Lionheart let out a light sigh. “And I suppose that’s the same justification you gave to every merchant and wanderer that so much as pitched a tent in the grass just before you robbed them blind.” Elias blinked at the bluntness of the insult and looked toward the other ponies to make sure he hadn’t been the one to say it. All eyes were on Lionheart, however. Elias frowned. No, that wasn’t quite true. One set of eyes paid no mind to the discussion and the insults being thrown around. After being admonished, Bare Hide had remained carefully silent, yet Elias noticed his lips moving, just barely. His eyes no longer ogled Elias, but instead looked past the human. A glance down found the minotaur’s fingers flicking with disguised motion, something he imagined was supposed to look like excited twitching. If the minotaur was carrying a weapon, perhaps even he would have believed the motion, but Elias knew what the naked minotaur was truly doing, even as his eyes continued to scan the long column of ponies. Elias let his hand drift to his sword as Stone Horn took a step forward, towering over Lionheart. “I suggest taking your words back pony, because if you know anything about minotaurs, you would know we don’t take to idle insults.” “And yet your Chieftain so casually spits them at one of my allies,” Lionheart replied calmly. “If you do not wish to receive insults, do not speak them. This is the only warning I will give you.” Stone Horn sneered. “We do not need warnings pony, but I will keep it in mind when my army rips you into tiny little pieces and-“ Stone Hoof’s staff cracked into the back of the young minotaur’s head, silencing him. The older minotaur then put himself between Stone Horn and Lionheart, and shoved him backward. “Enough!” he bellowed. “I did not bring you out here to posture calfspawn! You are here to watch, and to listen! To learn to be a proper War-Chief, as your brother is. Yet you would bring disgrace and disfavor on our tribe with your cowardly, unbacked words!” Stone Horn winced, but tried to buck up, only to be shoved again. Stone Hoof butted heads with him. “Be silent calfspawn. You are not a proper War-Chief yet. You bear no rite rings. You are not even close to my equal and until you are, I hold all sway until I tell you otherwise. Unless of course, you seek to challenge me.” Stone Horn fully withered, and he bowed his head. “No Elder. I do not wish that. I will await your word.” Stone Hoof snorted in his son’s face and glared at him for a moment more, then pulled away. He tapped his staff in the grass for a moment, taking deep, loud breaths. Elias continued to watch as Bare Hide did a careful count of the army, only barely paying attention to the negotiations. Stone Hoof let out a sigh and turned around, still tapping his staff in the grass. “Apologies General Lionheart, but while my son is as dense as a tree is tall, his point is as I see it. Do not throw insults here. They serve you no good.” “Then I expect the same respect in kind, for both myself, and my fellow generals,” Lionheart replied smoothly. “Until proven otherwise, we are equal at minimum. Treat us as such.” Stone Hoof bowed his head. “Of course. Now, the matter of the toll.” “We didn’t march an army here to pay tolls,” Lionheart said evenly, “but, give me a figure. Perhaps if it is reasonable enough, we can pay it for peace of mind, if nothing else.” Despite what should have been a sign of good intent for further negotiation, Stone Hoof’s expression didn’t shift from a frown. If anything, he looked nervous as he spoke his figure. “One thousand bits per pony as a toll, and we take what we like from your wagons as tribute. We have many warriors that are looking for something to take home to sacrifice to the Keepers, and these terms fill all their needs.” The ponies all recoiled in visible shock at the outrageous terms. "Are you mad?" Shattered Shield spat. "That's an insane price! What's to stop all of you worthless cows from stealing our food and leaving us with nothing for the rest of the journey to Saddle Arabia?" Lionheart cleared his throat loudly, shooting a death glare at the other unicorn. Shattered Shield withered back, staring hard at his hooves. Lionheart then put on a diplomatic smile and addressed Stone Hoof. "Elder, you must realize that that figure is not feasible. We have thousands of ponies, and their armor isn't worth a thousand bits. You would have them sell the very hides from their backs to purchase passage from you along a road you did not build? I think not. I will personally gift you one-hundred bits and a selection from my winery. We can share a nice drink over your easily, yet perfectly fair pay." Stone Hoof shook his head. "No. That is not enough." Lionheart gave him a small shrug. "That is the only offer you will receive. We are not carrying the kind of coin you demand, and even if we were, we would not hoof it over to you. We are not some hapless merchant you can bully." Elias hated the fact that he agreed with Lionheart's every word, and he faintly wondered why he hadn't been assigned to be chief diplomat. There was little, if anything he would have done different, and that fact ground on his nerves slightly. Not nearly as much as the spy gathering information on his ponies. That was going to spark him to act if they didn't reach a deal soon. Something he knew would never happen as a helpless look spread across Stone Hoof's face. The elder sighed and stepped back. "War-Chief, please make them see reason." Stone Horn grinned and stepped forward with crossed arms. He moved forward until he towered once more over Lionheart, casting a shadow on the red-maned unicorn. "You bucked up little pony," he chuckled. "The Elder’s toll was light, mine is not. The toll is now doubled, and we will require fifty ponies to pull those wagons to our tribelands. They will not return." He crouched down and poked a finger into Lionheart's breastplate. "You will be one of them, as well one of those princesses you have hidden away down there. We know they have no power, and we will claim one as our own.” Lionheart’s smile vanished in an instant. “No, you will not. I don’t know who you think we are, but there isn’t a pony in all of Equestria that wouldn’t give their last breath for the princesses. Suggest such again and I will cut you in two.” Stone Horn stood up and laughed, throwing his head back. “Stupid pony, you have no idea what comes against you if you refuse!” He motioned with wide arms to the forests around them. “For every tree you see there is a hundred warriors ready to rain death on your puny army! The swords of a thousand tribes have prepared for this most legendary of battles. The Keepers themselves will sing our names into eternity as we finally secure our own voice in their ear!” His smile became savage, laced with anger. “For you see you greedy little creatures, you have stolen the Verdant Fields from us. Each race has their own immortal voice to guide their path, but not the minotaurs! We are ever scattered and we must buy our way into paradise with riches and glory earned, yet you sit idle and weak with three voices! We will no longer let your theft stand!” “The zebras also have no “immortal voice”, as you say,” Everfree interjected. “But it is their fault, as is your own lacking. You, like my ancestral people, are a divided nation filled with pointless squabbling tribes, where Equestria has acted as a beacon of unity for thousands of years. My family was welcomed there, and if you truly wanted to grow near to the princesses, you would do as my family did, through centuries of service and devotion. We earned our place at the side of Sun and Moon. You are little more than a sneak thief in the dark, taking what isn’t yours.” He spat at the minotaur’s hooves. “You deserve nothing, and you will get nothing.” Stone Horn snorted dismissively. “Shut your hole. You are a coward for fleeing your homeland for the weak arms of the ponies, and I will see you dead on the field of battle, just before I take your princesses to act for my tribe.” He sneered at Nightshade. “Do take a message to Princess Luna moon-demon. Tell her that she will be warming War-Chief Stone Horn’s bed in this life, and then again once we reach the Halls of the Keepers. She will serve me for eternity, finally fulfilling her proper purpose in harmony.” He pumped a fist into the air, yelling his words to the sky. “Weak or strong, it doesn’t matter, because they all serve the strongest!” He pounded his chest and laughed at the ponies. “Pray little ponies! Pray for strength, because my people are the strongest, and soon the world will recognize that!” No words prevented tension from filling the air this time. Lionheart and Elias both glared hatred at the minotaur, but the human had enough awareness to realize that he couldn’t kill the minotaur from so far away. He looked to Stone Hoof, who looked much frailer than when they had begun. He looked almost… defeated. Elias briefly wondered how much the elder supported his son’s words, then decided it didn’t matter. He was too far away to strike either. The minotaur in front of him however… Elias took a step forward, drawing the bull’s eyes down. “Seen enough have you?” he challenged. Bare Hide grinned. “And then some. I hope those ponies around that carriage are tough because they’ll need to be.” Elias snorted. “We’ll see, or rather, I will.” His mouth twitched upward into a sadistic grin. “You’re not going to see another sunrise.” Even as he spoke the words, Elias pulled his gladius free of it’s sheathe, and he slashed upward, and across Bare Hide’s eyes. Feather struck true, biting a clear line across the minotaur’s face, blinding him in an instant. Any bluster the minotaur had preached vanished as he screamed and fell to his knees, clutching at his now empty eye sockets. Elias snorted flipped his gladius. “You really shouldn’t tell people that your skin can withstand sword strikes. It makes them target other areas first.” Taking a breath, Elias gripped the hilt of his gladius in both hands and leaned on his back heel, then used the extra space to build momentum. Feather plunged deep into the minotaur’s stomach, the enchanted blade meeting only slightly more resistance than usual. Elias released the breath and let the gladius hang in its temporary sheathe. He drew the knife from behind his back and pointed it at Stone Horn. “And you, with your delusions of grandeur. Is that supposed to be intimidating? That might work if you had decided to attack first, but you approached us under flag of truce!” Elias laughed and grabbed one of Bare Hide’s horns. “I mean really, the only thing you accomplished was to ensure that everypony here would fight to the last!” He plunged the blade into Bare Hide’s shoulder, twisting it to draw louder shrieks from the minotaur. Elias left that blade in place as well, stepping back as Bare Hide tried to blindly swing at him. The minotaur, unable to hit anything, fell forward, whimpering and moaning as he squirmed in pain. Elias stepped over his flailing arm and drew a piece from his hidden arsenal. Spinning the hand-ax around his wrist, he planted a foot on Bare Hide’s back. “But since we’re dishing out ultimatums, here’s mine.” He looked down with a grin. “I don’t know what your final blade count was Chief Bare Hide, but you missed three.” The ax raised high into the air, and as it began to descend, Chaser called out; “Elias, sto-!” Elias’ eyes closed as blood splattered his face. All the anger he felt for Stone Horn and his threats toward Luna traveled into the hand-ax swing, and in one cut, the ax severed Bare Hide’s spine. Keeping his grip on the bull’s horns, his hand-ax descended once, then twice. His bad eye twitched as blood spattered out, painting his face and armor in streaks of crimson. He didn’t keep count after the first three strikes, but eventually, Elias felt the minotaur’s neck fully separate. Dropping his hatchet, Elias placed a foot on the minotaur’s back, then gripped both of his horns and pulled. With a sharp, twisting yank, he pulled the head free. The massive body fell limp, the screams of pain long stopped. Elias turned the head around and smiled at his handiwork, then he looked to Stone Horn and tossed him the horned thing. “There you are War-Chief, a toll paid.” The minotaur caught the decapitated head and stared blankly at it for a moment, before slowly looking up to Elias with eyes filled to the brim with blistering hatred. Elias sneered in reply. “Here is my ultimatum Stone Horn. You have no idea what kind of fire you’re playing with, because whatever you think you know about ponies, I’ve changed it. That army down there is mine, and each of those ponies will fight to the bitter end once they’ve heard how you threatened their princesses. I dare you to come against our blades, because I can promise to you that I will ensure personally that your fetid corpse will decorate whatever battlefield we meet on.” His eyes flicked to Stone Hoof, who was staring at him in open horror. “As for you Elder, you seem to be the voice of reason. Tell your people what you saw today. Tell them exactly how easy it was for me to rip Chief Bare Hide’s head off. Tell them that if they come against my army, they will lose, and if by some miracle they do manage to win, they will not see it as such, because for every pony that falls, ten minotaurs will feed the worms. If you impede our path in anyway, you will bear witness to the single greatest mass slaughter of minotaurs in history.” Elias glanced around them. “A hundred warriors to each tree huh? My legionaries are pretty good at chopping down trees. I don’t suppose slaughtering the lot of you will be much different.” He hated the touch of arrogance he could feel bleeding into his tone, but he knew it was necessary. He had to force them to come, had to make sure there were no surprises. If he pissed off Stone Horn enough, then he would be sloppy, would simply throw waves of bodies, waves the army of ponies was more than prepared to weather. Elias bent over and retrieved his hand-ax wiping it clean on an exposed piece of his tunic. “Now, I am no expert, but I believe negotiations are concluded.” He turned over Bare Hide’s body and pulled both his dagger, and his gladius free. “And I for one am happy that this one is dead. He looked awful dangerous.” His eyes flicked up to Stone Horn again. “But then again, didn’t you just learn that appearances aren’t everything?” He wiped clean his other two blades as best he could, then sheathed them. Moving to retrieve the rest of his gear, Elias smiled at the stunned, and disgusted looking ponies. “I think it’s time to move along, shall we?” > Chapter 55: The March; Part 3 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias scowled silently at the bowl of bloody water beneath his steadily scrubbing hands. The other generals had decided to return to their positions once he had gathered the rest of his equipment and descended the hill, and the rest of the day’s march had gone according to schedule. They had only a few miles left to trek anyway, and with a small break, they had made up the time lost with the pointless “negotiation”. Aside from asking for a towel to clean his hands, Elias had done little to change anything. Scouts were already searching far and wide for any enemies, and he would be the first to know if an attack was coming. In truth, all there was to do was to keep to the march schedule and make sure the guards were diligent in their duties each night. Other than that, Elias was breathing a mental sigh of relief. There would be no great ambush, no surprise attack. No, word of the minotaur chief’s death had spread through the camp like a wildfire, and now everyone was on guard, constantly scanning the trees for their new enemy. The only surprise would be if the minotaurs heeded his advice and fled. Elias picked up the bowl of water just as Nightshade slammed her hooves into the table again, emphasizing another part of the group tirade she, and the other generals, primarily Shattered Shield, Dragon-Eye and Chaser, had been slinging his way since they had convened in the command tent. He had long tuned them out, especially when words like “stupid”, and “idiotic” started flying around. He vaguely remembered an accusation that he wasn’t thinking whatsoever, and that the princesses should remove him from command, but Elias ignored that. Ignored all of the yelling really. If battle was to come, and he believed it was, Feather needed to be sharp and clean. The blade becoming stuck in its sheathe was one of the worst things that could happen in a fight. As he scrubbed away a particularly clingy spot of dried blood, he heard Nightshade say; “He’s not listening, he hasn’t been listening! What the buck is the point of all this if he won’t listen?” Elias caught Celestia’s scowl in the reflection of his gladius as he combed the blade up and down for any remaining dirty spots. He upturned his hand and stared down the blade at the openly furious Nightshade. “I see reason is starting to return,” he said. “Because you’re right, what’s the point of talking if nobody listens? Haven’t you wondered why I’ve been completely silent since we got here?” The thestral’s orange eyes flicked with anger, and her fangs bared as she growled at him. “We are not beneath you Bright. We’re all Generals, yet you acted without our say. Even if you hadn’t outright murdered somebody, this is wrong, and the fact that you’re being flippant about it is pissing me off even more.” Elias turned Feather over and stared up the blade. “I’m not being flippant,” he replied. “I am merely remaining calm, which seems like flippancy to those who are so hopelessly angry that they aren’t thinking clearly. Once you’ve calmed down, maybe then I can explain the sense behind-“ “Calm down?” Nightshade shouted. “You stabbed a Chieftain through the chest! You threw his decapitated head at a Warchief. I agree he was being an ass, and that negotiations were over, but you murdered someone. Nothing about this says calm down!” “Hold General Nightshade,” Celestia interjected. “I would very much like to hear what General Bright has to say in his defense.” Elias paused in his inspection, carefully replaying the last part of her statement in his head. He then decided that the blade was clean enough and sheathed it, turning around as he did so. “In my defense?” he echoed. “There is nothing to defend. I eliminated an enemy combatant that prided himself on unarmed, unarmored combat. I merely struck first and killed him. Was I to let him report his count of our forces to the Warchief that threatened to enslave your sister?” Midnight Chaser scowled at his back. “What counting? I didn’t notice anything.” Elias glanced his way and offered a nod. “And I don’t blame you for that, for two-fold reasons; one, you were further away from him, and two, you don’t have fingers.” Elias let one arm rest at his side and began silently counting the number of pillows on the princesses’ throne. The ponies remained silent, with Nightshade’s ears flicking hard to try to catch some hint of his voice. Her muzzle curled in frustration when she couldn’t, and she snarled at him. “Stop wasting time Bright. All you’re doing is twitching with your mouth open.” Elias snapped his fingers. “Exactly. It looks like little twitches to you, but to me, I could clearly see him counting how many soldiers we brought. Don’t you understand why he spoke so little? Don’t you understand the point of Stone Horn’s grandstanding?” He looked to Celestia. “He was intentionally keeping eyes on him by being loud and provocative. It allowed his man to get a count of our troop strength so that they could plan a better attack, because so far they haven’t been able to get such a count due to the good work of our scouts. If I let Bare Hide walk away, you can better believe that the minotaurs would have laid the perfect ambush and then acted on their threats.” Celestia frowned at him. “You’re accusing them of violating a flag of truce.” Elias shrugged. “So I am. If they had any intention to negotiate, they would have done so, but that wasn’t their goal. They wanted a reason to attack us, they wanted an excuse.” “An excuse you gave them,” Cadence said evenly. “Yet you claim you knew that was their goal. So why did you do it?” Elias bowed his head slightly. “Because it would have happened with or without my intervention, and at least now we can almost guarantee an attack and prepare for it, while also depriving them of information. Bare Hide was the only one counting, Stone Horn and Stone Hoof were focused on the false negotiation. They may have a bare estimate, but that won’t be enough.” He spread his hands. “Additionally, I made it personal. From all indicators Stone Horn is young, and has never fought in a battle before. He likely believes that simple overwhelming force is enough, but I assure you that it isn’t. Let them come. I will ensure that we are prepared.” The pink alicorn mulled silently on his words for a moment, then sat back with a dissatisfied, but understanding frown. A frown matched by her aunt. Celestia looked past Elias to the other generals. “And what say you all? Do you believe General Bright’s words? Do you believe he acted appropriately?” Nightshade snorted and shot Elias another glare, but remained silent, merely shaking her head. Shattered Shield and Dragon-Eye remained likewise silent, but after a few more silent breaths, Everfree’s muzzle curled upward slightly in a smile as he looked from Elias to Celestia. “Historically speaking, tribal law states that Stone Horn issued a challenge to your crown. Such a challenge used to be recognized by all tribes; pony, zebra, minotaur and gryphon alike, but the tradition has faded as nations rose and tribes merged.” He glanced toward Elias. “But you did name General Bright your champion, if only under a different name. He recognized a challenge and acted in your stead, slaying the challenger’s champion. By killing Chief Bare Hide in such a quick, brutal manner, he has secured undeniable proof that neither you, nor your people are weak. If this matter becomes one to be put on trial, I will voice my support of General Bright’s actions with little hesitation.” Celestia’s frown shifted slightly in thought, and she glanced to the only black-clad general. “And your thoughts?” Midnight Chaser frowned at Elias for a moment, then sighed and looked to Celestia. “If he saw signs that Chief Bare Hide was gathering intel on us… I can’t say I approve his methods, or the fact that he made a unilateral decision… but I don’t blame him either. If I saw some danger nopony else could, I would have acted in a similar manner and would hope my friends would see that I did what I had to. I don’t support something like this becoming normalized… but I don’t think General Bright is lying. I think he killed Bare Hide out of strategic need.” His eyes flicked back to Elias. “Though he could have been more professional while doing so.” Celestia nodded slowly at the pegasus’ answer, then looked to Lionheart. Elias looked toward the red-maned unicorn as well, already steeled for what would no doubt be a tirade full of insults that would fill the tent. Lionheart hadn’t yet spoken against him, was the only general aside from Everfree to have remained silent during the opening tirades. His amber eyes rose to meet Elias’ for a moment, then he looked to Celestia. “Respectfully Princess, I fully agree with General Bright and his actions, unilateral they may have been.” Elias was sure he heard the far-off wailing of angels as their wings were torn away. Hell froze over, and the oceans became fire. Lionheart had agreed with him? Evidently, he wasn’t the only one who was surprised, because Nightshade shot a glare toward the unicorn. “Excuse me? He decapitated someone!” Lionheart nodded at the thestral. “Indeed, and while I wouldn’t have done so, I must appreciate the strength behind the message he sent.” Lionheart looked back to Celestia. “Respectfully Princess, you entrusted the army to the two of us, and General Bright was able to read the precise moment when diplomacy failed, and military action was needed. It is his job to act, and act he did. We have deprived our enemy of a powerful fighter and have, as General Bright mentioned, exposed the minotaurs’ intentions for us. They meant to attack us if we paid or not.” He let out a small snort. “I mean really, a thousand bits per pony, as well as their choice of our supplies? We would have to sell Canterlot to meet such a price, and then I have little doubt they would have attack anyway, escaping with wagons filled with loot win or lose.” Lionheart gave Elias a nod. “General Bright’s actions were, I believe, within his boundaries. Extreme, yes, but Princess,” he looked to Luna, “they threatened to enslave you for eternity. Warchief Stone Horn promised to make you serve him in life, and then continue serving him in death. If nothing else, it is barbaric and deserves punishment in its own right. Had General Bright not acted when he did, I might have acted in his stead. I will not let you bear such threats, and I won’t let anyone think you so weak as to bear even the notion. Your strength is boundless, tamed only by your devotion to your people. At minimum we should match that devotion, and while General Bright and I have…” his muzzle curled in mild disgust, “disagreed in the past, I believe he has proven that devotion. I wish that we could all be so quick to display such.” Luna nodded silently at his words, but Elias knew she wasn’t really listening. She was another pony that had been completely silent, had merely stared at him in silent thought. He still couldn’t tell if she was angry with him or not. Celestia shuffled in her seat, clearly surprised at Lionheart’s answer. “That is… enlightening General. Thank you for your thoughts.” She then looked to Elias, and she stared hard at him. He could tell that she was struggling with trying to justify the fact that some of her ponies agreed with what she viewed as a cold-blooded murder, but she also couldn’t outright ignore the voices of support behind him, especially given that one of them was a pony who seemed to hate him. Elias glanced over to Lionheart and found the unicorn watching him carefully. The two stared at each other, each analyzing the other. In Elias’ mind, two voices argued one another. One was glad for the support, was glad that someone, anyone had understood what he did. While the voice didn’t like the fact that that someone was Lionheart, it was willing to forgive the unicorn for his many snakelike faults, for the moment at least. The other voice, on the other hand, warned that the very fact that the unicorn voiced any kind of support meant that Elias had done a bad thing, and that he should be analyzing his future movements very carefully. Both sides had points; the supportive side pointed out that Everfree and Chaser had agreed with his brutal methods, while the paranoid side pointed out that Lionheart’s posture screamed ‘hidden motive’. Additionally, the paranoid side pointed out, by killing Bare Hide, Elias had all but guaranteed a fight, in which some of his friends would undoubtedly get hurt, and possibly die. The supportive side argued that the guarantee of a fight was a positive, and that while yes, there was that dangerous risk, it was far better to anticipate it and act prior to the fight, than to be ambushed later down the road. An ambush, it argued, was a guarantee of death. Elias found himself listening more to the supportive side, but as he stopped his inspection of Lionheart, he made a mental note to have someone keep tabs on the unicorn. While he appreciated the support in the moment, he didn’t believe for a moment that Lionheart was warming up to him. The unicorn had an agenda, Elias just needed to find out what it was. The soft clearing of a throat brought all eyes to Luna, whose muzzle remained a careful frown as she rose from her pillows. “This is a fruitless debate,” she declared. “What General Bright has done is done. Bare Hide is dead, and it is highly likely that the minotaurs will attack us sometime in the coming days. I think our attention is best served on preparing for that attack, rather than debating the morality of a single lost life.” She looked toward Celestia. “If we truly consider this a crime, it is one best saved for when our mission is complete. I already have several of my scribes detailing a careful log on our march, and this addition has already been made in its pages. Let us move on and prepare.” Celestia turned to Cadence. “Your thoughts?” Pink eyes matched the frown on the youngest princess’s muzzle as she stared at Elias, but after a few quiet moments, Cadence let out a sigh and shook her head. “I defer to your judgment Auntie.” Celestia looked like she wanted to match her niece’s sigh, but she remained silent, looking back to Elias. “Then we are in agreement. General, I cannot express with words my abhorrence to your actions, but if nothing else, judgment shall fall a different day. While I do understand a distaste for… aggressive words, threats to our persons are not new. We cannot act on words until they become action. To do so makes us no better than those we claim moral superiority over.” She let out a sigh and closed her eyes. “Perhaps once all this violence is behind us and we’re in the peace of Canterlot once more things will become clearer. For now, I am merely tired, and wish to rest.” She closed her eyes and let out a breath, then looked to Open Flame. “If you wouldn’t mind, I could go for a nice, steaming bowl of soup for dinner. Something hearty to drive away this,” her eyes flicked to Elias, “frigid business.” The maid bowed her head, and with a flick of her tail, the other two maids peeled away from their respective princesses and began making their way out of the tent. As they did so, Luna rose from her seat, her eyes settled on Elias. “While dinner is being prepared, General Bright and I will be going for a walk.” Nightshade frowned at the small alicorn. “Would you like any additional company Princess?” Luna snorted and brushed her mane out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear. “I believe that is unnecessary my friend, though I thank you for the effort.” Her muzzle quirked up in a smirk. “If General Bright is unable to protect me a few feet from our camp of thousands of trained guards, then who can?” Nightshade scowled and shot a short glare Elias’ way before bowing her head. “Of course Princess.” Luna gave Elias a look as she trotted down from her makeshift throne, and he fell in step beside her, giving her the slightest lead so that she could direct both their speed, and their destination. The alicorn lead them through the main thoroughfare of the camp, offering a warm smile and a few compliments and words of praise to the ponies they passed. As they made it to the edge of the camp, Elias saw the flap of the medical tent open for a moment, then just as quickly fall closed. He frowned, briefly wondering if Scalpel was spying on him. A second thought quickly followed the first, reassuring that, no, that wasn’t the case, but rather, the unicorn doctor was finally listening, and was staying away from him, as he had demanded. If Luna saw the flap move, she said nothing as they approached the eastern gate, leading into a dark copse of trees. Paranoia sparked in his mind, and Elias glanced about, quickly finding two of his legionaries involved in a game of cards with a trio of Royal Guards. With a whistle he grabbed their eyes, and with a quick nod to the camp exit, the two grinned and dropped their cards face down to grab their gear. “Sorry boys,” one of them, a pegasus mare called. “Duty calls.” The Royal Guards protested as she scooped back up her bits, but she and her fellow legionnaire made a getaway without issue. They both fell in step beside Elias, with the mare grinning up at the human as she put on her helmet. “Thanks for that General, I was bluffing hard, and I’m pretty sure nopony was buying it.” The other legionnaire, a pegasus stallion, snorted derisively. “It’s because you play with civilians too much. Your poker face with guards is terrible!” “Just be lucky you’ve never played with General Nightshade and Princess Luna,” Elias said as they passed the gate guards. “Luna can sniff out the slightest bluff, and I’m pretty sure Nightshade counts cards.” The stallion stared in open-mouthed shock, glancing between Elias and Luna, while the mare managed to find her voice. “Y-you gamble with General Nightshade and Princess Luna?” She fell silent for a moment, then squealed. “That’s so cool! Oh buck, nopony ever told me you were that cool!” She immediately blushed and cringed sheepishly when she found Elias staring down at her. “I-I mean, I know you’re really cool, but being friends with Princess Luna? That’s so cool.” She blushed harder at Elias’ continued silence, but relaxed a little when Luna chuckled and glanced back. “Don’t mind him Legionnaire, General Bright doesn’t want to talk more about the subject because he’s embarrassed about the amount of times he’s lost those little games of ours.” Elias stared impassively ahead at the dark forest. “That information is confidential, and is not subject for conversation with my subordinates.” “Which is to say he lost frequently,” Luna said with a wink at the legionnaire mare. “General Nightshade and I extracted many cuddles from General Bright, before he was a general of course.” The mare looked up to Elias with wide eyes. The human saw immense excitement hidden in those eyes, and her being a cute little pony, he resisted the urge to smile. “C-cuddles?” she squeaked. “Is that t-true?” Elias ran his tongue along his teeth. “There is an awful lot of not watching our flanks going on right now. Perhaps the assassins trying to kill the Princess will thank you once they have taken her down.” The mare’s eyes widened, and she looked away, quickly scanning the forest with narrowed eyes. Luna giggled again, drawing a lightning-fast glance from the mare. “Worry not Legionnaire, I’ll tell you all about my human cuddle-buddy once the march has concluded.” She flashed Elias a smile. “He won’t be able to protest then.” “You’ve gotta teach me how you do that,” the stallion whispered up at Elias. The human glanced his way, finding the pegasus scanning the surrounding forest carefully, sparing only the occasional glance his way. “I mean buck General Bright, I heard rumors, but you really are a mares-stallion. What’s the secret?” Elias tried to ignore the stallion, but found Luna still grinning back at him, eager for the answer. The human let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead. “Find ponies too stubborn to leave you alone,” he grumbled. “That’s how it worked for me.” The stallion nodded slowly as if Elias’ words were sage advice, then they all fell silent, walking into the dark with only the sound of crunching leaves disturbing the silence. Luna continued leading the way, but it quickly grew obvious the alicorn was tiring. She led them for perhaps a minute or two, then, her breathing strained, she let them stop amongst some fallen logs. The blue alicorn huffed and brushed her hair out of her face, then smiled at the two fully alert legionaries. “Could you two please give us some privacy? I would like this conversation to just be between General Bright and I.” Both subtly looked to Elias for confirmation, and he gave it with a flick of his fingers, waving them away. Luna smiled as the two legionaries split into different directions, disappearing in the dark. She then looked to Elias, the smile dimming slightly as she scanned him up and down for a silent moment. Elias felt a brief flutter of nervousness, like he was being inspected by the alicorn. As her eyes continued to roam, Luna said; “Please General, take a seat. I would like to have a conversation with you considering some of your recent activities.” ‘Ah,’ he thought. ‘It’s going to be a scolding then.’ He let out a small sigh, then picked out a stump that wouldn’t cause him to bend his knees too much. He took a seat, and Luna moved herself and sat just before him, staring up into his eyes. Elias chewed silently on his cheek, waiting for her to flip, waiting for her anger to lash out at him, perhaps a belittling comment or two, something about how wrong he was, how what he did was murder, how he was some wild- “General, what are your current thoughts on Doctor Scalpel?” Or she was going to ask about something completely different. Elias frowned as he truly met the alicorn’s gaze. “I thought this would be about today’s events.” Luna shrugged. “There is nothing to be said Elias, and I am not going to yell at you like you’re a child. You knew what you were doing, you know why you did it. If you feel guilty about it, nothing I say will make that guilt better or worse, and while I am extremely disappointed in that particular action of yours,” her eyes flashed for a moment with irritation, but immediately cooled, “I can move past it, because I know you won’t do it again.” “And your sister?” Elias said. “She seemed quick to jump on my back in the past over smaller slights, and pains she had no business being a part of, but now when an enemy to Equestria actually threatens you…” “My sister is tired,” Luna interrupted. “As are we all. The gathering of our magic makes us slow and weak, not just in body, but in mind as well. Being the most powerful, Celestia is a touch more affected than usual. It is why she defers judgment to others whenever possible for now.” She smiled. “My niece is plagued by indecision, and she relies heavily on Celestia’s opinions. I am the middle ground, and as I said, I trust you, because I know you won’t repeat today’s action. “And how do you know that?” Elias challenged. Luna smiled sweetly, but her tone was anything but. “I am your friend Elias, and I want us to be more still, but don’t test me. If I have to choose between you and an innocent life, I will choose that life, because I know that the man I love wouldn’t ever dare take a life that didn’t deserve it. If you murder an innocent, which I don’t believe you yet have, I will cut you down where you stand, because I love you so dearly.” Elias snorted and smiled faintly. “That’s actually far more comforting than you would believe Princess.” He drooped slightly. “But I’ve taken innocent lives before.” Luna’s smile took on a more genuine light and she placed a hoof on his knee. “I know General, but not here. Right?” “No, not here,” Elias answered. Luna rubbed his knee. “Precisely. I will make sure that day never comes, one way or another. I will make sure you never blacken your soul.” She retracted the hoof and straightened. “But that is why I will not comment on today’s events. Chief Bare Hide was a warrior, and I agree with the conclusions you drew concerning him. While I find it disconcerting that you killed him while he was unarmed and unthreatening, I will let it pass, only because he would have killed ponies in time. His life was forfeit when he decided to fight us, he knew that, as do I.” She let out a sigh. “Doctor Scalpel, on the other hoof, truly believed that you would ignore his deception. I wanted to know your thoughts on the situation.” Elias put on an impassive mask as he quelled a bit of internal fury. “So you’ve spoken with him. I’m sure he told you all about the part where I slapped him.” “No, actually, I saw that part,” Luna said. Her smile vanished, but was replaced by an equally impassive mask. “I cannot express my support for that action either, understandable though it may be. I just wanted to know what you were thinking, what you are currently feeling, and what your thoughts on the future may be.” Elias toyed with the three parts of the question, then decided to answer it piecemeal, and in order. “I felt angry and betrayed that one of my closest friends stabbed me in the back with lies and deceit. I currently feel that I was justified, and that Doctor Scalpel received a just punishment, especially given that he didn’t accept the simple verbal dismissal. If he didn’t want to get struck, he should have just accepted the fact that I was angry and hurt at face value.” Luna’s hoof returned to brush his knee in a calming gesture. “Good,” she whispered. “Let that anger out, let the hurt into the air, not so that you forgive him, but merely so that you forgive yourself.” Elias frowned down at the alicorn. “So this isn’t a play to get me to play nice with him?” Luna chuckled. “It could be, but no. I want to ensure that your head is clear, and that you are making the most logical decisions you can. This matter, which may seem trivial, weighs on you. Why else would you flinch when we walked by the healers tent?” Luna smiled knowingly as Elias looked away with an embarrassed frown. “Precisely. Now, let’s get to the true meat of the issue, because I believe it will bring you the most closure, then we can get dinner.” Elias’ stomach rumbled in reply, causing the human to blush harder. Luna chuckled, and she hopped her forelegs onto his shoulder, gently guiding his chin so that he faced her. As soon as he was, she leaned in, gently pressing her nose against his. “Now,” she whispered. “I want you to tell me honestly, do you truly hate Doctor Scalpel for what he did? Or is this perhaps a temporary anger that will fade with time, so that, in the future, he can offer a proper apology, and then perhaps you two can rekindle your friendship?” Elias suppressed a sigh, not wanting to spray his stinky day breath right into Luna’s mouth. The restriction of the moment also gave him a moment to think, and he closed his eyes. He recognized that he was still blisteringly furious with Scalpel, the unicorn’s personal betrayal was worth such anger, but hate… He searched long and hard, scanning every divided piece of his mind for something that even resembled hate, but he came up lacking. No. He didn’t have hate in his heart. A great deal of anger, but not hate. He opened his eyes, meeting Luna’s emerald gaze. “I think… that forgiveness is possible, but… not for a very long time. Not immediately after the march like with everything else, but years away. I need time to forget.” Luna smiled. “That’s more than your right Elias, and I think that is a very emotionally mature approach to the situation.” “Are you going to tell him I said that?” Elias asked. Luna shrugged. “Perhaps, but not for a day or two, I think. He does need to stew on the fact that he hurt you a little while longer, but perhaps if I tell him the full extent of our conversation regarding his actions, that will make him stew a little harder. We shall see.” Elias nodded in understanding, then waited patiently for a moment for the alicorn to draw back. She didn’t, instead smiling at him with what looked like pride. She continued silently staring for one moment, then two. When the third began to pass, Elias coughed lightly and met her eyes again with no small amount of flush to his cheeks. “Princess, aren’t we going to go eat?” “Food calls more than the presence of a princess?” she teased. “Why can I not say that I’m surprised?” Elias’ eyes flicked down. “Isn’t it tiring to stand like that?” “Many a stallion would sell their souls to be in this position,” Luna replied, her smile not dimming at his repeated escape excuses. “Are you telling me that you don’t like me General?” Elias looked her up and down as she put on a pout. Then, an idea popped into mind, and he grinned at the alicorn. “Oh, I like you just fine princess, it just took me a second to understand your new orders.” Her brow furrowed in mild confusion, but she spoke with confidence. “Yes, my orders… and what were those exactly?” “To carry you back of course!” Elias said with zeal. “You’re tired Princess, of course you are!” Luna blinked at him, then smiled seductively and waggled her hips. “Of course I am,” she purred. “Won’t my big strong human general carry me to the warm safety of my tent?” Elias’ smile widened at her words, and he scooped her up, doing his best to suppress his laughter as her sultry expression quickly morphed into one of panic. With how light she was, it was almost too easy to throw her over his shoulder, bracing her barrel with one hand. The alicorn wriggled and squealed in protest, drawing both of his legionaries crashing through the bushes. Both immediately froze when Elias swung in their direction, giving Luna’s rump a light pat. “Evening legionaries, Princess Luna headed back to the castra early, but this devilish enemy decided to ambush me, so I took her prisoner.” He smiled as Luna’s tail flicked him in the face. “Unfortunately, being an enemy, my little prisoner is being unruly.” “Elias, put me down!” Luna screeched. “This is not how you properly carry a princess!” Her hooves thudded fruitlessly against his armored back, and Elias’ grin widened. “Truly lawless. Can I count on you two to help me get her back to camp?” The pair of ponies before him exchanged a look before the stallion smiled brightly and saluted. “Of course General! We must secure all enemies of the princesses!” “Beheading!” Luna cried out. “Vile traitor, your head will decorate my mantle!” The legionnaire looked to Elias, who winked back, then looked to the mare. “And what about you Legionnaire? Are you ready to assist in this special mission for Princess Luna?” The mare licked her lips and looked at the kicking alicorn rump, then back to Elias’ face. “W-well, if the princess really wants to be free…” “Yes my friend!” Luna cried. “Untold riches await you! I will gift you all of Canterlot as reward for your dutiful service!” The mare frowned. “Ooh, I’m a Manehattan mare.” She grinned at Elias. “I guess we’d better get this prisoner back to camp.” “Traitor!” Luna screamed, increasing her desperate wiggling. With her decreased strength however, she could do nothing but wriggle against Elias’ strong arm. “Beheadings for the lot of you! I will spread the word of this day far and wide, if only so that nobody will ever again so double-cross me!” Elias clicked his tongue, and he, flanked by his legionaries, began walking back toward camp. Luna’s ranting continued, though he could tell she didn’t completely mean it. Some revenge for the act would likely occur, but he knew he could quiet the blue alicorn down quite easily. “I’d quit squirming “prisoner”,” Elias said. “Only good prisoners get one-on-one interrogation time.” Luna immediately stiffened, and a glance back found her staring at him. “Snuggles?” Elias raised an eyebrow. “Does that sound like a punishment?” “To you perhaps, oh cruel captor,” Luna giggled. One of her legs kicked and her tail flicked him in the face again. “But then again, I have information that could confirm such dangerous rumors….” Elias patted her rump again, earning a knicker of protest. “Keep talking prisoner, and I’ll leave you alone overnight.” Luna mulled silently, then asked; “Checkers?” Elias snorted, but smiled. “I think that can be arranged.” Taking care not to legitimately jostle her, Elias popped her off his shoulder, and let her choose a more comfortable position. Luna wrapped her hooves around his neck, then, with his hand bracing her rump, she nuzzled his neck, letting out a hum of contentment. “You are a very good friend Elias,” she whispered. “But what’s brought this on? I was under the impression we were still under agreement.” “And we are,” Elias replied evenly. He couldn’t help but hold her a little tighter as they walked back to camp. “But there is a very real possibility that this will be the last opportunity I have to do this.” A chill raced up his spine, chased by a micro-dose of adrenaline. “I can feel it in my blood. There’s going to be a fight, soon.” Luna’s grip also tightened, and her eyes closed. “Promise you’ll try to come back.” “I can’t promise such a thing. Battle is-“ “Ugly, and messy, chaotic and random at the best of times,” Luna interrupted. She nuzzled his neck. “But promise me anyway Elias. You hate breaking promises, and perhaps it will give you the extra bit of inspiration you need.” Her eyes opened and stared into his, shining in the dark. “Now promise me.” Elias let out a small sigh, looking around the slowly lightening forest for any excuse he could to shift the conversation. Luckily, the moon poking through the trees cave him such an excuse, and Elias pointed toward the sky. “How is the moon up? I thought you raised and lowered it with you magic.” Luna’s eyes seemed to light up as the distraction worked to perfection. “A very good question, but the answer is quite simple. The moon and sun aren’t as unwieldy as one might believe, and in truth, we don’t need to strictly raise and lower them each and every day. No, that tradition is merely to keep them on their most ideal rotation paths.” She looked up through the trees with a grin. “It would take nearly a year for them to become out of sync, and we will be back managing their alignment shortly. We made our last course corrections a day or two before we left Canterlot, and so far, I can see no major shifts.” A frown touched her face. “Though the moon is starting to spin slightly, which I rather don’t like.” Elias frowned as they broke from the tree line and into the manufactured clearing around the castra. “Is it just me, or does the moon also seem… dimmer.” Luna giggled. “You have a good eye Elias. Yes, the moon dims somewhat without my magic to fully absorb the glow of the sun. There are also less stars in the sky, for while all the natural constellations are there, you should notice that none of my constellations are. When ponies say the night sky is my canvas, they are absolutely right. Every few months I clear out all of the stars I have created and start fresh, sprucing up permanent constellations and adding a few of my own to keep the astronomers on their toes.” She smiled at him. “And while I enjoy your interest in my night sky, I still didn’t hear my promise.” Elias sighed and stopped walking a few meters short of the castra gate. “I was hoping you would forget that.” Luna hummed and nuzzled his neck. “You are many things my friend. Forgettable is not one. Now, do I have you word that you will try to come back?” Elias sighed, but smiled and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. He supposed there was no point in trying to fight the alicorn, and it was just a promise after all. He always fought his hardest, and when battle with the minotaurs came, it would be no different. If they happened to drag him down in the fight, all he had to do was take as many with him as possible. His promise would always remain intact. Elias closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Luna’s, causing the alicorn to let out a small, almost unhearable, satisfied sigh. “I promise.” ***** After a short dinner, during which he and Luna played a short game of checkers, came a lengthy planning session. Elias laid out battle plans for as many situations he could think of, but knew that ultimately, he would have to decide the specific game plan on the day of battle. There were simply too many variables, most of which involved terrain. Trying to decide on a concrete battle plan early was an impossible task that would only lead to failure by inflexibility. Instead, Elias focused on general plans, laying out the best battle lines and compositions that would counteract their opponents’ strengths. When the planning was concluded and the princesses withdrew to their tent, he made his way into the open night air. Immediately his feet began to carry him toward the forest. Before he could even make it through the main thoroughfare, however, a trio of ponies and a loveling fell in step beside him, steering him toward their tent with the press of their bodies. The human let out a quiet sigh as they walked. “I’ll have you know that I think this is a bad idea. The fact that you’re out here means Snowball told you what almost happened.” “He did,” Book Binder answered. “So we’re going to try something new, after we go over the march log of course.” Elias frowned and glanced down at the unicorn. “Under Equestrian law, I’m not privy to the march log until after the march has concluded. That’s what makes it more impartial.” Book Binder nodded and stared up with a concerned expression in her eyes. “True, but I need to hear your account of today’s events. I’ve already gotten everyone else of significance, and excluding your viewpoint from the log makes it partial.” Her gaze hardened. “And some of the generals could have been more understanding. I won’t let history paint you in a bad light when you haven’t done anything wrong.” Scarlet flapped his wings and let out a squawk of happiness. “Oh but the history of it all.” He did a small twirl. “We’re going to be in the history books! Ponies are going to look back through the centuries and hear all about the Legio I Equus, and all her fantastic officers!” He did another slight twirl and squawked again. “And I’m one of them!” His turn made it so that he could see Elias’ stern frown, and the pegasus shrank and chuckled lightly. “In all seriousness and with the utmost respect of course.” Elias grunted, and decided that punishing the pegasus wasn’t worth seeing his tiny crushed spirit. He really didn’t want to face a crying pony. “Keep your cheers to a minimum Strategist,” Elias said evenly. “You may be excited in private, but this is still a dangerous job, and I can never emphasize enough how serious you need to take it.” As the pegasus began to droop, however, Elias bent over and scooped him up, carrying him under one arm, while using the other to scratch under his chin. The crimson pegasus purred, doing his best to nuzzle up against Elias’ armored chest. He immediately frowned as his cheek rubbed against segments of steel plate, and he scowled up at Elias. “I don’t like cuddling like this.” “That’s good,” Elias responded. “Because we aren’t cuddling. You know the rules.” Book Binder chuckled. “Ah, but didn’t you once say that rules are meant to be broken?” Elias frowned at her. “I have never said that in my life, and if I ever did, it was; bad rules are meant to be broken. My rules aren’t bad, in fact I think they’re quite good.” Book Binder smiled sweetly. “Okay General ‘Good Rules’, get in the tent so we can see if we can’t get you a good night of sleep. We need to make sure you’re as sharp as possible for the coming battle.” Elias’ frown deepened, but the argument the green unicorn made was far too convincing. If he was sloppy, he could make mistakes, and mistakes were always costly… The human blinked when he realized that he was lying on his back, barren of his armor, his arms bound to his side with ropes, and a pair of pegasi hugging him tightly. Night Flash’s muzzle snuffled away against his ribs, while Scarlet’s mirrored the motion. Snowball perched himself on Elias’ chest with a soft smile. Making the loveling seem light in comparison, Gray Granite flopped down on Elias’ legs, his eyes shining with silent joy just before they closed and he settled in. Elias glanced up to Book Binder to find her muzzle curled in a motherly smile, and she settled down at the top of his head, drawing a notebook from her saddlebags. “Now General, why don’t you tell me the events of today from your perspective. Start from the beginning, and tell me everything you believe is important.” She chuckled and nuzzled his face. “Maybe if you’re quick I can read you a bedtime story.” Snowball snickered, earning him a silent glare from Elias. The loveling’s chuckle shifted to one of awkwardness, and looking to Book Binder found an unsupportive snarl. The loveling shrank and he hugged Elias’ chest. “Sorry,” he whispered. “I’d quite like a story, if General Bright is up for it.” His purple eyes flicked to Elias again, and the human snorted and looked up to Book Binder. “We’ll start at the beginning of the meeting. Lionheart stopped me before we were at the top of the hill, and...” > Chapter 55.5: The March; Opposition > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stone Horn bellowed and headbutted the older warrior in the face, carving a gouge in his cheek with one of his short horns. The older bull, the chieftain of another tribe, took the hit in stride and countered by swinging a massive fist at Stone Horn’s gut. Stone Horn brought an elbow down, blocking the attack, and then again countered, driving his other elbow into the minotaur’s stomach. The blow connected, with an audible gasp of air leaving the chief’s lungs. Stone Horn then shoved the bull away, giving him time to breathe. He stalked back toward his side of the makeshift fighting ring while the minotaurs around him continued to drink, eat, and cheer for their favored fighter. Stone Horn snatched up a rag and wiped the sweat from his face before snatching up a flask and downing its contents. While drinking, Stone Horn looked to his elder father, who sat by the side of the ring, mulling quietly. “What do you think Elder?” Stone Horn spat. “Do you still voice support for peace with those rainbow-colored rats?” The white-haired minotaur glanced up to him with fire in his eyes. “Speak to me with respect calf, before I get in the ring and rip the horns from your head.” He nodded behind Stone Horn. “Now focus on the fight instead of this pointless posturing. You impress no one by talking when you should be fighting.” Stone Horn snorted at his father, but he turned around, doing as the elder bull said. His clan chief opponent sported a stained bandage on his face, staunching the blood flow Stone Horn had caused. The pair of bulls stood opposite one another once more, and Stone Horn couldn’t help but imagine that cowardly pale creature that had slain one of his best friends. A sly grin taunted him, and he let out a bellow rushing forward and lowering his head toward the clan chief’s chest. As he predicted, the chieftain stepped to the side to avoid the dangerous horns, but while the dodge successfully prevented him from being gouged, it also carried him into the path of a swinging fist. The older chieftain let out a grunt as the fist slammed into his exposed gut again, but he absorbed the blow and turned to counterattack. Stone Horn gave him no such chance. Batting aside the chieftain’s attempt at a block, the younger minotaur rained blows on the elder, striking at every vulnerable spot, punishing any signs of weakness with forceful blows that would have outright killed lesser creatures. Lesser creatures like that filthy pale skinned human. Stone Horn snorted as his imagination super-imposed an image of the human over the chieftain’s face. He slapped down another block, then slammed his fist into the chieftain’s nose, splitting open a knuckle on the golden ring hanging from his nostrils. With a loud crack, the chieftain stumbled backward, his legs shaking for a moment as he tried to stay up. It was a futile fight, and the older bull stumbled forward for a step before collapsing with a grunt, his eyes rolling shut, and his jaw limp. Louder cheers reached Stone Horn’s ears, and the sound brought a smile to his face. His people always did love a good brawl, especially one where he won. Raising his fists into the air, Stone Horn bellowed out his own cheer, driving the crowd’s noise to further heights. He basked in their worship, particularly when they began chanting his name. “Warchief Stone Horn! Warchief Stone Horn!” The words echoed in his head, and partially shoved away the black cloud that Bare Hide’s murder had planted in his thoughts. Stone Horn’s fists opened, and he slowly lowered his arms, motioning for the crowd to quiet so that he could be heard. “I thank you for your praise!” he said, his voice still at a roar. “But let us not forget my valorous, and powerful opponent! There can be only one winner, but all who fight well deserve praise, even if they fall! Let’s hear it for Chief Tree Stomper of the Ground Ripper tribe!” The cheers resumed, and Stone Horn glanced back to find the older chief already conscious once more. The bull’s eyes lit up with respect and gratitude, and he offered as much of a bow as his bruised body could muster. Stone Horn returned the gesture with a slight nod, then he turned back to the crowd, goading them louder and louder. He needed to burn through their fervor before he spoke to them. Even the assembled mass of chieftains had a hard time listening while their blood was up. Though it took a while, the gathering of bulls and their families began to quiet, allowing for Stone Horn to calm them the rest of the way, until near silence reigned. Looking around at the mass of warriors, Stone Horn couldn’t help but smile, and his voice remained loud as he spoke. “Brothers in battle! All of you know me! I am Stone Horn, Son of Elder Stone Hoof, and Warchief of our great army!” The bulls around him bellowed out their support, and more chanting began. Stone Horn once again let them tire themselves out, then rose his hands again for silence. “Today,” he called out, once it was quiet once more, “the ponies denied our peaceful offer of tribute, deciding to let this man, this beast do their talking for them!” He motioned to his father, who, with a great sigh, wove his hands through the air. His horns glowed with magic, and the image of the human appeared for all to see. Stone Horn couldn’t help but growl in hatred at the sight of the human, but he kept his speech going. His hatred alone wasn’t enough, he needed all of his warriors to hate the human, or at least be incentivized to rip the human’s head from his shoulders. “This is the coward that murdered my great friend and ally, Chief Bare Hide, in cold blood,” Stone Horn called, pointing at the phantom image of the human. Murmurs of anger began to spread as he continued. “This is the one called Elias Bright! This is the famed Hero of Canterlot, that helped to drive away the changeling hordes from the pony capital!” Stone Horn sneered and motioned to his father again. The elder minotaur’s chants grew louder, and his eyes began to glow with the same light as his horns. Images of the other pony generals appeared next to the human. “And these are the cowardly ponies that would hide behind this dishonorable beast!” Stone Horn spat. “These are the so-called “generals” of the pathetic pony army. They let a murderer speak for them! They let a murderer lead the few warriors they have!” Murmurs turned into grunts, and the crowd began to grow agitated. Stone Horn hid his grin and continued. “But we do not let such crimes go unpunished! Memorize all of their faces well my friends, for I am offering one-hundred bits for any warrior who can bring me back the head of one of these cowards!” The word of a reward being offered sparked increased interest in the clan chiefs, and their chatter grew louder, with a few of the younger bulls making loud statements claiming that they would be the ones to collect such a bounty. Stone Horn let them, even as they began turning on one another, first with words, then fists. Several fights broke out, spilling down into the fighting ring. Stone Horn let them fight it out for a moment, then with a flick of his fingers, a dozen of his warriors rushed the arena and pried the fighting bulls apart. He put a smile on his face and began moving between the fuming warriors. “Hold boys, save that anger,” he shouted, placing his hand on one of the bull’s shoulder. “We are all here as brothers in arms, save your fighting spirit for them.” He motioned toward the images of the ponies. “Let that anger build, then release it all at them!” He grabbed the horns of one of the bulls and butted heads with him. “If you want to fight, think about those coward ponies! Think about how many you’re going to kill!” The bull roared and began fighting against the minotaurs holding him back. Stone Horn laughed and moved away, addressing the crowd again as his warriors pulled the more aggressive minotaurs away to cool off. “One hundred bits a head!” he repeated. One of the chieftains stood up, crossing his arms silently as he waited to be recognized. Stone Horn motioned to him. “Speak my friend.” The minotaur pointed a fat finger toward the human’s image. “If he killed Chief Bare Hide, is he not worth more?” The sound of mumbling and whispering reached Stone Horn’s ears, and he nodded in agreement, offering the questioning minotaur a nod as he sat back down. “Yes, the human is worth far more, is he not?” Stone Horn spread his hands. “But I warn you, I want his head, and I want to be the one to collect it, for despite his dishonorable and cowardly attack, he is not some pony to be crushed under hoof.” Elder Stone Hoof’s magic shifted in color, and the images all disappeared. In the air above the fighting ring, a new image appeared, and Stone Horn watched as the end of the negotiations were repeated. From the birds eye view his father was able to see, Stone Horn watched as the human took a step forward, his mouth flapping with unheard words. Then, like a flash of lightning, the human’s sword cut across Bare Hide’s eyes without warning. The crowd of minotaurs gasped, and some let out bellows of protest. Stone Horn watched on silently as the gladius tore through Bare Hide’s stomach, then a dagger appeared as if from nowhere, plunging into Bare Hide’s back. More bellows of outrage began to spill from the minotaur chiefs, and he noticed a few rise to their feet in sheer anger as they watched the display. The sight almost made Stone Horn smile, but he returned his eyes to the image as the human kicked Bare Hide onto his face. The human then drew a small ax and began hacking away at Bare Hide’s neck, and the outrage from those around him grew to its peak, with spittle flying from the stands to hit his back as the minotaurs roared in collective rage. Then the human ripped Bare Hide’s head free, and then tossed it to Stone Horn. The young minotaur nodded to his father, who let the image fade, then sat down, his eyes emptied of energy from the magical exertion. Stone Horn looked to one of his guards, who motioned to a troupe hidden in the dark. The gathered clan chiefs fell silent as the bearers carried the shrouded body into the ring. While the four pallbearers had grim looks on their faces, the minotaur that followed behind them bearing a bloody sack was the grimmest of all. All eyes followed the somber procession until it halted next to Stone Horn. With a motion from the warchief, the pallbearers set down their cargo, then backed away, with the fifth minotaur gently setting the back down near the top of the shroud. Stone Horn looked out to the crowd, his muzzle set in a tight frown. “I will not disgrace my friend’s memory with dishonoring and defiling his body further, but you all know what lies beneath this shroud. You saw what that wretched little human did to one of ours. It can only be expected that such a thing will happen again if he is not ended swiftly.” “But I will be the one to kill him!” Stone Horn bellowed. “For the disgrace he brought upon Bare Hide, for the disgrace he brought upon myself and my father by making us bear witness to his cowardly crime, I will be the one to kill the human Elias Bright.” He pointed to the minotaur who had spoken up. “You asked if the bounty would be greater, and I say yes, it shall be, for earning it will be a great deal harder.” “10,000 bits to the minotaur that brings me Elias Bright alive and undamaged!” Stone Horn roared. “I want to fight him on fair ground, to kill him the honorable way, so that Bare Hide may reach the halls of the Verdant Fields with tales of a wrong made right!” “I know this is no small feat, however,” Stone Horn said, “and I know that such an offer may seem paltry, so I also promise this; should one of you, or one of your warriors meet this bounty, you will be declared Ever-Ally to the Stone Crusher tribe. Your warriors and my own will forever bask in the victory over the ponies together, feasting as we build ourselves into a nation to rival the Equestrians!” He clenched his fist in the air in front of him. “Whoever meets this bounty and delivers the human to me will never know a hungry day, will never know a cold night! Your home shall be bathed in gold, and I shall personally walk with you to the Keepers’ Gates! We shall enter the Verdant Fields as brothers in blood, and in battle!” His hands moved, and a mass of servants descended, around the fighting rink, and throughout the multitude of minotaur camps. Their task was simple, distribute the remaining food and drink, to be set upon with ferocity. With one last meal, the minotaurs would be forced to fight harder for their next, which would come from the wagons of the Equestrians. “Eat, my friends!” Stone Horn bellowed. “Let us drink, to victory, to claiming our voice in Harmony!” His cheer was met by dozens as the minotaurs got to their feet, chanting and roaring for a dozen different reasons. One, however, seemed to stand out above the rest, caressing Stone Horn’s ears and making the minotaur smile. He heard, louder and louder, the chant for the death of the human. He relished the sound of a hundred chieftains screaming for the blood of Elias Bright. Before he could join in the pre-battle celebration, one of his guards stomped up to him, then whispered softly in his ear, barely hearable above the din of the crowd. “A messenger has arrived for you Warchief. It awaits you in your tent.” Stone Horn frowned at the news, and glanced toward his father, briefly wondering if this was some effort by the old bull to still push a peaceful method of handling the ponies. The elder was looking around at the feasting chieftains with an almost forlorn look, but he wasn’t watching his son in particular, so the possibility that he had summoned some pony to make negotiations was low. Stone Horn snorted and rolled his eyes, then shoved his guard toward the older minotaur. “Grab him,” he growled. As the guard did his bidding, Stone Horn glanced around at the gathering. His warrior count to the human and the ponies had been no bluff, they numbered in the thousands. His only wish was that his older brother hadn’t split off with the rest of the army. So far, none of the runners he had sent had reported back. If he could just bring their two armies together… Stone Horn shrugged the thought off and began moving toward his tent. He had the warriors to crush the ponies absolutely, then once he had, he would take his new provisions west to help his brother’s army in the conquest of Saddle Arabia, starting with its capital city. Perhaps in the time it took to march to the city he could train one of the alicorns into an obedient servant. Surely the justification that blowing down the walls would end the siege faster would convince them to help. Stone Horn suppressed a grin and walked into his tent. A pony with a hood covering his face turned, and his muzzle turned up in a smile. “Ah, Warchief, we have much to talk about.” Stone Horn crossed his arms, moving to the side to allow Stone Hoof entrance to the tent. “Likely not,” the younger minotaur grunted. “If you come seeking a deal, it will be far greater than anything we asked for earlier.” The pony shrugged. “I’m not here for a deal, per se, more rather, incentive to do a specific job, and then let the rest of the army pass through your territory.” Stone Horn snorted. “No. I am not some honorless mercenary. Your army will be laid to waste. There is no question about that.” The pony let out a sigh, then offered a low bow. “Very well then Warchief, I shall take your message to my benefactor.” He rose and strode past both minotaurs confidently. Stone Horn followed his walk with a glare. “That’s it? You think I’m just going to excuse this waste of my time?” The pony paused as he lifted the tent flap with a hoof. “I’m not an idiot Warchief, I have a way out of this camp if you decide to try and put my head on a platter.” A horn seemed to appear on his head as if from nowhere, and it flickered with green magic. The pony cast a shaded eye back toward Stone Horn, and the minotaur suddenly realized that he couldn’t quite tell what color the pony’s fur was, nor could he see any easily identifiable features. He would have thought it clever if it wasn’t being used against him. “You assume you’re fast enough to teleport away before I can cut the head from your body,” Stone Horn growled. The pony laughed aloud at his threat. “Please, I’d love to see you try.” The pony chuckled and shook his head. “No, I think I am done here. I don’t really like threats, and I’m especially not going to be kind with my information to the cow who makes them.” “Information?” Stone Hoof echoed. The pony grinned at the elder. “Ah, the smart one speaks. Yes Elder, information. Not much mind you, only three pieces in fact, but I think you’ll like them, or rather,” the pony’s eyes flicked to Stone Horn, “you will Warchief.” The minotaur snorted again. “If you have something to say, speak. I will not bargain.” The pony’s grin widened. “Good, because I offer these little bits of advice as… a goodwill gesture. I will be in contact with you again once your little fight with the ponies has concluded.” Stone Horn’s nostril’s flared with anger at hearing his soon to be triumph belittled, but the pony spoke before he could snap. “First, the princesses are your biggest threat. Their magic is contained within themselves. Should they decide to release it, you are dead. End of story. There is nothing in this world that can harm an alicorn with the amount of power those three have stored up.” The pony looked up at the tent flap, toying with it lightly. “Second, they are more susceptible to null-stone these days. Being in the presence of a particularly large sample should prevent them from releasing their power, at least for a short time. I suggest knocking them unconscious and keeping them that way.” “Next,” the pony continued, “General Bright is so very protective of his ponies, and it angers him when they get hurt. Don’t make him angry, or you will wish you were fighting the princesses.” “He’s one malformed runt of a minotaur,” Stone Horn spat. “He doesn’t have a fraction of the strength the alicorns have.” “True,” the pony admitted, and his eyes flicked to Stone Horn, “but he is far more vicious, unforgiving, and… creative. I’ve seen it firsthoof. Believe me when I say you’d rather he be dead or calm. What you saw with Bare Hide was a taste of his creativity. It gets far worse. I say again, don’t make him angry.” “Is that it?” Stone Horn snorted. “The human gets mean when he’s pissy, and the princesses are weak to nullstone? We already knew that.” The pony shrugged. “I can’t offer you anything more concrete. My benefactor is still playing the game, is still arranging pieces.” He grinned and his horn charged up. “That being said, if all goes well, you may have one less enemy to deal with when the fighting begins.” He vanished in a flash of light, leaving Stone Horn and Stone Hoof alone. The minotaurs stared at the spot where the pony had been in silence, then Stone Horn let out a snort of contempt. “Worthless. Why we didn’t attack today, I’ll never know.” He shot his father a glare, but the elder bull returned it in full. “You don’t know because you choose not to think,” Stone Hoof hissed. “Today was to see if we could win a victory without fighting a battle, and if not that, to gauge the strength of our enemy. If you used your brain to fight instead of your thick skull, you realized that all of this served a purpose.” He withered slightly and stared at his feet. “I… didn’t anticipate Bare Hide’s murder however. The ponies are not so cold-blooded, and I thought their so-called “hero” would be likeminded. That was my mistake.” He closed his eyes and slumped further. “I’m sorry.” Stone Horn tried to continue glaring at his father, tried to hate the old bull’s display of softness, but he found that he couldn’t. Memories of the old bull, tall, happy, and strong flashed before his eyes, and he had to shake his head to again see the husk of a minotaur sitting before him. It had become more apparent over the years, but his age had taken its toll, and he wasn’t the warrior Stone Horn had once idolized. The younger bull tried to stuff aside the nervous feeling he felt at the thought of facing such an end. His anger wasn’t in his voice as he tried to spit venomous words at the minotaur. “When we fight, I better see you on the front doing the honorable thing, or else our tribe may need a new elder.” Stone Hoof waved him off, adding his own insult to the verbal duel. “Go get drunk with the rest of your small-minded new friends. I wish to think in silence, and since you excel at neither, I don’t need you here.” Stone Horn let out another snort, but decided to do exactly that. His head would clear after a barrel or two of mead. As his son stomped off, Stone Hoof limped his way over to a simple stool, made from nothing but unicorn horns. He hated the fixture, hated that he had kept it long enough for his sons to see it and take a liking to it. He also hated the ache he felt in his knees as he sat down, and he particularly hated the ache he felt in his heart. He couldn’t quite remember if his elder son, Steel Horn, had ever been quite so angry, but then again, he was also a warchief, wasn’t he? Stone Hoof tapped his staff against his forehead. “No, you old fool,” he muttered. “He is the smart one, he is clever and thoughtful.” He dragged his mind away from the stark differences between his sons, and instead focused his magic, calling out desperately for an answer. In all his years as the tribe elder, he had never felt the need to ask from help from beyond, had always tried to explain to his sons that they didn’t need a voice to the Keepers, that their honor and their inner strength would guide them to the Verdant Fields. Stone Horn had never taken to those lessons well, had always looked up to the outward strength of his father, and then once Stone Hoof had started to age, his older brother, Steel Horn. Now, though, Stone Hoof pleaded desperately for an answer. He had to know if he had set the tribe on the right path by making his sons both warchiefs. So much seemed wrong, and the more he thought about the brutal actions of the human, the more horrid images his mind conjured up. Images he had never seen before, yet that still haunted him. Fields of blood, littered with corpses, above all of which flew the banner that he knew belonged to the human. The eagle set against a blood red backdrop. It had only been rumor, one not spoken of anymore, but Stone Hoof couldn’t help but remember it. The human had shown his bare back only once, and on it had been that very same eagle, surrounded by names. The names of his victims, so the rumors said, with the eagle itself being painted in their blood. The horror of that, of preserving a bit of their life on his skin. Was it a trophy? A warning? Stone Hoof prayed to the gods, begging for an answer to that question, and any other. He feared for the minotaurs his son would lead into battle, but he also feared for his son in particular. He was so angry, so filled with loathing and contempt for what he viewed as weak. He still hadn’t learned that strength came in many forms, and he definitely didn’t recognize the strength of the human. If they met on the field of battle… Stone Hoof wasn’t sure that his son would win, and that scared him more than anything. His son had bested him in battle before, but the human was something new, something to be respected. Something that nobody was taking seriously enough. He prayed hard, begging the Keepers for guidance, or for, at the very least, protection for his arrogant son. ***** Lionheart trotted into his tent with a wide grin on his face, and Shattered Shield and Dragon-Eye in tow. He couldn’t help but feel higher than Cloudsdale, oh it was all going so well! He trotted over to his crystal decanter and began pouring himself, and his compatriots, a glass of red wine. Shattered Shield glowered, while Dragon-Eye looked visibly confused at the unicorn’s cheery demeanor. “Why are you so happy?” Shattered Shield spat. “I thought the plan was to smear the reputation of that wretched human, but you’re out there speaking up for him!” Lionheart chuckled and shook his head, offering the two unicorns a glass each. “Of course that’s the goal my friend, but you need to think big picture!” He sipped at his wine, while the other two unicorns exchanged a confused glance. Lionheart rolled his eyes. “Look, we do nothing to smear his reputation if it is all in private. Princess Luna, thank the Keepers for her kind, optimistic heart, still trusts General Bright completely. We will never successfully drive him out of Canterlot if she still holds trust for him. To destroy that trust, first we have to build it up, higher than can reasonably be met.” He sipped at his glass, and finally, the other two did the same. Lionheart closed his eyes and savored the wine, while also savoring the smell of true victory in the air. Oh, how wonderful things were going to be in the end. All of his hard work would pay off. “General Bright is currently Princess Luna’s great experiment,” Lionheart continued, opening his eyes, his fantasies still playing behind them. “And why shouldn’t she enjoy the fruits of her labors? Has she not turned a bloodthirsty monkey into an almost capable commander?” “He’s more like a snake,” Shattered Shield muttered. “Slithering his way into our ranks. Ensnaring all of those other good ponies.” “True,” Lionheart conceded, “but even more Princess Luna’s victory. He is a brute, but General Bright did as she bid. He created a capable guard force, and Princess Luna looks upon that garish crimson standard with pride because she knows that it is hers! She sees an opportunity, to finally achieve her one true wish!” “And that is?” Dragon-Eye asked. Lionheart grinned at the unicorn. He was definitely duller than Shattered Shield, but with that dimmer intellect came a great deal of use, particularly in asking the right questions. “To find her true love of course,” Lionheart said, as if it was obvious fact. “Don’t you wonder why she’s rarely seen during the day? She can’t escape the shadow of Nightmare Moon, which, I might add, was caused because she was unloved.” “Now though,” he continued. “Now she has a crowning jewel to bring her on par in strength to her beautiful sister. The commoners loved all of those bright colors and silly headdresses. She’s won their love, and now, all she needs to do is dispose of her used monkey, then she can enact the second phase of her plan.” “Which is?” Lionheart trotted forward and snagged a hoof around Dragon-Eye’s withers, hugging the stallion tightly. “I do so love your contributions to the conversation my friend.” He could feel the pride at earning such praise radiate off of Dragon-Eye, and the unicorn shot a smug grin to Shattered Shield, who scoffed and rolled his eyes. Lionheart smiled at the both of them. “The second phase is to fake a great sadness. It was clear to anyone with eyes that she attended that lesser noble’s wedding with General Bright, thus sealing his loyalty, but once he “gloriously” falls in battle, she will feign grief, and begin her public search for a lover!” “Which I assume you believe is you,” Shattered Shield deadpanned. “Also, how do you know that her friendship with General Bright is false? The two were very involved before he was assigned as a General.” Lionheart felt his eyebrow twitch. Shattered Shield was not so likable as Dragon-Eye, and had the nasty quirk of questioning things that didn’t concern him. “I know her feelings are false, because she is a princess and he is an ape,” he said through a smiling, but clenched jaw. “If she truly loved that creature, then Equestria is doomed as we fall to whatever hapless diamond dog roams through that can swing a sword. I would curb your tongue Shattered Shield. You accuse your princess of quite the crime.” Shattered Shield withered and looked at his hooves. “I… I didn’t accuse Princess Luna of anything, I’m just unsure of what your point is. How does any of this tie back to ruining General Bright’s reputation? If we win a victory and he lives, the princesses are going to seize some of our territories for his noble honors. If we win and he dies, he’s going to be commemorated for all time, and any honors we would win on this march will be void, since it will be his victory.” He scuffed the carpet. “I just don’t see how letting him get his far serves our interests at home. Whatever happens now, we lose it all. We’re going to be solely responsible for having our houses thrown into the dirt and squalor.” His eyes flicked up with concealed anger. “But now you’re out there singing his praises, and I can’t help but feel that you’re trying to win his favor and leave us to the wolves.” Lionheart mused and sipped at his wine again. Putting himself in Shattered Shield’s shoes, he could vaguely see where the unicorn was coming from, so he decided that a calm, explanative response was warranted. “My friend, I am not going to betray you,” he said softly. Looking to Dragon-Eye, he said; “I’m not going to betray either of you. I merely have a plan, and I can see that it stresses you to not know it in its entirety. But I ask you the same thing I asked you when we began this venture.” He placed a hoof on Shattered Shield’s withers and put on his best winning smile. “Trust me. I have everything taken care of, and by the end of this march, we shall be honored and wealthy beyond belief, while Elias Bright will be nothing than a dirty footnote in history’s pages.” Shattered Shield continued frowning at him for a moment, but slowly Lionheart’s smile won him over, and he blushed slightly. “And you get to warm Princess Luna’s bed I imagine,” he joked, sipping at his wine. Lionheart chuckled along with him. “That’s the plan my friend. I’ll tell you what, take the night to think about what you want from your future, and then in the morning, come tell me what your thoughts are. I will listen to every word, and we will see what we can do to make you feel more comfortable with our efforts, alright?” Shattered Shield exchanged a glance with Dragon-Eye, who nodded like an enthusiastic puppy. Shattered Shield then looked back to Lionheart, smiling. “Thank you,” he said. “I think it’s all the death talk. It makes me feel dirty.” Lionheart chuckled and shooed him and Dragon-Eye toward their closed off sections of the tent. “I’ll draw a bath for you personally when we get back to Canterlot. It’ll be the least I can do when I’m Prince-Consort thanks to your efforts.” Shattered Shield smiled, walking where Lionheart led. “And I’ll still be a Duke? My family will still be in good graces?” “Your family will know more comfort than ever before, and you will be a Duke of a bigger province if nothing else,” Lionheart assured. “Now think on it all, and trust me!” The two unicorns wished him a goodnight as he all but shoved them from his section of their tent. Lionheart took a short breath, then downed the rest of his wine glass. He much preferred speaking with other nobles in the banquet halls of Canterlot. They were louder, and while spies were a much greater risk, they were also easier to see, and more importantly, bribe. The human and his infernal tactics had made his ponies so devout it was almost fanaticism, and his every attempt to recruit spies had either been met with outright rejection or a few instances of counterespionage. Since he knew the human’s legendary anger would be fully directed his way should any of the offensive ponies vanish, Lionheart had been forced to settle for cutting the double agents loose, followed swiftly by ceasing his spying efforts. Still, the human was loud and blundered about, showing off his little army incessantly. The ponies all followed standard Equestrian tactics with minor, inconsequential changes. Their armor was equally dull in its uniqueness, and in truth, Lionheart was rather disappointed. The human had almost seemed like a capable rival, especially since he had proven his adeptness for sniffing out changeling infiltrators. Lionheart had hopped for a duel of wits, a chess match on a grand scale, like the princesses played. Instead the human seemed to favor checkers, slamming his pieces onto the board to make it seem like he was always winning, when in truth, he merely learned flashy tricks, like a dog. Lionheart let out a sigh and set about refilling his glass. Unfortunately, even dogs had teeth, and so his hooves were tied. He needed to be rid of the human, and not in the way Shattered Shield and Dragon-Eye thought. No, a lack of reputation did nothing to the mindless lout, but instead served to let him hide in anonymity, his actions scoured from the record by the princesses. He couldn’t fault them their little science project, but he could see plainly that they were too attached to the “creature from another world”. He couldn’t fault Celestia or Luna their curiosity, but unfortunately the scientists were too close to their project, and he needed to act for them, to free them of the curse the human wrought. Once the human was gone, all would return to normal, and there would be no more foolish whispers of Luna taking a secret lover. He scoffed and sipped at his refilled glass. The human as a lover, what an idiotic thing to even think. Anyone with eyes could see the human didn’t love anything other than violence; save for his own pride perhaps. Yes, the human did seem to be awful proud of “his” accomplishments. Luckily Lionheart could see through the delusions the ape had, and could see all that the new legion had accomplished as the work of his soon-to-be wife. “Oh Luna my dear,” Lionheart pined to the empty tent. “You shouldn’t have to let the monkey take your credit. You are again cast to shadow, ignored by your people, but don’t trouble yourself with anger! I, Duke Lionheart, shall see your glory laid bare to all! All of Equestria, no, the world will see how great and cunning your mind is!” “Not so cunning that she doesn’t see you going behind her back,” a voice smarmily interrupted. Lionheart’s eyes whipped to the source of the voice to find a cloaked stallion grinning at him. The red-manned unicorn huffed in irritation and levitated his wine glass to his nightstand. “Well it’s about time. Did you stop for a snack on the way? Perhaps decided to take a little nap?” The stallion scoffed. “Like you’re one to talk. The silver spoon is shoved so far up your rear that your teeth shine. Do you want my report or not?” Lionheart scowled at the stallion, hating his every breath. While his flippancy would normally have been grounds for an arrest, he did need the stallion, at least for a little while longer. He was one of the only messengers that avoided all of the tails any number of parties had set to try and follow him. That fact made him consistently reliable in getting dirty deeds done. Dirty deeds that not even the princesses could learn about. Ever. Lionheart rolled his shoulders. It was for their own good of course. If his actions ever came to the light, they had perfect deniability, and if he was branded a traitor, so be it. The safety of the beautiful pair of goddesses was worth that. “Fine,” he sighed. “But watch your tongue, before you find it missing. I am not somepony to trifle with.” The stallion bowed low to the floor, his flippancy still on full display. “Of course, oh great General, of whom the bards sing his praises, and the Keepers themselves will descend from on high to award the highest honors. The world will tremble when he, oh so great, is awarded with wings, so that he may join in their pantheon, and-“ “Enough,” Lionheart growled through gritted teeth. “Were you successful or not?” The stallion rose immediately. “I relayed all of the information you said to, but the Warchief was… thick to say the least. I don’t know if he listened.” Lionheart frowned. “You told him that he may have an easier victory? That the army may be weaker than it appears?” The hooded stallion nodded. “In as many words. When I gave him the actual advice, he dismissed it as common knowledge.” Lionheart trotted to his bed and sat down. “That won’t do,” he muttered. “I need the minotaurs to commit fully if my plan is to work. I want both of my major enemies dealt with, and if the minotaurs don’t attack with their full strength, Princess Luna’s new legion will destroy them before they ever get a chance to strike at Elias Bright.” “I can’t do more,” the hooded stallion said with a shrug. “The minotaurs are feasting as we speak. They won’t like seeing a pony again, and I won’t walk away if I go back to try and convince them.” Lionheart waved the words away. “If they are feasting, talking would get you killed even if you were a minotaur. No, it’s pointless to try and provoke them again, so I must rely on chance. I’ll need to play the battle by ear, and make my decision to commit in the moment.” The spy shifted on his hooves. “And what if Elias Bright survives and is hailed as a hero?” “Then I find some other way to discredit and dispose of him,” Lionheart replied. “It isn’t an ideal situation, but if that is the hoof fate deals, then so be it. I am ever clever and resourceful, and the human is ever a blundering idiot. He’ll make a mistake, and when he does, I will capitalize on it and have him removed, one way or another.” He glanced back at the stallion and levitated his wine glass to his lips. “Either way, I find that I no longer need your services.” The stallion bowed and smiled. “Then I thank you General. I assume I will find my payment in the usual lo-“ He let out a gasp as a pair of Solar Guards stormed the tent. The larger of the two, an earth pony, wrapped the cloaked stallion’s throat with garrote wire and began to pull with all his strength, while the second guard, a unicorn, pinned the cloaked stallion’s hooves down, rendering him unable to fight back. Lionheart watched with bored disinterest as the stallion choked, then eventually fell silent. The earth pony kept tugging long after the stallion drew his last breath, until finally, his disguise pulled back, revealing a changeling drone with bulging green eyes. With the creature obviously dead, the earth pony dropped him and looked to Lionheart for orders. The unicorn waved them out the tent. “Bury the body, don’t be seen. There’s no need to cause a panic about an infiltrator I knew was here. Thank you gentleponies. You have served your princesses well.” The two had, of course, heard none of their conversation, save for the last sentence Lionheart had spoken. It was the key phrase that allowed the silence spell woven into his tent to drop, and it was a phrase he had taught the pair when he had informed them of his use of the “traitor”. The only surprise he had was that it had come into use so quickly. He had figured the changeling would be useful for a mission or two more, but alas. If he couldn’t continue poking at the minotaurs, then he had no further purpose. Keeping him around the camp would only result in his exposure, and sending him back to Canterlot would result in the same. Better to just have him removed, to cover his tracks if nothing else. The pair of guardsponies saluted, a motion Lionheart lazily returned, then they scooped up the changeling and trotted from the tent with a happy swing in their tails, no doubt believing they had done a great service. Lionheart sipped at his wine and chuckled, glad to have gotten one over on whatever changeling queen the drone had represented. They wouldn’t be able to send another out to kill him before the march was over, and once he was back in Canterlot, his protection was guaranteed. His spy had only been able to enter the city because Lionheart had vouched for him when the Royal Guard was doing sweeps. Lionheart used a simple spell to tidy up his carpet, smiling at the thought of all the pieces moving into place, readying the world for a new prince. Luna would lavish him with praise when he freed her of the human’s filthy, barbaric grasp. He silently lamented her need to stoop so low to protect her nation, but in the same thought appreciated that stoop. It only further demonstrated her beauty, her perfect soul that deserved a perfect match. One that could provide her with everything her heart desired, especially heirs. Lionheart’s smile widened at that thought. Sitting beside his princess on her throne, their younglings sat in a perfect row beside them, physically perfect in every way, holding equal parts their mother’s beauty and their father’s handsomeness. Not to even speak about the mental fortitude they would carry. He dimmed the lanterns and after dis-armoring, turned them off fully, plunging the tent into darkness. Lionheart savored that darkness, absolutely giddy to think about his near-future as he fell asleep. ***** Chrysalis frowned as her drone let out a dying gasp on the hive mind, reporting his imminent demise. She fragmented a portion of her mind to care for the drone as he passed on, and that fragment escorted him to the courtroom of the Keepers, to have his soul weighed. Like most of her children, Chrysalis knew his soul would be returned to the mortal realm, shifted right back into one of the hundreds of eggs that lined her belly, awaiting the seed of one of her enslaved studs. One such stud was curled up in her hooves, sighing softly as he dreamed happy dreams. The changeling queen smiled down at him, absorbing all of the ambient love that flowed from the unicorn while she rubbed his belly, making him moan happily. The news that Lionheart had known her spy was a changeling wasn’t altogether surprising, but the fact that he had murdered the drone outright was. She was used to such loses, especially after the Canterlot fiasco, but to have what she believed to be an ally turn on her for seemingly no reason was strange, and she briefly wondered what her next play should be. She let her angry thoughts flow forth first, thought about how much she despised Lionheart and all the greedy ponies like him. The idiot was blinded, by either pride or fanatical devotion, it didn’t matter. He saw his way as the only way, and once she had taken the capital, he would need to be disposed of. His toxicity could poison the love supply. The stallion in her hooves moaned and turned over, smiling sleepily. “Don’t be mad my Queen,” he slurred. “You can make anypony your friend.” Chrysalis smiled down at him. “There is clear evidence to the contrary stud. Princess Celestia didn’t want to be my friend.” The stallion snorted and waved a hoof. “She just needed to spend a day or two with you, visit the hive, see how much love you need. Then she would have understood, and you could have been the new princess!” He giggled, and Chrysalis couldn’t help but smile and roll her eyes, casting a spell to softly put him back to sleep. Her pony captives always proposed such solutions, but Chrysalis knew that it would never work like that, especially not after the wedding. It took ponies years to overcome their prejudices, and her children weren't exactly colorful and fluffy like the ponies. They were jagged, and hardened. They blended easily in the shadows, like something from a nightmare. No, no matter her approach, no matter how kind her words, ponies would always turn her away. It was why she needed to seize their leaders, convert them. Once they saw the light, then peace would reign, and her children would be fed. Chrysalis pinged one of her spies that was watching the pony camp, and she puppeted him, impressing her will fully into his brain so that she could see through his eyes. As always, the drone nearly collapsed from sheer exultation at his queen’s presence, and she was forced to again fragment her mind, coddling the fanatical creature so that the larger whole of her brain could function without distraction. Using his eyes, she watched the camp for a long while, watching as the ponies began to drift into their tents to sleep. There were no easy gaps to infiltrate the camp, however, even with the majority of the ponies going to rest. Guards stood watch at all four entrances, their minds focused and sharp, the wards in their helmets more than enough to repel whatever psychic attacks her drone could muster. The towering walls of the fort-like structure were illuminated with simple light ball spells, and any attempt to slip over them would result in her drone being spotted. No, the human had again done his job too well, had prevented her success before she could even begin to formulate a plan. Chrysalis felt a prickle of hatred fill her brain, but she quickly showered it in the love her stud was funneling into her. She could never feel hatred. It would all too quickly infect the hivemind, then she, and her drones, were doomed. No, she had to remain impassive, angry at best. And angry she did feel. Lionheart had been her ‘in’, and he had turned on her, discarding her once he had met his petty goals. Now she had to take into account his soon to fail plan, because she knew it would fail. He wanted the human dead, and thought he could keep his efforts in the dark, but once the human won the coming battle, he would start asking questions, and those questions would point him one way. Some part of Chrysalis wanted to tell her drone to approach the gate guards, so that they could take him to the human. He might be suspicious, but he was a clever creature, and he would figure out her words to be truthful. To see Lionheart’s treasonous face pummeled by the human would be something she could watch over and over again. Unfortunately, it would also alert the human, and then the princesses, that she was close on their tail. As enjoyable as watching Lionheart suffer would be, she still had plans. Chrysalis sighed and disconnected from her drone, returning her mind to its true home. Her stud snored softly in her lap, and while she regarded him with a motherly smile, she knew he was worthless for the night. Lionheart would fail, so she needed to act upon her backup plan, and that meant using a stud that wasn’t so freaking adorable. Chrysalis snarled away her last thought, and she pushed all of the love she had gathered off into the wider hivemind, giving her children a chance to feast. She hated how cuddly and pony-like she got when she was well fed. She needed to be sharp, and as vicious as her enemy. Her enemy who refused to share in their bountiful love, who hoarded it all away right on her front porch. Sending agents out to kidnap the occasional minotaur or zebra caused no stirs, but one missing pony, and all of a sudden the nation’s might descended on high, as if the princesses had any sort of connection to their ponies other than the superficial. Chrysalis mulled for a moment on that thought. It was the real difference between her, a queen, and them, a trio of princesses that relied on bureaucracy and paper laws to lead. She was a mother to her changelings, laid each one, saw that their instructors came only from the most intelligent stock, and made sure she knew the names of even the tiniest, most sniffling ‘lings, like Thorax or Trax. The pair didn’t have a hoof’s worth of aggression between them, yet she still did her duty and fed them as much as she was able to spare. That supply was near to nothing because of the greed of the princesses, with their mysterious appearance, and their even more mysterious powers. She had checked the royal libraries while infiltrating. There was no concrete time or place the pair appeared, only that they did once the three pony tribes had united. There was no system, no passing the crown and the hive from mother to daughter and so on. No, their power just appeared from nowhere, and suddenly the princesses were on top of the world, no matter their many blunders. Chrysalis scoffed and tamped her anger, nuzzling the sleeping stallion to calm her thoughts with a fresh injection of love. “I invade for something as simple as wanting my children not to starve, but precious Luna threatens to upset a cosmic body and gets a little vacation to the moon.” The changeling queen scoffed. “And then she came back a complete pushover. Or the history books lied, and she never was a warrior.” Chrysalis thought on that for a moment, then shrugged and forgot the thought ever existed. It didn’t matter if the alicorns themselves were decent combatants, they were powerful enough to compensate, and then had the resources to draft more tactically inclined minds. Including the human. The human, who Chrysalis both hated, and envied above all. He was so physically weak, and emotionally he should have been incompatible with the ponies, yet for no reason they had scooped him up, and he now led their army with his ferocity. A peak through another of her drone’s eyes found the minotaurs feasting away, preparing for battle. A battle Chrysalis knew they would lose, solely because of the human. He brought so much new to the table, and he was, unfortunately for her, one of the loyal ones. He wasn’t plagued by the pride and desire for station like Lionheart or any number of other prissy ponies. No, the human… Chrysalis scoffed. He had bested one of her best drones in single combat. He deserved to be remembered by name. Elias Bright was solely devoted to the cause. Sadly, it was because of the love he felt, but still, she wished desperately to have just a few days with him. Wipe a few memories, purge the emotional streak the ponies had burdened him with, then plop his vicious little brain into a nice, strong drone. With all his weaknesses removed, he would make an excellent second, no, a king! Chrysalis purred at that thought. Yes, she could free his mind of all those pesky little weaknesses, put him into a nice breeding changeling body, and then his loyalty would work for her. Just the thought of Luna’s face curling in horror at the sight of her corrupted “champion” made Chrysalis giddy. Lost in the fantasy, Chrysalis didn’t notice herself curling around her studding stallion, until the sleeping pony began to knicker and whine in mild pain. The noises caused the changeling queen to snap to attention, and her horn immediately sent healing music into the pony, relaxing him and putting a cute little smile back on his muzzle. Chrysalis sighed and kissed his cheek, causing love to spark off the pony in a more natural manner. “Sorry dear, you know I get hungry when I fantasize.” With a thought, a trio of drones entered her throne room, scooping up the sleeping stallion and carrying him away to rest, while a different trio stood ready to escort her to her breeding room. While the thought of actually turning Elias to her side had been largely fantasy, the idea clung to her brain, unshakable in its brilliance, if she could find a way to pull it off without risk to her children. The wedding invasion had made clear how bad an idea that was. She still hadn’t created enough intelligent drones to fully replenish her past numbers, and with the upcoming battles, that wasn’t likely to change. Chrysalis focused momentarily on kicking her queenly biology into gear, then followed the second trio. She would need thousands of children for her backup plan, and while she had already made good progress on creating her new army, she would need many more. Once Elias had defeated the minotaurs, she would not-so-subtly kidnap whatever stragglers remained, then use the new influx of love to finish her preparations. Preparations that relied on lots of moving pieces, pieces she needed to start jostling into place. The drones stopped at the entrance to the breeding room, and Chrysalis let the hormones of the hazy place fill her brain. Thinking could come later, she needed to perform a more physical labor first. She smiled as she fantasized about millions of her children running rampant through the streets of Saddle Arabia, feasting on Equestrians and Saddle Arabians alike. > Chapter 56: A Day of Battle; Part 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Fire!” The shout of the auxiliary in charge of the artillery group managed to pierce the sounds of the battlefield as steel met steel, and blades met flesh. Shrieks of rage, pain, and artillery all washed over each other, and at the center stood Elias, his blade already wet with blood. Elias spotted his gladius a few feet away, beneath the stomping feet of more than one minotaur who seemed intent to kill him. His scutum caught a powerful blow aimed for his chest, and Elias responded with a chop of his hand-ax, cracking open the minotaur’s skull, and sending the beast limp-legged to the dirt. His eyes carved a line… …across the road map, trying to locate all of the best spots for ambush. No point on the trail was too outlandish, no terrain considered too difficult to attack through. He briefly wondered if burning the forests around them was an option, but the thought didn’t sit right with him. There wasn’t any need for scorched earth if he just planned ahead, and besides, he quite liked all the greenery. He might have gotten used to the lively Equestria landscape, but that didn’t mean he forgot the blasted greys of Earth. He’d rather not see them again. …across the battlefield, seeking out points of weakness. Overhead his scouts and spotters dodged arrow fire, mostly with ease. One pegasus was not quick enough, however, and a squawk left his muzzle as an arrow ripped through a wing. The pegasus tumbled from the air and slammed into the shield wall, rocking a trio of legionaries in place. Their cohesion fell for just a moment, but the minotaurs were more than strong enough to take advantage, and several pushed forward, their weapons leading. They were met by the second line of legionaries, who with war cries, rushed forward, plugging the gap before it could rip the line in two. As Elias ripped the ax blade free, another round of artillery shrieked overhead, chased by a trio of fireballs, courtesy of his spellcaster auxiliaries. While the massive flaming rocks that were the artillery projectiles splashed down near the tree line, further casting it ablaze, the fireballs were far more precise, seeking out clumps of minotaurs to detonate in. Pieces of bull rained with a hail of scorching dirt, acting as a brown shower for the already ripped apart landscape. Elias slipped beneath a swipe and shoved the offending bull away. His eyes watery from the smoke in the air, Elias didn’t notice when the minotaur raised his shield to block his counterattack, so when his ax slammed down, the head shattered on the bull’s shield. Elias stood agape for a moment, staring at the headless handle in his hand. Then he looked to the minotaur, who grinned and rolled his shoulders. Elias growled, then shouted as he threw the handle uselessly at the bull. “Anyon you worthless piece of birdshit, I’m going to kill you!” He rushed forward, and slipped the scutum from his arm, gripping it in both hands like a club. His first swing batted aside an attack from the bull, and the second did the same. Elias ducked under a third attack, then swung up with his shield, clipping the minotaur’s chin and clacking his teeth. With the momentary stunning, Elias had more than enough room to pull a knife free from his belt, a knife that quickly found itself buried in the minotaur’s belly. A howl of pain from the bull was silence by a scutum to the face, then another. The minotaur fell to the grass, and Elias followed, straddling the bull’s chest as he slammed his scutum into the minotaur’s unarmored head. It took several blows, but eventually his head split open with a… *crunch* Elias closed his eyes and savored the sound of a good piece of toast. Not burnt, but far from soft, the piece of bread was like a buttered slice of heaven, and he had to suppress a moan. He was not so quick with his smile, and he heard a giggle. His eyes looked over to Luna, who held a hoof over her muzzle as she grinned. “Apologies General,” she said, completely unapologetic, “I just truly enjoy watching you eat. Never have I ever seen someone so happy with something so simple as toast.” Elias shrugged and took another bite of his delightfully crispy breakfast. “What can I say? Sometimes it’s the simple pleasures. I’d rather do this job a hundred times than ever be hungry again.” Elias’ head snapped back, and a strong taste of iron filled his mouth. He had taken too long with his kill, and another minotaur had taken advantage. A hand wrapped around his neck and dragged him to the ground, then a shadow passed over his face. Elias squinted upward and tried to pry the hand from his throat while the minotaur took a moment to taunt him. “That’s it?” the cow laughed. “A couple warriors and you’re already done for? With how much the Warchief talked about you, I expected more!” Elias stopped struggling against the hand clenching his throat, and instead decided to attack the minotaur to drive him back. His fists punched at the minotaur’s muzzle, but the bull merely laughed the blows off. “Gotta say, with how much Warchief Stone Horn talked you up, I thought this would be harder. Good to know that I’m gonna claim that reward for binging you back alive.” Elias again tried to break the minotaurs grip, but earned more laughs. A second hand joined the first around his throat, and Elias’ eyes rolled back as the grip tightened, strangling away all of his air. “Sleep little human,” the minotaur growled. “Sleep and win me the favor of the Keepers themselves.” Elias struggled and fought, but he was simply less powerful than the bull. His struggles weakened and his vision grew blurry and dark as he slowly suffocated… **Earlier that day** Elias stood tall as a horn call echoed through the air. The column halted, with ponies looking around in confusion as a second horn blast filled the air. To their right was a thick forest, and at a glance he could tell that it was largely empty, certainly lacking the ‘ten-minotaurs-to-a-tree’ figure Stone Horn had threatened him with. To the left was a wide swatch of grassy terrain that inclined slightly into a second tree line. It was from this direction that a trio of scouts suddenly appeared, with one clearly struggling to stay aloft on an injured wing. The pegasus, a Lunar Guard, flapped halfway across the field before an arrow struck out from the trees atop the hill. Elias frowned as one of his scouts veered in flight, intentionally placing herself between the arrow and the injured guardspony. The arrow embedded into her armor, but luckily for her, the leather held, and she resumed her flight back to the column at normal speed. Elias drew a pilum from his back holster before she ever landed. The red flag signaled his troops to begin forming up, with a few of his idle scouts taking to the air to inform the other generals of his intent to fight. The legionary cohorts quickly dropped their marching gear and formed into blocks, double timing up the hill with their centurions at the lead, while the auxiliary cohorts uncovered the wagons and began rapidly assembling their special equipment. Elias paced their way as the scout landed and fell in step behind him. “No ballistae!” Elias called. “The incline is too shallow, and they don’t have the range to be mounted on the wagons. Catapults and the trebuchet only. Ballistae auxiliaries assist in set up and ammunition ignition, then fall in behind the legionaries with your pila. Keep your shields close, you may be used for flanking maneuvers today.” The orders were taken without comment, with the auxiliaries merely obeying, switching tasks in a moment. A trio of earth ponies began raising the struts of the trebuchet, while Scarlet Shield flapped above them, tying off ropes and directing weapon placement. On the ground, several unicorns used their magic to tear away the topsoil beside the road, digging down to get at the bedrock far below for their ammunition. While they were carrying a few shaped stones and drums filled with oil, they couldn’t well carry thousands of pounds of rock or steel, so the land had to provide. He was just lucky that the timbers of the artillery could be enchanted to weigh less, while acting functionally the same. The primary disadvantage of artillery was it’s slow, cumbersome nature, but with the power of magic, his teams had trained to the point where the catapults and ballistae could be assembled and ready to fire in less than five minutes, with the solitary trebuchet taking about ten. Elias looked away from the preparations and to the scout, who offered a sharp salute. “General, we spotted thousands of minotaurs gathering. From what I could tell, they’ve been shadowing us since negotiations… fell through.” ‘Three days then,’ Elias mused. ‘I wonder why they waited so long? No doubt to ensure that your supply lines were well and truly cut.’ He looked toward the trees to their right, completely ignored as his legionaries assembled before the incline. “And has anyone scouted the column’s right flank? What about the extreme left and right of our battle line?” The scout looked to the woods. “With permission, I can send sorties in all directions.” Elias sniffed, thinking silently. “No,” he voiced. “Send word to General Nightshade, have her use her scouts to ensure we’re not being flanked, then have the rest of our scouts form up above the battle line to act as spotters. We have the disadvantage of the hill and forest on both sides; we need to use our ammunition precisely.” The scout shuffled on her feet. “The wind’s blowing our way too General.” Elias glanced over his shoulder to Pyrelight, who was helping unload the barrels. “Did you hear that Centurion? Make sure to measure and compensate for wind speed.” The unicorn nodded without looking at him. “Yes General.” Elias then looked out to the soon to be battlefield, pleased to find the legion slowly and carefully forming into their three-layer battle line on the left flank of the field. The first two layers consisted of the heavily armored legionaries, who would begin the battle standing tall, using their pila to rain death upon the enemy. Once their standard three was gone, the ponies would crouch down and lock their scutums, providing a massive wall of a testudo, while also allowing the auxiliaries behind them to throw their javelins. The legionaries would largely act as a massive shield, with the auxiliaries holding the killing power until they ran out of ammunition. That wasn’t to say that the legionaries lacked the ability to fight back. As they formed their testudo, the legionaries would poke their more permanent spears through the gaps in the formation, making it look like a porcupine. Once the auxiliaries exhausted their munitions, however, the ponies would be force into a messier melee, one that the other guard forces would start with. Elias hoped that the vast arsenal of ranged weapons sufficed to drive the minotaurs back, but if it didn’t, his legionaries had still been trained well. The first line would charge forward, clashing with the minotaurs until they weakened, or until the enemy was driven back. IF the former occurred, the second, fresher line would charge in, relieving their fellows. The first line would retreat and recover their strength, and so the two would cycle, fighting an ever-exhausted enemy until victory was obtained. Victory, or death. Scarlet called out orders and the artillery slowly moved into position behind the lines of ponies. Ammunition piles stacked up beside the siege engines, with Pyrelight setting alight several torches, enchanted to last for an hour. Elias moved forward, running his hand up one of the legs of the trebuchet. While not a Roman invention, he had read extensively about them while studying the Byzantines, and he knew that nothing of the sort existed in all of Equestria. Catapults were a rarity, but an engine like the trebuchet was new, dangerous. The stones for the counter-weight driven machine were three times the size of their catapult counterparts, and he couldn’t help but grin at Pyrelight. “Prepare a warning shot Centurion. I have a feeling the minotaurs will issue some ultimatum, and I want this to be my reply.” The unicorn nodded, and though she tried to hide it, Elias noticed a small grin of excitement on her face. In practice they had never actually used live ammunition, but had instead used magically simulated rounds to prevent property damage, as well as reduce the chance of information about the weapon leaking. It would be the crew’s first true use of it, and even Elias was a bit excited to see it in action. He had, with the help of a few engineers, designed it personally. He just wanted to see if it worked. Duty came first however, and Elias made his way toward the carriage, where the other generals were waiting. All wore their full armor, and Elias couldn’t help but smile at seeing Nightshade’s adorably fluffy ears poking out, flicking this way and that. The childish thought quickly vanished as Scarlet and Night Flash slammed down beside him, falling into step as he came to a stop just before the gathered ponies. “What’s the battle plan?” Nightshade asked. “Just as we discussed earlier,” Elias said. “I want the Solar Guard to make up the center of the line, while the Lunar Guard makes up the right.” He looked to Chaser, who was already scowling heavily. “The Royal Guard will remain in the rear, keeping an eye on the supply wagons, but primarily guarding the princesses’ carriage.” “We aren’t nurse maids,” Chaser growled. “A dozen guards could-” “The entire Royal Guard will stay back,” Elias snapped. “I am not risking the safety of the princesses for the sake of your, or anyone else’s pride. Your force is the smallest, your is the most elite. If everyone else dies, you need to extract and evacuate. That is the plan. If you don’t like it, tough. Yell at me after we’re done.” The pair glared at each other for a moment, but Elias quickly decided that the gray pegasus wasn’t worth the focus, and looked to the other generals. “Combat doctrine for you all is the same as always, bubble shields to block projectiles, large, charging formations. Just try to stay in line with my legion; my ponies know how to watch their sides, but I’d prefer their focus be forward on the enemy.” “Who is going to be controlling the formation on my immediate right?” he asked the Solar generals. Lionheart raised his hoof. “I am. I’ll make sure the earth ponies don’t rush forward too early, just make sure you don’t stay too stagnant. I no more want my flank exposed than you do.” Elias gave him a nod. “I’ll keep an eye on it.” He looked up the hill, to where a few minotaurs were poking their heads free of the protection of the trees. “One last thing,” Elias said. “If they rout, stay in place, don’t give chase. The forest is their friend, not ours. We go chasing after them, they get a chance to stab at the wagons and the carriage. This all becomes very pointless if that happens. If they run, return to the starting place of our battle line and wait in place. Let your ponies rest. We’re not going to lose today by underestimating our opponents, and unfortunately...” he scowled at the trees all around them. “Unfortunately I can’t say they picked poor ground. For all we know, we’re surrounded, let’s act like it and be pleasantly surprised if that’s not the case.” Looking to Nightshade, he said; “Have your scouts watching our rear constantly. If we’re flanked,” he jabbed a finger at Chaser, “you’re our quick response. If you see a hole that isn’t immediately patched, fill it. Finally,” Elias pointed out over the battlefield toward the legion standard. “If you need to find me and you can’t see me, I will be by my standard. Despite how my ponies look, we can move when we want to. If anyone needs reinforcements for any reason, don’t be afraid to come and ask for them.” Elias took a deep breath, couldn’t help but feel a flutter of nervousness in his chest. The grass waved gently in the ever so slightly chill breeze. The grass was simply so green and lively as it waved back and forth. The trees were already beginning to turn, with the occasional yellow leaf drifting toward the ground. A deep breath brought in the smells of nature, of life. Even moving into formations the ponies were somewhat cheerful, chatting with one another, jostling, bragging, the normal things, as if the day would bring about anything normal. Elias decided not to think about what the field would look like once the day was done, decided to ignore the faint whiffs of burning plant life he could already detect in the air. There would be plenty of stenches for later. “Let’s get this done as quickly as possible. Watch your flanks, stay in line.” “What if we have to retreat?” Shattered Shield asked. “There is no retreat here,” Elias said, narrowing his eyes at the pony. “The princesses are stuck in a heavy box. We can’t retreat with them, and I’d rather die than retreat without, as should you. We fight and win, or we die. Retreat shouldn’t be a word in your vocabulary.” Shattered Shield withered as Chaser’s irritation shifted his way. When he looked for any support amongst the other generals, he found none, with even Lionheart offering a disappointed scoff and an eye roll. Shattered Shield gulped and bowed his head. “A-apologies General Bright. I just thought it was worth discussing.” “Planning for failure invites it,” Elias snapped. “And I have no intention of failing. I suggest you buck up or you’ll end today in shackles as a coward.” The unicorn withered away further, wisely remaining silent. A horn call sounded from the trees near the top of the hill, drawing everyone’s attention up. Three clear figures stepped free of the trees, and one waved a green flag. Elias drew a pilum from his back sheathe and waved it in reply. “Get your ponies into position,” he said. “I’ll see what this is about.” Lionheart cleared his throat. “Am I still not the diplomatic arm of this army?” Elias shrugged. “Come if you want, but I highly doubt this is going to be very diplomatic.” He then started up the hill. Lionheart did fall in step beside him, but stayed slightly behind, silently giving Elias the center stage for any talking that went on. Behind them, the rest of the guard forces began deploying beside the legionaries. The sounds of thousands of feet trampling the grass filled the air, and the burning smell grew stronger as some of the artillery munitions were set alight. At the top of the hill, Elias found Warchief Stone Horn flanked by a pair of lightly armored minotaurs equal to his height. At a glance, Elias figured that the bulls were just slightly older than the Warchief was. Behind one of them stood Stone Hoof, who looked wearily down the hill at the preparing ponies. Elias focused on Stone Horn, however, and unlike the last meeting, he didn’t bother removing any of his equipment. Negotiations weren’t going to last long if the muscle the minotaurs had brought was an indication. The human rested a hand on his gladius hilt and squinted at the Warchief. “So, what delay are you going to cause me today Stone Horn? This journey is only supposed to take a few weeks, but if you’re going to waste my time every couple days, it may end up being longer. I’d rather be home of Hearth’s Warming if you don’t mind.” “You can try to hide your fear behind flippancy General Bright, but I can still smell it,” Stone Horn sneered. “This field reeks of fear.” Elias snorted. “You’re upwind of us. You sure that’s not your own fear your smelling?” His eyes flicked to one of the warriors. “I mean look at this cute little calf. Is this your first battle? Gonna make daddy proud and die in the first volley?” The bull’s eyes turned red in an instant, and he let out a roar before leaping forward. Elias dipped to the side of the sloppy charge, then in a flash of steel, cut the minotaur’s spine. The leather armor they were wearing covered the front extremely well, but the back not so much. No doubt to encourage the fighter wearing it to always face his opponent. The bull dropped like a stone, his rage mixing with roars of pain as his limbs failed. Elias couldn’t help himself, he giggled at the sight of the flailing bull. A part of his mind recognized how sick that was, but the rest was already geared up for bloodshed, and it relished yet another enemy put into the ground. Elias rolled his shoulders and grinned at Stone Horn. “Really? If you’re going to try and kill me, at least bring your best. You apparently didn’t learn your lesson last time. Guess I need to teach it again.” The second bull charged forward, though without the same rage as the first. Elias’ grin dropped and he blocked the first swing of the minotaur’s ax with his shield, countering with a jab at the bull’s legs. A fist warded away that attack, and the ax descended again. Elias stepped back out of the blade’s path, then slashed at the minotaur’s throat. The bull mirrored his step back, and the pair stood off against each other, weighing up their options of attack and defense. Just as they both tensed to spring forward once more, Stone Hoof shoved his way between the two, pushing the young minotaur back with a bellow. “Enough! This is not the way, and you both know it.” Elias snorted, shifting his weight back and forth between his feet. His eyes flicked to Stone Horn, and his lip curled as he spat at the minotaur’s feet. “You’re a coward, and I’ll see you dead before today is out. You’re lucky your elder is here to do your thinking for you, because without him, your corpse would join that of your lackey.” The other young minotuar let out a bellow and shoved Stone Hoof to the side. “Don’t touch my brother!” He rushed forward, his weapon leading. Elias stopped the attack with his shield, and the two jostled for position with each other, pushing back and forth, growling and spitting in each other’s faces the whole while. Seeing that he would quickly lose any kind of physical struggle against the far larger and stronger minotaur, Elias reared a leg back, then sent it forward beneath his shield, drilling the bull in the crotch. The bull let out a bellow of pain, and the moment of distraction gave Elias an easy victory. He shoved the minotaur to the ground, then sheathed his gladius and drew a pilum topped with a crimson flag in a smooth motion. Elias planted a foot on the minotaur’s chest, then, glaring hate at Stone Horn and his aghast father, he plunged the javelin down and into the young minotaur’s chest. The beast bellowed in pain, then slowly began to choke on his blood, a sign that Elias had missed his mark. He didn’t care, and some part of him thought the situation better for his slightly off attack. Elias’ hands began shifting the spearhead inside the bull, while his eyes met Stone Horn’s glare. “You apparently didn’t learn the lesson last time, so I’ll repeat myself. There is no glorious victory here for you, there will be no prize. The fate of all who oppose me is this,” he stomped down on the bull, drawing a gurgled cry of pain from him. “Children who pretend they know how the world works, weeping and begging for their mothers while they bleed out, or burn, or die in whatever other horrific fashion I see fit to bestow upon them.” His eyes flicked down, and he gritted his teeth, twisting the javelin slightly to the right. “My ponies will not retreat, and they will not surrender. They will fight until the bitter end,” his eyes flicked back up, “and the ground before them will be stacked to the sky with dead minotaurs. I will pave the road from here to Canterlot with the bones of you and your warriors, so I dare you-” He let out a roar and ripped his javelin free, then plunged it back down into the minotaur’s throat, finally ending his suffering. Just to ensure he was dead, Elias gave the spear a savage twist before stepping back, leaving the weapon in place. He spat on the minotaur, then fixed Stone Horn with a glare. “I dare you to come fight me. I warned you once, and I won’t extend that mercy again. Your corpse is going to decorate the battlefield, and I will make your stupid fat head the centerpiece of my mantle.” Stone Horn snorted and made to move forward, but Stone Hoof stopped him with a hand, now staring with horror at the dead minotaur before him. Elias let out a short bark of a laugh, one that died almost as quickly as it was uttered. “This is all the warning you’ll get. If I see another minotaur, they’re dead, am I clear?” “I will kill you,” Stone Horn growled. “I would give anything to see you dead.” “How about you let my army pass through then?” Elias sneered. “I’d gladly give my life for that. Then I get to live on in the Equestrian history books as the valiant human who made sure all the ponies survived. I might die, but I’ll still be a hero, and you’ll be nothing.” “I am going to butcher you, and then your so called army will serve my tribe for all time!” Stone Horn bellowed. “You will be nothing more than a corpse, one bloated with every rat and parasite im-” Elias turned his back on the bull and began walking down the hill. Behind him, Stone Horn let out another loud bellow, his rant uninterrupted by Elias ignoring him. “I will kill you Elias Bright!” the bull shouted. “Today will end with your corpse paraded around my war camp!” Elias gave him a silent middle finger in reply, not stopping his downward walk. Lionheart fell in step beside him, his eyes staring straight ahead. The human glanced down at the pony. “Do speak your mind General Lionheart. As I’ve demonstrated, harsh words do little but irritate me, so you shouldn’t fear reprisal.” Lionheart glanced up. “Your strategy is as sound as it ever was; antagonize until attack is guaranteed. Depriving them of two more warriors certainly doesn’t hurt.” His muzzle curled. “But you are a brute, and while that has use here with these beasts, it will not serve your future well.” Elias snorted and smiled. “I’m surprised that you of all ponies give half a shit about my future.” Lionheart matched his snort. “Seeing tomorrow relies on you believing you have a future General, and I’d very much like to see tomorrow.” Elias rolled his eyes. “Don’t try too hard to see it, or you’ll find fate taking it away in revenge. In my experience, those who want to live the most die first.” He offered a grin to the unicorn. “Try fighting. It’s worked wonders to keep me alive.” Lionheart rolled his eyes as they came to the line, and he peeled back toward his forming-up section. “I’m sure it has. Just try not to let me take all of the glory.” Elias sneered at the unicorn’s back, but said nothing more, turning back to move toward his legionaries. The silver clad ponies waited in a cacophony of small movements and smaller clatters. Ponies combed over themselves and each other, checking gear, and checking morale, even if it was unspoken. Ponies pressed their heads together, whispering encouragement to one another. A few were even clutching at small symbols of suns and moons, whispering words of what Elias believed to be prayers. Such instances were quick, with the ponies uttering the prayers quick to straighten and slide their holy symbols away, their ears flicking to keep watch of the forward forest line. Toward the center of the front line, a small gap split open, allowing him access to the middle of the formation. Elias passed through rows of legionaries, some of whom payed him no mind, but many who offered him smiles and nods of respect. Elias returned as many as he could before he finally came to an empty pocket of space. Night Flash, Book Binder, and all of the other officers turned as he walked into their small meeting area. Elias noted a few excited smiles and tail waggles, but those were quickly squashed under professional demeanor as the ponies stood waiting for his orders. He had few to give, however. They knew how the formation was supposed to work, knew their roles to play. It was only once things began to go wrong did he need to start directing them. Still, a small address to make sure everyone was confident wouldn’t hurt. “Listen up,” Elias started. “Keep the line held here, follow your combat training. You will hear from one of the scouts if anything needs changing. If you think the orders didn’t come from me, the key phrase is ‘starshine’. Is that all clear?” All of the ponies nodded. “Ice Blossom, Gray Granite, report to your cohorts, and check in with your auxiliary centurions. Make sure they’re ready to receive the enemy, and make sure that everyone has their shields at the ready. The cows aren’t going to run even if we kill half of them in the opening salvo.” The pair saluted and departed. Elias continued. “Book Binder, stay back with the artillery for now. Make sure they’re not wasting ammunition, and make sure there are a couple of eyes on our supply wagons. I don’t need anyone sneaking behind us.” The green unicorn looked like she wanted to protest, but she gave him a short salute before departing for the rear, grumbling under her breath as she left. Elias looked to Night Flash and Scarlet Shield. “You two are with me. Scarlet, I want you filtering scout reports. Let me know if anything significant happens. Night Flash, I may use you as a runner to direct artillery fire. Make contact with Auxiliary Centurion Pyrelight and tell her to stand by for targets.” He pointed out across the field to where the pair of minotaur corpses were already attracting flies. “That marker is one hundred and ninety five steps away. Have them prepare all fire based on that location. Tell them to give a test shot when they’re ready.” Night Flash saluted and took to the air, wheeling back behind the line. A trio of scouts quickly found their way to Elias’ side, awaiting orders. The human frowned out across the field, heard calls from the ponies to his right to prepare their spell shields. He decided that the same was prudent, and looked to one of his runners. “Tell the shield casters to ready their spells, but to wait for my orders before casting. I don’t want to waste valuable magic on arrows when we have perfectly good shields.” He glanced back to his standard bearers as the scout took off. “Stick close to me during the opening volleys. I’ll keep you covered.” Star Orchid and Thunderstorm both offered short nods, their hooves wrapped tight around their standards. The ponies around him winced as a loud clang, followed by a whirling shriek, heralded a ball of flaming stone crackling through the air. The massive stone overshot the pilum and slammed into the tree tops, igniting leaves and sending branches to the ground. Cries of pain and alarm began filling the air, drifting down the hill to the ponies’ ears. Elias turned his head slightly, scowling when he began hearing cheers from the other guard forces. A few of the legionaries shifted in place, mumbling to each other, and Elias noticed some grins. Luckily, he had addressed at length how the legionaries were to conduct themselves on the battlefield, and it only took a short bark of reprimand to wipe away smiles. “Stand at the ready to receive the enemy,” Elias bellowed. “If I hear so much as one cheer from my legion, I’ll have you all strip off your armor and fight naked! You are not here to celebrate death, you’re here to win with pride. Now shut it and focus!” A voice in his head chuckled. A bit hypocritical, don’t you think? Elias closed his eyes. “Shut up.” “General?” Elias blinked and looked down to Scarlet, who was looking up curiously, his ears trained upward. When the human gave no verbal response, Scarlet tilted his head slightly. “General? I’m sorry, but I didn’t hear what you said.” Elias swallowed, then looked out across the field. “Just talking to myself,” he noted absently. “It’s nothing.” He put on a smile and glanced down at the pegasus. “So; how are you feeling? Do you think you’re ready?” Scarlet looked across the soon-to-be battlefield. “Taking your advice…. I don’t know. I just hope I don’t freeze.” Elias’ grin took on a more genuine tint, and he matched Scarlet’s stare, watching as water appeared in the sky, dousing the trees. Smoke drifted lazily through the air, already giving the battlefield a slight haze. “That’s not a terrible feeling to have. Just let your instincts lead, and stay behind the line. You’re more useful to me running reports and directing fire. Alright? Fight only when you have to, but play to your strengths at all other times.” Scarlet nodded, and the two simply stood in silence before a loud horn split the air. Elias squinted slightly as the trees at the top of the hill began to rumble with the sound of moving feet. Dark forms peeled from the treeline, forming a massive writhing line that was loud and angry. Snorts, shouts and bellows reached out across the field to meet the waiting wall of ponies. Scarlet gulped. “Hey General, is it bad to say that I really need to pee right now?” Elias snorted, not looking away from the posturing minotaurs. “I’m fairly certain your armor doesn’t restrict that ability Strategist. Pee away. Better now willingly than later.” Scarlet chuckled nervously, then looked up. Elias glanced down, and the pony’s nervous smile shifted. “Wait, you’re serious?” “As the grave,” Elias answered. “Trust me, you do not want to piss yourself in a fight. It reeks, and you chafe. It’s distracting, not to mention humiliating.” He shrugged. “But if you’re worried about being judged, I wouldn’t be. The invitation is open to everyone. Urine is going to be the easiest thing to wash off tonight.” Scarlet’s ears flicked. “I mean… Okay, what I meant was, how can you not know if I can pee or not? You can just look!” Elias’ mouth tightened into a line as he tried not to laugh aloud. “Strategist; while I appreciate the offer, I am not going to check out your balls to see how free they’re swinging.” The ponies around them chuckled as Scarlet flushed a deeper shade of red. “That’s not what I meant,” he squeaked. “Then what was?” Elias asked. “Pee comes out from one place on the body, and that is attached to the balls. You said I could look, indicating that I should look at your balls. Is that assessment wrong?” Scarlet blushed harder. “S-shut up! I just… kind of forgot you’re different. It’s natural for us to be naked, and well… I don’t stare, but looking at other ponies bits…” “Stop digging, the hole is deep enough,” Elias said, a smile breaking through. “For me it’s always been easy to avoid looking, so I don’t habitually check. Perhaps it just happens more often for you because all of that is at eye level.” Scarlet perked up, and Elias immediately recognized his teaching voice. “Actually, its for a far more fascinating reason!” The stallion turned around with a happy smile, blissfully unaware of the suppressed snorts and laughs around him. Elias looked to the sky as the pegasus presented himself, his tail flicking out the way. “You see, it’s actually all in the tail!” Scarlet noted smartly. “It blocks sight line, and during heat season, it helps cover up scent and moisture. Some ponies even weave in cedar branches or put perfume on their tails to help cover scents. A tail covering the genitals indicates lack of interest, but perhaps a peak, or a full view can mean several things, including-…” “Blatant flashing of a minor,” Elias cut in, still refusing to look to the exposed pony rump. “Strategist, you’d better hope you don’t survive today, because your court martial is going to be legendary with this many witnesses.” Scarlet blinked owlishly, then looked around. He lived up to his name, falling into a deep blush as he whirled around, his tail clamping firmly between his legs. A hoof tilted his helmet down, to try and hide his shame as the legionaries laughed and jostled, with a few nudges making their way to his side. Elias let out a brief chuckle, a sound that barely hit the air before it died as another horn call filled the air. The bulls on the top of the hill fell silent. Elias swayed in place, his eyes flicking all along the minotaur line for movement. In the trees, there was a faint glow present, and his mind worked to anticipate what it indicated. It could be remnants of his artillery fire, or it could be some plow from the minotaurs, some yet unseen weapon. Elias drew a pilum, this one with a black flag tied around the top. “Catapults, one shot each, cold shot!” he called. He heard the order repeated in detail, then felt a shadow pass over his face as Night Flash took to the air. The pegasus called down the target ranges, then spiraled higher into the air as the stones were fired. Elias watched the arc of the stone shots carefully, mentally pumping his fist when they smashed into the minotaur line. Even better was the fact that the stones rolled further into the woods instead of back down the hill. He didn’t need his troops dodging their own artillery fire. Night Flash spiraled to the ground, leaving the field in near silence again, interrupted only by the occasional cry of wounded minotaurs. Elias tapped his fingers on his shield, frowning at the opposing battle line. “Why aren’t they coming?” he mused aloud. “We’ve killed at minimum a dozen of them, if not more. Why are they still waiting?” Scarlet rolled his shoulders. “Intimidation strategy maybe? The scouts would have reported back if we were being flanked, right?” Elias nodded slowly, rolling his jaw. “I didn’t find anything special in my research about minotaur magic, you?” Scarlet shook his head. “From what I’ve read, save for a few notable figures in their tribes, minotaurs don’t use magic for anything except blacksmithing; like the gryphons do.” His ears flicked. “This could be the silent portion before their war chant.” Elias grunted, raising his pilum into the air again. “Well if they’re going to give us still targets… Artillery, one shot each, hot shot! Perhaps fire will force them forward.” Just as the artillery pieces began to shriek and whine their way to firing, the minotaurs let out a single collective roar. The ponies couldn’t help but flinch at the shock of the sound, and in the sky, Night Flash mis-flapped, nearly dropping his flight path into one of the arcing catapult rounds. The blue pegasus corrected quickly, and the quartet of flaming boulders met their targets, this time with a flare of fire as they splashed into the minotaur lines. Even the breeze pushing away from them didn’t stop the stench of burning meat from filling the air, but if the minotaurs noticed, they didn’t show it. A horn blew behind their lines, and another collective shout rose up, accompanied by a single clank of weapons on shields and armor. Scarlet’s ears flicked, and he shrank slightly in place. “That’s the no mercy chant.” Elias’ upper lip twitched. “Noted. How long will it last?” “Maybe a minute,” Scarlet answered, his eyes fixated on the bulls as they slammed out another guttural note in their collective battle song. “According to the sources I read, they open with one of three war chants, then send their most eager warriors forward.” The red pegasus fell silent in a way that caused Elias to look down. “I sense a ‘but’ coming.” “But,” Scarlet continued, “none of the accounts ever talked about an army this big. Usually they only consist of a few tribes. I don’t think Warchief Stone Horn was bluffing on his numbers.” Elias shrugged. “Numbers won’t save him, especially when we’re better equipped.” His pilum waved through the air again. “Full discretion passed to Adiutor Binder! Fire until you run dry.” The call was again repeated, and quickly more shots shrieked through the air, flying in faster succession. As more artillery fire blasted the minotaur line, the other guard forces began to shout and jeer, letting their own battle cries fill the air. Noise rose from the legion as well, but in the form of the centurions shouting for quiet, for silent preparation. The legionaries made last minute adjustments to their equipment, shuffling in place as they prepared for the charge that they could all feel building. The glowing from the minotaur line suddenly became a great deal brighter, but before Elias could locate what was causing it, the sun dimmed. A glance up found a black wall of arrows descending from on high. The smoke from the trees had obscured their send-off, and no doubt all the noise hid the thwacking of bow strings. Still, there was plenty of time to call out the appropriate order, and the single word cut through all the background noise. “Shields!” Elias took a step back and dropped to one knee as the standards dipped down, their bearers hugging to his side as tightly as they could. The clatter of steel frames smacking together settled quickly, and was replaced with a sound not dissimilar to heavy rain on a thin rooftop. Cries of pain and confusion came from his right, and with his superior height over the crouching ponies, Elias noticed that the magical defenses of the Solar and Lunar guards hadn’t quiet gotten up in time. Dozens of arrows had slipped by the shield, and had found purchase on the lightly armored ponies. While some were able to shrug away arrows embedded in plate, others were not so lucky. They shrieked and writhed on the ground with arrows sticking out of their bodies like feathery lances. The rain came to a stop, and along the line of legionaries came the call to assume their previous position. Elias rose, sparing a look to see that his standard bearers were unharmed before seeing to his shield. As he plucked arrows from it and tossed them to the ground, another shout of alarm rose in the air with the minotaurs’ next collective bellow. Thundering down the hill came massive boulders, awash with white hot flame. As Elias’ mouth opened to give an order to counter the flaming projectiles, another voice cut through the air first. “Shield ponies, stop those rocks! Artillery Auxiliaries, douse them once they’ve stopped, then bring them back here! We’ll shoot those lousy cows with their own ammo!” Miniature half-bubble shields formed before each flaming stone approaching the legion, and they quickly dug into the dirt, slowing the rocks to a crawl, then a halt. The rows of ready legionaries then fell to the sides as auxiliaries pushed through, rushing forward with buckets and barrels of water in their grasp. They sprinted forward of the front shield line and tossed their loads onto the flaming boulders. As the sound of the successful fizzling out of the boulders entered one ear, Elias heard the sound of the other boulders crashing into the bubble spells the other guard forces were still maintaining. Looking their way, he found the borders fully stopped, but the spell shields were already beginning to flicker, no doubt strained. They weren’t meant to be maintained over wide areas for long periods of time. Only especially talented unicorns like Shining Armor could do some like that, and he was watching over Canterlot. Elias instinctively side stepped out of the way as a trio of auxiliaries pushed one of the boulders back through the line. As they moved past, he fell back into his position, and Scarlet saddled up to his side, keeping a slightly closer than before. Elisa looked down at the pegasus. “Are you alright Strategist?” Scarlet gulped, but nodded. “I think I’m going to pee now.” Elias snorted and shook his head. Artillery shrieked overhead again, again splashing into the minotaur line. This time, the bulls answered with another shower of arrows. The call for shields went up again, and Elias crouched down once more, bracing with the two standard ponies at his side. The arrows pattered on the wall of shields to the same null affect as the first time, but shrieks of pain again rose from the legion’s right. The spell shields flickered and faded away halfway through the volley, and without the spell, the arrows found ample targets. Ponies fell to the ground far too often, and the calls for healers rose in number. As the arrows tapered off, Elias was quicker to his feet, snarling at the already battered state of the army. “Strategist, get a runner, have Adiutor Snowball take a third of our healers to support the other guard forces for a while. I don’t want to hear about some wounded pony trampled to death in the fight because we didn’t get to them.” Scarlet saluted and flapped into the air, spiraling behind the line. Elias looked to the forest, looking for more glowing. He sent a mental note of thanks to whoever was watching when he found none. He had note that even his shield ponies were growing tired, and he didn’t want those boulders on fire in the center of any kind of formation. Luckily, the projectiles from the minotaurs came to a halt as the organized chant fell to the wayside, replaced by a loud, ever growing wave of bellowing and roaring. A few figures began pealing away from the forest line, and more quickly followed suit. Individual steps began a thunder, providing the bass to the war cries. Elias sneered, feeling almost giddy as the bulls came closer. The front runners were naked, carried no shielding whatsoever. Easy prey for his army armed to the teeth with ranged weaponry. “Spell Auxiliaries hold fire!” he called. “Legionaries form a wall and prepare pila! Three steps forward!” Ice Blossom and Gray Granite called out next. “One!” they shouted together. “ONE!” the legion answered, locking shields and inching forward. A whirl of steel heralded an arc of artillery, flying toward the trees, smashing into the growing tide of bodies. Elias’ bad eye twitched as he grinned in sadistic satisfaction. “Stack them high!” he shouted. “If they want no mercy, we’ll give it to them!” “Two!” came the call from Ice Blossom and Gray Granite. “TWO!” the legion again answered, taking the second step forward. Elias pulled and unmarked pilum from his shield and picked out one of the minotaur front runners, a medium sized bull that still towered over the ponies. His horns were long, but his hair, what little of it there was, was still black and shining with youth. He sprinted far ahead of the general charging line, and that meant he would reach the formation far too early. Ordering his ponies to fling their javelins at the lone bull would be wasteful… As he reared his arm back, Elias called out; “Hold your fire!” His javelin leapt away, and the bull ran straight into it, his chest acting as a smooth sheathe for the pilum. The bull let out a weak bellow, staggering forward for a step more before collapsing to the side, clutching at the long javelin embedded deep in his heart. “Three!” “THREE!” the legion responded with a degree of finality. Shields met the dirt and each other, locking together. The first line of ponies ducked down behind the shields. The group primarily consisted of earth ponies, and they dug in hard, making sure that the shields wouldn’t budge while the second line moved forward. They all popped onto their hind legs, leaning on the shield wall as they readied their javelins. The third line packed in behind them, twitching as they waited their turn to hop onto the shield wall. Artillery shrieked away again, those this time the sound was off. One boulder barely passed over the heads of the legionaries, rolling and smashing into the closest minotaurs. A few heads turned toward the rear as a cry rang through the air. “Short round! Catapult 1’s right strut broke!” Elias signaled his recognition of the words with a wave, keeping his eyes focused forward. His centurions knew the appropriate calls for throwing range, but he wanted to be sure the first volley wasn’t wasted. A loud collective war cry echoed to his right, and Elias looked that way, taking note that the other two guard forces were beginning to charge forward. The human shook his head in disgust, and felt a bit uneasy at the distance between the minotaur line and the pony line. If the other forces charged too far forward, the legion’s flank would be exposed, allowing an easy breakthrough. Then all the shield wall training would be for nothing. Luckily, the ponies kept their charge at a trot, letting the minotaurs exhaust themselves. Combat spells lashed out, with a rainbow of colors splashing out across the battlefield. The air felt hot, cold, and everything in between as fireballs exploded and ice sheets made the ground slick. Minotaurs were vaporized and obliterated by the dozen at long range, but they kept charging without care. Elias’ eyes shifted back in front of him, and he mentally chastised himself. The bulls were close, within maximum throwing distance, yet no calls went out. He grinned and drew another pilum, raising it high. “Hold! Let them get close.” His fingers curled and uncurled, the roar deafening in his ears. A smell began to hit him, one of sweat, and a touch of alcohol. The sound of clashing steel echoed to his right, and his voice roared in perfect coordination with his centurions. “Fire!” A thousand javelins leaped forward, flying with perfect accuracy in a deadly wall. The fingers of death found easy purchase in the bare minotaurs charging into them. The result was the charge faltering as if it had run face first into a river. Most of the bulls collapsed as pila tore into key areas, dragging them to the ground screaming in pain or dead. Those that miraculously survived unscathed or with light wounds were few and far between, and staggered between their fallen fellows, glancing back with obvious confusion and even panic. “Hold!” Elias called, even as his scouts dipped down from on high, led by one heavily armored blue stallion. The pegasi moved lightning fast, slamming down into any isolated survivors, breaking bones marking the bulls with deep wing blade cuts before spiraling back into the air, far out of reach of reprisal. Night Flash slammed down between two bulls, and his seemed to disappear beneath his flared wings. Then the stallion spun in a tight circle, the blades cutting cleanly through the legs of the bulls. Both fell, and Night Flash exited his twirling in a pounce, plunging his wingblades into the beast’s heart. Then he was in the air with the other scouts, taking to the skies as another thick mass of warriors came near. This time, a few undisciplined javelins leapt free before any call was given, but seeing as they all met their marks, Elias didn’t mind too much. He cocked back his arm and gave the call as he threw. “Fire!” The second group of minotaurs met the fate of the first, and the scouts were again quick to dive in. No stragglers made it to within fifty feet of the shield wall, and again the scouts whirled into the air as another mass approached, so far casualty-less. Elias intended to keep it that way. He drew a pilum with a flag, waving it in the air to draw Night Flash’s eyes. The pegasus responded quickly, flapping to within earshot. “Keep the scouts up!” Elias shouted. Rear auxiliaries will take care of stragglers.” Night Flash nodded and flapped higher, while Star Orchid turned and shouted his order to the rear. The scouts flapped higher into the sky, while some turned, winging their way behind the line. Night Flash stayed with those above the battlefield, watching as the third order was given. “Fire!” Minotaurs again fell by the dozen, tripping up their fellows. The second line of ponies, their initial ammunition exhausted, fell back from the shields, giving their hind legs a rest while the third line hopped up, pila in their hooves, ready and waiting. Arrows whistled by their heads, plunging into the minotaur stragglers. ***** “Can you hit him?” Stone Horn whispered. The bull at his side snorted dismissively as minotaurs died in droves to the silver and red-clad ponies and their strange tactics. While impressive, Stone Horn thought it cowardly. The human fought in hiding, not letting the fighting come close. Just the kind of behavior he expected from a murderous dog. “Of course I can hit him, I’m the best there is,” the bull boasted. “Now, am I trying to kill him, or are you looking for an easy capture?” Stone Horn frowned down the hill, watching as the human waved his spear and shouted, clearly directing the ranged attacks of his ponies. Though his pride screamed for him to claim the human’s head for his own… “Kill him,” Stone Horn said with a sigh. “I will simply have to fight the rest of the battle harder to earn my glory. Perhaps I can kill all of his best warriors. That blue pegasus seems like a decent fight.” The bull grunted and drew back his bow string. He muttered words and his horn charged with magic, all of which flowed into the arrowhead. “Not that it’s my place Warchief,” the bull grunted. “But I think you made the right decision. When will your warriors join the fight?” Stone Horn pulled his calling horn from his belt with one hand and drew his axe with the other. “Fire once we leave.” ***** A horn call came from the top of the hill, and the second half of the massed charge faltered just out of throwing range. As Elias watched the treeline, he instinctively loosened up, searching for what the horn meant. Then he jerked back, pain lancing through his shoulder. A collective gasp, and a sense of panic and fear suddenly filled the air. Glancing at the newly aching shoulder, Elias found an arrow buried to the fletching. He blinked and frowned, then looked over his shoulder to find the head sticking out the other end. The tip glowed a fiery red, no doubt some magic that let it tear through his armor like it was nothing. Elias’ lip curled as he looked past his wounded arm to the horrified looks of his legionaries. Eyes were focused on him when they should have been focused elsewhere. His sword arm raised, pilum in fist, pointing at the growing mass of minotaurs. “The enemy is to your front, prepare to receive him! Fourth row, ready spears!” Smiles flickered across faces, and a cheer went up in his area. The order was repeated down the line, and the second row withdrew behind the fourth, readying their own spears and shields. They would act as stopgaps for any breaches that occurred, and with the ponies instinctively working to get ready, Elias called over his shoulder. “Healer to the front!” He crouched down and glanced at Thunderstorm. “Break the head off.” The gray pegasus moved forward without question and braced Elias’ back with one hoof, while he used his teeth to grip the shaft of the arrow. Elias braced the fletching with his hand, making sure it wouldn’t be yanked, then looked back and nodded with grit teeth. Kind Heart pushed through the legionaries and let out a shout gasp. “Don’t-!” Thunderstorm broke the shaft with a sharp twist of his head. Elias grunted at the throbbing in his shoulder but ignored it as best he could as he pulled the shaft back through his shoulder. The shaft caught on the mail under his armor, and he had to wriggled it about to pull it fully free, but once he had, he tossed it to the side, then fell still as Kind Heart began dressing his shoulder. She shot him a glare as she drew bandages from her saddlebags. “I would have preferred to remove that the right way.” Elias scoffed, looking to the battlefield as a thick gray and brown line pulled away from the trees. “That was the right way.” He grunted as she yanked the bandages tight. “I’ve probably removed more arrows from my body than you’ve seen in one.” Kind Heart lit her horn and applied a spell over the binding, ensuring that it wouldn’t come loose. “Regardless, it’s not healthy. The next time an arrow hits you, let the healer remove it. It’s our job.” Elias rolled his eyes and looked to the arrowhead, which was still glowing from its place in the dirt. “I’ll try not to make it a habit, but this armor is supposed to be able to take a few arrows. What is that?” Kind Heart glanced down at the arrowhead for a moment, then went back to eyeing his wound, making sure that her spell had taken with a few experimental prods of her hoof. “The glow suggests an enchantment, but more than that I can’t say. You’ll need a specialist to tell you more; they don’t teach enchantment identification in magic kindergarten you know.” “I wouldn’t,” Elias replied, getting to his feet. He rolled his shoulder and winced as sharp jolts of pain raced into his chest, but ultimately, the limb still functioned. Kind Heart’s horn began to glow, but he nudged her lightly, causing her to pause. “No pain relief spells. Save them for later.” Kind Heart scoffed. “Please, a little one won’t do much to drain my magic reserves…” She fell silent as she met Elias’ gaze. The human slowly shook his head. “Trust me, someone else is going to need every speck of magic very soon. I’m fine for now.” The healer looked more than a little off put, but she managed a nod. “A-alright then. If that’s all?” Elias nodded toward the rear, then stopped paying her mind, focusing on the situation that had been unfolding in his momentary absence. The bareback bulls were bellowing and taunting the silent legionaries, beating their chests and making an awful racket out of throwing range. The occasional artillery shot splashed into them, killing a few, but much of it flew farther afield, targeting the slowly creeping line of armored minotaurs that was approaching along the entire battle line. He saw the play in that moment, it wasn’t overly dissimilar to his own. Use ranged equipment to inflict minor wounds and to put the first drain on healers and magic users. The first wave was light, designed to shock the front line, and then withdraw once the armored bulls, who were steadily approaching, closed the gap unharrassed. The plan was only partially working for the minotaurs, however. Both the Lunar and Solar guards kept their best spell casters toward the rear, and spells lashed out at the oncoming gray line, carving healthy gashes in it. Already he could see a second line forming at the treeline, ready to reinforce the first. Minotaurs with bows also crept up with this group, and they began sending a scattering of fire at the ponies. Shields rose, blocking the stray shots, his legionaries still able to defend themselves since they hadn’t yet been engaged in melee. The barebacked bulls let out a bellow, indicating their thought to correct that. They rushed forward, their legs carrying them in range within seconds. “Fire!” Pila leapt out to the same success as before, but this time the bulls were less spread out. Those that went down were trampled, but the charge didn’t falter, barely even slowed. A second volley was called, and this time Elias could clearly hear the javelins meeting meat. “Third line back, fourth up!” Elias called. “Spears at the ready and brace!” His legionaries shifted position with ease, and the ponies braced, while the rear lines readied their blades for any bulls eager enough to jump the formation. In the air, arrows attempted to pluck his scouts from the sky, and at first, the pegasi were deft enough to dodge every shot. It was only a matter of time, however, and eventually an arrow found a home. The scout let out an alarmed squawk, and he began to drop as one of his wings failed. Luckily he had been circling closer to friendly lines, and his remaining wing slowed his fall and directed it toward the rear, letting him smash to the ground right in front of the healers. Elias drew his flagged pilum again and waved it hard, again grabbing Night Flash’s attention. The pegasus dipped in flight, moving back toward the line. “Have the scouts move back and fly higher!” Elias shouted. “If they fall, I want them falling on us!” Night Flash nodded and gave a flap to climb again, only for an arrow to appear as if from nowhere. It plunged into the pegasus’ neck, and he let out a strained cry, his flaps uneven. He fell to into the legion formation like a stone, and then Elias saw nothing but red. His howl of rage echoed across the battlefield, and it was chased by calls of panic as he shoved through the shield wall, meeting the minotaur charge with his own. A pilum leapt forward from his fingers, ripping through a bull’s throat, but before the beast could fall, Elias was there, his gladius opening the beast’s guts to the air. His scutum shoved the creature to the ground, and then he was over the beast, attacking the next like a wild beast. > Chapter 57: A Day of Battle; Part 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias let out a gasp as air suddenly found its way into his lungs. The sweet satisfaction of drawing breath lost its luster as hot liquid pattered into his open, gasping mouth. He spit and tried to roll over to clear his mouth, but something latched onto his shoulders and pulled backward, something that didn’t allow him to turn. Elias rubbed at his eyes to clear them, then blinked, unsure if his vision was clearing or not. Night Flash, an arrow still sticking from the armor protecting his neck, helped Scarlet yank him backward across the grass, while to either side of them legionaries writhed and fought with bulls, keeping the creatures back with spear and sword. Elias looked forward to find a pointed formation headed by his standard bearers, with the pair fighting a trio of bulls off with ease. They weaved and bobbed, fighting in tandem to avoid all attacks while dealing death in reply. The human kicked out a foot to try to stand, but it slipped on a slick patch of grass, and all he succeeded at doing was propelling himself back faster. He shook his head and looked around, feeling the grass for his missing weapons. “Where’s my sword?” he asked, his voice sounding off, almost garbled. Night Flash snarled down at him, and the pair of pegasi gave him a particularly hard yank. “Somepony else has it, now shut up and stay down or I swear I will have Kind Heart put you down.” Elias blinked with an agape jaw at the pegasus, but the shock let his body fall limp, letting the pair pull faster. Soon, more hooves joined in, and as soon as his feet were past a line of shields, all the ponies came rushing back, with the standards being the last through before the gap was filled. Minotaurs smashed into the shield wall a moment later. The legionaries didn’t budge however, and spears began the dirty work, spilling red onto the shining silver armor of the ponies. Then Elias found his vision obscured by a furious Ice Blossom. The pegasus reared back a foreleg, then slapped him across the cheek as hard as she could. It essentially turned the blow into a punch, but it wasn’t hard enough to do more than jar him. “Are you out of your bucking mind?” she shrieked. “Everything is going great, but suddenly I hear some psycho start screaming, then see you jump the shield wall to charge the minotaurs all by yourself!” She smacked him again. “I had to leave my troops, come over here to organize a sortie, then break formation just to save your stupid ass, so you’d better have something to say other than staring at me like I grew a horn!” Elias continued to stare at her for a moment more, then looked back. Book Binder hugged Night Flash, nuzzling his back while Kind Heart pulled the arrow from his neck, quickly packing a bandage to staunch the thin stream of blood that flowed forth. The arrow had hit a gap in his armor, no doubt caused by his head being turned. The pegasus met his eyes with a concerned look, something that meant he was alive. Perfectly alive and fine. Elias’ gut churned with a number of emotions, all of which mixed together to draw bile up. He rolled onto his hands and knees, then closed his eyes and pitched his breakfast onto the grass. Sounds of revulsion filled the air around him, but he ignored it all, panting hard as he regained full control. His shoulder hurt, that was a good focus. He traced back through his actions, looking for the point he had lost control, as well as when he’d gotten it back. Elias rubbed at his throat, coughing as he glanced to Ice Blossom. “Any dead because of me?” She glared at him for a moment, then sighed and shook her head. “No,” the white pegasus answered. “Thank Celestia for that. The legionaries are doing their jobs, though you just scared the shit out of them.” Elias nodded and faced down again as his stomach tried to heave again. “They’ll be fine. Go back to your cohort, I’ll be on my feet shortly.” “Don’t make me come back over here,” Ice Blossom growled. “Your place is giving orders, not flinging yourself blindly to your death. I would have thought you of all ponies knew that.” “I do know that,” Elias snapped. “Now follow your damn orders and get out of my sight.” He swallowed dryly and closed his eyes again. “… and thank you Centurion. You did well to fix my fuck up.” The pegasus stood in place for a moment, then gave a slight nod before taking to the sky. Elias fumbled at his belt, managing to drag forth one of his canteens. He sat back on his knees and unscrewed the cap off. The water flowed down his bone dry throat like blessed, freezing fire, and the chill helped him find a sense of calm. It also served to soothe what he knew would be severe bruising from his near strangling. A hoof touched his shoulder, but Elias brushed it off and began to stand. He needed to see the battlefield, needed to make sure all was still going well. Kind Heart disagreed, as she yanked him down with her magic, whirling in front of him with a hard scowl on her muzzle. “Sit still,” she growled. “Just because we saved you from one stupid mistake doesn’t mean you get to start another, and I for one will not be responsible for letting my general die of an easily treatable wound.” Elias matched her scowl. “I’m fine, and aside from suffocation, I didn’t get hurt. Now move so I can-” He couldn’t help but yelp with one part pain, and two parts surprise as Kind Heart pressed an alcohol swab against his neck. He slapped her hoof away again and looked to his left, quickly finding blood dripping onto his armor. Touching his fingers to the left side of his face found a small gash that led up to his ear, the lobe of which was gone. Elias sighed and let his hand drop, not willing to meet the healer’s eyes. “Just get it treated. No need to make a scene out of another disfigurement.” Kind Heart’s hard scowl softened and she again began prodding the wound with her swab, but this time that motion too was more gentle. “I don’t think you’ll have any troubles with the mares,” Kind Heart tutted, drawing out bandages from her saddlebags. “The good ones look past little scars, and if they can’t do that, they aren’t good enough.” A smile touched her muzzle and she side-eyed him as she began wrapping his neck. “Though if the rumors are true, you shouldn’t have to worry about such a thing.” “The rumors should keep to themselves,” Elias said, grunting as Kind Heart pulled the bandage tighter. “I get ugly enough, nobody will want me. They aren’t exactly staying around for my cheery disposition.” Kind Heart playfully slapped his shoulder, hopping down to let him stand. Elias rose to his feet and gazed across the battlefield. Directly in front of them was a wall of bare meat that fell quickly to steel pila. The line had buckled slightly in a few places, but there were no breaches, so that was going well enough. The visibly armored minotaurs were approaching quickly however, and at a glance, Elias could tell that they wouldn’t fall as easily as their bare-backed friends. “Well those same rumors tell some interesting stories about when you were a guard,” Kind Heart said, re-packing her saddlebags. “If they’re true…” “If you mention anything that starts with the letter ‘c’ or ‘s’, I will throw you at the minotaurs,” Elias growled. Kind Heart giggled. “That only confirms it. Try not to get hurt more General, I already have enough arrow removals to deal with.” She trotted toward the rear, and two ponies took her place. Night Flash in particular stood very close to Elias, and after a nudge, the human looked down to find the pegasus holding Feather in his teeth, a worried look in his eyes as he offered the blade up. Elias took the sword from his mouth and wiped the moisture off on his tunic before sheathing the blade. A nudge came from the other side, and Book Binder offered up his shield, which he accepted with a grateful nod. Nothing needed said between the three of them, and the silence let Elias retain his re-found sense of calm. He scanned the battlefield, fingering his gladius hilt lightly. A horn call split the air, and a glance to his right found the unarmored minotaurs disengaging from the other guard forces. In front of him, those at the rear of the minotaur formation began to do the same, but on a call from Gray Granite and Ice Blossom, the shield line shoved forward a step, unwilling to let the cows disengage without a price. Auxiliaries took the place of the spear ponies, and a loose wall of javelins leapt forward, plunging into the withdrawing hides of the minotaurs. They fell by the dozen, with some visibly confused at their lack of noticeable impact. “Hold fire!” Elias called, the order quickly repeated along the line. Pila stopped flying, allowing the bare skinned minotaurs to reach their armored compatriots without further casualties. The armored bulls stopped just outside of throwing range, and a slow sound began to emanate from them. Looking along the line, Elias found the same being repeated before all of the guard forces. The low growling din began to rise into a collective howl, with the minotaurs stomping their hooves and beating their shields, making a mighty racket. Above it all, Elias heard the sounds of the other generals calling out speeches, their voices magically enhanced to reach the ears of their soldiers. A pony pushed through the legionaries, her ears flicking eagerly, evidently expecting the same from him. Elias offered the unicorn a smile, then stepped forward, pushing through the shield line so that all could see him. “You don’t need some stupid speech from me!” he shouted. “Speeches are for those who are about to die, and I intend to see tomorrow. What about you?” A round of cheers rippled through the region, bringing a smile to Elias’ face. He glanced over his shoulder and sneered at the minotaur line, before turning around so that his voice could be heard. “Be at the ready, listen to your Centurions! Let’s get this job done and kill them till they quit!” Another cheer rippled through the line as Elias passed back through. Night Flash and Book Binder stood ready and waiting as the howling of the minotaurs reached a fevered pitch. Some of the beasts inched forward, stopped only by their fellows back. They clearly intended to charge, and while pila would be effective on killing a few, the volley wouldn’t have the same effect as it had on the initial naked charge. Elias paced in his small empty area, his bad eye twitching as he thought of how best to counter the armored bulls. Simply bearing the charge could work, but it would be a slow, tiring slog, and the ponies, even with their immense success in the opening volleys, were still outnumbered. He had no doubt that more bulls would appear from the trees, and having his troops tired would only spell defeat. No, the grinding of two well-armored forces wasn’t ideal. His eyes flicked to the center, where most of the bulls were massed. The naked bulls that hadn’t fully retreated up the hill were gathered there, roaring away with their fellows. No doubt they would try to breakthrough his shield wall, would try to carve their way to the rear, where his artillery sat, still firing the occasional shot into the trees. Letting the minotaurs silence his ranged advantage would be catastrophic; he needed the killing power his artillery offered. Elias tapped his gladius in thought, his eyes flicking to the center of his own line, which sat eager and waiting in front of him. His legionaries were still strong, still waiting the coming fight. They were completely fresh, but already some of the shine was out of their armor, no doubt a result of the smoke given off by the flaming boulders the cows had flung down the hill. His eyes flicked back to the minotaurs, looking for a sign of something more than blind fury. He scanned their eyes, looking for one who was standing back, who was guiding them with an intelligent touch. Among the line facing them, however, he found no such intelligence. It was fury, the minotaurs driving themselves higher and higher into a fervor. Elias looked to Night Flash. “Thin the line in front of us, but do it quietly. Bolster the line behind us, and have it prepare to receive the enemy.” Night Flash blinked. “May I ask why?” “Later,” Elias answered. “Get it done now, they’re coming soon, and I want to be ready.” Night Flash stared at him a moment longer, then rolled his shoulders and moved forward, keeping his voice just loud enough to hear. “Auxiliaries fill in behind the general, set up a secondary shield wall. Spear-ponies prepare to receive the enemy.” The word was passed quickly in hushed whispers, and the ponies filed out, re-constructing a shield wall behind him. “Adiutor, send messages to Granite and Blossom,” Elias told Book Binder. “I want them prepared to curl their shield wall.” He smiled. “Like a horseshoe.” Book Binder’s head tilted slightly in question, but she quickly decided to trust him and her horn flashed as letters were scribbled on, and then sent away. The air suddenly grew still, a cold shock that sent shivers down spines as silence reigned where there had previously been an overwhelming cacophony. Elias could hear the wind whistling even as it carried the stench of iron and charred flesh. The minotaurs stood opposite them, dead silent and still, the only movement coming from the cows originating in their enraged faces. Countless red eyes stared at the ponies with murderous intent, awaiting the order that would send them rocketing forward. Nobody had to wait long, as the intense silence was obliterated by a single, loud, horn call. The minotaurs let out a collective bellow, and rushed forward, moving as if their armor wasn’t weighing them down. Elias felt a nervous twitch, felt the urge to meet their rush with one of his own, but the logical part of his brain quickly shut that behavior down. One on one, his ponies lacked the physical power of the minotaurs, and their armor made them too slow to counter that deficit. The formation he had worked so hard to train into their skulls had to work, and he had to make sure it would. “Brace!” came the call along the line. Hooves dug into the dirt, and pila began to fly, the ponies throwing them un-needing of orders. Most found new homes in shields and armor, the minotaurs largely shrugging off the javelins. Elias’ pila found its mark in the exposed throat of a bull, and he collapsed, forcing the bulls behind him to slow, and mildly reducing the power of the charge. Shields weighed down with pila were discarded though, and the delays caused by the javelin fire weren’t enough to halt the charge to the same degree as they had before. The ponies huddled down tightly beneath their shields as the charge closed, then came the great clash of flesh meeting steel. The line buckled under the weight of the charge, but though some breakthroughs occurred, they were swiftly and brutally dealt with. Legionaries pushed into the breaches, killing the intruders as others pushed past, snatching up fallen shields to patch the holes. Javelins continued to fly, though more sporadically, as the auxiliaries pepped the tight mass of bodies stuck hammering away at the intact portions of the shield wall. Elias watched it all with a twitchy calm, his body ready to dive in, but his mind working methodically to determine what the next course of action should be. “Paratae!” Elias called, “Latine tantum!” He heard the command to switch exclusively to Latin repeated along the line. Though not nearly as fluent as he was, his legionaries could understand any of the orders he might give, and his officers could speak the language well enough to issue orders of their own. He hoped that Latin, though similar in nature to the language of the royal gryphons, would be completely alien to the minotaurs. If they couldn’t understand his orders, they very well couldn’t counter them. Once the calls fell silent, he immediately issued his next order. “Gradum retro!” Elias called as the line continued to struggle to patch the gaps. “Unus!” the legionaries called back, their shout momentarily overpowering the sound of their foes. The shield wall took a grinding step back, sending the minotaurs pressed again the shields staggering forward. The spear ponies made quick work of them, and the line solidified, with most of the gaps patching up with the precious seconds of breathing room. Elias was glad to see some confusion on the faces of the minotaurs, but the bulls didn’t linger too long on the use of a new language. They instead again pressed forward, but this time they didn’t have nearly enough charging room, and the shield wall held firmer against their assault, giving the spear ponies more time to kill the bulls before they broke through. Directly in front of Elias held the fiercest of the fighting, and he knew that he was the cause. The eyes of the bulls weren’t focused on the shields and spears keeping them back, they were focused on the tall creature further behind the thin section of shield wall. ‘Well there’s no need to keep them waiting’, Elias thought. “Quietly pull the wall in front of us back,” Elias said to Night Flash. “Let them get nice and close to me, but prepare to stop them on me.” The pegasus hesitated a moment, fully processing the Latin order, then he nodded and moved forward. His words were barely audible above the sounds of fighting, but he informed each and every legionary of his intent. He then stood a few steps back, and repeated Elias’ earlier command. “Gradum retro!” Night Flash yelled. “Make sure the other sections curve with us,” Elias told Book Binder. “No gaps.” “Unum!” The line wavered slightly as the section suddenly drew back a step. Book Binder’s voice was clear above the chaos. “Flecte!” she called. “Bend with us!” She moved away from Elias’ side, forcing herself behind a forward section of the line. With yank of her magic, she dragged a legionary properly into line, his shield keeping tight with the shields of those who had drawn back. As she reached for the second one, the line began to take its new shape, with the legionaries adapting to the new formation. Some of those waiting in reserve moved up, tightening the formation by adding their shields, and forcing out any breakthroughs. The line held under the continued assualt, and Night Flash looked back from his place in the small inward bulge in the line. Elias gave him a single nod and drew his gladius, preparing to form the new shield line. “On me!” the human called. “Prepare to form up on me!” Night Flash’s voice quickly followed his. “Gradum retro!” As ponies filed in beside him, the front line drew back another step, shouting their reply. “Unum!” One legionary was not quick enough, and a minotaur axe cleaved into her shoulder. The earth pony cried out in pain and collapsed, her fellows unable to reach her before she was trampled under minotaur hooves. Elias grimaced as the line wavered, ponies shoving past each other as the formation became more cramped. Still, the line was firm, and the bulge was growing larger, steadily exposing the minotaur’s flanks. Elias looked to Star Orchid. “Move left, direct the auxiliaries to hold fire until we take two steps back. I want as much fire in the pocket as soon as it’s made. Go.” The earth pony nodded and moved away as Elias repeated the instruction to Thunderstorm, telling the pegasus to go right instead. As he moved away, Elias again looked forward to find Night Flash awaiting his command. “Duo.” Elias said. A nod was his answer, and again the pegasus gave the call. “Duo gradus retro!” “Duo!” The shield wall bent further, allowing minotaurs to flood into the pocket. Night Flash backed into Elias’ legs, and the human gave him a quick pat on the withers before giving out the next order. “Second line move forward, first line form up behind.” “Auxiliaries at the ready!” Star Orchid called. Elias dropped into a crouch, bracing his shield in the dirt. On either side of him, ponies prepared to lock their shields to his, but intentionally left gaps. Elias felt steel press against his back as a legionary hopped up, jabbing over his head with a spear, keeping the minotaurs at bay. Piecemeal, the center of the front line turned tail and ran through the gaps, while the edges were melded into the secondary line, keeping the curve intact. As soon as the last pony was through, the shields to Elias’ left and right closed, and the ponies ducked down, bracing the scuta with their bodies. The spear ponies moved forward and began jabbing with their spears as the minotaurs flowed into the newly created space. Elias grunted, pushing hard as the press came in force. Blood reigned down as the spear ponies stabbed into the minotaurs, forcing them to drop back or drop dead. “Fire!” The sound of javelins hitting armor and meat filled the air. Elias risked a peak above his shield and he found that unlike before, where the bulls had taken the brunt of the missile fire on the strong armor of their fronts, now they were assaulted from pila from three sides. The javelins found new homes in exposed sides and exposed backs, and the bulls began to grow confused, with some calling for a withdrawl, while more tried to press in from the rear. Elias glanced back to the waiting legionaries at his back. “Fill the hole!” he shouted. The pony rushed forward with his shield as Elias withdrew. One minotaur spotted the gap and attempted to force through, but was met with twin spears to his neck. He fell to the dirt as the legionary took Elias’ place in the shield wall. Standing tall, the human scanned the curves of the “horseshoe” for his officers. He quickly found Book Binder on one end of the shoe, while Thunderstorm had pressed forward from his position directing the auxiliaries and was standing near the opposite end. Elias sheathed his gladius and exchanged it for his flagged pila. Waving the long javelin, he got Book Binder’s attention, then said; “Get ready to close the gap!” He motioned to the ends of the horseshoe, then made a closing motion with his hands. Book Binder nodded and began shouting orders in Latin. Elias sheathed his gladius and pressed to his left, toward the easily visible Thunderstorm. Getting to the pegasus wasn’t easy, as the minotaurs tried to crack the line. While they found little true success, they did manage to lash out at the occasional bit of exposed flesh. As Elias forced his way past a particularly tight section of the formation, an earth pony cried out in pain, a wide cut opened across her face. She fell back, and her shield fell from formation. A minotaur rushed into the hole, slashing at the other legionaries with a broad axe. Before he could turn back to slay the bull, Night Flash arrived like a wraith. His wing blades removed the minotaur’s head in one smooth motion, and a buck sent the now headless corpse staggering back into its fellows. The pegasus landed and latched onto a shocked legionary with his teeth, shoving the pony and her shield into line. The mare’s training quickly took hold, and she crouched behind her shield, holding firm as the minotaurs shoved aside the corpse to again hack at the wall. Knowing the situation was well in hand, Elias turned to continue on his path, but not before noticing Night Flash comforting the wounded legionary. The sight brought a small smile to his face, one he quickly killed. Happiness came after the battle, when everyone was safe. Elias finished his journey to the horseshoe end opposite Book Binder, and he gave lightning fast orders. “Form up! Prepare to form three lines. Shields face out with a second line of spears. Third line faces in with swords and hooves.” He pointed his pila at the roiling pocket of combat. “The rats are cornered. Let them die as such.” He felt his bad eye twitch with savage anticipation, even a touch of glee as he watched more minotaurs flood into the pocket. They packed in tight, so much so that some of the bodies were being held up against the shield wall, acting almost as armor. To see so many enemy warriors, just waiting to fall at his sword… Elias grimaced and shook his head, keeping his composure. No, there would be no wild killing. There was reason for the fight, for the death. He needed to remember that. He hated how similar the minotaurs were to humans, both in size and in stature. It was far too easy to imagine them as the same beasts that had killed his original legion, and that fact drove his blood up. Elias lips curled into a snarl and he sheathed his pilum. He wanted to fight up close. Feather rose high in the air, and he gave the order. “Cut them off!” The shield wall opened before him, and Elias led the charge with a shout, crashing into the nearest minotaur with his scutum. The bull was startled by the sudden charge and tried to withdraw, but found no place to do so. The bulls were packed tightly, and he was stopped by the minotaurs behind him. Feather plunged into the minotaur’s belly, the enchanted blade catching for only a moment on the thin chain mail and leather that protected his core. The minotaur bellowed with pain as Elias pulled the blade free. A second slash found the bulls neck, and he fell, clutching his gushing throat. Elias stepped back, letting the body fall where he had been standing, then he moved forward once more, attacking the next bull. This one wielded a long spear, but in the tight confines of the fighting, he couldn’t get any space to draw it back for a thrust. It was all to easy to take advantage, and Elias’ gladius plunged into the minotaurs belly once, then twice. The third attack was a short slash that opened the wound wide, the bull crying out in agony as he fell. Elias sent a mental note of thanks to Anyon for enchanting his sword. He had no doubt that had the blade still been its normal self, it wouldn’t have been anywhere near as effective. The fact that it could cut through armor with such ease made it so immensely satisfying to use, and use it he did. The clatter of bodies against shields made him glance back, and he noted with grim satisfaction that the two ends of the horseshoe had closed fully, trapping the minotaurs inside the pocket, while also keeping any reinforcements out. The eyes of the ponies surrounding the pocket took on a savage light, and without any need for orders, they began to inch forward, tightening the circle. The minotaurs rage fled in the face of the fact that they had become surrounded, and some near the center of the pocket called out for retreat. Eyes turned from the legion’s interior and toward the thin triple line that was keeping them from freedom. A line headed by one human, who grinned viciously and twirled his gladius. “Kill them all!” Elias spat. “It’s time these cows learned a lesson.” He moved forward, and the minotaurs closest to him lashed out instinctively. One blow Elias caught with his shield, while the other he simply accepted, the axe blade denting, but not penetrating the armor on his shoulder. Feather found purchase in one bull’s throat, and the other fell backward under the furious assault of a pegasus, whose wingblades ripped and tore at the bulls chest. The moment of confused silence turned into absolute chaos as the bulls pushed to create a hole, while the legionaries pushed to keep them boxed in the easy killing ground. The press tightened further, and as the minotaurs began to die, those toward the center began calling for help from their brethren beyond the line. Elias knew that couldn’t be allowed. He caught another attack aimed for his head on his shield, then answered with a slash to the minotaur’s arm, chased with a loud roar. “Let them hear you!” he shouted. “Let them feel fear!” A collective shout quickly rose in the air. The new sound startled the minotaurs facing the as of yet silent legionaries, but more importantly, the sound drowned out the encircled minotaurs’ cries for help. The gruesome work continued, and the minotaurs’ numbers dwindled within the pocket. One particularly large warrior rushed Elias, but the human stopped him dead with a sternum cracking shield check to the chest. The minotaur hit the ground like a sack of bricks, and his hand rose slightly to ward Elias off. The human kicked the hand aside, plunging his gladius down and into the minotaur’s throat. The beast let out a gurgle, which turned into a slight gasp as Elias ripped the blade free, his bad eye aglow beneath his helmet. Two more bulls rushed forward, but were quickly picked off by legionaries. That left four in the pocket, the rest dead or wounded on the ground. The remaining bulls exchanged looks, and one that appeared far older than the rest shook his head and through down his axe. “A wise warrior knows when he is beaten.” He stepped forward toward Elias. “I feel honored to be defeated by such worth-” The bull gurgled and clutched at his throat. Elias stepped forward as the bull fell to his knees, his eyes bulging as blood seeped through his fat fingers. The human quickly ended his suffering with a second slash to the bulls throat, severing his head and sending it toppling to the mud. The roar dimmed all around him, and he heard someone whisper; “He was surrendering…” Elias’ head snapped in the direction the voice had come from. “Do you think that matters?” He growled. “Do you think they will show you the same courtesy?” A horn call sounded, but Elias ignored it as he scanned his legionaries, looking for the one who had spoken out of turn. Few met his eyes, and most of those that did looked at him with a look of shock. He found that he hated that look, and though he kept up the demeanor of cold rage, he instead quickly cooled his battle fury, and thought of a plan to let the terrified minotaurs take their tales of the horrible human back to their side. Outright killing the surrendering bulls was a step too far, and he already felt mild regret at slaying the older one, not that he would show it. The more the army of bulls feared him, the better. “You saw their flag!” Elias spat. “They said no mercy would be shown, so why the hell would I allow the anything different in reply?” His eyes flicked to the three remaining bulls, who flinched back as they fearfully met his gaze. “Besides, I know their type. They surrender now, only to come back later to kill more friends, or to stab you in the back.” Elias lip curled in a snarl, while his eyes flicked about, trying to locate one of his officers. He quickly locked eyes with Night Flash, who looked more than a little concerned. Elias straightened and set his jaw, giving the pegasus the tiniest of nods, hoping his eyes could convey his intention. “I won’t allow that,” Elias continued. “I said I would stack cow corpses until they touched the sky, and all I see before me are three more bricks on the pile. Stone Horn brought this fight, but I’ll be the one to finish it, no matter how many minotaurs I have to kill.” “We can’t do that!” Night Flash protested, pushing his way into the pocket. His eyes flashed a question, one which Elias answered with another slight nod. He could tell the pegasus was suppressing a proud smile, the only sign of his happiness being a flick of his tail, one that could easily be mistaken for irritation. “I know what Warchief Stone Horn ordered, but we have to be better than he is!” He stomped a hoof and puffed out his chest. “We are better than he is.” Elias tried not to roll his eyes, and instead snarled a reply. “And what’s to stop these three from coming back and attempting to slaughter more ponies? Their word?” Two of the bulls looked offended that he would question their word, but they wisely remained silent as Night Flash tapped his chin. “How would humans release prisoners?” he asked. Elias snorted. “If they did, which I’ve never done...” The words were a lie, but definitely served to intimidate the bulls further. “...but the histories tell of removing the thumbs of their sword hand, so they couldn’t grip a weapon properly.” Night Flash glanced back at the bulls. “That doesn’t sound to terrible. What do you guys say? A thumb for your life?” The three exchanged glances, then looked to Elias, who glared darkly back. The tallest of the three looked to Night Flash. “Yes, and you will also have our word that we will not fight again this day.” Night Flash gave him a short nod. “Good. Line up with your hands out and your thumbs up. I’ll take them all in one swing.” Elias watched silently as the minotaurs did as the pegasus ordered. They lined up and each stuck their right hands out, making a thumbs up gesture. Night Flash adjusted himself to stand in front of the center bull, then with a lightning fast flap of his wings, their thumbs were gone, and all three bulls were left to grimace and hold their bleeding hands. Night Flash nodded toward the front shield line, where a hole opened up. “Go, and tell Stone Horn that General Bright is willing to accept his surrender at any time. His merciful streak will fade with the day.” The three minotaurs looked to Elias, who scowled back. “You heard him. Hope that you never see me again, because you won’t survive a second encounter.” The minotaurs bowed their heads, grumbling darkly as they trudged away. Night Flash moved to Elias’ side and they watched the trio pick their way across the empty battlefield. Elias’ eyes narrowed and he glanced around, noticing that all of the guard forces were relatively intact, and that all across the front, the minotaurs had withdrawn. Healers and stretcher bearers went to work, carrying ponies toward the rear, where temporary shelters were already being set up for treatment. Elias’ eyes flicked back to the minotaurs, watching them climb over the thick carpet of minotaur bodies. “Thank you for your part in that First Centurion,” he said, not looking toward the pegasus. “You’re right, we have to better than them.” His lips momentarily quirked into a smile. “Even if we slaughter them by the hundred in normal combat.” Night Flash nodded, his eyes lingering on the corpse strewn battlefield. “It’s different General, but you know that. Killing someone who’s trying to kill you versus killing someone who has surrendered… It’s just not right.” “I agree,” Elias said, making his voice louder, so that more of his legionaries could hear it. Already the conversation was having a calming effect in his immediate vicinity, but he couldn’t afford to let his troops think him some kind of mindless, bloodthirsty, savage. “Have the order spread far and wide; if prisoners are taken, their dominant thumb will be cut off, and their word secured that they won’t fight us again. If they agree to those terms, they may leave.” His gaze hardened. “If not, then they can join the dead. We will win this day one way or another, and if that means we kill those too stubborn to stop, then so be it.” He drew his flagged pilum and waved it in the air before shouting; “Treat the wounded, rest up, and get some water! They will be coming again, and you’d better be prepared to drive them back again!” The legionaries slowly fell into a looser formation, with some creeping forward to pick out the colorful traces of silver and red from amongst the brown and black of the minotaurs. Most, though, simply sat down where they were, exhaustion showing on their faces as they fumbled for canteens. Elias was in the latter group, sitting down against the old minotaur he had killed. The human stared at the blood soaked grass before the shield wall for a while, was pleased to see few ponies lying amongst the dead, was even more pleased when nearly all of them were still alive, pulled away moaning and screaming in pain. The screams were a blessed music to his ears. Pain could be overcome, wounds could be healed, but death… He closed his eyes and looked to the minotaur, who’s sightless stared up, still in shock at his murder. Elias was enough of an adult to recognize it as such; he had murdered the bull. It wasn’t his first cold-blooded kill, but it was his first in Equestria. He had no doubt it would haunt him, and even as he began memorizing the bull’s face, his hand reached out, gently forcing the old bull’s eyes closed. Elias gave the bull a soft pat. “I hope you’re resting better than me,” he mumbled. Elias sighed and rested his hand on the bull’s chest, his eyes again looking to the field, then beyond it. He stared long and hard at the woods, even as Night Flash, Book Binder, and Scarlet all plopped down around him. The crimson pegasus let out a long, shuddering sigh, resting his head on Elias’ shoulder. “You were right General,” he whispered. “This was better left to the history books. Just… just look at them all.” Elias nodded slowly. “They faced death unflinchingly, but even fearlessness can’t protect against cold steel. I wish more people understood that.” He motioned with his hand at the corpses still encircled in the resting formation. “This lot certainly does now, not that it helps the survivors.” Scarlet snorted, and out of the corner of his eye, Elias noticed a small smile on the pegasus’ muzzle. “About that… a horseshoe ambush. That’s an old trick.” “An old human trick,” Elias said. “Developed when my people were about the same technologically as them.” He gestured across the field. “I’m glad it worked, and I think we should try it again if they attack without armor a second time. Perhaps create a double encirclement; let them think they escaped the horseshoe, when in reality they only escaped one…” His lip curled. “Nah, too complex, easy to mess up.” “I say try the regular horseshoe again,” Scarlet mumbled, his eyes closing. “Or try something new. You’re smart General, you’ll figure something good out. We trust you.” Book Binder grunted her agreement as she stroked Night Flash’s mane. Elias gave an acknowledging nod, but said no more, content to just sit in silence until the battle roared to life once more. > Chapter 58: A Day of Battle; Part 3 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias leaped forward, his pilum plunging into the minotaur’s shoulder blade. The bull bellowed in pain, but a second pilum, courtesy of Book Binder, drove him back through the shield wall, which snapped closed behind him. “Unum!” Elias shouted. As they had countless times in the same fight, his ponies responded in kind, dragging their shields a step backward. The bulls had come twice more, in largely the same way. Their attack opened with arrows and boulders, all of which his legion managed to stop without much issue, but which inflicted light casualties on the other guard forces. Then came the charges of the naked warriors, which had made Elias more than a little nervous. The bulls that had attacked second were fresh, unmarred by minor wounds, and completely clean. While the volley of pila throws did succeed in diminishing their charge as it had the first time, it wouldn’t matter if the minotaurs could keep throwing fresh meat into the fray. Especially not with the success of their shock attacks on the less armored guards. The well-armored wall of minotaurs returned as well, following in behind the bare-backed minotaurs, and calling out their war chants. The Equestrians didn’t balk in the face of fresh attackers, and returned the noise with war cries of their own. They had successfully driven off the second wave, but the third had descended without giving them time to rest, with naked bulls charging down the hill even as the shield wall of minotaurs withdrew up it. It was the third that was beginning to draw a price from even Elias’ ponies, and already well over a dozen had been dragged to the rear with wounds that left them unable to fight. The human’s eyes flicked to his right as a call split the air. “Move! Boul-” The shout changed to a cry as an unlit boulder slammed into the right-most section of his line, scattering legionaries, and breaking their tight formation. The minotaurs who had parted to let the massive stone crush through let out a roar and raced into the gap, descending on the legionaries that had not yet recovered. Elias’ lip curled in anger and he waved the point of his pilum at the struggling section. “Get them in line First Centurion! I will not be found lacking before the Solar Guard!” Night Flash took off like a shot, shouting orders for a few other pegasi to join him. The trio of winged ponies cut a bloody swathe with their arrival, but within seconds they too found themselves tightly pressed. Elias hissed, and he found that the idea of issuing orders was sour in his mind. Taking action, however, was well within reason. Elias let out a war cry, and a path seemed to appear before him as he shoved his way to the breach. The human crashed into a minotaur who held his axe high in the air, ready to make a killing blow on a unicorn mare with crushed forelegs. Elias felt the bull’s ribs crack beneath his scutum, but found himself unable to finish the kill. He turned on his heel and swatted away an attack aimed for his throat. The motion left him wide open, and a sword stabbed at his belly, scraping off his enchanted armor. Then, a press of bodies pushed in, perhaps driven forward by the sight of him. The human welcomed the bodies, managing to get his sword high enough in the air to begin chopping down. With such a tightly packed group before him, he couldn’t miss, and since they wore no armor, Feather did her job well. Blood spilled in floods, and bodies fell whenever able. An equally tightly packed formation kept him on his feet, a freshly formed shield wall pressing into his back as it tried to push the minotaurs back through the breach. A loud war cry sounded from his left, and Elias noticed Night Flash pressing a wedge of regrouped, gladius-wielding legionaries into the minotaurs’ flank. Then Elias was on his back, the air driven from his lungs, and his gladius knocked away. Tall bodies blocked his sight as a minotaur drew back from his tackle, a smug grin on his fat muzzle. Elias vaguely heard cries of alarm, heard the fighting intensify at his rear as his legionaries tried to rescue him. The human snarled as the minotaur laughed in his face, his meaty hands closing around his throat. The bull didn’t say anything, merely smiled and attempted to strangle him. One of Elias hands rose to attempt to pry the strangling paws from his neck, but he quickly realized that it was a futile effort. The bull easily had two hundred pounds of sheer muscle on him; a contest of strength was not one he could win. Elias’ other hand snaked toward his belt to snatch up his knife, but it was stopped by the minotaur with a free hand. “No tricks human,” the bull growled. “Sleep. The Keepers call you today. Go to their fields. Join the warriors in eternity.” The grip on his neck tightened, and Elias couldn’t help but let out a gasp. “Fuck…” His torso was fully locked down, the bull was simply too strong, weighed too much. His legs milled as air began to draw short. Elias gasped again, his right leg free to pull back just far enough to kick at one of the bull’s feet. “...off.” The kick was short, and had it been an opponent with better traction, it would have done nothing to save him. The dirt, however, was torn up and growing muddy, and minotaur legs weren’t well-balanced due to their small relative size. Elias’ kick cause the bull’s foot to slip in the mud, and it loosened his grip just enough. Elias bit the bull’s hand, ripping free a bloody chunk as the minotaur let out a howl of pain. The bull leaned back slightly, taking enough weight off for Elias to shove him back. His hands came free as the bull fell, off-balance. Elias ignored his own aching neck to press the advantage, pouncing on the bull and pressing his thumbs into the creature’s eyes. The bull howled louder as Elias attacked him, but while some little part of his mind wanted to draw out the bull’s suffering, the rest knew that there was no time. He had a breach to close. Elias freed the dagger from its sheathe, and he plunged the blade into the minotaur’s throat, twice, then thrice. While the cow began to gurgle in his death throes, Elias whipped around, noticing that there were still minotaurs at his back, holding his legionaries at bay. He turned from straddling the dying bull, and got just close enough to begin targeting the nearest minotaur’s hamstrings. Elias closed his eyes as blood spattered his face. A bull fell to the mud beside him, screaming in pain, a sound that only served to anger the human. He crawled on top of the bull and plunged his dagger into the bull’s chest until he fell silent. He then ripped the blade free and reared his arm back. The knife plunged into a bull’s shoulder-blades, causing the beast to howl with pain and turn to face his attacker. A pilum tore through his throat before he had fully turned, and the legionaries pushed through, cutting down the minotaurs by the dozen. Magic yanked Elias to his feet and a hoof pressed Feather back into his hand. As soon as his fist closed around the blade, Night Flash took to the sky, diving down to pick at the minotaurs still holding the breach open. The human began to move forward, to further brutalize the minotaurs away from his ponies, but the same magic that had helped him up kept him back, letting the legionaries finish the job without him. Elias scowled down at the unicorn at his side, but Book Binder didn’t look up to receive the look, instead watched the battlefield before them with a slight frown on her muzzle. The human decided to match her expression, scanning the battlefield for any signs of further trouble. Luckily, the ponies in front of him had recovered and had shoved the minotaurs back, while the rest of the line was keeping their formation, successfully dodging, or stopping other formation-obscured boulders. It wasn’t an ideal situation, and his ponies were growing more tired by the minute, but they weren’t losing, and they were exacting a horrible cost on the minotaurs. Corpses were stacked before the shieldwall, and in some places the makeshift wall had grown so high that the legionaries were getting slight breaks between each minotaur that managed to crawl over their dead friends. Elias’ eye twitched, and his hand flicked with nervous energy. It wasn’t a bad situation, but he would be damned if he wouldn’t try to make it better. “Adiutor, get a runner. I need to send a message to the other generals.” ***** Stone Horn snorted in rage as the human and his damnable ponies shoved back another attack, forcing the fighting into yet more of the grinding stalemate they seemed to excel at. It frustrated him to no end that the silver-clad ponies refused to fight like real warriors. “Cowards!” he bellowed from the treeline, shaking a fist at the seemingly unwavering line of ponies. “You will die like dogs, not like warriors!” As if in answer, a section of the silvery line abruptly withdrew, and a charge of minotaurs raced to force open the gap. They fell in a hail of misfire, and the ponies again moved forward, locking shields while a few behind the line eliminated any survivors. Stone Horn growled and stamped a hoof in frustration. “Cowards. I knew Elias Bright was a wretch, but he’s made an entire army of cowards like him!” Stone Hoof snorted and rolled his eyes. “The human is merely using the fact that he is smarter than you to his advantage. He knows you’ll keep throwing bodies at him, so he responds by fighting in a way that allows him to slaughter a dozen of our warriors for one of his. If you used that piece of meat between your ears, you’d know that my idiot son.” Stone Horn snarled at him. “Shut up. I don’t see you volunteering any ideas. If we change our battle plan too much our warriors will be confused. To attack head-on is our way.” Stone Hoof nodded. “Yes, it is, but so is thinking through our attack. Withdraw our forces so we can come up with a better plan, then-” “Cowards at my back as well!” Stone Horn spat. He looked toward one of his warriors and motioned down the hill. “Send our shield wall in again. The ponies grow tired with every charge. The human will have to kill a hundred of our warriors for every one of his worthless ponies if he hopes to win.” The bull moved off with little more than a nod. “With as stupid as you are, I’m sure he can do it,” Stone Hoof muttered. “What was that?” Stone Horn snapped, turning back to the elder bull. Stone Hoof merely smiled, tapping on the handle of his battle-axe and meeting his son’s hostile gaze without issue. “Merely wishing that your brother was here. He would have wrapped this up by now.” Stone Horn held his glare for a moment, then drew back, letting his muzzle curl into a softer frown. “Maybe he would have,” he admitted. “But you sent him off with our best warriors, then had the larger part of our army come confront the Equestrians. I thought that was because you recognized me as a warrior.” “I recognize you as a warrior,” Stone Hoof said. “But as a leader… that may be yet another mistake I have made. Your place is in the fight, not commanding it. You are a warhammer.” Stone Horn knew that the words were meant as one part compliment, two parts insult, but he quite liked the sound of it, and better yet, he knew his father was right. He had stayed behind the first shieldwall as it marched down the hill to keep the younger warriors from running, and as a result, he was clean, completely unscratched, his weapon bloodless. His teeth bared in a snarl at the thought. He would not be the same kind of coward the human was. He would lead the fight from the front, would cut his way to the princesses himself. His eyes flicked across the battlefield, moving away from the silver wall that was making a fool of his warriors. He looked to the golden mass that sat embattled with minotaurs, the force so large that the rear ranks were merely sitting, waiting for a chance to fight once the front ranks grew too tired. Behind them sat yet more fresh ponies, all clad in black and red and guarding a covered carriage. A number of them paced in what Stone Horn could recognize clearly as an itch for battle. His snarl curled into a smile. He could give them exactly what they wanted, and once the ponies had all met glorious deaths, then the princesses would belong to him. There would be no further doubts about the glories that awaited them in the Verdant Fields. Stone Horn glanced back at his father, his eyes gleaming with a savage light. “Let’s take the princesses first. Then, once the human has surrendered like the soft pony he pretends he isn’t, I’ll fight him bull to bull. He won’t be able to hide so easily then.” “And how do you expect to do that?” Stone Hoof sighed. “Charge at them head on?” “Yes,” Stone Horn growled. “But this time you will be aiding us with your magic. You will help us smash through the sun-lover ponies.” The elder snorted dismissively. “You’re more of an idiot than I thought. I’m not a unicorn. Projecting images of our enemy is one thing, but more than that requires more magic than one elder can muster, and we left the rest behind to guard the camp.” “All you need to do is project an image,” Stone Horn replied. “My warriors and I will do the rest.” ***** Lionheart watched the battle rage on with a disgusted look on his face. He knew it wasn’t going to be an elegant affair, but by the Princesses the stench of it all. The commoners were already smelly enough, but the filthy cows, especially once they started falling, simply reeked. There wasn’t a perfume strong enough to cover the wretched stench emanating from the mass of bodies before him. His compatriots evidently felt the same. Dragon-Eye looked green, while Shattered Shield was visibly nervous. He constantly looked behind them, as if the bulls were smart enough to creep around the battle to attack the pony army from behind. Lionheart put on his best smile and directed it at the purple stallion. He really sold the bit by throwing a hoof over his withers. “Calm General, all is going well!” He nodded toward the battle line, where a particularly strong scent of iron was emanating from. “Our forces hold the brutes back with ease, killing them by the hundred.” “But dying by the dozen,” Shattered Shield growled, his eyes flicking over to the growing line of wounded ponies. Healers darted between ponies, wrapping injuries and casting spells to mend torn flesh. A few sat away from the rest, their bodies covered with shrouds pulled from the supply wagons. Lionheart didn’t let his gaze settle on the corpses for long. They turned his stomach, made a tiny part of his soul pray to be anywhere other than where he was. The rest of him ignored that small piece, knew that right here was where he needed to be if he hopped to be anything more than a mere noble. There were countless nobles, lost to the history books like the endless common rabble of Equestria and beyond. “They do their duty,” Lionheart said simply. “As we do ours.” Dragon-Eye shuffled nervously in place. “But how are we going to get any glory?” he asked. “I don’t want to fight some minotaur, but all the other generals are doing it. They’re going to get the credit for victory.” Lionheart scoffed. “Any simpleton can swing a sword or stab with a spear, and besides, you assume that the other generals will survive today.” “General Everfree seems to be doing well enough,” Shattered Shield noted. Lionheart followed the purple unicorn’s eyes to the lone zebra on the battlefield. His was the only striped plume, and it weaved and bobbed with the lithe figure wearing it. Everfree moved as a blur, carving a path back and forth amongst the bare-chested minotaurs, cutting them down in droves with a short sword locked in his teeth. “So he does,” Lionheart agreed as they watched the zebra buck a minotaur with enough force to sent him to the ground in a puddle. “But he is in the fight. He does not have the advantage of being able to see it, to make the best of the situation.” He glanced back to his bodyguard, who was twitching with nervousness. The unicorn clearly didn’t like the sights and sounds of battle, was far more used to handling the few assassination attempts Lionheart had received. Still, though the pony quaked in his golden armor, he still had a shining brass horn at the ready, prepared to blow it at the slightest signal from his liege. “Don’t look so terrified Mr. Detection. I hardly think the cows are going to breakthrough.” The unicorn gulped and looked to him with panicked eyes. “Of course not Duke Lionheart, but still…” he shuddered. “I’d rather be back in Canterlot testing wine glasses. There’s glory in making sure nopony gets poisoned.” Lionheart laughed. “No there isn’t! Glory comes from battle, from serving the princesses! While I pay you well to ensure nothing happens to my food, your position isn’t glorified. It’s merely necessary.” He nodded toward the battlefield. “Now here, here is where I will find glory, and my just reward from the princesses. Here I wait for the opportunity to make victory a sure thing, and to make sure the credit is...ours.” He sent a flicker of a glance toward his “fellow” generals, but neither were focused on him. They were staring with concern at an approaching double thick line of minotaurs. Lionheart looked toward the bulls as well, made quick note that they were far better armed and armored than any of their fellows had been. The red-maned unicorn adjusted one of his hooves, activating an enchantment within his armor that allowed him to see the strength of magical items. The world became a pitch black, with only faint white outlines glowing where living things were. Before him, the battlefield became awash with glowing armor. The Solar Guard and Lunar Guards had standard enchantments to enhance strength and agility, while those of the Royal Guards behind, and the legionaries to his left, were far more brilliant. Even amongst the legionaries, certain spots of brilliant light stood out, glowing in a rainbow of enchantments. Lionheart scoffed at the gaudiness of it and looked to the steadily approaching wall of bulls. They too held an abnormally bright glow, far above anything their fellows bore. He tapped his hoof again, and the enchantment fell away, letting him blink in the mid-day sun at the approaching line. He watched silently as the formation shifted to that of a wedge, with the leader of the wedge being a vaguely familiar bull with short horns. The wedge sped up as it rolled down the hill, and at a glance, Lionheart could tell that the formation wasn’t a feint. The bulls fully intended to smash directly into the center of the battle line. Even his dull companions were intelligent enough to recognize that. “We should send a fresh line of ponies forward,” Shattered Shield said. “With spears. Plant the butt in the dirt, then the momentum of the minotaurs will-” “No.” Shattered Shield’s ears flicked in alarm as he looked toward Lionheart. “Why not? We don’t want them breaking through. We’re back here!” Lionheart snorted and smiled as the bulls charging down the hill began to multiply before his eyes. “The cows will never come near us my friend. Just wait, this may be exactly the opportunity we were waiting for.” ***** Elias twitched, his eyes flicking across the battle line. His messenger flapped his wings, getting ready to take to the sky with the message to begin a slight forward press. While the pegasus prepared for take-off, Elias combed the pressing bodies for any sign of a waver, but save for a few minor buckles in the line, all was still going well. Incursions were pushed back as quickly as they occurred, and those who were wounded were always dragged away and replaced with a fresh pony. He watched as such a situation unfolded before him. An axe blade cleaved through the cracked and worn wood of a scutum. The bull wielding the blade ripped it free, then just as quickly plunged it back down. The mare holding the broken shield shrieked as the axe blade bit into her armor, chopping through a gap near her neck. Blood sprayed as the blade came free, but before the axe could be used again, a pilum slammed into the bull’s throat, sending him to the dirt with a gurgle. The mare was pulled back, and two legionaries pushed into her place, with one holding more minotaurs back while the other set up his shield. The metal and wood construction locked into place, and the jostling began anew as minotaurs sought an advantage to break open the shield wall. Elias looked up next, taking note of the position of the sun. It was already beginning to creep past its zenith. With it being the early stages of fall, the bulls only had hours of sunlight left to press their attack. If they refused to withdraw after night fell, the ponies would hold every advantage, especially the Lunar Guards. Elias’ eyes flicked back down. The line was holding, and the bulls didn’t have an infinite number of troops. A war of attrition was not one they could win. The pony line just had to keep holding strong… A loud roar rumbled from his right, and a glance that way found a well armored mass of bulls slamming into the center of the Solar Guard line. The hillside was so covered with them that he couldn’t see the grass. “How did we miss that?” he spat. He looked at the messenger, grabbing his eyes before raising his gladius and pointing to the right. “Fly to the rear and have the crews shift artillery fire to our right flank, the Solar Guard are being pressed, and-” A trumpet call seemed to force the battlefield into momentary silence. Then the sound of the worst thing possible on a battlefield started to fill the air. A rout. Elias watched in disbelief as the front row of the Solar Guard disintegrated under the strength of the minotaur charge, while those directly behind them began to pull back. The freshest rows near to the rear split, with some turning tail while others attempted to push forward. In a word, the scene was chaos, and the confusion it caused only served to spread. Elias looked to his own line to find it buckling, the ponies visibly confused as a second retreat horn split the air. A breach formed, and the response was sluggish, the ponies in the rear ranks unknowing if they should stand and fight or retreat. His officers’ helmets bobbed as they tried to retain control, but that was fading with every second. Elias cast about for Night Flash, but the pegasus was busy corralling the scouts, keeping them high above the sporadic arrow fire. The human growled in frustration, then decided that he would just have to be enough. “Stand and fight!” Elias bellowed, his voice cracking with the intensity of the words. The words projected like he wanted, drawing the eyes of the most confused, while those who had only passing doubts firmed up the line, steadying it for the moment. Elias managed to lock eyes with Ice Blossom, who was clearly looking for orders. He jabbed toward the pressing bulls with the point of his gladius. “The enemy bleeds at our feet and he will not get through here! Fight on. Kill them ‘till they quit!” A cheer went up, and Ice Blossom gave him a slight nod before turning and repeating his call-to-arms with a bellow. The sound of metal crunching against wood renewed in intensity. The line firmed, driving back any minor incursions that had taken advantage of the moments of confusion. A space formed at his side as a blue blur descended from on high. Night Flash spun out of the way of an arrow, then slammed into the dirt, offering a sharp salute. He began speaking immediately, anticipating Elias’ first question. “The Solar Guard have been signaled to withdraw General. I don’t know who signaled it, but neither the Royal, or Lunar guards show any sign of retreat, though the Lunar Guard are being pressed hard with their left flank gone.” “If that gap isn’t filled, they’ll run too,” Elias growled to. “We can’t fight surrounded. Adiutor Binder!” “Here!” she called out from behind him. “First Centurion, tell First Cohort Auxiliaries to drop most of their ammo and grab their shields. They will be following me to plug the hole to our right. Tell Pyrelight to have Second Cohort Auxiliaries spread out and use the extra munitions to thin the herd to our front. Go.” The pegasus launched into the air as Elias glanced back to Book Binder. “Grab Adiutor Snowball and Strategist Shield, as well as a half dozen auxiliaries. Run them out our rear and around the wagons. Re-assemble the Solar Guard and get them back in line. If you have to beat the teeth out of a few of them, do it. I want them back in formation as soon as possible.” Book Binder scowled at him. “General, your plan is going to stretch our line thin.” “I’m aware,” he snapped. “That’s why you’re retrieving the Solar Guard. The sooner you get on that, the less time I will spend exposed with our least armored ponies. Now go.” The unicorn huffed, but gave him a nod and ran toward the rear. Elias glanced around for a moment before spotting another officer. “Centurion Granite! Extend First Cohort as far to the right as we can! I want you linked up with my left flank as soon as we plug the gap!” The pony nodded at the shouted orders and began immediately issuing his own. The sound of pila falling to the ground reached Elias’ ears, and he could hear Night Flash growing closer, the pegasus encouraging speed with his every breath. Elias looked to Thunderstorm and Star Orchid, jabbing a finger toward the latter. “You’re going to be the rally point for the Solar Guards. Fall in at the rear of First Cohort only once you see that the gap is plugged, clear?” Thunderstorm glanced at the standard bearer as she gave Elias a short nod, then, as soon as the human looked away, the pegasus leaned in for a lightning fast hug. Elias noticed anyway, but said nothing, letting the pair have their moment as auxiliaries began filtering passed. He followed them to where they were forming in a tight block, with a front rank already formed and at the ready. Elias made his way to the front with Star Orchid at his side. They watched silently as the Solar Guards panicked. Some stood their ground, but without cohesion, they were quickly being butchered. The rest were running, with some even abandoning their weapons. He noticed blind terror in their eyes, and as a minotaur war cry filled the air, that terror only grew more wild, spreading further and further. The sight of a mare getting crushed by a warhammer set Elias’ blood boiling, and he snarled toward his rear. “I would like to be formed up today First Centurion. Preferably before the Solar Guards run back to Canterlot!” The last few straggling auxiliaries fell into the formed block, and Night Flash flapped down from on high a second later. “We’re all ready General!” the pegasus called. Elias stepped out from the formation and turned around. He pointed to his left with gladius. “Extend in a line! We will plug this breach like a shutting door. First Centurion Flash will lead the long end to close the gap between us and the Lunar Guard. You all have the furthest to travel; scoop up what Solar Guard you can. The rest are on me. Keep pace, don’t isolate yourselves. We fight as one, or all we are doing is giving the cows free bodies to stack.” He turned again and fell back in beside Star Orchid. “Keep pace with the standard!” Elias bellowed. “Auxiliaries, forward march!” The human had only one pilum left as they moved toward the crumbling remains of the Solar Guard. The rest were gone, either thrown or knocked away. As they grew closer, he desperately wished he had been more careful. The bulls looked far more fearsome than their bare-chested compatriots, and a single javelin could do much to either cripple, or at least slow down one of the well-armored minotaurs. A dozen could do so to as many beasts, guaranteeing easy kills for the ponies at his side. Still, one volley would have to do. He slowed the line as they came within throwing distance. The minotaurs took quick notice and several peeled away to sprint right at the lightly-armored auxiliaries. “Shields!” Elias bellowed. The wood and steel slammed together in a wall, and the formation tightened. Elias raised his pilum in the air. “Pila at the ready!” The beasts grew closer, screaming at the top of their lungs as they charged. Elias waited with cooled blood as they approached. He cocked his arm back, taking aim at a particularly large bull wielding twin swords. The air around the bull was hazy, but the human ignored it, instead putting his thoughts to focus on the task at hand. “Steady!” he called. The auxiliaries at his side shifted nervously, bracing with one another as they anticipated the incoming hit. Elias kept a slow, steady count in his head, letting the beasts close to give everyone the best shot possible. He counted to four. He felt the rumble of the charge in his ribs, felt it tickle at his chest to try and inspire fear. Only once they were close enough to smell did Elias let out his next command. “Loose!” Pila blitzed over the smaller shield-wall, plunging into the minotaurs. Elias’ bad eye twitched as two-thirds of the bulls merely vanished into smoke and dissipating magic while a paltry dozen truly collapsed to the missile fire. “Illusions!” came the cry from his right. Some of the unicorn auxiliaries acted before he could think of an appropriate counter. Spells lashed out, slashing away the remaining illusions. The real bulls slowed in confusion at their vanished comrades, and Elias decided to capitalize on the opportunity. His gladius gleamed once it was free of its sheathe. Waiving the sword in the air, he cried; “Forward!” With a war cry, the auxiliaries abandoned their shields and charged. Gladii, wing-blades, and an assortment of magic-wielded weapons glistened in the afternoon sun as the ponies mowed through the stragglers. Elias didn’t pay them any mind as he leapt ahead in his own charge. He set his sights on the beleaguered Solar Guard as his ponies cleaned up the legion’s right flank. Granite would fill the gap as soon as the minotaurs were gone, and with reinforcements soon to return from the rear, he needed to focus on driving the cows away. A minotaur with a broad battle-axe backhanded a Solar Guard pegasus, sending her to the ground with a grunt. Her helmet spun away, as did the sword she had been wielding with her teeth. The axe rose quickly, and with nothing to defend herself with, the mare shielded her eyes with her hooves. Elias slid on the bloody grass, falling into a crouch over her prone body. He braced his scutum as best he could as the axe came down. The steel head punched through the enchanted wood of his shield. He felt the beginnings of a yank, and decided to let the minotaur steal the shield away. Slipping his arm free, Elias gripped his gladius with both hands, and as soon as the shield was out of his way, he plunged the blade into the armored bull’s greatest weak spot. Enchanted steel plunged easily into free hanging flesh, and Elias turned away as blood gushed free from the minotaur’s crotch. The bull collapsed to his knees with a bellow of pain as the human ripped the sword free. Elias got to his feet, quickly slashing the minotaur’s throat, silencing him. Another minotaur quickly charged in with a wild swing of a sword. Steel glanced off of Elias’ cuirass and a thin line of blood traced his exposed forearm. He used the missed swing to stab Feather into the meat of the minotaur’s exposed arms, just as quickly ripping it free when the sword came around again. Elias ducked under a backhand intended for his head, then he shoved forward, punching the bull in the nose. The blow was enough to stagger the beast, so he tackled the bull to the ground, using his foot to keep the bull’s sword arm at bay while he finished the kill. With the bull dead and no other challengers immediately clamoring for his head, Elias stood, wiping some of the blood from his face. He glanced back to the pegasus to find her staring at him in awe. His eyes flicked up as pops filled the air, followed quickly by the sound of steel meeting steel. Minotaurs vanished by the dozen as unicorns dispelled the illusions. Those that were left were quickly set upon by his auxiliaries. A general melee was inefficient and favored the minotaurs in the long term, but for the moment, his auxiliaries had turned the tide and were plugging the gap, giving the Solar Guards who remained a chance to breathe. Elias’ eyes flicked back down to the pegasus, finding her in the same state she had been in. He leaned over and grabbed hold of her armor, hauling her to her feet. The motion startled the mare, and she flushed with embarrassment, standing on her own four feet. “T-thank you General,” she mumbled. “It’s nothing,” he replied. “Get your sword. We’re not done here.” She nodded and began casting about for the fallen blade, but he paid her no more mind. His eyes drifted back to the fight at hand. Most of the bulls were gone, no doubt illusions, while the rest were being dragged to the ground by ponies working in twos and threes. What few were getting a rest would only have moments, as more bulls were already charging down the hill, seeing the easy advantage in the absent Solar Guard, and the lightly armored auxiliaries. Granite was visibly doing his best to extend the legion’s right flank, but the minotaurs were increasing their press everywhere, and more silver bodies were being dragged out of the fight and to the rear, making it so that nobody could be spared to move right. Knowing that looking back would only anger him and leave him exposed, Elias faced forward and began bellowing new orders. “Auxiliaries! Grab shields and form up. Centurion…” He looked about but found none of his officers. Elias let out a slight growl, then picked out an auxiliary out at random, jabbing a finger at the blue stallion. “You. Get the shield wall formed and push left to link up with Centurion Granite.” The pony nodded and darted away, crying out a repeat of Elias’ orders. The human looked to the remaining Solar Guards. “The rest of you, form up on me. I don’t know where your commanders are, but I’m in command now. We will hold the center until reinforcements can be spared. Spread the word, we fight here.” As the golden-clad ponies nodded and dispersed to help their fellows still locked in combat, Star Orchid came trotting up. “Where do you want me General?” Elias pointed to the grass beside him. “Here. It’ll give the Solar Guard something to rally to.” His eyes drifted to the grass, locating his shield. For some reason, a stroke of heartbreak touched his chest as he bent over to grab the scutum. The axe was still locked in the wood of the shield, and ripping it out revealed a massive mar, weakening the shield in a way that couldn’t be repaired. Elias touched his fingers to the gash, noting vaguely the three layers of paint; two red split by a layer of blue. The gash destroyed the integrity of the shield, and it would be nothing but scrap and splinters by the end of the day. Elias let out a sigh, turning the shield over and gripping the handle as he got to his feet. It was just a shield. Yes he had carried for years, but it was ultimately just a shield, and it had been damaged saving a life. He glanced back at the pegasus mare, who was doing her best to stand tall with the gathering Solar Guards. He memorized her face, taking in every detail. One more pony not thrown to the meat grinder. One more life saved. The sounds of an approaching wave of minotaurs touched his ears, and the human faced forward. Unlike his legionaries, the Solar Guards flinched at the approach, and some began a slow crawl backward, their ears and tails telling a tale of fear. Elias picked one at random, fixing the pony with a glare. “Steady! If you die today, know that you die to save those around you. Know that if you die, you do so to protect your princesses, to protect Equestria! Die now, because it’s the best chance at a good death you’ll get!” His speech didn’t quite have the inspirational tone he was hoping for, but it firmed those closest to him, and that had to be enough. A minotaur arrested his charge with a wide swing of his warhammer. The motion left his bare chest completely exposed, and Elias stepped within his guard, thrusting the metal frame of his scutum into the bull’s sternum. The hardy bone was nothing to enchanted steel, and the bull collapsed to his knees, his chest caving. Elias stepped around him, cutting his throat as he moved toward his next target. He found plenty, and the battle became a blur of constantly shifting opponents. While most he was able to finish off, the minotaurs refused to stop attacking, and so some escaped his killing blows. The ponies around him were equally pressed, and though he tried his best to intervene, ponies fell, their bodies growing still even as fighting raged on above them. Elias plunged his gladius into the small of a fallen minotaur’s back, then rose, wiping the sweat from his eyes. He watched one of the remaining armored bulls stomp on a pegasus, shattering the pony’s wing. The stallion didn’t cry out in pain, instead bared his teeth and growled as the minotaur drew back for a killing strike. Elias threw his scutum at the bull’s back. It did nothing to damage the tall wall of muscle, but it did draw attention. The human let out a short bark that was half shout, half growl, further challenging the minotaur. The bull snorted in answer and turned away from the pony, facing Elias fully. The human’s free hand twitched, seeking to hold onto something. He wasn’t particularly good at fighting with just one hand, and his gladius certainly wasn’t made for it. The handle was short, the blade not designed for dueling. The bodies clogging the ground made taking any stances difficult; he’d just have to fight fast. There had been no duels so far, just raw, uneven combat. Always one opponent charging at another; death in seconds. This fight was different. There was acknowledgment, both from the two fighters, as well as those around them. The unceasing tide of bodies had stopped around them. The ponies were too focused on survival and holding the line, while the minotaurs seemed to recognize the personal nature of the fight. Elias’ met the bull’s eyes, and unlike the dozens he had already slain, this one’s eyes held nothing but calm. There was no malice, no humor, nothing. The bull’s brown eyes told him everything he needed to know; this bull was a warrior. He knew fighting, had likely seen just as many fights as Elias had. The thick, corded muscles and the slightly weathered look to his face merely added to his serious demeanor. Elias stepped over a dead bull, leaving nothing but clear grass between the two of them. The bull watched silently, kicking away the damaged scutum at his feet. Elias fell into his one-handed stance, crouching low and balancing the blade of his gladius on his left arm. He pointed the tip toward the center of the bull’s chest, leaving it ambiguous where specifically his first strike would target. The bull rolled his shoulders, then held his axe with both hands before him. They stared at each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move. Elias tensed up, readying his right foot to start his attack, only to pause as a scutum in a glowing green aura slammed into the minotaur’s head. The bull grunted and turned toward the new attacker, only to meet a second strike from the shield, followed by a lance of energy right into his forehead. Elias relaxed as the bull collapsed face first into the dirt. He stared at the fallen body for a moment, then shot an irritated look at a smug looking Book Binder. A loud war cry filled the air as Solar Guards crashed into battle all around them, shocking the minotaurs and finally firming up the line. His mind was still on the fallen bull, however. “That was awful cold-hearted of you, hitting him from behind like that.” Book Binder scoffed. “If I killed him maybe, but all he’ll have is a big bump on his head when he wakes up. Besides, I learned that from watching you.” “Can’t have,” Elias scoffed. “I would have killed him.” “I’m not so sure,” Book Binder replied, earning a look of ire from the human. He continued to glare at the unicorn for a moment, then sighed and rubbed his face. “Fine. Whatever. Is that all of the Solar Guard?” “I believe so,” Book Binder replied. “Though nopony has seen any of their generals lately. I don’t need to tell you that there isn’t any scenario where that’s a good thing.” “They either ran like cowards or died like fighters,” Elias said. “I hope that it was the latter. Better that way.” He looked toward his scutum, now filthy with mud and blood. His chest twinged again with sadness at the sight, at the thought of who had made that shield, of the dozens it had helped defend. To see it so discarded… He looked away even as Book Binder followed his gaze. The minotaurs were beginning to withdraw along the line, this time leaving behind hundreds of corpses. Little in the way of artillery or spell fire chased them. A glance toward his legion found it battered, with the evidence of a breach all the way to the rear visible. One of the catapults was in flames, while another had his struts cut to pieces. “We can fix it,” Book Binder said. Elias’ bad eye twitched. “It’s a waste of time. Better to build new ones. We’ll fortify the struts with steel, maybe steel cable. Something that can bend with the stresses of firing, but that also can’t be cut so easily.” Book Binder chuckled. “I’ll make a note, but I was talking about this.” He turned to find her offering his shield. Elias frowned at it, then pushed it down. “No, it’s junk now. A broken shield offers no protection, and you can’t mend wood. A patch won’t be as good. Best to start anew. It’s the only way to get the strength back.” Book Binder smiled at the shield, then flipped open her saddlebags. “We’ll see,” was all she said as she slid the battered scutum into her enchanted bags. Her horn glowed and another, slightly smaller, scutum floated over. This one held no marrs, was barely dirty. Elias took the handle, his lips immediately turning in disgust at it’s completely different feel to his shield. “I thought I told Anyon to make these heavier.” “Weight enchantment General,” Book Binder responded. “They are heavier, you just like carrying you shield unaided.” Elias turned the shield this way and that before finally letting out a disgusted huff. “I’m replacing this as soon as possible. It’s too light.” Book Binder giggled. “And it’s a bit small, but I’m sure you’ll manage.” Her mirth died and a shudder ran from her tail to her muzzle as her eyes turned to the field before them. “You’ve certainly gotten us this far.” “Having any regrets?” Elias asked. The green mare turned back toward him. “In what way?” “Joining the guard, getting to know me, joining the legion,” Elias said with a shrug. “Anything that led you here. Regrets?” Book Binder shook her head instantly. “None. Despite all of… this,” she motioned with her hoof and another shudder, “I have a loving husband, amazing friends, and a future son. Odds are that this would happen with or without me being here, so I’m glad that I have what I have, even if this is the price I have to pay.” Book Binder shuddered a third time. “But I think I can understand why your nightmares get so bad. I mean really understand. Reading journals is one thing, but seeing it with my own eyes…” She met his even gaze. “After this, let’s retire. I think me being a librarian and Night Flash helping a flight school would be just fine, if a little less glorious.” Elias’ lip curled in disgust and he snorted. “Glory. If these fat-headed bulls didn’t have that concept in their thick skulls we wouldn’t be here at all.” The fighting was moving forward of them, and a glance toward the Solar Guard found them completely firm in their push. Their left was plugged with a staunch line of auxiliaries and legionaries, and their right was firming up with each moment as the minotaur attack lost steam. More auxiliaries were herded by Night Flash from the right as it became firmer. The blue pegasus moved them behind the re-formed Solar Guard line, calling for them to fall in behind the legion’s extended shield wall. “Haven’t you talked about glory in your speeches to the legion before?” Book Binder asked. When he shot a look her way, a hoof raised. “I’m not trying to say you’re the same as the minotaurs, I’m just asking.” “I don’t talk about this kind of glory,” Elias answered with a huff. “They,” he pointed, “find glory in the fighting. The battle itself is glory. Wealth and prestige is an added bonus, but they fight because the fight itself is glorious to them. While a part of me is like that, it’s never the part I intended to impart to the legionaries.” He glanced toward the glistening line of silver and red. “The glory I talk about uses the fighting as a means. Ponies fight out of necessity, not out of want. Here, though the cause is, I believe, stupid, you are all still fighting for defense. The princesses have their plan, and so you work to enact it to save lives in the long term. You have a goal in the fighting, and most times, ponies will do anything to avoid actually ending life just to preserve it.” “Most times,” Book Binder noted. Elias smirked. “Even a cornered animal knows how to bare its teeth. Death and violence comes easy to humans and minotaurs, but that doesn’t mean ponies are wholly incapable of it.” He motioned at the battlefield. “As you’ve all proven.” “But,” he continued. “Your glory comes in purpose. Minotaurs fight to fight, and hopefully die with glory. In some ways, I’m the same.” He glanced her way. “But unfortunately you ponies have challenged me on that, and so here I am, purpose in hand and reason to stay alive at my side.” “Aw, you could just say you love us General,” Book Binder smiled. “You frustrate me,” Elias growled in return. “I could fight harder if I wasn’t worrying about silly things like the opinions of those around me, or survival.” The unicorn didn’t stop smiling at him, and eventually he snapped. “Alright I care, shut up and focus on the task at hand.” Book Binder giggled. “Aye aye General.” She trotted over and nuzzled his hip. Elias struggled not to return the gesture and turn it into a full hug. A distraction fell from the sky in the form of a pegasus in black armor. His landing could only be described as rough. His flaps were uneven, and resulted in him dropping more than flying. As soon as his wings stopped flapping, the pony flopped to the ground, panting heavily. Book Binder was at his side in an instant, using a bandage to staunch the blood weeping from the pony’s neck. The pegasus panted, and his eyes darted around in a panic for a moment before settling on Elias, watching the scene from a few steps away. “G-General,” the pony gasped. “We need help. The minotaurs broke through.” His eyes looked to the sky. “They were faster than they had any right to be. Appeared from nowhere and took out dozens before we knew they were there. W-we didn’t expect them to be invisible...” The pony trailed off as shock took him. He let out a whine and closed his eyes, shivering in the grass while Book Binder continued to apply bandages. While the unicorn let out a cry for a healer, Elias looked toward the rear. He hadn’t really noticed the sounds of battle rolling him from both sides of the field, but the area around the carriage was alive with violence as well-armored bulls clashed with the Royal Guards. He again turned and looked toward the Solar Guards. “Who is in command of the Solar Guard?” Elias called. “What officers are left?” Nobody responded initially, but eventually a white unicorn painted red shoved her way free of the fighting mass and trotted his way, offering a sharp salute once she was before him. “Captain Brisk Day, General. I haven’t seen anypony since our… temporary retreat.” “Call it what it is Captain, a rout,” Elias said. “It’s solved now anyway.” He pointed to where his auxiliaries were patching the gap between the legion and the Solar Guard. “I’m drawing those ponies back to go assist the Royal Guard. Fill the hole with some of your guardsponies, make sure they don’t rout again. Bearer Orchid!” The purple earth pony trotted over and offered a salute. “You’re staying here with Captain Brisk Day. Keep the Solar Guards in place, and if they start to waver, I trust Adiutor Binder to keep things in control and make orders for a withdrawal. You do not fall back unless she orders it, clear?” The mare nodded, and while she introduced herself to Brisk Day, Elias looked to his left, locating a gray body milling about behind the battle line. “Centurion Granite! Draw up First Cohort Auxiliaries and form up on me.” The earth pony nodded, and the orders filled the air. Solar Guards waiting near the rear of their formation moved right, falling on the minotaurs even as the auxiliaries pulled back. They again fell into a block, this time with Centurion Granite at their head. Elias started moving toward them, but spared a glance at Book Binder as he walked away. “Keep the line strong, make sure Night Flash doesn’t get himself or my legion killed. I want both back in one piece.” Book Binder gave him a short nod, meeting his eyes for only a moment before looking back to the pony she was treating. “We’ll get through General. Go make sure the princesses are safe.” Elias moved the front of the box of auxiliaries, then called out the order to move forward. They moved away from the front and moved at a brisk trot back toward the wagons. They passed the collection area for the wounded Solar Guards, and he took note that a few guards had fresh, untreated wounds, noted also a dead healer or two. A few wounded guards were even back on their feet, brandishing weapons in every direction, their eyes filled with a promise of violence. Then they were past and into the still green spots of the field. Those too didn’t last as they grew nearer to the tight pocket of fighting that had engulfed the Royal Guards. At a glance, Elias could tell that the black-clad ponies were holding their own. They were even beginning to push the well-armored bulls back, but each second cost another life, something he refused to allow. “Drop shields!” Elias called. Shields fell to either side of the block, the ponies barely slowing. Elias saw something that made his eye twitch, and after a moment of thought, he tossed his shield to the side as well. His steps quickened. “Forward!” With the order, the ponies began an all-out charge, but Elias outpaced them, his steps becoming long as he plunged into the fighting, dipping and dodging between combatants. He stopped for nothing, his gaze focused purely on one minotaur nobody seemed to notice. The carriage seemed largely uncontested, with Royal Guards more than keeping the minotaurs engaged, save for one. A particularly large bull filled the door of the carriage, the door torn off and tossed to the side. The bull lifted an axe above its head, and a shriek from inside the carriage told Elias that the blow would be lethal to whoever it was set to fall upon. Before it could begin its descent, Elias grabbed hold of the handle of the axe just below the head. His gladius then plunged firmly into the minotaurs side, poking at the armor on the other side. A yank removed the axe from the minotaur’s hands, too easily. An elbow slammed into Elias’ head, knocking his helmet loose. A fat hand then closed around his throat and whipped him around, slamming him to the floor of the carriage. His third strangulation of the day saw the pair growling at each other as the minotaur tried to kill him before the gladius in his side caused him to bleed to death. Elias managed to spit in the bull’s eyes, then used his arms to scratch at the bull’s face. Fingers pulled on his nose ring and tore at his eyes, something the minotaur stopped by rearing back, then slamming Elias’ head into the carpeted floor with enough force to jar him. The blow had the added effect of knocking his helmet off. In his dazed state, Elias’ fingers brushed against the steel object. Instinct caused his fingers to curl, and he locked eyes with the bull as his first swing came to land. The minotaur’s hands loosened around Elias’ neck as his helmet slammed into the side of the minotaur’s head. A second blow drove the bull off his chest, and, without pausing to catch his breath, Elias rolled up, following the bull with another round of strikes. Their positions reversed, and he used both hands to rain down blow after blow. Using his helmet like a hammer, Elias beat the minotaur. First to where his muzzle shattered, sending thick splatters of blood flying into the air. Then to where the minotaur stopped trying to fight, stopped moving at all. Even then Elias didn’t stop, not until the minotaur’s skull finally caved in under the weight of the repeated blows. By that time, blood painted his arms, his chest, and had splattered onto his face and into his mouth. Pieces were scattered across the floor of the carriage, but he didn’t care. Rage and hate bubbled up in Elias’ chest, and staring at the dead bull, he couldn’t help but let out some of that energy. Elias roared in the face of the dead bull, then sat back on his haunches, panting hard. His bad eye twitched as he let the bloodied helmet fall from his grip. After catching his breath for a long moment, his eyes finally flicked up to find all of the carriages occupants staring at him in fear. Two of the maids were dead, great gashes carved in their bodies. The third; Soft Touch, sat beside Cadence, one of her forelegs cut off at the knee. The wound had been tied off, and from the smell of burned flesh in the air, Elias assumed that one of the other maids had tried cauterizing it before their fall. The pegasus’ wings flared defensively in front of the pink princess, but he didn’t care about her. A glance found her alive, and uninjured. Celestia was the same, as was Luna, though both were very much covered in blood. Some from the minotaur he had just beaten to death, but also some from the final occupant of the carriage; Nightshade. The thestral panted, her eyes glazed over with pain. A thick cut ran along her ribs, skirting just below her wings. Luna’s hooves were buried in a bandage made hastily from a torn pillow, a bandage that was only barely staunching blood flow. He rose and pushed the lunar princess aside with a grunt. Letting the makeshift bandage fall away, he drew a proper gauze roll from a pouch on his belt. He began wrapping the wound tight, drawing Nightshade’s eye as he did so. “What happened Nightshade? What are you doing down here?” She grunted and her forelegs milled as she tried to sit up, but Elias pushed her back down, yanking the wound to keep her that way. “I-,” she gasped as he wrapped another section of the wound. “I saw the Solar Guards run and noticed some invisible minotaurs slipping through in the confusion. There were enough that I knew Chase would be overwhelmed, and…” She sniffled and her head flopped to the floor. “I came charging down here to make sure he was alright. I saw some minotaurs making a push on the carriage, so I helped here first, but they kept coming, and then I stupidly got hurt, and…” “You performed admirably,” Luna assured, reaching out to place a comforting hoof on the thestral’s withers. “The hell she did,” Elias growled, ripping the gauze with his teeth. “She should have stayed with her troops to fill the hole the Solar Guard left, and even if she had left, she shouldn’t have done something so stupid as getting wounded because now I have to babysit her along with the rest of you.” “We do not need to be baby…” Cadence fell silent as the full weight of Elias’ glare targeted her. She shrank behind her wounded maid. Elias continued to glare at the pink princess until well after his point had been made, then he let his eyes drop. “That’s not to mention the fact that her sloppiness nearly got her, as well as you all, killed,” Elias continued, tucking the gauze away. “So now she’s going to do what I tell her, or I will personally invite a minotaur in here to finish the job.” He wiped blood off on his tunic, then pressed on the bandage, pulling it tight. Nightshade hissed in pain, but the bleeding finally stopped, letting Elias tie the bandage off. He then darted outside, glancing around for a moment before seeing what he needed. He dipped back into the carriage with a spear in hand and passed it to Nightshade. “Here. Use this, protect the door. You’re staying right here.” “The hell I am!” Nightshade spat. She feebly tried to rise, but her legs refused to cooperate. She flopped back, continuing to pant. “I… I just need a minute.” “You’re staying here,” Elias snapped. As Nightshade’s muzzle opened to argue again, he crouched down, pressing his forehead against hers. “I will break your hind legs if I have to, so sit down and shut up. I will not have you waste your life on stupid bravado.” The thestral shrank, the argument dying on her lips. Elias continued to glare at her, not backing down until a wing brushed his arm. “Alright General,” Luna whispered. “She understands.” Elias’ eyes flicked to the blue alicorn. “Nobody understands a thing. You have no idea how close you all came to becoming show pieces to some glory mad cow.” Luna continued to meet his harsh gaze with comforting, understanding eyes. He couldn’t keep the heat in his anger under the pressure of those eyes. They told no story, told him none of her emotions other than complete and utter trust. She trusted him, and if her intention was to calm him, she succeeded; partially. Elias let out a sigh and rose to his feet. “Stay here, all of you. I will post two auxiliaries outside the carriage door, and if anything comes through that isn’t me, kill it and make plans to run. It’ll mean everyone outside is dead.” He hesitated a moment, and Luna’s muzzle turned into a slight smile. She offered him a nod of what he could only interpret as pride, and Elias felt… funny at seeing the motion from the blue alicorn. He turned away, breaking eye contact with Luna and trudging into back into the open, leaving his odd feeling behind. He was met by Granite and an eager pack of auxiliaries. Around them the Royal Guards milled about, collecting their wounded. Living minotaurs were nowhere to be seen, and a horn call from the hill clued the human in that another retreat had been sounded. Elias looked to Granite. “Have the auxiliaries stack their shields near the carriage, we’ll see if they’re needed when the fight comes back. After that’s done, have them rest up. Make sure everyone gets water and something to eat, even if only a bite.” Granite nodded repeating the orders even as some of the closer auxiliaries began to carry them out. Elias jabbed his fingers at a pair of auxiliaries. “You two, guard the carriage door, move for nothing. I don’t care if I’m a foot away being strangled, the princesses are your only priority.” The pair nodded and trudged over to the doorway. One, a unicorn, frowned at the broken door. “General, we need to re-seal the carriage. The greater-interior enchantments aren’t going to last without a seal.” “If you know how to fix it, then pick however many ponies you need and deal with it,” Elias said. “But if it can survive until the end of the day, then leave it. The battle isn’t done yet.” The unicorn continued frowning at the door for a moment, then nodded. “Alright General. It can wait, but I want to experiment for a minute if you don’t mind.” Elias gave her an absent wave of permission, his eyes already moving to their next target. Bloody Bandage helped a battered gray pegasus limp through the milling crowd of ponies. One eye was missing, a great bloody wound in its place, but that didn’t stop the pegasus from keeping his head held high as he approached the royal carriage. “Get in the carriage,” Elias said as the pair came to a stop before him. Midnight Chaser snorted, blood spraying away from his nostrils. “No. My place is out here, and I have still have one good eye.” “You can’t stand on your own,” Elias spat. “What is with you ponies and your thick heads? You’re hurt, you can’t fight. Now get in the carriage before I break your legs.” Chaser pushed off of Bloody Bandage and stood firm on three legs. One of his hind legs buckled lightly under the pressure of a gash near his knee, but the pegasus ignored it. He puffed out his chest and glared up at Elias with his one eye. “I’m fine,” Chaser said. “And besides, you do the exact same thing. If anything, you’re worse, or do I need to remind you of your performance during the RATE?” Elias felt a twinge of pain in his chest, chased by a twitch in his knuckles. He hated that the pegasus was right, but he wasn’t going to let him keep fighting. Nightshade would be broken if Chaser got hurt worse than he already was. “I’m in command here, and if I say you’re going in the carriage, you’re going in the carriage.” Elias growled. Chaser snarled. “If you haven’t noticed, we’re surrounded by my ponies. The princesses may have given you command of the army, but I will not be told to sit out.” Several Royal Guards began creeping closer at Chaser’s words, but without so much as a twitch from Elias, Granite appeared with a dozen of auxiliaries. The earth pony pushed the Royal Guards back, butting heads with one and baring his teeth. “And if you haven’t noticed, we saved your asses,” Elias replied, “and I’m the only General out here still uninjured in a major way. I am in command of this army, and you will follow my orders or I will carry out my threat. Breaking your legs will take no effort from me, and frankly, you don’t have enough ponies to stop me.” More auxiliaries formed up around the arguing pair. Chaser broke eye contact and glanced around. Little in the way of support met his eyes. Finding himself surrounded, he let out a sigh and met Elias’ gaze again. “Then break my legs General, because I’m not going in that carriage without a fight. I made an oath to fight for the princesses until the end, just like any other Royal Guard. I won’t shirk that oath.” Elias’ glare softened. “You aren’t breaking your oath General, but you are done fighting. Help General Nightshade protect the princesses; you two will be the last line of defense if all doesn’t go well out here.” Chaser’s eye flicked toward the open carriage door. “She’s here?” “And wounded,” Elias said. “But she’s alive, and I made her stay in the carriage because she’s too hurt to fight effectively. Get in there and make sure she stays put. I can handle everything out here.” Chaser’s good eye blinked slowly, then he nodded. “Alright, but if things go wrong, I’m coming out to fight.” “Sure ‘blind-spot’,” Elias snorted. “Maybe you’ll get lucky and fight a bull with no left-eye. You’ll be perfect for each other.” Chaser matched his snort, and with Bloody Bandage’s help, he trudged into the carriage, pausing at the entrance to shout over his shoulder. “Captain Storm Chaser, get your orders from General Bright. He’s in temporary command.” Then he was safe, and out of sight. With the minor confrentation over, Storm Chaser made his way through the disappating crowd and offered Elias a sharp salute. “At your command General.” “Have your ponies pull the wounded to the rear, then rest.” Elias placed a hand on his hip and stared out over the battlefield. The sun was getting steadily lower in the sky. “We will fight again before the day is out.” > Chapter 59: The Battle Ends > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “What do you think this place is called?” Elias asked. Gray Granite looked up, tilting his head in confusion. “General?” Elias clenched and unclenched his fist, working his wrist with the opposite hand to ease the pain he was already feeling. He was tired, and he knew he wasn’t the only one. Some ponies were asleep in the bloody grass, trying to get what rest they could during the lull. He envied them their ability to ignore the sounds and smells of the battlefield. “What do you think this place is called?” he repeated. Granite looked out into the battlefield, then back up to the human. “The field?” Elias closed his eyes, suppressing a sigh. “Yes Centurion, the field. What do you think this field is called?” Granite again looked to field, frowning in thought for a long moment. He remained silent for awhile, then finally looked up again and shrugged. “I don’t know General. It’s a field. Why does it matter what it’s called?” Elias let out his withheld sigh. He faintly wished Scarlet was beside him. The crimson pegasus would get it. “All the great battles have names Centurion. Breeds Hill, Cannae, Teutoburg Forest, Gettysburg, Waterloo…” he shook his head, trying to think of more names, but found himself drawing a blank. “My point being that good battlefields have a name, so that they’re easy to remember.” He glanced to the dirt path that was the trade road. “There aren’t any known towns in the area, so I was curious if the minotaurs had a name for this place.” Granite looked to the hill for a third time, concentrating as hard as he could. Still, his eyes made an upward return, and he again shrugged. “I don’t think so General. It’s just a hill.” Elias felt a twitch in his eye, and his temper flared for a moment, his voice raising with it. “Damnit, I know it doesn’t have a name, I’m trying to give it one! I can’t just come out and give it a name though, that wouldn’t sound cool!” Granite continued to stare at the human blankly, and Elias let out a second, far deeper sigh as he rubbed at his face. He faintly heard what sounded like a snigger from one of the ponies around them, but elected to ignore it. “I’m such a loser,” he muttered. “Right, so Centurion, what do you think this place should be called?” The direct prompt finally provoked Granite’s brain to function. “Well…” the earth pony answered sluggishly. “What about the Battle of the Saddle Arabian Trade Road? That’s the nearest landmark I can think of.” “That’s too long,” Elias said with a frown. “It needs to be short, easy to remember.” “Elias Bright’s Hill?” Granite offered, his tail wagging with hope. The pony let out a disappointed whimper when Elias again shook his head. “My name doesn’t fit, and I’m not so vain I need a battlefield named after me.” He rapped the hilt of his gladius with his fingers, then smiled. “The Battle of Scarlet Hill.” Granite blinked up at him, then looked out to the battlefield, his eyes looking pointedly toward the crimson stained grass. He nodded slowly. “That’s really deep.” Elias let out a snort. “Maybe to a poet, but I was just thinking it would make a great present to Strategist Shield. Give it a week, and he won’t shut up about the history of it. The blood on the grass, on our uniforms…” Elias smiled and nodded. “Yeah, The Battle of Scarlet Hill. Rolls off the tongue well.” His eyes twinkled with mismatched delight down at Granite, who smiled back, looking quite pleased that he had helped decide on the name. “Go spread the word about the name,” Elias told him. “Gotta name this place before anyone else thinks to.” Granite nodded and with a tail waggle and a salute, he was off. Elias clasped his hands behind his back, waiting silently as the earth pony began to whisper about the battlefield’s new name. He vaguely wondered if he should have added a note not to tell Scarlet, but decided that the pegasus was going to find out one way or another. He’d probably be even happier learning the new name on his own. Not knowing what to do with himself for the moment, Elias looked around, his eyes eventually settling on the small pile of arms and munitions a few runners had managed to take from the supply wagons. Spare shields sat stacked beside a few near-empty pilum racks. Elias walked over and picked one out at random, again feeling disgust as he tried to get comfortable with the magically lightened shield. He also snatched up one of the pony-sized pila, turning it over in his hands to try and gauge how hard he would need to throw to properly hit his target. The javelins were slightly shorter, and a touch lighter, but even slight adjustments would throw off his aim. Elias sighed and tried to adjust to his new gear as he made his way forward. His eyes moved up, looking along the main battle-line with an analytical touch. The Solar Guards were his primary focus. While The Lunar Guards looked the most battered of the front-line troops, the golden-clad guard still looked the most fragile. It’s members looked exhausted, and too many eyes were looking back to the hive of activity that was the wounded area. Lines of red-stained white sheets fluttered in a light fall breeze, the cloth doing well to keep pests away from the fresh bodies. No such treatment was being given to the masses of minotaur bodies. They were left to rot in the sun, the occasional pony slipping among them for whatever reason. A few were targeting wounded. Some for healing, others, not so much. Elias knew he preferred the latter, especially when he glanced back at the rows of sheets. The cows deserved to pay. Elias swayed in place for a moment, the sun stabbing at his eyes. Sweat soaked his tunic, and he couldn’t believe how tired he was. Then with a blink, he snapped back into reality. He stepped back, narrowly avoiding an axe blade that scratched at his armor. Reversing the motion, Elias lashed out with his gladius, carving a bloody line in the bull’s throat. Blood gushed free, and the bull fell away. At the same time, the gap in the Solar Guard widened as a fresh charge impacted it. “Breach!” came the call from the front. The core of the charge; more well-armored bulls, bypassed the Solar Guard, their naked brethren absorbing the ponies’ attacks and engaging them. The armored brutes pushed all the way through the golden line and rushed down the hill to the roiling melee that had surrounded the royal carriage almost as soon as the battle had resumed. Only his legion was still holding a coherent and steady line, while the rest of the field was more a mass of fighters. The Lunar Guards had been flanked early, their scouts picked off at a range, while the Solar Guard had suffered repeated breakthroughs. Smaller routs had caused these gaps to widen, and no amount of troop-reallocation could solve the problem, he had tried. Gray Granite had sprinted back to the legion line to try and drum up reinforcements but had so-far not returned. Elias didn’t hold hope that he would. Any troops that moved their way would have to fight their way through, and being hasty would only result in more casualties. No, the time for careful strategy was fading, replaced by sheer ferocity. Magic was running dry, ammunition was scarce. It was a contest of brute strength and will, and their enemy was well versed in both. Only spilt blood would end the day. Elias engaged another minotaur, this one wielding a pair of swords. The cow had short horns, barely stood a head taller than the human he was facing. His fingers clenched nervously around the leather wrapped hilts of his weapons, and he seemed hesitant to fight. Elias sneered at the young bull. “What’s wrong? Used to fighting soft little ponies? Shitting your pants now that you’re faced with a real killer?” The bull snorted, his gaze hardening ever so slightly. “I’m not afraid of you.” Elias rushed forward, slamming his shield into the bull’s hands just as his fingers twitched again. The blades fell to the dirt as Feather plunged into the minotaur’s guts. Elias met the bull’s shocked gaze with wild eyes. “You should have been.” He planted a sandaled foot against the bull’s chest and pulled his gladius free, sending the soon-to-be corpse to the ground. He then spat on the corpse, his eyes looking for another target. They were plenty, and steel spilled blood as he killed minotaur after minotaur. As he finished slaying a bull in thick leather barding, a roar rose among the battle-noise. “Elias Bright!” Elias squinted against the setting sun, a mistake made clear when the solar body was blocked by the massive swinging shadow of a minotaur with a warhammer. The blow was a backhanded swing, the user using his dominant hand to provide the power while his off-hand provided stabilization. It was akin to a baseball bat meeting the ball. All of this Elias could think of as he flew through the air simply because his opponent had made the wrong kind of strike. Had he been smarter, the attacking minotaur, who Elias knew was Stone Horn from his stubby, un-covered horns, could have killed the formerly unaware human with an easy one-handed strike to the side of his exposed head. Elias could feel cool air on his hair as he flew backward. His helmet was gone again; he couldn’t really remember where. Before any ideas could come to mind on how he could keep track of his helmet, his spine slammed into the carriage. It rocked back with the force of the blow, and he dropped to the grass with a grunt. Elias rested face down, trying not to cry out in agony. Something was hurting in his chest, and had it not been for his enchanted armor, his spine would likely have snapped in two. In truth, the hammer blow might have caved his entire chest in if not for the same armor covering his front. He had not time to mentally thank Anyon for his fine craftsmanship however. Stone Horn stalked forward, shoving fighters on both sides out of his way as he came to deliver a finishing blow. Elias tried to move, but his limbs spasmed uselessly. The only thing he could successfully do was curl his fingers around the hilt of his gladius, which he had somehow retained his hold on. The shield he had been carrying was gone, but plenty lay on the ground, the ponies abandoning them while in a general melee. The auxiliaries he had tasked with guarding the carriage door rushed forward toward Stone Horn. The unicorn levitated a trio of short knives ahead of their charge, and the blades immediately set upon the young minotaur, poking and prodding his armor, looking for gaps to plunge into. The other auxiliary, a pegasus, flapped onto his hind legs and threw his pilum at Stone Horn. He flowed smoothly into drawing his gladius with his teeth and charging forward. Stone Horn ignored the knives, even when one found an opening in his shoulder guards and stabbed in. He instead focused solely on the pegasus. He swung his warhammer in a wide arc with both hands, batting the javelin from the air. In the same motion he brought the warhammer over his head, and, just as the pegasus closed in, brought the hammer down. Elias closed his eyes as the sickening sound of a neck snapping filled his ears. He focused on getting his limbs to work, starting with the one that was already semi-functional. Fingers curling led to his wrist moving up and down, then his elbow. It took long, pained filled seconds, but he got one arm, then both to work. He pushed himself up slightly, only to let out a cough that sent spasms of pain down his chest. Blood spattered the grass as he collapsed again. “That’s not good,” he groaned. His eyes couldn’t help but open as Stone Horn closed with the unicorn. The mare dipped back from the first swing, and her magic flared as she added the gladius of the dead pegasus to her dance of blades. Much hardier, she didn’t try to find a weak spot with the blade, instead opting to hack at the minotaur’s back. Stone Horn swatted at the sword for a few moments, trying to keep it from inflicting more than superficial wounds. All it would take was one cut, especially if she aimed lower. On the ground, Elias could see quite a lot of legs, and he noticed something rather quickly. The minotaurs had rather thin, spindly legs make of pure bone and muscle. Moreover, they all lacked armor protecting their legs. It made sense, nobody was going to target the legs of a target when their big meaty torso offered a much easier to hit target, but the minotaurs, like ponies, liked maneuvering. They shifted and danced about on their tiny, exposed legs. One good hit, and the top heavy bulls would drop like a sack of flour. Especially one covered in armor like Stone Horn. Elias tried to call out a warning, but blood filled his mouth and throat, garbling his words. “The legs!” he spat, trying to clear his vocal chords. “Aim for his legs!” His voice was too quiet, too muddled, but somehow the unicorn heard him anyway. The pair of knives dipped lower, and began swiping at Stone Horn’s lower half. The bull roared as one knife plunged into his thigh. His attempts to stop the gladius were abandoned as he targeted the sword’s user. He plowed onward, heedless as the blade bit into his back. His meaty hand grabbed the unicorn mare by the throat, and with a pained roar, he threw her into a throng of fighters, sending two pegasi and a minotaur staggering to the ground. The blades dropped, their magical stimuli vanished, and Stone Horn’s eyes flicked over to Elias with enraged intensity. Elias coughed out more flecks of blood, and for some reason, the motion let strength trickle back into his body. He managed to brace himself up on his elbows, managed even to get a knee beneath him. His hand closed around his gladius as a shadow roared overhead. Elias rolled to his left just as Stone Horn’s warhammer came slamming down into the space he had just occupied. Motion gave him more strength, and Elias’ roll carried him to his feet. The human and the minotaur glared hate at each other, both panting heavily as blood pattered to the grass. “I’ll kill you,” Stone Horn growled. “You’ll die trying,” Elias spat in reply. The minotaur roared and swung high with his warhammer, forcing Elias to duck. As he did so, the motion of the weapon suddenly, reversing its direction to sweep lower. Unable to avoid being hit, Elias instead attacked with a step forward, using Feather to chop at Stone Horn’s arm. The slight bit of forward motion saved him from the head of the hammer, allowing him to only take the force the handle smashing into his ribs. It was still enough to drive the breath from his lungs, and Elias couldn’t help but gasp as his chest tightened. He reared his head back, then slammed it forward into Stone Horn’s muzzle, stunning the bull long enough for him to take a few steps back. Elias clutched at his ribs as his chest heaved. Something was broken, but he didn’t have time to focus on that or the fact that he wasn’t drawing in enough air. He slashed at Stone Horn as the bull tried to rush at him. Feather grazed the minotaur’s armor ineffectually, and the warhammer came swinging by again. Elias managed to dodge the swing, and tried pushing Stone Horn to throw off a second. The bull took his shove with a laugh and responded by grabbing the human’s armor. Elias turned his head and closed his eyes just as Stone Horn’s forehead met his cheek. One of the bull’s stubby horns cut a line down his neck, and then he was in the air. Just as quickly he was on the ground, choking on blood as the sky rolled. A shadow through black into the spiral, and Elias was vaguely able to recognize the one casting the shadow over him. Stone Horn’s smug grin acted as a good focus for his swimming vision, as did the warhammer twirling in the minotaur’s meaty fists. “Not bad Bright,” the minotaur said, rubbing across his bloodied muzzle. “Got a new scar or two, that’ll look good at tonight’s celebration. ‘specially when I have your head to go with ‘em.” “Go to the Keepers now,” Stone Horn said, raising his warhammer above his head. “I do you a favor by giving you a really warrior’s death. Maybe you’ll get lucky and they’ll let you into their feasting hall.” Elias, his chest tight with a lack of air, held his chin high, facing the bull with both eyes open. His heart palpitated momentarily, but he refused to feel fear. A stray thought crossed his mind, and he faintly hoped that Night Flash and Book Binder wouldn’t miss him too much. “General, don’t!” a mare shouted Just as the hammer began to descend, a gray blur sprang from the carriage, slamming into Stone Horn and sending him stumbling away. The blur then dropped to the ground, panting hard as his wings flopped uselessly beside him. One eye looked to Elias, and Midnight Chaser grinned. “Are you making friends again? Some of that human culture sharing?” Elias responded by giving the pony a middle finger. He then rolled onto his side, managing to draw in a ragged breath as he located Feather. “I don’t make friends with things I’d eat,” he coughed. “Now get back in the carriage.” Chaser rolled his eye. “Make me.” Then a roaring Stone Horn was on him, slamming his warhammer into the dirt. Midnight Chaser darted back, then just as quickly darted forward, plunging his wingblades at Stone Horn’s throat. The minotaur dipped to the left of the attack, taking a cut across one of his shoulders. As the pair set about dueling, Elias cast about the ground, quickly locating the equipment he needed to turn the fight back in his favor. The fighters around them didn’t seem to care about the stumbling human, and he was easily able to find what he wanted. He scooped up a fallen scutum first, then ripped a pilum from a minotaur’s still corpse. He got to his feet, his mismatched eyes finding the pair just as Chaser made a mistake. Stone Horn swung at the pegasus’ blind side, and though he attempted to dodge, Chaser didn’t duck low enough. The hammer grazed the pegasus’ forehead, sending him stumbling back. Elias popped his pilum into his hand, quickly gauging its weight and the distance he needed to throw. Stone Horn reversed the swing before Chaser could recover, and the pegasus let out a squawk as the warhammer smashed into his ribs. He crumpled to the grass, his wing flapping wildly as he tried to ward away his opponent. Elias took in a deep breath, his eyes flicking as everything slowed to a crawl. The math was easy, the pilum perfect for the short distance. His fingers curled tightly around the pilum shaft, and his arm drew back. Stone Horn ignored the feeble swipes of the wing blades and one of his legs reared up, casting a shadow over Chaser. The pegasus curled his wing to protect his head. Elias took in another breath, then his balance was gone. A minotaur shoved him against the carriage with a snarl. The human answered by plunging the pilum into the bull’s throat. He kicked the javelin free and turned, his body remembering everything about his target perfectly. He was just in time to hear the sickening crack of Stone Horn stomping through Chaser’s defenses. The pegasus’ wing fell, and he didn’t move. Stone Horn’s eyes flicked to Elias, who let go of the pilum, his body following through the motion even as his brain froze in shock. The javelin ripped through Stone Horn’s shoulder, and the bull staggered back, clutching at the bobbing shaft. Elias stared at Midnight Chaser, silently begging the pony to twitch, to moan, scream in pain, anything. The pegasus did no such thing, the only movement about his body being his feathers waving lightly in the afternoon breeze. Elias saw red. Adrenaline fueled what his lungs could not and he ran at Stone Horn. He dropped the scutum, his hands both taking a place on Feather’s hilt. Stone Horn ripped the pilum free just as Elias rammed his gladius through the bull’s hip, his rage throwing his aim. He didn’t care that the strike wasn’t a killing one, however. In fact, he quite enjoyed the shocked look in Stone Horn’s eyes as their gazes met. Elias ripped Feather free, causing Stone Horn to howl with pain. Elias savored the sound. He ducked a punch from the bull, and, with his body lower, his next attack targeted the bull’s legs. Tight as they were, he couldn’t get a proper chop off at one of the bull’s legs, so he settled with a slight gash. He let Stone Horn shove him away, keeping his balance as the warhammer came for his chest. Elias again ducked, cutting at Stone Horn’s forearm as soon as the head of the hammer had passed. Stone Horn howled again, and he tried to turn as Elias stepped around his backside. Time seemed to slow again for the human as the bull presented a truly beautiful target. Stone Horn had to shift his feet to turn all the way, and raising a leg in the air… Elias took Stone Horn’s leg off at the knee, and he relished the splash of blood that warmed his front. Off-balance and unable to recover, Stone Horn collapsed onto his back, his eyes alight with pain-fed rage. He flipped onto his belly and tried swinging his warhammer at Elias’ legs. The human merely had to step back as the two-handed weapon flopped uselessly in the dirt, then he stepped forward. The bull tried to rear up and grab him, but again, Elias side-stepped his clumsy swings. Some part of him took a savage glee in watching the murderous bull struggling in the dirt, but it was far out voiced by the parts of Elias’ brain calling for a long, painfully drawn out revenge. Elias planted a foot on Stone Horn’s armored back, shoving his face into the dirt. The human drew in a ragged breath, knew that his adrenaline fueled strength was already beginning to fade. He drew Feather back, eyeing the spaces between the leather protecting the minotaur’s neck. His jaw locked in a snarl, and his arm drew back just a bit further as his muscles prepared to execute. “Wait!” Stone Hoof bulled his way between two minotaurs, knocking them aside. They, and their pony opponents froze in confusion as the elder bull dropped the axe he had been wielding and fell to his knees. “Please, not him. I beg your mercy General Bright.” His head lowered, and his arms spread out wide, his fingers open, his hands empty. “I surrender, you have won. Please do not kill my son.” “Stand up Elder!” Stone Horn roared. “Do not disgrace y-” Elias stomped on his head, grinding his muzzle into the dirt. “Shut up,” he hissed. “Shut up or I feed you your balls before I rip your throat out.” His eyes flicked up to Stone Hoof, his head still down, his arms still outstretched in surrender. The sight made him furious. He didn’t want the victory Stone Hoof was offering, didn’t care about such a victory at all. The bull beneath his feet, glaring hatefully upward; his death was a real victory. A small, soft spoken, part of his mind worked to cool the rest. It understood the rage that demanded the bull’s head, but it spoke too of Stone Hoof’s abilities as Elder. A horn dangled from the elder bull’s belt, a horn that could so easily call for a halt to the battle. He could save ponies by the dozen with a single horn blow, and all he needed was an order delivered at sword point. Elias found that small voice infuriating, and it drove his rage even higher. High enough that he couldn’t contain himself. His lungs drew in enough air to allow him to let loose a bloodthirsty howl into the scowl. The scream served to bleed away some of his frustration, and even as the last sounds left his lips, Elias stabbed Feather into the dirt beside Stone Horn’s head. Elias climbed off the bull’s back, kicking off his helmet before kneeling and drawing forth a knife. Using one of the bull’s stubby horns as a grip, Elias pressed the knife to Stone Horn’s throat. “Your surrender isn’t enough Elder,” Elias spat. “Call them all off or I’ll make you watch while I flay the skin from your son’s bones.” Stone Hoof looked up hopefully. He moved too slow for Elias’ taste. “Now!” the human bellowed, spittle flying as his knife drew blood from Stone Horn’s neck. That sparked action. Stone Hoof ripped the horn from his belt and rose to his feet, blowing one loud, clear note. He blew with all his might, and immediately, the bulls further afield began to disengage; slowly at first, but eventually in a great wave, withdrawing to the forest. Those minotaurs fighting immediately around them broke away from their individual fights to fill in around the elder. Some were caught with their backs turned, and the remaining Royal Guards and auxiliaries cut them down. The battered ponies encircled the remaining bulls, baring teeth and weapons, showing the minotaurs in no uncertain terms that they wouldn’t leave the circle alive. Not unless someone told them to back off. Stone Hoof looked toward Elias and again spread his hands. His eyes focused on the knife still pressed to Stone Horn’s throat. “It is done. Now-” “Now you’re going back to whatever hovel you call a camp and you’re going to tell the rest of your army to fuck off,” Elias interrupted. He nodded to the tops of the trees, where the sun was still just barely above them. “Look at the sun Elder. See where it is?” The minotaur glanced back to the trees, then to Elias. “I do.” “If the sun slips below that treeline and you aren’t back with news that your army is done fighting, I will nail your son to a tree and will spend the rest of my evening ripping out his entrails, inch by bloody inch.” Elias could feel his eyes widen with wildness as he continued. “I will have my legionaries collect every single weapon from this field and I will personally ensure that each and every one is stuck into his body.” He yanked Stone Horn’s head to the side, drawing a pained gasp from the bull. “I will make this murdering bastard suffer in ways that have never been seen before, and I will enjoy making you watch every single second of it.” Elias spat out a glob of blood, his chest already growing tight again. He grimaced in pain, hiding it behind a snarl. He couldn’t talk much longer. “Have I made myself clear?” he let out in one last growl. Luckily, Stone Hoof didn’t seem to notice his labored breathing. The bull flinched and nodded. “I understand. I will do as you say, and in exchange, my son will live.” “Then leave,” Elias rasped. “Daylight’s burning.” He nodded toward the auxiliaries boxing in the hill-side of the circle, and they pulled apart a narrow corridor, their weapons glistening as their eyes silently dared the minotaurs to attack. None did, with all of them keeping a tight formation as they escorted Stone Hoof away. All watched as the bulls passed through the Solar Guard before moving up the hill and disappearing into the treeline. Elias continued watching for a few precious moments after they were gone, waiting for more arrows, or rolling boulders, or a suicidal charge to save their warchief. Nothing came. With an absence of violence came a more complete cooling of his temper, followed swiftly by every nerve in his body screaming their alarm bells. Elias pulled his knife away from Stone Horn’s throat and he shoved the bull’s muzzle back into the dirt as he slowly got to his feet. “Make sure he doesn’t die,” the human rasped, pointing to Stone Horn. “No pain reduction. Just because I agreed to spare him doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be in pain.” Nobody moved, with the ponies battle-fury fading in the eerie silence that was coating the battlefield. Cries of pain seemed somewhat muted, and the ponies still on their feet seemed too shocked to move. Elias supposed he would have to do something about that. He took as deep a breath as he could manage before speaking again. “Today ponies!” he bellowed, jolting those nearest to him. “Just because the fighting is done doesn’t mean it’s time to nap. We have wounded that need treated, dead that need collected, and we still have miles that need marched. Get your asses in gear and get to work.” ‘Too many words,’ Elias thought as he struggled to hold back a cough. ‘Need to be more concise.’ Luckily, though his words made his chest tighter, they also sparked the ponies into action. Auxiliaries began picking those clad in red out from the fallen, calling out for healers for those who were still bleeding. The Royal Guards followed their lead near instantly, and the movement was contagious from there. Two Royal Guards took Stone Horn from beneath Elias’ feet and dragged him behind the royal carriage. The warchief said nothing, his eyes dulled with either pain, or shame. Elias didn’t care either way, and instead began to walk toward the carriage door to report as he had promised. He made it three steps before he was on his knees hacking up blood. Elias closed his eyes, trying to focus entirely on drawing in breath, and luckily, he was marginally successful, in the regard that he didn’t black out from oxygen deprivation. Lucky also that someone quickly came to his aid. Hooves dragged him to the side of the carriage and laid his back against it. Elias squinted against the setting sun to find Bloody Bandage powering up her horn. Magic began to settle on his chest, but he gave the pony a flick on the nose, halting her spell. The unicorn met his eyes with a scrunched muzzle. “General, if you’re coughing up blood, you likely have…” “Broken ribs, collapsed lung, abrasions in my throat, it could be a laundry list,” Elias rasped. “You’re not going to fix it on the first try, and I’m not going to die immediately. Save the magic for the harder cases.” He swallowed dryly and pointed to Chaser’s unmoving body. “Get started by covering that up.” Bloody Bandage’s eyes followed his finger, and her ears pinned back. “Sweet Celestia no…” she whimpered. “Tell no one,” Elias said. “I’ll…” he winced and clutched at his ribs, “I’ll make an announcement once I have the final casualty report. We don’t need ponies dropping now, got it?” Bloody Bandage swayed in place for a moment, then what tears had appeared in her eyes were wiped away. A steely expression passed over her muzzle and she nodded. “Yes General. You will need to address General Chaser’s successor as well. The Royal Guard moves on.” “Later,” Elias mumbled, closing his eyes. “Cover up the body and start saving the wounded. The fewer we need to bury, the happier I’ll be.” “I’ll make sure somepony comes over to check on you,” Bloody Bandage said. Elias barely heard the pony as he began to doze. He gasped awake as someone shook his shoulder, sending splinters of pain through his chest. His eyes opened to the sun below the treeline, and Snowball tightly wrapping a bandage around a cut he had at some point received on his leg. Ice Blossom stood just behind him, her voice loud as she issued orders. A pair of legionaries stood guard beside the carriage entrance, and Wood Chop was already working to mend the door. Elias couldn’t help but stare at Ice Blossom as she finished giving orders. Their eyes met, and for a moment, they merely stared at each other in silence for a few moments. They both began to speak, but Elias got his words out first. “Centurion, General Chaser…” “I know,” Ice Blossom cut in. “I saw him being put in the casualty wagon.” Elias sat in silence for another moment. “I’m sorry,” he finally said. “It was my-” “Shut up,” Ice Blossom again interrupted. “Don’t you dare dishonor him by saying you could have done more. He dove in because he knew there was no other way, and I won’t have you spit on his dying act like that. So with all respect shut it General. We all knew the job, this is part of it.” Elias coughed and nodded in agreement. “Yes, it is. So is grieving. If you need time-” Ice Blossom snorted dismissively. “You of all ponies don’t get to talk about healthy grieving practices. I’m fine, and I will keep being fine until the job is done. That’s final.” They stared at each other again before Elias let out a tired sigh. “Fine, but Centurion; I of all people know best how important proper grieving practices are. The last thing I want to see is more copies of myself running around.” Ice Blossom withered slightly at that. “I…” her tone lost some of its heat, and she matched his sigh. “I’ll take some time later General. There’s too much to do now.” “I agree, but take that time Centurion,” Elias responded. “Avoiding it only makes it worse, only makes you act stupidly.” He winced as Snowball tugged the bandage tight. “If you want to talk later, my door is always open. For now though, how close are we to being ready to move out?” Ice Blossom looked out across the field. “First Centurion Night Flash sent out our scouts to look for an alternate place to set up camp. We have far too many walking wounded to march the remaining eight miles, especially not with gear and prisoners.” “How many prisoners?” Elias asked. “Just the one,” Ice Blossom replied. “We paroled the rest without their thumbs.” “Good, makes our job easier,” Elias said. “Are our wounded and dead accounted for?” “As in do we have everyone unable to move in wagons? Yes,” Ice Blossom said. “We still haven’t treated everypony, or taken a count yet.” Elias held one hand to his ribs and used the other to claw his way to his feet, using the carriage as a brace. Snowball buzzed in protest, but didn’t vocalize, instead pinning himself to Elias’ side to act as a balance. The human didn’t have enough strength to reject the loveling’s help as his vision swam. Still, his feet were steady enough beneath him, and his lungs wasn’t terribly tight for the moment. “Get everyone back in the column and get a report from the scouts. We walk to the nearest clear spot or our planned location, whichever comes first. Once a position is located, have the engineers put their gear on wagons and run ahead to get started on the castra. Tell them to make it semi-permanent. We will be staying for a few days to get things in order.” Elias cast his eyes across the battlefield, noticed things moving in the dark trees on all sides of the field. “Have we collected all our lost equipment?” Ice Blossom nodded. “What wasn’t broken beyond repair or enchanted. I made the decision to leave the rest.” “Good. And do we know who is waiting for us to leave? Are the vultures going to be a problem?” “No,” Ice Blossom said. “Emissaries from three diamond dog clans, an un-accociated minotaur clan, and changelings from at least three hives have come forward to magically swear that they just want the chance to pick the battlefield. They’re waiting for us to leave and they even promised to deliver any bodies we accidentally left.” “Good enough,” Elias grunted. “Go give the orders. Let’s leave them to their picking.” His eyes shifted down to the loveling beside him, his mind already at work on something different. “There are other changeling hives?” Snowball nodded as shouts flowed across the battlefield and ponies began drifting toward the road. “Six major ones that are common knowledge in the Badlands, more uncounted hives, smaller in nature scattered everywhere else. Queen Chrysalis is one of the major six, or at least she was. My queen’s spies have not heard much from her of late.” “With luck she’d be a corpse,” Elias grunted. “But I have a feeling that my luck is beginning to dry up." ***** "What should we do my Queen?" her drone hissed in the hive mind. "The human has achieved his victory, but at some cost. We could attack now, snatch away dozens of captives while they are still dazed!" Chrysalis gave the notion some thought as she stared through her drone's eyes. A small group of her changelings had remained on the sidelines during the battle, content to watch the two armies throw themselves at each other. Even as she watched the Equestrian army limp away, some of her drones worked in contest to the rest of the scavengers, though unlike the dogs or bulls, she had no wish for steel to scrap, nor did she want enchanted weaponry and armor. No, her prize was the same thing the other hives sought; fresh love suppliers. Minotaurs were hardly the best choice, and wounded ones were even less so, but still, healing their wounds was child's play, and once she had sucked them dry of love, transforming them into more mindless drones was just as easy. So her drones scoured the battlefield, picking out the wounded from among the corpses. Enough remained watching the Equestrians to execute a small ambush, snatching away a wagon full of wounded ponies… Chrysalis wordlessly told her drone to buzz forward to the edge of the treeline. As soon as he set his eyes on a wagon of wounded he was set upon by three of the human’s “legionaries” and a pair of Lunar Guards. The drone turned into a millipede and crawled away as fast as his tiny body could go as spells lashed the brush around him. “That answers that,” Chrysalis replied. “Do you still think that the ponies are an easy target?” The drone mulled silently for a moment, then begrudgingly admitted defeat as he crawled away from the flashes of light. “No my Queen. I apologize for my foolish suggestion.” “It is the old way of thinking,” Chrysalis said, expanding her thoughts so that all her intelligent drones could hear. There was always time for a good lesson for all her sons and daughters. “But as Elias Bright has again evidenced, that way of thinking does not work. He has turned soft targets into a force of warriors. The ponies are not to be underestimated again, and we shall do nothing but watch and wait. Let our opponents do the playing for now. Am I clear?” The hivemind buzzed with a few dozen replies of “Yes, my Queen”. Then it fell to silence as the drones on the battlefield focused on the task at hoof. Chrysalis withdrew from her fleeing drone and instead opened her real eyes. Her temporary throne was covered in layers of enchantments to make it invisible to the naked, and magical eye. The throne was placed on a hill with an ideal, though not perfect, view of the city. She left the perfect view for Elias. He was clever, and she knew that he would want the best position when he arrived. She couldn’t risk discovery, nor did she want to move her temporary hive mound. So she sat watching over a city soon to be conquered without fear of being found. Tall, shining white walls of stone were surrounded by massive stockades of wood and dirt. Fires burned by the hundred, and no gaps sat in the siege fortifications. The eyes of those within the city walls were focused far more on the besiegers directly outside their gates, and the eyes of said besiegers were focused only on getting within the city. At their current rate, the minotaurs would certainly find a way to defeat the Saddle Arabian defenders before any reinforcements arrived. Their own armies were far away, scattered around their various border forts, still completely unaware that their capital was under siege. That was partially because of her, of course. The minotaurs kept a tight net to prevent runners from escaping, but even they couldn’t counteract every attempt. Magic and wings were far from a minotaur’s specialty, but for changelings... Those that slipped past the bulls were easy prey to find, especially so laden with emotions like fear, and hope. They glowed like torches to the eyes of an emotivore, and they certainly made tasty snacks. Chrysalis licked her lips as she watched another attempted breakout. It was a distraction of course; The defenders of the city were little more than average horses turned into a functional militia by the Sultan’s guards, but still, they did fight well backed into a corner. While the minotaurs in the immediate point of battle converged, a trio of horses slipped down the mountainous walls, their forms obscured with the wavy distortions of ‘See-me-Not’ enchantments. It was a clever use of magic, and even served to obscure their emotions slightly, but as they slipped over the minotaur stockades and began to run toward the towering woods some distance from the city, their souls flared with the light of hope. The drones around her began to hiss and creep forward with excitement, but Chrysalis raised a hoof, holding them back. “No,” she voiced. All eyes shifted to her, and the air bled confusion, along with a touch of relief. Chrysalis cast an eye to Trax, who shrank low to the ground, his relief turning to shame. She didn’t deign him a word, and instead addressed the rest of her children. “The minotaurs will break through to the city sooner than the Equestrians will arrive at their current pace. They must be warned, must move faster if my plan is to work. We will let them run to their saviors.” She grinned wickedly. “And soon they will be drawn straight into our web.” > Chapter 60: Battering and Bloody > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The scouts reported back a decent spot for a camp almost as soon as the caravan had started moving forward again. The news that the location was only two miles away even helped to brighten spirits somewhat, and a few dozen ponies tossed their gear on the wagons, replacing it with axes and shovels before racing ahead. By the time the slow-moving caravan arrived at the spot, a rough outline of the camp had already been carved out, and the stockade walls were already beginning to rise. More ponies abandoned their gear and snatched up tents, moving quickly and quietly as officers gave orders for set up. The first tent up was the medical tent, and as soon as the workers stepped away, the healers rushed the spot, filling it to the brim with the wounded and everything they needed to treat them. The walk took more from Elias than he would have liked, but he remained on his feet, and though thoroughly exhausted, his chest felt a touch lighter. Unfortunately, his other injuries were not so kind, getting worse as Snowball helped him limp along. Despite voicing his ability to wait, Snowball pushed him to the front of the wounded line, getting him inside the healing tent just behind those worst injured. Elias didn’t really see anything as he stumbled through the mass of weaving and dodging bodies, didn’t really process much but heat and an overwhelming amount of red as Snowball found him a chair and left him beside an already occupied bed. His bad eye twitched as he stared at a blood splattered floor. The magically created white tile was part of the tent’s magic interior expansion magic, something that helped it not only fit within the castra, but also let the tent serve functionally as a full hospital, with all the sterilization techniques that entailed. Staring at the puddle of blood beneath his sandals, unaware and uncaring if it had come from him, Elias felt his stomach begin to turn. His eyes blurred, and his mouth filled with saliva. “Wait! Don’t purge on the floor!” He screwed his eyes shut for as long as possible, then heard a clang between his legs. Elias pitched forward and threw what remained in his belly up into a steel bucket. When he was able to breath again, he saw more than a little red in the bucket, but elected to ignore it. His head raised to thank whoever had dropped off the bucket, but they were already gone, lost in the fast-pacing shifting of healers and wounded ponies. Elias sat back in his chair, his face twisting slightly in pain. He wiped the tears from his eyes and stared at the far cleaner ceiling, his mind in a haze. His thoughts wandered over the events of the previous hours, with each ache on his body making itself known as he tried to piece together all the events of the battle. He… He needed a headcount. Night Flash had taken an arrow to the neck, Midnight Chaser was dead… Elias felt his bad eye twitch. What was he going to tell Nightshade? It was his job, or at least he believed it was… If the Royal Guard had died, how many more had… “It actually makes me feel better to see I’m not the only one in a daze,” a familiar stallion rasped at his side. Elias glanced over, then felt the blood leave his face. Scarlet smiled back, his face pale for a different reason. He was lying on his side, one wing splayed into the air, the primary bone bent at an awkward angle. Around his barrel was wrapped a thick lay of bandages, painted a deepening shade of red. The underbelly of the pegasus’ armor had been cut away, and the enchanted links were broken and stained with the same gore as the bandages. Elias’ eyes flicked up from the wound, and Scarlet chuckled lightly as their eyes again met. “I pushed Night Flash out of the way of a battle axe. It was so cool I didn’t even feel any pain until that cow broke my wing.” His wing twitched at its mention, and the pony winced, pointedly keeping his eyes away from the injury. “I…” Scarlet gulped and met Elias’ eyes, smiling awkwardly. “So, uh, how was it for you?” Elias couldn’t help but snort, a red mist painting his grin with blood. “I’ve survived worse,” he replied. Three healers, led by Bloody Bandage, swarmed the pair, cutting off further conversation. Elias hissed one the unicorns forced his head up, agitating the wound on his ear. The pony clicked her tongue and dipped a rag into a bucket of water. “I don’t think we need stitches… Healer Bandage, should we wrap this up or let it sit?” “Is the rumor that we’re staying here for a few days true?” Bandage asked Elias, her eyes glancing away from Scarlet’s wing for only a moment. “It is,” Elias said. “I’ll beat the other generals into agreement if I need to.” Scarlet’s smile vanished and he wailed in pain as Bloody Bandage wrenched his wing back into place. Her horn sputtered for a moment, and she let out a growl. “Bandages, and get somepony with a numbing spell. I’m already tapped.” The third healer ran off. Scarlet squirmed on his bed, his eyes rolling as he tried to escape the new pains that were being inflicted upon him. Bloody Bandage gave him an apologetic look as she finished binding his wing to his side. “Sorry Legionary, but I need to pluck the bad feathers or they might get infected while under wraps. This won’t feel good, but please be brave for me, okay?” Without waiting for a reply, the mare leaned over and siezed a clump of feathers in her teeth before wrenching her head back. The sound was so tiny, but so loud in Elias’ ears, as was Scarlet’s second cry of pain. His stomach did another flip, and the mare cleaning off his wounds backed off. “Not on the floor!” she cried, scooping up the bucket and shoving it into his hands. Elias again vomited, this time filling the bucket with a mix of bright red, and dark red blood. The mare took one look at the bucket and said; “That’s not good…” Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she collapsed to the tent floor. Bloody Bandage spared the mare a momentary glance, then sighed as she grabbed another clump of feathers. “Give me the bucket,” she mumbled through the feathers. “Better than dumping them on the bed.” Elias gritted his teeth, then pushed himself to his feet. He set the bucket next to her and stumbled over the collapsed mare and away, unwilling to listen to Scarlet’s continued whimpering. He vaguely heard Bloody Bandage whispering to Scarlet about how strong he was being, but he managed to avoid the shrill cry of pain that followed. He made his way outside, shutting his eyes and ears to the repeated horrors of the healing tent. Exiting the tent, he felt his limbs weaken, and he staggered toward the nearby castra wall. He didn’t lean so much as crash into the wall. Bracing himself with one arm so that his face wasn’t pressed against the freshly hewn wood, Elias tried to catch his breath. He succeeded for a moment, and, his eyes closed, he turned his head, resting it against the castra wall, letting the wood somewhat absorb his sweat. Then his eyes opened, and a sickening chill flowed through his body. Beside the healing tent was a long row of bodies covered in white sheets. Few were still pristine, covered in some mixture of blood, mud, and gore. At the far end were ponies unloading wagons with fresh bodies, while a trio of unicorns went around, binding the sheets in preservation runes before other ponies loaded the bodies into emptied wagons. Two legionaries carried a body from the healing tent, laying it with the rest. A gray wing flopped from beneath the sheet, allowing Elias enough of a peak to recognize the legionary armor. The legionaries didn’t recover the body, instead sprinting back into the tent, no doubt to retrieve another. Elias didn’t watch them leave, only vaguely processed that they had. His eyes stayed fixated on the feathers of the pegasus. Some were stained red, and he couldn’t help but imagine Scarlet was hidden beneath that sheet. Elias couldn’t help it, and he emptied his guts onto the ground between his feet. The remaining strength in his legs failed, and he collapsed to his knees, panting hard as the pain in his chest made a sharp return. Tears filled his eyes, though what specifically from, he wasn’t sure. Grief? Maybe, but he wasn’t terribly close with Midnight Chaser, and his legionaries… he didn’t know how many were actually dead. How could he grieve what he didn’t know was lost? Anger? No, that wasn’t quite right. There was no burning, no drive to harm the thing that had so hurt the ponies. Not much of one anyway. Frustrated. That’s what he felt in a succinct phrase. He was frustrated. So much had gone so right, but stupid, careless mistakes had exacted a price tall enough to hurt. And that was without the numerous injures decorating his body. The thought of mistakes, however… His mind flicked back through the battle made something sound in his ear. The retreat… that had been the origin of the worst of the fighting. There would have been no breakthrough had the Solar Guard held firm, but that horn call… That was intentional. Had it been a clever ruse by the minotaurs? Or had it been something far worse? He didn’t know, couldn’t know, but for some reason that bright, brilliant sound was ringing in his ears... “General?” a worried voice called behind him. Elias barely heard it, his eyes clearing. The pain in his chest lessened as a strange, foreign sound touched his ears. A sound that definitely wasn’t a horn call. It was coming from nearby, yet far enough away to be muddled. Still, it sounded like… “General?” the worried voice again called. Elias shot a dangerous glare over his shoulder at Gray Granite. “Shut up,” he hissed. The earth pony’s jaw snapped shut, but the worried look didn’t leave his eyes. Elias didn’t care, instead focused on his hearing, trying to piece out the sound that was so opposite to the suffering all around him. “What is that noise?” he asked aloud, still unable to parse out the sound. Granite’s muzzle shifted to a frown, and he pointedly looked away from the center of the tent. “I believe that’s laughter General. I heard it when I passed by the command tent earlier.” Elias shot to his feet, spittle flying as he bellowed; “Who has any reason to laugh?” A cough tried to choke his words, but his frustration had crossed the threshold to pure rage, and fury driven strength filled his limbs. He stormed past the bloody mess that was the healing tent and marched further into the camp. The sound grew louder, and scowling ponies steadily moved away from the source; the command tent. Celebration. Someone dared celebrate after the casualties they had taken? Someone dared to think of their victory as worth laughter? The happy sounds made his blood boil. A unicorn dressed in ill-fitting golden armor passed through the tent flap, a tray of wine bottles suspended in his magic. The unicorn held perfect posture for a moment, as if he was some grand butler in Canterlot, but that vanished the instant he spotted Elias’ fuming approach. Shrinking in fear, the unicorn darted away, but not before Elias noticed something hanging from his armor. A horn. A brass, calling horn. It wasn’t possible. He hadn’t yet met ponies so unimaginably stupid, yet... Elias didn’t recognize the pony, but he knew, without a shred of evidence, that the pony was with Lionheart. Elias felt his bad eye twitch, and his lips curled into a crimson snarl. “Pick a dozen ponies Centurion. Make sure they’re angry, uninjured, and as loyal as they come. I want no questions when I give orders.” Granite nodded silently and darted away, calling names deeper into the camp. Elias brushed aside the tent flap like it was made of clouds, and his furious gaze landed on the pony who was still laughing; Lionheart. The unicorn turned and raised a glass of wine in the air, the liquid sloshing about onto the floor. “General!” the unicorn called drunkenly. “You’re just in time! We were-” Elias closed the distance between them in a second. His palm firmly gripped the side of Lionheart’s head, then with as much force as he could muster, Elias slammed the unicorn’s head into the table, smashing his skull through the fine china set that was even still magically pouring more drinks. He ignored the startled gasps, and merely lifted Lionheart before slamming him back down again. Then again. Then again. Then- “General?” Elias opened his eyes, his daydream shattered. He uncrossed his arms, ignoring the shallow gouges his fingernails had left in his skin, while also shifting his feet to wipe away the small trench he had dug with his pacing. His eyes fell on Granite, who glanced back at a group of twelve legionaries, including Pyrelight. “As ordered General. Twelve ponies; uninjured, and loyal.” “We’ll see,” Elias said. No, he needed proof. As enjoyable as throttling Lionheart would be, he couldn’t just cave the pony’s skull in without evidence. It would look bad, and his legion might lose faith in him. That wouldn’t do, especially since he had a feeling he would need their confidence more than ever. The battle had been a hardy test, but they had so far weathered it. Better to not shake their confidence. “Ice Blossom, grab that unicorn with the horn on his side,” Elias said. “I have a suspicion that he caused the Solar Guard rout, and I need him interrogated. If that’s me or you, I don’t care. I want honest answers and I want them now.” The pegasus nodded and darted off in the direction the unicorn had fled in. “As for the rest of you,” Elias continued. “Stand at the ready. I do not know what will happen in the next few moments, but I hope to have your trust as I do what is necessary to see us into tomorrow.” He met each pony’s eyes. “Await my call. Non-lethal maneuvers only. If any blood is to be shed, I will be the one to shed it.” He again fell silent, giving everyone another pass over before giving them a nod. “Let’s shut them up, yeah?” A round of nods came in answer, then Elias turned and drew aside the tent flap. The mood of the tent was like a slap in the face. Bright candles filled every corner of the tent with cheery light, and light music emanated from a glowing ball, floating small circles around the tent ceiling. The princesses were all clean, and reclined as usual on their pillow throne, and Elias felt a twinge of disappointment when he found Luna pristine as the rest, a half-empty glass of wine resting beside her hoof. Their eyes met, and hers flicked down to the glass, then back up. Upon meeting the hardened glare of Elias’ mis-matched eyes and finding nothing but contempt, she drooped and looked away, hiding her gaze in the pillows. “General!” Lionheart called drunkenly. “So glad you could join us!” Elias’s eyes flicked to the unicorn, immediately noticing that he too was completely clean. His armor was shining, his fur fluffed and free of any sweat. It was as if he had spent the day in the cool corridors of Canterlot castle. The other two surviving generals; Shattered Shield and Dragon-Eye were in a similar state, though neither looked particularly happy to see Elias up and about. His bad eye twitched. No doubt they hoped he would be under a sheet. “Come come,” Lionheart said, waving Elias toward the carefully prepared table of food. He moved forward carefully, happy to notice curling muzzles as his bloody stench filled the air. He double checked the armor of the three generals before he began unbuckling his belt. Whatever happy sounds had been filling the tent came to a dead halt as he raised the belt above the table, then unceremoniously dropped it into the center, shattering several dishes and spoiling the food. Elias then began meeting eyes, daring anyone to challenge him. Luna continued to stare into the pillows, her appetite fully and visibly soured by guilt. Celestia and Cadence’s eyes held a healthy mix of shock and anger, but he knew that the latter was soon to be re-directed. Shattered Shield and Dragon-Eye both looked terrified, and neither could help but glance toward Lionheart, who still smiled at the human, seeming to believe he was safe. Elias set his hands on the table, focusing his gaze on the trio of ponies still wearing armor. He remained silent for a moment more, pondering his words. His eyes fixated on the cleanly state of their armor, and since he was in such contrast, he decided to start there. “Does anyone want to tell me why you three are so clean?” he asked. “Because unless I’m mistaken, a battle was fought today, and seeing as I could kill all three of you in a fight, I find it hard to believe that not one of you suffered so much as nick.” Shattered Shield straightened, holding his nose in the air. “Not all of us are brutes with swords. Some of us use the fine art of spell craft.” “Is that right,” Elias stated flatly. “Centurion Pyrelight!” The unicorn charged into the tent, quickly falling in behind Elias and saluting. “Here General.” Elias glanced at the unicorn, then looked back to Shattered Shield. “Tell me Centurion, what is that black material darkening the fur on your muzzle?” Pyrelight shifted in place nervously, confused slightly at the odd question. “It’s ash, General.” Shattered Shield shrank slightly, and Elias felt his muscles tighten with satisfaction at knowing he had the cowardly stallion. “And what caused that ash Centurion?” “Some of the burning oil from our catapults, but mostly from firing fire spells,” Pyrelight replied. “And do all spells create some kind of residue?” Elias asked. “Sure,” Pyrelight said. “It varies depending on the spell, and how often they’re used, but magic always produces some side-effect. It’s usually sparks, or dust.” “Sparks you say,” Elias pointed at Shattered Shield. “And tell me, does General Shattered Shield have any signs that his fur was charred from sparks?” Pyrelight moved closer to the unicorn who shied away. Still, she gave him a good once over before stepping back and shaking her head. “No, General. He seems unusually clean.” “Funny, I was thinking the same thing.” Elias drummed his fingers on the table. “I don’t appreciate being lied to Shattered Shield, and if you lie to me again, I will kill you.” He snatched his sword belt from the table and drew his gladius. He plunged the tip into the table, letting it wobble in place as he dropped his belt. “That is a sword that has seen action,” Elias spat. “You can tell because it is covered with blood, and gore, because unlike you, I spent the day doing my job and didn’t have time to clean it. So I again ask; why are you three so clean? Camp setup isn’t complete, there are still piles of bodies to sort through and preserve, and the amount of wounded that need treating is staggering so I find it hard to believe you’ve done anything useful when you’re in here playing tea party!” Elias took a wheezing breath, finding a colder anger as he drew his tone back from the bellows it had grown into. As he calmed his breathing, Lionheart’s smile finally drew back to a mere grin. He wiped a spot of blood from his armor with a napkin. “We led from the rear General Bright, is that what you wanted to hear? Clearly leading from the front was not so grand a strategy, as only one of the generals who did so survived the day.” Only the timely intervention of Ice Blossom entering the tent saved Lionheart from choking on his own spine. “We got him General.” “And?” Ice Blossom’s head turned and she glared at Lionheart. “We got him.” Elias let out a long breath, then stood up straight and clasped his hands behind his back. “Good. Centurion?” Gray Granite and his legionaries stormed the tent. Gladii and wingblades pointed at the trio of generals. When Shattered Shield opened his mouth to protest, Granite pounced him, wrestling him to the ground. A hoof pressed the unicorn’s head into the dirt, and he wisely remained silent, looking with huge pleading eyes to Elias. “Guardsponies stand down!” Celestia shouted, her voice not holding the same roar as it usually did. Elias glanced over his shoulder at the white alicorn as his legionaries refused to budge. “Sit down. You’re going to thank me in a moment, so don’t start power playing. You’ll find that right now, you aren’t in control. I am.” The alicorn tried to puff out her wings and glare at him, but Elias managed to notice the little twitches of nervousness her muzzle made. His eyes flicked to Luna, who watched him carefully, her eyes trusting, but still carrying that trace of nervousness. ‘Fair enough,’ he supposed. Lionheart, for his part, kept his head high, his expression even and focused solely on Elias. “This is treason,” he said. “No,” Elias replied. “Treason is shirking your duty. Treason is leading from behind, then celebrating, clean and safe, on the bodies of your dead soldiers.” He snapped his fingers. “Treason is intentionally calling a retreat to get as many Generals of Equestria killed as you could.” Ice Blossom shoved the unicorn who had run away into the tent. The pony fell, cowering on the ground as the pegasus towered over him. “Say what you told me.” The unicorn whimpered and covered his head. “I can’t. I’ll be ruined.” “You are currently cowering at the feet of the only four people in all of Equestria that can protect you,” Elias said. “Three of whom are princesses. Do you really think three coward nobles can find you if Princess Celestia or Princess Luna don’t wish it?” The unicorn looked up from his cowering, his eyes shining with hope. He completely ignored Elias, instead darting around the human to grovel at the foot of the pillow throne. “It’s all true!” the pony sobbed, his forehead hitting the ground again and again as he tried to bow as low as possible. “I did it, I’m guilty, but Duke Lionheart ordered me to do it! I shouldn’t have listened, but I selfishly saved my own skin instead of thinking of the greater good.” He sobbed and crawled forward, his eyes teary as he begged up at Celestia. “Please forgive me Princess. I can test your food for poison! I’ll be an on-call member of your staff, free of charge!” Before he could continue to spout off his regrets, Celestia flared her wings slightly. The unicorn cowered back, but still held hope in his eyes as the white alicorn gave him a smile. “It is alright little one,” she said softly. “Nopony is going to punish you right now, so there is no need for alarm. Please, rise and tell us your name, because I find myself unfamiliar with your face.” The unicorn shot to his feet, then offered a low bow. “Precise Detection, at your service Your Majesty. I am an elite poison detection pony, operating solely for Canterlot and her noble clientele. I-” “Skip the resume and tell us what exactly Lionheart made you do,” Elias snapped. Detection cringed away from the human, looking to Celestia for protection. The alicorn let out a small breath, her smile not dimming as she ignored Elias. “While blunt, General Bright is correct; please speak about the crucial point at hoof.” Detection nodded and glanced at Lionheart, who stared at him with narrowed eyes. The unicorn gulped and looked to Celestia. “Duke Lionheart brought me along on this excursion because he was worried about spies poisoning his meals. I found this to be an excuse when he relayed that our meals would be magically conjured from Canterlot.” His nose raised and he huffed with disdain. “Duke Lionheart forced me to eat with the ruffians, disguised as one of their own.” He coughed and offered a false smile. “Though I did look quite dashing in Your Majesty’s royal gold.” Elias heard Luna gag, and while a touch of his mind found the motion funny, the rest was becoming more and more blinded by rage. One of his hands curled into a tight fist as the unicorn continued. “Today, I remained with Duke Lionheart and his two associates,” Detection noted toward the other two generals; “Dukes Shattered Shield and Dragon-Eye. They were, as Duke Lionheart said, “leading from the rear”. They did give orders, following the previously discussed fighting plan. That was until Duke Lionheart saw opportunity in the fighting.” “He spoke of an opportunity to claim a greater stake of glory,” Detection said. “And he rejected Duke Shattered Shield’s suggestion to send fresh ponies forward to fight when a particularly nasty row of brutes charged down the hill. That is when he had me blow this;” Detection took the brass horn from side. “I didn’t really know what the calls meant, but the one he had me blow was for retreat.” “So Lionheart intentionally caused a rout to claim victory for himself, if not more,” Celestia stated evenly. “And he spoke no more of this “opportunity” of his?” Detection shook his head. “No Princess, not in my presence.” Elias felt eyes on his back. “General, while there is some evidence-” “There is enough for me to do what I intend to,” the human cut in, his eyes never breaking contact with Lionheart’s. “Legionaries, arrest Lionheart, Shattered Shield, and Dragon-Eye on the charge of treason.” Shouts of protest immediately erupted from the trio of stallions, but with well-armed ponies quickly taking them to ground and binding their hooves, Elias found it easy to talk over them. “You will be stripped of rank until the end of this military campaign. Your privileges will also be revoked, and from now on, you will do your fair share of the work, or I will let you starve. Centurion Granite and Centurion Ice Blossom will oversee you tonight as you help gather the camp’s water. We have bandages that need boiling, so you’re going to be at it for a while.” “I will met out further punishment as needed,” Elias continued. “Proper behavior will be taken into account, and I will ensure that each of you is interrogated separately so that we know exactly what your “opportunity” entailed and how much each of you were involved.” He glanced toward Gray Granite. “Centurion, see that the prisoners are kept under watch in a standard issue tent. Have Adiutor Book Binder go through their belongings and distribute and destroy what we will no longer carry.” “You can’t do that!” Shattered Shield cried. “I have some priceless family heirlooms with me. Hundreds of years of history, millions of bits in value…” Elias fixed the stallion with a glare. “You are in no position to make demands. Under Equestrian Military Code 4482, I am well within my rights to have you blinded and whipped until dead. Consider it an act of mercy that I am already tired of the smell of blood. Seeing you beaten bloody won’t help morale; seeing you whimper and cry as you perform back-breaking labor, however…” Elias motioned to Granite with his hand, and the legionaries began dragging the trio from the tent. “Regardless, Adiutor Book Binder is a Scribe by profession. She’ll determine what is of value, and will thus be kept. I wouldn’t worry about family heirlooms, and would worry more about earning your next meal.” “Princess, you can’t let him do this!” Lionheart said, momentarily shoving away one of the legionaries. “He’s the one committing treason! He’s usurped your authority! His thugs only listen to him!” Elias plucked his gladius from the center of the table and sheathed it, saying no more as Lionheart and his cronies were dragged away, their protests clear for all to hear. Pyrelight escorted Detection out after them, talking with him softly about deals he could make to ensure his protection. Faintly, Elias heard the stallion re-assure her of his full cooperation. Eventually, the noise fell to silence, leaving Elias alone with the three princesses. His chest wheezed slightly as his reserve of adrenaline wore off, and he futilely rubbed at his chest, trying to promote the muscles to loosen. His right hand tapped the hilt of his gladius as he continued to stare silently at the gently swaying tent flaps. Despite doing what he knew was the right thing in not personally bludgeoning the three stallions to death, his rage felt un-satiated. All of those deaths caused so pointlessly, all for what were likely petty, jealous, stupid reasons. His hands burned with a need to feel something break beneath them, and he also knew that he couldn’t work if he was still so blindingly furious. If he couldn’t break Lionheart’s spine... With a roar, his hands clamped onto the table, and he threw it as hard as he could. It slammed onto its face, shattering the glassware and scattering the remaining food in the dirt. Elias panted as he glared hate at the destruction, and while it wasn’t nearly enough, it would have to be. His adrenaline reserves were fast depleting, and there was still so much he needed to get done before he collapsed. He coughed, quickly wiping away the bloody dribbles with his hand as he glanced back to the trio of alicorns. Celestia remained puffed up and defensive, while Cadance cowered behind her greater counterpart. Luna was still watching him carefully, with no small amount of concern written plainly in her eyes. “I would say that I’m sorry,” Elias said, “but being honest, that was the best I could have done that. As stated, I am well within my rights to kill them, and since I am the only standing general, I am in control of this army. I don’t have to listen to you, I don’t have to keep you informed, I don’t even need to keep you happy. I just need to get you to the end of this march alive and able to perform.” He spit to the side, his mouth filling with a red mix of blood and saliva. Yet somehow, his mouth felt so dry that he felt like his tongue would crack. “Still, I seized this level of control not out of malice, or hunger for power, but because it needed done. Your choice in generals have mismanaged this campaign from the beginning, so now I’m stepping in so that countless more ponies don’t have to die.” All three alicorns seemed to relax slightly, and Celestia was bold enough to clear her throat, stopping his speech. “If you do not mind my askance; what will you do?” Elias snorted and smiled. “A little bit of everything I suppose. We will be staying here for the next few days while casualties are counted and treated. We need to clean up, to rest up, and to heal what we can before moving on. I know you lost your maids, and that the survivor,” he looked to Cadance, “Soft Touch, right?” The pink alicorn nodded, and she relaxed further, seemingly calmed by the fact that he remembered the pony’s name. “Yes,” she murmured. “She was taken to the healing tent as soon as we arrived.” “And she’ll be staying there until I decide she’s free to move about,” Elias said. “She may stay at your side once her wounds are sealed up, but she will not perform any task for you. If she does, I’ll lock her in a wagon under watch until she’s safe to move about, am I clear?” “But she can stay with us?” Cadance asked, her tone hopeful. “She is more than a mere bodyguard and servant. She has been my friend for years, and we would both be more comfortable if we stay together. That I am sure of.” Elias gave her a slight nod, which earned him a soft smile. “I’ll have Kind Heart give her a once over. Once she’s clear, she can rest with you.” He looked back to Celestia. “I will also assign a pair of lightly wounded legionaries to act as your replacement caretakers, as well as a full retinue of bodyguards. There will be no repeat breach of the carriage like there was today.” “As far as administration,” he continued, “I will operate as we have been.” He nodded toward Luna. “Princess Luna has been watching over our planning sessions, and I’d recommend that strategy continue. Once I have a headcount, I will gather a council of subordinates and we will plan how the march will operate going forward.” He tilted his head. “That being said, I am in control. Totally. We march in step to my tune, and that means cutting out the little inefficiencies the other generals forced. I will give a detailed packet of the changes later, however. There is still much to do.” He looked to the destroyed banquet. “When your caretakers get here, I’ll make sure you have something fresh to eat. In the meantime-” “We will gather our own meals, and we will be going outside to see our ponies,” Celestia and Luna said at the same time. Elias blinked in silent surprise as the pair exchanged a quick, grinning, glance before looking to him again. “The day has been hard, and while we will avoid the more… savaged areas, the ponies need their princesses,” Celestia said. “And while we appreciate your concern for our well-being,” Luna continued. “We are not totally helpless. In fact, I would like to help prepare the army’s dinner before taking my own.” “I can help in the healing tent!” Cadance offered. “I used to nurse for Doctor Steel Scalpel, and I still remember how to apply bandages by hoof.” Elias winced at the mention of his former friend, but he ignored it. Celestia smiled warmly as she gave a wing hug to the alicorns on either side of her. “What excellent ideas. I think that I shall-” “I need someone to stay here,” Elias cut in. “We should be receiving diplomatic hostages sometime this evening.” Celestia’s fell into a slight pout. “I could be of more use elsewhere until they arrive…” Elias shrugged and smiled. “Fine, but if you’re too busy when Elder Stone Hoof arrives, I’ll do the greeting.” The white alicorn played right into his hand, shaking her head immediately. “No, no.” She immediately became flustered, and sputtered out; “N-not that I don’t trust you General, but-” She took a breath and straightened, her expression calming to perfect neutrality. “You are right. I should remain here to greet our guest.” Elias rolled his eyes and began to walk away from the three. “I’ll send guards as soon as possible. Don’t leave until they get here.” Bracing his side, he walked from the tent. Greeting him outside was a darkened sky, as well as a fresh dozen legionaries, most with fresh bandages spotted with crimson. Gray Granite offered Elias a salute. “We await your orders General. All prisoners are secure, and their guard details for the next few days have been assigned. All legionaries of course.” Elias offered the earth pony a smile. “Good work Centurion. Take your pick of ponies, assign a full complement of guards to each princess. They want to help out, and I don’t disagree with a little morale boost. Just… keep them away from the nastiest stuff, and if you see anyone directing anger their way, deal with them. If we fill the stockade tonight, we fill it. If you have to, get the legionaries to spout the most patriotic nonsense in your head, then you spout it. Ponies will follow a positive chant, and opinions change with the mob. Is all of that clear?” Granite nodded. “Yes General. Make sure ponies are looking up at having won, rather than being down in the dirt about casualties. It won’t be easy, but we’ll manage.” “I’ll address it with Adiutor Snowball and Adiutor Binder, but I also want everyone paying a visit to the river to clean up,” Elias said. “I want gear scrubbed, and once the wounded are all treated and the dead all preserved, I want the blood scrubbed from the castra grounds. Ponies will feel just a touch happier if they’re clean. I’ll see if I can’t get a barrel of cider cent from Canterlot or something. To give dinner a bit more warmth than simple soup.” Elias fell silent for a second, then awkwardly reached out and patted Granite’s helmeted head. The earth pony blinked at him silently as he spoke. “You’ve… uh... done and continue to do good work, Centurion,” Elias said. “Keep it up.” For a brief moment, Elias wondered if he had made a mistake offering physical contact with a very clear and concise praise, not marred by any detraction or threats, but as Granite’s eyes widened with joy and as the pony’s tail flicked, he knew he had just made the stallion’s entire year. Gray Granite stiffened and saluted as sharply as he could. “Thank you General!” he shouted, before turning on his heel and bellowing; “Get moving ponies! I want six volunteers on princess duty, while the rest of you are going to escort ponies to the river!” The ponies all saluted him before scattering. Tail flicks and ear flickers seemed to paint tell of an excited conversation, and more than a few glances were aimed happily at Elias as the ponies whispered amongst themselves. Granite turned around again, offering him a short bow before trotting away, his tail flicking happily. Elias rolled his eyes and snorted softly, but smiled for a moment. Pain from his chest brought him back to reality, and he staggered forward. There was still so much to do. He made his way back toward the healing tent, to personally check on the progress the healers were making. Nearing the tent, his eyes locked on a certain green mare weeping softly in the hooves of her husband. Night Flash was being as stoic as he could be, stroking Book Binder’s mane and staring blankly ahead. The ponies around them were in similar states, either sitting down in dirty, dejected clumps, or wandering back and forth aimlessly, their eyes flicking toward the healing tent, which, while quieter, still let loose the occasional scream of pain. Elias steeled himself, cutting off his emotions as best he could. It was time to be a leader, and it wasn’t going to be pretty. Taking a deep breath, he moved forward. Night Flash looked up as he approached. “Oh, hi Red.” Elias stopped a few steps away from the pair, bracing his ribs with one hand while resting the other on his gladius. “That’s, “good evening General”. Just because we won a battle doesn’t mean protocol flies out the window First Centurion.” Night Flash blinked blankly at him. When no apology was forthcoming, Elias let out a slight sigh and let the slight pass. “Are either of you seriously hurt?” Conscious thought returned to Night Flash’s eyes, and he shook his head. “Not badly. I just have the arrow wound from earlier and a few little cuts.” “Where?” Book Binder cried out. Her horn sputtered, but she didn’t seem to notice as she began shifting the pegasus’ armor to try and look at the dirty fur underneath. As she began to grow more frantic, Night Flash again wrapped his hooves around her and dragged her in close. He nuzzled her mane, whispering; “Shh… I’m okay Bindey. I’m okay. I’m right here.” The mare tried to squirm free to continue her search for a second, then stopped, again falling into quiet crying as she hugged him tight. Night Flash rested his chin in her mane and hummed softly, rocking her back and forth. His eyes met Elias’. “We’re okay General.” A smile touched his muzzle, and he nuzzled Book Binder again. “Bindey didn’t even get scratched. Got through the whole battle with out ever getting touched.” “If you’re both healthy then I need you on your feet,” Elias said. “Just because night is falling doesn’t mean the day is done. We’ve still got a lot to do.” Night Flash again blinked blankly at him, and this time, Book Binder joined him. Her teary eyes blinked open, and she remained silent, processing his words. Her gaze cut like a knife at his heart as she stared at him in disbelief. “Elias… I…. I don’t know what to say.” “Yes General would probably be a good start,” Elias quipped. “We are all the army has right now, and I need all of my officers at my side, especially you Adiutor. We have orders to write, formations to rearrange-” he waved his hand “-the list goes on. So let’s go. Grief comes later.” That phrase caused Book Binder’s muzzle to curl in anger. “Grief comes later?” she spat. “How can you say something like that? So many ponies died, and-” “And too fucking bad,” Elias cut in. “As a former guardspony and as a soldier, you should understand that duty continues even after the bodies start falling. We don’t stop until the job is done, but please,” Elias nodded toward Night Flash, “do waste time arguing with me and weeping. When your husband dies of an infection, I’m sure you’ll feel so much better.” All the anger drained away from Book Binder’s expression, and she shrank back against Night Flash, again clinging to him tightly. “W-what?” “Infections Adiutor, do I need to explain basic hygiene?” He motioned all around them. “Look at this place! Everyone is filthy with sweat, mud, soot, and worst of all, blood. What happens when someone else’s blood gets in your wounds Adiutor? What happens when he-” Elias pointed a finger at Night Flash “-gets sick because we wasted time with pointless crying instead of cleaning out his injuries? Do we even know he’s telling the truth about his wounds? Do we even know if this camp is a safe place to rest for the night?” “We have walls…” Book Binder noted meekly, her eyes already flicking to Night Flash’s matted fur. “Walls nobody is guarding because my First Centurion is busy sitting on his ass instead of distributing orders,” Elias spat. “Walls that, even if guarded, are worthless, because nobody has put up enough lanterns within them to have clear sight-lines. How do you know the enemy hasn’t slipped into the camp, merely waiting for you to fall asleep before cutting your throat?” Elias looked at all the ponies around them, their attention suddenly focused, and their energy rising with fear. Eyes looked into the shadows of what lights there were. The fear disgusted him, and his voice raised louder with anger. “This is a perfect opportunity for this announcement; I have committed a coup d'état this evening! As far as things are concerned,” he slammed a fist into the non-hurting side of his chest, “I am in control. Lionheart, Shattered Shield, and Dragon-Eye have been arrested for treason, and with General Nightshade injured, there is no one else in command.” Nervous whispers filled the air. “Treason?” “What about General Chaser?” one voice called. “What about the princesses?” another shouted. “Quiet!” Elias bellowed. Silence consumed the air, but was quickly pierced by the sound of the human collapsing to his knees and coughing up fat globs of blood. He gasped and choked his way to stable breathing, then sat back on his heels, relishing the cold night air as it made its way into his lungs. Elias panted at the sky for a moment, then shakily got to his feet, wiping the blood from his chin. “I… will make the full announcement tomorrow morning,” he said as loud as he could manage. “But know that I am in command now, and we will be doing things my way.” He spit on the ground, then looked to Night Flash and Book Binder. “We will start by organizing groups to go to the river to clean up. I want this camp set up properly, I want tent assignments fixed to make sure we don’t have half empty tents, and then I want everyone to start cleaning the blood out of the dirt. Haul back as much water as it takes, but we’re staying here for a few days to recover our strength.” Both Book Binder and Night Flash seemed to recover touches of their professionalism. Book Binder wiped the tears from her eyes, while Night Flash sat a little taller, his ears trained and listening. Elias looked away from the pair, addressing the crowd of ponies at large. “Spread the word, get cleaned up, and get your wounds treated. Work hard, because Princess Luna will be helping prepare dinner tonight. If you all get his camp in grade A condition, I’ll see about getting some cider to pass around. I know you just fought a battle and work is the last thing you want to do, but unless you want to lose more friends, I suggest you snap to it. Disease will kill far more of you if you don’t deal with it first.” He coughed, swaying lightly in place. His vision was beginning to swim. That wasn’t good. “That is all,” he said with finality. “Get working, make sure everyone is taken care. Tomorrow we’ll have plenty of time to work everything else out. Clean, eat, rest. Those are your orders. D- Dismissed.” Elias staggered backwards, his energy spent. As he walked away, he heard Night Flash begin to give orders. It wasn’t quite the firm shouts he was used to, but at least some movement was beginning, especially when Book Binder’s voice joined in. A shadow seemed to appear at Elias’ side, bracing him silently as the human withdrew… he didn’t know where. His pains were beginning to mount… but he had so much to get done. He… He just needed. “General!” Elias closed his eyes, not wanting to look at Book Binder again. He just knew she would be furious, and didn’t want to bear that along with everything else. He didn’t need his heart hurting too. The mare slipped around Elias and his fuzzy little shadow, forcing the pair to stop. Forced to confront her head on, Elias sighed and opened his eyes. He found nothing but pure worry in her eyes, not tainted by anything else. The sight almost made him breakdown. The shadow at his side seemed to notice. “Please be quick Adiutor Binder,” Snowball muttered. “It is not accident that I am in disguise supporting General Bright. He needs to appear strong.” Book Binder didn’t look at the blackened loveling. “Please Elias, let me help you. Night Flash is getting everypony organized for cleaning, guard duty, everything! Let me help you get cleaned up. I know you’re waiting to get medical treatment because there are worse cases, but I can still bandage some things. Please.” Elias snorted, his mind chugging slowly in a haze. “It’s within your job description to assist your general,” he said. “I suppose… this qualifies.” He nodded toward the nearest castra exit, his chest already itching with the next bout of coughing. “T-to the river,” he rasped. “Just… just get me to the river.” > Chapter 61: Mending > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias coughed wetly as Book Binder applied another wet towel to his forehead. His armor largely sat in a bloody heap beside him, ignored as soon as it had unveiled the true extent of damage his body had taken. A dozen small wounds threatened to bleed him dry, and his adiutors had spared no time in getting him medical attention, especially with his continued coughing. He felt too hot, and his short bath in the water barrel Book Binder had stopped him at had only mildly helped. She had insisted he shouldn’t even try for the river in his state, and with how much support he needed, he hadn’t argued at the time, nor had he argued when she had led him to his current seat. So he was sat in the command tent, his upper half bare as Kind Heart stitched his worst cuts shut with her teeth. Like the other healers, her magic had long been exhausted treating the worst cases. Something she continued to admonish him for. “I mean look at this bruising!” Kind Heart snapped. “Along with the coughing, the bloody vomit; General, I can’t do anything for internal damage right now! I won’t be able to do anything for days! You should have had this treated immediately, but your stupid pride made you say something stupid like-” “I’ll survive,” Elias cut in. “I can last a couple days, besides, it’s not too b-” He hissed as Kind Heart pressed on the bruised half of his ribcage. Kind Heart dipped her muzzle into the warm bucket of water beside his chair, rinsing out her mouth. “Yeah, you’ll survive,” she growled as Book Binder readied more stitching thread. “But somepony is going to have to force you to take it easy. You have at minimum two broken ribs, but I can’t tell what else until my magic recharges.” She gently took the needle from Book Binder’s gloved hooves. Snowball braced Elias’ ribs, forcing the human to lean forward so that Kind Heart had easy access to his back. The pink unicorn braced the still-oozing arrow wound with her hooves and got to work, expertly stitching the wound closed with her teeth. She finished quickly, and spat out the bloody needle before returning to the bucket, again rinsing out her mouth. Book Binder began to reach out with a bandage, but Elias waved her away. “Save it, we may need it l-” “Put it on,” Kind Heart growled. “It’s one of the ones we already boiled, so this is already its second use.” She slipped under Elias’ face and snarled at him. “One more word out of you about treatment, and I strap you to a bed and let anypony who wants one get a cuddle, got it? The healing power of cuddles is medically recognized, and I can and will prescribe it as treatment.” Elias opened his mouth to make a snappy reply involving a court martial, only to hiss as Book Binder pressed the bandage against the wound before wrapping it tight. With entry wound already stitched and bandaged, the green unicorn let him sit up, and apologetic look on her face as he lightly massaged his aching shoulder. Kind Heart let out a sigh and pulled the gloves from her hooves, her eyes already looking down. “Alright, we’ll wrap the ribs last. Lose the underwear and shoes. No injury is too small to escape my attention…” “General!” Granite called, bolting into the tent. He paused momentarily to offer a slight bow to Celestia, who reclined on the pillow throne, alone save for a cup of tea and her snoozing “assistant”; the wounded Solar Guard, Wood Cutter. The earth pony cradled her treasured axe in her hooves as she slept, her hind leg twitching whenever the wound on her thigh itched. “What?” Elias grumbled as Kind Heart sensed he wasn’t about to remove his clothes. She began wrapping his ribs tight with torn linen as Granite spoke. “Three minotaurs approached our front gate. Their leader believes he’s here to retrieve our prisoner.” “That’s not technically untrue,” Elias noted. “If by “he” Stone Hoof means his guards. Still, once Healer Kind Heart is finished we’ll go strip him of weapons and let his lackeys take Stone Horn off our hands. It’ll save us some medical supplies if nothing else.” Celestia cleared her throat. “Actually General, I believe I was to be the one who greeted Elder Stone Hoof.” She smiled kindly at him, but was met with his usual frown. “And you will,” Elias said. “Once he’s been isolated from his warriors. I won’t have you exposed to danger for a moment, otherwise all of this suffering has been pointless.” “I believe I am more than capable of walking through a well guarded camp,” Celestia said, rising to her hooves. Wood Cutter snorted awake, rolling to her feet with her axe in her teeth. Finding no danger, the earth pony plopped onto her rump and yawned, blinking sleepily at everyone. Having no trust in the guardspony to follow his orders, Elias looked to Granite. “If Princess Celestia leaves the tent, it is only in full armor and with four guards minimum. She doesn’t leave this tent otherwise.” Gray Granite looked slightly nervous at the order, but he gave Elias a silent nod. Celestia’s happy look turned into a careful frown. “General, this is not-” “You ceded complete control to the generals of this army, and that means me, and me alone,” Elias said, interrupting the alicorn. “At least until someone else turns up at least. Fingers crossed Nightshade is busy getting healed up. I haven’t checked on her yet…” He frowned, his eyes flicking to Book Binder. “Remind me to visit the wounded. Strategist Shield and General Nightshade in particular.” Book Binder gave him a nod, moving to her saddlebags to make a note. Elias let out a hiss as Kind Heart gave his wrap a yank before tying the wrap around his ribs off. The unicorn felt over the bandages with a frown. “That should hold until we can get some dedicated scanning, and healing time. Just try to take it easy, alright?” “Fat chance of that,” Elias said, rocking to his feet. “But thank you for your help Healer.” “Yeah yeah, all part of the title,” she said, watching him carefully for any signs that he was about to collapse. His first step was unsteady, but the second, and then the third held some strength. As he walked from the tent, Elias shrugged his tunic back on, and Snowball, pinned to his side once more, passed him his sword belt. Book Binder was quick to pin herself to his other side, and Granite brought up the rear. They escorted him from the tent, but as the flaps fell away behind him, Elias nudged the pair away. Eyes were already on him, and bandages were enough of a visible weakness. He didn’t know if ponies could see the sweat beginning to stain the portions of his tunic tinted darker red by blood, nor could he tell if their flicking ears could hear his light panting. Elias clutched his sword belt in his left hand, unwilling to stretch his chest to strap the belt on. His other hand supported his broken ribs. A grimace hid the rest of his pain away, and with long, even steps, he merely looked like a man on a mission, with just the slightest evidence of injury. That’s what he hoped anyway. The quartet approached the front gate quickly, and Elias was happy to note that it, along with the main thoroughfare was finally lit with lanterns. It certainly made the camp look more cohesive from the outside. The pair of legionaries stepped to the side at his approach, parting their pila to show Stone Hoof waiting silently with two armored minotaurs at his back. The old bull couldn’t seem to help but sneer ever so slightly, and he crossed his arms. “So the mighty General Bright is not so invincible.” “Neither is Warchief Stone Horn,” Elias responded, letting out a sneer of his own while Stone Hoof’s fell. “I can see where he gets his arrogance from. Let’s see if you’re also stupid enough to talk bigger than you bite.” “I-…” What little energy Stone Hoof had fled and he bowed his head, clasping his hands before him. “Please forgive me General. You are right, arrogance has no place here, especially when your army is the victor.” He swallowed dryly and his eyes raised. “Is my son alive?” “He is,” Gray Granite answered. “A healer wrapped his wounds and left some spare bedding in his cell. He wasn’t using it last time I checked.” “And none of your warriors seek vengeance upon him?” Stone Hoof asked Elias. The human shrugged, suppressing a grunt as his shoulder pulled. “I’m not sure anyone knows that he’s here. A touch of good news to come from today is that he finally shut up after you surrendered.” Stone Hoof’s shoulders sagged. “I see. He is ashamed of me then. I understand.” The minotuar took a long breath and then straightened. “It doesn’t matter. I am Elder Stone Hoof of the Stone Crusher tribe, and I am here to fulfill my oath of yield.” He knelt, then spread his hands, palms up. His muzzle faced the ground as he continued. “I am your prisoner General Elias Bright of the Eagle. I am at your mercy, and ask only that you return my son to these warriors, that he may be healed by a shaman of a different tribe.” “And after that?” Elias asked. “Am I to expect another attack, or perhaps more insults to the princess we are all sworn to keep safe? What assurances am I to have that your word will be kept while you’re in my captivity?” “My son cannot challenge the orders I have given now that he has lost a battle in such a way,” Stone Hoof said, glancing up. “Your… strategies were most effective General Bright, and the scavengers snatched away most of our wounded bulls. The rest will remain with the families as protection, especially given the excuse of an order from a clan elder. Already the army separates, the tribes moving back to their roaming lands to recover. You can trust my word when I say that no further attacks will come from my son’s army. He has no army left.” Elias looked at the pair of armored bulls, who both looked sufficiently disheartened. Enough so to back Stone Hoof’s words at least. “And where will he go once he’s released?” Elias asked. “Home, or to the other warchief to bring a second army to bear?” Stone Hoof remained quiet for a moment too long, and Elias sneered down at him. “I guess that’s answer enough.” Stone Hoof let out a sigh. “I know that his mission will fail General Bright. His brother will not turn from his task, even hearing word of this army’s defeat. You do not need to fear another attack.” “It isn’t about fear. I just don’t want more pointless death,” Elias said. He felt a twinge of disgust at seeing the old bull still on his knees. “Get up.” When Stone Hoof hesitated, Elias reached over and yanked him up by his arm. “Up!” “It is tradition for the loser to-” “I don’t like people bowing to me, in any way,” Elias cut in as the bull stood. “There are few I’d like to see kneeling in the dirt and you aren’t one of them.” “And my son?” Elias snorted, a dark grin spreading across his face. “Best left unsaid what I’d like done to him.” Stone Hoof paled and took a step back from Elias, who’s smile slipped away. He hadn’t said anything that sinister, had he? “General?” Granite whispered. Elias looked to the pony to find him recoiling back in horror. Book Binder and Snowball were in a similar way, recoiling to either side of him. Warmth creeping down his face partially clued him in to why, and a cough that sent a healthy splatter of blood outward confirmed it. At some point, his nose had begun dripping a river of blood, and wiping at his cheek found his good eye performing the same trick. He imagined it was quite a horrifying sight, one red eye, the other a glowing blue. “I know a minor healing spell if you need aid General,” Stone Hoof offered. Elias snorted and tried wiping away the blood from his nose. The only result was painting his palm a lovely crimson. “I’m fine. In case anyone is forgetting, we just fought a battle. A little blood is perfectly normal.” He snorted again and smiled, spraying red down his tunic. “Scalpel probably just forgot to check for concussions since we were in a…” he paused, staring at his bloodied hand as his ears caught up with his tongue. “...rush.” His hand tightened into a fist, clenching away the anger felt at his stupid mistake. He banished all thoughts of the traitorous unicorn, and instead turned toward the camp. “Let’s get this over with Elder. I have too much to do tonight without standing around and gossiping like a pack of old hens.” His metaphor was weak, but he was beginning to sweat, and the blood dripping from his nose wasn’t exactly stopping. Still, his even paces away from the camp entrance brooked no argument, and Stone Hoof, as well as escort of ponies fell in around him. Each looked like they wanted to voice concern for his well-being, even the minotaur, but his scowl forced their worrying into silence. As they made their way through the castra, eyes followed one of two things; the tall minotaur that towered over even the resident taller-than-most-ponies human, or said human, who’s face was leaving a bloody trail through the camp. Gray Granite was forced more than once to ward ponies off, with two of the times forcing him to use a light measure of force to keep ponies from dragging Elias to the healing tent. As soon as the stockade came into view, Stone Hoof rushed forward, alarming the pair of legionaries stationed there. Elias waved them off as Stone Hoof peered between the hastily constructed wood slats of the “cell”. “Stone Horn?” he called. “Are you still alive?” The blanket covered lump that was Stone Horn rolled over just as Elias and the ponies caught up. The younger bull glared at his father. “I wish I wasn’t,” he rasped. “You stole my death from me.” “And gave you a life to live,” Stone Hoof replied. “Now get up. There are two warriors waiting to escort you to camp. Elder Curved Horn is waiting to treat your-” “I can’t walk you stupid cow!” Stone Horn spat. “That filthy coward rat human took my leg!” Elias grinned as the minotaur crawled into the torchlight, showing off the bloody wrappings keeping his stump closed. His snickers drew Stone Horn’s fury, and spittle flew. “You’ll die screaming, begging for a mercy I won’t show! I’ll make today look like the happiest day of your life! I’ll-” Elias glanced at Stone Hoof as the crippled minotaur continued to rant. “I’m sure you’re so proud.” Stone Hoof closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “I was. I hope to be again. Perhaps his brother will mellow him during our parting.” Stone Hoof’s horns glowed, and a blue light settled on Stone Horn. “Sleep,” the elder bull commanded. Stone Horn’s eyes glowed with the spell, and though he tried to resist with a few more mumbled words, he fell silent, drifting away to sleep in the dirt. Stone Hoof let out another sigh as his horns powered down. “Allow me to retrieve my warriors, so that they may carry him away.” “We’ll see about getting you a spare cot,” Elias said as a soft snore filled the air. “Centurion Granite?” “Yes General?” “Escort Elder Stone Hoof to Princess Celestia once his son is gone. Handling the diplomacy will keep her from meddling, or from seeing something horrifying.” Book Binder snorted. “You seem to forget General, she’s thousands of years old. She’s probably seen plenty.” “Evidently not enough,” Elias muttered. “It doesn’t matter. She’s waiting for a diplomatic event, and she’ll get one. I want a report on what’s said. Take care of it Centurion.” Granite gave Elias a nod before trotting toward the main gate, while Stone Hoof gave him a confused look. “I do not understand. You are who I surrendered to. It is with you, and only with you that I will treaty. That is how peace is conducted, between the warriors.” “And we can talk plenty once Celestia has her fill,” Elias said, wiping a bloody tear from his cheek. At least that was beginning to slow. “I’m not a big fan of the political process, but I won’t be some power hungry tyrant, usurping others just because I believe a different way works. The princesses have kept Equestria save for centuries, and will likely still do so after I’m dust. I won the moment, they win the game. Like them, hate them, doesn’t matter. They rule, I’m some alien that’s really good at killing. I’d probably collapse if we switched places.” Elias waved his hand dismissively. “Now go. You’ll probably like her terms far better than you’ll like any from me.” Stone Hoof continued to stare at him in disbelief. “But… it is the way.” “And so is charging headlong into battle like a pack of idiots,” Elias said, rolling his eyes. “So is raiding crappy little caravans for a handful of bits. My gryphon friend told me that gryphon blacksmithing is only rivaled by minotaurs, yet you sell your weapons to the lowest bidder and use them for stupid little squabbles when you could build a kingdom of your own right here.” His tone sharpened, while Stone Hoof’s confusion deepened. “We have no representative from the Keepers. What kingdom could we form against the alicorns, or the gryphon king?” “Whatever kingdom you’d be smart enough to build,” Elias spat. “It doesn’t need to be large, and it doesn’t need to conquer the world. It just needs to be self-sufficient, and strong enough to protect itself.” “General, it’s okay,” Snowball said. “It isn’t!” Elias snapped, turning on the loveling. “If these thick-headed cows had tried thinking things through, we wouldn’t even be here!” Elias motioned at the dark trees all around them. “These woods alone could build you a lumber empire that would make more bits in a year than anyone could raid in a lifetime. It’s not glorious, but neither is acting like glorified thugs, robbing everything with a pulse! I mean really, have the bulls could set up farms, while the other half chop down and replant trees. Boom, you have massive cities funded by selling the excess lumber to Equestria, or the zebra tribes, or whoever else.” His eyes flicked to Stone Hoof. “Suddenly the kingdom you want handed to you on a silver platter is built, and all you need to do is pick a way to rule it. Hell, use the same council you used to go to war. Tribes can still live separately, but meet up whenever a big decision needs to be made.” “It’s so stupidly easy!” Elias shouted. “If anyone just used the piece of meat between their ears…” He trailed off, his energy fading under a new burst of coughing. He rocked back on his heels, only remaining upright because Book Binder slipped behind him to provide balance. When the fit subsided, Elias was beyond tired, and he just shook his head, his thoughts floating about like a thick fog. He fought through the haze, staring at a very shaken looking Stone Hoof. “It doesn’t matter. Talk to Princess Celestia. She likes making plans, maybe she can fix you. I don’t care. I… I need to go visit...” “The wounded,” Snowball finished. “What a great idea. Centurion Granite is back anyway, so let’s go General.” The loveling began to herd him away as Gray Granite approached with the pair of disarmed minotaurs in tow. Elias didn’t fight the loveling’s pull, but after a few steps, he altered their direction. Snowball began to whine in protest, but Elias managed to grunt out; “One more place. Then you can fret over me all you like.” “Let’s make it quick then,” Snowball said. “Where are we going?” “To check on what remains of the Royal Guard,” Elias said. “Might as well deliver the worst of the news tonight so they can focus better tomorrow.” Snowball led him on without further word, letting the human save his breath. Finding the Royal Guard was easy, if not for the standard nature of the castra, then definitely by the sad nature of their block of tents. Fewer than a dozen were set up at odd intervals, and those were draped with bloody piles of armor and crimson-stained cleaning rags. Outside each were visually exhausted clumps of ponies. They were all silent, their eyes downcast, and it was painfully obvious why. Elias counted a little more than forty ponies, all bearing some minor wound or another. Seeing as they had begun the march with at least eight-hundred Royal Guards, the remnants were a sorry sight. The ponies didn’t acknowledge his presence as Snowball helped him limp to the center of their block. Gritting his teeth, Elias braced his ribs and did his best to straighten up as he spoke. “Who’s in charge here?” he asked. The directed words broke the ponies out of their stupor, and they looked among themselves. After a few moments of silence, a familiar stallion rose, his taller-than-usual frame seeing shrunken. He offered a faint grin to Elias. “I guess that’s me General. Lucky Swing is my junior. Also she seems… occupied.”” Elias nodded slowly. “Yeah, there’s a lot of that going around. I’m sure you all have heard…?” “About Chase? Yeah.” Storm Chaser rubbed at his eyes. “Heard you tried to get him out but he dove right back in. Nopony can blame him for that, and if there’s a way we have to go… that was the best ponies like us can hope for. The Royal Guard is for life after all.” Storm Chaser gave a single sniffle before rolling his shoulders and straightening. “But we’re not out General, and we can still fight.” His hoof shot up in a salute. “Captain Storm Chaser, at your-” Elias waved the stallion down. “None of that. We’re all too tired for formality, and you’re not going to be happy saluting me after I say what I have to.” He looked around at the other Royal Guards, who were watching him intently. Elias let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead. “Look, you all performed better than anyone could have expected, but I don’t need the formal counts to know that there aren’t enough of you to fill a full guard detail. Maybe once more of your ponies get out of the healing tent, but for now…” His hand dropped to his side and he looked Storm Chaser in the eye. “You all fought well. You did the right thing, you didn’t run, you fought and bled, and plenty of you died, but now your short of leadership, and quite simply, of bodies. What I am about to order, and yes, this is an order from the only remaining general in the whole army, is going to feel like a stain on your pride as a unit, and as individuals.” Storm Chaser’s eyes narrowed. “But…” “But,” Elias continued, “I’m folding you into my legion. Ours already had the lowest numbers aside from you, and we didn’t lose any officers. We can get you trained up in our style of fighting quickly. I already have to wrangle the Solar and Lunar guards. I need you in a place where you can do the most good under ponies I trust.” He scuffed the dirt with his foot. “I apologize if it feels like I’m demoting you; I know how prestigious it is to be in the Royal Guard, but I assure you-” “Stop,” Storm Chaser interrupted. Perhaps it was because he was tired, but Elias did pause without irritation, prepared to be berated for impugning on their honor. When he met Storm Chaser’s eyes, however, all he found was a smile. The pegasus chuckled at him. “Sweet Celestia General, you were going to give me a heart-attack for a second there. I thought you were benching us.” The other Royal Guards let out a collective chuckle, and they all slowly got to their hooves. Some moved toward their armor while Storm Chaser continued. “Let’s not beat around the bush General Bright. Before we got hammered by those dumb cows, we could see what your ponies were up to, and buck me was that scary.” “I’ll say,” one mare said, slipping her armor over her head. “You guys must’ve taken out a hundred bulls before they even left the trees, and when they got close and you threw those spears…” she shuddered and met Elias’ eye. “Remind me to never pick a fight with you.” “And besides, I’m gonna take a wild guess and assume that you were going to throw us under Ice Blossom?” Storm Chaser asked. Elias gave the pegasus a nod, and his smile brightened a hair. “Then we definitely don’t have any problems. I heard Chase’s little sister joined up with us before she joined up with you. It’s like moving from one Royal Guard to the next.” One of the now fully armored guards tapped Storm Chaser's shoulder, and the pegasus turned. With the mare’s help, he slid on his armor in a second, then turned back to Elias as he plopped on his helmet. “So respectfully General, quit bad mouthing your legion before we join up, ‘cause if you don’t, we’re going to have to beat some more sense into you.” He winked. “Or cuddle it in.” The Royal Guards shared another chuckle as Elias felt a touch of blush on his cheeks. “Quiet,” he grumbled. “Talk like that won’t be tolerated in my command.” Storm Chaser grinned. “Then I guess we’d better shape up, huh General?” He tapped his chest plate, and Elias watched as the black parts of the armor became silver. The other Royal Guardsponies mirrored the action, and within a few seconds, they all bore silver and red. Though the accents were different than standard legion armor, and though the Royal Guardsponies still all had plumes, Elias quite liked the look on them. He smiled tiredly. “That’ll do Guardsponies. We’ll get you back to black and red once more of yours are healed up, but for now… Get your site and selves cleaned up, then get something to eat. Tell Centurion Ice Blossom you fall under her command, but that I want half of every princess guarding detail made up of some of yours. Also tell her to send a few of you to guard and help around the healing tent. Let’s get ponies better, yeah?” The guardsponies snapped to and saluted. “Yes General!” they called. Elias smiled, then hissed as pain lanced through his ribs. Storm Chaser was at his side within a second, helping Snowball keep him upright. The tall blue pegasus smiled and he shepherded the human away as the Royal Guards began cleaning up their area. “Let’s start with you General.” Too tired to fight, Elias nodded and rasped; “Let’s do that.” ***** “There he goes,” Lionheart muttered, his eyes and horn glowing. He watched the slimy human and his false-changeling crony slip into the healing tent, no doubt to inspire more insurrection among the commoners. Already the Royal Guards had shamed themselves, with their remaining captain already dressed in the human’s colors as he trotted away. Lionheart knew why the princesses had sided with the beast of course, they were powerless, and he hadn’t been careful to assure that the human had fallen. So they were stuck behind the monster, kept prisoners by the savagery that had helped him survive the day. It was an abhorrent, unnatural thing, and he wouldn’t stand for it. “What are you doing?” Shattered Shield hissed. “You’re going to get us in more trouble!” Lionheart ignored the unicorn behind him, focused harder on his spell so that he could pierce the walls of the medical tent as well. Rows of bloodied ponies slowly came into view, and he tracked the human as he was walked past them. Blood fell from his mouth, and he saw one of the healers begin setting up an IV bag. Interesting… He hissed as Shattered Shield shoved him from his bed. His spell sputtered away as he rolled over and faced off against the unicorn. “What are you doing?” he growled. “I said stop!” Shattered Shield spat. “We’re already going to be disgraced when we get back to Canterlot because we listened to your stupid plan! Now you want to make it worse? The guards said no magic!” “I don’t care what those low-born rats say,” Lionheart said. “And I won’t let that filthy monkey drag my name through the dirt.” His horn crackled with deadly light as he stomped closer to Shattered Shield, forcing the pony to cower away. “Nor will I let you get in my way from fixing things. Are we clear?” “T-they sided with him…” Shattered Shield whimpered. “They are surrounded by the monkey and the idiot soldiers under his command,” Lionheart said, pressing his horn in Shattered Shield’s face. “Now, are we clear?” The unicorn whimpered as sparks danced across his fur, and he nodded. “Y-yes Duke Lionheart. We’re clear.” Lionheart powered down his horn and smiled, patting the unicorn on the head. “Good. Stay beside me Shattered Shield. I will not allow us to fall into the dark because of a murderous little monkey. You’d do well to remember that I am our only hope out of this mess.” He turned, leaving the other sniffling unicorn on the floor of their tent. ***** Elias flopped into the chair at Scarlet’s bedside, and immediately felt his eyes begin to drift closed. A hoof slapped his cheek lightly. “Uh uh,” Kind Heart said softly. “Eyes open General. You’re not allowed to pass out until we get some fluids in you.” Elias moaned softly, but opened his eyes, glaring at his first target, which was unfortunately a rather sweet scene. Bloody Bandage sat at Scarlet’s bedside, rubbing one of the few feathery patches left on his broken wing with one hoof, while the other held up a book in the shielded lamplight. The unicorn’s horn sputtered slightly as she looked the human’s way, offering him a tired smile. “You can join us if you’d like General. Strategist Shield here was showing signs of a concussion, so he’s not allowed to sleep tonight.” Scarlet rolled ever so slightly, and he smiled at Elias. “Back again? I’ve got room in my bed if you want.” Elias waved him down before the pegasus could begin scooting over. “I’m fine Strategist. I don’t intend to be here long-” He choked as Kind Heart touched her hooves to his ribs. His lungs clenched up, and blackness consumed his vision for a few moments. Eventually he was able to gasp in some air again, prompting a blood-filled hacking fit. “It’s clearly internal damage, but I can’t do anything without my magic,” Kind Heart said with a sigh. “What do you think Healer? I say give him as much fluids as he can take until somepony with a working horn can give us an actual diagnosis.” Bloody Bandage nodded slowly. “That’s really all we can do right now. Try to avoid giving him blood right now though. Just because he didn’t die from receiving pony blood infusions before doesn’t mean we need to test our luck. Otherwise, just leave him with me. I’ll make sure he stays awake for awhile while we pump him up.” Elias let out a soft groan and stared at the ceiling. “This all really isn’t necessary, I-” Kind Heart began unpackaging a needle, while Snowball dragged over a bucket of water and a towel. After a quick cleaning a needle found its way into his arm, and an IV bag hanged from the stand beside him. Scarlet chuckled and flopped back down, completely facing Bloody Bandage. “Go on, the next part is great!” he whispered. The unicorn sighed and flipped forward a few pages. “Are you sure? This stuff doesn’t seem that entertaining…” “What are you reading?” Elias mumbled, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. Snowball nudged his knee silently, offering a canteen of water. Elias accepted it and sipped as Bloody Bandage answered. “Scarlet Shield’s Drafted History of Human Warfare and Tactics, as Detailed by the Human; Elias Bright.” The unicorn rubbed the bridge of her muzzle. “You’d think this would be more action packed, but honestly, it just sounds like lots of talking about supplies and walking.” Elias snorted. “What do you think planning this march was like? If not for all that talking about supplies, we would have run dry of medical supplies far faster than we would have run out of magic.” His eyes shifted toward Scarlet, who was pointedly remaining on his side. “That being said, since when did you start writing a book Scarlet? I thought you were just taking notes for personal use.” “I was!” the pegasus said. “There was just so much that I couldn’t help but start organizing it into an actual book. Can you imagine if I got this published? You’d be known as one of the best strategists ever!” His hooves milled slightly on the bed in excitement. “Especially with the additions I have to put in from today. Now that I’ve seen how some of these formations work in real life, I can describe them properly so that in the future, we can train to make them more efficient! Can you imagine enemies being so afraid of advanced tactics that they never even charge? With all of your advancements in ranged warfare, we’d never lose another pony!” Elias didn’t have it in his heart to tell the crimson pegasus how wrong he was, even if his heart was in the right place. War bred innovation, and even as they improved, so too would those they fought. Bloody Bandage pressed Scarlet’s muzzle with a hoof, and though her words were reprimanding, her smile was anything but. “Quiet you, ponies are trying to sleep.” “Sorry,” Scarlet said with a soft squeak. “There’s just so much possibility! As soon as someone is free, I want to get this stuff written down. There’s so much we can learn from today, and I don’t want any of it wasted.” Elias leaned back and yawned, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. Cracking his bad eye open found Snowball still standing there, an unspoken question in his tail waggle. Elias sighed and re-closed the eye. “If I fall asleep and die because you’re too warm, you’re under orders to inform Adiutor Binder and First Centurion Night Flash personally, so that they can bludgeon you to death.” “Or I disguise myself as you and take your place, playing into their cuddly intentions until the end of my days,” Snowball teased. His body disappeared in a whirl of blue flame… only to appear exactly the same. The loveling looked down at himself and grunted in surprise. “Huh. That’s odd.” “Oh let me guess,” Elias said. “You can’t change into me because I don’t have enough magic for you to mimic?” “Very good General!” Snowball praised. “I had no idea you were so well versed in loveling physiology!” Elias’ bad eye cracked open again and he glared at the loveling. “I’m not, I just thought of the dumbest reason possible and said it. It’s not my fault magic makes no sense.” Snowball scoffed and crawled into the human’s lap, reaching out to drag his good hand onto his head. The loveling purred as Elias began scratching softly between his ears. “Mmm, maybe it just doesn’t make sense from the outside looking in, but trust me, magic works just fine…” Elias sighed and glanced toward Bloody Bandage. “Have anything else to read? Hearing my own lectures repeated back to me is going to put me to sleep faster than anything.” Bloody Bandage pumped her hoof slightly and dropped Scarlet’s book, quickly diving into the saddlebags at her hooves. “Let’s see, Scarlet has a few more Equestrian history books here, or we have Daring Do!” Her head poked back out. “I’ve heard rumor about how much you like Daring Do, General.” “Are you going to do all the voices?” Elias asked. Bloody Bandage cocked her head. “Voices?” “History books it is,” Elias said. “Hopefully Scarlet didn’t pick something boring.” He leaned back and faced away from the unicorn as she drew out a thick history book. The tent was fairly dark, and Snowball was beginning to doze, so it was easy to hide his intentions and fall into a dreamless sleep. > Chapter 62: Report > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias snorted awake as someone prodded at his knee. Jolted by the human’s sudden burst of movement, Snowball startled awake as well and rolled in a wiggling ball from Elias’ lap, inspiring giggle from their sleep disturbing assailant. While the dazed and still sleepy loveling picked himself up off the ground, Elias cast his eyes on the sleep disturber, finding it to be Kind Heart. The unicorn smiled as he glared at her. “None of that General,” she teased. “You weren’t supposed to be sleeping anyway.” “He wasn’t hurting anyone,” Snowball grumbled, climbing back into Elias’ lap. As the loveling settled in, Elias rubbed at his eyes. “What time is it?” “It’s a little after three,” Kind Heart replied, “but I found somepony with the magic to diagnose your injuries, so I figured you’d want that taken care of as soon as possible.” Elias nodded and yawned. “Fine, fine. Who?” His mind snapped to full readiness as Steel Scalpel trotted into the shielded lamplight with a soft smile on his muzzle. “Good morning Elias.” He reached out a hoof, but stopped as he bore the full brunt of Elias’ glare. Said glare quickly shifted to Kind Heart. “Find someone else. I can wait.” Scalpel let out a slight sigh, and his hoof fell. His horn charged, with a soft yellow light settling on Elias’ chest. “One broken rib, three cracked ribs, and swelling throughout the chest, not to mention that the broken rib is pushing on your lungs.” Elias glowered as the magic shifted up to his neck. “There’s some swelling in your throat,” Scalpel continued. “I’m assuming that’s caused by coughing. There’s also a few minor tears causing all of the fluids, likely caused by those strangle wounds…” Scalpel’s horn powered down and he met Elias’ eyes. “That’s just what’s inside. You have plenty of bruising, and several quite serious cuts-” “Enough,” Elias rasped. “I know that I’m hurt, but I’m not in any immediate danger of death. I can wait for someone else to heal me.” A pained, but slightly irritated look entered Scalpel’s eyes. “Elias, we are both mature enough to separate personal issues from professional-” “Clearly not all of us are,” Elias said. “You apparently didn’t trust me enough personally to let me know that you would be professionally joining this little venture. You’d think the stallion that wrote ‘trust issues’ in my personnel file would understand how that would negatively impact our friendship.” Scalpel flinched. “Who did you review that file with? I’m your primary-” “Nothing,” Elias hissed. “I said it before, and I meant it. You’re nothing to me, and I don’t need your help, professionally or otherwise.” Emotions warred in Scalpel’s eyes, and he eventually managed to say; “So you’re willing to suffer and potentially die for the sake of pride?” Elias’ lips curled into a snarl. “Is that what you think this is about?” he growled. “You think this is about pride?” “It is!” Scalpel said with a hoof stamp. “I can understand your feelings before the march, and if you want an apology, I will shamelessly provide one, but look at me!” He motioned at his clean, un-scarred body. “There isn’t a scratch on me! I know you can see that, so the only reason you’re still angry is because you can’t admit that you’re wrong!” Kind Heart swatted Steel Scalpel’s head with the clipboard that had been attached to Scarlet’s bed, saving Elias from addressing the yellow unicorn’s words. As Scalpel rubbed the back of his head, the mare got in his face. “That’s enough!” she whispered. “I brought you here to diagnose and maybe heal General Bright, not air your dirty laundry. Ponies are trying to sleep.” Scalpel glanced sheepishly around before mumbling out an apology. “Sorry.” Kind Heart pushed him toward the tent exit. “Shush. Less noise, more making yourself useful. Since General Bright has elected to wait for care, you can go use that magic on some of our lesser cases. The less ponies here, the less chance to spread disease and infection. Now shoo.” Looking much akin to a beaten dog, Scalpel drooped and drudged quietly down the row of beds before exiting the tent. Kind Heart set the clipboard back on the end of Scarlet’s bed before looking to Elias. “You should have just sucked it up and let him heal you,” she said, swapping out his IV bag. “I know you two are going through a rough patch right now, but you’re not helpful when you’re spitting up blood everywhere.” “Leave me alone,” Elias growled. “It isn’t that hard to find another healer again. I already pushed away one friend.” Kind Heart snorted. “Bold of you to assume that we’re friends General, but I like your attitude. Since we’re friends, you can forgive me for being frank, and I will forgive you for causing that poor stallion to break his leg and then stand on it in training.” “I made him stand to prove his loyalty,” Elias said, “And don’t try to change the subject.” Kind Heart grinned at him. “I’m the healer here, and I say that the subject is changed. Now, would General Bright like to rest for a few more hours, or does he want to keep pouting, because I’m one of the lead healers in here, and I don’t like pouting ponies in my tent.” Elias continued to scowl at her for a moment, then let out a defeated sigh. “Thank you Healer. I would like to sleep more.” “Good,” Kind Heart said. “Now go ahead and snooze some more while I change out your, and Scarlet Shield’s IV bags. Adiutor, could you please resume your position? Believe it or not, we’re short of clean blankets, and you’re making it so we don’t have to give General Bright one.” The loveling chittered with delight. “I can do a blanket!” A flash of blue passed over the loveling, and he morphed into an extra large, and extra fluffy bat-pony. Elias grunted as the loveling’s fluff met his face, but he relaxed as leathery wings embraced him, keeping him nice and warm. Hooves wrapped around his neck and Snowball snuggled in happily. “Nice and warm,” he purred, mirroring Elias’ thoughts. “Just as the doctor ordered.” “Tell anyone and I spike your food,” Elias grumbled, unable to hug the bug-pony back with his stabbed arm. He didn’t know why, but the fact that he couldn’t return the all-embracing cuddle vexed him. He ignored it as Kind Heart let out a slight chuckle. “Good job Adiutor. General, you have until the bag is empty to nap, then we’re getting started with the nasty bits of the day, so you probably want to leave until tonight. I’ll try to save some magic to get you feeling better then, okay?” “I can wait if it means one more pony is closer to being healthy,” Elias mumbled, his mouth filled with fur as soon as it was open. “I’ll keep that in mind,” Kind Heart said, her voice already beginning to fade in the face of a tide of warm, embracing rest. ***** Lionheart wiped the sweat from his brow, and cursed the clear day above. The stupid weather pegasi had reported that the march would largely be cloudy, but that was apparently not the case. While a bright change in weather normally wouldn’t be an issue, the human and his lackeys controlled the camp, and that meant no shelter in a nice, enchanted tent. The unicorn paused his work digging a waste trench and glared as said human came limping from the medical tent. He was still dirty with the previous day’s filth, but that wasn’t too surprising. The beast likely had caretakers that forced him into baths. Mere weeks away from Canterlot and the creature’s hair lengthened. No doubt that he would look like a true ape by the end of the march. If he made it that far at least. Lionheart hissed as an armored hoof shoved into his shoulder. He whirled on the pony that dared lay hoof on him and found one of the human’s lackeys. The tall gray earth pony’s eyes narrowed and flicked up to where the human was limping toward the command tent, joined by a freshly cleaned green mare and a blue pegasus. The earth pony smiled at the trio, then sneered at Lionheart. “Don’t get mad at General Bright for calling you out. You’re just lucky the princesses were there. He might’ve killed you if they hadn’t been.” Lionheart snarled. “Don’t threaten me whelp. I am more than aware of what that creature is capable of. It was my son he beat into a bloody pulp, and while that little newt deserved the lashing he got for getting caught, it doesn’t excuse that ape’s lack of punishment!” The earth pony raised an eyebrow. “You’re not a very good father.” Lionheart stamped a hoof and brandished his shovel. “Don’t pretend to educate me on parenthood! If his weak-willed mother hadn’t-” Lionheart felt his magic slip off of the shovel handle, then felt the wood sweep beneath his feet. He hit the ground with a grunt, then shrank away as the earth pony towered over him. “There goes shovel privileges. Legionnaire!” the earth pony called at a passing pony. “Go put this away would you? The traitor decided he wants to dig with his hooves!” Lionheart was surprised to see a look of discomfort on the passing pony’s face, but she trotted over and took the shovel from the earth pony. “Okay Centurion,” she said, “but could you maybe keep the ‘T’ word down? I don’t think General Bright wants everypony knowing about that until he’s officially said something.” The earth pony paused in thought for a second, then nodded in agreement. He seemed to shrink. “You’re probably right, good point Legionnaire. You, uh, won’t tell him I said that so loud, will you?” The mare’s discomfort broke and she grinned. “Centurion Granite, are you trying to contest First Centurion Night Flash’s spot as General Bright’s best friend?” Gray Granite let out a snort. “No!” he said, all too loud. His voice immediately dropped. “I mean, yes. No. Just, shush! Rumor is that Night Flash is going to be his dad anyway, so it’s between me and Scarlet who his best friend gets to be, and I spend more time with him!” The mare chuckled, swinging the shovel between her wings. “I don’t know Centurion, General Bright did sleep next to Strategist Shield in the healing tent last night. Who knows what kind of best friend things they got up to…” As the earth pony sputtered at the thought of his petty relationship with the human, Lionheart tucked away that interesting tidbit of information. He was well versed in medical ward procedure; it was part of the pre-march briefing after all. If the human had spent the night in the tent, but had been allowed to leave in the morning, it had to be because he had some sort of condition that required observation, but not so severe that he needed a bed to himself. Standard procedure was the use of injected fluids on ponies under observation to keep hydration, and if the human was still limping in the morning, clearly he would visit again. The unicorn’s eyes shifted to the tightly packed supply wagons. He knew a few useful spells. A few well cast attraction charms and he could arrange certain meddled with fluid pouches to end up in a certain human’s veins. His planning was interrupted when the earth pony nudged him with a hoof. He glared up to find the earth pony staring at him once more with narrowed eyes. The mare was nowhere to be seen. “Are you going to spend all day in the dirt, or are you going to get back to digging?” Lionheart was in a no-win situation, so he silently got to his feet and dusted off his front. “I will dig,” he said, meeting the stallion’s eyes. Gray Granite snorted and nodded toward the half-dug trench. “Then get at it, and watch your hooves. There’s rocks, and if you hurt yourself, you’re walking to the healing tent.” He continued staring, forcing Lionheart to let out a sigh and begin muddying his hooves in the dirt. After watching for a few more seconds to ensure the unicorn stayed on task, Granite turned to the rest of the detail, quickly bellowing; “Damnit Short Staffed, we learned this in training! You dig with the other end, come on!” Lionheart kept digging as the earth pony scolded his fellow, but his eyes drifted back to the wagons. He needed to get in and out before dark… ***** Elias glowered, his eyes focused on the maps laid out on the planning table. What breakfast he had eaten weighed like a leaden stone in his gut as Book Binder continued to read the casualty reports. “In terms of officer deaths, Midnight Chaser, Everfree, and Starry Skies are the only fatalities among the generals, with General Nightshade making a partial-recovery as of this morning, while the solar generals-” “Have been relieved of command,” Celestia whispered. Book Binder nodded, not looking up from her packet of papers. “That leaves General Bright as the only standing general. The captains fared a little better, with only Solar Comet being a fatality, while Brisk Day is walking wounded and should be fully healed by the end of today. Lunar captains’ Specter and Violet Blossom are alive, but will need constant treatment for weeks. For the records, I have listed them as medical-exempt from combat with intent to discharge. Captain Specter had both wings amputated, as well as a leg, while Violet Blossom has a skull fracture that dislodged her horn’s base. The healers are working hard, but…” “Less details please,” Elias said, closing his eyes, doing his best not to picture the injuries. “Just the numbers are horrifying enough Adiutor.” Book Binder rubbed at her nose with a hoof. “Sorry General. Reading what I recorded… calms me somewhat.” Taking a breath to keep her composure, she continued. “Captains’ Palisade, Lucky Swing, Brisk Day, and Storm Chaser all reported for duty at commanded at seven sharp. I didn’t include any of the lead healers, for obvious reasons.” “Good call, leave them alone until they want to be involved,” Elias said, scratching at his forehead. “They have enough on their plate as it is.” The alicorns looked far more horrified than he did, and they weren’t at the total tally yet. While he did appreciate them finally taking things as serious as he was, he couldn’t help but want to give them each a hug. Luna and Celestia were sitting side by side, their wings wrapped tight around each other and their heads lowered. Tears matted their fur, and their hooves sat idle, the packet copies they had been given long pushed away, as if delaying the news would somehow make it better. Cadence was in a far worse state. She clung to her injured maid, sobbing softly as she hugged the mare protectively in her wings. Soft Touch cooed softly in the pink princess’s ear, offering words of comfort as she tried to avoid contact with her amputated stump. “I thought so too.” Book Binder said, finally glancing up to give him a surprising smile, “especially since Healer Bloody Bandage has been really focused on healing Scarlet. I figured one representative from each guard branch was good enough. We can always fill everyone in later.” Elias nodded in agreement, rubbing his eyes. Despite actually having had a night of sleep, he was dead tired. The dark mood of the casualty report wasn’t helping. “Fine,” he said. “Keeping going.” Book Binder cleared her throat. “In terms of big numbers, we officially started this march with approximately ten-thousand-and-six-hundred registered guardponies. That is five-thousand Solar Guards, four-thousand-five-hundred Lunar, eight-hundred Royal, and three-thousand legionaries. The Solar Guard reports over seven-hundred fatalities,” her eyes flicked up to Elias, “with the cause given being the artificial rout. Wounded is approximately double.” The room grew slightly warmer, and everyone looked to Celestia to find her tears steaming away. Her magenta eyes flicked up to Elias, and she bared her teeth. “Say nothing General. They will pay, once all evidence is collected.” “I’m not the guy to say ‘I told you so’,” Elias said. “And even if I was, I don’t need to say it. I have control of your army now. I don’t need to feign power over you.” Snowball prodded his knee and offered a canteen of water, as well as a slightly pleading look, obviously wanting him to keep the peace. Damn manipulative bug pony. “Regardless, we aren’t enemies here Princess. I do my job because it benefits me and mine. As long as you don’t try to challenge that, we don’t have issues.” His eyes flicked up to meet hers. “But once a guilty verdict has been found, I will be sentencing them in accordance with Equestrian military code, no matter how ancient. Rest assured, they will pay the right way.” Celestia continued staring at him for a moment, then nodded in agreement. “Good.” She slumped again, and the room cooled. “Please continue Adiutor Binder. I wish to hear the rest of the butchers bill I have wrought.” “We,” Luna corrected. “But yes, please continue Adiutor.” “The Lunar Guard suffered similar numbers to the Solar Guard,” the green unicorn continued. “eight-hundred dead, another thousand wounded seriously. Again the cause given is the chaos of the rout. In terms of legion casualties, we got off light.” She scuffed the ground with her foreleg nervously, then swallowed and continued. “In terms of fatalities, we report only seventeen-” “WHAT?” Celestia bellowed. She immediately shrank, her voice dying to little more than a whisper as harsh eyes focused on her. “Apologies,” she mumbled. “I do not mean to be negative about such an amazing, and beautiful statistic.” She looked to Elias. “General, you are to be commended for keeping your ponies safe, and I can in no words express how grateful I am that so many ponies in your legion survived, but I ask only, how? How is it your legion took so little harm when my sister and I’s forces were so brutalized? It is impossible to believe the centuries of experience did so little to protect our guards. To protect my guards.” “Tia, it is alright,” Luna started. “It is not!” the white alicorn snapped. “I was here Luna! I watched over Equestria for one thousand years, only to find that I can’t even protect the ponies that I call to arms. It is failure of the highest sort and I refuse to be complacent in my ignorance!” She looked back to Elias. “So please General, explain to me, in detail, how badly I have mismanaged my guards. I wish to understand, and you seem uniquely qualified today.” “Harsh training brooks little weakness, and I spared not even a penny of the funding you gave me,” Elias replied. “My ponies are fresh volunteers, most of whom had no experience as guards. As such, the important distinction I can make is that they aren’t guards, they’re soldiers. I trained them to kill as a unit, and then threw in a healthy dose of human war-capability. Yes, you have personally ruled Equestria for over a thousand years, but humans were killing each other for millennia more than that. As I have said before, we are exceptional at the art of war. We thrive on it, progress because of it. Human civilization lived, grew, and then died on war, and frankly, I’m just better at this than you.” He shrugged, shifting to sit more upright. “You’re a princess, a ruler. Yes you may fight the occasional battle, and yes you have a heavy hoof in things when it comes to conflict, but you are, bare-bones, a ruler. I, on the other hand, am a killer. I kill. I am very good at killing,” his eyes took on a savage glean, “because frankly I am willing to do far more to win. I will cheat, lie, murder, antagonize, intimidate, torture…” he chuckled, staring at the ground. “I got very good at torture. If I ever had a special talent, that’d probably be a very good qualifier...” He paused, realizing his words, his tone. His smile faded, and he rubbed at his bad eye, trying to ignore the worried and afraid eyes staring at him. “But I’m willing to dip my hands into the nastiest muck to pull a victory, which isn’t to say there are things I wouldn’t do that I’m sure you would.” “Such as?” “I’m big on self-sacrifice. I will take as many cuts as it takes to prevent those I care about getting hurt. While you are the same on occasion, you are far more willing to sacrifice others.” Celestia bristled and spoke through gritted teeth. “And how exactly do I do that?” Elias’ eyes flicked up. “You have guards, don’t you? Immortal alicorn, and you have an army of guards. Right now it makes sense, but usually? I could understand a border guard force, but yours stay in the castle, exclusively. Yeah, there’s a point, but let’s be realistic, you could slaughter any assassin you so choose if history is to be believed.” She continued to glare at him, leading Elias to sigh and resume rubbing his eyes. They ached something fierce. “If you don’t want the truth, don’t ask me,” he said. “But quit acting like it’s a weakness. You have to be willing to sacrifice others to rule, otherwise you’re not going to survive as a ruler. It’s why I avoid leadership like a plague.” Celestia continued her death glower, leading Luna to speak up. “Let’s get back to the materialistic aspects of your success General, for while interesting, I doubt that philosophies on leadership strategies are wholly responsible for your success in keeping your ponies safe.” “Fine,” Elias sighed. “I believe I was talking about human war strategy last? Well, the greatest evolution in combat was the use of ranged projectiles. Everyone learned to throw rocks and spears in some way, but two groups really pioneered expansion beyond the bow; the Romans, and the various steppe peoples of the same era. The culture my legion emulates used artillery, javelins, and later in the empire’s history, archers, all in combination with heavily armored infantry; the idea being that the ranged soldiers wear the enemy thin so that the infantry can deliver the killing blow. You do something similar with magic, but it’s not organized, and it’s pitifully under powered, as well as un-supported. Your guards wear what can be best described as ‘medium’ armor but is in truth just very poorly designed heavy armor. I have no doubt that the use of massed projectiles spared many of my ponies from meeting an early death, and thick, well-covering heavy armor no doubt helped the rest.” “And if I may add,” Book Binder said, glancing to Elias for permission. “Our fatalities are low, but our wounded number is far higher, with nearly nineteen-hundred wounded. We were also only able to recover two-thirds of our used ammunition, and some of our artillery was beyond repair and so destroyed. We aren’t exactly ready to go hoof-to-hoof with another army any time soon.” Elias motioned to the unicorn with a hand, meeting Celestia’s eyes. “See? If it’s any comfort to you, my legion got hit just as hard, they just managed to cling to life. Personally, I’m glad for it. You have to be alive to be in pain, and pain is treatable.” Celestia’s glare slipped away, and she shrank in her seat. “As am I General. I just… I know it is no comfort to you, but I wish that I had given you more responsibility. How many could have been saved had you commanded the entire army from the beginning?” She wiped at her eyes with a hoof. “I am a fool.” Elias decidedly did not like watching the white alicorn failing to hide her tears. He looked toward Book Binder as Luna offered her sister an embracing wing. “Please tell me we’re done so we can work on strategies for healing the wounded.” The green mare let out a sigh and turned a page, shaking her head. “Just one more, our worst hit group. The Royal Guard only has fifty-seven able ponies, with two-hundred wounded. In total, we lost just over two-thousand ponies, with almost three-thousand wounded.” “Five and a half thousand,” Elias said. “We’re resting for two days. How many can get healed up in that time?” Book Binder shrugged. “If the healers only focused on the easiest cases, probably three-hundred today, and half-that tomorrow, but that’s also going to drive up our fatalities. Healer Bandage says everypony is stable right now, but if we focus healers elsewhere…” “So three hundred across two days if we’re lucky,” Elias said. “Can the worst cases be stabilized for wagon transport? Staying in one spot invites attack, no matter what Elder Stone Hoof said. Getting to Saddle Arabia gets the portal open, which gets us access to more healers.” “I’ll go talk with Healer Bandage,” Book Binder said. “We’ll make sure everypony is ready to move in two days.” “Get on it, then start getting armor repaired and cleaned. Most ponies are sitting around worrying about their friends. Work will keep them busy.” The green unicorn gave him a nod before turning to depart. Before she left, she paused, and shrank in place. “Something wrong Adiutor?” The mare again scuffed the ground with her hoof, then let out a sigh before turning and straightening. “I know there’s a lot that needs done General, but can Night Flash and I have some time off this afternoon to visit Scarlet in the healing tent? We haven’t gone to see him yet.” “No,” Elias responded, causing the mare to again shrink, this time with a touch of disbelief. The human grinned and shook his head. “Because I refuse to do the paperwork needed to account for docked hours. You will go visit Strategist Shield with First Centurion Flash while on duty. If you stay longer than an hour, just help around the tent, get things organized and clean. Consider the mission improving morale if it makes you feel better.” Relief bled off the mare as she again straightened, her muzzle brightening with a smile. “Thank you General.” She let out a nervous chuckle. “You kind of scared me for a second.” “Good, I should be scary. Now git. Morale needs improved.” Book Binder rolled her eyes while offering him a salute before exiting the tent. Elias let out a long breath as she went, then, bracing his ribs, he rolled to his feet. He braced against the map table and squinted at the carefully made plan they had discussed ad nauseam for weeks. So many changes had been made for nonsensical reasons like pride, or simply because his “fellows” didn’t believe in his ability to strategize a proper march schedule. ‘You’re pushing them too hard.’ ‘We should carry every amenity.’ ‘What if zebras attack? ‘What if changelings attack?’ What if, what if, what if… It had infuriated him at the time, but luckily, he now had the ability to circumvent all of that. “General?” Celestia called, her tone soft and as non-confrontational as he had ever heard. Elias looked up to the alicorn. “Yes Princess?” She sat as tall as she could, doing her best to seem strong despite the streaks in the fur around her eyes. “As with last night, we can again be useful in ‘improving morale’ as you said, but I would like your thoughts on what would help our ponies the most.” Elias stared blankly at the ground for a moment, then as an idea popped into his head, he looked back up. “You won’t like my answer.” “I already don’t like many things about today. If being uncomfortable eases some of the other negative things, I will endure,” Celestia said, her jaw set. “Get dirty then,” Elias said. “The healers started today changing bandages, and they could use help cleaning all of those, as well as the tent itself. Make sure to cover up so you don’t get sick, but get in there. Get nice and dirty where everyone can see. It’ll show them you care as much as you claim.” Celestia’s eyes flashed with irritation. “I do not act General.” “And getting dirty will prove it, because right now Princess Celestia is still pristine and white as a sheet while ‘General Bright’ looks like he’s two steps from the morgue,” Elias said. “One of us looks like he slogged through a battle and has worked constantly after, taking no care for himself, while the other looks pure and pristine, staying aloof of it all in her nice safe tent. It’s not true, but-” “Appearances are important,” Celestia finished. “Exactly,” Elias agreed. “Put some sweat into your caring.” Celestia nodded, remaining silent for a moment before she smiled. “Thank you General, you are very wise.” Luna snorted and rose from her seat, whispering something to Cadance and Soft Touch before stalking down the pillow throne, her head held high. Her eyes glinted as she met Elias’ gaze. “Wise though he may be, General Bright has evidently forgotten what a bath is, and I would ask that he see to his own care some time today. Being covered in blood isn’t healthy.” Her nose wrinkled. “Also he stinks.” Elias wanted to roll his eyes and say something about the alicorn being over-dramatic, but a glance down found the words warranted. Aside from the clean spot on his arm, he was still covered in blood. His nosebleed from the previous night had never been cleaned up after, and had stained his already filthy tunic with yet more crimson. He could feel crust built up between the patches of stubble on his chin, and his tongue still tasted slight flecks of iron. Still, he had so much to do, and he couldn’t help but look back to the map, his mind racing with updated marching and battle formations. “Later Princess. I’ll get there.” “Of course General, but see to it, or we might be cleaning you instead of bandages.” Her words ended with a playful wink and a smile. Elias smiled in return and shook his head. “Don’t get too dirty Princess. You might end up in the mud with me.” He winced slightly at his own words, blunt and way too exposed, but Luna seemed delighted. She beamed and swept Celestia along with her wing, the pair talking about where to find some protective wear for their task. Cadance too rose from her throne, but as Soft Touch escorted her out of the rear of the tent, she shot Elias a curious look. She looked like she wanted to question him, but she was gone before any questions could rise. That left him alone with Snowball. The loveling smacked his lips and purred, nuzzling Elias’ hip. “You’re going to be such a good donator. Should I go draw a bath for you General? Princess Luna would be happy…” Without the beautiful blue alicorn nearby, Elias found his mind shifting to focus purely on the mission at hand. “Later,” he said. “Right now I need all of the guard captains, as many of our officers as can be spared, and Elder Stone Hoof. I still need to ‘treaty’ with him.” “Have you even read the report on what he and Princess Celestia talked about?” “No,” Elias admitted, “but it’s on my to-do list. I can read while you get everyone. And get a quill and some parchment too. I need someone taking a record.” Snowball sighed and again rubbed Elias’ hip. “You’re not going to rest even a little, are you?” Elias smiled, his silence more than an answer. ***** “This is wrong,” Shattered Shield whispered, his eyes flicking nervously around the dark wagon. Lionheart ignored the stallion, focusing on the sealed crate beneath his hooves. With the earth pony needed in the command tent, he, Dragon-Eye, and Shattered Shield had been escorted back to their tent. Some stuffed pillows under his blanket and one shared cloak of invisibility later, he and Shattered Shield were hoof deep in the medical supplies. Lionheart squinted as magic trickled from his horn into the blood bag. Too much magic would prove fatal to ponies, but just enough should kill the human if word about his magic-less state were to be believed. “Did you hear me?” Shattered Shield said, grabbing Lionheart’s shoulder. “I said this is wrong! We shouldn’t be in here.” Lionheart turned on the unicorn, snarling as his magic continued feeding the blood bag. “Shut up,” he hissed. “If you keep interrupting me, I’m going to report that you were the one sabotaging medical supplies.” Shattered Shield recoiled. “T-they wouldn’t believe that. Y-you don’t have witnesses.” “Do you really think Dragon-Eye is going to back you?” Lionheart snapped. “He’s an idiot that will do whatever I tell him to! I don’t need to keep him in line, because he falls in naturally. You, on the other hoof, are starting to become more of a nuisance than a help!” Shattered Shield tried to puff up. “You seem to forget that I’m the one who vouched for you when Princess Luna was helping her sister pick out generals. I was a deciding vote.” Lionheart’s lip curled, but he had to give it to his fellow unicorn, that was true. Then again… “And look where that vote has gotten us,” he snarled. “Creeping around like a changeling because you couldn’t dissuade Princess Celestia from using that stupid human! Now shut up while I fix your mistake.” He turned back around to find the blood bag glowing with perhaps a little bit too much magic. He briefly considered poking a hole in it to let the blood drain away, then decided against it. Most ponies would be strong enough to handle the slight supercharge, and if they didn’t, they weren’t going to survive much longer anyway. He lowered the bag back into the crate and began charging the next one. “You’d better make sure nopony gets hurt,” Shattered Shield muttered. “At worst it’ll give any ponies minor heart palpitations and this spell isn’t infectious, at least according to the book I found it in,” Lionheart said. “Now do your job and keep watch or we’re going to get caught! This needs to look natural, or we will never escape the prison that human has thrown us in! We can’t overpower his lies if he’s still whispering them in the princesses’ ears!” Shattered Shield turned around, keeping an eye on the small hole in the wagon covering. As Lionheart set aside another bag, he heard the unicorn mutter something he could just barely here, something he refused to even consider given all the human had done. “But he hasn’t lied so far.” Lionheart didn’t pause in his task, only baring the comment a mental scoff. ‘He hasn’t lied’. The human’s very existence was a lie, his every move a falsehood, a fluke! It was the same situation as Celestia’s little pet student. An insignificant noble house producing a magical powerhouse of that caliber was unheard of, and he knew that only some kind of direct intervention from the solar princess had let the little snot reclaim the Elements of Harmony. It was another tactically brilliant move from a beautiful princess tainted by some little bug nobody had ever heard of, and now Luna was forced to stoop to far worse. The ugly monkey had been molded for greatness. But that was all it was, a mold, a frail, plaster cast that cracked and broke with each day, showing the human’s true self; a dangerous, rage filled monster that would only continue to spread havoc and pain. That anger was dangerous, especially with three un-powered alicorns nearby. But he was still close to the princesses, would be prepared when that anger shifted their way. Then they would see the brute’s lies for what they were. Then they would see his actions, necessary evils all, as just that; necessary. He set his jaw and set about filling another bag with magic. They would see. > Chapter 63: Reconciliation > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Until further notice, I am the sole commander of this army,” Elias said, keeping his expression tight and emotionless, even as he held his ribs in place. After talking with the guard captains about how the march would function, he had immediately called a meeting of all of the able-bodied ponies. The princesses stood on the uncovered wagon behind him, their best stoic expressions on. The brown and red stains in their fur really helped sell the look, and he knew that nobody put any kind of blame or fault in their direction. The guard captains stood in front of the wagon, while his personal support staff was scattered in the crowd; his attempt to not show favoritism of what was now essentially his army. With no wish to draw things out, he kept his words simple, and to the point. “I have already briefed your captains, and they will begin training you on the new way this army will operate,” he continued. “Rest assured, we will have no repeat of yesterday. Ponies are lost in battle, but we lost far too many for reasons that are frankly not good enough.” His eyes were drawn to motion, and he noted several Solar Guards shifting about nervously. “Which brings me to my next point. Though the investigation is ongoing, we know who we do not lay blame upon. The rout of the Solar Guard was not caused by the cowardice of its members, but by artificial means. Do not blame your golden brothers in arms for receiving confusing orders. I do not.” He had told Gray Granite to intermingle some legionaries with the Solar Guards before the meeting, and the earth pony began playfully jostling some of the golden-clad ponies. The other legionaries quickly joined in, and the mood became contagious. Lunar Guards and legionaries began teasing those on the fringes of the Solar Guard block, and what little tension had been in the air vanished as the ponies did what they did best; smile and forgave one another. “Furthermore,” Elias called out above the low-level chatter, “the word ‘traitor’ has been making the rounds. Let me be clear; that is not your concern. Trust in those around you, in your princesses, and in your captains. They have your best interests at heart, and they will ensure as many of you as possible get home safe. Any ‘traitors’ that need dealt with fall under my purview, and I hope you trust me to met out appropriate punishments if such are necessary.” A few legionaries chuckled darkly, drawing nervous smiles from the regular guards around them. Elias felt a similarly dark smile creeping across his lips as he thought about the torments he could inflict on Lionheart. Some would obviously be physical, but most didn’t need to be. A coward like Lionheart would be intimidated by the physical, but to truly break him, he would need to attack… attack the… Elias blinked awake, found himself swaying in place. A rainbow of color cast in the orange of the late afternoon sun swam before him, and he felt something warm running down his face. “General?” a call came from the crowd. Elias squinted at the multi-colored blobs, finding a particularly concerned looking spot of green and blue. Then he pitched forward, flopping out of the wagon and to the dirt. He felt another rib break as his back hit the ground, and he fell into a coughing fit even as fur surrounded him. Hooves dragged him on to a stretcher, then spirited him away, the blue sky moving past in a daze. Elias began recovering his faculties when he was somewhat upright again. He winced as he listened to someone yelling. His eyes squinted open to find Kind Heart yelling at a mass of scrambling ponies. “I don’t care if I get four ponies covered with a sheet, I need a bucking bed, and I need it now!” Elias looked down to once again find himself in the chair at Scarlet’s bedside. The pegasus was watching him with visible alarm, even as Bloody Bandage gently preened his good wing. Elias did his best to offer the scarlet pegasus a reassuring wink before turning his squinting eyes at Kind Heart. “Relax Doc,” he mumbled. “I just had a dizzy spell.” The pink unicorn’s eyes smoldered with anger, and her muzzle curled. “Shut the buck up General!” she snapped. “You’re getting a bed, you’re getting a transfusion, and then we’re getting whoever the buck still has magic to fix you! I don’t care if it’s King Sombra at this point!” Elias snorted and glanced at Scarlet. “I think I’m in trouble Strategist.” The crimson pegasus did not match his grin. Elias rolled his eyes and looked back to Kind Heart. “Doc, I don’t need a bed or healing, just-” she began to growl “-let me stay here for the rest of the day and get me something to wash off in. I swear, rest of the day resting. Then you can take a crack at me as soon as you’re charged up, alright?” Kind Heart’s anger slipped away at his attempt to compromise, cooling to a mere frown. “We can get you a bed at least.” Elias closed his eyes and leaned back. “Not without taking one away from someone else. I’ll be fine, and I’ll rest. Just… don’t worry.” He paused for a moment, then added; “and get Snowball in here. He’s right. He does a really good blanket impression.” “I knew it!” the loveling cheered, popping up as if summoned in his thestral disguise. Elias found himself immediately smothered as Snowball purred and nuzzled his head. “Arm out General,” he said. “Then I can give you a nice healing dose of snuggles.” Elias snorted, managing to poke an eye free of Snowball’s overwhelming fluff. “Never mind. No rest, just let me die.” Kind Heart’s frown broke and she let out a chuckle. “No dice General.” With a sigh, she said; “Fine, no bed until one becomes available. I’ll go get some saline for you, and some soup. You need to naturally process some fluids too.” “Grab some blood for Scarlet as well,” Bloody Bandage said, plopping a bucket at Elias’ feet. “And some towels. I’ll clean up General Bright once I have the IVs started.” She started cleaning, first scrubbing down his arm before sliding the needle in with ease. Nudging Snowball down, she then cut away his tunic to little protest; it was one of his red ones that he had bulk produced for exactly that purpose. Pointing out a few of the worst spots, she made Snowball continue his “bath” while she checked Scarlet’s IV line. The pegasus rolled onto his belly, leaving one of his forelegs sticking out, a needle already in place with an empty bag hanging from the IV stand. “Aw, don’t I get a bath?” the crimson pegasus teased. “Sure,” Bloody Bandage smiled. “Just ask General Bright if he wants to share. We only have the one bucket for now.” Scarlet looked sheepishly toward Elias, who raised an eyebrow. “I can wait ‘till later,” he squeaked. Elias rolled his eyes, wincing slightly as Snowball brushed a small nick near his ear. The loveling clicked his tongue and dabbed the damaged ear itself. “You might want to have a doctor regrow this when we get back. It’s covered up by your hair for now, but it’s pretty bad.” “I wasn’t going to get them pierced anyway,” Elias said, watching as Kind Heart trotted to the foot of Scarlet’s bed, a pair of bags in her mouth. She left the blood bag on the bed and moved to his side to hook up the saline. “And it’s not like the ear lobe does anything.” “Still, it’s asymmetrical,” Snowball said. “You look better with them both being the same.” “I’ll keep that in mind,” Elias said, rubbing at his eyes with his free hand. “Princess Luna would like it…” Elias’ fingers stopped and he glared at the disguised loveling. Snowball blinked back at him, then seemed to realize his verbal slip up. He shrank, then resumed his normal, smaller loveling form. “Sorry,” he squeaked. Elias continued to glare even as Kind Heart moved away and began hooking up Scarlet’s blood bag. “Oh please General, everypony who has eyes knows about that little ‘secret’. What do you think all the legionaries talked about when you were at your little, *ahem* “friendship sessions”?” “And who do you think was providing extra security during your dates?” Bloody Bandage grinned. “With how rumors run in Canterlot, the only ponies who don’t know are the ones who think they know everything. Like nobles.” The ponies and the human shared a collective hate-filled shudder. “That can’t be true,” Elias said, recovering from the collective hatred of Canterlot’s noble class first. “Princess Luna and I were very discrete, and we didn’t even do anything.” “Except eat approximately thirty-one steak dinners with her privately,” Bloody Bandage said, unwrapping a length of bandages. “Only one pony in the entirety of Canterlot that eats that much meat, and the whole kitchen had to be cleaned every time, so there’s a little over a dozen ponies who know just about the dinners.” Elias winced. “Alright, I didn’t think about that, but that’s still only a little-” “Two of the kitchen staff have brothers in the Solar Guard,” Bloody Bandage said. She prodded Scarlet and mumbled; “roll onto your side,” then continued. “And both of those Solar Guards have weekly poker sessions with three Lunar Guards and one Royal Guard.” She directed Kind Heart to remove the old bandages while she readied the new ones, wrapping Scarlet’s belly wound tight as soon as the old set was pulled away. “There’s also the Royal Guards that watched you two during your date to Book Binder and Night Flash’s wedding, as well as the Lunar Guards on support that night.” “And every legionary knows what “I have an important meeting” really meant,” Kind Heart said, picking up where Bloody Bandage left off. “I’m sure one or two were real, but three a week? Please, we even saw you watching us with Princess Luna while we were still running drills one night. Even at a distance I could tell that she was very engaged with whatever you were talking about. Then there was the fact that you always smelled like lavender, and there were occasionally those midnight blue hairs on your tunics, and-” Elias again winced. Had he really been so indiscreet? Sure, got passionate when it came to talking about his legion, and he hadn’t even considered the possibility that the legionaries might have been watching him just as he and Luna were watching them… He sighed and rubbed his forehead with his hand. “Joy. Are any of the rumors bad?” Kind Heart chortled. “No, if anything, they’re glad that somepony finally got a princess to go on a date. Word from the older guards is that both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have been dry for thousands of years. To see one get back in the game and take a risk on love is beautiful, and we’re all rooting for a return of that relationship after the march is over.” Elias dropped his hand slightly and stared at the mare. “So everyone knows I broke Luna’s heart?” “Everypony knows that you did what you thought was right and that you both got hurt,” Kind Heart said smoothly. “And very few are judgmental; none of whom are in the legion.” Elias let out a long breath. “I suppose that’s the best I ca-” A single wet cough seemed to send a shockwave of silence through the air, and a short gasp quickly drew all eyes toward Scarlet’s bed. The pegasus twitched, an arc of red passing up and down his body. The pegasus blinked, his eyes, shifting through a rainbow of colors. His bad wing shot out, spontaneously healing and regrowing all of its feathers. Another arc passed through the pegasus and he shivered, sitting up in bed. “Why is it suddenly hot in here?” Bloody Bandage shifted to his bedside even as Kind Heart shouted; “Stay back!” “It’s okay,” the unicorn said, laying the pegasus back down. “Let me just pull the IV, then we can try diagnosing this the old fashioned way before anypony starts a pani-” She flinched as Scarlet spit blood into her face, then flopped back onto the bed. He writhed wordlessly, his wings flapping up and down, more red energy flitting between his feathers. Elias pushed Snowball off and ripped the IV from his arm. Though his head swam as he stood, he still moved to Scarlet’s bedside, recovering his vision even as he spoke. “What do we do?” “Just hold him down!” Bloody Bandage said, wiping her eyes clean. “He only got a little overcharge, it should pass!” Elias pinned the pegasus’ left side, and Bloody Bandage latched onto the right a moment later. She gritted her teeth, her horn flickering with magic. “Healer Bandage, do not light your horn!” Kind Heart said, staying well back. “Let me get the inhibitor rings first, just… just stay here!” She charged away with Snowball in tow. Scarlet let out a moan, and his eyes opened, glowing with rainbow light. He looked up to Elias and smiled, his teeth bloody. “I… I want to go fly-” Elias closed his eyes as a cough of blood splattered his face, and he quickly turned, spitting what had gotten in his mouth on the ground. Bloody Bandage growled, and as Elias blinked away the blood in his eyes, she charged her horn, settling the magic in Scarlet’s belly. “The overcharge doesn’t know what to do with his organs, it’s tearing them.” Her horn flickered, and she winced. “I… I don’t have enough magic to-” Scarlet groaned and sprayed more blood down his stomach. A red arc razed through his body. Elias watched as it paused when it encountered Bloody Bandage’s magic. He again looked up to the unicorn and found a white arc of energy sparking from her horn. She gritted her teeth, meeting his eyes for a bare second. “Overcharge can be utilized to recharge magic-” she said in what he imagined was her attempt at reassurance, “-as long as I don’t take too much...” The aura on Scarlet’s belly began glowing with the same white crackling energy, and the pegasus’ struggles lessened. Bloody Bandage panted, then grinned. “It’s working. I… I’ve quarantined his belly from the overcharge and am using what little I took to heal all the internal damage…” Her eyes flicked to Scarlet’s foreleg. “Elias, pull that. Rip it out for all I care.” He reached over and yanked the needle free. He began to use the bed sheet to staunch bleeding, but Bloody Bandage stopped him. “Don’t; let it drip. Maybe we can let some bad blood out.” She pointed a hoof at the IV bag. “Nopony touch that! Wait until we can quarantine that off, everypony just back away!” Kind Heart returned, a ring around her horn and thick rubber gloves on her forelegs. An equally thick mask covered her muzzle, and she offered similar equipment to Bloody Bandage. “Gear up Healer,” she said. Bloody Bandage shook her head. “Leave me alone. I’m already infected, but I can save both of us if I can focus.” Kind Heart sighed, but merely left the protective gear on the foot of the bed. She grabbed the bucket they had been using to clean Elias off and moved around the bed, tipping the entire IV pole over so that the blood bag splattered inside. She then began stuffing the bucket with bed sheets, no doubt to make sure the bad blood didn’t spread. Elias had several questions he wanted to ask, but he didn’t dare interrupt as the crackling arcs of white magic began to dim. Scarlet moaned and looked up at him. “E-Elias?” The human gave the pony his best comforting smile, loosening his grip to gently brush the stallion’s mane. “Shhh, relax Scarlet. Let Doc Bandage get you fixed up.” Scarlet’s eyes flickered with rainbow light, the glow beginning to grow brighter once more. “I… ” Elias looked up to Bloody Bandage to find the glow mirrored in the unicorn’s eyes as she gritted her teeth in concentration. “Kind Heart…” he called. The pink unicorn looked up from the bucket just as one final, massive arc of energy ran up and down Scarlet’s body. Elias hissed as his hands blistered with intense heat, and he couldn’t help but pull away. Bloody Bandage cried out in pain, and the crimson energy arced to her horn, over taking her aura and continuing to run havoc through her body. She collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain and clutching at her head. Nobody approached her to help. Elias felt torn between helping her and helping Scarlet, and his eyes made the decision. Looking at the crimson pegasus broke his heart. The freshly changed bandages around the pegasus’ barrel were wet with blood and other fluids. His eyes were void of light, and all his struggling had ceased. He was gone. Elias numbly moved around the bed, stumbling slightly, his head swimming. Kind Heart whimpered from afar as he crouched next to Bloody Bandage. “General, you need to stay away from her until we can quarantine the overload.” Elias stared at the suffering unicorn beneath him, her eyes flickering in the same assortment of colors that had filled Scarlet’s eyes. Bloody Bandage didn’t blink, merely clutched at her head in teary eyed pain as her horn sparked out of control. He reached out and gently scratched her ears, unsure of what else to do. “General-” “I won’t be affected by bad magic,” Elias said. “I don’t have magic, so it can’t affect me, right?” Kind Heart shook her head. “Overcharged magic can still be deadly, even on inanimate objects. Yes, you’re unique, but I don’t know if that mean’s you’re safe.” Safe. Somebody cared if he was safe. That wasn’t how it was supposed to work. He was supposed to protect them. And he’d failed. He closed his eyes, not wanting them to drift upward. “Just tell me what to do Healer.” He motioned to the blood splatter on his face. “Either I’m already infected or I’m immune. Let’s not put anyone else at risk.” He swallowed hard and stroked Bloody Bandage’s head. “She doesn’t want that.” He heard a shaky breath from behind him, followed by a cooling sigh. “Right… right. Put the protective gear on Healer Bandage. It’s laced with null stone and it may help her ride this out. It definitely will help protect other ponies. You need to take her outside the camp, I’ll be along shortly after I clean up here, but don’t worry about that. Just get out of camp. I’ll tell Snowball to clear the way.” Elias gave her a single nod, then tuned out everything around him as she began bellowing orders. He reached onto the bed, grabbing the protective gear. Bloody Bandage met his eyes as he began sliding on the rubber gloves, and she shook her head. “The horn ring first,” she whispered. “It’ll keep the magic trapped.” “In you,” Elias said. The unicorn nodded. She knew what would happen. So he slid the ring on. It clicked into place, and the wild arcs vanished, instead beginning their wild run within Bloody Bandage’s body. She whimpered, but did her best to remain still as he finished dressing her. He then picked her up, his grip comforting and gentle. He braced her rump and let her rest her chin on his shoulder, hugging her tight to his body. Elias bit his lip until it bled as the arcs lashed out at him, sending palpitations into his already battered lungs. He didn’t let his grip loosen. Not as he walked through the rapidly emptied healing tent, not as he walked past rows of ponies watching from the shadows of their tents, and not as he walked past the pair of Royal Guards at the castra entrance. The two made no effort to move away as he carried Bloody Bandage past, and he saw from the corner of his eye a stiff salute from both as he walked into the dark trees. He walked until he was in so much pain that he couldn’t breathe. He found a thick tree trunk and sat down, holding back a groan of pain. He wasn’t allowed to hurt, not with Bloody Bandage in his arms. He stroked her back and scratched her ears and did his best to ignore every shock and jolt he received from the magic racing through her body. The mare managed to let out a hum between moans of pain, and she nuzzled his cheek. “T-too bad y-you never joined us,” she stuttered. “Royal G-Guard could use some hands like yours.” She coughed, then coughed again. Elias closed his eyes and held her tight, rocking her back and forth as she slowly fought for breath. He considered trying human chest compressions, but knew that it was pointless. He’d probably just break her ribs, inflicting more pain. It was better to do nothing. The magic grew worse, and she began to twitch and spasm. Then it was over. The forest was silent. Elias continued to cradle her still body long as he stared into the dark, his eyes hazy and unseeing, his mind in total shutdown. He didn’t think, didn’t process. He merely sat, and stared, and cradled yet another failure of his. A ghost walked before his unseeing eyes. An Elias far younger, far healthier, sighed and crouched before him. “I’m sorry,” Other-Elias whispered in his head, the ghost reaching out to gently brush Bloody Bandage’s coat. “I thought… maybe it wouldn’t be the same.” Elias didn’t respond, didn’t engage that part of his mind, didn’t engage anything at all. His first sense to return was his hearing. It tracked the slow crunch of hooves passing through leaves, approaching from behind. His eyes flickered to life next, greeted by nothing, but processing the steady increase of light. His brain kicked into gear, telling him that it was likely a search party. He hadn’t been out long enough for the sun to rise. He coughed feebly and extended his hand out from behind the tree trunk. “Here.” The hooves all sped up, and he winced as light fell on him. He didn’t try to shield his eyes though, he merely stared up at the masked ponies without emotion. “It’s over,” one of the ponies said, one who looked familiar… Kind Heart. Such sadness in her eyes. “It’ll be okay General. We’ve… We’ve got her.” Rubber clad hooves touched his arm, and Elias realized after a moment that they were trying to make him let go. But he didn’t want to. She was still warm. Maybe… Maybe there was a chance… Rational parts of his brain kicked on, taking quick control of his arms. They fell limp in his lap as Kind Heart and a pair of unicorns drew Bloody Bandage away and into a wooden coffin lined with bed-sheets and spare rubber gloves. He noticed that all three wore horn rings, noticed a moment later another familiar face. His eyes fell to his feet, then drifted back up to the forest. The unicorns finished up quickly, and hooves again descended to rest on his arm. “Come on Elias,” Kind Heart said softly. “Let’s get you cleaned up and into bed.” She began to pull, but this time Elias shrugged her off. His mind was awake, alive. Blood bags didn’t just do that. Magic didn’t just do that. He was an idiot when it came to magic and he knew better than to think something like that just happened. “Answer me a question,” he said, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Healer Bandage said something about magical overcharge. That isn’t naturally carried by blood bags, is it?” Silence gave him plenty of answer. “No General,” Kind Heart finally said. “Overcharged magic is usually caused within the body and then explodes outward, tainting objects that are then dangerous. To have a contagious version of overcharged magic in a recently filled blood bag means that the bag was likely sabotaged.” Elias nodded. “Noted. How many ponies know?” “We couldn’t be subtle General,” Kind Heart said. “And most unicorns know what overcharge is and where it comes from. It won’t take long until somepony mentions the idea of poison.” Elias again nodded. “Alright. I’ll deal with that… later. Go back to camp. Make sure everyone is calm and safe, and make sure there’s no more tainted blood. Can you sniff that kind of thing out?” “I have detection spells,” Kind Heart said. “And I… I know which wagon I drew blood from. We’ll quarantine them all, but we’ll start our search there.” “Okay,” Elias said. They fell into silence again. Eventually, he wasn’t quite sure when, the ponies slipped away, taking the light with them. So he sat. Caked in blood, his body crying out for care and rest. It was becoming severe enough that he knew that his body would force the point, but he needed more time to process. To simply stare. His eyes remained dry, something inside his brain wouldn’t let him go that far. Not even for a lost friend or two apparently. He was of the mind that that wasn’t natural, that it was something that needed looked at… later. His ears again detected the approach of someone. Hooves crunched through the leaves, this time preluded by no light. He vaguely wondered if it was someone coming to yell at him. He was supposed to be stalwart, and strong. Yes, he had held one of his closest friends in his arms as they died, chased immediately by another in a far worse fashion, but he wasn’t supposed to show how much he cared. Not yet anyway. He had to be a rock for the army first; unshaking, unflinching. He knew what death was, had seen it hundreds of times, had dealt it just as much. Friends dying was just as familiar. It shouldn’t matter in the moment. So maybe that was it. It was a princess, probably Luna, come to yell at him for being weak, for showing that weakness to all. She was the one most likely to get away with it after all.But more likely it was Celestia. He’d made her look small in front of everyone, and criticizing his weakness would be a fine revenge. It would certainly put him back in place. Then again, they weren’t allowed outside camp without an escort, and Elias heard only a single set of hooves. Perhaps it was Snowball. The emotivore probably had plenty to say about his lack of finesse with containing his emotions. Who knew, perhaps he had inadvertently poisoned the loveling with the same magic that had killed Scarlet and Bloody Bandage, and now he was coming to join the corpse count. Now there was a thought that twisted and jabbed at his insides. “Elias?” The human blinked, then glanced up to find Scalpel standing next to him, worry bleeding from his eyes comparable to the blood staining his apron and surgical mask. Elias blinked again. “I thought I warned you to stay away,” he said, no energy behind the words. “You did,” Scalpel replied. “And you can hit me again if it would make you feel better. It’d be the first decent piece of healing I’ve done tonight.” He plopped down at Elias’ side. The unicorn looked haggard as he pulled off his mask. “Is that safe?” Elias asked. Scalpel shrugged, visibly uncaring. “Safe enough. I… I autopsied Scarlet. He was the safe choice of the two; unicorns are so much more dangerous when exposed to overcharged magic.” Scalpel rubbed at his eyes, dried blood flaking from his gloves. “Bloody Bandage almost saved him, but that last arc… It ripped him apart inside. I… the magic went inert when it was done.” Scalpel paused, then his teeth shined in the dark, grinding as his tone filled with anger. “It went inert. Magic overcharge doesn’t go inert! It lives on in inanimate objects, in blood, in everything! You have to manually nullify the magic to make it go away. It’s so bucking dangerous for a reason, but not today! Today it casually murders two ponies and then poof! No more overcharge!” His eyes whipped to meet Elias’ “Do you understand what that means? Do you have any idea? All of this blood covering us means nothing! We should both be dead touching this crap, magic or no magic, but we’re caked in it, and we’re both perfectly fine, as if someone thought this was a big joke!” He immediately withered and looked away. “Sorry. I… I wasn’t a very good doctor today.” Elias stared at him for a moment, then absently patted his waist. His fingers met leather, and he unclipped his belt. His mind was fuzzy on when he had put it back on, but he knew for certain it had never left his side. He still hadn’t been back to his tent. It had been at least two days since he had slept for more than a few hours. He felt around the belt until he came to a broad pouch holding a full flask. As he unscrewed the cap, he said; “Kind Heart mentioned that it wasn’t natural. That it was poison.” “It was, but whoever did it picked the dumbest, most dangerous poison imaginable!” Scalpel spat. “If Bloody Bandage hadn’t been there… We could have lost the entire healing tent Elias. A stray arc hitting a spot of blood and turning that into an aerosol… We were lucky.” He let out a long breath, then leaned against Elias’ shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t come out here to vent. There’s enough anger in camp. I just… I wanted to sit by a friend, one who wasn’t so… emotional right now.” Elias snorted, taking a long pull from his flask. “That’s me all right. No emotion here.” Scalpel flinched. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean-” “It doesn’t matter,” Elias said. “None of it does. I don’t care anyways.” The words were far harsher than he intended, but then again, how else were they supposed to sound? He glanced toward Scalpel and offered a fake smile, doing his best to put out a joke. “Besides, who says I’m not out here on the verge of tears?” Scalpel didn’t match his expression. Elias kept up the smile for a moment more, then sighed and looked away, taking another swig. It took a few more moments before Scalpel spoke again. “Are you okay?” Elias stared blankly into the black for a moment before answering. “No. No I am not.” He glanced down at the unicorn, offering his flask. “You?” Scalpel sniffed at the opening. “N-no.” He pushed the flask away, his voice solidifying as he took a clearer breath. “No, I’m not. Far from it in fact.” Elias nodded, letting the flask rest in his lap. It wasn’t long before another question followed. “Are you going to be okay?” His answer was quicker, sharper as he tried to reject the little whispers tingling his ears. “No. This… this has happened before. I know how it ended last time. I believe it’s all going to happen again.” They’re all going to die, a voice sent bouncing around his skull. His eye twitched, and forest seemed to grow a touch hazy. Scents of iron and smoke filled his nose, and he took another swig to drown his taste buds in a dulling kind of fire. “I don’t know what to say Elias. I don’t know how to help you.” “Then don’t say anything. You’re not my therapist, and neither of us wants me to start yelling at you right now. Just… leave it alone. I’ll deal with it. I did last time.” Scalpel remained silent. Elias found that he hated that silence, hated how a pony was right beside him and silent. They weren’t silent creatures. They made noise when they were alive. They talked, and purred, and squeaked and snorted, and he hated how silent Scalpel was. Luckily his body knew just what the unicorn needed to become noisy again. A cough irritated his chest, provoking a second, then a third. It grew worse, and he flopped forward onto his hands and knees, blood dribbling from his mouth as he fought for breath. The motion was getting exhausting, and some part of him wanted to curl up and just sleep. A hoof began rubbing his back, and the sound of another rustling through saddlebags touched his ears. Light shined as Scalpel’s horn lit up and the unicorn shoved a potion in his face. “D-” “I don’t want it,” Elias rasped. “And I don’t care, I am not losing another friend!” Scalpel spat. “You’re the last pony with untreated internal injuries, and you are at risk of dying in your sleep! You are drinking this potion or so help me I will strap you to a bed and let Book Binder do whatever she wishes until the end of the march. I will legally change your name to Elias ‘Snuggle Master’ Bright, and I will have Night Flash draft up orders for every single pony to come and snuggle you every single second of the day.” He uncorked the potion and began pushing it toward Elias’ lips, but the human pushed it away. “Save it for an emergency. I-” Scalpel butted heads with Elias and growled. “Drink the fucking potion Elias, or so help me I’ll make you.” Elias grinned, and he began to choke with laughter. Most ponies did an adorable little muzzle scrunch when they were angry, and Scalpel was no exception. What little pudge the sedentary doctor had only added to the effect, making his ‘death glare’ quite adorable. The tiny voice crack when he swore sealed the deal. Elias’ ribs hurt as he fell onto his side, coughing as much as he laughed. Scalpel’s ears flicked in confusion, and the unicorn watched as he hurt himself through laughter. “I’m being serious Elias.” The human nodded, wincing even as he continued chuckling, his chest tight. “I know,” he gasped. “It makes it funnier. I laughed when Night Flash swore the first time too.” Scalpel finally relaxed, and he smiled, shook his head, then approached. “Alright you big goof, come on. Let’s fix you up.” Elias did his best to help as Scalpel sat him up against the tree. The unicorn climbed in his lap, potion in hoof. “Open up.” Elias grunted, and snatched the potion away, refusing to be fed it like he was some sort of child. “Is this best taken in one go or in sips?” Scalpel charged his horn and settled the magic on Elias’ chest. “One go. It’s a powerful restoration potion, but it requires magical focus or it will apply its affect evenly.” Elias felt slightly better as the yellow unicorn acted more like his usual self, clicking his tongue as he touched at his torn ear with a hoof. “I wish we could use it to regrow this… but the internals are more important. Sorry Elias. I know a specialist who can regrow even healed ear-tears. When she’s done with you, you won’t even know it was gone.” “Sounds like a pretty mare,” Elias said. “You trying to outshine my dating rumors Doc?” Scalpel blushed, and his sputtering gave him all the answer he needed. “We, we aren’t… I mean, she probably doesn’t want some surgeon-…” “You mean the royal surgeon? The one who acts as a doctor for the entirety of Canterlot castle? Including the princesses?” “I… only from noon to sunrise…” “Oh yeah, that guy sounds like a bossy bleeding heart. I definitely wouldn’t want to know him at all.” Scalpel kicked out with a hind leg, swatting Elias’ knee. “Shut up,” he said, not meeting Elias’ grin. “You’re the last pony I need dating advice from, especially since I’m older than you.” The unicorn managed a smile. “And don’t think you’re getting away from the potion that easy.” “But it’s so gross Doc!” Elias complained, exaggerating his every word with playfulness. “I mean come on, can’t I at least wash it down with something…” Both of their eyes flicked to the flask still in his other hand, and Scalpel’s eyes widened. “Absolutely not! No mixing alcohol with magical potions!” He snatched away the flask before Elias could react, quickly screwing it shut and tucking it back in his saddlebags. Scalpel sat up and gave him a smug grin. “You can have that back tomorrow morning, on the condition that you drink the potion this second. Otherwise, Adiutor Book Binder can be informed of your contraband.” Elias’ eyes rolled. “As if I don’t have more.” He tilted his head back and poured the potion down his throat however. The foul taste of the potion seemed to hit his tongue just as the last drop fell in, and his stomach rebelled. Scalpel forced his jaw shut with one hoof, forcing Elias to swallow. Elias screwed his eyes shut and rode out the wave of nausea, relaxing only when he felt a warm, soothing sensation flood his body. Scalpel hummed softly, his hooves gingerly pressing on Elias’ ribs. “There we go, healing up nice and strong. Are you feeling any better Elias?” “How does a society of ponies that practically vomit happiness and good things make potions that taste like minotaur ass?” Scalpel chuckled. “Well you certainly sound better. Also, funnily enough, making the potions taste better reduces their effectiveness.” “Joy,” Elias said, reclining back. Scalpel hummed for a minute or two more, then he let his magic slowly fade away. “Done. All the internal damage is healed up. Come by the healing tent tomorrow morning and we’ll start closing some of those cuts. And take a bath tonight. We don’t need anything getting infected, and frankly, you’re more red than pale at his point.” Elias snorted. “I could say the same about you.” “Yeah…” Scalpel’s smiled dimmed slightly. “I… I’m going to go back to camp. We cleaned up, but now there’s an active investigation, and… I’m needed. I’ll... I’ll see you tomorrow.” Elias grunted as he got to his feet. He felt worlds better now that his chest wasn’t so tight. It didn’t hurt that his mind was solidified on a solitary need. “Is it going to hurt your feelings if I walk with you?” Scalpel looked up at him with wide eyes. “You… but what about-” Elias cut him off with a hand wave. “I can get past it if you can.” He winced at the harsh words. “Please. I’d like to just walk with a friend. No talking, no apologizing, or debating. Just-” A hoof on his leg stopped his stumbling tongue. “Okay Elias,” Scalpel smiled, the expression not at all smug. “Can I just say one thing?” Elias swallowed and nodded. “Go ahead.” “I’m sorry for betraying your trust. It was wrong of me to hide my intentions, and I’m sorry. I wish tonight hadn’t happened, even if it meant we still wouldn’t be friends. I’m sorry Elias, and if you ever want to talk, or just walk and say nothing, please come to me.” Elias didn’t answer. Scalpel waited only for a moment, then they began to walk back toward the castra. As they did, Elias couldn’t help but drift closer to the yellow unicorn, scratching at his ears as they walked. The measure of comfort helped him speak two simple words that sealed their fate as friends, dangerous as he knew it to be. “I will.” > Chapter 64: The March Continues > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias bared his teeth, enjoying the splatter of blood that reached his armor as the whip drew back. “Your loyalty isn’t buying you any favors,” he spat, sending the whip snapping into Shattered Shield’s bloodied back. “Do you really want twenty more lashes, or are you finally willing to tell me the truth?” The unicorn whimpered, slack in the bonds that kept him tied to a post just outside the castra. Almost half the army was outside watching the torture. He couldn’t tell if they were impressed or not, nor did he really care. It just felt good to inflict some pain on those who deserved it. And he knew they did. There wasn’t evidence yet, but he knew. “General?” some called. Elias ignored it, sending the whip snapping again into Shattered Shield’s back. The stallion cried away, his back flayed open and bloody. The scene shifted just slightly, flickering with scents of ash and iron. Elias bared his teeth and drew his hand back. Suddenly he was closer, a whip no longer in his hand, replaced by a hand-axe. “General!” Elias jolted awake and looked up to find Pyrelight and Snowball standing above him. He looked around, found the camp moving about as normal in preparation to begin their march toward Saddle Arabia once more. Tents were being taken down and loaded into wagons. Rows of wounded ponies awaited the same treatment, with some idle hooves holding lengths of tarp over them to provide shade from the early morning sun. Clouds were beginning to roll in though, and from all reports, they were supposed to stay above their heads for the remaining duration of the march. He looked down at his chest to find his armor shiny and mended, if a bit dusty. He still had a few bandages gracing his body, but they were clean and fresh. He had finally cleaned up, napped for a few hours, then visited Scalpel early, but away from the healing tent. He couldn’t bear to use the bed Scarlet had died in. Scalpel had offered no complaints about the change in scenery, and had happily healed the cuts on Elias’ face. Elias rubbed at his eyes and sat up. He hadn’t gotten back to sleep until later in the morning; there had been so much to do at the time. Supplies were still being reorganized, orders still needed distributed, the guard shift had been shorthanded… He had found every excuse to keep busy, and when the princesses finally woke and Luna started giving him looks of concern, he had used the excuse of needing sleep to skip breakfast. He had requested to remain undisturbed until they were ready to leave, but… “What is it?” he grumbled, brushing the dust from his armor. “We found a body, that Detection guy Duke Lionheart brought with him? He’s dead.” “Alright,” Elias sighed. “Do we know how he died? We’ll need to quarantine ponies if that overcharge thing got airborne.” “No, it isn’t that,” Snowball said. “Healer Kind Heart has successfully identified and buried all the contaminated blood bags.” “It was blunt force trauma actually,” Pyrelight said. “And we already have the guilty party under arrest. They confessed to it before we found the body.” “Who?” Elias asked, beginning to stand. “I thought I ordered the rumor spread that this was an accident. If some idiot in my legion just murdered what could be an innocent-” “It was Dukes Lionheart, Shattered Shield, and Dragon-Heart actually.” Elias paused as he reached for his ruck sack, then looked with incredulous eyes at Pyrelight. “What?” Snowball nodded in confirmation. “Centurion Granite didn’t believe them either when they went to him, but, yes. They confessed to killing Precise Detection, but are only willing to talk to you about it. Centurion Granite locked them up in the stockade with full restraints for now.” Elias chewed on his tongue for a moment. He was certain they were responsible for sabotaging the blood bags; it wasn’t a minotaur, that was for sure, so what were they playing? He got to his feet and shouldered his bag. “Let’s go see what they have to say then. Unless it’s a confession, there’s not much I can do without evidence, and we’re not getting the spell-signature on those tainted bags analyzed until we’re home again.” Snowball and Pyrelight fell in beside him, saying nothing as they passed through the camp. Elias paused a few times, checking to make sure tents were being packed away correctly, pointing out loose, potentially dangerous pieces of armor, and occasionally just checking in on ponies, making sure their wounds had healed completely and that they were fed and as happy as circumstances could allow. He was met with touches of nervousness from the Solar Guards, but Lunar Guards, and legionaries welcomed the spots of attention with smiles. The sight of happier ponies warded away some of the darker thoughts that he would soon have to deal with, but he did what he was practiced at; shutting the grief away in a tight little ball. It was going to cripple him later, but for the moment, he needed to be happy with what he had, and he needed to focus on keeping those happy spots safe. Safety measures were at the forefront of his thoughts as he laid eyes on the trio of former generals. Lionheart and Dragon-Eye sat tall in their chains, while Shattered Shield seemed to hide in Lionheart’s shadow, his eyes on his chained hooves. Blood covered all three, and even at a distance Elias could smell iron. He stopped before the stockade gate and crossed his arms. Granite offered him a silent salute, joining Snowball at his side. “So,” Elias started. “I heard you killed someone. Care to explain why before I have you hanged?” Lionheart met his eyes, keeping his chin high. “We heard rumor of sabotage, and I knew of only one pony who had the magic ability to perform such. While I hate you, I do not want to see the princesses harmed. While your ruffians managed to clean the wagon free of magical filth, I decided to take action and end the source, so I informed my fellows and we set off, then turned ourselves in when we had finished.” He rattled his chains. “Clearly I made no attempt to hide. We did what we had to.” “Did you now,” Elias deadpanned. “Centurion, who let these three out of the tent?” The earth pony swallowed nervously. “I… don’t know at the moment General, but I can go find out.” “Find out, distribute thirty lashes to each lazy guard, then double the watch. This doesn’t happen again, or I will give you thirty lashes per escaped prisoner. I give you guard details because I trust you to represent my legion. When something like this happens, it reflects poorly on you, which reflects poorly on my legion. I take that personally, and I thought you knew that.” The earth pony shrank under the harsh words. “Do better Centurion, or I will find someone who can. Am I clear?” Granite gulped, then an angry look entered his eyes, and he straightened, offering a sharp nod. “Yes General. It won’t happen again, you have my word.” Elias nodded over his shoulder, dismissing the earth pony to stomp away, glowering as he tramped toward the center of camp with purpose. Snowball shuddered and smacked his lips. “Wow. I wouldn’t call that a pep talk, but it definitely inspired him.” Elias held back a smile. “Good, it means he’s taking it seriously. I prefer lashing my ponies with threatening words over the whip any day.” His eyes turned back to the trio of unicorns in the stockade. “Back on task; what evidence do you have that Precise Detection poisoned the medical supplies? The only reason you three are alive is because I need evidence to convict you of cowardice, and now you’ve killed my best witness for what you claim is sabotage. At best you brought him along and he killed two ponies. Ponies, mind you, that I considered close personal friends.” He leaned in, his teeth baring. Shattered Shield shrank low to the ground and whimpered, while Dragon-Eye looked nervously to Lionheart. “At worst, you just covered your cowardly tracks, and since you’re tried between a jury of your peers, aka, me, you’re going to die, and soon. So please, evidence. How did you go about slipping my guards to find that Precise Detection was a traitor?” Lionheart snorted. “Well to start, reduce the lashes given to ‘your guards’ to twenty, because only Shattered Shield and I slipped out. Dragon-Eye remained behind to give the tent some liveliness while we collected information after hearing about the incident in the healing tent.” Elias’ eyes narrowed. Lionheart relaxed from his stiff posture ever so slightly. “I am sorry for your loss General Bright,” he said. “It is not easy to lose what one cares about, and you have my condolences.” “Save them,” Elias spat. “I’ll pull a tooth for every word you just spoke if I find out you’re the one responsible for this.” Lionheart blinked calmly at the threat, not at all flinching. If he was just reading the cowardly unicorn, Elias would almost be convinced that he was telling the truth, but he wasn’t. Shattered Shield let out another whimper. When Elias’ eyes focused on him, he refused to look up. Elias again met Lionheart’s eyes. “What evidence do you have?” “Nothing on paper,” Lionheart said, calm as could be, “but he was a well known poison specialist, certainly the only pony talented enough in this army to do such an act. He also had the motivation; he just lost his most prestigious position in my employ and made me his enemy by turning tail to you. Perhaps he saw something in you that he feared would come back to haunt him and wished to get back in my good graces. Perhaps he just wanted to see this army, and by extension, you, fail. I couldn’t wait to ask, not with two ponies already dead. I acted, just as you would have in my shoes.” He smiled. “That is you way, is it not General? To act, even without the permission of your superiors?” Elias felt his bad eye twitch. “So you have nothing. You committed a murder, and you dragged these two idiots along for the ride, is that right?” His eyes flicked to Dragon-Eye. “You looked rather happy when I walked over, what did he tell you to make you stomp a pony to death?” Dragon-Eye shifted uncomfortably. “I… H-he said that his servant betrayed us. That he poisoned the medical supplies…” He looked over to Lionheart with open concern. Elias waited for Lionheart to reveal anything, to shush, or wave away, or threaten the other unicorn, but the unicorn merely met his analyzing gaze with calm. Elias looked back to Dragon-Eye. “And that was enough to kill? Someone else’s word? His-” he jabbed a finger at Lionheart “-word? The pony that got you put in chains, that’s who you decided to trust?” Dragon-Eye’s ears flopped, and he looked up with wide, confused eyes. “Y-yes,” he said. “D-Duke Lionheart has been a family friend for years. I- I trust him.” He swallowed and tried to again straighten. “If he said his servant was guilty, then he was.” Elias stared down the unicorn, then shrugged. “If that’s how you feel, the blood’s on your hooves, and you confessed right alongside him.” His eyes settled on the final, and hiding unicorn. “What about you Shattered Shield? Do you trust Lionheart? Do you like the blood staining your fur? How did you like your first kill?” Lionheart’s calm expression finally broke into a scowl. “That’s inappropriate.” Elias sneered at the unicorn crouching down before him. “Why? You seemed so cavalier about it a moment ago, and since you’re doing things my way, it must have felt good,” his eyes shifted to the quivering unicorn again, “right Shattered Shield? You served justice, right? Come on out and tell me about how heroic you are.” The unicorn shook his head, tears streaming down his face as he tried to cover his head with his hooves. Elias snorted and met Lionheart’s eyes. “That’s what I thought. Unlike you, I’m going to find evidence before I inflict justice, but rest assured, I’m keeping a careful tally, and you will beg to die when I’m through with you. Do try not to make it worse for yourselves, because I can get quite creative.” “You’re an animal,” Lionheart said. Elias leaned closer, putting a wild look in his eyes. “You’d better hope you don’t find out what I am. Pray that I come up with an excuse to lay the blame on Precise Detection, because if I found out that you did this-” he jabbed his finger at the unicorn “-I am going to flay you alive. There won’t be a body to identify.” He drew back and stood. “Adiutor Snowball, draw up the guard detail, get these three tied to their wagon. Only then can they lose the leg restraints. The horn rings stay on.” The loveling nodded and moved away silently. Elias crossed his arms, staring at the three for a long moment, seeing if they would crack. Though Shattered Shield continued to whimper and hide, he did no more. Lionheart and Dragon-Eye continued looking confident, though Dragon-Eye was much worse at hiding his lingering doubts, his eyes flicking to the other unicorn every couple of seconds. Elias grunted and turned away, letting his arms drop. “You lot are lucky I have more important things to do.” He began walking away, but paused and looked over his shoulder. “Oh, and Shattered Shield, Dragon-Eye; if you’re trying to cover for Lionheart, a word of advice; you side with him, you share his punishment. You come to me, you’ll be punished, yes, but you tell me the whole truth, and nothing but, you’ll be spared somewhat. I suggest you come forward sooner rather than later, because the more you help him, the more you hurt yourself.” He noticed Shattered Shield looking up hopefully from Lionheart’s shadow, but he quickly covered the look with a hoof, continuing to cower. Whether that was from genuine fear, or if to continue selling the idea that he was on Lionheart’s side, Elias didn’t know, nor did he care. The offer was there; information meant survival. If they came to him, then all would be well. If not, his warning would stand. Elias walked away, satisfied with his handling of the situation. “Auxiliary Centurion, what else needs done?” Pyrelight opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated, looking around at the milling crowds of ponies. She cleared her throat and wiped at her muzzle with a hoof. “I… I think the mess tent is still serving breakfast if you haven’t gotten any…” Elias looked down at the mare, noticed immediately when she refused to meet his gaze. Hesitation was odd, and he didn’t like that his subordinates weren’t talking to him. “Something wrong Pyrelight? Unless you’re confessing a personal treason to me, you don’t need to hide anything.” The fiery-maned unicorn shook her head. “N-no General, of course not! I… I can wait. Later today maybe. Or tomorrow! I can last until tomorrow…” That only made Elias narrow his eyes more. “Centurion…” The mare shook her head, then took off at a fast trot, sending nervous glances over her shoulder. “My auxiliaries are mis-stacking their ammunition General, duty calls!” She broke into a sprint, then disappeared in the mass of ponies loading the wagons. Elias frowned after her, more than a little curious as to what she was acting skittish about. Then his attention was elsewhere as Snowball reappeared at his side with bacon in one hoof, and the finalized marching order in another. The pair set off toward the castra gates, where the royal carriage sat, repaired and waiting its cargo. ***** The clouds overhead rumbled with thunder as the caravan made its way deeper into minotaur territory. Before the column traveled mixed parties of scouts, drawing pegasi from every guard force. They were followed by a lightly armed force of volunteers, primarily from the legion auxiliaries. They served as a quick action force for any war-parties the scouts might have uncovered, but as they tramped through miles of dusty road, they found nothing more than scraps of armor and long-abandoned fire pits. The lack of any kind of opposition made the march quiet, and boring, both of which were good things for the safety of the army, but given a taste of battle, having spent hours hyped up on adrenaline, some of the ponies were restless, with only the quietness of the walk and concern for their wounded fellows slowly leeching away their energy. In one of the wagons, a thestral let out a moan, one of her hooves pushing feebly from the blanket keeping her still and safe. “D-don’t…” One of the ponies beside her, a unicorn with two broken legs, sat up, scooting over and gently pushing the thestral’s hoof back down. “Shhh, you’re safe, you’re just fine General.” Nightshade cracked her eyes, but ignored the voice trying to keep her still. She tried again to push her way free. This time her hind legs joined in the fray, kicking at her blanket. “S-stay with… don’t go…” The unicorn gently pressed her hoof to the thestral’s forehead and frowned. “Hey doc!” she called forward. “This one’s getting kinda hot.” The thestral brushed away the hoof on her forehead. It didn’t belong to her mate. He was near… somewhere. Her nose twitched as she tried to locate the stallion’s scent. It was difficult with so many ponies surrounding her, but she knew that scent by heart. She had gotten confused only once, and that was a while ago… Nightshade squinted against blinding light. There he was! Her hooves milled faster and faster as she tried to catch up. “W-wait… D-don’t leave…” Another unicorn weaved through the tightly packed rows of wounded ponies. The wounded unicorn scooted away as far as she was able in the tight wagon, while the healer touched Nightshade’s forehead. “She is a little warm, but that’s probably just the wagon. Cooling enchantment failed on this one. It’s why we used it for our moderate cases.” She tried to stop Nightshade’s milling hooves, but found no success as the thestral tried to weakly shove her away. “The delirium is a bit nerve-racking though. I’ll see if I can find a healer with a sleep spell. I’m sure General Nightshade is in more than a little pain.” She tromped back through the wagon, her exit unnoticed by Nightshade, who was already slipping back into an uneasy sleep. “D-don’t leave…” Her nose continued to twitch even as her mate moved further into the blinding light. As her eyes slipped closed and her limbs fell still with exhaustion, Nightshade took comfort in the scent she could still detect. He’s close, she thought. I’ll find him soon. She curled up under her blanket, her wings blocking out the sights and sounds around her. ***** “I will be watching,” the legionnaire growled at Lionheart. The red-maned unicorn rolled his eyes. “Do I at least get soap?” The legionnaire continued glaring at him for a long moment, then grumbled and drew a bar wrapped in a filthy cloth from beneath his armor. “Here,” the legionnaire grunted. “Make it quick. I have to make this trek two more times, and I want dinner while it’s still hot. If you stand in the way of that, I will make sure General Bright hears about it.” Lionheart rolled his eyes again. “I’m quivering in my horseshoes. You’re an even bigger fool than he is if you believe he can threaten me.” The legionnaire shrugged, then tossed the soap bar toward Lionheart. The unicorn reeled back in confusion and thinly veiled disgust, trying vainly to catch it in his hooves. He succeeded, only to fall backwards into the river. He cursed the ring around his horn and the human who had put it there as the other pony laughed at him. “You have five minutes,” the legionnaire said, shaking his head and turning away. “Remember, I’ll be watching.” Lionheart shot to his hooves, growling to threaten away the laughter, but it was gone along with the pony, who had faded into the treeline in spite of his shining, silver armor. He wanted to curse the pony, to threaten him, his livelihood, but the air was already growing colder, and he desperately needed a bath after hours of yanking a tent-laden wagon through miles of dusty roads. A chill raced up his spine, and it helped him swallow his disgust as he looked down at the soap bar. Aside from the healthiness of it, he needed to be clean for his soon-to-be reclaimed position. The princesses wouldn’t want a general that stank of road filth. He scooped up the bar and began to lather up, washing the sweat from his fur in the relatively clean river. It was no hot spring, but at least the water wasn’t icy with winter chill yet. Judging by the yellowing leaves in the trees around him, that wasn’t far off though. He huffed and gingerly bit into the soap bar as he turned to scrub at his hindquarters, his mind elsewhere. The human was stubborn in his stupidity, and unfortunately, that meant a good idea or two occasionally slipped through. The silver-clad guardsponies had taken to the habit of separating him from Dragon-Eye and Shattered Shield, likely to try and coerce the latter in to talking. His fellow unicorn had become withdrawn, and shifty. It was alarming how terrified of the human he was, and he knew that given enough time and pressure, he would crack. Lionheart didn’t have enough trust with Dragon-Eye to coerce him into another justice killing. What was more was that he now had no associates to turn to. He needed to strike at the human again, but his allies had dwindled, and he was under constant watch. The guard no doubt watching from the trees was evidence of that. Lionheart held his breath and dunked himself in the river, rubbing away the soap in his fur. He then shot up, shaking himself dry like a dog before beginning to wash his hooves. “Oh how the mighty have fallen,” a maliciously female voice said. Lionheart whirled, baring his teeth at the pony who dared make a mockery of him, only to shrink back when he beheld a green-eyed changeling. “G-guard!” he called, never taking his eyes from the changeling. The black-chitined creature chuckled and took a step forward. “Oh my, lower than I thought,” the bug-pony taunted. “Look at you, pleading for help from your hated captor.” Lionheart took a step backward. “Guard!” he shouted. “Do your job you idiot and help me!” The changeling snorted and rolled her eyes. “Oh do stop playing innocent Duke, you have no need to fear of an alarm raised.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Oh guard!” Lionheart watched as the guardspony slowly limped away from the tree line, swaying and stumbling under the weight of three changelings, all of whom were pouring their magic into his head. The guard stared blankly ahead, his eyes glowing with green. The changeling grinned at Lionheart. “See? It’s just friends here.” Lionheart suppressed a shudder and straightened. He didn’t move forward from the river though. “Why didn’t you begin with that Chrysalis?” he said, scowling. The changeling’s eyes flickered and she grinned. “That’s Queen Chrysalis to you pet.” She licked her lips. “And because watching your squirm is such a delicious sight Duke Lionheart. There are few things I enjoy more than a pony pretending to not understand his situation.” Lionheart swallowed, but continued standing up straight. It wasn’t the worst death. At least the princesses would know of his honorable fate at the hooves of their hated enemy. “So that’s what this is? You’ve come to slaughter me in revenge?” The changeling cackled. “No dear Duke; in fact, I can applaud your savagery with my drone! You play changeling very well.” Her grin didn’t diminish as she tilted her head, never blinking. “That said, if you kill another one of my children, I will brainwash you into a loyal little lapdog for Elias Bright. My drones willingly go to their deaths for me, but that doesn’t give you the excuse to kill them on a whim.” “It was no whim, it was a strategic cutting of ties,” Lionheart sniffed indignantly. “I had no further use for your services at the time, and had the cows done their job, I still wouldn’t.” “Oh to be Duke Lionheart,” the changeling sneered. “A casual murderer in one hoof, honorable killer in the other. I’m sure those two ponies your magic overcharge killed were just collateral damage?” Lionheart did shrink at that. “How do you know about that?” he hissed. Chrysalis snorted. “Don’t be rude Duke. I have always produced capable infiltrators. Just because they cannot breach Elias Bright’s fortifications, doesn’t mean they can’t slip by his scouts. I hear many things-” her grin returned “-including the very interesting fact that Elias Bright is going to execute you for treason. Once he obtains his evidence of course.” “Evidence that doesn’t exist, because there is no treason, not against Equestria,” Lionheart said. “It isn’t treason to remove a dangerous beast. Just because Princess Luna mistakenly got attached to her attack mutt, doesn’t suddenly mean it’s a docile pet. Elias Bright,” he spat, “is a violent dog that needs to be put down. He will only cause pain and suffering if he is allowed to live.” Chyrsalis stared at him for a long moment, then pitched back her head and laughed. Lionheart shivered in the river water, and he couldn’t help but glance around. By Celestia did she have to be so loud? “Be quiet!” he whispered. “If anyone hears you, I will be the one they blame.” Chrysalis brought her laugh down to a chuckle. “I wouldn’t worry Duke. My drones are watching for any ponies drawing closer, and this tasty little morsel-” she curled a hoof under the guards chin, drawing a soft moan from him “-is dreaming of a lovely little picnic with the family he intends to return to come this expedition’s end.” She smiled as the silver-clad guard met her eyes. “I think this one I’ll let go as a messenger. I need good breeders if I want a stable supply of love.” She glanced toward Lionheart. “But he won’t remember a thing, and we won’t leave a signature, so there is nothing to worry your pretty little head over.” She turned away, stalking toward the forest. “Do come out of the river Duke. We have much to talk about and precious little time to discuss it.” “Leave me alone!” Lionheart spat, jabbing a hoof at the guard. “If that one so much as coughs wrong, I will be held accountable, and I don’t need more problems now that that wretch human has the princesses under his thumb.” Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “And with listening skills like yours, you’d wonder why…” Heaving a sigh, she met his glared. “I just said that my drones are on watch and that this legionnaire will not notice a thing. It will feel like he is daydreaming, and so long as you don’t ruin anything, there will be no problems.” Her eyes narrowed. “Unless you truly think betraying me a second time is a decision you’ll be alive to make.” “N-no,” Lionheart stuttered out. “I-…” He fell silent, closing his eyes and drawing in a deep breath. He needed to be calm and calculated, not some stuttering idiot. This was yet another diplomatic treaty with an inferior opponent, and he would come out on top. If not for his return to his proper station, but for his princess. She needed him to succeed, even if she couldn’t yet publicly admit that. “What do you want?” he asked, opening his eyes and stalking coolly from the river. Chrysalis smiled as he shook himself free of river water. “Why, isn’t it obvious my friend? I want to help!” Lionheart’s eyes narrowed. “And how exactly can you help me?” “Spare me the act Duke,” Chrysalis smiled, stalking around the unicorn. “You have no cards to play from your quickly shrinking prison cell. You have no allies left, and there isn’t a pony that would be caught dead helping you. I am your only option.” Lionheart held his nose high, refusing to give anything away in his body expressions. “So you believe, but you don’t have a good record on predicting pony behavior, now do you?” He was pleased to see the changeling’s eyes narrow as she let out a loud snort. “I can foalnap you now and nopony would care. They might even reward me for turning you into an obedient little drone. Wouldn’t that be a sight, Queen Chrysalis with a medal, while Duke Lionheart stays in the depths of the hive, polishing my throne.” “Idle threats are just a sign that you’re afraid of the ace I hold,” Lionheart said, nonplussed. Chrysalis to glare daggers at him, then she threw her head back and laughed. “It’s good to see some heart left in your Duke. I can’t wait to see how long it lasts.” Lionheart remained silent as the changeling queen continued to giggle. When it didn’t stop, his muzzle twisted in irritation, drawing her eyes and further laughter. “Oh do say what’s on your mind,” she teased. “I can’t wait to see how you muck up something so simple as receiving a gift.” “You still have not answered my question,” he growled through gritted teeth. He recoiled as she slithered up to his side, wrapping a hoof around his barrel and tugging him close. He had to force himself not to shiver in disgust as his wet fur rubbed against her cold, chitinous hide. Chrysalis seemed to relish his discomfort, and her tongue flicked out of her mouth, dangling perilously close to his cheek. “Since you ask Duke Lionheart,” she purred. “I just so happen to know of several tribes of mercenaries nearby that don’t take too kindly to certain ponies tramping through their lands.” She gave him a squeeze, forcing him to look toward the guard. Lionheart couldn’t help but stare at the guard’s vacant eyes as he swayed in place. Despite being so empty, the pony seemed vaguely happy as the changelings resting on his back poured their magic into his head. Lionheart shuddered, trying to not let any intrusive thoughts surface. Changelings were notorious for their ability to manipulate thoughts and scents. Weakness in any area would make him a puppet. Luckily he knew he wasn’t weak, was in fact strong enough to resist their corruptive ways. “I also just so happen to have a newly acquired pool of bits,” she continued, whispering in his ear. “And to see my enemies weakened, I would be more than willing to lend my knowledge and my wealth, should a condition or two be met. Little things, I promise.” Lionheart closed his eyes even as the changeling put a hoof over where a heart would be on a pony. “What are your terms?” He had no intention of keeping any bargains with the bug, but he had to at least consider them if he was to give an affirmative lie. Chrysalis peeled away from his side and spun to stare right into his eyes. Hers shined a brilliant green, matching her shining smile of fangs. “I want Elias Bright dead.” Her eyes wandered up in thought. “Although having such a savage, cunning creature within my hive mind could be useful… too risky.” She met his eyes again. “Yes, dead. No matter what happens, he must die. Once he is, you will send a runner toward Saraj with the news.” Lionheart didn’t have to lie to say; “Gladly. Elias Bright won’t survive to see Saddle Arabia’s borders.” Chrysalis smiled. “I didn’t think you would take too much offense to that concession, which is why the second is far more… trying.” She paused, as if expecting protest, but Lionheart remained silent, holding his cards tight to his chest. “I want Elias Bright’s ponies,” she finally said. “Once he is disposed of and you have regained control of the army, you will send them out, I don’t care how. I simply want them for my own uses.” Lionheart’s eyes narrowed. “Unacceptable. Rabble they may be, led by a mad beast, but they volunteered for service to the princesses. I cannot sacrifice all of them.” “What a curious choice of words,” Chrysalis breathed, fluttering her eyelids. “All of them. Very specific Duke Lionheart.” He stood tall, even as a shiver ran up his spine. He had been married, he knew what that kind of look meant. He decidedly did not like it coming from a changeling. “Ground must be given,” he said shortly. “I will send out an overabundance of patrols for several days to track down the “hated assassins”. Once the beast’s ponies are exhausted, I will make sure there is a vulnerability left near the healing tent. However many wounded ponies you manage to take before an alarm is raised you may keep.” “Sacrificing the weak to remain stronger,” Chrysalis purred. “Oh my Duke Lionheart, you truly are a little changeling at heart. Equestria may have some hope if you remain with the princesses.” “Equestria will remain strong with or without me,” Lionheart snapped. “You’d do well to remember that insect. I only deign to speak with you because right now the princesses need help being set free from a monster that keeps them trapped. Don’t forget that a few short words to that wretched human can have him turn on your tail instead of mine.” Instead of being intimidated like she should have been, Chrysalis again laughed. “And threats to follow, I think I know who to keep an eye on in the future.” Her smile took on a cruel light. “I have observed that Elias Bright likes to take walks at night. I shall have my assassins strike in the coming days; be ready to pick up the pieces. Are we in agreement?” She stuck out a hoof, her eyes unblinking and boring into his soul. He tightened his muzzle into a frown, hiding his nervousness as he reached out and met her hoof. “Yes,” Lionheart said. “But if any of your drones are captured, I will not defend them. Equestrian law is clear about how spies are dealt with.” “Fair,” Chrysalis said. “But if I find out you intentionally expose my spies, or if you betray me again-” she seized his hoof and pulled him forward. Her teeth nibbled on his ear. “I will kill you in the most horrific way you can imagine Duke. Not even the princesses can save you from me.” She giggled and let him back away. “But perhaps that precious human of theirs can. Now that would be a truly sweet revenge, to watch you beg and plead at Elias Bright’s feet.” “Are you going to offer this ‘aid’ of yours, or are you going to keep mocking me all evening long?” Chrysalis gave him a wink, and the guard began to slowly plod back into the trees. “I will make contact with my allies tonight, then I will come find you to bring you all together. Don’t worry about how; I’ll know where to find you.” The green light faded from the changeling’s eyes, and with a shake of its head, the normal slitted blues returned. The changeling shuddered, then his eyes focused on Lionheart. The unicorn stared back, his eyes narrowed. “Well? Go away insect. We have nothing to talk about.” The changeling’s eyes narrowed, and his muzzle curled in a smile. “Not quite true pony, we have one thing to deal with.” Lionheart yelped as he found himself lifted into the air within green magic. Just as quickly he found himself sputtering and flailing wildly in chilly water. He managed to get his hooves under him, and he shot out of the water, his muzzle curled in a snarl, ready to verbally rip the changeling’s head off. He found only quiet trees. His head whipped around, scanning for where the wretched little creatures could have gone, but he found nothing. “What the buck is wrong with you?” Lionheart’s eyes shifted and found the legionnaire glaring at him with open disgust. In his hoof was the soap bar, dripping with mud. “This is my soap for the rest of the week!” the silver-clad pony snapped. “It was bad enough that I have to share it with you, but you can’t even keep it out of the mud? I’m going to have to cut away half of this just to have clean soap again!” The legionnaire let out a huff and stuffed the muddy soap bar beneath his armor. “Get out of the river, we’re going back to camp. I swear, you trip with one pot of potato and hay stew…” Lionheart momentarily considered asking the pony if he had seen or felt anything, but judging by how irritated he was over a bar of soap, he highly doubted it. A chill raced down his wet pelt, and he found no wish to anger the guard further. Being back in a warm camp filled with armed guards sounded quite nice. He quickly trotted up to the guard, and they began their trek back in silence as the legionnaire grumbled silently to himself. As they passed through the trees, Lionheart couldn’t help but keep an eye over his shoulder, wondering briefly if courting his returned “allies” was worth the risk. > Chapter 65: Conflicts on the Horizon > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “With the sabotaged blood bags, our supplies are low,” Kind Heart said. “But we planned for… an overuse of our supplies, and we have plenty of extra blood bags. I recommend we use some of our extra food supplies every day so that we can start drawing blood from the healthy guardsponies and legionnaires. I think if we draw a bag from every pony once, we’d have more than enough if we get in another fight.” “Tell the cooks to make heartier meals,” Elias grunted to Book Binder. “How are we on bandages and the like?” Kind Heart swallowed. “We’ve cleaned and repurposed as much as we can, but if we fight another battle, we won’t have enough. I would like to take spare tunics, and… I would like to cut up our now unused tents. Tarp is hardly ideal, but it’s better than nothing. I’ll see if anypony can soften it up, but… we need more.” Elias didn’t blink. “Get it done then; draft whoever you need to get it done tonight. Anything else?” “I just need a pot to boil water in so I can bulk sterilize our needles.” Elias finally looked up, glaring at the pink unicorn. “You don't need my permission to take a pot from the mess tent,” he deadpanned. “Draft two Solar Guards to help you, they still look left out of camp labor.” Kind Heart smiled and gave him a nod. “I’ll get it all done General.” Book Binder ripped off the section of sheet she had written down the orders on and passed it to the pink unicorn as she trotted from the tent. Elias poured over the map, marking sections that needed adjusting. They needed to double their speed to make up for their resting days, and with more ponies returning to service after every evening healing, that goal wasn’t too far off. They just needed to make sure the nightly castras would be in safe locations as they caught up to their normal schedule, and without the other generals, and without Scarlet to help comb over maps… He blocked out that thought and focused on the map, comparing it to the scouting reports he had received on the lay of the land. It had been a long couple of days, but they were making progress, slow it might be. Luckily the maps were up to date and accurate, so choosing out new locations wasn’t too difficult. He was just the only one capable of doing it, so he had to be right the first time, or more ponies would suffer. “General.” Elias grunted waving his hand. “In a minute.” Supply forms were next. All the paperwork had to stay up to date according to Equestrian military code, and while he hated it in the moment, he understood the necessity of keeping accurate logs. It helped ensure corrupt ponies didn’t have the chance to swipe supplies for re-sale. He wasn’t going to, but he had to follow the dumb rules so that nobody had excuses to drag him down when they were back in civilization. “General.” “One second,” Elias said, finishing the paperwork with a hasty signature. Guard shifts were next. Night Flash and Granite were responsible for doling those out, but they didn’t have the authority to assign Lunar and Solar Guards, and though many were happy to fall in line with legionary authority, he had to avoid stepping on hooves. It would only cause discontent among the ranks if he had his officers exercising the same unilateral power he now wielded. That meant the shifts had to come through him, and he combed over them rapidly, making sure those fresh from the medical tent were getting back in the rotation. He also ensured that only legionaries were assigned to the three traitors. Then there was keeping an eye on Stone Horn, and… “General!” Elias sighed and rubbed at his eyes. “Yes, Princess?” He could feel eyes boring into his skull, demanding he meet them. With another sigh, he did so, looking up. Her eyes were narrowed as she inspected him, looking him up and down before speaking again. “I was asking if you were going to bed soon,” she said, her voice low and filled with concern. “It has been over an hour since you dismissed your subordinates.” Elias looked around, found that, yes, everyone was gone. He stared at the planning table, remembering faintly telling everyone to get some rest sometime before he had started his paperwork. He looked up to Luna. “Apologies Princess, but I’ll get there eventually. Plenty to do, but don’t let that stop you. It’s mostly just paperwork.” Luna’s eyebrow raised. “I’m sure. Once you’re done with your paperwork, you will go to sleep?” Elias shook his head. “I have a guard patrol I volunteered for, wanted to make sure everyone is getting a good night’s sleep before we start speeding up our pace in earnest.” “So after that you rest.” Elias looked toward the ceiling of the tent, mentally recounting what still needed done. “No, I still want to inspect our rations, then I need to go to the medical tent for a visit, make sure our wounded ponies are healing up. I don’t want them to feel abandoned, and I may not be a princess, but I like to think it helps when I visit.” “And after that?” Luna asked. “Then I oversee the guard shift change,” Elias sighed. “Then I check to make sure our wagons will keep rolling tomorrow. Over the last couple days I’ve found that the cooks are usually getting up by then, so I help carry the ration barrels to the food tent for breakfast.” Luna nodded knowingly, no doubt she had observed that exact schedule over the last few days. It had been days, right? At least two, maybe three. He wasn’t sure, but she seemed to be. “And when precisely in that schedule do you sleep?” Elias’ shoulders sagged. It was going to be a lecture then. “I don’t.” “And the last time you slept?” Elias rubbed at his eyes. “I took a nap during lunch today.” “Lunch, which lasts only twenty minutes,” Luna said. A touch of irritation sparked in Elias’ mind. “It doesn’t matter, the work needs done, and I’m best qualified to do it. If I lose a little sleep, so what? There will be plenty of time to rest after the march. I can do without for a few days. I’ve done it before.” Luna rose from her pillow throne, standing slightly taller than him from atop it. “But this march will not end in a “few” days. If all goes well, we still have a few weeks to march. You will die of exhaustion before then, and then what use will you be?” His eyes narrowed. “I’m stronger than you think.” Luna smiled. “Of that I have no doubt, but I have received several private pleas to force you to rest. You are pushing yourself too hard, and your ponies can tell.” “Who came to you about this?” Elias asked. “I will not say,” Luna answered lightly. “They are looking after your well being, and so must I. It is my duty as princess to look after all of my subjects, which happens to include you.” She nodded toward the tent exit. “Go now and rest. Everything will still be fine in the morning.” “I still have to-” “No ‘buts’,” Luna said, cutting him off. “You will sleep now. You do service to no one being in an exhausted state.” “Is that an order?” he sniped. She shrugged, and her eyes narrowed slightly. “Though you have made it clear you are under no compulsion to follow our orders, I will make it so if it will make you rest.” Elias’ shoulders sagged. He didn’t want to make a fight of this. Mere mention of sleep was making his eyes heavier, and his limbs sluggish. Sleeping sounded good. “Alright, fine, I’ll sleep.” He couldn’t help but add; “But only for an hour or two. I still need to get stuff done.” Luna sighed. “I won’t begrudge you that, but do try and pass away some of your workload so that you can rest longer. I worry for you.” He straightened his papers into a pile, flashing her a smile. “Don’t worry, Princess. I’ll be fine.” “Perhaps, but the world is a lesser place deprived of your snuggles,” she countered with a smile of her own. “My ponies suffer without your warm, embracing arms.” She shooed him with a wing. “Go on now, you aren’t going to delay this.” “Are you accusing me of stalling?” he asked as he scooped up his bed-roll. “I have seen the worst Canterlot has to offer; nobles that could talk and waste time for days on end in an effort to get their way.” She chuckled. “You are not nearly as adept at that particular art. Now shoo. Sleep. Not another protesting peep out of you.” Elias rolled his eyes, faintly considering giving her a middle finger. She might take genuine offense to it, however, so he decided to instead just turn away, giving her a wave as he moved toward the tent flaps. Just as he opened it, a brilliant flash of white blinded him followed by a deafening crack of thunder. Sheets of rain began to fall, turning the dusty camp into a muddy miasma within seconds. He sighed, staring out at the lashing sheets of water. “Fuck me.” “What is the matter General?” Luna asked, her tone teasing. “I thought you were tenting with Night Flash and Book Binder. Surely that is not so far a walk, even in a squall.” “I was,” Elias said, looking out to the rain. “But I had Kind Heart move in with them. She was tenting with Bloody Bandage and a few Royal Guards.” He left unsaid what had happened to them. Luna sagged slightly at his unspoken meaning. “I see.” She straightened and her smile made a full return. “Come back inside then General. I’m sure you and I can figure out an alternate arrangement.” He grinned, half-turning back, his arm still holding up the tent flap. Water was already beginning to soak his sandals. “I have half a mind to go out anyway, try to make sleeping more interesting.” “Don’t you dare,” her smile took on a sly look, “unless of course you want to get sick. Then you can stay in the carriage all day and snuggle with me.” His scowl brought out a giggle from her. “Open invitation, we are still friends after all. Friends snuggle.” She moved over and patted the pillows beside her. “Speaking of, come hither my friend; you shall be sleeping with me tonight.” Elias immediately flushed red and looked away. “That won’t be necessary Princess, I’m sure I can find a spare patch of dirt in the healing tent.” Luna giggled again. “I should be offended that you don’t want to sleep beside me Elias, but I will brook no argument. Come come, I will ensure you have a nice, healthy sleep.” He strongly debated ignoring her and walking out in the rain, sickness be damned. They had amended their contract, yes, but outright sleeping with her. Even if it was strictly business, the rumors that would spark! Then again, it was Luna, one of his oldest friends, and definitely his closest one, certain clingy pegasi aside. He didn’t want to offend her, certainly didn’t want a third princess turned against him. Also, curling up against her plush, beautiful fur sounded so very inviting, and being alone would make him think about… A good cuddle would do wonders to keep him occupied. He sighed and dropped the tent flap. Luna immediately popped up from her seat and cheered. “Huzzah! I shall finally have my warm pillow returned!” Elias gave her a look that she proceeded to ignore as she began re-arranging the pillows with her hooves. He extinguished the lantern by the tent opening, then walked back toward the planning table, stripping away his armor, and his sword belt. By the time he was finished, Luna was again waiting, patting a human sized impression in the pillows that she had created. Her tail waggled, and her muzzle sniffed with adorable delight as she waited for him to occupy the space. He groaned and threw his sleeping roll at her, booping her nose. “Two hours,” he said. “I still have work to do.” Luna giggled and laid the roll out. “Of course, oh mighty General Bright. Even the snuggles of a princess cannot supersede your duties.” Elias again rolled his eyes as he extinguished the lanterns on the table. He laid down on his bedroll facing away from the blue alicorn. Immediately she flopped down over top him, sprawling over him like a blanket. She nuzzled into the crook of his neck, sighing wetly in his ear. “Much better,” she hummed. Her hooves kneaded his back. “You’re carrying an awful lot of tension Elias. I will hire you a masseuse. I know this lovely mare from Ponyville that will make you melt under her hooves.” He yawned, any clever and witty responses falling away as the soft embrace of her fur brushed against his neck. “Two hours,” he mumbled, his eyes already drifting closed. “Just two.” Luna chuckled and nuzzled his neck. “Goodnight Elias. I will see you in the morning.” He yawned again. He didn’t want to put up any fight. Sleep sounded so good, and with such a sleeping buddy... “Goodnight Princess.” ***** Kindness sighed as the human began to dream. She had never been a fan of the alicorn’s plan, but understood they thought it would bring about greater, long-term kindness and harmony. The short term, however, was far past an irritant. So many souls flowing through their court… And then there were the nightmares. Oh so many, far too many for the weakened Moon to handle. She had taken to delving into the dream realm to calm dreams as the lunar alicorn saved her strength, but the human… He was a hardy one, that was certain. He had survived for days on naps and daydreams, but now that he was properly sleeping, she was certain it wouldn’t last long. Even if he didn’t want to admit it, even to himself, his heart ached, and his mind conjured up twisted illusions to torture his rest. If only he could see how his friends were no longer suffering. If only she could intervene to offer him the barest of comforts. Still, there were others that would do so, and soon. Kindness felt a smile touch her face as Moon snuggled up against the human. There friendship was excellent; a touch odd in it’s original construction and conception, but excellent nonetheless. It would certainly be one Elias Bright needed to survive the coming days. ***** Luna watched happily as her friend fell asleep. She had watched the bags slowly develop beneath his eyes after the incident of sabotage. Ponies had quickly started coming forward, all but begging her to make him rest, or at the very least talk with him. They certainly couldn’t do it, they were beneath him in the army. He could dismiss them with a hand wave, and then rifts would form, disrupting the cohesion they had so carefully developed. No, they needed an agent, and she was glad to serve. So long as she didn’t press him too hard, all would be well, and his health would improve, and with it, the morale of his troops. Of all ponies, Elias would appreciate that angle most of all. She adjusted her wings, subtly bringing his arms beneath her feathers before she settled on his back. She made sure his head was buried in the fluffiest part of her chest, then closed her eyes, ready to get a touch of her own rest. She just had one thing she needed to do. She made sure not to use her active magic as she crept into the dream realm. It wouldn’t do to ruin their efforts so close to their goal. She was well practiced, however, and she found Elias’ dream without issue. It wasn’t the same roiling storm she had seen before, but it wasn’t exactly calm either. The clouds were an angry gray, and the occasional flash of lightning indicated some horrors dwelling deeper within. Still, she didn’t need to resolve it, merely calm it. Elias could rest longer if his dreams were calmer. She strode forward, touching the storm wall with her hoof gently. It bucked in reply, almost as if a nervous dog trying to sniff her to see if she was friend or foe. Luna waited calmly, slowly pushing the hoof deeper in the roiling clouds. Once her hoof stopped being rebuffed, she used it to take a step forward. The wall immediately tightened around her, the color shifting to a darker gray. Luna remained calm, remaining in place as it tried to push her out. After a few long moments where the pushing didn’t stop, she thought of something that might calm it down further, and she began to hum. The clouds immediately softened their barrage as the song she and Elias had shared during Hearth’s Warming filled the air. Luna made a mental note to ask him the words to the song, but oh did his dreams respond to the tune. They calmed, allowing her fully into their embrace. She could have used the song to press forward, but she didn’t want to end his dreams. She just wanted him to rest easy. She turned around, taking a seat with just her muzzle extending beyond the quieted storm wall. She stared out into the dreamscape, humming softly the unknown tune, over and over, happy with the knowledge that Elias would sleep well tonight. ***** Nightshade stumbled through the rain, sniffing the air quietly. The torrents of water was making it hard to find her mate, but she knew he was close. The air was hot with his scent, she just needed to find where it was concentrated… Sneaking from the tent filled with not-her-mate ponies had been easy, though ripping that needle from her foreleg had hurt. Without it, it was just crawl beneath the beds, then wait for the guards to duck inside away from the rain, then she was free. Free to hunt for her mate. Her nose twitch, and her hazy eyes widened with delight as she finally got a whiff of familiar scent. He was near! There was a small scent pocket, undisturbed by the rain, and she sprinted toward it. Her nose led her right to the center of camp, and she was unsurprised to find a large tent. Of course her mate would be there, he deserved the best! She approached carefully, finding the tent dark. Likely her mate was already asleep, and she had no desire to wake him. She just wanted to slip beneath him and cuddle in. She gently lifted the tent flap, giving it a sniff to make sure her mate was within. Her wings fluttered lightly when her nose filled with a delicious scent. Mostly delicious. The pony needed a bath, but that was for later. She slipped into the tent, her delirium heightened as she was smacked in the face with a far more potent pocket of scent. Somebody familiar was close, and with a second sniff… there was more than one friendly scene, that was good. She purred with delight. She would relish in having more fluff to sleep beneath. She trotted forward happily, her eyes closed as she used her nose to locate the sleeping pair of scents. Light snores touched her ears, and she prodded the pillows around the sleeping pair, looking for a gap. When she found one, she wriggled her way inside, squirming between the sleeping pair. She hissed as her belly pulled painfully, but then she was in, squished between fluff on top, and pure warmth on bottom. In no time at all her fur would dry out with so much warmth. She sighed happily, burying her muzzle into the male scent’s back, inhaling as much inviting friendliness as possible. Her legs wrapped around him, and she began to drift away. She scowled as a hoof prodded her side. A voice chuckled, then prodded her again when she didn’t respond. “Come on snuggle-bat, open up those beautiful eyes of yours.” Nightshade huffed and cracked open an eye, squinting as she glared up at… “Chase?” Her other eye opened and she blinked at him, then down at the body she was hugging. Elias let out a slight snore in reply, seemingly happy as could be. Nightshade’s brow furrowed and she gave him a sniff, her confusion deepening as she again found that friendly male scent. A touch of clarity swept up her nose, and her ears flattened. She… she hadn’t been smelling Chase, she’d been smelling her other male friend. But... She looked back up to Midnight Chaser, who smiled down. “I… Chase I didn’t mean to…” The pegasus chuckled and leaned over to nuzzle her. “It’s alright snuggle-bat, it’s alright.” She craned her neck to try and nuzzle him, but he seemed just out of reach, and she didn’t want to let go of Elias. She sniffled lightly. “C-Chase?” The gray pegasus kept smiling at her. “Don’t worry about me ‘Shade, you’re right where you need to be.” He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. “Give him your all Nightshade, don’t hold a single thing back.” She again extended her neck, trying to keep nuzzling the gray pegasus as he backed away, but eventually he was too far, still smiling at her as he faded into the distance. Her nose guided her back to Elias, his scent drawing her like a magnet. He stirred slightly in his sleep, and she immediately clung tighter, nuzzling his neck until he quieted. His warmth filled her chest, and she couldn’t help but yawn and fall asleep, hugging him with all her might. ***** Elias woke to several things. The first was what woke him up; the sharp stabbing of a rising sun targeted squarely in his eye. The second was the overwhelming smell of wet dog, but that wasn’t altogether unpleasant. There was something he couldn’t place in the smell, something fruity? The third thing was an all-encompassing warmness that made him loathe to move, and coupled with an embracing wall of fluff, it made him very comfortable. Finally was the second reason he had awoken; the sound of chuckling and giggling. The sound was almost impossible to hear, yet hear it he did. He crawled forward from the fluff and squinted at the giggling horde of rainbow colors. A collective gasp filled the air with the appearance of his face, then somebody shouted; “Scatter!” The sounds of fleeing hoofsteps filled his ears even as wings closed over his face and dragged him back into the fluffy wall. “No leaving yet,” Luna mumbled. “Cuddles.” Elias began to protest, only to moan softly as someone nuzzled his neck. “Cuddles,” the mystery mare purred. Sleepy confusion made it so his brain wasn’t quick to ask important questions. He huffed and continued rubbing at his eyes. Once they were clear, he managed to crack them open and glare at the only pony who had remained behind; Gray Granite. The gray earth pony smiled. “Good morning General!” Elias squinted at him. “Why are you so happy?” Granite’s grin brightened. “Just tickled that I’m going to have get a nice bag of bits today. You see, the other officers and I had this bet that you would-” Elias’ eyes narrowed silently, and the earth pony trailed off. He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. “Right, sorry General. Pleased to see you got a good night of sleep.” Elias rubbed at his eyes again. “A full night… how behind am I? What happened on the patrol last night? I’ll need time this morning to visit the healing tent, and to check-” “All checks and patrols are accounted for, manned, and up to standard General,” Granite cut in. “As for your schedule, you are two hours behind normal, but the rest of the camp is on schedule and will be ready to depart on time. Adiutor Binder and First Centurion Night Flash are taking care of all your morning duties. I’m just here to make sure you’re dressed and get breakfast.” “He will eat with me,” Luna slurred, flopping her chin over his head. “Thank you for the wake up call Centurion. That will be all.” Granite looked to Elias for permission and the human gave it with a nod. The earth pony quickly left, leaving Elias with the ponies on his back. He looked up, finding shining emerald eyes smiling down. He scowled. “Where do you get off ordering around my ponies?” Luna chuckled and nuzzled his face. “My subjects, so I get executive power.” She snorted in his face. “Also, I have you pinned, so I can do whatever I wish, and the mighty Elias Bright gets no protest. I conquered you, so I give orders.” Elias tried to wriggle away from her grip, but coupled with the pony hugging his back, he couldn’t move. Not without hurting them both. He huffed. “So, who did you order to join us? If I remember correctly last night began with just the two of us.” He looked up expecting to see a playful look but was surprised to find a look of confusion on Luna’s muzzle. “I thought you had invited Snowball to snuggle with us,” she said. “Is that not the case?” Elias’ brow furrowed, and he slowly shook his head. “He said he needed to take a break from feeding on me, something about making sure I don’t get in the habit of overproducing love…” They both silently looked toward the still silent ball of fluff on his back. Luna, being on top, slowly got to her feet, gasping softly once the mystery pony was revealed. “Nightshade?” The thestral grumbled softly, clinging tighter to Elias. “No noise. Cuddles.” Elias’s neck strained, causing him to wince as he glanced back at the thestral. She looked horrible. Her fur was slightly damp, and she was covered in splotches of red. The bandages around her barrel were an ugly brown and there was a lot of crust built up around her closed eyes. The thestral sniffed softly and nuzzled his back. “Cold. Bring back blanket,” she demanded at a mumble. Luna gently laid a wing over Nightshade’s back. “My friend, what are you doing away from the medical tent? You need a proper bed and proper observers.” The thestral’s hooves latched onto Luna’s wing and tugged it closer. She snorted softly, her eye just barely cracking open. “No, best sleep with Fuzzy and Warm.” She waved a hoof. “Come, cuddle time.” Luna giggled, looking up to Elias. “I’m going to guess that you are ‘Warm’, General.” He didn’t match her smile, instead clearing his throat and nodding away from the bandage-wrapped thestral. Luna’s smile fell slightly, and she subtly resettled herself so that both of her wings, as well as a few pillows, covered Nightshade’s head. “We cannot keep quiet about Midnight Chaser,” Elias whispered harshly. “I will not lie to her.” “She is no condition to hear the truth,” Luna whispered back. “An emotional blow like that may very well kill her.” “She needs to know,” Elias hissed. “It will devastate her if she finds that she can’t trust us to tell her the truth!” Luna frowned. “Elias, we must wait until her physical health has improved somewhat. Once she is of clearer mind-” “I will not lie to her!” “Elias, I understand, I truly do, and I share your desire not to lie, but she may well die if we tell-” Crusted, hazy eyes glared at the two of them as a bedraggled head rose. Nightshade squinted at Luna first, then with a snort looked to Elias. Her muzzle curled into a soft smile, and though she winced, she extended her hooves. “Cuddles. Good nestmates cuddle.” Elias turned away from Luna, knowing she was going to hate him for this. He reached out a hand, gently grasping one of her hooves and lowering it. “Nightshade, I know this is going to be hard to hear, especially banged up like you are, but Midnight Chaser is gone. He-” “All the more reason for cuddles,” Nightshade sniffed, her eyes wetting with tears. “Good nestmates cuddle when times are bad.” She pushed his hand away and again extended her hooves. Elias sighed. Judging by her runny nose, the glazed look in her eyes and the ill smell wafting off of her, her wound was in the opening stages of infection and she had a fever. She probably only processed his every other word. Luna sighed, and she moved around the thestral’s back, embracing her with her wings. “Nightshade,” Luna murmured, “my oldest friend. Your mate, Midnight Chaser is-” “Gone,” Nightshade spat, glaring back at the alicorn. “Elias just said that. I don’t need you to rub it in!” Her burst of fury wavered as her lip trembled and she began to shake. Tears filled her eyes, and she again extended her hooves toward Elias. “C-cuddle,” she said. “G-good nestmates c-cuddle when…” Elias gingerly picked the thestral up and held her tight, rocking her back and forth. Nightshade held on a moment more before breaking down. Soft sobs racked her body as she clung tightly to him, and she buried her head in his chest. Elias let out another sigh, looking to Luna as he kept rocking her back and forth. “I need to prepare for the day,” he whispered. She nodded silently, her hooves reaching out to pry Nightshade away. The thestral, without opening her eyes, let out a shout of panic and clung tighter. “No! You can’t leave, I won’t let you!” Her leathery wings slapped painfully against his back and she wrenched her hips to the side, forcing him to flop back down. Not loosening her grip, Nightshade wriggled upward, nuzzling his cheek. “I won’t lose another one,” she whispered. “You’re never leaving my sight again.” “Nightshade, I have to-” “Never!” the thestral snapped, giving him a side-eyed glare. “You’re staying right here until I heal up, then we’re getting you a full compliment of bodyguards.” She sniffed his hair and paused, then added. “Actually, I’m your new bodyguard, effective now.” She abruptly sat up and shoved him away. She hissed as she tried to stretch, then glared at the bandages wrapping her belly. “Need to fix that first, and this headache…” She shook her head and met Elias’ eyes. “I need my armor, and some devoted time with a healer. Do you still hate Doctor Scalpel?” “He and I worked it out…” Elias stood up and began putting on his armor. He needed to start doing, Luna could handle the feverish thestral, he just needed to convince her to stay. “Nightshade, you’re visibly ill and need rest. I’ll assign Scalpel to you, but no armor. You need to sit, and process-” “Who did you lose?” Nightshade cut in. Elias paused, then slowly continued strapping on his armor. “Scarlet,” he said quietly. “But even I took a little time to-” “We can do that later,” Nightshade barked. “Chase wouldn’t want me laying about while my only other stallion-friend is risking his life for me. I only have the two of you, and now I’m short…” She sniffled, then gave herself and aggressive shake. “And stop that! Stop trying to make me think about him! You’re still alive, so you’re my focus now because you-” she jabbed a hoof at Luna “-and she give the best cuddles in Equestria! You’re going to keep giving them too!” She stalked forward, jabbing his leg with a hoof. “So no more protests out of you! Another word and I’ll beat you up again.” Elias raised an eyebrow. “You barely won last time when I had a broken arm. What makes you think you’d win this time?” Nightshade tried to puff out her chest, but instead clutched at her belly and winced. She looked away, her muzzle scrunched up in frustration. “I- I’d figure out something, don’t worry about it. Just a session or two with the doc and…” Elias crouched down and stroked her ears, drawing a purr from the thestral. He gave her a smile and kept scratching her ears as he spoke. “Nightshade, take time to get better,” he said softly. “Let Luna and Scalpel take care of you for a few days so that you can come back one-hundred percent, because that is what I want,” he quickly added as Nightshade’s mouth opened in protest. “I took over the entire army Nightshade. Everyone except you and I are either traitors or dead. I need your help, but you can’t provide it until you’re healthy.” His hand shifted to feel her forehead. “Even now you feel warm. If you dove back in right now, you might make a bad call because of a fever, then what risks will I have to deal with?” Nightshade winced. “I-” her eyes darted back and forth for a moment, then she wilted “-that could… Alright. I’ll stay with Luna.” She jabbed his chest with a hoof. “But only until I’m better, then I’m watching you back 24/7!” Elias grinned and nodded. Getting to his feet, he said; “Glad to hear it. Now, let’s get Scalpel and some breakfast, yes?” He glanced up to Luna, who looked fluffed up with pride. She smiled brightly and gave him a nod as she rose from her pillow throne. Before she could climb down though, a loud rumble filled the air. Eyes shifted to Nightshade, who flushed red, pointedly refusing to meet anyone’s eyes. “I think that answers that.” Nightshade punched his thigh. “Shut up or I’ll be the one to kill you.” ***** Pyrelight stood by the front gate, a nervous frown on her muzzle. Technically it was an abuse of authority to order the gate guards away so that she could watch the gate alone, but she needed the privacy, while also not shirking her duties. With what she was thinking about asking General Bright… She shook her head and stared forward, trying to hammer her brain into submission. It was an uphill battle, especially with that stupid gem sitting around her neck, whispering it’s coaxing, terrible words. It wasn’t evil, just… insistent. Also destructive. Very destructive. Part of her still regretted going behind everybody’s backs to get the spell removed, but the freedom she now had. She shuddered, still getting twinges from her horn. It was one of the first times since childhood she had been without her horn ring. It had been specially enchanted to be invisible, so most ponies had no idea she wore it constantly, they just thought she was bad at magic. Unfortunately the opposite was true. She was very good at certain types of magic, as the gem was keen to remind her. It is merely light, like the sun, it whispered. It is such chilly day, why not warm it up? Pyrelight ignored the thoughts, knew that it was only the spell manipulating her inner narrative to convince her to relearn it. It was a strange property destroyer spells had, but she had practiced tirelessly to resist the call, even with her horn ring. Early on her parents had suggested that learning self-control would allow her to go without the ring, but as time passed, she came to realize the necessary lie for what it was; another layer of protection. If the horn ring had ever failed and she hadn’t been trained, thousands could have died. Now though, now the solution was close… if she could go through with it. She had the spell removed knowing she could resist the call of the spell, and for weeks she had! It had been easy to ignore it’s call, but then came the battle… She again shuddered. So much fire had filled the air, some of it from her own horn. While it was liberating to finally use her special talent, it wasn’t without fear. The gem had practically been shouting at her to absorb the spell once again, and when the solar guards had broken and ran, she had very nearly relented. It was subtle, the spell. It always seemed to know just when to pick at her thoughts, but that was just her projecting. She still remembered the explanation Princess Celestia had personally given her, and there was nothing to suggest that the spell actually had a mind of its own. It retained a sense of… eagerness from it’s original creator. Eagerness that wouldn’t leave her alone. If she had succumbed, no matter the mental justification she would have made of saving her friends, she would have killed them all. Anything that would have harmed the minotaurs would have swept away the ponies as well. She took a breath, scuffing her armored hoof in the mud. Her plan would work. General Bright was stronger than anypony, and he didn’t have magic. He couldn’t be tempted to use the spell. All she needed to do was talk to him in private, then give him the gem and tell him what it was. From there, he’d keep it safe, probably convincing Princess Luna to lock it away in some deep vault when they got back to Canterlot., especially if the rumors surrounding the pair were true. That thought brought a smile to Pyrelight’s muzzle and drove away the whispers from the gem. There were many rumors around General Bright, most interesting being his relationship with a princess and his proclivity for snug- Instinct and hundreds of hours of practice drew her gladius as hoofsteps crunched through the frozen brush before the castra. “Halt and approach slowly!” Pyrelight barked. She bit her tongue, following her training to not reveal a thing about the castra or the occupants within. Guard doctrine had guards declare who they were guarding to ward off those who may just be confused, but General Bright had taken the legion away from that habit. There were plenty of people who wished the princesses harm in their weakened state, so shouting their location wasn’t ideal for keeping them safe. Pyrelight took a step back, making sure she was blocking the castra entrance as a voice called out from the trees. “I am from Saraj, a runner for Shah Gelsey!” Pyrelight’s eyes narrowed, and she took a second step back toward the castra. “I said come out,” she snapped. “A runner has nothing to fear here, but anypony who won’t show themselves has something to hide. Come out now, or I call out a dozen legionaries to drag you out.” Her ears flicked as the nervous shuffling of hooves crunching frozen leaves filled the air, then a taller, thinner sort of white stallion appeared. His muzzle was far longer than that of normal ponies, and he wore far more clothes. The tall-pony smiled, and his tail flicked nervously. “This is the army of Equestria, yes?” Pyrelight looked him up and down, seeing no obvious weapons, but those could be hidden in the stallion’s saddlebags. He’d need to be searched. Her eyes flicked back up to meet his. “It is,” she said carefully. “What message do you carry?” The stallion’s eyes lit up and he turned back, flipping open his saddlebags and pulling out a letter in his teeth. His tail waggling, he smiled brightly, trotting forward. “A letter for her Majesties!” the stallion muttered through the letter. “The Shah calls for aid!” ***** “Minotaurs have surrounded our great city for weeks, and we’ve been unable to send out any messengers!” Aabhavannan, the messenger, said. The command tent was packed with his command staff, as well as a dozen other ponies. Elias stood with his arms crossed, eyes narrowed and glaring at the tall horse. He almost matched Luna in height, was the first equine that could actually meet his eyes without looking up. Elias found he didn’t like it, especially with the almost too excited smile the stallion bore. “They came not long after we received word that your march had begun,” Aabhavannan continued. “Unfortunately, our normal guard force was depleted. Shah Gelsey had sent them to our southern border, to ward against the zebra raids. When the minotaurs came, we attempted to send runners to recall them, but none have escaped.” “Until now,” Elias said. He glanced back, found Celestia and Luna side by side, combing over the letter. Nightshade sat beside Luna, trying to peer over the blue alicorn’s shoulder while Kind Heart and Scalpel worked at healing her belly. She was looking less hazy, and some of her bravado had faded with her fever, but though her eyes showed immense grief just beneath the surface, she was visibly steeled. He looked back to the stallion. “I find it very convenient that only now that we defeated one minotaur army, you come to tell us of a second one that we need to double our pace to destroy.” He took a step toward the horse, trying his best to tower over him. Luckily for him, the stallion shied back, giving him precious centimeters in height. “Why should we trust you? My legionaries saw changelings picking apart the battlefield a few days ago. How do I know that you’re not one of them and working with this army of yours to exhaust us?” He stepped forward again, and the horse seemed to shrink, quivering as he met Elias’ glare. “General, enough,” Luna called. “Stop terrifying the poor stallion. The letter is legitimate.” “And how can you tell?” Elias asked, not looking away. Aabhavannan gulped. “Gelsey is an old friend of ours,” Celestia said. “In fact, she and I were pen pals when she was but a pranses. She likes to hoof-write her letters rather than dictating.” “And when I returned, she began sending each letter with a stalk of lavender,” Luna said. She drew a long stalk of purple from the envelope and smelled it, sighing happily. “I’ve been trying for years to make my lavender as fragrant as hers but she keeps her gardening secrets well. Her flowers have always held our envy.” “There is also the matter of her magical signature soaking this letter,” Cadence said. “It’s easy to sense and soaked with worry and desperation, but not panic. A changeling needing to mimic this signature would need to keep her calm enough not to let her desire to escape to leech into her other emotions, something that is near impossible.” Elias’ glare at the Saddle Arabian runner finally faltered, and he looked back toward Cadence. He found others similarly staring in her direction in open surprise, and she blushed slightly, fluttering her wings. “What? A changeling invaded my wedding, and I’m a princess.” She raised her muzzle in the air, sniffing snootily. “It’s my duty to be informed about my enemies and being an expert on changelings fits. I’m allowed to detect emotions other than love you know.” Elias blinked slowly, then shook himself and looked to Luna. “So you believe he’s telling the truth?” The blue alicorn offered him a warm smile. “I do, General.” The smile faded and she glanced back to the letter. “But it’s contents are worrying. If Saraj has been under siege for so long, I fear for the state of her people. Tell me,” Luna said, addressing the stallion, “how are you food stores? I cannot imagine a city so large can be fairing well.” The stallion bowed low, his eyes never rising as he replied. “In truth, Princess, there is more to Shah Geley’s gift of lavender than there might seem. When I left the palace with the letter, she had just given orders for her gardens to be cut down and eaten. The lavender represents a day’s ration, a final gift to you should I fail in my mission.” Celestia let out a gasp, while Luna looked at the lavender in her hooves with new, grim light. “Wood Chop, take down a letter!” The guardspony stopped polishing the head of her axe and blinked at the white alicorn. “With what Princess? I don’t have a pencil.” Celestia stared blankly at the earth pony, then looked to Elias. “I… am used to my assistants having writing materials.” “She’s your bodyguard more than anything,” Elias said. “Adiutor Snowball, the princess’s letter.” The loveling buzzed over to Celestia, drawing a feather and parchment from his enchanted saddlebags. Celestia sighed with open relief at the sight of such materials, and she straightened, dictating quickly. “A call will be sent out to Canterlot and the surrounding towns. Every baker, chef, and farmer will triple production, and the mages of the Royal Canterlot Institute will prepare a storage room with preservation spells. The royal dining room will suffice. I want wagons filled with food prepared for the portal opening. They shall follow our welcoming committee through the portal as soon as it is linked.” As Snowball finished up the letter, Celestia looked to Elias, who still had his arms crossed. Her wings flapped nervously, and she smiled. “Can you do it General?” “Can I do what?” Elias said. “There are many things I can do, but I’m not magical.” He rolled his shoulders and stepped toward the map table, nodding the white alicorn over. She joined him at the table, followed quickly by Granite, Book Binder, and Night Flash. “We have nearly two weeks of marching left at our current pace,” Elias said, pointing at their location on the map. “We can move faster, but the faster we move, the more we leave behind. The more we leave behind, the less prepared we are to break a siege.” He glanced up. “Truth be told, I have no intention of pushing my ponies to the breaking point. If they will need to fight at the end of this march, then they will need to be rested, and they will need to be steeled.” His eyes flicked up to Aabhavannan, who gulped nervously. “Which begs the question, how many ponies have you talked to? How loose has your tongue been? Are you truly a runner coming to ask for help, or are you a spy, allowed to slip through the siege to spread panic?” As the stallion again shrank beneath his glare, a hoof gently touched Elias’ hand. His glare softened as Celestia stared into his eyes. “He is no spy General,” she said softly. “But even if he is, I know our ponies. They will not be afraid, not with you at their lead, so I again ask; can you do it?” “With our wounded we’ve been marching slower, we still aren’t back on schedule,” Elias said, somewhat hesitant to answer the question directly. Was it really all on him now? If he made even one mistake, was it all going to be for nothing? “At our current pace-” “We do not have weeks General!” Aabhavannan protested. “Saraj needs aid now!” “I know that!” Elias snapped. “But maybe if your Shah had planned for the possibility of minotaurs attacking like I had, your city wouldn’t be under siege. Now shut up or the first thing I’ll do when I liberate the city is burn it to the ground.” His glare flicked back to Celestia. “And you, what kind of question is that? ‘Can you do it?’ Do you expect me to say no? Don’t ask me stupid questions, and instead offer me solutions, or at least get out of my way so I can think of them.” His face twitched with irritation at the too-full tent. Sweat beaded on the back of his neck and slithered down his back. “All of you, get out! If you aren’t going to help me develop a plan, I want you outside and preparing the camp to move! Starting later isn’t helping us break a siege.” His eye twitched as nobody moved, but just as he opened his mouth to bellow the command, his officers roared into motion, shouting commands and shepherding ponies out of the tent. Elias braced his hands on the map table and simply stared at the well-marked piece of parchment. Celestia’s stupid question was bouncing around in his head; ‘can you do it?’ Was that supposed to be her showing doubt, or just more pressure? It wasn’t like he was under enough, oh no. He only had to do all the work of any entire army, duties which had been split among eight generals. No, now not only did he have the pressure of making sure an entire army stayed safe, including all of his closest friends and three de-powered alicorns, but now he had to worry about doing so with an enemy army ahead, besieging a city he had to save before they starved to death. Worse still was the lack of any other good planners. Chaser and Everfree were both dead. Nightshade was still sick and nursing a wound, and a glance over his shoulder found the thestral looking a touch less steely, and a touch more teary. She might try to hide it, but she had just lost her mate. She wasn’t going to shake that quickly. With Scarlet dead as well… Elias closed his eyes and shook his head. He couldn’t focus on what was gone, only one what remained. He’d gotten a good night of sleep and had a handful of dried meat for breakfast. That would be enough to at least get the army through the day, then he could pour over maps as soon as they stopped for the night, looking for some way to shave time off of… He paused as he felt a hoof manipulating his hand, forcing his fingers to uncurl, and then re-curl. He looked toward the hand to find a blue hoof in it and a glance toward the hoof’s owner found a smiling Luna. Elias glanced around, found the tent empty. Feathers brushed his neck, and a giggle filled his ear as the blue alicorn moved closer. “There is no need to worry my friend,” she whispered, her muzzle wet in his ear. “I wouldn’t dare try something is dastardly and forward as hoof holding while there are witnesses about.” Elias gave her a side-eyed glare. “I’m on the verge of a panic attack and you’re making jokes?” Luna smiled. “Because you panicking is silly Elias. I know that you are going to get us to Saraj safely, and I know that you will come up with some kind of plan to relieve the city, and I think you know that too.” He held his glare on her for a second more, then looked back to the map, taking a deep breath as he did so. “Of course I do, but your sister could remember that she’s the centuries old alicorn with a millennia of ruling under her belt. A touch less of absolute reliance on the twenty year old would be nice, as would an idea or two.” Luna giggled. “Ideas you would reject.” “Just because her ideas would be bad doesn’t mean that I can’t bounce off of their stupidity,” Elias said. “That’s more like it,” Luna hummed. “Don’t panic my strategic little human. There is no need to.” Elias waved her away with his free hand. “Yeah yeah, I’m the ‘Hero of Canterlot’, apparently infallible in my military brilliance. Try to appeal to my ego more why don’t you?” “I prefer to appeal to my snuggle buddy actually.” Elias felt his face flush crimson as her lips brushed his cheek. “You will be sleeping with me from now on General,” Luna whispered. “Feel free to take as long as you like in the evenings with your planning sessions, but know this; I will get my snuggles one way or another. If that is every night on the road to help you rest, or once you have liberated Saraj and I kidnap you for the center of a new cuddlepile, I care not.” She withdrew, pulling her hoof from his hand. Elias stared after her as she trotted toward the tent entrance. “I go now to recruit Nightshade to my efforts,” she said, looking back. “She needs some good, innocent fun.” She winked at him. “Do try not to fall to my wiles too easily, General. The chase is half the fun.” She waved a wing and trotted from the tent. “See you tonight!” Elias stared after her for a long moment, then said to himself; “How was that supposed to be motivation?” “Don’t kid General, everypony knows you love cuddles!” Snowball said, appearing from nowhere and settling on Elias’ shoulders. The human glared back at the loveling, who kept smiling, until the weight of the glare forced him to chuckle nervously. “Adiutor Binder sent me to remove you. We need to tear the tent down.” Elias continued glaring at him for a moment more, then sighed and nodded, gathering up the maps to shove into his bag. “Let’s just get today’s march done.” He paused, then glanced up at the loveling. “How long were you waiting around?” Fangs shined, and Snowball chuckled. “Enough to know that you are going to be quite the love donator.” Elias’ eyes narrowed. “Five laps of the castra, plus one for every time I hear the word cuddles today.” Snowball chuckled. “Okay ‘snuggle buddy’. Whatever helps you sleep, warm and cuddling with your favorite princess.” Elias stared at him for a moment longer, then went back to his maps. “And you’re not allowed to join us.” “Oh come on, that’s not fair!” Snowball protested. “I’ve been giving you my share of the rations, I should be able to feast on the tastiest source of love!” A smile finally broke out on Elias’ face as he began to pack his maps, listening to the loveling complain the whole while. His horn flickered with blue flame as his tone became a touch more emotional, and the sight of it brought the beginnings of an idea to his mind. He had what was essentially a changeling in his ranks… “Is it true that changelings can communicate with one another over hundreds of miles?” he asked absently, still staring at the flickers of flame. Snowball stopped in his rant, blinking with open confusion. “Not ‘ling to ‘ling, no, that kind of hivemind is pretty localized,” he said. “All ‘lings can communicate directly with their queen over any distance though. She acts as a central point, through which we all communicate. The hivemind only works when we’re close to our queen.” “But you can communicate with her, and she can order the other lovelings around?” “Yes,” Snowball said. “But she wants to stay neutral in Equestria’s-” “She’ll stand by and watch Saddle Arabians starve?” Elias asked, finally glancing away from his thinking trance. Snowball frowned. “General, I should be insulted. That’s my mom you’re talking about.” “A mom who won’t even hear me out on getting food to the starving Saddle Arabians,” Elias said. Snowball’s eyes narrowed for a moment, then his ear twitched. “She’s listening.” Elias grinned. “Let’s start with this; how many lovelings are in Saraj?” > Chapter 66: Idle Chatter > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Night Flash trotted forward with his muzzle buried in a thick packet of scrolls. They were top secret, covered in layers of spells designed to make the writing invisible to anypony but himself and his wife. They didn’t know if Elias would be able to see through the spells though, what with his strange eye and his lack of magic, so he still took every precaution with the scrolls, making sure they were stowed away safely in Book Binder’s enchanted saddlebags every time the human came close. He couldn’t know of the preparations they were making. That being said; they were well on track, they just needed some things that were rumored to be at the Saddle Arabian market place, then everything would be perfect! That was, if certain plans weren’t going to come to fruition first… He tucked his scrolls back into his saddle bags and stepped closer to Book Binder, who similarly had her adorable little muzzle buried in a different packet of scrolls. If there weren’t super important, thick sheets of paper in the way, there would be nothing stopping him from planting a kiss on that adorably scrunched nose. He did so love watching her while she was focused. “How’s your ‘secret project’ going Bindey?” he asked, stepping closer and bumping butts with her. It wasn’t a nuzzle, but with all their armor, it was hard to do much else. He felt a gentle nudge in reply, making it very clear that her heart wasn’t in the motion. Night Flash waited patiently, his smile still bright as he waited on his beautiful wife’s words. Book Binder sighed and rolled up her scrolls, her muzzle curling into a more frustrated scrunch as she put them away. “It’s isn’t going to work Flashy,” she said. “I failed. I’m sorry.” A wing extended immediately and dragged her close. Night Flash unclasped his helmet and pushed it up so that he could rub her face with his chin. “Hey, none of that,” he comforted. “We knew it was a long shot, and we have plenty of plans still ready to go. I’m only a little disappointed that our baby boy won’t be able to fly with me, but that’s okay! Just talk me through what went wrong.” Book Binder huffed and looked away. “Why? Your part of the plan isn’t a failure.” Night Flash chuckled and kissed her cheek. “Bindey, don’t make this another macaroni art incident. Bottling up your frustration will only make it worse.” “But there is no origin for macaroni art as a form of education, it just appeared one day in Equestrian curriculum!” Book Binder shouted. “I researched for seventeen months for nothing, nothing!” “Well I liked your presentation anyway. You were very passionate.” Book Binder huffed and shoved him. Night Flash grinned, knowing his little distraction had broken the first layer of her irritation, just like it always did. “Talk to me Bindey, why won’t it work?” Book Binder saddle up closer and leaned on him, absentmindedly fixing his helmet with her magic. “Elias doesn’t have magic,” she said. “There are plenty of banned and forbidden spells that can make him a pony of his choice; heck, we could make him a gryphon if he wanted to keep his fingers, but all of the spells require the target to have a magical soul and Elias… just doesn’t have one. We can’t even use the butterfly-wing spell on him; they’d just vanish immediately. Even trying to the cast a transformation spell on him might kill him, and if it doesn’t do that, it may hurt him, or twist him into something horrible.” Teary eyes met his. “I’m sorry Flashie, but Elias isn’t ever going to be able to fly with you.” Night Flash and kissed her nose, keeping a smile on his muzzle even if he didn’t wholly feel it. “It’s fine Bindey, we’ll just have to compensate in other areas. Saddle Arabians are good inventors, maybe we can pay somepony to make human sized wings.” He gently brushed her back, wishing he could feel fur instead of armor. “No tears though. There’s no reason for tears.” Book Binder giggled, wiping her eyes. “I just hate disappointing you Flashie.” She paused, then said; “And there’s always your pouting.” Night Flash frowned and back away a step. “I don’t pout.” Book Binder chuckled, her eyes growing slightly less teary. “Flashie, you have the most pathetic pout I have ever seen. You nearly gave my dad a cuteness induced heart-attack when he criticized your science fair project in high school.” Night Flash’s frown deepened, and his ears began to flick back. “I don’t pout!” After a moment, he added; “And that project was brilliant! I proved definitively that pegasi have the best potential for flight! By comparing my feather quality with that of Professor Sharpclaw’s, I-” “Elias said he doesn’t want to move in with us anymore.” Night Flash’s rump hit the ground instantly, followed by a tear as his eyes began to overflow. It was the worst news he could imagine. Definitely something worth crying over. He sniffled and whimpered softly, staring at Book Binder. His ears pinned back as he spoke. “N-no more midnight cuddles?” Book Binder winced, quickly nudging him up to prevent him from getting trampled but the marching ponies behind them. “That’s exactly the look I’m talking about,” she said, nudging him along next to the carriage. Night Flash had no motivation to move, his weight dead as he pondered a life without a wonderful human to spoil with endless snuggles. Book Binder huffed and braced his rump with her head, pushing him along. “Come on Flashie, Elias hasn’t said anything!” Night Flash’s pout instantly vanished, and the mare let out a squeak as his brick-like momentum suddenly shifted. She fell on her face, sneezing in the dust. He brushed her out of the dirt with his wing and nudged her along until they were back in step beside the carriage. Once they were walking evenly again, she swatted the back of his head. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about! You weaponize your pout so much that it hurts to even draw it out.” She brushed at her armor, mumbling under her breath. “I don’t want to even bring up the thought that he actually might decide to not come live with us anyway. There is a certain relationship he’s pursuing, even if he’s pretending not to.” Night Flash scoffed. “With Anyon’s enchantments, the bed frame should be able to hold up an alicorn too! It’s a bed made for snuggle piles.” He whipped out his planning scrolls again. “And if what your dad says is true, Saraj has some of the fluffiest pillows in the world! We’ll get a hundred of those for the snuggle pile, and then those thestral sheets from-” “Enough!” Aabhavannan bellowed. He immediately shrank as he faced down the glares of all the silver-clad ponies around them. Now, Night flash thought of himself as a reasonable sort of pony. He rarely disliked somepony, and it took a lot to get on his bad side. He loved giving out chances, just like he liked giving out friendship to ponies he could tell needed it. Something that immediately irritated him with Aabhavannan, however, was the angry look in the stallion’s eyes as he attempted to stare down Book Binder, apparently picking her out as somepony he could challenge. One of the few things that put ponies on Night Flash’s “bad” list was looking in any sort of negative way at his wife. Only White Shine had ever gotten away with that, and that was because he had connected parents. The rest who had tried… weren’t problems anymore. Night Flash slowly rolled his scrolls back up and tucked them into his saddlebags. The movement caught Aabhavannan’s eyes, and he looked toward Night Flash, who stared him down, his eyes not leaving the tall stallion’s for a moment. The Saddle Arabian shrank a touch further, then coughed and looked away, pitifully rubbing at the bandages on his hooves. “Apologies blue one, I merely cannot stand listening to all of this talk of hugging and cuddling when my people are under threat. That… creature you would so coddle has done nothing to help free my people, and I will not sit here and listen to you plan for a future that has nothing to do with lifting Saraj’s siege!” Night Flash’s eyes narrowed further. “You’re free to walk.” He felt Book Binder’s tail slap his rump, even as the mare took a more diplomatic approach. “General Bright has a plan Aablavan-.” “It is Aabhavannan,” the stallion hissed. “I’m sorry,” Book Binder soothed, lowering her voice just slightly. “Aabhavannan, General Bright has a plan, he’s just not big on sharing. Especially given… recent events.” The Saddle Arabian stallion huffed, staring forward. “I do not see any plan. We have been moving at the same slow pace for two days, and the sun already sets. We will stop soon, barely closer to Saraj. I thought a “hero” like your General Bright would be eager to become a liberator, but clearly he sees something to fear in arriving early to a battle.” Night Flash’s jaw clenched as he bit his tongue. An effect of being around Red was being a touch quicker to anger. He saw it in most ponies these days, but especially himself. On the flip side though, Red was becoming a touch mellower, at least he thought so. It was like ponies were slowly drawing the anger out and spreading it amongst themselves. It would pass, he knew, but for the moment, he had to bite his tongue. He hated the implication that Red was a coward, but he knew that snapping would only make him look silly. It was just words from a pony who didn’t know better. He’s just worried, he rationalized silently. I’d be the same way if my Red was in danger and nopony seemed to be doing anything. “I understand you’re worried,” Book Binder said, mirroring his thoughts. “But General Bright is the best hope Saraj has for being freed. I’d go so far as to say that right now, he’s the only hope.” Aabhavannan snorted dismissively, setting Night Flash’s teeth to grind again. Self-control was so hard sometimes. “He is stronger than the princesses? Than the many ponies that surround him, acting as his shield?” “Red didn’t get those scars from hiding in the back,” Night Flash finally spat at the stallion. “And I suggest you stop talking about him like he’s a coward while you’re near me, because if I hear one more bad word, you’re going to need c-.” A bump from Book Binder made him glower at the dirt in silence while she again acted the diplomat. “What he means to say is that General Bright is very brave, but any of us can be brave. Most of the ponies are trained guards after all, and the rest volunteered to be here. General Bright, though a very good fighter, is really the only pony who can keep us all together.” She shuddered. “And he is scary good at fighting.” “But you trust him more than your princesses?” Aabhavannan again asked. “You would trust that strange creature more than she that ruled Equestria for millennia?” Night Flash began to sputter in indignation. Strange creature? Strange creature? Red wasn’t some strange creature! He was a happy, wonderful stallion who was doing his duty, just so he could be buried in the biggest cuddle pile known to pony-kind! Book Binder let out a sigh. “Aabhavannan, please do not speak of General Bright in such a way again, or First Centurion Night Flash will put you to work pulling a cart of wounded ponies by yourself. He is not a strange creature, he is just as much a pony as you or I. He may deny that, but we’ve all experienced his loving and gentle side, and something you should know about him is that no matter how much he tries to hide it, he cares. When he’s angry, it’s because he cares. If he seems irritated, or callous, or just outright crazy, it’s because he cares.” She looked up at the stallion. “And it is only with the help of one of our princesses that he’s started sleeping again. General Bright had already stopped after our last battle, taking on all of the stress of leading the entire army. Now he has to rush to get us to Saraj before the city starves.” “But we aren’t rushing,” Aabhavannan hissed. “We are moving slowly when we should be running!” Book Binder began to speak again, but the day’s hot, tiring march, combined with having his snuggle pile planning ruined with bad-mouthing his Red had left him on a short-string, and yet another implied insult was all he could bear. “Centurion Granite!” Night Flash bellowed, over-powering his wife’s words. The gray earth pony quickly trotted to Night Flash’s side, looking somewhat bewildered at the loud call from the blue pegasus. Night Flash gave a side-eyed glare to Aabhavannan as he spoke to the earth pony. “Centurion, go waste some of General Bright’s precious time and tell him that we need to abandon all of our food, medicine, and wounded ponies. Furthermore, we won’t be stopping anymore for the night, we will instead be marching straight to Saraj with no stops, where we can then attack the minotaurs with harsh words because we’ll have nothing left. But at least it will be fast!” The final word was said with him glaring directly at Aabhavannan, who scowled back in reply. The pair squinted at each other, their muzzles curling with the beginnings of snarls. Book Binder sighed and shook her head as a mildly confused looking Granite looked to her for guidance. “Please ask General Bright when he’d like us to stop for the night,” she said. “And please ask if there is anyway to speed up our march, because Aabhavannan is concerned for his family inside of Saraj.” Granite frowned, his eyes momentarily flicking up to the Saddle Arabian stallion. “I really don’t think that General Bright needs a reminder.” Book Binder put on a forced smile. “Please just ask Centurion. Even if he just tells you that he has a plan, that will be enough. Please.” The gray earth pony gave her, then Aabhavannan once last glance before he began his trot toward the rear of the column. As he walked away, Book Binder turned her false smile upward. “There. Centurion Granite will get news from General Bright.” Aabhavannan huffed and laid across the top of the royal carriage, looking away. “Fine… and thank you for your concern. As you said, I am worried.” Night Flash felt the tension leave his shoulder blades as Book Binder’s smile became more genuine. “I know you are, but trust in General Bright. He’s gotten us through one battle, he’ll get us through another.” ***** “So General, if you do not mind my asking-” Celestia started. “I do mind,” Elias said. “But I’m sure that won’t stop the question.” He glanced to his left, finding the white alicorn completely flabbergasted. The sight brought a smile to his face. “I’m messing with you Princess.” As he looked back to the road, his feet fell in the same cadence they had for the last few hours, and the alicorn visibly relaxed, a somewhat nervous smile on her face.“What would you like to know Princess?” he asked. “I’m sure sitting in a supply cart instead of the royal carriage does get quite boring.” “In some ways,” Celestia said. She glanced around at the columns of marching ponies, all of whom were clad in silver. “But I quite like being amongst my ponies, even for a short spell.” She sat up a touch straighter and smiled at him. “My question is simple; what is your plan to get us to Saraj in time? We seem to be moving no quicker, yesterday, nor today.” “That would be because we aren’t moving quicker,” Elias said. “Saraj will keep until we get there on our normal schedule; in nine days.” Celestia stared at him for a long moment, then finally said; “You have a plan for feeding the city.” “I have a plan for making sure the city doesn’t starve to death, yes.” He side-eyed her. “A plan I’d rather not speak about without silence spells. The trees have ears.” Celestia’s smile again returned, and she turned around, rifling through her saddlebags. After a moment, she drew out a short golden rod with a purple crystal at it’s base. She settled it between her fore-hooves, then tapped the crystal. A small bubble of blue magic slowly expanded until it engulfed the wagon. The pair of legionaries pulling the wagon glanced up at the bubble, then back to Elias, who glanced at Celestia. “Speak freely Elias, nopony can pierce Starswirl’s Silent Veil.” She tapped the rod. “This little artifact has frustrated Luna to no end, but it was perfect for when I needed a little nighttime snack without her interrupting.” She waved a hoof. “Talk freely my friend.” Elias left unsaid how much she was assuming and spoke instead about his plan. “You’ll notice that Adiutor Snowball and Elder Stone Hoof are no longer with us. I sent them ahead, and secured minor food aid from Queen Flos. Enough to keep the city from falling.” “Flos violated her neutrality?” Celestia gasped. “How did you convince her to get involved?” Elias glanced the alicorn’s way. “I didn’t. I made a deal with her son, and in exchange he promised to ransom off Stone Horn to his elder son in exchange for allowing the lovelings in and around Saraj to bring in as much food as they can carry. Seeing as they can transform into something as large as a manticore, they should be able to haul in quite a bit.” “Still, I could get no such commitment last time I spoke with her,” Celestia said, bobbing her head in an appreciative nod. “What did you offer Prince Nyx?” Elias frowned. ***** “He’s going to be my love donator, he really is!” Snowball crowed, bounding around Stone Horn. “Elias is going to be my love donator forever and ever! Designated too! All of that tasty love and wonderful cuddles will be mine, all mine! Sun Eyes said she’ll get my room all set up, oh, I’ll have to get more pillows in Saraj! The fluffy thestral ones! And books, my designated donator loves his books! I’ll clear out the entire Saddle Arabian library if I have to!” He continued to cackle and bounce as an unnerved Stone Hoof tried to remain well clear of the giddy, rambling loveling. ***** “Too much,” Elias said, his eyes narrowed and his cheeks flushing slightly. “But now I don’t have to modify our schedule any more than I was already going to. If this Gelsey of yours is any good a ruler, she’ll make the food last as best she can. We can have pegasi carry bundles of grass over whatever siege fortifications the minotaurs have built when we get there. That will keep the city fed well enough while we end the siege.” Elias let out a deep breath. “Have to say, wings make things a lot easier. There are a lot of things that can be solved with flying. Then again, I clearly need to avoid using it too often.” “Why is that Elias? If what I hear about Night Flash is true, he wants you to be more in tune with the pegasi, not less.” Elias focused on a point in the road. “Reliance on your natural abilities made you lazy and complacent. I’m not arrogant enough to think the same wouldn’t happen to me. Best to stay innovative, even if it’s just in technique.” Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the white alicorn fluff up with indignation. “Our gifts are what have kept us safe and ahead those who would wish us harm,” Celestia said. “I understand you might be a touch jealous-” “No more than any earth pony,” Elias cut in. “How about it Hammered Steel, you jealous of pegasi? Want a pair of wings for your own?” “No General,” one of the earth ponies pulling the wagon said. “Though I wouldn’t mind a horn. Never was a fan of burning the fur from hooves.” The mare beside him scoffed and shoved him gently. “Then you should wear your gloves doofus.” “And around my muzzle when I have to use a shaping hammer? I only have fur on my muzzle because I haven’t been in a smithy in months!” Before the two could set to bickering, Celestia cleared her throat, drawing their eyes backward. “You two know each other?” the alicorn asked. Hammered Steel glanced back and nodded. “Applelosa, Princess, born and raised. I stayed behind for a long while making horseshoes.” “Lost the accents when I moved to Canterlot to join the Solar Guard,” the mare said. “So most ponies don’t know.” “Aw shucks sugarcube, but ya know we can get ‘em raight back if ya just embrace that burn in yer applebuckers!” Hammered Steel said with a laugh. The mare shoved him again. “Stop, yer gonna make me relapse. I worked hard to not sound like a hick!” “Don’t be ashamed of yer hometown now missy,” Hammered Steel teased. “What would yer ma say if her darling Apple Leaf sounded like some Canterlot city slicker?” “Ah’ll have ya’ll know that those city slickers ain’t half bad!” Apple Leaf snapped in full southern drawl. Her ears twitched, then she let out a dismayed squeal. “Dang it Steel, yer makin me look silly in front of th’ princess!” The stallion chuckled and dropped the accent. “It didn’t take long either. Ma will be happy that you’re still a country girl at heart.” Apple Leaf huffed and rolled her eyes. “Ah’m still not ready for foals, and that numbskull Acorn colt she tried to set me up can take his proposal and shove it straight up his-” “I thought you sounded familiar Apple Leaf,” Celestia cut in. “In fact, I remember your first day with the Solar Guard.” She smiled and tapped her chin with a hoof. “I believe we were walking to the gardens, and one of the other new guards sent a teasing remark your way.” Her smile dropped a touch. “I had to punish him on his first day, he quit not soon after unfortunately, such wasted potential, but anyway-” she smiled at the mare “-I think what I said that day still applies.” She wiggled forward, and Apple Leaf turned back just a touch more to look the alicorn in the eye as she continued. “I think your accent is beautiful, and that you have nothing you need to hide,” Celestia said, leaning forward, and lowering her voice, as if she was trying to whisper conspiratorially in the mare’s ear. “Your accent is shared by your distant cousin Applejack, is it not?” “We’re five times removed,” Apple Leaf muttered. “Barely even part of the Apple family.” “I think as an Apple you know that isn’t true,” Celestia said. “And as brave as you are, I think our dear element bearer would be nothing but honest if she said she was proud to be related to you.” Apple Leaf blushed and looked away. “Oh shush Princess, Applejack probably doesn’t even know my name.” “Regardless, she would be proud, and you should feel proud of your heritage, both of you should.” Celestia offered a smile and a nod to Hammered Steel. “I’m certainly proud to have a pair of brave Appleoosans protecting me. It always makes me smile when ponies don’t have to hide who they are.” “But I can also understand a desire to fit in,” Celestia continued. “So if it makes you uncomfortable, by all means, don’t feel pressure from me to use your home accent, but perhaps once this march is over and you become guards once more, you can have throne room duty together, and you can talk in whatever accent you so choose, free from any worries.” Elias’ eyes narrowed even as Hammered Steel and Apple Leaf blushed, silently appreciating such a thought. The shared glances with each other, but said no more, merely trotted along, their chests puffed out a little higher. Celestia beamed at the pair, then looked his way. She tilted her head when she met his frown. “Is something wrong Elias?” He stared at her for a long second, then spoke. “Is that really the fate of my legion? All that effort, to just be absorbed back into the guard? Full offense, but my legionaries are a cut above any of the guard forces. They aren’t police, they’re soldiers.” “Without a war to fight,” Celestia replied. “We can discuss this more later, and of course your legionaries will not be without their earned honors, but to answer your question; yes. Rejoining with the guard forces would do much to ease them back into a peacetime mindset.” “And you think everyone on your borders is just going to let that happen?” Elias asked. “Princess, I produced the finest war machine your world has seen, and we let the minotaur survivors leave. They are going to talk, and word will spread.” He snorted and smirked, the motion melancholic with memory. “You don’t leave a battlefield that bloody without someone taking notice, and we’re marching to do it again.” He coughed, then spat into the dirt, reaching for his canteen. His throat was dry. “Cost of war Princess; big fish will take notice when you win. Happened to me, got my friends killed. It’s why I questioned this plan from the start, but well, we see how that turned out.” A sigh escaped the white alicorn. “Elias, I would prefer you do not hold that over me. I still support this march, and I support my initial recommendations for my generals. To do otherwise would dishonor those that have already fallen, no matter the… questionable nature of Lionheart’s actions.” “Questionable is an understatement,” Elias spat. “He willingly tried to submit the battlefield to get his rivals killed. He nearly succeeded.” “I am painfully aware Elias, but I will not let his foolish shortsightedness and jealousy color my judgment.” Elias snorted, rolling his eyes. “Your judgment doesn’t matter in this situation Princess. Lionheart and his stooges are going to be tried by a court of their peers, namely me, at least until Nightshade is back on her feet. Their guilt is obvious, so it really just comes down to how I want to punish them.” He tilted his head. “Which, until now, I haven’t had the time to give thought to. Really, deciding is just about creativity. Lionheart is definitely going to die, but how long will that take, and how humiliating should I make it?” “Elias, I do not like this kind of-” “Could have each of the Solar Guards hit him as hard as they can, he did directly betray them after all,” Elias continued, ignoring the white alicorn. “That’d take a long time though, and lots of ponies probably don’t have the stomach for all the whimpering there will be. Of course a gag could remedy that issue, but then we’d need a blindfold as well, so he can’t do those eyes you lot do…” Celestia looked to the pair of legionaries. “So, Appleloosa. Have you spoken to your families of late? How are they-” “I have a long list of human options available, though a lot of them do require special equipment,” Elias said. “I’m not really of a mind to waste resources on a one use toy, so I’m thinking something a touch more traditional. Whipping could be a good opener, then hang him. Flaying is another option, again finished with a hanging. I would suggest drowning, but personally, that’s too terrible a way to die. It would be testing whatever gods you have here to drown someone else. My luck, that’s how I’d go, and I have got to say, I’d rather not.” He shivered. “Almost went that way a couple times. Makes me glad I know how to swim.” Celestia hid her head in her hooves, doing her best to cover her ears. “Elias, please stop.” He briefly debated doing so, then decided that she didn’t look uncomfortable enough. “Could burn him to death, but again, there’s a stomach issue there. A traitor’s death needs to be witnessed, to discourage others. Fire makes people scream in a way nothing else can.” He chewed on his lip for a moment, then shrugged. “Back pocket maybe. Of course, there is always my name sake, the blood-” “ENOUGH!” Celestia bellowed, rocking the wagon as she shot to her hooves. Elias grinned as he glanced at her; she was almost half her usual height. The reserving of magic had impacted her most of all. There was no blinding aura about her, no mighty wings that blocked out the sun and threatened envelopment. The way her pink mane fell, the way her legs quivered with exhaustion, it almost made her look like she was afraid. Elias reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled a piece of jerky. “You’re right, Princess. I don’t want to stain my new image by bringing something ugly like torture into it, but at the same time, Lionheart is going to suffer for what he did. You have my word on that.” Celestia let out a long breath and resumed her seat. “He will be punished severely, yes. On that we can agree Elias, but…” She closed her eyes and shuddered. “No more of this talk, please. Violence has it’s place, but to speak of it so flagrantly concerns me.” Elias snorted and again looked forward to the road. “You would not have liked me when I was younger then. Constant swearing and threats of violence. I thought it made me sound threatening, which, to some people, it was. To the really dangerous ones though, not so much. Got more than a few nasty scars from them.” Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a hoof reach out, but after a moment hanging in the space between them, it withdrew, and Celestia let out a sigh. “I am truly sorry Elias, but your world sounds terrible. I wish when you arrived here we could have… given you something better.” “You put me in a place where ponies used their natural fuzziness to prey on my vulnerabilities. I’ll leave unsaid how much I appreciate not fighting for every meal and scrap of shelter. How much more of a fresh start could you have given?” “Magic is a powerful thing Elias,” Celestia said. “It might have taken some difficulty, given your apparent lack of a magical soul, but I think that perhaps Night Flash and Book Binder could have had a touch more realism to their…” She looked to the ponies pulling the wagon. She cleared her throat, drawing their eyes back. “Would you mind not sharing our discussion kind ponies? I do not wish to expose General Bright’s private affairs.” “That’s an ill kept secret,” Elias grumbled. “And these two know better than to talk.” His eyes narrowed as he stared at the back of Hammered Steel’s head. “Legion doctrine states that I execute spies.” The stallion glanced back and winked. “Secret’s safe as it ever was General, though I think the sign up list is making it’s rounds of 2nd Cohort.” When Elias’ lips tightened into a frown, the stallion let out a nervous chuckle. “Not a word General. We’re not even here.” “We’re finished regardless,” Celestia said smoothly. “What is past is past, and plans are already in motion which I will not disrupt.” She looked toward Elias and smiled. “I hope that when this march is finished, all of your rewards are worth what you have lost. I merely wished that all of this-” she waved a hoof at the column “-had not been necessary. Perhaps had I taken a different approach, had I known more about the nature of your former world, I would have done more to help. Perhaps without your unique skills on our side, this journey would never have begun.” Elias closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Are you suggesting that all of those ponies died because I’m here?” Silence reigned in the magical bubble for a long moment, then Celestia finally spoke, her voice low and filled with apology. “I didn’t mean to suggest that Elias. You merely fight with a savage nature that isn’t natural to ponies, and you also inspire ponies. We were right to trust you to build a new guard force, and you have done an amazing job at that. I was merely stating that had we not had you, perhaps we would have tried another solution.” Elias opened his eyes and stared hard at the horizon for a long moment. The sun was past it’s zenith; they would be stopping fairly soon. Then the hard work would begin, but at least it would keep him nice and busy. “Drop your barrier Princess. I’m done talking for the day. Hammered Steel, Apple Leaf, a word of what you’ve heard today, and I’ll have you both executed and your heads sent to Appleloosa.” “Yes General,” they both barked, focusing hard on the road in front of them. He could feel Celestia’s eyes on him, even as she deactivated her magical rod. The bubble around them vanished. Still, her eyes didn’t leave him, until finally she asked; “You mentioned your namesake, what did you mean? Does ‘Elias’ mean something, or is it perhaps the ‘Bright’?” “You’ve seen the tattoo on my back.” “Once in passing. It is the image of a red eagle embedded in the style of a minotaur tattoo, is it not?” Elias nodded. “That was supposed to change the meaning of the name I earned. My friend Bevin suggested it. Move me away from my violent past and all that.” “But before?” Elias’ eyes flicked toward the alicorn. “I learned about one of the most vicious torture methods known to man and used it liberally. I’ll spare you further details. Stomach and all that.” Celestia swallowed, and now Elias found that she did look somewhat afraid. Her wings tucked a little tighter around her body, and she shifted ever-so-slightly away from him. He looked forward to the road again, his eyes splashed with sights of glistening red, and his ears ringing with long silenced screams. “Did you truly need to be so savage to survive on your world?” she asked, her voice at a whisper. Elias’s gaze fell from the slowly setting sun, and he stared at the dirt beneath his sandals. He could almost hear Luna asking him to get along with her sister. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to stay in the white alicorn’s good graces with all the plans swirling around, at least one of which involved a certain blue alicorn. “Do you know the definition of the word apocalypse, Princess?” “Perhaps not by the textbook, but a general knowledge, yes. It is a word used to define the end of the world.” “In certain religions,” Elias said. “But the textbook definition is; “an event involving destruction or damage on an awesome or catastrophic scale”. On a human scale, that means countless human lives, gone. People you know, plenty you don’t. Those that survive whatever initial horror are left to suffer a world that is… damaged.” He glanced her way, his bad eye glinting in the sunlight. “I lived through two of them; three if you count… certain events.” He scratched at his scarred cheek, noticing a touch of confusion in Celestia’s eyes. “But you don’t know about that little story, at least you shouldn’t. Regardless, do you have any idea what that does to a person? Especially a kid who loses his family, dysfunctional as it was? Every experience becomes the teacher your father couldn’t be, and believe me when I say that I learned savagelessons. Lessons that I put to use.” “So then sending you to Twilight would have been the best decision,” Celestia murmured. “She could have taught you many lessons about the wonder that is friendship.” Elias’ lip curled in disgust. “Are you telling me the friends I have aren’t good enough?” Celestia’s eyes flicked to meet his, and he found a brief pass of amusement in the magenta orbs. “I’m glad to hear the rumors about those relationships are false. I had heard that you had purposely destroyed them as a form of self-protection.” “That measure was only temporary, and that was for your march,” Elias said. He bit his tongue, trying to conjure happy thoughts so he didn’t start digging into the white alicorn. His friends were a vulnerable subject for him, and every little comment dug at him in a way that immediately brought out his worst. Luckily, Celestia was smart enough to know she was trying to tease about a sensitive subject. She bowed her head. “Apologies General, I didn’t mean to devalue, nor belittle your friendships. They are beautiful things that I wish you only the best in. I was merely considering what could have happened had you went with Twilight to Ponyville.” Scarlet might still be alive. Elias did his best to ignore the intrusive thought. “I probably would have run into the Everfree as soon as she turned her back,” he said. “Lived out a few days as a hermit until some lucky manticore decided to rip me in two.” He sighed. “Probably better that way.” “You believe it better that you had died in the Everfree?” By the tone of her voice, Elias thought Celestia sounded genuinely aghast at the idea of his untimely death. “I believe it would have been better had this plan of yours not gone ahead,” Elias said, glancing at the alicorn, checking to see if the concern was at all genuine. “And the thought comes to mind that if I hadn’t been here for you to rely on, then maybe this plan wouldn’t have done so.” Celestia’s concerned frown certainly looked real. Her eyes flicked up and down him in an analytical way, but the shape of her brow as she frowned at him almost reminded him of Luna’s frowns. Despite the obvious similarities, he had never really thought about how Celestia and Luna were alike, mostly because he saw very little of the elder sister. Idling on the thought, Elias found he liked life better that way. Dealing with an alicorn worried for his health and safety was more than enough, he didn’t need the judgmental half watching his every move as well. “Elias, I cannot say that I like this… theory of yours,” Celestia said. “I like to think you could have built a wonderful life in Ponyville, full of light, and love-” a sly smile spread across her muzzle “-and one filled with plenty of pony cuddling no doubt.” “And the ponies on this march?” Elias asked. “Am I to take comfort in the knowledge that in this alternate reality of yours, I didn’t know them when they died?” Celestia let out a light sigh. “In that regard… I cannot say, my friend. Perhaps your are right, perhaps without you here this march may have gone different. Lionheart’s treachery in particular seems… personally motivated. As for the minotaur tribes-” “You scared them by expanding your army and giving it to a largely unknown creature who’s only well-known act was massacring changelings,” Elias said, finishing her thought. “I liked studying history Princess, I’m aware of the effects military expansion can have. Unfortunately, sometimes power acts as an attractant, not a deterrent and you lost the coin-toss.” He glanced her way, seeing a touch of guilt in posture. She slumped just slightly, and her wings fluttered in a depressed sort of nervousness that drew out his soft side. He internally sighed in disgust before he spoke. “Don’t beat yourself up too much,” he said, rolling his eyes forward so as to not let her see them. “The fact that the minotaurs had enough unity to form two armies is a sign that in all likelihood, they were going to attack something. You don’t build up manpower if you don’t intend to throw it at something.” “But they could have gone south to fight in the zebra wars,” Celestia said. “Or we might have been able to hire the more peaceable among them to assist with some great, unifying construction project on our shared border. I…” She swallowed, then held her head up, staring forward. “I should have done more as Princess. I should have talked to the tribal chieftains, sent royal delegations to each tribe with gifts to-” “Ah, the old bribe for peace, I’m actually surprised you didn’t try that,” Elias said. “Rich non-warrior societies usually go that route, but I guess I was enough to change your mind on that front.” “Yes, you were,” Celestia mumbled. “Equestria is a place of peace, and happiness, but for ponies with ill-intent in their hearts, that makes us weak. You say you enjoy history, then I’m sure you’ve studied some of ours?” “Some,” Elias said. “But some of it is lost on me; your historians are mostly unicorns, and they can’t help but write with their horns sometimes. Magic this, spell form that. There are ley lines that might have influenced Commander Hurricane’s morning nap, and for some reason that’s what won her the battle over the gryphons, not superior use of a numerically inferior force. It must be the magic that won the battle, not at all the grit and intelligence of the ponies fighting it.” His hand clenched and unclenched as he tried to cool his irritation, but it was history, and a more innocent part of him couldn’t help but feel enraged at a mis-telling. “And I’ll have you know that I will be writing this history book for this march. There will be no mention of ley lines, or how the stars aligned, or how a unicorn raking through a pile of rocks a thousand miles from here affected the rotation of the planet by a centimeter. It will be an accurate retelling of the brave, strong ponies who fought for a piece of ground and won it against a numerically superior force, and nobody will be allowed to dilute it with garbage about fucking magic.” He drew in a breath, then let it out in a great huff. As his vision came back, he was surprised to find Celestia smiling at him. The alicorn positively beamed, sitting high in her seat. Elias glanced away from the alicorn, but found more eyes looking his way. The legionaries marching around him were walking a little taller, and those that weren’t hiding smiles were openly glancing his way, grins on their muzzles. He felt a touch of heat flood his cheeks, and he looked back to Celestia, who nodded enthusiastically. “I will be very excited to see this journey from your eyes Elias,” she said. “And rest assured, yours shall be the primary account in the royal library, and should you wish it, I know some very good historical writers that would be happy to-” She paused as Granite trotted up, offering Elias a sharp salute before falling in step with the human. “Adiutor Book Binder wants to know when we’re stopping for the night, and also asks on behalf of Aabhavannan if there is any way we can pick up our pace, as he’s concerned we’re not moving fast enough.” “I don’t care what his concerns are,” Elias snorted. “We’ll get to Saraj when we get to Saraj, and if he has a problem with that, he can either run ahead, or he can start pulling a wagon. He gets to complain about our speed when he helps us move faster, and frankly, I’m disappointed that you’re back here wasting my time with this when one of my officers should have told him that to his face.” Granite shrank just slightly, but his tail wagged with hope as he added: “First Centurion Night Flash said something similar, General, if that’s any consolation.” “And did he tell Aabhavannan to get off his lazy ass and pull a-” “Elias, that is inappropriate,” Celestia scolded. “Aabhavannan is merely worried for his family, and he has done something; he arrived here with his message after all, and he wore his hooves to nothing to do it.” “And he took away valuable healing from the ponies who fought and died to keep you safe, and who even still march to fight a battle for his people.,” Elias said. “He could at least attempt to be grateful. He should trust your trust in me.” He gave a sly grin the alicorn’s way. “You do trust me, right?” Again a hoof reached out, but this time it made nervous contact with his shoulder, applying the slightest bit of pressure in what he imagined was supposed to be a playful shove. The hoof shot away when Elias raised an eyebrow. Celestia coughed, blushing heavily and looking away. “Of course I trust you Elias, you jest! Ha ha!” Elias cocked his head slightly. “Did you just pronounce a la-” “Jokes are meant to be laughed at!” Celestia defended. “With laughter,” Elias said. “Not whatever that was. You laugh worse than I do.” “Oh do show us how much better your laughter is,” Celestia said, her awkward look quickly shifting into a grin. “I think I haven’t heard you laugh often enough of late.” “One, that’s because I’m serious about my job,” Elias said. “Two, Now is neither the time or the place, and I only laugh when I want to, not when I’m pressured, and three-” he looked toward Gray Granite “-we can keep going a while longer. Go check on Nightshade. She came off her pain spells today and she’s been quiet. Check in with First Centurion Flash after and starting prepping to stop.” The earth pony gave him a short silent nod, then trotted toward the rear of the column. Elias stared forward, focusing on his feet plodding forward, rather than the alicorn smiling at the side of his head. He didn’t look her way as he said; “Stop staring at me.” “I request a laugh Elias,” Celestia said. “Or at least a nice smile. A lovely smile from you would certainly brighten the morale of your legionaries, would it not?” Her eyes drifted just slightly, as did Elias’. He glared at the back of Apple Leaf’s head, noticing an energetic waggle in her tail. “And any legionaries found trying to goad out laughter will be suspended from a tree for an hour tonight.” The tail waggled again. “Upside down” The tail finally stopped, but Celestia only giggled. “Idle threats my friend,” she said. She then turned back to Elias. “Now come Elias, give us a smile. I have heard many speak fondly of it.” “Smiles are earned Princess.” “I can tickle you if you’d like. Or perhaps a joke? One of Twilight’s friends got me a rather large joke book for Hearth’s Warming, and I-” Elias closed his eyes and sighed as the white alicorn began to rifle through her saddlebags. ****** Nightshade whimpered as the wagon hit another rock. She hated the road, hated how rough and uncaring it was. Couldn’t it see what had happened? Couldn’t it see what she had already suffered? Why couldn’t the ride just be smooth, and soft, and swaddled against a strong, fuzzy chest… Nightshade sniffled and turned over wrapping a burlap covered bundle in her wings. It was cold, it was always cold, had it always been cold? Her head hurt, and her thoughts were… fuzzy. And not the good kind. Not the fluffy alicorn kind, or was it human? Were humans fuzzy? Elias had been naked that one time, and that had really got her… Another bump jolted her thoughts, and she whimpered, clinging tighter to her burlap bundle. Her belly still hurt, and the bandages made it clear that her best fluff was largely gone. She still had her chest tuft, but all of that soft belly fur, how could she spoil her stallion without it? But that isn’t a problem, is it? she asked herself. You don’t have a stallion, because you’re a weak, worthless little bat who couldn’t even keep your best friend safe. A smell touched her nose, and Nightshade weakly sniffed after it. It was faint, but she detected hints of sweat and… She sighed softly, relaxing her grip. “My stallion…” she mumbled. But, her thoughts warned, her stallion wasn’t alive anymore. She had failed him, had let him die. He had been there, watching over her, then… Nightshade hissed as hooves pressed against her belly, further staunching the hack bandage job Elias had done. “I mean really, you’d figure with all of that training, he would have gotten better at bandaging up ponies!” Midnight Chaser snorted, affectionately rubbing her mane with a hoof, his good side facing her. She had seen it briefly when he had been led in, but her stallion was hurt, badly. Nightshade already felt a deep burning anger in her belly, she had failed. She was an alpha mare, had left the life of being some house-bat, only to let her chosen mate suffer, and then she had to be scolded by one of her friends who was almost half her age! And he had the nerve to tell her to stay behind while he did the fighting! Her ears flicked as shouts began to echo from outside the carriage. The sounds of fighting quickly began again, and all eyes turned outward, some nervously, some not so. Bloody Bandage huffed and used her teeth to rip the bandage in half. She tucked it properly, then got to her feet, plopping on her helmet and grabbing her sword. “Remember General Bright’s orders,” she told Chaser. “You’re in no state to fight, and you need to be here in-case you all need to make a run for it.” She looked up to Celestia. “Princess, it’s been an honor serving you.” Celestia swallowed, then put on the fakest, yet somehow warmest smile Nightshade had ever seen. “And it has been a pleasure to have you Royal Guardspony Bandage. I wish you well, and if we do not see each other again on this plane, then perhaps in the Verdant Fields.” Bloody Bandage gave her another nod, then sprinted outside, slamming the makeshift door closed behind her. Nightshade winced as Chaser shifted behind her, wrapping her protectively with a wing. Despite the burning shame it made her feel at being the weaker of their pair, she couldn’t help but feel comforted in his warm embrace. His feathers were still wonderfully soft, and he was so warm. She closed her eyes and leaned against him, doing her best to ignore the increasingly violent sounds coming from outside. Instead, she focused on nuzzling his chest, so fluffy and warm… She let out a yelp of pain as something slammed into the carriage, throwing it’s occupants from side to side. The fluff at her back shifted away. Nightshade cracked her eyes open to see Midnight Chaser moving away, while Luna slid into his place. Nightshade cooed as softer feathers embraced her, but she had eyes only for her stallion as he limped toward the carriage door. The sounds of fighting got louder as the grey pegasus cracked open the door, gazing outside with a frown. “What was that?” Cadence whispered. “Are we winning?” Chaser slowly shook his head. “I can’t tell, but it’s not going well. Lots of minotaurs back here. General Bright is down.” Nightshade felt a pressure in her chest, felt it mirrored in Luna’s voice. “Down?” “I think he’s what hit the carriage,” Chaser said. “Warchief Stone Horn is wiping the floor with some of Bright’s legionaries…” He winced as the loud sound of a crunch filled the carriage. “He’s going to die if I don’t do something.” Celestia inched forward, feebly trying to paw the pegasus back into the carriage. “General, come back and rest. You are injured, and I fully trust Elias to achieve victory. He has survived grievous wounds before, and he will do so again. He is strong in a way that we are not and we must trust that strength.” Chaser shook off the alicorn, his good eye narrowing. “Stone Horn just threw Bright’s last defender into the wind. Nopony else is watching this. He’s going to die.” Nightshade felt another palpitation of pain at the stallion’s words, but she knew that look in his eye, and another part of her, perhaps a weaker part, drew a whimper from her throat. “C-come back Chase,” she said. “E-Elias is strong. H-he can…” She coughed, trying to seem as pitiful as possible to draw the stallion away from the door. If she could just break his sight line. Elias was strong, he had handled worse. He… he didn’t need to be protected right now. Chaser was hurt, he needed- Nightshade cooed as Chaser nuzzled her cheek, and she smiled with hazy eyes up at him. He smiled back. “Keep the princesses safe for me, alright snuggle-bat? Stay here and make sure everypony stays safe.” Nightshade’s smile slowly dropped, and she pawed at his chest, even as he slipped away. “D-don’t, Chase, you’re hurt! You can’t go back out there! I-” She grit her teeth and tried to push up, but a sharp, breath-stealing pain raced through her belly, and she collapsed against Luna, gasping for air. Still she said; “I’ll go. Stay here, I can…. I can….” She panted as Luna stroked her chest. The blue alicorn looked to her sister, who rose to her feet, her eyes focused solely on Nightshade’s desperate gasps. “No more of this,” she hissed. She looked to Midnight Chaser. “Remain here General. I will use but a touch of my stored power, and I will put an end to this fight in one swift blow. No more will die-” Chaser flared his wings, snarling as he stomped forward, forcing the white alicorn to retreat. “Those ponies aren’t dying out there for us to fail,” he snapped. “How long will the three of you be stuck in Saraj while waiting for a “touch” of power to come back?” Celestia tried to stand tall, but quickly shrank when Chaser growled, wordlessly demanding an answer. “Two to three months,” Celestia admitted. “The magic must be drawn in and stored evenly to make sure the portal remains equally stable throughout it’s lifetime. One misfire could shave thousands of years off it’s use.” “I won’t let ponies die for a half-baked portal,” Chaser growled. “And I’m sure General Bright feels the same. You’re staying here, and I’m going out to help him.” Nightshade looked up to Luna. She had been in the guard when the alicorn had returned, had been the only thestral at the time. She didn’t know why, but she just knew the lunar princess would return, and she had been on guard when the blue alicorn had been carried to her prepared chamber after the Elements had freed her of her age old hate. She had been there that first morning, had escorted Luna everywhere throughout the castle. She had helped with every little want and need, doing her best to honor her people by making sure the lunar goddess knew how loved she was. It was only later that the goddess had shown herself to be just as much a pony as she was. It hadn’t been the first night where Nightshade had listened to the soft sounds of crying coming from the royal bedroom. She had spent weeks watching the alicorn realize how different everything was, and despite her best efforts, Luna had been so lonely, even as she hired new servants, and a tidal wave of new guards. That night though, that night she had lifted the beaked face-plate of her new, yet ancient helmet, and she had taken a daring step. She entered the princess’s room without invitation, and she had asked a simple question. ‘Do you want to talk?’ Nightshade was Luna’s oldest friend, had been since that day. They talked every night, and Nightshade went above and beyond making sure her princess was loved on a personal level. They had grown close. They remained close even after she had been promoted. She had served tirelessly, never asking for a single thing, always happy to just make her princess happy. Today she pleaded, begged for only one thing. “Stop him,” she whimpered. “Please, make him stay.” Luna swallowed as she met her eyes, then she looked up. “General Chaser, I am ordering you to-” The door drifted open slightly in a fall breeze, and words from the battlefield drifted in. ““Not bad Bright,” a minotaur said. “Got a new scar or two, that’ll look good at tonight’s celebration. ‘specially when I have your head to go with ‘em.” Chaser’s eyes flicked out, then back to Luna and Nightshade. He darted forward, planting a kiss on Nightshade’s cheek. “Sorry snuggle-bat, but I already almost killed him once. I won’t let him die because I stood by and watched.” Nightshade managed to wrap a hoof around his neck, but there was no strength behind the limb. “Stay,” she whispered. “Go to the Keepers now,” the minotaur said. Chaser smiled, then nuzzled her cheek. “I’ll see you soon snuggle-bat. Stay safe for me.” Then he darted away, even as Luna cried out – “General don’t!” Nightshade felt herself begin to fade as more talk came from outside, but she couldn’t really here it. She was so focused on the tingle her Chase had left on her cheek… Nightshade jolted awake as a hoof touched her wing. She glanced toward the new light source to find a tall, gray stallion. Her heart leaped in her chest, and a wide grin spread on her muzzle. “Chase!” She leapt at the stallion, her eyes filled with tears of joy. She heard yelps of pain as they bounced off of somepony’s back, but didn’t care. Warmth filled her as she took in the stallions scent. She couldn’t feel his fluff, could only feel armor, but that was normal! On her heat nights, they had always started in armor, then slowly worked out of it to- “Um, General?” Nightshade blinked blearily in the late-afternoon sun. Some of the fog lifted from her head, and she glanced around to find lots of silver-clad ponies staring at her as they marched on by. A wagon had pulled off to the side of the road, and the quartet of ponies pulling it stared back at her with open concern. Nightshade a little twinge in her belly, realized she had likely just leapt clear from a wounded wagon. She blushed in embarrassment, but found that she didn’t care all that much. She might look a little stupid, but that was nothing compared to being with her… She looked down to find a gray earth pony smiling nervously up at her. She stared at him for a long second, then leaned away, her brow furrowing in confusion. He… he smelled kind of like… She looked around, her breaths coming quicker. “C-Chase!” she called. She knew instantly that the call would remain unanswered. She remembered what had happened, what she had taken to holding instead of her stallion. Pillows and blankets wrapped around tent poles, wrapped in a length of tarp. Chase was one wrapped body among hundreds. She had tried to find him so she could hold him a little longer… Her eyes filled with tears, but she grit her teeth and shook them away. She was being a worthless sack of flour when she should be focusing on protecting her best friends. If only her nose would work right. Nightshade felt a hoof on her forehead, and she opened her eyes to find the gray pony gently checking her temperature. “Still a little warm,” he muttered. “I think you need some fresh air General, maybe another cooling spell. I think the fever is starting to fade, but I think Healer Kind Heart can make sure.” Nightshade slapped his hoof away. “I don’t need a nanny,” she snarled. “I need to be watching out for my stallion. Where’s Elias? Who’s watching his back right now? Is he walking? He should be in the royal carriage with his face buried in Luna’s-” “General Bright is currently acting as escort to Princess Celestia, who wanted to sit in an open-air wagon for awhile,” the gray pony said. “And you need to rest, like he said to.” Her eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to tell me how to do my job? I’m a General!” “And I’m General Bright’s Centurion,” the gray pony said. “He’s in command, and he ordered you to rest until you were better. You don’t get to do anything until he says so.” His eyes narrowed. “And don’t think I won’t tie you down to enforce his order.” Nightshade puffed herself up slightly, staring unflinchingly into his eyes. They were a lovely gray color, just like his fur. He was dirty, but clearly he was doing something to treat it, because he looked pretty fluffy. Not pegasus or thestral fluffy, but the attempt was there. Why though? So far as she knew, he didn’t have a… Nightshade’s eyes widened with recognition, then she smiled. “I remember you, you’re that quiet guard I interviewed, Gray Granite! I could barely get a word out of you, but you were friends with Elias! Didn’t I see you at the cuddle pile? Your fur is looking great.” The gray earth pony blushed, but didn’t look away. “I never got to the inner circle,” he grumbled. “But I was there. Been trying a new fur treatment to see if I could get closer next time…” He shook himself, blushing even heavier as his voice took a sharp turn. “That’s in the past, and General Bright has made it very clear-” “I’m going to cuddle the buck out of him, and you will help,” Nightshade said. “He’s an idiot who needs all the help he can get to end up nice, cuddled, and safe. I’m going to find him right now to get him to stop for the night, because he’s too stupid to realize when he should be resting in fluff.” Her eyes narrowed. “Now are you going to stand in my way, or are you going to help me keep Elias safe?” Granite stared at her for a long moment, then turned around. “Get the supply wagon moving again. General Nightshade will be with me.” The ponies pulling the wagon all nodded, then began their trek again, pulling the wagon back to the march with the rest of the column. The earthy pony then glanced back at her and nodded toward his back. “Hop on. You can hop in with Princess Celestia once we get to that part of the column.” Nightshade snorted, looking at the heavy-looking bag on his back. It was stacked with equipment, including a rather large shield and several spears. “I can walk on my own. You look like you’re already carrying a pony’s worth of stuff.” She snorted as his tail thwapped her nose. When she shot a glare at him, he merely raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t asking.” Nightshade continued glaring at him for a long moment, then huffed and fluttered her wings. “Great, Elias has a twin.” She gave a flap, squeaking as her belly pulled lightly in pain, but she stuck the landing, sitting properly on the stallion’s back. He shifted slightly on his hooves, getting used to her weight, then he was off at a trot, passing the steady march of most ponies. Nightshade found herself surprised at how quick he could move, and she stuck her head down in front of his. “Am I really that light?” Granite shrugged in-step. “I saw General Bright carry a full pack and a pony once. If he can do it without too much trouble, why can’t I?” Nightshade snorted and rolled her eyes, settling back. “Earth ponies. You and Elias need to stop focusing on strength and focus more on agility! You’ll never be able to fly if you’re so heavy.” “And why would we want to do that?” Nightshade’s smile brightened as that tall figure came into sight. She could see it, throwing him off a cliff with a glider. Could see his panic turning into joy at flight. Everybody wanted to fly, even if they didn’t have wings, and he would be no different, especially not if he sealed the deal with his alicorn mate. He’d fly with Luna alright, and she’d train him up, acting as his wing-mare the whole time. She wouldn’t let another one fall. She wouldn’t. “Because everypony needs to fly at least once,” Nightshade said, relaxing as they drew closer and closer. She liked the steady hoof-falls of the earth pony beneath her, loved the faint scent of her human friend on the breeze. “It does them a lot of good. Even if they can’t see it.” > Chapter 67: Before the Walls of Saddle Arabia > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “We are here,” Aabhavannan said, jabbing a hoof at the map. “At our current pace, we should be able to crest the Lone Dune and see Saraj’s walls in the coming days.” “Two,” Elias grunted. “We’re close enough that going forward with a token force while our wounded move a touch slower won’t hurt anything. My scouts can move fast enough to summon reinforcements if either group is attacked. Once we can see that dune of yours we’ll divide the army in two. First Centurion Night Flash, you’ll be staying behind while I take Centurion Granite and a vanguard to start getting a more permanent castra set up near the city.” He glanced up from the map, meeting Night Flash’s eyes. “I want the entirety of First Cohort, along with Second Cohort’s auxiliaries. Make sure they have food and water for three days of quick marching. Weapons and building tools only. Extra gear can be left on the wounded wagons Scalpel freed up today.” While Night Flash gave him a salute, Aabhavannan seemed to light up with delight, hopping up from his pillow with an excited shout. “Yes!” he crowed. Only a sharp look from Elias kept the stallion from leaping at the him. It didn’t stop him, however, from nearly bounding with energy. The motion looked odd on the tall stallion. “With your permission, I can run ahead, find a proper place for your camp!” Aabhavannan said. “A place the minotaurs will not see until it is too late for them!” Elias glanced down at the stallion’s hooves. “Are you able to run again? My scouts already know where to start marking for a castra and they aren’t slowed by injuries.” The Saddle Arabian stallion scoffed, waving a foreleg in dismissal. “Your healers have done much, and while your scouts are no doubt brave ponies-” he flashed a grin “- none can keep pace on hoof with even the slowest Saddle Arabian.” “My question stands,” Elias deadpanned. A snort was his reply, and the stallion turned away from the human to bow for the trio of alicorns watching over the meeting. “With your permission, I shall run ahead, to mark the ground and give hope to my people of your near-arrival.” Elias rolled his eyes as Celestia gave the stallion a smile and a head bow. “We would be most grateful for your service Aabhavannan. Do not put yourself in too much danger without us though.” The pair both chuckled, and a glance around found even Cadence holding a touch of disgust in her expression. Elias made eye contact with Luna. Her wing was curled around a gagging Nightshade, who’s belly was now fully healed, if barren of all of it’s fur. She had attempted to steal her armor back from the supply wagons, but had been blocked by Granite, and when he had brought her before Elias, she had decided to rip into the both of them. While he could understand her perspective, would even act exactly the same in the same situation, Elias had still told her to take more time to rest, at least until she had enough fur back to resist chaffing on her underbelly. In reality, however, he still didn’t think she had properly addressed Chaser’s death. Though her fever was gone, she had been calling out for the pegasus in her sleep. In moments when she thought nobody was looking, she cried by herself, but as soon as he came near, she threw on either a big smile or a stern scowl, offering to help him with something or yelling at him for forcing her to stay in the carriage with Luna. There was also the issue with her trying to find Chaser’s body, but she had largely abandoned that search once her fever broke, choosing instead to curl up with what ever was handy at the time, usually Luna or himself. She looked happy for the moment though, and that had to be enough. There was too much to get done, and he needed some time alone, as hypocritical as that was. His head was pounding, and even curled in Luna’s hooves, he still wasn’t sleeping well. Though nights started well, he kept waking hours early, chased from violent dreams to anxiety filled reality. He had hardly slept more than an hour the night previous. The rest of the time was spent staring at darkness, his mind pacing through a million stress-filled ‘what ifs’ while his cuddle buddies snorted and snuggled away atop him. If even they couldn’t get him to sleep… “Then scout ahead,” Elias said, breaking the pandering stench that filled the air. “Mark out what you think is an ideal camp location and when we arrive, we’ll begin camp setup and scouting of the minotaur fortifications.” Aabhavannan bowed his head and smiled. “Thank you General Elias Bright. This news brightens my heart and will certainly brighten the hearts of everyone in Saraj. Surely the sight of the princesses' banners will lift their spirits until they are freed!” He turned, still bowing, toward the princesses. “Which is nothing to say of the hope that the princesses themselves will bring.” “If it’s not one brown-noser it’s another,” Book Binder said under her breath. “You have no idea,” Ice Blossom whispered in reply. “If you ever end up in the Royal Guard, just know that traveling to Manehattan is the worst for ponies like that. At least he has good intentions.” “Of wiping out my credit,” Elias grumbled. Louder he said; “Aabhavannan, focus on the task of scouting out a good camp location. We don’t need to deliver false hope, and bad positioning will allow the bulls to drive us away. Celebrate once we’ve won, not before.” The stallion whirled around again, head still low. “Of course General.” His eyes twinkled as he glanced up with a bright smile. “But you must forgive my excitement, liberation comes! With it, all goals are achieved, and our peoples shall never be further away than a mere walk!” He offered quick bows to just about everyone in the tent, then sprinted outside, his smile bright as he ran through the cloth flaps. Celestia was quick to let out a light burst of laughter. “It is so good to see such a hopeful face. It truly reminds me why we are doing all of this,” she said, looking around with a beaming grin. “Just think, once we’ve freed Saraj and charged the portal, there will never be a risk of something like this happening again! No more risk of sieges, no more risk of hunger!” She popped to her feet, flaring her wings out and sticking a foreleg into the air. “Imagine! If Saddle Arabia or Equestria has a year of poor crops, the other can easily push food through the portal, keeping ponies fed until times are good again! There will be no delay in the aid we can offer one another!” She let out a squee and turned in an excited circle, then pounced on Luna, who momentarily shied away. “It is so exciting!” Celestia crowed. “The first true action we’ve done as princesses united in a thousand years! I, I!” Her eyes were wild with delight, and she looked toward the tent flaps. “The injured! I must go visit them, to share this beautiful hope! Perhaps even spend some time helping organize supplies, or digging holes, or-” “Staying right where you are and not exposing yourself to attack,” Elias cut in. “We beat one army, but are fast approaching another one, likely a larger one. I don’t need you getting kidnapped or killed by going outside.” Celestia’s smile dimmed somewhat, but didn’t completely disappear. “General, our opponents are minotaurs. They are hardly going to swoop from the sky and snatch me from the midst of the camp.” “So you have absolute certainty that changelings aren’t willing to steal you away for money? Last I checked there were large mercenary companies of gryphons as well, and they even have some pegasi in their ranks. The bulls are sieging the capital city of Saddle Arabia. They have the funds to hire fliers for them.” He glanced back toward the rough map Aabhavannan had drawn of the city walls. The tall white walls were clearly marked, with the city butting up against what he imagined was the very same river that ran quietly beside the road that carried them toward Saraj. Though it was quiet and small beside their marching path, the river supposedly widened, being fed by several smaller streams until was broad and roaring just outside the city walls. From there it began to wind to the south-west, thinning as it wound between forest and desert toward Zebrica. What was important about the river was the fact that it was very easy to defend. Aabhavannan had reported minotaurs blocking the large bridge that linked Saraj with the desert on the other side, but walls blocked what little shore was available, and with such a narrow bottleneck to try and force an assault through, the bulls had resorted to merely blockading the rear exit of the city. No, if what the Saddle Arabian stallion told him was true, he was going to have to focus his efforts on the Equestria-facing side of the city, where massive fortifications of timber were supposed to be keeping the city under siege. News from the stragglers of Scarlet’s Hill were sure to have spread news to their fellows, leading to more extensive works before they arrived. It was one of the reasons he wanted to move ahead; to reduce the amount of time the bulls had to build fortifications against him. He didn’t like the idea that he was the relief army for what could easily become an Equestrian Alesia, especially given that he was the one who was set to be outnumbered. If he could start picking at the minotaurs though, it was worth the risk to his own supply train. “We don’t have enough information about the forces besieging Saraj,” he continued. “And there was no small amount of luck in our last battle with the minotaurs.” His eyes flicked up to Celestia. “I won’t throw my ponies headlong into a deathmatch on hope. The only reason I want to go forward is to start putting pressure on the enemy, and to gain some intelligence about him. I don’t need hope to win the battle, I need to be smart, and I need to reduce my risks.” “That’s why you all will be staying back with the main body of the army,” he finished with a slight nod, feeling quite satisfied with his plan. He could see it. Carry a couple days worth of food and forage the rest. It wasn’t supposed to rain, so they could travel with tarps just in case it did, but being so light, they could move, maybe even make a few probing attacks before beginning to fortify the castra site. Yeah, just an old fashioned tramp through the woods and some nice hit and run- “And will I be joining you General?” Luna inquired sweetly, disrupting his thoughts. He glanced up to find her bright smile, which only further sent his formerly collected thoughts into a spiral. His eyes narrowed just slightly. No, no that wouldn’t work. Luna was a princess, she was soft, and she was containing all her magic, making her basically helpless. He didn’t even know if she liked camping outside. Yeah, she had taken him to her old castle, but they had been well established and provisioned then. Then there was the fact about how much risk he’d be putting her in by taking her away from the army. The only reasonable answer in his mind was a clear and simple- “No,” he said, looking down to his map again. He internally smiled. There; simple, to the point, and unassailable. It wasn’t said in any kind of demeaning way, had been said with a complete evenness! No anger, yet no question about his resolve. All she had to do was accept that and say- “And why, pray tell, not?” There was irritation there, that he could detect easily. He would’ve winced if he didn’t know how right he was. He just needed to present a clear argument, and that would be that. “You’ll be without protection and eating grass and berries with the rest of us. It’s too risky, especially with how many we’re supposed to be fighting. I won’t risk you getting captured or killed.” There, again delivered with a calm evenness, and with such great points. Luna was perfectly rational, but just to make sure it didn’t blow into an argument, he looked up and added; “Why do you want to come? It’s just scouting in force. You’ll only be a couple days behind us, at most three.” Whatever irritation had built behind her eyes vanished as she gave him a surprised look. Thinking through his words, Elias realized he had violated their status quo. Usually he was firm, she countered, then they argued, with her winning every time by being more bullheaded. While that was a dynamic he found he enjoyed, he had shifted the balance, offering her a chance to argue before she could be stubborn. All eyes were on her, since he had offered the stand to express her side. This time he did flash a grin. He was starting to get better at normal conversation. “W-well I... I-” Luna stuttered, her muzzle touched with crimson as her eyes met his smile. Her wings shifted in a nervous twitch, then with one great cooling breath, she straightened and gave him an even look. “I wish to accompany you, General, because, like ‘Tia said, the ponies of Saraj will need hope, and while your ponies will do much to secure that hope, the sight of a princess will guarantee a stiffer resistance. We want the minotaurs to remain pinned to their siege, do we not?” She waved her hoof. “As for concerns of my health and safety, I will take the absorbed contingent of Royal Guards as personal bodyguards, and I will have the armor we brought along just in case we lost the carriage. I have also have ample experience eating foraged foods, and I always did like Saddle Arabian Sweet Grass.” She smiled wolfishly at him. “I also trust you will remain close, my dear General.” While his cheeks burned red, he recognized the truth of her words. His ponies looked to him for guidance, but the Saddle Arabians wouldn’t really know him on sight. An alicorn, however, would be easily seen from miles. Put one in armor… He realized that everyone was staring at him, including a very nervous look Luna, who was clearly wondering if she had crossed a line. Maybe she had, but then again, Kind Heart had made it clear that everyone already knew of their ‘secret’ relationship and were at least somewhat happy about it, so why should he care? His eyes dropped to the table for a few more thoughtful seconds, then he nodded. “Fine. Granite, get Storm Chaser to gather the Royal Guards, make sure they stay in legion colors. Get some spare clothes for Princess Luna too. She’ll travel in disguise.” He straightened, his arms crossed as he continued to stare at the map. “We go at first light. Double time, light packs. Rest of the army moves at normal pace.” He glanced up. “Any objections?” What few responses he got from his ponies were head-shakes. He gave them a nod. “Then let’s get this done. No more delays.” ***** Aabhavannan steadily gulped water from the stream. It was clear and crisp, more than likely some of the last snow-melt from the mountains to the north before winter truly set in. It was the first stop of his run, but he was already likely a day ahead of the Equestrian army. In truth, that made certain parts of him very glad. He, like most of his Saddle Arabian kin, did not like waiting around or walking. They were built for running, and urges to run were strong. Staying with the slow moving column of ponies, all while his city and his friends remained under siege, slowly wasting away, jut made his urge to run even fiercer, but now there was momentum. Elias Bright, a frustrating creature, was moving forward, and despite his eagerness to see Saraj saved, he could understand the wisdom in the human’s words. The ponies couldn’t save anyone if they arrived exhausted, and he decidedly did not want them to lose whatever battles were to come. Many runners had been sent, yet none returned. Most were likely with the minotaurs, and he was clearly the first to reach the Equestrians, so there was some mild hope that the other runners had called on the armies spread across the territory, but Saraj couldn’t rely on that. They were simply taking too long to arrive, if they had been called at all. No, the ponies and their strange “human” were the best hope for Saraj. He would just have to do his part to make sure they arrived as quickly, and as prepared as possible. He stood up and wiped his muzzle, then adjusted the undersized saddlebags on his hips. He couldn’t fault ponies for being smaller, and yet, they could stand to make broader saddlebags. At least he was only carrying a few balls of twine, with which he would mark out the area for the ‘castra’ to be built. One of the human’s guards had tried to explain what the word meant, but all Aabhavannan had taken from it was that the ponies intended to build a rather large fort, from which they could attack the minotaurs without risking the princesses. It wasn’t the boldest plan, but he could understand the human’s protectiveness of his adoptive princesses. He too would given anything if he had been taken in so. He kicked out his legs one at a time, limbering up to begin his sprint again, when the brush before him erupted into motion, spitting out a stumbling form that quickly met the dirt with her muzzle. Aabhavannan hopped back, his nerves ready to send him flying through the forest as he eyed the newcomer up and down. His ears flicked at more approaching bodies just as the mare looked up from her place in the dirt. With beautiful, desperate emerald eyes, she silently pleaded for help. True to his nature, his decision was made with all speed, and he helped the mare to her hooves, pushing her before him in the direction of Saraj. ***** Lionheart resisted the urge to scratch at the bit in his teeth. Despite the so called “need to move quickly” he had overheard from the ape and his associates, he and the other captives had been brought along, if for no other reason than to torture them. Currently, they stood tied to a tree, like errant dogs. While he held his head high enough to banish that illusion of subservience, his fellows weren’t so stalwart. Shattered Shield looked much akin to a beaten dog these days, his muzzle perpetually facing the dirt and his eyes perpetually crowned with either exhausted bags, or tears. Lionheart hated how often the pitiful stallion cried, especially at night, but there was no comforting him with thoughts of greater victory, of the righteousness of their cause, so he left the lout to stew in his self-induced misery. Dragon-Eye, unfortunately, wasn’t much better. He wasn’t a worthless weeping weakling, but he wasn’t as sure of his words any more, almost like he thought that all of the promises of saving Equestria from the ape’s influence were mere fantasy, and perhaps it was, coming from such a lowly place of despair. It certainly seemed like all hope was lost, but neither of his two ‘fellows’ had the knowledge he did, and though he detested working with the insect queen, there were some uses for a bug, other than being squished rather nicely beneath a hoof. As a temporary ally, Chrysalis would serve her purpose, then he could be rid of her, wiping her from the face of the earth as yet another method of keeping Equestria and her princesses safe. Thinking of the bug, Lionheart noticed a shadow flitting between the trees, and his eyes narrowed. He could almost hear that wretched two-toned laughter in the air, but he ignored it, instead turning toward the silver-clad earth pony keeping guard of them. Lionheart cleared his throat as best he could, then mumbled out; “Ah neef t’ uuf th’ refoom.” The guardspony glanced back at him with a scowl on his muzzle. “What?” Lionheart snorted and stomped a hoof. “I neef t’ pee!” The guard sighed and held his head with a hoof. “I really need to ask Centurion Granite when I can get off this duty. If I wanted to babysit, I would have stayed home.” With another sigh, the guard untied him from the tree and cave his makeshift collar a yank. “Come on then, even traitors get a little privacy.” Lionheart followed the pony without protest. He would need to do something to pretty up his image with the common soldiery when this business with the ape was finished. While he didn’t care about their opinions of him, having the muscle on his side was a good thing, especially if he intended to be worthy of marrying Princess Luna. She seemed the martial sort, and most of the ape’s ponies had come from the Lunar Guard. He didn’t precisely need their support when he asked for her hoof in marriage, but having it wouldn’t hurt his standing either. The earth pony stopped and slackened his lead. “Go, and hurry up. This was supposed to be a quick lunch break, not your personal beauty time.” Lionheart huffed and rolled his eyes, turning away to begin his business. The pony likewise turned around, giving him a few precious moments of un-watched peace. He heard a muffled grunt, then looked back to find the earth pony again under the spell of three changelings. The fourth grinned at him with slitted blue eyes. “Well go on Duke Lionheart,” the changeling hissed. “So far as ponies are concerned, nobody is watching, save for this treat here.” She stroked the earth pony’s cheek. He gave a shiver, but his eyes never shifted with awareness, fully wrapped in shining green light as the pony mumbled to himself. Lionheart suppressed a shudder and stood up straight, motioning to the bit in his mouth. The changeling let out a chuckle. “Aw, but I quite like you nice and quiet,” she said with a fake pout. “Are you sure we can’t just take you home like this? I promise, you’ll be much deeper under our control.” Lionheart pointedly did not look at the earth pony, and instead narrowed his eyes, trying to appear threatening. The changeling chuckled again, then moved forward, roughly yanking the bit from his muzzle. “There. Now, what do you know?” Lionheart scowled and rubbed his jaw. “Does your queen have nothing to say? I don’t deal with lackeys.” The changeling tilted her head, her smile anything but kind. “You’ll deal with whoever Queen Chrysalis tells you to, and today, that’s me. Do keep the attitude to a minimum. She says we can’t leave any visible damage on you. That won’t stop me from making you a dumb-brained little snack, got it?” Lionheart rolled his eyes. “This is a waste of time. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t have information, so spit it out before I get caught.” The changeling winked. “Good deflect snack-time. Queen Chrysalis is mobilizing her contacts to attack Elias Bright on this little forward run of his, but she was waiting for the best moment to order an attack. She’s hoping you’ve done something other than be a pack-mule, and that you have some good intel for us.” “What does she know?” Lionheart asked. “I don’t want to repeat useless information.” The changeling shrugged. “We just know that Elias Bright is going forward to scout and set up a base, and that some Saddle Arabian is supposed to mark the best spot. He will, of course, it would be suspicious if we snatched him, but the stallion didn’t know much.” She licked her lips. “His excitement was tasty though. He should be nursing a little headache for today, but tomorrow he should have that site marked as Elias Bright will be expecting.” “Why do you keep using that ape’s full name?” Lionheart asked with a frown. “He’s a brute. I doubt even he knows what his full name is sometimes.” The changeling’s eyes glowed with something approaching defensiveness. “You’re an idiot if you think that, but regardless, my Queen has declared that Elias Bright shall always be referred to by his full name, as a sign that she will not underestimate him again. He was instrumental in preventing our capture of Princess Luna during the invasion, and he did it largely alone. That is no small feat, especially given that he slaughtered dozens of my hivemates.” She advanced on him a step. “So instead of asking me questions that only make me want to rip out your throat more, I suggest you start talking about what you know, or suddenly Elias Bright will have one less spy watching his every move.” Lionheart tried to maintain a scowl, even as he inched a step back. “I’m not a spy. Your queen is the spy that is helping me get rid of that wretched ape for the good of Equestria and beyond.” “The ape that is favored by the princesses and that led their army to victory?” the changeling said. “Oh yes Duke Lionheart, you’re right, you’re not a spy, you’re a traitor. Very positive distinction for you.” “The only thing I’m betraying is the ape, and he is a threat to the princesses, even if they don’t yet understand it,” Lionheart snarled. “Even your idiot queen should know that-” A chitinous hoof met his muzzle, and Lionheart collapsed to the ground with a whimper. He touched his nose, but found no blood. He shied away as the female changeling towered over him, her hoof again raised. “I- I thought you said no physical-” “Visible damage little unicorn,” the changeling growled. “Say another bad word against Queen Chrysalis and I’ll reveal myself to Elias Bright so that he’ll rip the wretched head from your treacherous shoulders.” She stomped the ground on either side of his head and leaned down, baring her teeth at him. “Now tell me what you know and stop wasting my time or I let Trax play with his new toy.” The smallest changeling on the earth pony’s back seemed to light up with excitement and he quickly hopped down and trotted over. “Really?” he asked with a happy tail flick. “May I tell him the history?” He looked to Lionheart and immediately began to ramble without the other changeling’s permission. “My Queen, while searching for new avenues into Canterlot since the crystal mines are under watch, decided to send several scouts on expeditions across the world! I was luckily trusted with a solo mission, and I found these abandoned catacombs deep in the deserts of-” “The only reason her Majesty sent you alone is so that you wouldn’t ruin another scouting mission!” the female changeling snarled, snapping her teeth at the smaller bug. “Now shut up Trax! I don’t need two wastes of time.” The small changeling seemed to grow smaller, but he didn’t fully back down, his eyes flicking to Lionheart momentarily before drawing a small black object seemingly from beneath his chitin. He held it out, and Lionheart gagged as strange thin tendrils began to creep and crawl. For some reason, his ear twitched, and the small, buglike… thing seemed to detect the motion and all three began to squirm in his direction. His ear twitched again, and he couldn’t help but whine, knowing that that thing was meant to burrow deep into his head. Luckily, the changeling pinning him was of a similar thought. “Put that disgusting thing away,” she snarled. “I don’t even know why our Queen let you keep it.” “I-it’s a useful artifact,” the small bug said. “T-they allow for non-verbal communication for non-changelings over a fairly substantial dis-” “Trax, put that disgusting thing away this second or it’s going down your throat.” She huffed and turned back to Lionheart, but glanced over her shoulder as she spat out one last barb. “Why you are allowed to do anything but infiltration jobs as a beggar, I will never know. Of all that changelings that survived Canterlot, somehow you made the cut. Probably by crawling under a rock.” The small changeling shrank further and let out a whimper before slinking back toward the earth pony. Both of his fellows began snickering, causing him to sink further into the dirt. It was a truly pathetic display that deserved ridicule, and even Lionheart couldn’t help but snort with contempt at the wretched little bug. As the changeling began to absently play with his bug-thing, Lionheart’s attention was drawn upward. The female changeling bared her fangs in his face. “Enough wasting time unicorn. What do you know?” Lionheart gulped, but began to speak, with his voice growing more confident as he spoke. “You can’t trust the two unicorns I am jailed with. They falsely believe that they are guilty of a crime-” “Something relevant to killing Elias Bright,” the changeling growled. “My Queen has already claimed those two for food. She just waits the right moment to take them.” “That wasn’t part of the deal, she was to take the injured-” “That Elias Bright slowed the march to return to health,” the changeling said. “There are pitiful few left, and too many still guard them. I’d think less with how the deal you aren’t keeping to is working out, and instead give me information my Queen can use, or I’ll let Trax use his little toy.” Lionheart’s eyes flicked to the little changeling, who looked back like a beaten, pawing at the tendril-ed thing that continued to writhe. He shuddered and looked back up to his assailant. “I know precious little more than you do,” he started, earning him an additional growl. “But I do know this; the ape takes walks alone at night. I think he is having difficulties sleeping.” The changeling’s eyes narrowed, but her fangs also drew back, her eyes glazing slightly in thought. “There’s ambush potential there… do you know why he can’t sleep?” Lionheart shook his head. “Rumors in Canterlot were that he lost his friends and family on his ape world, but that’s a ridiculous notion. The fact that anyone could think that monster has a trace of an emotion like love in that shrunken, stupid little head is-” The next thing he knew, he was being tied to the wagon by the earth pony. His mouth tasted of dirt, iron, and wood, though that last part was likely due to the bit again stretching his jaw. The earth pony finished tying him in and stepped back with a smile. “I don’t know what got into you, but if you just got your business done like that more often, you might not be a traitor everypony wants dead.” Lionheart jerked away as the pony patted his cheeks. “Keep being a good little pack mule, and maybe you’ll get a cookie, yeah?” A few nearby ponies clad in silver all snickered as the earth pony let out a loud laugh. Lionheart snorted at him, causing him to jump, but ultimately only drawing more laughter. Part of him wanted to go wild, to try to rip free and teach the stallion a lesson, but he was better than that base instinct. He instead looked forward, ignoring his soon-to-be-vanished compatriots. A stray thought crossed his mind, briefly pondering how he had gotten from speaking with changelings to walking forward, but for some reason, it fled quickly. He didn’t really know why. ***** Elias squinted, watching the timber fortifications through his broken binoculars. To one side was Gray Granite, and on the other was Storm Chaser, both of whom had spyglasses. A feather brushed Elias’ back, and Storm Chaser nodded toward a different part of the timber wall. “There. Small gap, looks like they use it to get to the river for water.” Elias scowled, wiping at the dirt caked to the uncracked lens of his binoculars before bringing the set to his eyes, staring out across the trampled farm land at the small door Storm Chaser had pointed out. As they watched, a trio of lithe, for minotaurs at least, cows opened the door and stepped cautiously onto the open field before making their way toward the river, buckets clutched beneath their bulky arms. The door quickly shut behind them, earning a comment from him. “Likely heavily guarded. They’ll know it’s a weak point and keep it under watch like the main gate. If they’re smart, they’ve built a kill zone inside.” He shifted his attention back to the wooden gatehouse. “Shift changed yet?” “No General,” Granite said. “Either their shifts are random, or they change after three hours.” “Keep watching then.” The minotaurs guarding the main gate had switched out just after they had arrived, and now the sun was starting to dip below the horizon. They’d have to go back to camp soon, and he didn’t feel like he had enough information, not yet. He wanted the minotaurs’ habits down pat so that he could pick a good moment to strike, and that moment needed to be perfect. At a glance, Elias knew his army was vastly outnumbered, even if they had the full force to bring to bear. Aabhavannan’s map had been woefully undescriptive of the full size of the city and it’s massive white walls. Frankly, the city made Canterlot look like a hamlet in size, but both Aabhavannan and Luna had explained that by justifying that Saraj was the city in Saddle Arabia, so much so that many of the farmers that fed it simply called the city itself Saddle Arabia. While sizeable towns and several fortresses were scattered across her frontiers and borders, the desert consumed much of Saddle Arabia’s territory, and Saraj was the last civilized bastion before the immense sands. Said sands could even be seen from the river. He’d noticed the white hot sands when he had taken a walk to find a good scouting position. Saraj sat in an arc before the same river they had been traveling along since they had left Equestria, but it was at the city where the river was at it’s widest. It was from all the snow melt, so Aabhavannan had said. The result was rushing waters that carried down gradually narrowing canyons deeper and deeper until it hit the sea far to the south at a trickle. Until it reached that point, however, Saddle Arabians were able to push rafts and small boats along with trade goods brought in from all over their nation. A long bridge crossed the river, and from his walk, he had noticed the bridge had been burned to its stone foundations. By which side, he didn’t know, but he certainly wouldn’t be leading any night time raids across the water. Though it was a far smaller force, the minotaurs still existed in large enough numbers to make a lightly armored river assault impossible. No, the way in was through the front gate, the only obstacle was the miles of fortifications. Saddle Arbia’s white stone walls were massive, dwarfing the minotaur fortifications, but the city gates were fall smaller, and were fully entrapped. A saving grace with all of the walls was that they were made from timber. The minotaurs had felled acres of trees to build their walls, but given that he had several spell casters who knew how to cast fireballs, he had a way to at least damage the walls. Even if the bulls had fire patrols or spellcasters to counter his flames, they could still cause damage. If nothing else, it would keep the bulls on their toes, and remaining constantly alert would make them tired. The only problem was that the forest was far from the city, over a mile of desolate farm land. It was a lot of empty ground that gave heavy advantage to the minotaurs camped around the city, and there were thousands of them. Far more than his paltry force could hope to beat in an open fight. Elias squinted and rubbed at the lens of his binoculars with his thumb. Dust had a nasty way of working it’s way into the cracked lenses, making it hard to see. As he rubbed at the lens, Granite perked up. “Guards are leaving General. Starting count.” Elias grimaced and kept scrubbing. “Storm Chaser, match his count. Stupid dirt is everywhere.” The pegasus glanced his way before looking toward the walls. As Elias set to work on a particularly dirt-filled crack, Storm Chaser looked his way again. “Would you like a fresh spyglass General? They’re super easy to make, and just about everypony has-” “Watch the wall,” Elias snapped. “My binoculars work fine, they’re just…. dirty….” He huffed as he failed to scrape all the dirt free, then nearly snapped again when the large pegasus nudged an extra spyglass his way. He let his binoculars hang from his neck and snatched up the spyglass, yanking it open and setting it over his good eye. He immediately noticed how much better he could see everything, and he couldn’t help but sigh. His binoculars were just another old piece of junk, a remnant of a world he was suddenly starting to forget. He barely ever thought about his old legion these days, aside from the lessons he had learned with them. Barely thought about Bevin, and Sarah. Certainly never mentioned them. He hadn’t even touched one of his old journals in months. There was some positivity to that; he had new friends, and new experiences, a new legion, and new… interests. Elias shook the brief blush from his cheeks. New distractions. He had to focus on the task at hand. If abandoning some old equipment brought him closer to taking his legion home safe and sound, then so be it. He could come to terms with that later. “New guards are climbing up,” Granite said. I counted six minutes of hang time in the shift.” “Four minutes,” Storm Chaser corrected. “I see a pair of horns peaking over the wall that disappeared for a few minutes then got replaced by a taller set. I think there’s a post there to make sure nobody scales the walls while the shift changes.” “Four minutes,” Elias mumbled. “You two know anyone that can cross a mile of field in four minutes?” Both ponies shook their heads. “Yeah, me either. Let’s head back. We need a planning session for drawing the cows out.” He crawled backward, and the ponies swiftly followed. They all crawled until they were deep enough in the woods to stand and jog back to camp. Aabhavannan had chosen a good spot. Unlike usual, the castra was not constructed away from the river, but right onto the shoreline. Since they’d likely be staying longer, Elias had ordered that the timber pillars that made up the castra walls be fortified at their bases with concrete and large stones. The paths of the castra were similarly covered with gravel that Granite had primarily created from the growing pile of ammunition being stockpiled for the remaining siege weapons the rest of the army carried. Spots for tents were prepared, and Wood Chop had set to making a few more permanent shelters for the medical tent and the cooking area. Trenches were dug and topped with wooden stakes, and even further from the castra a moat was beginning to form at Pyrelight’s order, adding just one more hazard to protect the camp. Per his orders, however, all of the trees needed for the castra’s construction were brought from the opposite side of the river. He had pegasi lighting campfires in other parts of the forest to obscure the smoke from the camp, and he had unicorns maintaining an invisibility bubble over the camp, but the trees themselves were the best cover, while also providing one last weapon for the camp’s defense. If they became overrun, Elias could order his ponies to the river, then order the trees and their undergrowth burned. Nothing would survive a firestorm. He, Storm Chaser, and Grey Granite walked into camp, joining the bustling activity as ponies worked continually to fortify the spot. Storm Chaser took to flight to gather the officers, while Granite was asked to stomp out more gravel to cover the trail to the river. Elias went undisturbed as he walked toward the center of camp, where one tree still temporarily stood tall. He felt his throat tighten as he grew closer to the blue alicorn resting beneath the shade tree, decked out in silver and blue tinged steel. His motion apparently drew her from her rest, because a pair of glistening emeralds met him as he walked forward, nearly causing him to stumble. Swallowing dryly, Elias kept his footing even. Luna’s smile was bright as he stopped beneath the shade tree, feeling slightly stiff as he spoke. “The minotaurs are firmly entrenched, but once I consult with my officers, I think we’ll start a harassment campaign, try to burn some of their fortifications.” Elias mentally cursed himself. He was in charge wasn’t he? Why did he feel like he was delivering a report to his superior officer instead of just informing a weakened princess of his intent, and why was her smile so much more beautiful from beneath a helmet? “I think that is a marvelous plan General,” Luna said. “Have you seen any sign from the Saddle Arabians that they remain strong?” “No,” Elias admitted. “But they also don’t know we’re here, at least that was my plan. I want that first fireball to be an announcement. Fear for the bulls as much as hope for the Saddle Arabians.” He felt his heart flutter as Luna’s smile seemed to brighten. Her eyes closed as she beamed up at him. “An excellent idea! ‘Tia and I used to use such tactics in the early days before the proper unification of Equestria. An entire besieging army once capitulated in fact! ‘Twas a wonderful day with no slaughter needed.” “Wish that would happen again,” Elias mumbled, trying to keep his inner child at bay. It begged for him to ask her for a history lesson, especially given that he hadn’t read much about the pre-unification Equestria. “Perhaps it will,” Luna said. “But I would like to do more to try and guarantee such a result, if you don’t mind my input.” Elias gave her a deadpan look. “I only hate ideas from alicorns when they’re based on sunflowers and pink hearts. If you have an addition to a plan on intimidation, I’m all ears. I’m sure everyone can tell how inept I am at utilizing magic.” Luna scoffed and waved a hoof. “Nonsense General, you make fine use of both the pegasi and the unicorns in protecting camp. You just lack centuries of experience living with easy access to the arcane, and regardless, my plan requires very little genuine magic. I merely want to use a simple illusion to, as you say, intimidate our enemies.” Just as Elias began to ask her what her plan was, Pyrelight seemed to appear in an out-of-breath bundle of dust and sweat. Elias looked down at the fiery-maned unicorn. “Yes Auxiliary Centurion?” The unicorn’s eyes flicked about, and sweat seemed to bead on her forehead in spite of her fur. “Could we please talk for a minute General?” “By all means,” Elias said, motioning for her to begin. “Princess Luna doesn’t bite.” “I wouldn’t rule that out General,” Luna said with a suddenly sharp smile. “A certain stallion could tempt me to do all sorts of things.” She and Elias locked eyes, and her smile quickly fell as they stared blankly at one another. The silence that suddenly filled the air seemed to grow a bubble around them, shutting out all sound as neither said a word. Elias blinked once, his jaw turning slightly as he tried to think of something to say. He was sure there was some innuendo at play, but… how was he supposed to respond? Was he supposed to respond. Was he just supposed to compliment her? Make a pun about how sharp she looked in armor? No part of his brain understood what to do, but every part was panicking, unsure of how to act. Luna began to blush furiously, and her tail flicked with obvious nervousness. Elias tried to mentally kick himself into gear. Why was he still just staring at her like an idiot? ‘Say something idiot!’ He mentally shouted at himself. ‘Say anything!’ “Right, we’ll be back in in a few minutes,” Pyrelight said as they continued their awkward staring contest. “Then you can do… whatever this is.” As Elias was pushed away by his subordinate, Luna mentally cursed herself. Cadence had warned about being too forward when they had started their lessons, and as he had proven, Elias was not ready for such open behavior! ‘You’ll want to be subtle,’ the alicorn of love had said, ‘and you’ll want to do in the middle of something else. A good flirt will just flow with conversation, and a really one could be passed off as a joke if it isn’t well received. Just remember, if he freezes-’ “Gah!” Luna moaned, her hoof quickly smacking into her forehead. “Don’t freeze! How could I forget such a simple rule?” She rifled through her saddlebags and drew out the enchanted paper she kept on hoof to keep in contact with her fellow princesses. “Dearest Cadence,” she began. “I believe I have damaged my romance irreparably…” Just outside of camp, Pyrelight finally stopped dragging Elias along. She looked out from the tree they had stopped behind, checking for anyone that may have followed them, but Elias wasn’t really paying attention to her antics. He was more focused on Luna’s words. He wasn’t really familiar with the concept of ‘flirting’ but he had observed a bit of it in his old life. The alicorn’s words were clearly that, and how had he responded? By standing around like an idiot. He could only imagine how she was taking it. He had rejected her once, now he was just staring at her when she was trying to re-initate? Was it too early? She’d understand if he told her that he welcomed her advances, but it still wasn’t the right time. But did he welcome her advances? He had promised to give their relationship another shot once the march was over, but it was far from over and he was far from being sure if he wanted that kind of relationship with the alicorn. A rather large voice in his head protested that last thought. Had he not just felt a touch more excited when she had smiled at him? There was no doubt in his mind that he liked the alicorn, but love was a different word that… Elias quickly realized that this was all a distraction. He was in an active war zone. One of his officers had dragged him off to speak in private and here he was thinking about romancing his- an alicorn. Elias shook himself and looked down at Pyrelight, resting one hand on his gladius hilt. He needed to focus on getting everyone out alive first, then he could worry about flirting and his reaction to it. “I don’t know if I should thank you for your interruption, or whip you for causing Princess Luna to distract me.” Pyrelight’s tail flicked at him as she continued scanning the forest leading back to camp. “Do both if you want, I just really needed to talk to you before I do something stupid and dangerous and-” “Then let’s talk instead of ramble,” Elias said, frowning. “Is there a problem among the troops? Did a Royal Guardspony notice you’re not who you say you are, because as promised, I already had Luna sign-” “It’s not any of that,” Pyrelight said. She whirled around and tugged at a chain on her neck. When it didn’t come off immediately, the unicorn let out a growl and her horn glowed with fiery energy, ripping it from her neck. “You’re not wearing a horn ring,” Elias said, his words a statement of fact. Pyrelight shook her head, her eyes fixated on a small orange gem dangling from the end of the neck chain. “Haven’t been since Scarlet’s Hill. Remember when I you were questioning Lionheart and I had soot on my face?” “That was from the artillery, other ponies were supposed to light those,” Elias said. “I thought you said you couldn’t control that destroyer spell of yours.” “I can’t,” Pyrelight whimpered. She finally stopped staring at the gem and looked to him with teary, pleading eyes. “I- I had it removed just before the march so that I could help more, and I’ve been keeping it safe, but it’s been talking to me General. I can’t-” She pushed the necklace toward him. “Please, you have to take it. I can’t hold it anymore. It’s eating me up inside, and during the battle I nearly threw it, and ever since we left Princess Celestia behind, it’s like it’s getting bolder, like it knows I’m the only pony who can learn it, and I-” She stepped forward, again pushing the gem on him. “Please just take it. I know you won’t use it!” Elias took a step back from the unicorn. Spending significant amounts of time around ponies had not made him less suceptible to their teary eyes, and Pyrelight, even filthy and decked out in full armor, offering him the magical equivalent of a bomb, was impossible not to give into. Still, he was able to muster enough fortitude to protest. “Centurion, this doesn’t seem like a good plan. Put your horn ring back on, and we can talk with Luna about-” “No!” Pyrelight shouted. “That’ll ruin the entire march! I was waiting until it was over to just give it to one of the princesses, then I would throw myself at their mercy, but if we give it to her now, it’ll throw off the magic calibration. So many ponies would have died for nothing, and I won’t allow that.” This time she leaped at him, her hooves clinging to his armor, the gem right in his face. “Please General, it’s just until the portal is made,” Pyrelight pleaded. “Just listen, you don’t hear anything, do you?” She put the gem near his ear, and other than her short gasps and their armor scrapping against each other, Elias heard… nothing. Nothing but natural sounds. The voices in his head were even quiet, confused as a united whole. As his confusion became plain on his face, a wild, yet happy look entered Pyrelight’s eyes. “See? It’s just a little longer, and you’ll keep everyone safe from this! It’ll even speed up the process of Princess Celestia or Princess Luna recovering their magic once the portal is made! Take it, you won’t even remember it’s on your neck.” Without waiting for his permission, the unicorn clasped the chain around his neck then hopped back, looking him up and down with a nervous, yet hopeful smile. Elias pinched the gem in his fingertips, edging away from it just in case. Though it was warm to the touch, and it glowed a little when he looked at it… there was still nothing. Certainly not the “talking” Pyrelight had ranted about. He slipped the gem beneath his armor, then regarded the unicorn with an appraising eye, briefly wondering if she had just gone insane. Juding by the slow look of relief spreading across her body, he could only hope she was telling the truth, that he would almost entirely forget about the gem sitting on his neck. “Alright, just make sure to remind me when the portal is opened, that way-” The unicorn again slammed into him, trapping him in a tight hug as her tears of joy crept down his armor. “Thank you General, I can barely hear it now,” she said. “If you can carry the spell for me, I’ll do everything I can to get us into Saraj, burn me out for all I care!” Elias gingerly stroked an exposed portion of her mane, but the motion grew more confident as he thought on her words and his sights from the minotaurs’ wooden fortifications. “Be careful what you wish for-” he muttered “-because I just might.” > Chapter 68: Opening Salvo > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blood poured into his eyes, the result of the same cut that had ripped his helmet away. Whether it was the source of the red clouding his eyes, he couldn’t tell. The air was hot, the trees aflame. Ponies fought minotaurs, writhing like mad dogs, ignoring the heat all around them. How could they keep doing that? Didn’t it burn? He could feel his feet slowly creeping away from the flames through no will of his own, but still they all fought, even as the grass, then their fur caught alight. Then everyone seemed to react in one great scream. He was assaulted from all sides with screams of pain, mixing with cries for help and shouts of anger. A unicorn in silver writhed away from one patch of flames, only to roll into another, her screams growing louder as she was consumed. A minotaur charged from the fire, using the pain of his flaming skin to fuel his rage. His axe batted aside a thestral in blue, but she was nothing more than a distraction to the bull, who fixed his beady eyes on Elias’ chest. His hooves shook the ground as he continued to bellow and charge. Elias wiped the blood from his eyes again and braced his shield, trying to get his breathing under control before he began another fight. In the violence of a battle, he never seemed to notice how tiring it was, but not today, today every muscle was screaming, on fire in a way that nearly matched the flames that slowly surrounded them. Just as the bull closed, a horn sounded, and ponies immediately turned tail and began to flee. Elias dipped to the side of the axe cut and let his gladius bit into the minotaur’s spine. His eyes then turned out, and he wiped the blood away again, trying to see what had sparked the retreat. His legionaries were still around him and fighting, but it was like the rest of the ponies had simply… vanished. Hooves grabbed at his arm, and a voice shouted in his ear. “General, we have to retreat!” the red stallion cried, or was he gray? Elias wiped at his eyes again, trying to keep the blood away. The smoke was making it worse, but there was advantage in that. “We’re staying!” Elias said. “They’re taller, the smoke hurts them more. Drive them into the fire, and let’s end-” The words were driven from his lungs by hundreds of pounds of force. Hooves trampled him as soon as he hit the ground, and he could do little more than curl into a ball, doing his best to protect his head. The sounds around him began to shift, but he couldn’t pay attention to that as a hoof stomped on his nose, shattering it. A second hoof struck the side of his head, sending him into a daze that set the fiery treetops spinning. In his ears he heard more screaming, more pain. A voice cut through all the rest, and suddenly one part of his vision seemed to focus on a crimson pegasus. Tears filled Scarlet’s eyes as blood leaked from a set of bandages wrapped around his barrel. “Why won’t you stop Elias? You can’t keep doing this forever. You’re only hurting yourself.” A hoof stomped his ribs, somehow cutting through layers of steel to pulverize his bones. Elias spat up blood, but his eyes didn’t shift from the crimson pegasus. “It-it was Lionheart,” he sputtered. “I’ll p-punish him o-once we’re done fighting. It- it wasn’t…” Scarlet sighed and shook his head. “I know it wasn’t you, that’s why you need to stop-” A hoof stomped his head into the dirt. Elias opened his eyes to near-darkness. Feathers were obscuring the torchlight, but those quickly moved away as a muzzle whispered in his ear. “Are you alright?” Luna asked. She’d been doing that every time his night terrors had driven him awake since she had started sleeping on him. The answer was no different. “I need air,” Elias croaked, feeling trapped, smothered. He was still too hot, too contained. Luna sighed and rose. “If you need to talk-” “I just need air,” Elias said again, a little too quick, a little too desperate, but it was the truth. A walk to the river, some cool water and then some staring into the woods. Maybe a talk with himself, that helped. He crawled free of his sleeping bag,, but before he could make for the river, Luna wrapped him in one last hug, one that actually felt nice despite its smothering nature. Her hooves rubbed up and down his back as she spoke. “I will give you peaceful sleep,” she said. “This I swear, as soon as we are done with this march, before anything else, I will mend your dreams.” How he wanted to stay, to dig his fingers into her plush fur and just hold on, to cling like a scared child to his safety net. Unfortunately for him, his rational side was beginning to stir, and it knew that he was the strong one. He was the fighter, the killer. He danced around a battlefield like beautiful alicorns danced around ballrooms. He couldn’t afford moments of weakness. He just needed air, time to collect himself. He was weak despite himself, hugging her tight in reply, his mouth flapping with a desire to speak without knowing what to say. He settled on something simple. “Later. Once we’re home.” Then he drew away, the alicorn falling to his abandoned sleeping bag. She had no strength with which to hold him after all. He didn’t look at her, just began walking away. He didn’t want to risk seeing hurt in her eyes. He did glance back, however, noticing another form as he began to dress without comment. Elias’ cheeks burned with shame as he stormed through the castra gates and toward the river. ***** Elias squinted against the mid-morning sun, one eye practically closed while the other looked about the large, empty fields before the minotaur fortifications. The distance between the forest and the walls was far greater than he had originally thought, and with all the trampled farm land, the distance seemed all the emptier. Still, he was confident that spells could cover the distance. There would be only one way to test, once this ridiculous “meeting” was over. The messenger had been found wandering shortly before dawn, and after blindfolding him and leading him around blind for a good hour, the minotaur had told them about a desire for their new opponent, a bull named Steel Horn, to meet on the fields before Saraj to talk terms. Elias had seen the obvious trap for what it was, but at Luna’s insistence, he had showed to hear the minotaur out. At his side was Granite, while Storm Chaser and Ice Blossom kept First Cohort in the trees. The auxiliaries were all back in camp, ready to make a run for it with Luna if the trap was more advanced than he anticipated. Four figures left the minotaur stockade, walking quickly across the grass. Granite frowned at the shortest of the quartet. “A pony?” he mumbled. “What’s a pony doing helping minotaurs?” Elias squinted, noting some flashes of gold on the pony as he walked. “I think it’s a zebra,” he replied. “Same question though, what’s a zebra doing here helping cows siege a city? Don’t they have a civil war to be fighting?” “Mercenary maybe?” “Maybe,” Elias said. “We’ll see.” Granite gave him a silent nod and put on his best scowl. Elias felt his own chest puff up slightly with pride as the gray earth pony straightened, his armor still shining and unmarred. It was surprising how clean it was, but he knew that Granite spent much of his time keeping his equipment in top shape. It was actually how they had spent the last evening before bed. With none of their other friends to talk with and with no grand plans to pour over, they had been left to simple tasks before bed. He had decided to take time to clean his armor up, and it hadn’t taken long for Granite to find him. They shared no words. He simply sat down and removed his armor piece by piece, carefully cleaning each section with a rag and water, along with a touch of polish. They had stayed like that through dinner and until the sun had sunken behind the trees. It was only Luna coming along to check on him that had interrupted them, and even then, he had silently offered the earth pony the opportunity to follow to where they were sleeping. While Luna covered him like a blanket, Granite had settled in just in front of them, his muzzle facing out, as if he was still on guard, even in his sleep. When Elias had been driven to the waking world by his nightmares, Granite had risen with him without comment, simply beginning a quiet inspection of the castra perimeter while Elias got himself under control. Granite’s eyes flicked momentarily up to Elias, and their eyes met. Elias gave him a quick wink and a grin, then looked out to the approaching figures, letting his face fallen into a scowl to match Granite’s. He pointedly ignored the happy little flick that had entered his tail. As the figures closed, their theory was proven correct that the “pony” was in fact a zebra. The zebra who eyed them both with a broad grin. The minotaurs, however, were Elias’ focus. Especially given that two of them were familiar, one of whom should have been crawling on his belly. As they stopped a few feet away from Elias and Granite, the human let out a snort, resting his hand on his gladius. “That’s a fun trick Stone Horn. I guess next time I should cut your throat instead of your spine.” “I’m going to break your neck, then tear your head off and mount it on my horns,” the bull snorted, his eyes red with hate. “Ponies will weep when they hear about what I’ve done to you.” Elias rolled his shoulders. “Let’s settle it now then. I’ll warn you though, I haven’t spent the morning slaughtering your troops. I’ll be a touch more spry than last time.” The bull snorted again and began to step forward, but a hand clamped down on his muzzle, while another pushed him back. Stone Hoof caught the minotaur and wrestled him back, whispering quickly into his ear as he turned him away from Elias. The human sneered at the bull, then looked to the one who had pushed him. The bull was easily a head taller than Stone Horn, and he bore a full set of horns, as well as a rather large nose ring. Leather armor covered much of his body, though that was only just barely. The bull was all rippling muscle, but unlike Stone Horn, this bull didn’t seem to be flexing any of it. He was just passively huge. “Steel Horn I presume?” Elias asked, doing his best not to cross his arms. The bull was already crossing his arms, and if he did it, he’d look just like a puny version of him. Steel Horn nodded, his eyes narrowed and analyzing. “Indeed,” he said in a low voice. “You must be the “Elias Bright” I’ve been hearing about. Are you truly known as Elias Bright of the Red Eagle?” Elias’ bad eye twitched. “It’s not a clan name if that’s your question. I’m General Bright of the Legio I Equus, and my legion’s symbol is a red eagle.” He waved toward Granite. “He’s just as much “of the red eagle” as I am.” The minotaur nodded slowly, eyeing Granite with the same careful look he had scanned Elias with. “Interesting,” he mumbled. Light then seemed to enter his eyes, and he straightened, somehow growing even taller. “I am Steel Horn of the Stone Crusher tribe.” He motioned back toward Stone Horn and Stone Hoof. “You have met my brother and father already.” “I crippled your brother and sold your father back to you for food,” Elias said. “How is he walking by the way?” Steel Horn smiled and looked back. “Father’s warrior days may be behind him, but while we are not as powerful as unicorns, our magic can heal many an injury, and he is as skilled a shaman as any.” “And did you honor our deal?” Elias asked, vaguely curious about how powerful minotaur healing magic was. “Where’s Snowball?” Steel Horn’s muzzle dropped into a frown, and his eyes narrowed. “That is a dangerous impugnment on my honor Elias Bright, especially given that you murdered a chieftain under the flag of truce.” “I killed a spy abusing a flag of truce to count my ponies, yes,” Elias said. “Maybe if your snake of a brother hadn’t tried that little stunt, Chief Bare Hide might still be alive.” Steel Horn glanced back, causing Stone Horn to finally calm slightly under the pressure of his brother’s shame. “I was not told of that,” he said, his eyes gradually facing Elias once again. “Still, I was told of a savage death, of disrespecting a warrior unarmed as he died.” “Your brother tried to kill me under a second flag of truce. I killed those two as well,” Elias said. “And yes, it was savage. I don’t handle threats well. Violence brings out an ugly side of me.” Steel Horn snorted and smiled. “Your left I presume?” Elias’ bad eye twitched as he debated whether or not he should laugh. It wasn’t his sorest spot, and the joke was really funny, but at the same time… His eye twitched again, this time in the glint of something atop Steel Horn’s head. At a second glance he found the bull’s left horn was, in fact, made from steel. It hardly shined, but the sky was clear enough that the sun reflected off the horn. Chewing his tongue for a moment, Elias’ eyes flicked back down the meet Steel Horn’s. “Could be worse. Could have a big metal fence post sticking out of my head. Are you trying to compensate for something?” Silence passed in the air between the two, then Steel Horn threw his head back and laughed. Elias exhaled slightly, his mouth curling slightly into a smirk as the minotaur howled. Stone Horn looked at his older brother in obvious disbelief, while Stone Hoof let out a small sigh, finally letting the smaller bull go. Steel Horn’s laughter quickly tapered off, though his broad grin remained as he spoke, his voice far louder and more boisturous. “Well said General Bright, very good banter for a pony, first time I’ve heard such!” His hands moved to his hips and he let out a long sigh. “To business then; I am shamed to hear your side of the story, shamed that my own father would cover my brother’s half-truths.” He sent a sharp glare backward for a moment. “Rest assured that we will be doing far more talking this evening in the mead hall.” He turned back toward Elias and his smile returned. “But to answer your questions, yes; your agent and his kin took a lion’s share of food into the city. My warriors were not too happy about that, but-” he shrugged “-I care not. A few paltry extra days waiting is no great offense, and I would not want children starving. We mean to break the will of the Saddle Arabians, not bring them to slaughter.” Elias’ eyes narrowed, flicking back and forth between Steel Horn and Stone Horn. “And the “enslave a princess” goal, that his idea as well?” Steel Horn sighed and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Elder, why in the name of the Keepers would you let Stone Horn say something like that?” “You’re just going to believe him?” Stone Horn protested. “He slaughtered hundreds of our people! He murdered Bare Hide in cold blood!” “He defeated our people in battle, and has laid a claim that Bare Hide was a spy,” Steel Horn said. “Since I cannot rely on either of you to tell me the truth, I will have to waste time looking into the matter. As for what he claims you said, that I believe wholeheartedly. You always misused our dream of our own Speaker. You’ve always spoken in that manner about our potential Speaker. To find that you did it to provoke an enemy does not surprise me at all.” “I wasn’t provoking him, I was telling the truth,” Stone Horn growled. “Had that stupid bird not flapped in my face, I could’ve-” “What you would have done is died!” Steel Horn bellowed. “You are lucky to still breathe you petulant child! I do not know why I allowed you to become a warchief when you are so clearly not ready. Your head is too hot, too full if idiotic fantasies. You use your tongue when you should be listening! You lost because you are stupid and arrogant, and if you don’t follow my every command from now on, I will wash my hands of you.” He snorted at Stone Hoof. “Take the whelp back to camp and father him for once. He has learned nothing from defeat, nor his crippling.” Stone Hoof raised his hands and took a step forward. “Warchief, Stone Horn asks a good question: why are you trusting Elias Bright? He is our enemy.” “Our enemy has so far been far more honorable than either of you!” Steel Horn roared. “He is not the vicious monster you have told me about, and now I am forced to rely on his “truths”.” He waved a hand. “Go. This is a talk for warriors, not old bulls and calves.” Stone Horn growled, but a shove from Stone Hoof kept him quiet. While he began to stomp away, Stone Hoof paused to give Steel Horn a bow. “Apologies Warchief. I had to protect my son, even from himself.” “And in doing so you have risked mine,” Steel Horn snapped. “I am now weaker for your lies. Go. We will discuss this later.” Stone Hoof nodded and turned away, plodding after Stone Horn. Steel Horn let out a great exhale, staring after them for a long moment. Elias tapped the hilt of his gladius. “You have a family?” Steel Horn nodded, smiling wistfully. “Aside from that pair of rock-headed idiots? A son, a wife. Here with the army. The entire tribe is here actually; they fled here in fear of you.” “I’m not the butcher your brother would have you believe. He’s still alive after all.” Steel Horn nodded and finally turned back, his smile making a return. “Indeed, and you have my gratitude for that, as well as for my father’s return. He may not be the picture of strength he used to be, but he should be honored, guided toward the purpose he should be filling. He’ll figure it out.” He clapped his hands together. “So, to business. Ponies usually decline, but you seem a different sort; shall we drink?” “You didn’t answer my question,” Elias said, ignoring the question. What little hopeful light that had entered the bull’s eyes faded as he sighed and nodded. “I was hoping that would be forgotten. You are sharp General Bright.” “I try. Now why do you keep avoiding the answer? Did Stone Horn tell me what your intention for my princess is?” “I avoid because your view on the matter has been poisoned,” Steel Horn said with a wince. “Speaking the truth of it will not help.” “It won’t hurt, because right now, you’re just a diplomatic version of your brother.” Steel Horn let out another sigh. “Very well. The core of the matter is true; we wish to have one of your princesses. The difference in the true path as opposed to Stone Horn’s perversion of it is that there was no intention for slavery, not in the abhorrent manner at least.” Elias’ eyes narrowed. “Explain.” “We are without a guide to the Verdant Fields,” Steel Horn said. “Equestria has three. It was my hope to… pressure a princess to join us, that we might have our guide to the afterlife, that we might have unity in this one.” He raised his hands even as Elias began to scowl. “It is not that nasty “slave” business Stone Horn spoke about. We would treat Princess Luna like the goddess she is, no less.” “And why Luna?” Elias asked. “Why not Princess Cadence, or Princess Celestia?” Steel Horn’s eyes widened just slightly, then flicked up and down Elias’ body as he answered. “She… became a nightmare because she was neglected, and ponies still fear her might. They would never give up their thousand-year leader-” he chuckled “-and the princess of love would not really fit in with us I think. She has her own kingdom now regardless. Princess Luna, however, she has been rumored to still be living in her sister’s shadow. Why repeat history when we can give her the praise she so deserves?” He frowned slightly, and his eyes again scanned Elias up and down. “But I see that rumors do not tell all. Regardless,” he said with a sigh, “my people need hope if they are to abandon our current ways. I called you hear to make a simple demand; let us take Princess Luna home, to be crowned and worshiped as our princess. In turn, my people will abandon this siege, allow you to complete your mission, then will promise a peace treaty to last so long as our princess stays.” Elias grunted in disbelief, eyeing the minotaur up and down with a slightly slackened jaw. He had no idea whether to laugh, or to be blinded with defensive rage. Running his tongue along his teeth, he looked toward the grass, kicking it gently with his foot as he let out a low chuckle. “I don’t think I need to give you an answer on that little…” he smiled again and shook his head, “I wouldn’t be so bold as to call that an offer.” His eyes flicked up and his head tilted. “And who’d be looking after her, you?” Steel Horn nodded, his chest puffing out. “Myself and an elite retinue specially chosen from amongst the tribes. Princess Luna would be free to bring whomever she wished for servants, but we would provide for her every want and need.” “Save for separating her from her kingdom, her friends, her sister-” ‘Me’, a little voice whispered in his head. “We are gnats in her life, General Bright,” Steel Horn said. “She may grieve her current friends, her current kingdom, but we will build her something greater in time, and she will find new friends, just as she would once time has taken its toll.” He shrugged. “You and I do not matter to the alicorns, but in the grand scheme of things, my people will need a guide if we are to abandon our ways.” The anger side of his mind was slowly winning the battle for control of his tongue, but while Elias thought on what to do other than try to attack the bull, Gray Granite let out a derisive snort. “If you knew anything about Equestria, you’d know that the princesses came after we unified. Yeah, they helped the process along, but we don’t call Hearth’s Warming “Princesses Saved Us Day”. The pony tribes came together and we were rewarded.” His eyes narrowed. “I don’t know about General Bright, but I have half a mind to kick out your teeth just for the thought of stealing our princesses away. We earned their protection. What have you done but stole and tortured?” Steel Horn scowled at the gray earth pony. “We have earned through battle, and there has been no torture-” “You’re starving an entire city,” Elias cut in. “You ever starved before?” Steel Horn’s shoulders slumped just slightly as his eyes turned toward the human. “I have.” “Would you want your son to feel the pain of an empty belly?” Elias asked. “I’ve been starving too, never again if I have anything to say about it.” Steel Horn’s shoulders slumped further for a brief moment, then he straightened, heaving a deep breath. “The hunger of the Saddle Arabians ends when they surrender. You can end it faster if you so chose. Take my words to Princess Luna, let her know that she has a place among the minotaur tribes if she wishes for a permanent peace.” Elias snorted and shook his head. “I’m not going to do that, because frankly, she’s a good enough pony to consider it. Fortunately, she has me, who is the exact opposite.” He shifted in place, his fingers tapping on the hilt of his gladius. “I didn’t march an army here to lose a princess, I marched it here to enter Saraj and set up a portal. Anything that stands in the way of that goal is to be moved, by diplomacy if possible, but more than likely with violence. Give me a number, and I’ll see you paid and peacefully on your way. Make it outlandish like your brother did, and I’m going to treat you and your people the exact same.” The zebra finally spoke up, a chattering laugh escaping his muzzle. “Stupid who-man, this one has heard of you. Empty threats with nothing to back!” He stomped his hoof in the grass, then held it to his gold-covered chest. “I am-” “Khari, leader of the Shattered Stripes,” Elias cut in. “I read your file. You’re the coward who burned down three villages on the Equestrian border while the warriors were away. The Royal Guard have a file on you.” The zebra let out a huff, visibly bothered by the interruption, but he pressed on. “It is my say that we will never-” “Mean’s your head is set to be on platter,” Elias again cut in. “Keep talking and I’ll make it happen a little earlier.” The zerba’s muzzle clamped shut with a jangle, and his head lowered, a death glare fixed on Elias’ chest. The human ignored him, looking to Steel Horn. “You’re not getting a princess, not with the bloodthirsty band of strays you’ve collected. Give me a number so we can end this without me putting more minotaurs to the sword.” Steel Horn sighed, looking suddenly very tired. He held a hand to his forehead, slowly shaking his head back and forth. “I cannot,” he said. “We have come too far, risked too much to go home with mere bits. If you succeed, this is our last raiding season. We will be lost without immense glory, or a guide to the Verdant Fields. I must refuse General Bright. To yield is to doom us. I need more guarantees than mere money.” “You’d have my guarantee for safety,” Elias said. “All the other generals are dead or traitors, and the princesses aren’t in any states to countermand me. Besides, I think they’d like the project. Set up a city near Bordertown, settle Equestria’s eastern border. It’d allow them to turn their attentions elsewhere if nothing else.” “I can hardly trust your guarantees General Bright,” Steel Horn said. “I may have called out my brother’s lies, but you are hardly trustworthy, and the Saddle Arabians will seek vengeance. You do not have enough power to keep my people safe.” Elias shrugged. “Maybe not, but I have enough to slaughter them all. Is that really what you want?” Steel Horn sighed again. “It is not, but I cannot relent. To be weak is to die a shameful death, and there will at least be honor in meeting you on the battlefield, warrior to warrior.” Elias matched the minotaur’s sigh, shaking his head and staring at the ground for a long moment before looking back up. “Then fighting it is,” he grunted. “Feel free to send a messenger when you’re done watching your people die.” He nodded at Granite and turned away, marching back toward the tree line. Glancing back over his shoulder, Elias noticed Steel Horn nodding to himself, whispering something that started with an ‘L’. The zebra laughed, then they turned away, trotting back toward their fortifications. As he and Granite walked back toward the treeline, he glanced down at the earth pony. “Was that true?” The earth pony looked up, blinking in the sunlight. “Which part? About the princesses coming after the unification?” When Elias nodded, Granite matched the motion, nodding and looking forward once more. “That’s what my parents taught me anyway. The pony tribes united, then a little later the princesses showed up and started really solidifying everything, finally killing off the wendigos and dealing with Discord and stuff, but we came together without their help.” His muzzle fell into a frown. “Warchief Steel Horn is an idiot if he thinks we’re giving up Princess Luna. As far as I know, she’s the only alicorn who watches over the dead. If she’s busy watching over minotaurs, who’s going to watch over us?” “Sorry if I sound like a skeptic, but all that talk is true?” Elias asked. “Luna’s never mentioned keeping watch of the dead, just dreams.” Granite shrugged as they hit the treeline, Storm Chaser and the legionaries falling in behind them without comment. “You’d have to ask her. All I know is that when we lost a milking cow to timberwolves, mom prayed to Princess Luna to make sure Old Maid was taken care of in the Verdant Fields.” The march back to camp was uneventful, leaving Elias’ mind stuck on the question. While Granite gave out the afternoon’s orders, Elias approached where Luna was relaxing beneath one of the trees still standing in the middle of camp. Since they didn’t have the main tent, he had seen little reason to have it cut down just yet, a decision that seemed to bearing fruit as Luna smiled from beneath it’s shade. Her smile failed under the weight of confusion as he asked her about her extra duty. “On occasion,” Luna said with a blink. “Might I ask what brought this on?” Elias chewed on his cheek for a moment, then sighed. She’d know if he hid the minotaur’s “offer” from her. “Warchief Steel Horn is leading the army here, and he offered to leave without a fight in exchange for you. He wants you to guide the souls of dead minotaurs to verdant fields, says he’ll treat you like a queen, that you’re in Celestia’s shadow now and moving toward another rebellion and that he wants to serve and respect you like ponies apparently don’t.” He shrugged and crossed his arms. “Reason is something about them no longer getting noticed by the Keepers once they stop raiding, I don’t know. I was struggling not to kill Stone Horn for daring to still breathe. That was the offer though; give up you and everything goes back to normal.” Luna nodded slowly, her muzzle twitching slightly toward a smile. “And what was your reply to this offer?” “I offered him money, then when he refused, I told him I’d sooner kill every single minotaur,” Elias sighed. “I also told him that I wouldn’t even let you hear his “offer”, because you’re a kind enough pony to actually think about it.” He rubbed at his eyes and shook his head. “But here I am, so I guess all their thoughts about how I’m a liar turned out to be true.” “Telling me the truth makes you a liar,” Luna chuckled. “I think not, I think it just goes to show that at the heart of things, you are as honest as you can be, and that is an admirable trait you can improve upon once we’re finished with this messy business.” She straightened in place, crossing her forelegs. “As for his “offer” I agree with your decision, mostly because Steel Horn is misguided on what my duties actually entail. We shall need to call another meeting, that I might explain what it is I actually do.” Elias shook his head. “That’s not happening Princess. I’m not putting you out in that field on a silver platter, I don’t care how diplomatic Steel Horn was. If he sees you just sitting there with even the full two cohorts, he will storm out with his army and kill everyone, then take you. You can pity enough that you’d eventually forgive our slaughter. Might be a century or two, but-” He was surprised when he found himself on his back, a furious alicorn on his chest, baring pointed teeth in his face. “Don’t you dare suggest something like that,” Luna snarled. “I love my ponies, and if I thought them in such grievous danger, I would abandon our mission to obliterate those who dare try to take them away from me.” She leaned in closer. “I remember every friend from before my banishment with picture perfect accuracy, and you of all people should know the feeling of doing anything to protect what I currently have, or are those names on your back merely decorative?” Elias felt his mouth go dry. “They are not,” he whispered. Luna nodded, sitting up slightly. “They are not,” she agreed. “And while I do not have so visible a mark, I still remember just the same. Even could I not, I would not let my current friends fall for so ignorant a reason, especially not you, Elias Bright. It is only because of your voluntary sacrifice for the sake of the potential millions saved by this mission that I held back before, but say such words again, and I will remove the bulls, then claim you and use the next year waiting for my magic to store claiming you over and over again.” Elias flushed. The sight was apparently visible enough that it finally caused Luna to glance around, visibly calming as she sat back, her fore-hooves still resting on his chest. “Another time perhaps, because you are correct. An ambush would be likely, but there must be a way to contact Steel Horn, to explain the error of his plans.” “Where’s the error,” Elias asked, doing his best not to look around as he tried to sit up. Luna wasn’t moving and was already irritated. At the same time, this was hardly the best position to shift conversational gears from. “As far as I know, you only handle pony souls, right?” Elias found himself laying flat on the ground again as hooves hit the dirt to either side of his head. Luna grinned down at him, and he couldn’t help but gulp. “Are you asking me for a history lesson, Elias?” Luna teased. “Such a bold move, making me work for you first date.” Before he could protest the word, Luna was off of him and reclining back in the shade of the tree, patting an empty patch of grass next to her. “Come and sit, General. I shall explain” Elias rolled up, glancing around to find few ponies, fewer still with eyes pointed his direction. Granite was one, but the earth pony was on the move, pushing ponies along with orders spat out at a blistering pace, his eyes only ever flicking back on occasion, as if trying to be re-assuring that nobody was watching. Elias gave the earth pony a nod in thanks, then stood, dusting himself off before he did as Luna bade. The alicorn smiled and welcomed him with a wing, the two staying slightly apart to keep their armor from rubbing. “In popular fiction, I track down “ghosts”, Luna said. “In truth, there is no such thing. The dream realm, as it is commonly known, is the same that allows souls to pass on to the afterlife. Much like dreaming, however, this process is natural, and requires no intervention should all go well. In rare cases, however, the soul doesn’t want to leave. It “haunts”, staying behind for whatever reason it decides.” “So unfinished business, like in a couple of the Daring Doos?” Luna snorted. “Never so insignificant. I have only ever met one lost soul that had stayed for revenge, and by the time I found him, he had become numb to that as well. I cannot know how it truly feels, but I’ve been told that while dying is terrifying and violent, death is quiet peaceful. The Keepers are quick to call, and souls are quick to answer, to go where they are wanted. To stay is to face the emptiness of a great universe, and to do so alone. It chills the heart, numbs all emotion.” She smiled, and Elias felt himself flush again as their eyes met. “All save for love. Many a lost soul is not so, they are merely waiting for their love to join them. These are the hardest to save, as it takes much to assure them that they will love again in the Verdant Fields, but as I help ponies face their nightmares, so too do I help souls face the end and what waits after.” “Where Steel Horn errors,” Luna continued, “is in thinking that I alone have this ability. I am not the only dream walker, in fact have already taught several minotaur shamans my craft. I cannot, however, guide them to my second craft. They must unify, so that the Keepers might grant them the insight to save those that become lost. As it is with all races, though some seem to creeping closer to my umbrella of influence with each passing day.” She frowned in thought, her eyes falling to the grass. “You had Gray Granite with you, did you not? I find it odd he didn’t mention such unification. Earth ponies are usually quite proud of the great unification.” “He mentioned it,” Elias said. “But he told me to ask you, said it was just the stories he was told. He also mentioned a cow that had died, that his mother prayed to you to guide her. Do you cover all equines or something?” Luna snorted again and smiled. “Cows are bovine, and it’s not that simple. Up until recently, the three tribes and the thestrals were my sole domain. Now I watch over the crystal ponies, as well as the Saddle Arabians. I also watch over Twilight’s Sparkle’s assistant, a dragon named Spike.” She giggled, and poked at his chest. “I also have you, human of mine, so every rule has it’s exceptions, but we shall continue to see. Perhaps in time my duties will encompass more than ponies, but for the minotaurs, they have the tools needed to be their own guides. They would only falter if I was crowned their ruler.” “You don’t give yourself enough credit,” Elias joked absently, his eyes stuck on a point in the middle distance as he thought over her words. For some reason the talk, so foreign to him in nature, was somewhat… comforting. He supposed that hinged on the answer to his next question though. “You said the dream realm held souls right?” Luna nodded. “Indeed. The source of dreaming is the soul.” “And when I snapped on White Shine, you and Twilight determined I had no magic signature, which I vaguely remember her saying meant that I had no soul.” A hoof touched his shoulder, but he didn’t bear it a look. His heart was racing, he wasn’t quite sure why. Death wasn’t new, nor was it something he feared. Feared for others maybe, but not himself. Never himself. He couldn’t fight if he was afraid, and would be damned before he was called a co- “We spoke of this before,” Luna murmured, leaning in close. “And I told you before that despite your lack of magic, that you had a soul. I think you see now why I said such. You dream Elias, that means that you have access to soul magic, even if we cannot detect it. The trees are alive but do not dream. The grass, and the insects, and all the rest, live but do not dream, do not have souls.” The hoof moved to his chin, and he let himself be turned as Luna leaned in closer, her emerald eyes twinkling and shining along with her smile. “But you dream my friend. You dream, and you feel and love and hate, and every other emotion under the sun. If you are afraid-” “I’m not-” “You wouldn’t be asking if you weren’t,” Luna said, silencing him with her hoof. “But there is not shame in that, my friend, certainly not for you. This is a foreign world with foreign rules, but you will exist after. I will keep watch until your dying day and then after. Rest assured knowing that it will be impossible for your path to be any more clear.” Elias snorted, and he felt his heart rate begin to slow. “You make it sound like you expect me to get lost.” Luna giggled, her hoof pulling toward his cheek for a moment before hesitantly pulling away, her smile becoming slightly strained. “No, you will cling on, demanding revenge on the cuddle pile that finally smothers you.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Unfortunately for you, I’ll be the leader every time, so you’ll just have to haunt me forever.” “Really? You’d put up with me being right next to you, unable to snuggle me at all, forever? You’d never last.” “Oh, but I would,” Luna said. “Tireless would be my research to capture your soul and put you into a nice fluffy little pony, one that I could snuggle without end, with a cutie mark in the shape of the hugmaster sigil.” Elias groaned in disgust and rolled away and to his feet. Luna laughed aloud, not moving from her reclining position. “It’ll happen my friend!” she called as he stood. “I will win that front!” “Only in your dreams,” Elias replied. He kept his smile on letting her laugh for a few more precious moments. As she trailed off, he settled into a more professional scowl that brought them back to business. “So, my plan is to start putting pressure on them. Ambush their scavenging parties, test the walls, the like. If you want to approach diplomatically, I’d suggest before or far after, preferably after.” Luna sighed and nodded. “Agreed. I shall attempt to contact Steel Horn in his dreams, but I can only walk, and if doesn’t want me there, I cannot force the point without using more than mere ambient magic. As you said, ambush is likely if we try to meet face to face. It is better to weaken and make paranoid. It will make them sloppy and desperate, hopefully to our advantage.” “That’s the hope at least,” Elias said, nodding in agreement. “We’ll get started tonight, so don’t wait up. I intend to start and never relent. Hopefully the main body of the army is here by the time we get tired.” “If not, I will force you to rest. It would not do for you to get sloppy and captured. The minotaurs already have enough leverage.” Elias held his tongue, deciding not to make a joke about not getting captured. It likely wouldn’t fly well with the already line-stepping alicorn. That fact comforted him, however, and he had to hold back a slightly giddy, butterfly induced smile. He gave Luna a slight bow and turned to leave. Just as he took his first step, Luna spoke again. “Before you depart, a question.” Elias half-turned and Luna continued. “You mentioned that I would forgive your death in a few centuries. You’ve never spoken of me as I am, as an age-old alicorn. What brought that thought to your mind?” Elias stared at the ground for a moment, then spoke honestly. He vaguely thought about how much of that he was doing, wondered briefly if he was trying to earn good-colt points. While his mind smacked the part that thought like he was a pony, he answered. “Steel Horn mentioned how we were specks to you. Blips on a timeline.” He snapped his fingers, the word leaping to the forefront of his mind. “Gnats. He said we were gnats.” “You are not-” Luna began to growl. “But aren’t we?” Elias cut in. “No matter what happens with us, if I die, or leave, or marry you and we…” he swallowed the thought, pressing on with only a moment’s hesitation “I’m going to die one day. Humans don’t live forever, we don’t even live that long. You might grieve me, might even grieve for years, but you’re an important alicorn princess, and I’m a human general. You’ll move on because it’s your job to move on, and while some part of you may hurt, you’ll start to…” He shrugged and met her eyes. “Luna you’ll forget me. A thousand years is a long time, and I don’t know how long you’ll live after me, but I can tell it’s more than a thousand. You’ll forget all of this because you’ll still be alive and living. It might not be my name, or what we share, but you’ll forget. I’m nothing standing next to you on the scale of time and you know it.” Luna stared at him in silence for a moment that seemed to stretch. A chill wind touched the leaves above, sending goosebumps crawling along his arms. Still, he didn’t blink, and eventually, Luna sighed and looked away. “I am sorry you heard those words Elias, but they are not true. I will never forget you, not in a thousand years, not in ten thousand. If you do not believe me, so be it, but that is the truth, and it is all I will say on the matter. I would not waste my love with gnats. Certainly not my first.” Elias blinked dumbly at her. “I thought that title was fake.” Luna smiled, the motion filled with a touch of both sadness and hope. “Ever the historian you are, of course you know; but yes. The title is genuine. My sister and I are the ‘Virgin Princesses’. We have had many close friends and companions, shield-sisters and servants all, all remembered. But a lover? No, not even before our ascension. I would make you my first.” Her cheeks reddened slightly, visible even beneath her helmet. “I apologize if this breaches our agreement, or if the tone of this conversation has become dour, but I cannot assure you of these words enough. I will not forget. You are my friend first. What comes after comes after, but either way, forgotten you will not be. Not by me, and not by the history books if all goes well.” She snorted and shifted in place, tucking her legs beneath her barrel. “Perhaps ‘Tia will even commission you a stain glass window.” “I’m not going to solve this one with friendship magic,” Elias said. “We’ll see,” Luna replied. “Friendship is funny like that, and Steel Horn sounds like a kindly sort, if misguided. Perhaps once your plan yields some fruit he may become more reasonable.” “Maybe. He did offer a drink after all.” He shrugged. “But we’ll see. We have to wear him down first.” He whistled using his fingers, and Granite sprinted to his side, saluting sharply. “I want four guards around Luna at all times from now on. Nobody but you or I approach her, am I clear? After you sort that out, gather everyone else so we can go over the plan for the next few days.” Granite nodded, then bellowed out the orders, summoning four legionaries. Elias moved away from the blue alicorn as the ponies fell in around her, and soon he found himself being followed by the rest of his two cohorts. He stopped near to the edge of the castra, pulling off his helmet and wiping the sweat from his brow. The mid-afternoon sun really cooked certain areas of the castra that didn’t have tents yet. “I know you spent the day prettying everything up, but Centurion Granite will be arranging bucket patrols to get mud from the river,” Elias said, his voice loud but not quite yelling. “You can cover up your armor or go without, but we will be taking a page from the back of the handbook. The name of the game is harass and ambush, and if we can avoid casualties on either side, more’s the better.” “Both sides?” a pony near the front asked, his confused expression mirrored by those around him. “Wouldn’t it be best to kill as many minotaurs as possible so they quit?” “Wounding is better for this occasion,” Elias replied. “We want to deprive them of food, and medicine and dead bulls consume neither. Regardless, I think Steel Horn can actually be reasoned with, so hopefully hungry faces will bring him back to the bargaining table.” He tilted his head. “That being said, don’t try too hard to hold back. I’d rather kill a thousand bulls then lose one pony. Just… don’t execute the wounded ones. That should be enough.” “Regardless,” he continued, drawing his watch from its belt pouch, “We’re starting twenty four hour attacks in an hour. Auxiliary Centurion Pyrelight has already been briefed and will be organizing the first set of combat patrols. If you can throw fireballs, you’re volunteering for the night-time patrols.” He clicked open the watch, checking the time more out of habit than any need for the exact hour. They would be fighting by the sunlight afterall. “Those who aren’t the first patrol, get some rest,” he said. “You’re going to need it.” > Chapter 69: Like Thieves in the Night > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steel Horn stroked his beard as he watched his people pass buckets of water toward their fortifications. Even as they sought to dampen the flames, another flash of light sparked in the trees, and a massive ball of flame leaped out, exploding against a different section of wall. Sparks and splinters began to rain from the sky as timbers began to burn and another bucket line was started. Such had it been since just before the sun had set. A scattered, yet powerful barrage of spells lashed out against the fortifications, always from a different angle, always forcing his minotaurs to run to make sure an attack wasn’t coming. Steel Horn recognized the tactic for what it was, and for what it meant. Elias Bright had confronted his brother head on, strength to strength, and had come out ahead. Either the ponies had taken far more casualties than he had been told, or they were trying to bait him out, to further solidify victory. It was a strategy he could appreciate, even if he didn’t fully respect it. One of the fires began to dim, just in time for a flash of light to herald the thundercrack of a lightning bolt blowing apart the roof of one of the ramshackle watch towers along the wall. Another fireball sprang from the woods and slammed into the wall, and again the cries went out. Hooves clopped to a rest beside him, and the tiny, vicious little zebra he found himself allied with let out a low growl. “We should not sit, we should strike!” Khari spat. Steel Horn regarded the zebra with a raised eyebrow. “You would charge out into a moonless night and fight with ponies who can easily cast night vision spells, not to mention the thestrals who naturally hold such powers? And what of the rumored enchantments inlaid in their armor? It’s said that unicorn magicians can do much to improve the senses of armored ponies.” Khari spat. “The myths and whispers of old hut-wives! Would your brother not have reported such if he had seen it during his battle?” “Stone Horn doesn’t report as much as he should,” Steel Horn replied with a grumble. “And he fought the Equestrians during the day. He is no more an expert on their tactics than I am, especially not now.” His eyes narrowed slightly as another fireball leaped from the trees. While Khari flinched under the heat wave that spilled out from the impacting spell, Steel Horn merely watched the shadows trying to stave of it’s burning. “From all reports, this Elias Bright does not fight like this. He fights head on-” “He hides behind shields and arrows!” Khari interrupted. “He does not charge forward to fight like the strong of heart!” “He fights within his means,” Steel Horn said. “If any of my bulls is able to be bested in a one-on-one charge by a pegasus or unicorn, then they are frail and unworthy of my respect. He still met my brother’s charges, still fought in the front, took blows, dealt them out with his own hand. He fights in a different way, I will admit, but it is no more cowardly than the differences between your fighting style and mine.” He glanced down. “Or do you think it is cowardly to use your potions when you fight?” Khari frowned in thought, then slowly shook his head. “I do not. I suppose… I suppose you are correct. The fighting is strange, but it is how they fight best. So long as they do not turn tail, it is… respectable.” He spat at his hooves and stomped. “But this is not that! This is cowardice! To strike in the dead of night, and with magic!” Steel Horn shrugged. “It is a sign of our strength Chieftain. I do not think General Bright would employ such tactics if he was unafraid of our position. He either doesn’t want to, or simply cannot break our position.” He motioned with his hand at the slowly dimming fires. “This is his attempt to draw us out. He learned lessons from Stone Horn and thinks he can apply them here. He thinks that fury will lead us charging out in an unorganized rage, a rage that he can pick apart with ease.” “I will not let that happen,” Steel Horn said. “We will keep watch, we will continue to defend our fortifications, and we will pray for rain, so that perhaps the princess can see that the Keepers favor our cause.” Khari looked to the sky. “It does not look like rain Warchief.” Steel Horn also glanced up, sighing lightly when he saw a blanket of stars instead of a bank of clouds. “The Keepers put us to the test friend. Make sure we have bucket lines from the river, as well as additional guards. There will be no infiltrators tonight.” ***** Storm Hunter grumbled as he picked berries for the fifth time in the last week. It was punishment, he was sure of it. He had been the first naked warrior to slam into the golden-clad Equestrians, had batted them into the wind like ants, but he had followed his warchief’s every command, including the one to retreat. He had ran, and hid, and had escorted the then crippled bull to his brother, and this was his reward. Nobody said the word, but he knew he was being treated like a coward. He struggled not to crush the berries in his fist. His muscles screamed for a new battle, and that screaming had only grown louder throughout a long night of magical bombardment. Spells uncountable, mostly fireballs, had assaulted the walls all night, stopping only just before dawn. It had given the rest of the minotaurs plenty of time to put out the fires, but he had been asleep after the usual evening of drinking and gambling. He had been ordered up and out, told to gather more food for their stores. Since the ponies were close, they needed to make sure they wouldn’t starve before the Saddle Arabians did, or at least, that’s what he had been told. The truth was they thought him a coward, but he’d show them, given the right opportunity. A shrill whistle brought Storm Hunter’s eyes up, and he, just like the minotaurs around him, blinked blankly at a wall of muted color that stared daggers back. Ponies, most fully doused in mud, stood ready with swords, spells, or spears, braced awkwardly on top of shields, their hooves cocked back and ready to throw. If he hadn’t previously seen the devastating impact that awkward position could cause, he might have laughed. As it was, his movements were slow. He lowered the basket he was carrying to the ground, then slowly straightened, rolling his shoulders and preparing to charge. His battleaxe was in camp, he’d have to rely on pure muscle. So long as he kept his head down and his mind focused, he could withstand a few spears, long enough to kill a pony or two at least. He found himself lucky when the human came forward from behind a tree. Storm Hunter’s anger flowed easily at the creature, and he snorted, even as the human spoke calm words. “Leave your baskets and go back to camp,” the human called. “You’ll only get hurt if you make us hurt you.” Storm Hunter snorted, his jaw loosening as he prepared to spit an insult, but a touch of motion in the corner of his eye caused him to pause. He glanced back to find more ponies, still coated in mud, still prepared to deal death with spell and spear. There was easily twice the number of ponies to his minotaurs, and none of his bulls were armed. They’d been gathering food peacefully for weeks, what point was there bringing weapons? Storm Hunter looked to one of his friends, a bull named Gray Mane. The bull had similarly set his basket down, but he looked to be coming to the same conclusion; if they fought, they wouldn’t get close to the ponies before they died. The trap was too good, the noose too tight. Storm Hunter snorted and stamped at the human. “Coward!” he bellowed. “Fight me like a bull, not like the little calf you are, hiding behind the princesses!” To his surprise, the human shrugged and stepped forward, passing his shield off to one of the ponies. He walked confidently toward Storm Hunter, drawing his sword in silent acceptance of the challenge. Storm Hunter did his best to not let the human’s calm unnerve him, and he let out a bellow, lowering his head and racing forward, his horns aimed right at the human’s chest. His eyes were just barely able to keep track of the human, watching for any slippery little dodges, but the human seemed unconcerned, seemed ready to meet the charge head on. As Storm Hunter closed the last few feet, he put on a burst of speed, making sure the human couldn’t dodge at the last second. His horns passed through empty air, and his charge halted with a gasp of pain as a sword slashed across his spine. His momentum carried him to the dirt, and he found he couldn’t breathe. His arms milled uselessly at his side, not responding to his command to push himself up so that he could fight. Blessedly, another set of hands pulled his muzzle from the dirt, brushing his mouth free of dirt so that he could draw in a loud gasp of air. His eyes opened, then widened with shock as he found the human brushing the dirt away. The human let out a slight sigh, then got to his feet. “The rest of you are carrying him back, unless of course you want me to finish the job?” Storm Hunter couldn’t help but look with wild eyes toward his compatriots, who looked between one another before coming to a silent consensus. He couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief when Gray Mane stepped forward, his hands raised. “We’ll leave without trouble. No fight today.” The human gave him a nod, gesturing to Storm Hunter’s prostrate form. “Get going. I want you in that field in ten minutes or I turn you all into corpses.” Storm Hunter felt hands grab hold of him, and he gritted his teeth, not giving the human the satisfaction of hearing him cry out in pain, immense though it was. As his kin carried him away, Storm Hunter cast an eye back. He was surprised to find that the ponies had already vanished into the trees, taking their nearly full baskets with them. Even as his back cried out in pain, Storm Hunter couldn’t help but notice a slight rumble in his stomach. ***** Granite ignored the stomach churning end of the teleport and stormed forward with a torch in his teeth. The torch found its way to one of the thatch storehouse roofs just as his hooves caved in the sternumof the minotaur guarding what they believed was the cooking hut. Recon was hard with the wards of the minotaur shamans, but the nearby iron pots were fairly telling, even from the sky. Either he was burning a storehouse full of food, or a latrine, either way, panic was spread, damage was done, and hopefully the bulls would be weakened. Such was Elias’ plan. “Time’s up!” his legionnaire called, causing all of the raiders to sprint back toward her. Of the four, Pyrelight was last to touch the already-casting unicorn, but Granite couldn’t hold that against her. In the time it had taken him to dispatch one guard and torch one building, she had lobbed a fireball at the inside of the stockade wall, burned two minotaurs, and lit three huts on fire, and she was lighting a fourth as she grabbed hold of the teleporting unicorn’s tail using her teeth. A circle of green magic spread out around them, and the unicorn at their center grit her teeth, her horn smoking as she cast her teleportation circle. Granite tensed as bulls began to pour toward them in all directions, and he almost let go of the mare’s armor to buy time for the others to escape, but in a flash of jarring light, they were back in the center of camp. This time, he and two of his legionaries staggered off to the side to get a second taste of breakfast, while their teleporter collapsed to the dirt, her horn blackened with burnout. Kind Heart was instantly at her side, and her two temporary aids dragged the mare toward one of the shady spots in camp to rest, the pink healer not far behind. Granite spat into the fresh puddle between his hooves, then straightened, wiping off his muzzle and scuffing some dirt over the spot before moving toward the center of camp. He had led three such raids so far, and that had been the last one. Elias’ plan required they strike in a small, random manner. It was just to exhaust the minotaurs, the human had said, so the damage wasn’t the important part, though that was a nice bonus. No, the important bit was to keep them constantly paranoid, something Elias said would keep them tired. Granite felt Pyrelight fall in beside him just as he reached the human’s command area, what was essentially just the tree at the center of camp that Princess Luna was resting beneath. The blue alicorn seemed content to just watch instead of being involved, however. She sat on top of Elias’ sleeping bag, as well as some spare legion blankets, watching as the currently-armorless human passed out orders to the legion scouts. Just as he and Pyrelight approached, the human waved the pair of pegasi away, and they took to the sky, spiraling toward Saraj. Elias didn’t spare him a glance, just squatted and stared down at the map of the city pinned to the dirt with a few rocks from the river. “Report.” Granite saluted, speaking even as he performed the stiff motion. “All target buildings were put to the torch, but minotaur response was near instant. We killed or incapacitated the nearest guards, then teleported away as more rushed in. I believe only Centurion Pyrelight’s building are truly burned to the ground, General.” Elias nodded. “A touch disappointing that they’ve caught on so quick, but good work Centurion.” Granite felt his tail flicked slightly with joy at the touch of praise, even as the human moved on without bringing any attention to the encouraging words. “Is Flash Bulb burnt out?” “Yes, General,” Granite said with a nod. “Healer Kind Heart already has her.” Elias let out a long sigh through his nose. “Guess that’s fine, the next teleport hit would’ve had to be in greater force or we would have had casualties…” He chewed his tongue for a moment, his mismatched eyes flicking across the map for a moment more before he sighed and scratched the back of his head, finally looking up. “Granite, take a few patrols out, try to scare off their scavengers. Pyrelight, rest up. You’re on overnight duty again with Reverb. Fireballs and sound waves, I don’t want anyone in those fortifications getting a minute of sleep, but stay hidden. They’ll likely start launching sorties out against us soon, and I can’t help you if you get captured.” “Now,” he continued with another sigh, his eyes again falling to the map, “I just need to figure out what I should be doing.” A low chuckle sounded from behind him, and the sound of feathers shifting touched all their ears as Luna opened her wings. “Take a nap perhaps?” Luna offered. “You have ponies sleeping in shifts, yet you have not yet rested my dearest general. Come sleep beside me until Centurion Granite comes back from his patrols.” Granite could see as the urge to say ‘yes’ was chased by a need to say ‘no’. It was expressed entirely in the too old lines on Elias’ face, was solidified when the human closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, his mouth opening slowly as he no doubt thought of a polite way to express his denial of the offer. Granite, however, also saw just how tired the human was. He hadn’t been sleeping well, that was obvious to everyone, and now that they were running attacks all day and night, he wasn’t even making the attempt. A nap was just what he needed. “He’d love to nap with you, Princess,” Granite answered before Elias could. “Centurion Pyrelight can even get him moving.” The unicorn at his side smiled and with a flicked of her horn and a yank on Elias’ belt, the human fell back into Princess Luna’s waiting wings. Elias’ lips tightened into a thin line for a moment, a sign of a scolding to come, but his eyes, facing up, were caught by the alicorn princess staring down. She smiled at him and shifted a hoof, resting it on his chest. He relaxed slightly, his throat finally producing noise. “There’s so much that needs to get done.” “And it will get done while you rest,” Luna quietly assured. “All orders have been given General, you need rest or you will be as weak as our opponent.” Elias’ hand hesitantly, moved, but it stopped mid-motion. “I can’t sleep long. I need to be up as soon as Granite gets back.” “And you will be,” Luna said, rubbing his chest in a small circle. “The first thing he will do upon his return is come and wake you, and if he is not back in an hour, I will personally wake you.” Elias snorted softly, but his hand inched closer to her hoof. “And how will you tell the time? Last I checked you don’t carry a watch.” “I am the alicorn that moves the moon, knowledge of the time of day is innate,” Luna said without any heat, her smile widening with the knowledge that she was winning him over. She giggled lightly and nodded toward his belt. “Also, you carry a watch for me, just like the proper, loyal guardspony you are.” She leaned down and nuzzled his cheek. “So sleep, and trust me. All will still be well when you wake.” His hand closed around her hoof, holding it in place on his chest. Even from a distance, Granite noticed a blush touch the pair’s cheeks. He also noticed most of the tension leave Elias’ body as the human adjusted his head to lean directly into Luna’s chest fluff. He let out a long breath and closed his eyes. “Just till Granite gets back,” he mumbled. Luna let her wings fall, covering the upper half of his body. As light snores sounded from beneath her feathers, her eyes drifted up. An eyebrow quirked as she met Granite’s smile. “Shouldn’t you be running patrols Centurion? General Bright only rests because he trusts you to get the job done.” Granite’s smile didn’t dim as he saluted. Elias was in good hooves, and so long as he made sure everypony stay safe and on task, he knew the human would look over how long it took, especially given his current bed. “Of course Princess, we’ll be back soon.” He turned and winked to Pyrelight, nodding her toward her sleeping bag before trotting off to arrange the next series of combat patrols. ***** “It happens tonight.” Lionheart didn’t dare look toward the hissing in his ear, just kept eating the grass he and his soon-to-be-bug-food associates had been left tied next to. The other two were quiet, likely subdued much like his guard had been the last two times. “What will happen?” he mumbled through bites. “We will come back for these two,” the changeling whispered. “And then it will be on you. I will say no more. Elias Bright is clever, he’ll sniff out a plan if anyone here knows of it.” “You think I would help him?” Lionheart snarled, his head whipping up so that he and the changeling were muzzle to muzzle. She snarled back, baring her teeth. “I think your filthy smugness would tip him off. You will do nothing, you will say nothing, you will wait for contact or when we return, we will take you for food as well.” She turned away, slapping his muzzle with her tail. Lionheart spat, but she ignored him. Instead she nodded to the changelings controlling Shattered Shield and Dragon Eye. The bugs climbed down and slipped into the forest. The lead changeling glanced back with a vicious smile on her muzzle. “The moment is nigh Duke Lionheart. Do try to not screw this up.” He continued to glare after her as she too slipped into the trees, vanishing from sight. As his associates came to their senses once more, Lionheart resumed his “meal”, playing like nothing had happened, even as he continued grumbling darkly between bites. ***** “Elias!” The human glanced up from his whetstone as a very familiar yellow unicorn came trotting into camp with a wagon and a dozen legionaries at his back. They looked about in confusion, their shiny, un-dirtied armor looking like tiny suns in the camp of mud-coated ponies. It was near to sunset, he had gotten only a paltry hour of sleep before Granite returned, but it was something. Hopefully he could get more once the night’s patrols were sorted. Then again, with a fresh batch of reinforcements… Granite trotted toward Ice Blossom with a grin. He stopped and stared at her for a moment, then swiped at her, his muddy hoof smearing a brown streak across her muzzle. While the mare let out a shout of enraged protest, the other filthy legionaries laughed and followed their centurion, dumping water into the dirt and grabbing hoof-fulls of mud to slap and smear on their clean comrades. Steel Scalpel looked back at the muddy and complaint filled affair with a bewildered blink, then looked to Elias, still blinking owlishly. “You’re not going to put mud on me right? I have to stay clean to treat the wounded.” Elias snorted and crossed his arms, nodding toward where Kind Heart was wrapping legionaries sprained hoof, the pink mare completely clean. “Medical personnel don’t go fight, so they don’t need to hide in the dirt. That being said, what are you all doing here? You’re supposed to be watching the other two princesses and getting the rest of the army in top shape.” “Most of the wounded are actually treated now,” Scalpel said with a smile, his nervousness shedding away as the mud-throwing began to wind down in a bout of laughter and the wagon was torn open. He turned and the two watched as some crates of food, but mostly supplies like tents, were pulled from the wagon. “I got permission from Princess Celestia to come forward with some extra supplies to make sure all was going well and to bring a few extra guards for Princess Luna.” He glanced up and winked. “She’s awfully worried about her little sister being stuck with the dirty human and his rowdy little ponies.” His smile fell away as he glanced down to where one of the fresh legionaries slipped and fell in the mud, earning the laughter of all his fellows. “Although maybe that fear was a touch justified more than my excuse to come forward early made it seem.” Elias snorted and turned away as ponies began dragging the command tent from the wagon. “Smaller force requires different tactics. Really I’m just surprised Night Flash isn’t here. He seems the type to impulsively sprint forward against my orders. I should break you teeth for putting yourself and my legionaries in danger.” “Or you could thank me for bringing actual food and good some news,” Scalpel replied. “Also there was minimal risk. It would seem that somepony has been attacking the minotaurs when he said that he would be scouting and they aren’t watching the road so much anymore.” Elias grinned at the yellow unicorn. “Did anyone really believe I was just coming out here to look around?” “Mostly just Princess Celestia, but Book Binder and Nightshade are pretty mad you left them behind and threw yourself into battle again. Last I heard one intends to tie you up, and the other intends to yell at you.” “That doesn’t narrow it down in the slightest,” Elias deadpanned. “Doesn’t matter though, because neither will get the chance. Hopefully we can make a big move now that you’ve brought some fresh bodies.” He put two fingers in his mouth and let out a whistle, drawing Granite’s eyes. The earth pony’s tail flicked slightly as he perked up from nosing through a box of apples. “Start briefing Ice Blossom and the fresh legionaries and cancel tonight’s patrols,” Elias said. “We’re going for the bigger ambush tomorrow.” The earth pony nodded, then stooped back into the box, snatching out an apple before trotting away to start calling out to the other legionaries already gathered. A quartet of ponies passed Elias by carrying the command tent, followed by a unicorn carrying the map table. Elias watched them go, then sent a look at Scalpel. The unicorn chuckled. “What? It’s not like we were using it.” “Night Flash hasn’t been doing daily briefings?” “He just did them in the princesses’ carriage,” Scalpel said. “I don’t think you’ve ever been inside while the carriage was stopped, but it’s pretty big in there.” He chuckled as they watched the quartet of legionaries guide Luna away from her place beneath the tree so that the tent could be set up around it. “I think I overhead Princess Cadence talk about taking a nap in a heated tub, but I never saw anything like that. I wouldn’t doubt it’s in there though.” “Can’t begrudge them for keeping themselves comfortable,” Elias grunted. “Though it would have been easier if we could enchant our wagons like the carriage.” “Maybe if you have twenty years and a billion bits,” Scalpel snorted. “That carriage was built as a return present for Princess Luna so that she could tour the nation and get re-acclimated. Princess Celestia laid off half the castle staff for months just to afford it and the nobles still got a bunch of ridiculous favors. If I hadn’t been a friend of Princess Cadence and if Princess Luna hadn’t used the carriage to travel to Saddle Arabia to secure a trade agreement, even I would have been laid off.” Elias blinked. “I have several questions. First; I thought all the taxes in Equestria were paid to the princesses, second; couldn’t Celestia actually have cast the spell? Third, you’re friends with Princess Cadence, and fourth, Luna’s done this trip before?” “They are,” Scalpel answered. “But one of the best parts about the princesses is that they actually care and only take a stipend from the taxes, some of which is used to pay for the castle staff. The guards had to fill in while the staff was on furlough. Second, I’m going to start by saying this will sound patronizing, and sorry, you’re just…” As Scalpel winced and tried to find an appropriate word, Elias looked down at him with a raised eyebrow. “Uneducated?” Scalpel smiled and nodded. “That’s it. Most foals, even non-unicorns, learn this kind of stuff in magic kindergarten. You just didn’t get that.” He sighed and scratched at his foreleg. “Still, magic doesn’t work like that. You can’t just ‘learn; a spell. Princess Celestia isn’t the expert on size redistribution magic, so far as I know, none of the princesses are. It’s not easy for unicorns to learn outside their area of expertise, and that applies to the princesses, even if less so. For something like the carriage, they had to find an expert, and the only one was already retired. It took setting up him, his children, and his grandchildren for life to get him to come out of retirement for that one project.” “One of his grandchildren tried to join your legion you know,” Scalpel said. “She was blind in one eye though, so she was drummed out pretty quick, but still, her grandfather was a good pony. He was just tired and didn’t want to work again. Passed a year ago I think.” “As for Princess Cadence, we fell out of touch once she started working with Princess Celestia’s student; Twilight Sparkle.” He smiled wistfully, staring as the legionaries dragged the tent up, quickly pinning down the tent stakes. “I had just started as the lead practitioner for the castle, fresh out of medical school then, and she was around often and liked caring for ponies; had dreams of becoming a nurse before she discovered her special talent and kept up with it after.” He sighed and his eyes fell slightly. “She was just about my only friend for a while there, but luckily once she left I actually grew up and hired some nurses, and they’re nice to work with.” Elias closed his eyes and exhaled slightly. “Don’t tell me that I was your second real friend.” Scalpel snorted again and gently punched Elias’ leg. “I’m afraid not Elias, but don’t worry, when the old friends reunion comes to town, I’ll make sure to save you a seat.” “That is by far the corniest thing I’ve heard,” Elias said. “And Luna? I remember her saying that she and the Shah were friends, but I assumed she teleported to Saraj or something.” “Unicorns can’t teleport to a place they haven’t been to at least once,” Scalpel said with a sigh and another pat to Elias’ leg, a sign that it was more basic level knowledge he would’ve known if he’d been a pony. “Most can’t even teleport to a place they can’t see, but while subsequent trips were by magic, the first was by carriage. They went through the zebra lands back when the tribes on the road were more friendly.” “Should’ve marched through there,” Elias grumbled. “Would’ve killed two birds with one stone.” “But then you would have had to fight a thousand ambushes and then two minotaur armies at Saraj,” Scalpel said. “Honestly, all things considered, things could be a-” He stopped, his muzzle snapping shut as he shook his head. “Nope. I’m done. That’s enough of that thought.” Elias chewed on his tongue, then nodded. “I agree. I don’t exactly know much about your Keepers, but even I know what challenging fate sounds like, and I’d rather not do that right now.” They watched the pony carrying the planning table trot into the command tent, and the four legionaries guarding Luna escorted her back to the tent as well. The alicorn singled Elias out at a distance, and she paused. She pointedly looked up, to where the sun was setting, then back to Elias, her eyebrows wiggling as a grin spread on her face. Elias did his best not to blush as the mare resumed her walk, throwing another grin over her shoulder as she walked into the tent and vanished from sight. He stood in complete silence for a long moment, until Scalpel finally spoke up. “Wow. You’ve been away for a couple days. What changed?” “I haven’t been sleeping well, and in my sleep addled state I make poor decisions when it comes to personal relationships,” Elias said, trying to keep his tone even and professional. He didn’t need to add further fuel to the rumor mill, especially since the yellow unicorn was apparently a friend of the princess of love. “Which is to say Princess Luna is keeping you asleep with the best of cuddles and you’re starting to publicly admit that you enjoy them.” Elias sighed, his shoulders sagging. “Yes. I’m unorganized, sloppy.” Scalpel stepped behind Elias, then prodded him forward with his horn. “You’re tired,” the unicorn said. “And as your doctor, I insist you take advantage of the quiet to sleep. I’ll glue you to the tent during tomorrow’s big ambush if you don’t.” Only the chuckle after spared Scalpel from the full weight of Elias’ glare, but the unicorn still shrank away as the human shook his head ever-so-slightly. “Too far?” Scalpel squeaked. Elias nodded. “Maybe when we’re home again Doc, but no jokes like that here. I don’t think you need to be threatened again.” “I don’t,” Scalpel said. “But please do sleep. Everyone will worry if you don’t, and it’s a good moment.” Elias loosened his expression slightly, then sighed, relaxing the rest of his posture. He looked toward the closed tent flaps, then smiled, blushing slightly as he thought about Luna’s grin. “Well,” he said. “I was invited, and she does make a good pillow.” Scalpel relaxed as well, snorting and rolling his eyes before pushing Elias forward with a flash of his magic. “Just get in there before she comes out here and beats you to death with a stick.” They both chuckled, but Elias kept moving forward, leaving Scalpel to find something else to do. Elias noticed a certain earth pony quickly trot toward the tent entrance just as he entered, then his focus was elsewhere. A happy smile and open hooves invited him to rest a little while longer and given how busy the next few days promised to be, he wasn’t one to refuse an invitation, even if he knew it wasn’t going to last. ***** “He sits and does nothing,” Stone Horn growled, his fingers tapping along the side of his fourth tankard. “That coward human sits in the shadows while the ponies bite at us like flies, and he sits back and does nothing but watch.” The drinking hall was small and ramshackle, but it was still packed with at least a hundred minotaurs at dozens of different tables. It made the air hot, and the fire place and ample supply of mead did nothing to dim that feeling, and that made him irritable. Irritable enough to express the anger he had been dwelling on since the meeting with the human. While the minotaurs at his table and some of those surrounding him nodded, one of the larger bulls a table over snorted and jabbed a finger at him. “The human is trying to draw us out to where he might win, and War Chief Steel Horn is being smart by not letting him. The ponies in the city will starve weeks before we do, and once we’re inside, we have all the power. Just because you’re too much of an idiot to see that doesn’t mean you get to talk behind the Warchief’s back, because unlike you, he didn’t get hundreds of warriors killed.” Stone Horn slammed his mug down and shot to his feet, puffing up his chest. “Say that to my face cow. I’m not scared of some old heifer like you.” The larger bull slowly rose to his feet, kicking aside the chair so that he could step forward and tower over Stone Horn. The younger bull did his best to still appear large even though the other bull was a full head taller than he was. “You’re only still alive because of your brother,” the large bull growled. “If I had seen my father dragging a piece of shit like you into my camp, I would have sent you back to die with honor, but here you are, a loud-mouthed coward spitting on his better name.” The bull curled his lip, then Stone Horn recoiled as a fat glob of spit covered his eyes. “There, how’d you like your taste?” As Stone Horn wiped his face clean, the sounds of chairs drawing back filled the air as minotaurs rose for the impending fight. Just as he bared his teeth and began to snap a reply, a wordless bellow filled the air and a chair slammed into the large bull’s head, shattering into splinters. The bull, for his part, was more stunned than hurt, and merely backpedaled a few steps. Stone Horn sighed and looked to the floor as his brother stormed through the crowd of bulls. “What in the name of the Keepers is going on here?” he demanded. “Are you all stupid or do I really need to burn the mead so that you’ll focus on the enemy outside?” Steel Horn’s eyes blazed as he grabbed Stone Horn by the throat, then shoved him toward the door. “Go outside and stay there until I come out, or so help me I will cut your spine again.” Stone Horn again tried to stand tall as he met his elder brother’s eyes, but he found that he couldn’t help but shrink under the tall bull’s glare. With a snort, he turned and stomped out of the drinking hall, vaguely noticing his decrepit father limping behind him. The night air was mildly chilly, but fury was more than plenty to keep him warm. Two guards stood at the entrance of the hall, and they watched him storm out with Stone Hoof in hot pursuit. Though he very much wanted to find somewhere quiet to burn off some steam, Stone Horn remained just outside the drinking hall, just as his brother had asked. Stone Hoof leaned against the side of the building, his muzzle shut in a tight line. Steel Horn wasn’t long, a crowd of cheers chasing him from the drinking hall even as he threw the door shut. The smile disappeared from his muzzle as soon as the warm light of the drinking hall was closed away. There was little anger in his frown though, and frankly that was more concerning than if he had been bellowing in fury. Steel Horn looked to Stone Hoof first. “Have you said anything to him?” Stone Hoof shook his head. “I have not. I do not want to make things worse.” “First intelligent thing you’ve done in months,” Steel Horn grumbled. “Go and make sure our bucket patrols are at the ready. Those sounds coming from the woods are bound to unnerve the superstitious ones, but I am certain it’s just the ponies making ghostly sounds. More bait to draw us forth that I will not let sink in. Reassure them, make lights if that’s necessary, but no panic, only readiness, am I clear?” Stone Hoof nodded a shoved himself off the wall, leaning instead on his staff. “Yes, Warchief.” Steel Horn gave him a nod and pat on the back before turning to Stone Horn. The young bull met his eyes for a moment, then snorted and looked away, crossing his arms. “He disrespected me. He deserves his teeth knocked out.” “He defended me from the disrespect of my own brother,” Steel Horn said. “I won’t apologize,” Stone Horn said. “This is cowardly behavior and if any bulls die sitting here doing nothing, they will not enter the Verdant Fields.” He spat into the dirt, managing to send a side-glare his brother’s way. “That is your goal, is it not? How many must you condemn waiting for a pony princess to save us? There is no honor, no courage to be found sitting around when we should at least be dying for the attempt at an alicorn in our hands!” Steel Horn sighed and shook his head. “We will not have this conversation here where there are ears. Follow.” He didn’t look back as he strode away, seeming to pick a dark lane between the makeshift huts at random. Stone Horn stared after him for a long moment, then sighed and followed, his arms dropping to his sides as he stepped quickly, trying to catch up. Steel Horn led him toward the fortifications facing the walls of Saraj, but stopped just short of the tall pillars of timber. He instead walked up a set of stairs to the top of one of the stone “watchtowers” that overlooked the gatehouse of their wall. It was little more than a squat hut that remained empty unless there were wounded from fighting at the gate, but the Saddle Arabians had been quiet since the Equestrian’s had arrived, likely hiding in their holes until they were saved. Stone Horn hated that, hated how anyone could be so cowardly as to just sit and hide while others did the fighting for them. The minotaur that was supposed to be standing guard at the top of the tower lay flat beneath a blanket, his snores filling the air. Stone Horn snorted and moved forward to stomp on the bull, but Steel Horn extended a hand and stopped him, holding a finger to his lips. “Leave him, if he is resting, he is a better fighter when the fight comes. We shall be quiet, and if he wakes, he wakes.” Stone Horn crossed his arms again and shook his head. “There is no end to it, is there? Weakness after weakness, it’s all you seem to have these days.” “If I’m weak, then take my head and my title little calf,” Steel Horn countered. He spread his arms wide and stepped back, leaning against the railing of the watchtower. “Kill me now, oh might Stone Horn, warrior and loser of one battle, but bound and determined to lose more. Come and strike me down, so that you can lead our people to another slaughter.” “I would have won that fight if the human had fought like a warrior instead of a coward!” Stone Horn snapped. “He fought you like a warrior and you still lost!” Steel Horn bellowed. “Rumor is that he is five years your junior, yet he still knows patience better than you ever have!” A loud snore cut the air, and Steel Horn immediately quieted, rubbing the bridge of his nose with two fingers. “I am not having this lesson with you again Stone Horn. I have told you dozens of times, an intelligent warriors picks his battles, uses his opponent’s weaknesses at the right time, but…” He sighed and shook his head. “Not again. You will learn on your own or you will die. I have made my attempt to teach.” He looked up and crossed his arms. “So tell me Stone Horn, what do you hope to gain out of these battles we find ourselves facing?” Stone Horn blinked. “What?” “I’ve never really asked, not in a serious manner,” Steel Horn said. “Always around the drinking table and never the planning table. We always laughed when you told us the goal was as much money, mead, and mares as you could handle, but now, seeing how you talk, how you behave, I’m beginning to think that is truly your goal, as if you’re just some warrior instead of a Warchief. I believe in giving my bulls a fair chance to explain however-” He extended his hand toward Stone Horn “-so speak. What do you hope to earn here? Are you some warrior seeking death or money, or are you a warchief with real goals?” When Stone Horn merely stared at him, Steel Horn continued. “My goal is to see as many of our people guided to the Verdant Fields, and to have a peace for my wife and son.” He chuckled. “Mostly for my wife. That heifer is desperate for more, and she makes it known every night, but what can I do but say no knowing that tomorrow might be the day I die in battle?” He shook his head. “I will know every child I spawn Stone Horn, and I will raise them to be proper warriors, who fight for more than mead and mares.” His hand rolled over. “So I again ask, what is your goal here? And don’t feed me some horse shit about how we share the same goals, because you’ve made it very clear that my goal for Princess Luna is just that; mine.” Stone Horn again stared, unsure of how to respond, but this time, Steel Horn merely retracted his arm, recrossing it and waiting for an answer. Stone Horn thought hard about what he wanted. The way his brother said it had cheapened it, but every bull wanted money and mead and a good cow to bed. What more to life was there? There was fighting, but that answer would only deepen the disappointment in his brother’s eyes. Steel Horn’s goals were still so… meek. Wanting to take a princess for their own was a great start, but his end goal was simply more weakness. All the effort spent getting a princess, only to make a second Equestria with her was a waste. Still, it was a starting point. “I want to take a princess,” Stone Horn finally said. “But unlike you, I don’t think peace is the way to use her. Once we have pony magic, we can expand. How easy do you think it would be to unite all of the tribes and then conquer Saddle Arabia, or the zebra lands!” That was solid answer, and though it was spur of the moment, Stone Horn found he liked it. He was still young, still had decades of fighting left in his blood. Giving the Equestrian’s time to recover from a devastating loss would make them better opponents in the future when he had spawn to teach in the ways of war. Incorporating the united front his brother seemed so fond of was a nice touch too, he was sure of it. He met his brother’s eyes with a bit of an excited, almost warm and hopeful smile. Stone Horn found the disappointment still overwhelming in his brother’s gaze as he shook his head and sighed. “So you want to be some petty tyrant,” he stated, his voice flat. “Endless blood to satiate pride. Even our father isn’t that brain dead.” His eyes fixed Stone Horn in place. “You have no idea how disgusted I am to call you brother right now, so I beg, tell me that was a bad joke.” Stone Horn rolled his shoulders, briefly wondering if he should try to play off the words like his brother wanted, but a venomous thought creeped to the forefront of his mind, and he instead puffed out his chest. “No. If the goal is to earn the praise of the Keepers, then uniting the tribes is our best bet, and we’ll need money and glory to do that. A princess is a start, but we must have more to offer, to give warriors true goals, as you said, to fight for. We take a princess, then we can conquer weaker lands, build our strength, and then your son can conquer Equestria, giving use Verdant Fields here and after. It is the strong way to secure our futures.” Steel Horn stared at him for a long moment, then wordlessly pushed off the wall and moved toward the stairs, forcing Stone Horn to move to the side. Steel Horn paused before descending, glancing back. “You are prohibited from fighting or drinking. You will sit and watch while I lead. After I have conquered Saddle Arabia, I will do my best to shake you from this… idiocy you seem trapped in. Perhaps I will arrange that marriage mother used to talk about. A wife and child might temper this… aggression of yours.” “I do not need to be tempered, it is a good idea!” Stone Horn cried. Steel Horn, if he listened, said nothing, merely walked down the steps and back into the heart of the camp. Stone Horn stared into the darkness, trying to find a shadow of movement he could shout at, but found nothing. He grasped the railing as hard as he could, his jaw set as he whispered out one final; “Coward. You’ll come around when you see that I’m right.” A chuckle sounded, and Stone Horn turned, his eyes turning red. The bull beneath the blanket sat up and scratched the back of his head. “Don’t get too angry now Warchief, I did say we would speak again after your battle with Elias Bright, I just didn’t think it would go quite so… poorly.” The minotaur vanished in a flash of green light, being replaced instantly by a unicorn with a red mane. The pony stretched, cracking his neck, one eye open and watching him carefully. Stone Horn snarled at the unicorn. “You’re the coward that said there would be an ally in my battle against the human. You lied.” “Actually, Duke Lionheart did his part, he sounded the retreat for the Solar Guard just as planned,” the unicorn said, standing up straight. “You just failed to capitalize on it, and Elias Bright rallied the ponies quicker than we expected. We have made great efforts to not-underestimate him, yet he still continues to impress.” The pony raised an eyebrow. “Also, you did not follow my advice on nullstone, something that would have made the fight far easier.” Stone Horn glared at the pony, then sighed and leaned back, shrinking slightly. “That wasn’t my fault,” he grumbled. “We had barely a sword’s worth with us, and we can’t smith it. It’s too brittle, and we can’t enchant it to make it stronger.” “Do you still have it?” the unicorn asked. Stone Horn nodded. “Three stones, un-marred. The smith that was trying to figure out how to weaponize them was killed in the battle. I haven’t found someone better.” The unicorn smiled. “Better that he’s dead then, because a sword would be worthless. Great Warchief, is your goal truly conquest, or would you rather have Elias Bright dead and Princess Luna delivered to you on a platter?” He raised his hoof, appearing to study it. “Because I can help with the latter, if you can get me that null stone and some warriors.” His eyes flicked up, flashing green as he grinned at Stone Horn. The minotaur, for his part, glared back. The “pony” was a changeling, that much was certain, but the offer… There would be no more disrespect if he did what his brother couldn’t, and that would be best, wouldn’t it? It would show the stubborn elder bull how wrong he was to hold back, maybe even pull him out of his weakness. This was one of those “moments” Steel Horn was so fond of mentioning, wasn’t it? The time was right to attack without mercy. Then they could conquer together, now that would be truly great. They could be a force to be reckoned with, a pair of warchiefs to take the world all on the back of one bloody night. Stone Horn didn’t see the slight green glow to the unicorn’s horn as he fantasized about leading armies with Steel Horn, and the glow was gone by the time he met the unicorn’s gaze again. “I can muster a few warriors, but we can’t strike the human’s camp, even if I knew where it was.” “I know where it is, I have some additional fighters for you, and you won’t have to fight the entire camp, just Elias Bright,” the pony said with a smile. “Gather your warriors and slip away quietly. Meet me at the treeline, and I’ll introduce you to my allies.” The pony vanished in a flash of fire, replaced by a small beetle that immediately took to the air, buzzing off toward the trees. Stone Horn stared off after it for a long moment, then felt his muzzle quirk into a grin. The human was going to pay, and then Steel Horn would see the right way forward. He’d have to. ***** Elias slipped beneath an axe blade, then batted aside another, his gladius carving a wide arc in the air that eventually met flesh. Blood spattered his front and a body fell away, replaced by another as it always was. Just like always he didn’t let it stop him, tried to not even slow down. He cut and hacked and stabbed his way through body after body, taking a thousand cuts and hits on his way through the fiery battlefield. He was unsure why he recognized it, was unsure why it all felt so familiar, why it felt so much like a dream… Then all at once, he was on the ground, his legs shattered, his left arm missing at the elbow while his right stretched toward the shattered remains of Feather… toward a bloody pile of feathers. The crimson owner of the pile rolled over, a sad smile on his muzzle. “Elias, it’s not your fault.” “I should have been stronger,” the human gurgled, his throat filling with blood. “I got you killed, I’m going to get them all killed if I-” “Cutting me away didn’t save me,” Scarlet said, ignoring the arcs of magic lancing up his body. Elias couldn’t look away as the bandages wrapped around the pegasus’ middle began to redden. “Friendship isn’t weakness. Friendship didn’t kill me.” “Friendship with me killed you,” Elias said, the corners of his sight beginning to blacken. “It’s happened to everyone I loved. You were just first.” Scarlet reached out, and Elias couldn’t help but close his eyes and turn away, waiting for the pony to take his revenge… A hoof stroke his hair, and the burning of the fire became the smothering of fur and feathers. Frail weight tried to keep him in place, but he was far stronger than the pony trying to keep him down. He pushed up, hearing a gentle sigh as Luna sat back and let him escape. He didn’t say the words, didn’t need to. He’d been saying them for days. He merely dressed in his armor, grabbed his gladius, and walked from the tent into another cool, clear night. He stalked past Granite, who’s head silently raised from where he was sleeping just outside the tent entrance. Elias paused for a moment, looking back at the earth pony, wondering briefly he should…. Elias closed his eyes and shook his head, stalking onward toward the camp entrance. Granite was his most loyal pony, that was unquestionable, but if he started showing weakness, started sharing what was happening in his dreams, that loyalty might falter, and that would get the earth pony killed. He couldn’t let that happen. Silence was best. He just needed some time alone. Hooves were matching his steps before he hit the castra gate, and he was forced to stop as Luna slid out from the shadows with a smile on her muzzle. “Did you really think it would be so easy to escape me General?” She asked. “Luna, no jokes, no games. I need time to-” “No jokes,” Luna cut back in. She moved forward, her smile softening slightly as she reached out a hoof and patted his chest. “But you will not be alone tonight. It is my duty as princess of the night to resolve nightmares, and if I remember correctly, I made a pledge to you when you first entered my service to solve these nightmares of yours.” “And I remember dodging each therapy session because all they did was piss me off,” Elias growled. “Pony dreams are typically simple to resolve, and I was reliant on magic at the time, making me lazy,” Luna admitted. “I promise you that tonight there will be nothing talk, if that’s about the dreams, if that’s about nothing at all, it is a start in a process we should have been working for months now.” “Now isn’t the right time,” Elias said. “Give it a few more weeks, then we can do this. Please.” The last word was soft, and he found himself looking at the ground instead of the alicorn before him. Her hoof rubbed his armored chest gently, and she let out a slight sigh. “Alright,” she said. “Would you like to spend your time alone or with a quiet companion beside you?” Elias glanced behind him and found her four legionary bodyguards waiting at a distance. Further behind was Granite, watching the exchange carefully, his body tense, ready to leap into action at the slightest notice. Elias snorted and gave the earth pony a little wave, then looked to Luna. “No talking about my dreams?” “No talking about your nightmares,” Luna said. “I don’t think you’ve had a single good dream in Equestria. Frankly it’s rather offensive to me, and I’m starting to take it as a personal challenge, my friend.” Elias chewed his cheek as they stared at each other for a moment more, then he sighed and nodded. “Since you’re already up, you might as well come walk.” Luna flashed him a smile and spun around, falling in beside him. “Excellent. Lead the way.” Elias set off at his usual pace, but quickly slowed once they left the lights of the castra. Luna could barely keep up, and though she tried to hide it, she was panting. To make matters worse was the fact that she wasn’t even in armor, just her normal crown and her peytral, yet even those seemed to make her neck sag under their weight. When one of the legionaries cast a light spell, she tried to shift into the shadows, trying to hide the fact that her fur was already glistening with sweat. As he naturally let his steps slow, Luna seemed to relax, and her breathing seemed to slow, though she never did fully straighten again. They walked deep into the woods, and while he did consider stopping early to let the obviously exhausted alicorn rest, he decided to press their walk on toward his usual spot. It had a tree he quite liked sitting against as he stared out into the darkness in an effort to calm himself, and when that didn’t work, the small clearing around the tree was a nice patch of grass to pace around on. It was just short enough to not poke through the gaps in his sandals. He snorted and grinned slightly when he saw Luna’s aghast face as he stopped, moving toward his tree. Elias groaned and grunted as he sat down, his muscles screaming at him like he was a few decades older. Still, he didn’t hit the back of his head as he sat, and that left him to lean back and smile at the alicorn. Luna stared back, then her muzzle curled into a smile. “This is where you’d rather be than cuddling your princess?” Elias shrugged. “It’s where I like to think. You have other options for cuddling anyway, you just refuse to ask them.” Luna scoffed and brought a hoof to her breast. “I am afraid, dear General, that royalty does not settle for anything but the best, and you are the best cuddle-buddy I have yet encountered.” Elias flashed a grin at one of the legionaries. “Hear that, she thinks you’re inferior.” The stallion chuckled as Luna flushed red, her tail flicking. “That isn’t what I said,” she protested. “I am merely stating that the combination of fingers, and your warmth, and those blessedly strong arms designed perfectly for wrapping a mare in the most marvelous of hugs…” She trailed off as she spotted Elias’ still wide grin. Her eyes flicked to the ponies all staring at her with slightly slack-jawed expressions, and her tail tucked in slightly as she slouched. “You are quite nice to cuddle with,” she muttered. Elias spread his hands and chuckled. “What can I say Princess? If things had been safer, if we had had more time, maybe you could have cuddled me all night lo-” He grunted as something punched into his chest. The quiet chuckling fell to silence as all eyes locked onto the arrow shaft bobbing in his chest as he shifted in place. Elias poked the arrow shaft with a finger, felt no pain as it bounced up and down. His eyes flicked up to the trees, where he saw beady eyes glowing, staring back at him. “Defend yourselves!” Elias snapped the arrow shaft and sprang to his feet as two legionaries closed around Luna, their shields raised, while the other two moved toward him. A dozen more arrows leapt from the trees, and while he was able to drop quickly to avoid them, one of his legionaries was not. The mare screamed as an arrow found her eye, and she fell to the ground, thrashing about blindly in pain. Elias saw only her abandoned shield, and he scrambled across the ground to grab it. Shield in hand, he rose into a crouch as another hail of arrows leapt out from the trees. He began to reach for his fallen legionnaire, but the arrows were primarily targeted on her exposed, writhing form. Three found their marks, and she fell limp. Elias bared his teeth at the body, then turned his glare to the trees, where arrows continued to fly, thudding into the ground, and into their shields. “Come out and fight!” he bellowed. “I didn’t know minotaurs were cowards!” The hail of arrows continued a moment longer, finding no purchase in the flesh of the kneeling ponies, their shields becoming weighed down with arrow shafts. Their enemy, evidently seeing that their arrows weren’t having an effect anymore, let out a war cry that reminded Elias of coyotes. Instead of the rampaging bulls he expected, a pack of dog-like creatures sprinted from the dark. Yipps turned to howls as ragged looking weapons glinted in the white glow of the magelight one of his legionaries was still maintaining. While the stallion closest to him sprinted toward the dogs, the two protecting Luna looked to him for orders. Elias snarled at them as a dog leapt from the shadows at his right. He back-stepped and cut down with Feather, the blade cutting through the leather collar protecting the dog’s neck. “Get her back to camp!” he shouted. He already saw the orders were useless, however. More dogs poured from the trees and while several converged on him, the bulk sprinted toward the legionaries and the cowering alicorn they were protecting. He needed to draw attention if they had any hope of escape. Feather flashed as he let out a howl of his own and rushed two of the dogs bracing themselves to jab spears at his chest. One of the dogs immediately balked at the brazen charge, and the spear dropped from his paws in panic. Elias slammed the shield into his muzzle while Feather plunged at the second dog. The motion left his chest exposed, but the dog jabbed too late, the spear head passing beneath his arm. Feather tore through the dog’s ribs and he kicked it away, ripping the gladius free in an arcing motion that warded off the dog trying to attack his rear. ***** Hidden in the trees, a pair of minotaurs watched as the human turned on a diamond dog, nearly cutting the beast in two as another one of it’s fellows struck the human’s back. The pig iron weapons of the dogs did nothing but anger the human, and he again turned, this time taking a dog’s arm off, sending the creature whining into the dirt. Stone Horn snorted and shook his head. “This is pathetic. He’s just going to warm up on such weak opponents.” “They did their job with the arrows,” the second minotaur said. “And they’ll tire his sword arm plenty with their bodies. Besides, their job is distraction.” He took a deep breath and drew back his bow string, the tip grey, and fragile. “Which one do you want dead?” Stone Horn looked between the human, who easily batted aside a pair of spears before closing on the dogs, killing one in a sword stroke before turning on the other with his shield, bashing it to the ground, then stomping on its head until it only twitched. He then looked to the pony stallion, who while bloodied, was holding his own against four more diamond dogs, a sword held tightly in his teeth. Finally, his eyes settled on the princess, her green eyes staring out from behind a pair of mares that did their best to keep almost a dozen dogs back. Here the dogs were actually confident, darting in and out, trying to rip away the ponies’ shields. Claw marks scored the paint of the shields, but so far, the mares had killed a pair of dogs and showed no signs of giving in. If the human was given enough time, he could save them and the ambush would be for nothing. Taking the princess, however, would only enrage him further, and that would make him fight longer, would make him easier to kill. Stone Horn nodded toward the mares. “Kill one of them. The null stone should prevent the princess from unleashing her magic too. We’ll take her while the human is busy.” The bull nodded and he put one of the mares in his sights. ***** Elias heard a shriek over his shoulder. He dropped his shield and grabbed the dog he was facing by the collar. The creature cried out as Elias used him as a new shield, turning around in time to see one of his legionaries hit the ground. The other one protecting Luna was quickly overwhelmed by the dogs around her, and even though their weapons were ramshackle, with enough attempts they found the gaps in her armor and she fell in a hail of blood and screams. The dogs howled and set upon the pair of bodies, hacking at them with savage glee. Behind the scene of carnage, Luna sat in the shadows, her green eyes quivering in open fear. He briefly wondered why she didn’t cut loose, why she didn’t butcher the dogs as they butchered his ponies, then his thoughts returned. Their deaths were pointless if she wasted her magic now. The dogs would pay without her help, and they would pay now. Elias found his next bellow of rage matched by the stallion still fighting to his left. They both abandoned their foes and charged across the battlefield. The dogs looked up from their kills just as Feather slashed the air at their stomach level. He welcomed the splash of blood and the howls of pain as three dogs fell, disemboweled in one stroke. The stallion tackled two more and his armored hooves easily stomped in their skulls. Then the element of surprise from their wild charge was over, and the pair found themselves pummeled with blows. Elias plunged Feather through one dog’s chest, then abandoned the weapon, opting for the shorter options he kept on his belt. Claws ripped into his arm as he drew his dagger, but he answered the grappling dog with an axe to the skull. His knife plunged into the beast’s throat as he ripped the axe out, then he let out a cry as a club shattered on his back. Elias growled and turned, his eyes promising murder to the dog that stood stunned with his shattered club. His dagger found the dog’s heart, then the axe slashed across his throat. Elias immediately whipped the blade the opposite way, catching a dog with a spear across the eyes. His dagger slashed empty air as another jumped backward, just in time for one of his friends to smash into him. Magic fell away from the pair as the stallion grabbed another by the throat and threw him into the trees, even as his neck twisted to plunge his gladius into a dog’s legs. One made the mistake of turning and running, offering Elias an opportunity to even the odds just a hair more. His axe bit into the dog’s spine, and with a flick of his wrist, the blade tore free, spattering the dog’s blood on its fellows. The hot blood made the dogs assaulting him pause for a moment, and Elias was quick to capitalize, killing another one and crippling another. As they fell away, more rushed into the fray, their eyes beady and nervous, but their muzzles still baying for blood. Elias turned his head, the point of a knife biting into his cheek, but luckily missing the eye. He responded with a backhanded stroke of his axe, cutting the dog’s muzzle in two. He lost his dagger to another dogs throat, but he didn’t care, was more than content to grip his hand axe with both hands and get more power behind the swing. One dog managed to avoid his swing, losing only an ear, though that was still enough to cause the dog to yelp and run away. The one standing beside him was not so lucky, the hatchet embedding deep in its shoulder as Elias did his best to keep the dog from using his spear. More dogs closed in, their number seemingly endless as the light from his remaining legionnaire began to flicker and fade. Elias bared his teeth and roared, doing his best to ignore the glow in the dogs’ eyes. He had little doubt that they could see in the dark, and as soon as the light was gone, he and his legionnaire would fall. He cut down another dog, but three more rushed in, one opening a cut on his arm while another stabbed at the armor on his chest. “General, cover your eyes!” the stallion shouted. Elias clawed at the eyes of one dog and hacked at the one who attacked his chest. He found his brain locked in combat as he dispatched the dog and looked to the next, and he couldn’t quite process the statement, could barely think of words enough to shout back: “What?” The world was suddenly white, the trees gone in a blistering array of light that burned at his retinas. To accompany the searing pain in his eyes was a thunderclap so loud he could barely tell it had occurred, only really knew it had happened because he his ears ached despite his newfound deafness. He had been fighting, he knew that much, so he stepped back, trying to get space from any wild swings, hoping the dogs were facing the same situation he was. He rubbed at his eyes, desperate to get his vision back, but as he stumbled back another step, he tripped on one of the many corpses littering the ground. He fell backward, moaning as he fell into a warm, wet pillow that reeked of death. Elias felt around for something pointy, his hands eventually seizing around the shaft of a spear. He squinted up, brandishing the spear toward the sky, ready to lash out as he watched his vision go from white, to a star field, and then to darkness. Colors traced up the darkness, especially one particularly irritating spot in the middle of his vision, but he was fairly certain he could see leaves bathed in moonlight. He closed his good eye, then winced in pain when he found that his bad eye hurt far more, but was recovering far quicker. There was no circle, and if anything, he could see better than if both eyes were open. Elias slowly sat up, looking around. A few stray dogs were crawling into the trees, but most were already gone, or dead. Plenty of corpses littered the ground, enough to hopefully keep them away for long enough to check on… Elias sat up suddenly and looked around, his eyes wild and desperate. The stallion was beside him, his muzzle moving, his eyes scanning the trees. Elias rolled to his feet and pushed the stallion aside, scanning through the bodies. “Light,” he mumbled. “I need light.” He vaguely heard the word “burnout” through the ringing in his ears, but it didn’t matter, because he saw her, her body limped and slumped against a tree. His heart stopped, and the spear dropped from his fingers. He didn’t care, he just stumbled forward, crawling and tripping over bodies. A hand reached out and grabbed his foot, and he hit the ground face first. His hearing returned in a snap of rage, and he turned on the diamond dog, slamming blows into the dog’s head until it stopped moving. His voice finally sounded, sounding hoarse in his aching ears as he again stumbled toward her. “Luna!” he called, sounding all-to-desperate, but he didn’t care. She wasn’t moving, and he had to see, had to make sure she was still alive. He crawled over the corpses to finally reach the silent blue alicorn. She had managed to fall to rest in a sliver of moonlight, and it was more than enough to see a dark shaft protruding from her chest, along with two cuts; a long one on her barrel, and a short cut above her temple. Too much blood stained her normally pristine fur, and while he wanted to panic, his body automatically slammed into action. Elias placed a hand over the cut on her belly, pressing hard to apply pressure and staunch the wound, while the other held her face, rubbing her cheek lightly as he pleaded with her. “Luna, please wake up, please be alright.” She didn’t answer, didn’t move. The back of his mind screamed out that he needed to act, but the acting part of his brain was winning in it’s panic, and all he could manage to do was to make a slight change in tactics, reaching up to stroke her ears. “Please wake up Luna,” Elias begged as tears began to stream down his face. “Please don’t leave me alone here.” His ears strained as he felt the slightest bit of movement from the blue alicorn, but a hoof on his shoulder drew his attention away. “General, we need to move,” his legionnaire said. “I can only do that trick once, and there are noises in the woods. We need to get the princess to safety, now.” Elias stared at him for a long second, then slowly bobbed his head, looking back to the blue alicorn. “W-we can’t,” he stuttered, his fingers still scratching her ears, a silent hope that she would awake to make some joke at his expense. He prayed for her to wake up and make him look like an idiot. The most delusional corners of his mind vaguely wondered if it was some joke, she was lying their asleep, covered in paint just to get more ear scratches. He ignored that part of his mind as he continued to speak. “It’s Light Show, right?” The stallion nodded. Elias pointed to the arrow. “I can’t remove that. If it was in me, I wouldn’t care, but…” He swallowed, his lips dry. His fingers resumed their post, scratching away in his vain hope of waking the princess. “I don’t want to make it worse. Moving will drive it in deeper, especially if she hits the ground. Go to camp, get Scalpel, get some legionaries. I’ll try to wake her up, then I’ll see if we can’t move.” Elias heard a huff behind him, again felt the hoof on his shoulder, but this time he didn’t let it turn him away. He had to keep trying, she was going to wake up, he knew it. He needed to see the instant it happened. “General, I am not leaving you both here to be attacked again. I understand it’s a risk, but we need to mo-” Elias whirled, baring his teeth. “Follow my order legionnaire or I leave you here with the dogs,” he spat, his words dripping with venom. The pony shied away, but nodded. “O-of course General. I’ll be back as soon as possible.” Elias ignored the words, immediately turning back to his alicorn. He rubber her silky soft ears between his fingers, trying to focus away the shaking that was preventing him from doing it just the right way that would bring a squeak from her lips. For a few long, stressful moments, Luna didn’t so much as breathe. Then, she shifted ever so slightly, and let out a hum so low he thought it was still the ringing in his ears. She leaned into his hand, however, and one green eye flickered open, a faint grin spreading across her muzzle. “Mmmm, you’re very good at that.” Elias snorted, then smiled. He began to chuckle as tears streamed down his face, and he resisted the urge to hug her tight. Luna’s hoof feebly raised and pawed at his tears, succeeding only in wiping crimson mud across his cheek. She clicked her tongue and her eye closed. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t just do that.” Elias pulled his hand down and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. “Please keep your eyes open Luna,” he said. “I need you to stay awake until Light Show comes back with Scalpel.” Luna sighed lightly in protest, but her eyes cracked open again. “Only for you Elias. Even my sister would receive a snore at that request.” Elias felt his throat tighten, but he kept his smile wide, and his eyes locked with hers. His leg was warm, a sign that the alicorn was still bleeding. He didn’t want to make the wound worse, however, and he definitely didn’t want Luna looking down. As far as he knew, alicorns could still go into shock, and with her so weakened, doing so might kill her. Then again, she looked somehow pale beneath her fur, and the arrow wasn’t the only injury that needed treating. He had to try to at least staunch the bleeding. His hand fumbled at his belt, and Luna let out another sigh, then a squeak as she tried to move. Elias used his scratching hand to hold her in place as gently as possible. “Please don’t move. I’ll try to patch up the cuts, but I can’t do anything for that arrow.” She didn’t reply for a long moment, and Elias’ neck hurt from how hard his head snapped up, checking to see if she was still breathing. Slightly glazed with pain, Luna’s eyes were still open, and she met his worried gaze with a smile. “I am still here my friend,” she said with a pained gasp. “It takes more than a knife to the belly and an arrow to kill an alicorn.” Elias finally found his bandages and ripped them from their pocket. Luna leaned in, snorting wetly in his ear as he wrapped his arms around her. Taking care to avoid the arrow, Elias did a few loops, then slowly pulled, watching the shaft carefully to make sure he wasn’t tightening the bandage too much. Once he had fully covered the cut on her side, he bit off the remaining length of bandage, then tied it tight, running his hand along the cut to make sure it was sealed tight. Luna giggled deliriously in his ear. “Oh my, how my favorite general is getting handsy.” She purred and nuzzled his cheek. “What would the nobles say?” Elias pressed the remaining gauze into the wound on her forehead, drawing a pained hiss from the mare. He then began to wrap that wound closed as well, his throat finding voice, desperate to keep her awake and talking. “They would try to have my executed for the attempt if the history books are any indication.” Luna’s hooves weakly wrapped around him as he began to pull away to inspect his handiwork. Elias opened his mouth to protest, but Luna smothered his words by pulling him into a loose, yet firm hug. Her muzzle felt hot as she nuzzle his cheek and hummed. “Damn them then, because I want you to warm my bed, General,” she mumbled. “this night and every night. I want you to be beside me. Bring Nightshade, and your Snowball, and Night Flash and Book Binder…” She giggled and nuzzled again. “I will buy a bigger bed for all of your snuggle buddies, but I want you Elias.” Her teeth flashed as their eyes met, her smile bright in spite of the obvious pain she was in. “You are so warm my precious human, and the night can be so cold.” Elias frowned at that word, his eyes flicking to each of her wounds. The bandages weren’t soaked yet, but they were reddening, even if slowly. “Are you cold now?” Luna’s smile widened and she hummed again. “Very. What is my precious, warm little human going to do about it?” Elias, without hesitation, scooped up the alicorn and began to run toward the castra. Luna yelped in pain, but quickly fell quiet as she shifted, tucking herself against his shoulder in a way that didn’t cause the arrow to jolt as he ran. She, in fact, seemed almost pleased with the abrupt development. A glance down gave Elias a hint why. In his haste, he had picked the alicorn up like he would a large dog, with his hand firmly grasping her rump. Had the situation been even mildly less serious, a blush might have risen to his face, but his panic was fading in the tidal wave that was his anger. Sombody had set up the ambush, and somebody was going to pay for hurting Luna and getting his legionaries killed. Somebody would pay dearly. ***** “Bucking idiot!” Stone Horn roared, his hands wrapped around the throat of what he had thought the best bow-bull in the world. The other minotaur, for his part, simply took the punishment, his eyes still glazed with shock. In an act that was the antithesis of his very being, Stone Horn had had to remain completely silent after seeing the arrow miss the human, only to fly into the chest of the cowering alicorn. He might have a low opinion of the soft little pony, but he wasn’t stupid enough to think she wasn’t important. If nothing else, Steel Horn wanted her, and if he was to prove his aggression right, he needed the prize his brother sought. His brother would only think him an idiot if the alicorn died because of his attack, especially since the bucking human was still alive! “He has fled with the princess, Warchief,” one of his bulls said, crashing through the brush. “As far as I could tell, she still lives.” Stone Horn growled and threw the minotaur in his hands to the ground. Stone Horn stomped on his chest once for good measure, then let out a growl in the shocked bull’s face. “You’re lucky, because if she was dead, I’d offer your head to my brother.” He looked up, found his others bulls watching, waiting for his word. He snorted and rolled his shoulders. “As it stands, we still have a chance to make this right. Ready yourselves to fight. Elias Bright will die, and he will die, now.” > Chapter 70: Red Eagle; Part 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elias hopped a log and broke into a dead sprint as he reached the final stretch, the castra’s torches coming into view, and more numerous than normal. Some of the torches were moving toward him at a snail’s pace, and as he approached, he saw why. Granite was helping Scalpel dress in an ill-fitting set of auxiliary armor. A dozen legionaries were gathered around them, edging forward as the earth pony pulled the strings of the greaves tight on the unicorn’s legs. One of the legionaries let out a cry as he came into their torchlight, and though momentarily their pila lowered, the javelins quickly raised as the ponies bolted forward. Elias met Granite’s eyes with a snarl. “You were taking too long.” The earth pony wilted, but Scalpel ignored it, moving forward with his head held high. “He was just getting me dressed to your standards, General.” Elias spotted a stretcher being borne by a pair of legionaries and he shoved past the unicorn, crouching down and gently laying Luna on top of it. The mare moaned, and her hooves swam feebly at him, but Elias was too hot, too angry to think about the motion. He whirled on Scalpel, his voice snapping through the air. “Do you really mean to tell me that you risked Luna bleeding to death for armor AFTER THE FIGHTING WAS FUCKING DONE?” He bared his teeth, and Granite and the legionaries shied away, but Scalpel stepped forward, his muzzle curling into a scowl to match Elias’. “Yelling helps nobody, now get out of my way Elias. You are preventing me from helping Princess Luna now.” Elias’ fists clenched tight, and he leaned forward, making sure his shadow fell over the unicorn. “Get her better, now.” His implied threat did nothing to the unicorn, if anything it seemed to mildly please the pony. Scalpel’s expression immediately became neutral, and he nodded. “Of course. I’ll send somepony to inform you as soon as she’s stabilized.” He turned and began to look over Luna, clicking his tongue lightly. “The cuts are well bound, we’ll start with the arrow.” Elias saw the unicorn’s eyes flick back. “Centurion Granite, fetch Kind Heart for General Bright. He’s wounded.” Just as Elias’ lips curled to yell at the unicorn to focus, Scalpel turned back to the task at hand and a glow surrounded, then dove into, the arrow wound. Scalpel’s expression fell into a frown. “Everyone move back, the arrow head is null stone, I can’t dissolve the barbs.” “But you can remove it?” Elias quickly asked. Scalpel glanced back and nodded. “I’m a surgeon as a trade, and they made us train like earth ponies so we wouldn’t become reliant on our horns. I just need space and protective gear. If I leave a shard in Princess Luna, or if the stone somehow gets in her blood stream, this whole journey will be a waste of time and she’ll be this weak permanently.” The glow of his horn left the alicorns wound and surrounded the ponies and Elias, shoving them all back. Scalpel snarled at Elias as he again tried to step forward. “Worse will happen to anypony that gets this stuff in them, not to mention blood contamination! I said give me space!” Elias tried to look past the yellow unicorn to look at Luna’s wound, then he immediately turned on his heel, his voice filling the camp. “Kind Heart! Bring everything Doctor Scalpel needs to remove null stone!” He spotted the pink mare in the dark, already sprinting toward them, but at his words, she immediately turned around and sprinted back toward where they had setup a makeshift medical tent until the full one arrived. Elias’ eye twitched at the ramshackle shelter, and he couldn’t help but think it wasn’t fit for Luna. He jabbed his hand at two legionaries. “Take Princess Luna to the command tent, allow nobody else in that Scalpel doesn’t ask for. As far as you’re concerned, he’s me.” The pair nodded and moved to the stretcher, gently lifting it. Scalpel gave Elias a short nod, then the trio were off, with another legionnaire taking the initiative to run and tell Kind Heart where they were. The air was suddenly quiet around him, and Elias found himself slightly lost. Pain from a dozen wounds began to trickle in as his anger shifted to worry, and his feet shifted as he began to wander toward the command tent. He had seen wounds before, had seen the results of battles. He was sure he could tolerate watching Scalpel remove the arrowhead, then he would be at Luna’s side as soon as she woke up. Just as he put foot in that direction, he froze, his blood turning to ice as a voice echoed through the forest behind him. “Elias Bright! Come and fight me coward! Come and fight me, or this time I will kill your precious princess!” Fresh energy filled his body to the point that he began to twitch, and like a switch had been flipped, his rage flared with renewed heat. Elias turned on his heel to stalk into the forest, murder in mind, when Granite spun into place before him, a hoof pushing on his belly to halt his momentum. “General, stop, it’s bait. He’s just trying to draw you out in the open where-” “Do you think I don’t know that?” Elias spat in the earth pony’s face. “I don’t care if he has a hundred more dogs with him, I will kill him for what he’s done.” Another taunt rose from the forest, and Elias tried to push forward, but Granite again pushed him back. “General, you don’t even have a weapon. You can’t fight any-lck!” The pony choked as Elias’ hand wrapped around his throat. Elias yanked him up until they were nose to nose, and Elias stared some of his hate into the pony’s eyes, causing him to flinch and attempt to recoil in fear. “I will rip that bastard’s throat out with my teeth if I have to,” he snarled, his bad eye flashing with blue light. Granite’s eyes widened, and he tried to push his way free as Elias’ teeth seemed to sharpen for a moment. The human let him fall to the ground though, found that it hurt a little when the pony scrambled backward in the dirt. Elias glared at him for a moment more, then glanced around, catching the eyes of the legionaries that were still around the. None of them held his gaze. With a snort, Elias rolled his shoulders and stalked into the woods. He should have been blind in the low light, but his bad eye had its uses, and he was able to navigate by the moonlight that trickled through the trees. Eventually, torchlight drew his eye, and he moved toward it, making no attempt to hide his approach, if anything, he stomped louder, making sure that the cow calling him out knew he was coming. Elias stepped back into the blood stained clearing to find the bodies largely cleared. His bad eye twitched when he found his ponies dumped in a pile with the dogs, and his gaze slowly made its way to the cow likely responsible for such desecration. Stone Horn grinned back, his fat fingers tapping on the hilt of his warhammer. Flanking him sat a quartet of minotaurs “Hello Bright,” Stone Horn said. “I guess you’re not as cowardly as you-” “I’m going to put your head on a pike,” Elias spat, cutting the minotaur off. He snarled at the other minotaurs. “All of you. I’ll see your guts hung from the trees and your heads mounted on spears as a message to your wretched, cattle of a species. Not one of you leaves here tonight.” His eyes flicked to one of the larger bulls, who flinched. “Not one.” Stone Horn let out a snort filled with contempt. “Unarmed? I was wrong about you Bright, you’re not a coward, you’re an idiot.” He reached behind him and drew out Feather, as well as one of the legionaries shields. He tossed them into the clearing, the pair clattering into the dirt at Elias’ feet. “Pick them up. I don’t want the legend of this kill tarnished with a note that I killed you unarmed.” Elias’ eyes narrowed and his teeth bared in a snarl at the thought of accepting a gift from the cow, but what little remained of his rational mind whispered to him that he needed the weapons to kill them all. They weren’t going to fight fair, not that he cared much. Just that they died in pain. That was what was important. Elias crouched, never taking his gaze from Stone Horn. The hilt of his gladius felt crusty in his hands, and as he tightened his grip, he felt flakes of blood chip away. The shield was over-light, but as he rolled his shoulders, he knew it would suffice. He cracked his neck, then rolled his shoulders once more, ignoring the pain he felt in his left shoulder. Stone Horn tapped the butt of his warhammer to the ground. “Let’s see if you’re even worthy of legend Bright.” He looked toward one of the bulls at his left, who withered back. Stone Horn snorted and waved to the two on his right. “Of course you’d still be too much of a coward to fight,” he growled at the cowering bull as the other two stepped forward. “So called legend with a bow, but twice you tried to kill this rat of a creature, and twice you failed, this time almost killing the princess!” Elias’ nostrils flared, and his vision focused on the bull, even as the other two readied their weapons. “That was you?” he growled at the minotaur. The look on the bull’s face was all the answer he needed, and Elias let out a bellow of rage. He stormed forward, his cry only getting louder and more filled with anger as the pair of bulls blocked his path, their weapons at the ready. Elias sheathed his gladius in a smooth motion, then grabbed his shield in both hands. The bull swung at him with an axe, which Elias simply ignored, stepping inside the swing to slam the shield across the bull’s face. As he cried out in pain and fell back, Elias let the shield drop as the second bull stabbed a spear at his right side. Elias lurched back, and the spear grazed the armor just beneath his arm pit. Elias’ arm closed on the shaft of the spear, and with a twist, the spear broke. With speed even he felt was unnatural, Elias snatched the broken shaft head from the air before it could fall, and he twisted back, plunging it deep into the bull’s neck. He let out a surprised gurgle, but Elias didn’t care to watch him as he fell; he had one target. His enraged eyes fixed on the minotaur who had hurt Luna, and he let out another bellow, this one with clear words. “I’ll kill you!” He ripped the gladius from its sheathe and leaped at the bull, who fell backward to the ground, fumbling for his axe and crying out in panic. Elias found that he hated the squealing, wanted it silent, so his first target was the bull’s throat. He slashed with care, doing his best to avoid the arteries. A gurgle of alarm was his reply as he set to work. His gladius plunged into the minotaur’s belly first, then his chest. He stabbed the bull over and over again, growling and snarling, practically bathing in blood as it spattered onto his face and down his body. The only reason he stopped was because a pair of strong arms wrapped around his just and yanked him backward. Elias snarled and tried to wriggle free as the uninjured bull carried him away. “That’s enough!” he barked in Elias’ ear. “This behavior does not befit a wa-” Elias felt the bull’s teeth clack as he reared back and slammed his head into the bull’s chin. The grasping arms loosened and Elias dropped to the ground. Just as he turned to face the bull, the arms returned, again tightening around him, pinning his arms to his chest, and lifting him into the air. Elias bared his teeth in the fact of the bull, who’s muzzle dripped with blood as he snarled back. “I said enough,” he growled. “Stone Horn is right, you’re nothing more than a rabid dog, and I will put you down like one.” Elias felt the grip around him begin to tighten, and though he tried hard to break free, his arms didn’t budge, and his feet couldn’t do anything more than flail uselessly at the bull’s leather armor. Elias snarled again in the bull’s face, his spit splashing at the bull’s eyes. The bull winced, but his grip failed to loosen. Through the haze of red, Elias saw black begin to tint the corner of his vision, knew instinctively that if he didn’t escape, the bull was going to crush him, if not until he died, then at least until he was unconscious. What would happen after that was almost a guarantee, and he still wasn’t finished. Stone Horn was still sitting there, watching, laughing, breathing. Elias’ eyes fixated on the bull’s neck for a reason he couldn’t quite understand, yet that felt comfortably familiar. Quickly he saw opportunity, and he didn’t hesitate to seize it. Rearing back, Elias’ jaw opened wide. Then in a rush of heat, his teeth were buried in the bull’s throat. He felt more than heard the bull gasp, but the crushing grasp around him tightened instead of loosening, so he did the only thing he could; he doubled down. Elias yanked with all the strength his neck could muster, trying to rip the minotaur’s neck open, growling all the while. The bull again gasped, but this time his grip loosened, the instinct of prey trying to escape its predator. Elias twisted away with his whole body, and with the his jaw still locked, he took a massive chunk of flesh and blood with him. He landed on his feet as the minotaur staggered back, clutching at his throat with wide eyes, before finally collapsing with a wheeze and a whimper. Elias spat the chunk of meat at his feet, then glared at the remaining bull and Stone Horn, his face slick with fresh blood. Meeting Stone Horn’s eyes, Elias chuckled. He could practically smell fear spilling off the bull, and he licked his strangely sharp teeth as he made an arrogant show of turning his back to the bull, reaching down to take his gladius from the corpse he had left it in. Ripping the blade free, Elias turned around and tilted his head, smiling at the pair. They stared back, holding their weapons at the ready, but making no moves. He chuckled and stepped forward, causing both to flinch. His eyes flicked between the two before he chose who he wanted dead first. He began a lunge at the bull next to Stone Horn. The bull flinched at the feint, and his axe slipped through his fingers. The bull stumbled forward, trying to catch the weapon, his eyes wide with panic. Elias laughed and with a slash of his gladius the bull was on the ground, clutching at a wound that cut a deep score from shoulder to shoulder. Even as the bull gasped in pain, Elias laughed, harder and harder as he pictured the bull dropping his weapon. He’d been underestimating their fighting skill if they could be scared that easily. His laughter was cut short when a hammer slammed into his left arm above the elbow, sending him staggering away. Elias blindly swung with his gladius, giving him breathing space from his sudden attacker. As he steadied his feet beneath him, Elias fixed a glare at Stone Horn, found the bull waiting patiently with a smug grin on his face, his warhammer bouncing in his massive hands. Elias growled and looked to his shoulder. Though it hurt, it wasn’t going to slow him down. The bull had stupidly managed to hit what little armor extended beyond his shoulder. As a result, the armor was dented only slightly, the magical enchantments fortifying it absorbing a strike that might have broken his arm, if not more. Elias’ mismatched eyes fixed on Stone Horn’s ugly muzzle and he bared his teeth. “You’re going to wish you aimed for my head, because I’m going to rip yours off.” Stone Horn snorted and pawed the ground with his hooved legs. “You’re going to die tonight, Elias Bright. I’m going to turn your skull into a drinking cup.” Elias let out a roar and rushed forward. He was tired of talking, was tired of letting the stupid cow waste air with his stupid voice. His mood was set on one thing and one thing only. Inflict pain. Stone Horn waited until he got close before launching his warhammer forward in an underhanded swing. Elias pressed forward into the swing, catching the weaponshaft against his chest with a grunt. Stone Horn snarled at him, and with his superior strength, managed to shove Elias back. The human lashed out with his gladius as he stumbled away, the blade leaving a scar in the leather armor protecting Stone Horn’s arm. Elias growled at his failed attack and again approached the bull, his face twitching with the barest traces of sense, of trying to actually pick out a way to attack the bull without getting himself killed. Stone Horn, seemingly not content to just remain on the defense let out a bellow and gripped his warhammer in both hands, sweeping it across his chest and barreling toward Elias’ head. Elias grinned at the attack, recognized it through his haze of rage. He stepped forward again and raised his gladius as if to cut Stone Horn’s throat. This time, however, as Stone Horn reversed his grip and began to swing the warhammer back, Elias full committed to attacking his fat, meaty arm. He drove the point of his gladius through Stone Horn’s wrist, savoring the howl that escaped the bull’s muzzle as he tried to pull back. Elias ripped his gladius free and let Stone Horn stumble away. The bull clutched at the wound and stared at him with hateful eyes. Elias sneered in reply. “What’s wrong cow? I thought you said I’d die tonight.” He nodded at the blood dripping from the bull’s wrist. “Better keep pressure on that. I wouldn’t want you to die before I’m finished with you.” “I’ll rip out your spine!” Stone Horn bellowed. Elias grinned as the bull snatched up his warhammer in both hands and began another blunt force attack. He could feel it deep in his bones, even as he dipped aside another attack and let his gladius taste flesh. He was going to enjoy this. ***** Lionheart listened to the sounds of the camp with his eyes closed. Something had gone wrong, and though he hated the human, he was grateful that the beast had managed to return Luna to safety. How the princess had gotten caught in the cross fire, he didn’t know, but somebody was paying for that, if the screams sounding from the forest were any indication. Perhaps the human would get himself killed. He would have to suffer through singing his praises of course, he was responsible for returning Luna to camp quickly enough to heal whatever injuries the fools in the forest inflicted after all. That would require an honorable eulogy to placate all of his soldiers, but after that, his heroics would fade from memory, leaving plenty of room for Lionheart to build himself back up. From there it was a simple matter of wooing Luna with classic Canterlot charm, and then he would be a prince; his position and legacy secured, not to mention the power he could wield to make sure Equestria’s borders remained secure. The princesses were a touch sloppy in that regard, the march more than proved that, but it was a minor thing that he could take initiative to deal with, and he would start with burning out those wretched, hard-shelled little- “It is time Duke Lionheart,” a voice hissed in his ear. Lionheart rolled to his feet, his eyes wide and his teeth bared, ready to fight whoever dared ambush him while he slept. The changeling that had been leaning over him chuckled, her fangs flashing in the low light. “What’s wrong?” she taunted. “Having trouble sleeping? I wouldn’t worry, this bug doesn’t bite.” She tilted her head to an unnatural angle. “Much.” While she chittered with laughter, Lionheart looked around the rest of the “tent”. It was little more than canvas propped up by sticks, but it did provide shade and a warmer place to sleep, even if it was tight with his two fellow prisoners. Now it felt cramped, as four changelings wrapped collars around Shattered Shield and Dragon Eye’s necks. The pair of unicorns looked dazed, their eyes filled with green energy that glowed with sickly light. Lengths of rope tied to rings on the collars, and with gentle yanks to confirm the ropes were tied, the changelings looked to their leader. Lionheart looked to the changeling as well, doing his best not to look nervous. “Time for what? Do you think it’ll go unnoticed when these two show up missing and I’m still here? That brute human will kill me!” “That’s why we’re going to do a little acting,” the changeling said. “So listen close.” The hoof came from nowhere, hitting Lionheart square in the temple. He fell with a grunt, then the changeling was on top of him, dragging her teeth down his neck. She then straightened and kicked him again, this time in the belly. The blow winded him, and while Lionheart gasped for air, the changeling snorted and looked him up and down. “You’re going to claim you fought us off while using the bathroom. You will say your “friends” were taken, that you think we ran east. With luck, Stone Horn and the diamond dog mercenaries we hired will do their job and will end Elias Bright as a threat.” “He’s already survived,” Lionheart gasped. “I heard the panic. Princess Luna took an arrow, but Elias Bright survived.” The changeling’s eyes lit up, and she chuckled. “Is that right? And where is that mighty human now? Standing guard at the princess’ side?” “I heard somebody call him out,” Lionheart said, flinching back as her hoof rose. The changeling smiled, then again stomped on his flank. Lionheart pressed on despite the pain. “I think he went back into the woods. Don’t you hear that screaming?” The changeling stood up straight, her ears flicking about. Lionheart held his breath, trying to hear anything… but found that it was silent. Eerily so. Even the sounds of the awakened camp seemed slightly muted, as if in anticipation. The changeling glanced down at him. “We’re leaving. Act on the plan, reveal that you were attacked, and that these two-” she nodded toward the dazed Shattered Shield and Dragon Eye “-were snatched. If they ask, we didn’t say anything. Don’t say more than that, or you will get caught and they will kill you as a traitor.” Lionheart tried to find some thought that could refute that, but he came up empty. It would be very difficult to justify working with changelings with anyone, especially the human, if he survived. No, saying he was attacked, that was a good lie. He could even play as though he had a concussion. Given the blood streaming down his eyebrow, it would not be a difficult lie to sell. A flicker of amusement entered the changeling’s eyes, and she added; “And tell them Elias Bright is dead, killed in another ambush. I will make sure it is so and setup the field should it be necessary to make it look like it was the minotaurs. Just say you got turned around running away from us and came across it. That should be believable.” Lionheart nodded. He would modify the bug’s plan a little bit, if for no other reason than to make it clear that it was his plan they were acting on, not hers or her wretched queen’s. “Then our agreement is concluded,” he said, trying to keep any stutters or signs of pain from his voice. “You may go, and feel free to never contact me again.” The changeling snorted and she turned away. Unseen to Lionheart, a smile still decorated her muzzle as she nodded to the other changelings, who pulled their captives from the tent. Her horn charged, and she heard a hiss of pain behind her, but Lionheart, likely trying to save his pride, didn’t mention it, merely rubbed at his foreleg. Lionheart waited several minutes after they had left before slipping out of the rear of the tent himself. He immediately spotted the hole where they slipped through the castra walls, and crawled through it once, then twice. He shivered as cold mud clung to his fur, but it was necessary to sell the lie. He stomped around in the mud, making sure his hooves were suitably soaked, then again slipped through the hole, running through the leaves to make sure they looked disturbed. Satisfied that his efforts would make him look sufficiently believable, and already somewhat tired from his running, Lionheart cleared his throat, getting into a panicked mindset, ready to sell everything to make sure his princess would believe him. The cool night air put tears in his eyes, and an intentional crack in his voice did the rest as he let out a panicked cry and sprinted toward the hole into the castra. ***** Gray Granite walked quietly through the trees, his head shifting side to side at every creak and snap. It had been nearly an hour since Elias had stormed off into the woods, and while there had been sounds coming from the trees, now it was quiet. Too quiet to be comfortable. There was a strange energy to the air, a certain feeling of wrongness that he couldn’t quite describe. It was a feeling that would unnerve even the best of ponies, but Granite didn’t let it sway him from his path. He needed to find Elias. Granite winced as he swallowed, his throat still sore from where the human had grabbed him. Though the motion had been surprising in its intensity, Granite wasn’t altogether that shocked about being hurt. The human used physical punishment liberally in pursuit of making his ponies the best, and despite the pain the method inflicted, they were the best. He’d even heard rumor Elias struck Night Flash once, and if his oldest, closest friend could meet such a punishment, nobody was safe. In his anger, Elias had always been more prone to physical attacks as well, so in truth, a mild touch of strangling, while not his favorite punishment, certainly wasn’t that scary. That look in Elias’ eyes though, that had shaken Granite. He’d seen hate in Elias’ eyes before, but he’d never been the target of it, and now, he hoped to never be the target of it again. Perhaps it was the changeling eye that seemed to glow whenever Elias was angry, perhaps it was the fact that despite being a pony in many aspects, the human still had sharp, canine teeth that only seemed to sharpen when bared. Perhaps it was some lingering fear of the unknown. Elias had shared quite a bit with his friends and family, but there were some secrets that were still hiding behind the human’s eyes that were terrifying, and horrible, of that Granite had no doubt. But on edge as he was, Granite also knew that his friend needed him. Elias was in pain, and as much as he tried to pretend otherwise, he had surrounded himself with his friends and now that was hurting him too. He was teetering on the brink of something dangerous, but Granite was sure that with just a little support, he could get Elias back to the castra, and then they could wait for Princess Luna to wake up. Steel Scalpel and Kind Heart had successfully removed the arrow and had started the slow process of healing the diminished alicorn, all while she had somehow kept her massive well of magic in check while unconscious. The march still retained it’s purpose, and all the pain was worth if if they could just get through until the end. Light caught his eyes, and like a moth to the flame, he drifted toward the flickering orange among the trees. He came upon a clearing covered in blood. Piles of bodies lay around the clearing, while fresh on the ground lay three dead minotaurs, one with a wound that looked like his throat had been torn out by wolves. His dead eyes stared up at nothing, but for some reason it sent a shiver up Granite’s spine, like at any moment the bull would come alive, and those eyes would flick over and stare into his very soul. Looking away to the two living minotaurs was little comfort. One sat tied to a tree, his chin resting in a bloody score that cut across his chest. Though it was barely visible, Granite was fairly certain he could see the bull’s chest rising and falling. The other, a large bull with short horns, was also tied to a tree, but he was very much awake, and desperately straining against the careful binding keeping him pinned. Long coils of rope bound one of his arms to his chest, as well as bound his legs together. The other arm… Granite had seen many things, had seen the horrific injuries that could result when rock wagons lost a wheel, sending their several ton cargo rolling onto some stallion’s leg, turning it into mush and powder, but the minotaur’s arm… It was carved open in a surgical manner, but in all the wrong ways. The fingers on the bull’s hand twitched in obvious pain, unable to curl due to the gladius driven through his palm and into the tree. Blood poured from the wound on his hand, but the arm, Granite hesitated to approach to check, but he was fairly certain Elias had cauterized the wound. Even though there was no blood, the bull had to be in agony. He couldn’t express it much though, the binds were done well, and the last one was around his muzzle. The bull’s eyes practically glowed with rage and pain as he glared at Elias, who crouched before him, a smile decorating his blood soaked face, a knife dancing between his fingers. “This ends as soon as you agree to tell me who sent you,” the human said, his voice frighteningly chipper. “You’re a stupid, easily baited, piece of shit that couldn’t plan a dinner, let alone an ambush, so you’re going to tell me how you knew I was out here, or I’m taking off another layer of muscle.” The bull growled at him, and somehow through his muzzle, he managed to spit at the human. Elias clicked his teeth together, staring at the minotaur for a moment. The knife twirled to a stop in his palm, and he pointed the tip at the minotaur. “The only reason I don’t stomp on your little chicken legs right now is because you won’t tell me shit while in shock.” He immediately plunged the blade into the minotaur’s shoulder, drawing a muffled howl out of him. Elias never blinked, still watched the bull’s face as he twisted the knife. “Lots of nerves in the shoulder, not a serious enough wound for people like you and I to go into shock though,” he said. “Who sent you here? I want a name.” Granite gulped, and he stepped closer to the human. “G-General.” Elias glanced back, his smile falling away slightly as he spotted the pony. He got to his feet. “Do you have good news?” Granite let out a sigh of relief when he saw a look of worry on Elias’ face. Worry was good, this was probably just his way of coping with worry. The method was a bit disturbing, but still, trying to get information was still good and productive, and any worry the human felt was easily relieved. “Princess Luna is still unconscious, but her magic is intact and Doctor Scalpel and Healer Kind Heart removed all the null stone. She’ll make a full recovery, she just needs plenty of rest.” Granite withheld a smile as Elias nodded, his shoulders sinking with relief. “Good, good,” the human said. “How’s the camp? Hopefully no panic?” “The camp is on alert,” Granite answered, his internal smile growing bigger as his general came out of whatever dark torture was before him. “No panic, and now no worry. Doctor Scalpel made the announcement of Princess Luna’s recovery publicly. Centurion Ice Blossom was trying to get ponies back to bed when I came looking for you.” Elias again nodded, his eyes focused on the ground in thought. “Good, they need to be ready for the ambush tomorrow. Especially now that I caught this piece of shit.” He turned and spat on the minotaur, who growled and again strained against his restraints. Elias sneered at him in reply, then crossed his arms and looked to Granite. He nodded at the other minotaur. “Get him back to camp and treated. He’s going to tell Steel Horn I have his brother, again.” Elias side-eyed Stone Horn. “Idiot gave me better bait than any prodding spells could do.” Glancing back to Granite. “But let him go, preferably still wounded. There’s no better evidence than fresh blood.” “And what will you do?” Granite asked. “You’re hurt General, and you need to be rested for tomorrow too.” Elias shrugged, looking down at Stone Horn. “I have to keep working on this one. Somebody told him I would be out here, and it nearly got Luna killed. It did get two legionaries killed. I need to know if we have a spy. Every move we make is at risk if we do.” Elias’ fist clenched and unclenched, and his eyes flicked to Granite, narrowing slightly when he noticed the look of concern on Granite’s face. “Don’t worry about it Centurion, he’ll talk. If he doesn’t, I’ll stop when the carts get here.” “Carts?” Granite echoed, seizing on the opportunity to get the human away from his bloodbath. “When you take him back to camp, have a few carts brought out here,” Elias said. “Both to take care of our dead, as well as wheel these corpses out to the treeline. His lip curled with disgust as he looked at the piled diamond dog bodies. “I’m tried of people not taking this seriously, so I’m going to send a message about how serious I am. Maybe heads on pikes will finally put some fear into the minotaurs if growling bellies won’t.” Granite swallowed. “General, it’s only been a couple days. I doubt their stores emptied that quickly. We probably just need to keep taking out their scavenging patrols and-” “I’m not risking a drawn out siege,” Elias spat. “I want the minotaurs to come out begging for mercy when the rest of the army shows up. I want them so scared that the mere thought of facing the full legion and the guard forces makes them surrender so that I don’t need to piss away more lives on another stupid fight for idiotic things like wealth, and pride.” Granite flinched as the human’s foot reared back, then slammed into Stone Horn’s crotch. The bull’s eyes bulged, and whatever rage he would have drawn up was consumed by pain as he tried to curl into a ball. Elias spat on him, then looked to Granite. “Take the prisoner back to camp and get the wagons moving here. I think she came in with Centurion Ice Blossom’s group, so have Legionnaire Wood Chop fashion some stakes, and make them tall. They need to be visible as the sun rises.” “And this is absolutely necessary?” Granite again challenged. He had to. Some small part of him could see the human’s logic, but if there was a way to avoid such obscene violence… Any hope of that faded as Elias shook his head. “This is war Centurion, not training, not a duel, war. War is dirty, and the man who is willing to drench his hands in blood is far more likely to come out on top than the one who sits back, pretty and clean, and rests on his victories. I…” He looked at the ground and chuckled. “Well, I can’t say I don’t like it, because it’s a nice taste of revenge for the ponies this scum killed, but… I recognize it is distasteful to most. It is necessary though. Have the stakes made and the bodies delivered to the treeline. I can handle the rest by myself.” Granite’s muzzle twitched and he briefly considered second guessing the human again, but after a moment of consideration, he simply nodded. Elias seemed rational enough, and given what had happened, he could be forgiven for being tortuously angry. The only thing he could do to help now would be to follow the human’s orders and to quickly get the carts back to him. He had managed to keep him largely distracted from torturing Stone Horn with talk. In front of the normal legionaries? Elias would definitely hold back, and there were plenty of bodies, so it would take them awhile to leave, hopefully enough time for him to cool off and come back to his full senses. “Is there anything else you need General?” he asked, turning to leave. “Perhaps a healer?” Elias wiped at his blood covered face, chuckling lightly when is hand came away completely sticky with blood. “It’s not mine,” he assured the pony. “Don’t worry, I’ll clean up later. Now go. I want to finish up here so we can rest for tomorrow. That ambush has to go through now.” He clenched a fist and looked at Stone Horn, who was panting with eyes glazed over in pain. “We can end this with less bloodshed. It just takes a little more suffering now to save everything later.” Granite gave him a slight bow, then trotted away. Elias sneered and crouched down in front of Stone Horn, drawing the bull’s eyes back from his suffering. “Want me to keep going cow, or are you done? This ends when I get answers.” The bull looked like he would again deny the human, but his eyes flicked down to the knife in Elias’ hands, and he squirmed slightly, whining behind his gag. Elias reached behind the bull and cut it lose. He gain crouched before the bull, tapping the flat of the blade against his palm. “Who sent you?” Stone Horn swallowed. “I don’t know,” he rasped, the pain evident in his voice. “He came to me. Told me where you were, told me there were allies waiting.” He nodded toward the pile of bodies. “My warriors and I came across the dogs, and I used them as a distraction to shoot you and be done with it.” Elias nodded. “That’s right, I owe you for that. This is the second time you’ve tried to have me killed.” He punched the open wound on the bull’s arm, prompting him to moan in pain. “Keep talking. Who came to you? Describe him.” Stone Horn glared at him. “It was some changeling,” he spat. “Disguised as a unicorn with a red mane. He didn’t say who sent him, and he didn’t give me a name. He just said where you’d be.” He winced and looked to his arm. “Now cut me down and kill me. I’d rather suffer a disappointing death than bear this humiliation any longer.” “I’m not finished,” Elias growled. “The changeling, what did he say? He must have given you something.” “Doubtful,” a female voice said. Elias whirled around and flipped the knife over, ready to throw it. The changeling smiled, her eyes purple as she moved into the torchlight. “No need for that General Bright,” she said with a smile. “I am here to help you, not harm.” “You’re a changeling,” Elias snarled. “If those eyes were blue, I wouldn’t have given you a chance to speak at all.” “Exactly the reason I increased their glow,” the changeling said. “I am not a drone from Queen Chrysalis’ hive, but from Queen Mentis.” She bowed low to the ground. “My Queen sends her regards, and offers you information in return for your gift of prisoners on the last battlefield, as well as the upcoming one.” “There isn’t going to be another battlefield,” Elias said. “The idiot here was going to give me information to kill the informant giving his people any kind of hope about winning, and then his kin will shit themselves when the rest of the army shows up.” “Buck you!” Stone Horn spat. “I’ll rip your puny little arms off and shove them up your-” The minotaur choked as Elias again stomped on his crotch. The human ripped the gladius from his palm, and the bull collapsed with a wheeze, doing his best to cup the area. “Another word out of you and I cut them off,” Elias snarled. “Now shut it.” His eyes flicked up to the changeling. “As for your queen, she can keep her information, I don’t need it, and I’m not giving any gifts. What you do with wounded bulls is up to you. I couldn’t care less how they end up.” The changeling rose with a smile plain on her muzzle. “Regardless, it is a gift most appreciated to leave the wounded for our purposes. Queen Mentis would like to repay the gift, as a show of good faith.” “And what makes her think I need her good faith?” Elias growled. “I’ve spoken with a changeling queen. She healed me just to have me killed. Any “information” you might provide is going to stab the same knife in my back.” The changeling chuckled. “Not all changelings are as stupid and vain as that cow Chrysalis, General Bright. Queen Mentis actually sees the value in remaining hidden alongside a prospering Equestria. Happy ponies make more foals after all, and more foals means more ponies, which means easier food.” She licked her lips. “Even stealing love from prisoners is delicious, and Equestria expands all the time, building new towns, sending out new expeditions.” She shrugged. “Queen Mentis likes her position as it stands. She certainly isn’t going to do anything stupid like go to war with the princesses.” She chortled. “Or invade a royal wedding.” “You’re wasting my time,” Elias said, his thumb rubbing along the hilt of his gladius. “If you’re going to ambush me, you’d better do a sight better than dogs and cows.” “There is no ambush,” the changeling said, taking a step toward the human. “Please, what do I need to do to provide this information to you? My queen may not be a brute like you think, but she does not tolerate failure. I will not return until my task is complete.” Elias’ narrowed, and he scanned the air around the purple-eyed changeling. To his surprise, he saw no waves, no attempts at manipulation at all. His head, while far from clear, wasn’t being tampered with by the chitinous creature. That either meant the bug was one of the best liars he’d ever met and didn’t need magic to manipulate him, or she was telling him the truth, and her queen wanted to help him so that she could use wounded minotaurs for food in exchange. That fact rubbed him slightly the wrong way. He’d… known that scavengers had taken to the previous battlefield, but… His focus had been on his ponies. He hadn’t cared about the minotaurs, still didn’t care. He snarled in thought. He did not care what happened to the fat-headed cows. They had gone out of their way to threaten and harm his ponies, and if they paid for that with their deaths or long lives as food for changelings, that was their fault. They would’ve lived longer if they had just listened to him. Even as his thoughts tried to twist around to make him feel guilty, his eyes flicked up to the changeling. “Talk. If you have something useful, you’ll get your “gifts.” He immediately felt the center of his mind rear it’s stupid, compassionate head, and he couldn’t help but add; “but if the cow tells me more, you get nothing once I’ve sent them running for the trees.” The changeling snorted. “That won’t be difficult General.” She stepped over Stone Horn’s curled form and sneered. “This one is good for little. In fact, I might be able to offer you some help in hurting the minotaurs, if you let me take him off your hooves.” “Hands, and no,” Elias said. “He has uses as bait, if nothing else.” The changeling’s smile widened and she looked at him. “Using the younger brother as bait to draw out the old? My my General Bright, you think like a changeling.” “Wrong again,” he countered. “I plan the way I do to spare ponies. You do it because it’s all you have. Now stop stalling and tell me what information you have.” The changeling inclined her head. “Of course, General.” She straightened, her eyes flicking back down to the minotaur. “The changeling this one speaks of was a well-known agent of a lesser hive, a Queen Venenum. He is dead now, but he is the one who revealed your whereabouts,” she nodded toward the piles of bodies, “as well as hired diamond dog mercenaries to cover his tracks.” She chuckled. “But Queen Venenum will not be an issue for you again General. She overextended in her little ploy to take an army’s worth of love, and she is being handled in the traditional way.” “Traditional way?” Elias echoed. The changeling met his eyes and her smile took on a vicious glint. “She was executed while she slept and her hive has been taken by an alliance between my queen and a friend. They are no more.” “Then I fail to see how this helps me,” Elias said. “If the spy was still alive, I might have been able to turn him to draw Steel Horn out. Now I have nothing but the idiot.” “I was able to torture some information out of the spy as well,” the changeling said. “He knew details about the inside of Saraj-” “I have spies in the city as well, and I just gave the city enough food to last at least another week,” Elias cut in. “You’re wasting my time.” “Then let me finish speaking!” the changeling snarled. Elias’ eyebrow raised, and the blade of his gladius flickered in the torchlight. The changeling glanced at the blade, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “As I was saying,” she continued. “He knew details about the inside of Saraj, as well as some details about the minotaur camp on the far side of the river. Would you like to hear those details, or do you have a spy there as well, oh all-seeing General?” The sarcasm dripped from her voice, and he couldn’t fault her that. He’d largely forgotten about the minotaurs on the far side of the river. None of his raids had restricted them at all, and while that likely didn’t impact his strategy to starve the bulls, it certainly meant they had more reinforcements than his current plans accounted for. Elias sighed and nodded. “I would like the details. Please,” he added. The changeling grinned. “That’s better. I was beginning to think you the ape I keep hearing about from the spies inside Canterlot.” Elias’ eyes narrowed, but the changeling waved a hoof, shooing away any would-be threats. “Don’t fret, my queen is smart enough not to try and put spies in the castle.” She shuddered. “We learned that lesson during the invasion. We strictly remain as observers in the city, as well as do some surface love theft, but nothing harmful, you have my word.” “As much as that’s worth,” Elias grumbled. “So what do you know about the camp across the river?” “The minotaurs number perhaps three thousand,” the changeling said. “And they are well supplied. There isn’t much but desert on that side of the river I’m afraid, so the Saddle Arabians haven’t been trying to escape that way, and the bulls are fresh, and anxious to fight.” She again looked down at Stone Horn, her eyes flickering with delight as he stared back with a visibly nervous expression on his face. “The only reason they haven’t been drawn back across the river to fight is two-fold. One, they do still need to bottle in Saraj, but in truth, it would only take a third of their number to do that now.” “Two-thousand bulls is still enough to make a difference,” Elias said. “The other reason?” “Minotaurs may be good with armor, but they do not build boats well,” the changeling chuckled. “They used makeshift rafts to get across the first time, and now they use the wooden bridge across the river to make crossings. With supplies slim, they aren’t stopped from slipping around the walls, just so long as they don’t start trouble. While the ways are narrow, they can easily rush from their camp to the aid of their fellows, should you attack the walls head-on.” The changeling paused, glancing at him as if to check if he was paying attention. Elias stared back and crossed his arms. “I’m sensing a ‘but’.” The changeling chuckled and looked back to Stone Horn, not answering his implied question. “Are you sure we can’t have this one? I would happily act as bait for you if we just got to keep him. Minotaurs are easy to imitate.” She licked her lips and leaned in close to Stone Horn, causing the bull to wrench himself backward, his muzzle curling in disgust. “Stay away from me insect,” he spat. “I’ll rip that disgust smile off your face and-” “Mount it on my wall?” the changeling said in his voice. Licking her lips again and chuckling, the bug put a hoof on his chest. “Oh tell me more Warchief. Disgust might not be nutritious, but it can be quite tasty, if prepared correctly.” “If you give me something more useful than a headcount, you can have him,” Elias said, more than wanting to be done with the bug-pony. She was beginning to unnerve him. The changeling seemed to sense his growing discomfort and turned her head around, still smiling at him. “Excellent,” she hissed. “We also know the minotaurs on that side of the river are under the strictest orders to stay in camp until Warchief Steel Horn summons them.” Stone Horn looked to Elias with a somewhat pleading look on his face. “You cannot honestly be thinking of turning me over to a bug. Even a coward such as you-” “Call me a coward again and I’ll personally seek out Chrysalis and give you to her,” Elias said. “I’ve killed dozens of your kind and I did with my own two hands. I’m no more a coward than you are a leader. As for turning you over, you’d better offer me something better than the bug, or I’ll take her offer. She won’t fight me when I use her as bait.” The bull looked aghast for a moment, then let out a roar. “I’ll kill you! You have no honor, no sense of a warrior’s spirit! Now cut me free so that I can die like a warrior!” Elias rolled his eyes as the minotaur began to rant. He looked to the changeling, who simply chuckled. “He has nothing General, nothing but a modicum of love that I will happily take time to draw out. If I may continue…?” When he nodded in reply, she looked back to Stone Horn. “Steel Horn has a special musical horn that he has saved specifically for summoning the minotaurs across the river. He used it once when Saraj’s defenders very nearly broke out in the early days of the siege, and as since not used it. We have confirmed its purpose from spying among the warchief’s guards. Bribes and drinks, the usual fare to loosen tongues.” “And can you steal this horn?” Elias asked. “Not without risk, which will require a touch more than gifts,” the changeling said, glancing his way, a careful frown spreading on her muzzle. “Information is one thing. If a drone is caught, that makes us allies, and the hive might be punished if you fail. That requires a significant reward. The… equine kind.” “Pass then,” Elias said, needing hear no more. “I’ll deal with the minotaurs and their bridge.” He looked down at Stone Horn. “So, you can imitate him?” “I can act the part too.” She let out a giggle, and her voice again changed to sound exactly like the bull’s. “Cowardly little ape. I’ll break your spine and enslave your princess. For my honor, and more importantly, my ego!” Her voice shifted back, and she laughed to the stars, her horn charging with magic. Stone Horn grunted with alarm as the magic surrounded him and he began to lift into the air. His eyes widened and began to flick about, clearly trying to think of some way to escape. Elias snorted and shook his head, even as the changeling continued. “I will slip into your camp momentarily and reveal myself to you, General,” she said. “I do not need to know my part in your plan, I just need the guarantee that you will at least try not to get me killed. I’d quite like to break the bull myself.” Elias waved a hand, motioning for the changeling to leave. His eyes drifted to the blood drying all around him, and to the bloody state of his gear. It definitely needed a cleaning, and so did he. That wasn't to mention the wounds that still sat open across his body. “It should be no problem. Once they’ve seen him once, you can just do his voice and hide with my ponies.” The changeling bowed. “As you wish. You shall see me again shortly.” She turned to leave with Stone Horn floating beside her and Elias turned away, looking for a rag to begin cleaning his sword with. The minotaur’s eyes kept flicking back in forth wildly, until he suddenly straightened in her magic grip. “I know who betrayed you!” Stone Horn bleated. Both Elias and the changeling froze. The human glanced over his shoulder, his bad eye twitching. “What?” “The changeling, the one who told me where you would be, he provided the arrow that shot your princess, and he said the name of the pony that betrayed you at the battle!” Stone Horn spat out. “Keep me your prisoner, or kill me if you wish, but I won’t tell you a thing if you let me go with this bug to be a slave.” Elias turned on his heel and stomped up to the bull. He held the point of the blade to Stone Horn’s eye and growled. “You are in no position to make demands cow. Now give me the name, or you’ll go blind to the changelings.” A touch of arrogance returned to Stone Horn’s eyes, and the bull had the nerve to smile. “Go ahead. You’ll get nothing, and it will burn you that the pony behind your precious princess being wounded will walk free. If you want the information, you’re going to let me go. In fact, you’re going to escort me back to the stockade walls, and then you’re going to make a deal with my brother to stop attacking our-” Elias snorted and his free hand reared back, then slammed into the bull’s stomach hard enough to knock him from the changelings magic. Stone Horn hit the ground with a wheeze. Elias immediately began kicking and stomping him, his aim skewed by his fury. Blows landed on every part of the bull, forcing him to once again curl into a ball to weather the human’s rage. The changeling moved to stand beside him, wincing when a crack filled the air as Elias stomped on Stone Horn’s ribs. “He’s lying to save his hide,” she said. “Just leave him to me, and I’ll-” “Shut the fuck up,” Elias spat at her. “If I were you, I’d come up with a very convincing reason why the spy you killed didn’t reveal that name to you, because right now I’m wondering how I almost made a deal with a filthy, lying, bug.” He knelt down beside Stone Horn and grabbed him by the hair, yanking him from his ball. Elias pressed his gladius against the bull’s cheek, drawing blood as he slowly increased the pressure. “I’m tired of threatening you. I’m just going to start cutting until I get the answers I want, and if you want me to stop, you’ll talk.” Stone Horn swallowed. “Don’t turn me over to her, and I will,” he wheezed. “I’ll allow myself to be bait, but not a changeling’s love bag. I’d rather die in agony.” The changeling huffed and turned away behind him. “As if it’s that painful of a fate. We even make you dream of happy times so you generate more love, and-” Elias ignored her and instead drew his blade down, opening a longer score on Stone Horn’s cheek. “Speak,” he hissed. “The changeling mentioned a ‘Duke Lionheart’, said he sounded the retreat during the battle. He also told me that his information came from an informant in your camp,” Stone Horn said. “And he said it had just happened before he introduced us to the dogs. If that pony is in your camp, then he must be the source. Traitors always betray again.” Elias’ face twitched. Lionheart. Of course it was Lionheart. He should have executed the coward, should have said damn the evidence and just cut his slimy little throat. He’d let him live however, and now the snake was spreading his venom wherever he could land his wretched little fangs. He was going to kill him, felt his fingernails splitting the skin of his palms his fists were clenched so tight with anger. He straightened and looked toward camp just as his legionaries came crashing through the brush. Elias could barely see them through the haze of red in his eyes. He faintly heard them asking him questions, looking for orders as he began to storm past them. “Gather the bodies, treat our dead, and make sure the minotaur doesn’t die. He’s our bait.” The words were spoken through gritted teeth at a low growl, but nobody stopped him for clarification as he stomped through the forest, gradually speeding up until he was sprinting back to the castra. Lionheart was going to die. ***** Persona sighed as she moved quietly through the trees, shedding her purple facade as she went. Stupid cow and stupid human for listening with his stupid desire for revenge, and damn that she had mentioned something so stupid as Lionheart’s name. She’d already been using his likeness as a disguise, but now Elias Bright knew the traitorous buffoon’s name! “My name’s Duke Lionheart,” she said, mimicking the stallion’s voice. “I’m a big idiot who likes stabbing everyone and anyone in the back, and I don’t have a single subtle bone in my pathetic pony body!” Her voice immediately fell away and she growled at herself. “I’m no better. I drop his stupid name where that idiot cow can here, and now my Queen is going to beat me to death with a stick, because I’ve managed to get her insider killed.” She sighed again as she trotted through the trees and toward the cave where the rest of the hive was waiting. She flinched as she came in range of what all the normal changelings called their “cousins”. The sound of hundreds of changelings gnashing their teeth and all-but attacking each other was disturbing, and she found that she wished for the familiar buzzing and orderly tapping of chitin on stone of the old hive. The pre-invasion hive. Her stomach rumbled, and she scowled. That was a familiar sensation, though less so recently. It had been a busy night, and disguising herself not only for the human, but for the idiot cow had taken it’s toll. The good news was that she didn’t need to maintain any disguises now that her mission was complete. The human had bait to draw the minotaurs out, and the minotaurs would do their part without intervention. Sheer numbers alone would be able to shatter Elias’ Bright’s current forces, and while he could still find a way to withdraw to the rest of the army a mere day or two behind, she doubted he would. He was stubborn like the minotaurs, although, unlike the bull-headed cows, he did have some means to back it up. She shivered as she remembered the day of the invasion, the path of despair the human had cut through the hivemind. She’d been on the opposite end of the city, ensuring ponies trying to escape by the train would be caught, yet somehow she’d still felt her hivemates meet gruesome ends. The fact that he’d then managed to survive spoke to his tenacity, and with how her queen acted when he was mentioned… Elias Bright was a threat, that was to be sure. Any retreat he might conduct would come after a mountain of blood was spilled, and that was all to plan. Another risky, incredibly dangerous, plan. A chuckle brought her out her musings, and Persona couldn’t help but shrink as her queen stalked from the shadows near the cave. Flanking her were two hives guards, both of whom fixed Persona with glares as if she was some miserable little drone good for nothing more than scrubbing floors and watching eggs. She returned the glares, baring her teeth and growling at the more bold of the two guards. He met her glare for a moment, but eventually turned away. Chrysalis spoke with a playfulness in her tone, and Persona couldn’t but wince. She was happy, and the bad news was only going to make her unhappy. Persona did her best not to shake and ignored the sounds emanating from the cave. Just because the normal ‘lings hadn’t been fed to their aggressive cousins yet, didn’t mean there wasn’t a time to start. “I have news, my Queen,” she said. Chrysalis snorted. “You wouldn’t dare be before me without news, so speak it.” “Elias Bright has survived both ambushes and will draw the minotaurs out using Stone Horn as bait.” Persona’s eyes flicked to the cave. It was always best to lead with good news. “I still wasn’t able to get close enough to the camp to determine exact numbers, but given his response to the ambush, it isn’t the full army. If Steel Horn is smart, he should be able to crush them.” “Excellent,” Chrysalis hissed. “Even if he isn’t and Elias Bright comes out on top once more, it will not matter. We benefit from the slaughter of the minotaurs just as we benefit from that of the ponies. What else?” “Princess Luna survived-” “Obvious,” Chrysalis cut in with a scoff, her eyes shifting to the sky. “The moon isn’t red and Celestia isn’t here scorching the earth. And it is better that Luna survives. She is far too valuable to die to some cow.” The changeling queen’s eyes returned to rest on Persona. “And the bad news?” A flinch prefaced the changeling’s next words. There was no hiding from her queen. “Stone Horn revealed Lionheart as your agent.” She bowed her head low to the ground, waiting for the fatal blow to strike. It didn’t happen frequently, but in matters as important as these, an execution for failure was inevitable. Still, she continued to speak. If she was going to die, she would die with nothing held back. “It is my mistake my Queen. I mentioned his name when baiting the minotaur to the trees, I was certain I could convince Elias Bright to use myself in disguise to draw out Steel Horn and return the younger to you, then slay him once his back was turned and take his place once I had done so.” She closed her eyes and continued to wait. There would be shouting. Rage always started the process, and then, near it’s height, a blow would strike, then there would be immense calm for the rest of the hive. Grieving would follow, then a return to norm after she was burned. She was surprised from her musings when laughter filled the air. Persona glanced up to find her queen with her head thrown back to the sky, her muzzle open and a long, loud string of laughter flowing steadily out. Emerald magic surrounded her barrel, and she squeaked as she was pulled into a squeezing grasp. Any panic of being crushed turned into pure bliss as extra love flooded her body, and she let out a hiss of delight. Chrysalis chuckled and patted her head. “That is wonderful news, my perfect little spy. You should be proud to deliver such a gift.” Persona hummed, her eyes opening hazy and happy. “But my Queen, I thought you would be angry to lose an agent, and Elias Bright still lives.” “Elias Bright is strong and deserves life. He has shown the will and cunning to fight for it, and had he not been corrupted by ponies, he would have made a fine addition to my hive. As for Lionheart, perhaps if he didn’t betray me as well, then he could be afforded some protection.” Chrysalis’ gaze hardened with anger, but she was careful to keep it from tainting the love. “But he killed another of my favorite spies, and for that he deserves whatever punishment Elias Bright delivers.” She patted Persona’s head again before releasing her and nudging her to stand back at attention. The changeling did so with obvious hesitation, and as she turned to face her queen once more, she found the two guards swaying in place, visibly drunk on just the scraps of love in the air. She hiccupped, filled to the brim and warm. “T-thank you my Queen,” she said, swaying slightly herself. “I t-trust you received the new love slaves?” “Indeed, and that is just a taste of what they have to offer,” Chrysalis smiled. “Between the ‘generals’ and our minotaur stock, we should be sufficiently fed for months. Plenty of time to let the ponies and minotaurs weaken each other, delivering the remains of both armies, as well as Saraj, one after the other.” She gave a nod and glanced back to the cave. “This is excellent news Persona, you have done well this night. Was there anything else I should know, or shall I try to slip an agent into Elias Bright’s camp to watch Lionheart be ripped apart?” “I’d very much like to watch that, my Queen,” Persona said, sharing a chuckle with her fellow changelings. “But a question; why did I need to disguise myself as one of Queen Mentis’ changelings? She is a hated rival, no?” “She is,” Chrysalis replied with a nod. “But if things were to go poorly, Elias Bright might remember her name rather than mine, and if things go well, he will merely forget. It is unlikely that any action taken here till be to her benefit, and if things were to go truly wrong, we might rely on Elias Bright’s goodwill to escape in the guise of her drones.” Chrysalis scoffed and turned, directing them to follow with a nod of her head. “She is soft, she won’t do anything to retaliate.” She led them to a hill that faced the Equestrian camp and sat down, smiling into the dark. “Now, let us play a game. The changeling best able to predict how precisely Elias Bright will end that miserable little unicorn will receive personal time with the new love slaves.” She laughed, her fangs glistening in the moonlight. “Personally, I hope that wretched creature bleeds.” > Chapter 71: Red Eagle; Part 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lionheart did his best to stand tall in the command tent. He was covered from head to hoof in mud, as well as some blood. He had to admit, the changeling was smart, the blood made selling his story all too easy, especially to the woozy, barely conscious princess before him. Princess Luna was in a poor state, and in his opinion, she shouldn’t have been anywhere other than a bed. Blood-stained bandages wrapped crisscrossed across her body, with one around her barrel, and another binding her chest tight. Mud and dried blood sat caked in her normally pristine fur, making it matted and uneven. Her eyes were glazed with pain and whatever numbing magic had been used on her wound, and she swayed in place, barely awake as he gave his impassioned tale. “Shattered Shield managed to wound a pair of the beasts, but he was dragged away while Dragon-Eye and I tried to fight off the main group.” He made sure his ears pinned to the sides of his head as he looked down, doing his best to look mournful. “For naught, unfortunately.” He glanced up to check if his tale was working. Doctor Steel Scalpel wasn’t paying him any attention, was instead focused entirely on pouring magic into the cuts marring Princess Luna’s side, slowly sealing them closed. The other healer, a pink mare Lionheart had never learned the name of, was watching him with narrowed, disbelieving eyes. As was the fiery-maned unicorn sitting at the base of the small throne Luna rested upon. Lionheart could also feel the glares of the guards at his back, knew that he wasn’t likely to convince any of the ponies the human had poisoned, but his princess, she could still be saved, could still be swayed to the right course once more. He just had to wade through the vitriol the human’s ponies were likely to spew once he finished. “I don’t know when it happened, but the changelings next took Dragon-Eye from behind, and perhaps satisfied with their catch, they soon fled.” He motioned toward still weeping wound on his brow. “But not before giving me this, as well as…” He paused, feigning as if the words were too difficult to speak. The fiery-maned one, he was sure she was the human equivalent of a captain, snorted and waved her hoof. “As well as what? Don’t tell me they gave you some speech about how your ‘bravery’ scared them away.” Lionheart ignored the snide chuckling and straightened, looking the mare in the eye. “I hesitate to speak because you either won’t believe me, or will punish me because you think I enjoy the news.” “No…” Luna slurred, swaying. She hiccuped, then shook her head, her hazy eyes doing their best to meet his clear gaze. “No pony will… will harm you, Lion… Lionheart.” She moaned in pain and started to over-lean to her left, but Scalpel braced her with a hoof, keeping her upright, his horn not even flickering as he continued to seal her wounds. Lionheart smiled, and gave his princess a respectful nod. “Thank you, Princess. Your words are always a comfort, even in such, trying-” “Spit it out or you’re going with me to look for these ‘changelings’ of yours,” the fiery-maned mare said. Lionheart’s muzzle shifted to a scowl, then quickly shifted to an even expression. He was claiming victory, he had no need for anger. Just well-practiced, noble delivery and all would fall into place. “She told me that General Bright was attacked and that he had fallen,” he announced, looking around to make sure that all of the human’s precious legionaries looked sufficiently shocked. “The changeling taunted me with this knowledge, I believe she mistakenly thought I liked the man or was concerned about his well being. Perhaps she was under the impression that he was this army’s only hope of success, and that such news would make me beg for mercy.” He met Princess Luna’s eyes, then bowed his head. “However, I know you favored him, Princess, and I am sorry, but seeing as he is not here, and I no longer hear any fighting, I can only assume that she is telling the truth.” He had to focus hard to keep a smile from his muzzle. “Elias Bright is dead.” ***** Gray Granite couldn’t help but wince as he ran toward the gate guards. It hadn’t been long since he’d sent out the legionaries with the wagons, and had just been about to check on Princess Luna when alarmed cries filled the air, drawing him toward the camp entrance one more. Sounds were coming from the trees, and the guards protecting the entrance readied themselves for a fight as an aura of darkness seemed to fill the air, promising violence. As the earth pony made it to the gates, Elias seemed to spawn from the darkness, his bad eye glowing with rage. Scratches peppered the human’s already blood-crusted body as if he’d run without stopping through the cutting branches and biting brush. If he noticed the angry red scores, he didn’t show it. If anything, the lines crossing his body only seemed to further sell his fury as he stormed into the light of the castra’s torches. The legionaries at Granite’s side hesitated to lower their weapons, but Granite waved them away as Elias stormed past them without a word. He spun on his heel and fell in step beside the silent human as they quickly moved through the camp. “General? What happened? Where are the legionaries I sent? Is Stone Horn still alive? What are we looking for?” His nose curled at the stench of blood pouring off the human, as well as the slightly sour scent of his wounds beginning to turn. Elias’ path took them toward the lean-to where the former generals were kept for the moment, and the human tossed aside the length of cloth that functioned as the door. A wordless growl echoed deep in his chest and he ripped the tent down. Granite winced and stood back as Elias tore and kicked apart the small shelter, pausing only once it was completely ruined. He panted silently for a few moments, then turned, his bad eye still glowing, narrowed and flicking about in thought. Granite swallowed and took a step toward the human, cautiously reaching out a hoof. “General, let’s go see Doctor Scalpel. Let’s get you patched up, for tomorrow, right? The ambush?” Elias’ eye widened, and his lip curled in a snarl. Then he was moving again, and with a sigh, Granite took off after him, a deep pit of dread forming in his stomach. Something bad was going to happen. Soon. ***** “You’re wrong,” Pyrelight said. “If General Bright was dead, we’d be hearing about it from more than some skulking bug. The minotaurs would be rushing the camp as we speak.” Lionheart scoffed. “Elias Bright did not contribute to the magic concealing this camp, and so I highly doubt that our enemies would be able to find it even with his death. As for celebration, I have of course read the reports about Chief Steel Horn, or rather Warchief now.” He sighed and brushed his mane back with a muddy hoof. “Before he and his brother formed their warbands, Steel Horn was considered honorable and fair to his opponents. Given that Elias spared his brother’s life, I highly doubt that he would have the human’s corpse paraded around. I instead believe he will attempt diplomatic contact on the ‘morrow with evidence of Elias Bright’s fate.” “Elias… is alive,” Luna moaned. “I have been watching the dream realm carefully, and have not felt a human disturbance…” She coughed lightly, and Steel Scalpel immediately offered water, which she eagerly sipped from. Swallowing, she continued. “Recently. Elias...” she smiled, snorting out a mist faintly colored red. “Will be a vibrant, brilliant soul I think, and will require guidance to the Keepers’ hall. I will know when he is dead.” “Forgive my insolence Princess,” Lionheart said, feeling a twinge of irritation at being questioned. “But you are weak for the moment, is it not impossible that with all that’s happened today, he slipped your net and is already with the Keepers on his way to the Verdant Fields?” ‘Or far more likely Tarturus where that vile wretch belongs,’ Lionheart thought, but wisely withheld. Luna still shook her head, sending a shock of frustration through Lionheart’s chest. “He is alive, Lionheart. He will return, be patient.” As Lionheart opened his muzzle to repeat himself, he froze, a sudden chill rushing up his spine. He’d faced down many things, powerful politicians and monsters alike. During the Canterlot invasion he had even distinguished himself by defending his estate from the changeling wretches with only a hoof full of guards, and he had done so without fear. Viscous fangs, deadly magic, and intent to enslave, yet something was approaching that made it all feel like foal’s play. The guards in the room seemed to feel the approaching presence and shifted uncomfortably in place, gripping their weapons tighter. He looked back to Luna, finding little comfort in the woozy, swaying alicorn. Her eyes barely remained open, and they were most certainly not fixed on him and his story. He… He had to press on, had to convince her, even as his tongue sat fat and dry in his flapping muzzle. The presence grew closer, pressing down his chest, making it harder to breathe, let alone speak. “P-princess, I t-think-” Lionheart managed to squeak out before it arrived. All in the tent turned as Elias Bright stormed in with Gray Granite on his heels. Lionheart locked eyes with the human, and he felt his tail fall between his legs as Elias’ bad eye twitched and his teeth bared in an open snarl, stained with blood. Luna smiled faintly, her hooves opening as if to embrace the blisteringly enraged human. “You see Lionheart? Elias is more than alive, and has returned to us. Tell him your tale, he shall track down the changelings that foalnapped Shattered Shield and Dragon Eye.” Lionheart’s throat remained dry and soundless as Elias continued to stare him down, his fists clenching and unclenching. The earth pony at his side glanced between the pair before jabbing a hoof at Lionheart’s chest. “Pyrelight, get the traitor out of here. Tie him up and put him under close guard.” The word ‘traitor’ sent a shock through Lionheart’s mind, and he immediately let out a cry of protest as the guards around him started to move forward. “I’m no traitor!” He spun toward Luna, making his expression as pleading as possible. “Princess, I swear on my life, I only act in your best interests!” “We have witnesses that say you conspired against the princesses, and this army,” Gray Granite snapped. “Now shut your mouth before I muzzle you.” Lionheart snarled back at the earth pony and his horn flickered as he prepared his magic. He’d be damned if he was dragged off to be tied to a tree again. The indignity would end now, and if she didn’t see the truth in his words, than his princess would see the value in his actions. He had to strike brutally and to the point. That would push back the brutes the human kept around him. “I’d suggest you stay back, lest you end up like that idiot pegasus friend of yours.” Granite’s eyes twitched and he bared his teeth, a hoof moving to take a step forward. He was too slow by a mile. The crack of Elias’ fist meeting Lionheart’s jaw filled the tent and blood sprayed the ground, followed closely by a tooth. Lionheart blinked in stunned silence, his legs shaking with pure shock from the speed of the attack. Pain was only beginning to register when he collapsed. He didn’t hit the ground, however. Elias was quick enough to grab him by the fur and yank him into another punch, this one in the throat. Lionheart choked and sputtered, gasping for air as Elias grabbed him by the tail, then slammed him into the dirt. A foot quickly delivered a savage kick to his ribs, then another to his flank, the aim slightly off as Lionheart instinctively tried to curl up under the barrage. Pain. Everything was hurting, blood poured from his mouth, and he couldn’t do anything other than try to endure. Elias’ stomped on the unicorn’s ribs, then again on his head. The human crouched down and grabbed Lionheart by the throat, the unicorn letting out a wheeze before he found himself flying through the air. Another crack filled the air as his spine snapped against the edge of the table, sending the heavy oaken thing falling to the ground. Elias tilted his head back and forth, watching the unicorn slowly come back to his senses. His fists clenched, and he started forward, only for a pony to get in his way. His bad eye twitched and his fist lashed out, shattering the pony’s muzzle. She started to fall backward, but Elias caught her armor and shoved her toward the entrance of the tent. Then he refocused on the piece of filth before him. He righted the table with one hand, watching as Lionheart feebly raised a hoof. Lionheart, for his part, could barely think. It had all happened so quickly, so brutally. He’d never imagined such pain, and he knew in the deepest, most terrified places in his heart that is was only going to get worse. He reached out a hoof to the wide-eyed alicorn watching the beating play out with a slack-jaw and a hint of a shiver. “Help…” he gurgled. Elias seized the unicorn by his tail again and yanked him into the air, slamming him into the table. The wind was once more blown from Lionheart’s chest and his hooves waved, either in a futile attempt to fend off further attacks, or to help him draw in more air. The next blow that fell, cracking his ribs further, made it a moot point anyway. Elias stood over Lionheart and began to rain down blows. Thick, well maintained muscles in his arms made sure each attack struck with devastating force, all with intent to harm. The first was across the unicorn’s jaw, to slow his squirming. The second to his ribs again, to cause damage and make the rest of the beating all the more painful. Then another punch followed, and another. Elias’ faced twitched as he pummeled the unicorn, making sure that every punch landed with precision and maximum force. His knuckles split as he managed to punch out several of Lionheart’s teeth, were split wider when a punch left a crack on the unicorn’s horn. He kept striking the pony. Anytime the soreness in his arm made itself known, he simply had to glance toward Luna, and his fury renewed his energy. Lionheart dared to betray his ponies, dared to risk Luna’s life for whatever idiotic reasons he had, and then had the nerve to even think of Scarlet, let alone use his death as a threat. Elias didn’t care for the reasons, didn’t want an explanation. He wanted to inflict pain, to take revenge for what the insect beneath his fists had done. Ponies had died for his cowardice. Good, innocent ponies, and more yet were harmed. All for something stupid like pride or jealousy. Scarlet, poor curious, innocent Scarlet, had likely taken his injury because Elias had been forced away to clean up Lionheart’s selfish cowardice. Elias’ lip curled and the knuckles on his left hand spattered blood onto the table as he slammed a blow across Lionheart’s muzzle. He seized one of the unicorn’s hind legs and dragged it over the edge of the table, then stomped on it. The snapping of bone and the cry of pain that followed was beautiful music in his ears, and though he was tempted to recreate the sound, a voice deep in his head took offense to such a suggestion. He was practiced at this, and repeating the same torture? It was unoriginal, a stain on his pride. His ponies had collected his gear at some point, and he had made sure to snatch some of it up before he’d stormed to the tent. Elias took the hatchet from his belt and slammed it into the table, burying the head deep in the oak surface before grabbing Lionheart’s already swollen cheeks in his left hand. He held the pony up, trying to stare into his eyes. The pony’s eyes had already swollen shut though, so he was just left to look at a bloody mess that told him nothing about how much fear the traitor felt. He snarled and his palm grabbed the pony’s face. He slammed Lionheart’s skull into the table. Then he lifted him and did it again. Then a third time. Each rise and fall of the pony’s skull happened faster, and he slammed him down harder with every repetition. On the last slam, Elias drew back and turned around, panting and staring up at the roof of the tent. Sweat poured down his face, or perhaps it was blood, everything seemed to hold a red tint to it. Elias tried to swallow, but found his mouth both too dry, yet too full of saliva at the same time. He spit into the dirt and placed his hands on his hips, his eyes falling to the ground as he slowly tried to calm himself down. Some small, insignificant and near silent part of his mind whispered how he was better than just raw anger, was better than to do what he was thinking of doing to the coward behind him. It gave him enough strength to merely stare blankly and breathe in an effort to walk away. “I… was… right…” Lionheart gurgled. Elias drew in a deep breath and looked back to the ceiling, running his tongue across his teeth. The small voice suddenly lost any volume. He glanced back at the well pummeled unicorn, saying nothing. Lionheart tried to roll onto his side, but failed. His eyes, swollen shut, still dared to look in Elias’ direction. “Just… an...” He spat out a tooth. “Animal.” Elias stared at him for a long moment, then smiled. He looked down at his feet and nodded, then chuckled shook his head slowly. Animal. That was a familiar one. He’d been called that more than once. Just a wild animal. A mad dog. A raging beast that needed put down. His tongue hit the back of his teeth and he chuckled, and nodded. The other ponies in the tent remained frozen, some eyes locked on the battered Lionheart, while others sat squarely on his well bloodied chest. Elias didn’t look toward Luna, although he could feel her eyes on him. The enraged part of him knew that he would cave if he looked at her, that he would stop. It didn’t want to stop, it never wanted to stop, not while scum like Lionheart kept breathing. The unicorn’s venomous words bouncing around his head, the enraged part of his mind was easily able to keep the reins, and he rolled his neck from side to side. His eyes flicked to rest on Lionheart’s battered body, and he moved forward. Flipping the pony on his back, Elias delivered a punch to the unicorn’s gut to drive the air from his lungs. As Lionheart gagged and started to choke, Elias’ hands wrapped around his throat and he squeezed, pressing the unicorn against the table. He bared his teeth as instinct forced Lionheart to respond, swinging blindly, even with his broken limb, to try to break the human’s iron hold. Elias felt his face twitch as he savored the frail, ineffectual swings at him. Lionheart’s face quickly turned blue, and his already weak blows grew weaker, his hooves clopping softly on the table as he blacked out. Elias released the unicorn’s throat and leaned down, listening as a wheezing breath rattled in his chest. He then stepped back, drawing the canteen from his belt and un-screwing the top. He dumped the water on Lionheart’s face, watching as the faint breathing became sputtering as the unicorn rocketed into the waking world. The bottle emptied just as Lionheart tried to roll over and Elias tossed it to the side before grabbing Lionheart’s tail, dragging him back across the table and onto his belly. As he reached for his hand-axe, the unicorn squirmed, trying to escape. Elias was forced to keep both hands on him to keep in place, and the constant motion quickly drew his ire. Elias grabbed the back of Lionheart’s head, earning him a gurgle of terrified protest which quickly morphed into a squeal of pain as he slammed the unicorn’s muzzle into the table. When Lionheart continued to squirm, Elias did it again. As another tooth clattered away, Lionheart seemed to get the message, and he fell still, shivering in place. Elias again reached for his hand-axe, then paused. He was getting ahead of himself. He couldn’t well spread the unicorn’s wings without a long cut. He needed a knife. He reached behind his back but found his dagger missing. He didn’t know where he’d left it, but didn’t much care. He was surrounded by ponies he’d had armed and armored. Knives were aplenty. He extended a hand, using the other to press down on Lionheart’s neck, keeping him pinned. “Knife.” The growled word was met with silence, and a total absence of movement. Elias waited patiently for a few seconds, his breathing like a waterfall in his ears. Why was it so loud? Why was it so quiet? He glanced back, glaring at the first pony he saw, a fiery-maned unicorn clutching a bloodied muzzle. His open palm pointed toward her, and he repeated; “Knife.” The mare stared at his hand, then looked up and met his eyes. She flinched back, shaking her head slowly as she crept backward until her rump touched the tent wall. Elias bared his teeth and looked to the next legionary, an earth pony. “Give me your knife,” Elias growled. The earth pony’s eyes also held a trace of fear, but he was able to buck up, and he took a step forward, shaking his head. “General, let’s go outside and get you fixed up. He’s had enough.” Elias hissed and released his hold on Lionheart’s neck, stomping toward one of the other legionaries. “Fucking cowards, scared of a little blood.” The pony shivered as his shadow stole the light from her face, and he didn’t ask this time, he simply snatched the knife from her sword belt and tore it free of its sheathe. He turned back toward Lionheart, only to find the earth pony blocking his way. “That’s enough,” the gray earth pony said. “I’ll have the legionaries take him away and tie him to a bed, but no more. You’re going to kill him at this rate.” Elias’ lips curled in a sneer. “Of course I’m going to kill him, it’s what he deserves.” He spun the knife in his hand. “But first I’m going to cut him open, and slowly carve him apart, so that for every single pony he’s gotten killed, he feels a thousand times the pain and fear that they had to suffer through.” He jerked his head to the side. “Now move. He’s been pain free for too long.” The earth pony spread his hooves out, his tail lashing with nervous anticipation. “No.” Elias’ bad eye twitched. “I’m going to make a blood eagle out of him because he’s a traitor.” He pointed the knife blade at the earth pony. “Do you want the same treatment?” The earth pony slowly shook his head. “General, you’re not yourself. Put down the knife and let’s go outside, then we can discuss an appropriate-” Elias snarled and stepped forward, lashing out with the knife. The earth pony dipped back, a flash of surprise in his eyes. Before Elias could swing again, the earth pony sprang forward and tackled him, his forelegs locking around Elias’ knife hand. The human bared his teeth at the pony and tried to wrench his arm free, but the earth pony’s grip was iron clad. The earth pony bit Elias’ hand just hard enough to force his grip to loosen. As the knife fell away, Elias curled his other fist and rammed into the earth pony’s gut. The pony grunted as the air was driven from his lungs, and he curled up, trying to protect his belly. Elias yanked his arm free, then shoved the pony away. He rolled to his feet and stomped on the pony’s ribs, earning another pained grunt, then bent down and took the knife from the pony’s sword belt. The earth pony wheezed and reached out to stop him, earning him another kick, this time to the muzzle. Elias spit on the pony, then turned back toward Lionheart. The unicorn hadn’t moved much, though he was once more trying to crawl his way across the table. Elias took a moment, tilting his head and watching the unicorn futilely try to paw his way to freedom. As Lionheart let out a particularly loud whimper, Elias tilted his head the other way and tossed the knife in his hand. With a flick of his wrist, the knife thudded into the table, pinning Lionheart’s tail to the oaken surface. The unicorn whimpered again as his next tug was met with resistance, and his broken hind leg milled uselessly. Elias giggled and shook his head, his rage briefly tampered by the joy he felt watching Lionheart suffer. “I’m going to enjoy this.” As he took a step forward another body barred his path, this one slightly taller than the rest. Bandages held back a wet red stain, but while there were lingering traces of confusion in the pony’s eyes, there was also an immense amount of pleading. A hoof pressed on his chest as the mare hopped onto her hind legs so that she was nearer to his eye level. “Elias, please stop,” the mare said. “This-” Elias growled and pushed forward, forcing the mare to step quickly backward. “I am tired of you all protecting this cowardly, venomous piece of shit,” he snarled, his eyes flicking to the still squirming unicorn. “And I’m going to send a message that everyone will understand about what happens to traitors.” “Elias, my friend, please do not, I don’t seek to protect Lionheart. He can burn for all he’s done.” Luna said. That caused the human to pause, and he met Luna’s eyes. She smiled and one of her hooves rose, gently stroking his cheek. “I seek to protect you my friend. You do not deserve this, your legionaries do not deserve this. Please, let us go to the healing tent, rest with your ponies. Leave Lionheart to my sister, she shall see him punished in full. Tonight, there has been enough.” Elias felt his bad eye twitch. “Enough?” His voice rumbled in a deep growl. “He hasn’t begun to be punished, and your weak sister is just going to lock him up. He deserves to die.” Luna winced, and Elias felt a touch of pressure on his chest as she tried to push him a step back. “Elias, let us be away from this. I know he has hurt you-” “Hurt me? Is that what you think this is about?” Elias bellowed, causing Luna to flinch again. “I could give a fuck that he tried to have me killed, he isn’t the first, and he won’t be the last. The worst I’d do for trying to kill me would be slitting his throat.” Elias jabbed a finger at Lionheart’s back. “That piece of shit scum got ponies killed, my ponies. He nearly got you killed, Luna. So don’t try to calm me down, don’t try to get me to walk away like I’m out of my mind. I know exactly what I want to do to him.” He stepped forward, and this time, Luna couldn’t step backward quick enough. She let out a small yelp as she fell to the side on four hooves. Some small part of him immediately tried to apologize, but it was consumed by towering fiery spirals of rage as spittle started flying from his lips. “You say that’s enough, but it’s never enough until he’s dead in the most agonizing ways ever possible.” His eyes flicked toward Lionheart again, and his feet moved forward, but hooves seized around his waist and yanked him back. As Elias snarled and reared back his elbow to break Granite’s muzzle, the other ponies in the tent finally leapt into action. Hooves seized his arms and chest and pulled him backward, yelling out a dozen conflicting things, from orders to hold him tight, to trying to calm the human down. Unable to throw fists, Elias began throwing words. “I’ll kill him!” he bellowed. “How many lives he’s taken, I’ll fucking kill him and smile while I do it!” “Elias please, you’re going to hurt yourself,” Luna continued to plead. “We will deal with Lionheart, please, just calm-” “That’s not enough,” Elias lurched free for just a moment, spitting his words directly in the alicorn’s face. Hooves again seized him and pulled him back. “I want him dead, and I want to be the one who kills him. I want to feel him die with my bare hands. If I get anything out of this stupid, miserable life, it’ll be the feeling of his heart stopping, of his neck snapping like a twig in my fists, because I won’t let your weak-willed sister put him away to try and “help” him.” The ponies pulled him back another step despite Elias straining with all his might to move forward again. He wouldn’t let the unicorn survive, he had to get to him and make him hurt. “Elias,” Luna attempted to soothe, lowering her voice and taking a step closer to the fighting human. “I can assure you, that once we are back in Canterlot, Lionheart will face the full punishment for his crimes, but you need to calm down, or it will color a trial in a bad light, and he will be seen as sympathetic to those not here.” “Let me go!” he snarled in Pyrelight’s face. The mare’s eyes closed, but she continued to cling tight to him. Elias bared his teeth and looked again toward Luna. “A trial? Sometimes a piece of shit is a piece of shit Luna, and they need to die in the most terrifying, horrible way imaginable so all the other little pieces of shit stay in line. He doesn’t need a trial, he needs to be dead or all the other little pieces of shit will know they can get away with whatever they like and you’ll just slap their wrist and put them in a comfy cell.” Luna swallowed, her eyes teary as she reached out and gingerly touched his heaving chest. “Elias, enough. Please. This is over.” His face twitched as his eyes flicked all around. More ponies had flooded the tent, likely drawn by the noise, and they stood between him and Lionheart. He couldn’t fight through them all, not without killing some. That fact only caused his anger to burn hotter and he yanked himself free of the ponies holding him to scream wordlessly into the alicorn’s face. She recoiled, and ponies moved between them as well, nervous eyes flicking back and forth between the pair. Deep in his chest, Elias felt a pang of hurt, chased quickly by further fury. “Fucking cowards,” he spat, his mismatched gaze scanning the ponies for a single set of eyes willing to meet his. “Rely on the human for all your dirty work, have him make all the hard choices, take all the risks, but when the blood starts flowing a little too much, has a bit too little glory, suddenly you turn your noses up.” He spat a red glob of phlegm at Luna’s hooves, then glared at the alicorn, daring her to complain, or try to argue his point. The mare simply stared at him with pained sadness in her tear-filled eyes. The look was enough for him to turn away, the pain in his chest growing. “I’m going outside to continue waging your war in the way that will keep your ponies safe,” he snarled over his shoulder. “No matter if you like it or not.” His eyes flicked toward Gray Granite and he jerked his head toward the tent exit. “Grab my weapons, and let’s go. We still have dogs to string up as bait for tomorrow.” He made to storm out, but paused when he found he wasn’t being followed. He turned, his face still twitching as he looked back at Granite. “Centurion? Unless you lost your hearing, I gave an order. I expect you to follow it.” Granite remained still for a moment, his hoof idly rubbing at his bloodied muzzle. He then took a few steps forward, stopping just before Elias. “General, I think it would be better if you had your injuries treated and a good night of sleep. Lets postpone the ambush for a few days until we have the rest of the army.” Elias’ hands tightened into fists, and the legionaries around them moved closer. “Do not.” Granite winced, but pressed on, talking quickly. “We’ve made too much noise, and if changelings are already working with the minotaurs, they’ll know about the ambush. It’s better to wait, rest up and rethink our-” “Fucking coward!” Elias roared. Pila immediately dropped and pointed his way, keeping him at arm’s length, but Granite immediately pushed them down, whirling on the legionaries. “Put your weapons away!” he snapped. “General Bright and I are discussing strategy, nothing more.” He fixed the ponies with a glare as he turned to face the human once again. “I’m not afraid-” He grunted as a fist smashed into his cheek. The spears again blocked Elias from coming closer, and this time Granite didn’t stop them, instead staring up at Elias with tears in his eyes as he rubbed his cheek. Elias felt more pain in his chest, but continued ignoring it. “The troops will be ready by dawn tomorrow to execute an ambush or I will have all deserters executed,” Elias said, his fists, clenching and unclenching. “Since you’ve decided that this is a vacation where we sit and do nothing, you can sit back with the reserves and watch the real legionaries do the hard work you pitiful little coward. Storm Chaser will be my second, and Ice Blossom will command the other half of the ambush. You will remain in the rear, and you will do nothing.” His gaze flicked up to the other legionaries filling the tent. “And you can keep this lot with you. You wretched little cowards can do all the sitting you want.” Ears wilted, and eyes were downcast. Granite in particular shrank low to the ground, and tears fell to the dirt. Elias sneered at the ponies and let out a snort, then nodded toward the moaning Lionheart. “Now since you love him so much, go kiss the duke’s boo boos. Give him a hug maybe. Maybe that will fix the mountain of dead that you’d let sit unpunished at his hooves.” With a final huff, Elias turned and stormed away, leaving the tent in silence. Nobody spoke for a long few moments, but eventually Granite got to his hooves, sniffing and rubbing the tears from his eyes. “To work ponies,” he mumbled. “Pyrelight, get Lionheart treated, then I want him in a cage. A small one. Keep him by the river, hopefully it’ll rain and he’ll get washed away.” The unicorn nodded and she nudged another legionary to help her drag Lionheart away. The battered stallion let out a cry of pain as they dragged him off the table, but if the pair cared, they didn’t show it. They let his broken leg drag in the grass as they pulled him to the healing tent. Granite limped over to the table, wincing and rubbing at his ribs where he’d been stomped on. He took Elias’ weapons and set them in his sword belt, letting out a mumble of thanks as one of his legionaries slipped his knife back into it’s sheathe. He drew his cleaning rag and his canteen out, then started scraping at the blood staining the table. Absentmindedly he said; “Everyone back to your posts, or back to bed. We need to be ready for the ambush General Bright is getting prepared, and it will be less stress on his head if he returns to find ponies rested and ready. Luna knows…” he coughed and cleared his head, doing his best not to glance at the blue alicorn standing silently to the side. “Celestia knows he has enough stress as it is.” “Centurion, that wasn’t stress,” one of the ponies said. “You can’t believe that that-” Granite whirled on the mare and snarled, earning him a flinch from the remaining ponies in the tent. “You’d better believe I do. General Bright has had to deal with treason, the deaths of several legionaries, and the death of one of his best friends. If you think he’s any less than out of his mind with worry and stress about keeping the rest of us safe, then I’m not really sure why you’re wearing red.” The mare gulped, and she bowed her head. “S-sorry. I just… I’ve never seen him like that. He… He didn’t even seem to realize he was talking to his ponies. The way he attacked you...” Granite sighed and nudged the mare toward the tent exit. “He was holding back when he hit me.” His ribs again ached, as if punctuating the lie, but he pressed on. “It’s just stress, don’t worry too much. He’ll come back and apologize once he’s cooled off and some things have gone right. Let’s just help him out with that, yeah?” He looked to the other remaining legionaries in the tent, and though some still had some doubt in their eyes, they nodded, and most moved to leave as well. Granite smiled and nudged the mare out. “Get some rest. He’s probably not going to remember any faces but mine, so I’ll make sure everypony is still assigned with their battlebuddies, don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine.” The mare sighed, some disbelief still in her eyes as well, but she nodded and trudged off toward her tent. Gray Granite paused as the mare departed, and he vaguely realized that he had learned something about Elias; he’d learned why he never stopped moving. All of the pain of the encounter, especially the human’s harsh, venomous words, caught up with him and he fell back onto his rump. Tears welled at the corners of his eyes, but he wiped them away and hardened his heart. Elias wouldn’t want him crying, in fact, he’d extended an olive branch, slight though it was. Elias had wanted his help, and only after he’d been refused had he gotten personal with him… Granite sighed and tapped his forehead with a hoof. “Stupid,” he muttered. “He wanted a friend with him and you said no. How can you be so stupid?” “You acted out of worry, not stupidity,” Luna said, trotting over to sit beside him. “You proposed a plan to remain at his side and help him rest. He will recognize your attempt to help with time to cool down. Elias didn’t mean his words, he is simply as you say; over-stressed. He believes himself beset on all sides because of Lionheart, and…” She moaned and held a hoof to her chest. Steel Scalpel quickly moved before her and charged his horn, the magic flickering slightly. “Sorry,” he said. “Just a little… rattled. Elias… I’ve been on the receiving end of his anger, but that was worse. Much worse.” “Worse is an understatement,” Granite mumbled. “He didn’t ever stop wanting to kill Lionheart. Not even at the end. He still wants to kill him I imagine.” He sniffled slightly. “And he… it was like Elias didn’t see me. He was my first friend because he noticed me. Seeing him look right through me… I almost wanted to let him kill Lionheart. If that’s what got my friend back...” “Do not think on Elias’ actions. They were those of a pony in unimaginable pain, his emotional wounds still fresh and now ripped anew. He should be forgiven, should you be willing.” Luna groaned, and her hoof fell to her chest. “Keep a close guard on Lionheart. I have no doubts that he is guilty of the crimes Elias has… punished him for, but we need evidence, and we cannot draw memories from a corpse. Once we return to Canterlot, the court mages shall find the truth, and he shall be punished. If that is by the first public hanging in a millennia, then so be it.” Both Granite and Scalpel looked to the glowering princess with wide eyes, and she snorted in reply. “My banishment lasted both an eternity, and a few moments. It was one long dream, at least in my memory. I recall well the public executions we conducted in the old castle, and if Lionheart is guilty of what he’s been accused, he deserves no less. Elias’ methods of punishment are merely more… brutal, than I think the common ponies will accept.” Her lip curled and she winced in pain as Scalpel’s magic sputtered again. “A traitorous murderer, however? Elias was right in one thing. A clear example of how that is punished is needed from time to time. Lionheart will be such, of that you, and he, have my word. Merely the method by which that example will be made must change.” She let out a wheezing sigh, and the energy left her hunched and small as her anger faded. “I must rest. Centurion Granite, see to the camp. Elias will return to us in his own time. Hopefully with cooled temper that we might apologize for having to stand in his way, and then guide him toward the proper path.” Granite nodded slowly. “Of course, Princess. I’ll make sure everything is ready.” He rose stiffly and offered a bow, then trotted from the tent as Scalpel led Luna to bed. ***** The rope burned his hands as he yanked the knot tight. Blood dripped from the dead diamond dog’s belly-wound onto his arm, and he shook it off, taking a step back to make sure the corpse wouldn’t fall off the tree trunk before moving on to the next. Already he’d strung up most of the dogs his troops had gathered, as well as put the minotaur corpses on spikes. Their heads sat at the edge of the forest, placed to draw all eyes toward a path strewn with corpses. Though much of the blood had been left behind in the clearing, the minotaur corpses were still fresh enough to leave splatters here and there, painting the perfect grisly picture for his soon to be guests. A pony was watching him. He wasn’t sure why, but their silence was driving him mad. The legionaries had left the wagons on his orders, apparently unawares of his… outburst, in camp. They’d learn soon enough however, and they’d turn their backs too. It was what all of them would do. It was better that they did. He’d known that from the start, and had stupidly allowed them to remain close. Luna was against him now. He’d seen the hurt in her eyes, but she had defended the traitor, so he supposed she’d finally decided to cut ties with the beast she’d so foolishly let into her castle in favor of one of her own. He chuckled at that. All of Lionheart’s talk had apparently gotten to the ponies he’d thought his soldiers, his friends. The unicorn had made decisions that resulted in hundreds of deaths, yet the human who was rightly punishing him for such crimes was the wild animal deserving of ridicule and expulsion. He still couldn’t quite wrap his head around that particular leap in logic, but he supposed it didn’t matter. Luna was in even less of a position to give orders than before, so he had time to complete his mission before more barricades to success arrived. He hesitated only momentarily before raising his hammer to start driving the nails into the dog. How were Night Flash and Book Binder going to react to this little incident… He shook his head and kept going, nailing one arm to the tree, then the other. The dog’s throat was cut, so there was little he had to do to keep him upright. Elias quickly grabbed another corpse from the wagon and pulled it to another vacant tree, pointedly ignoring the pony who was still sitting with eyes locked on his every movement. He just needed to finish. All of the rage and hatred he felt for Lionheart was perfect for his bloody mess of work, and even better, there was the intimidation factor. When the minotaurs saw a gore covered human charging them with the hatred he had for traitors, he was sure some of them would at least hesitate, and hesitation was deadly. Dawn was near, and he wondered briefly if he’d hear their cries of anguish from camp. His fist clenched tighter around the hilt of the hammer as he drove in more nails, imagining each blow caved in Lionheart’s skull, the unicorn wailing in pain, over and over again… His bad eye twitched as his rage started to climb again. He couldn’t think about the traitor. He’d do something stupid then, maybe even drive his legionaries even further away. With what he’d done to Granite... He bared his teeth as he finished with the dog and moved back to the wagon, dragging one of the last diamond dogs out, pulling the smelly beast over to another tree. Gray Granite was a coward. It was that simple. What had resulted was because of his cowardice and no more. That’s what Elias had been repeating in his head for the past hour or so at least, trying to find some reason, some excuse to justify striking one of his best friends. Granite was one of the most loyal, had questioned him the least… Was even now waiting with more kind words about rest and waiting for the rest of the army. Just silently watching him work, the idiot having declined in front of his legionaries, now come to just watch. Not to help, not to apologize or even offer his cowardly words, he came to watch Elias break his back stringing up a dozen or more corpses. “The least you could do is help,” he growled. “Otherwise, go back to camp. You need to be ready for the ambush.” The pony said nothing for a long moment, and Elias rolled his eyes, his hammer strikes falling harder. “Oh let me guess; I should rest? Should take the day off, go sit by the river? Maybe waste some time hugging frail ponies who will die if I don’t kill all of these fucking cows?” Elias glanced over his shoulder, the pony still shrouded in shadow as the dawn crept across the grass. “Because you know that’s whats going to happen if I can’t break the siege, right? Do you think the minotaurs will just let us leave? If we turn away, its because we’re weak. Then its another two week slog hauling wounded ponies at a snails pace while getting harassed by whatever idiot decides to take us on.” He scoffed and shook his head. “Idiot. No, I’m the idiot. Whoever attacked a retreating army with relentless ambushes would just be following textbook, and while I’m sure they don’t do a lot of reading, I’m more than confident Steel Horn is smart enough to come up with that plan, and because I do something stupid like care, I won’t be able to effectively counter. Can’t leave the wounded as bait, can’t entrench, because we’ll starve and he’ll only draw reinforcements from dogs, and changelings, and whatever else scum creep in these damn trees. Trio of princesses ripe for the picking? Fuck, I’m surprised we haven’t had more attacks than just the minotaurs. It wasn’t like we were sneaky, it wasn’t like we did something smart like use airships, or whatever else. No, we had to make a fucking statement. Had to prove Equestria is strong, despite the fact that said strength has been in diplomacy for the last thousand years!” He let out a loud exhale, his breath short, his chest hurting slightly. The nights exertion and injuries started to creep up on him, but he snarled, trying to force more adrenaline into his system with pure rage alone. The pony still hadn’t said a thing, still hadn’t moved. “Well?” he challenged. “Are you going to say something? Tell me how I’m an evil bastard who deserves nothing? How I went too far punishing that scum fuck, sub-human piece of traitorous filth? What? Why are you just sitting there?” He still received no answer, the pony remaining dead silent as the orange rays of sunlight crept across his feet, truly showing how much blood stained the grass. Elias felt his face twitch, the hammer bouncing in his hand. His breath quickened and rationality faded as silence continued to reign. “Do something,” he growled. “Say your piece, scream at me, belittle me, just do something. I will not be judged in silence.” The pony said nothing, and that sent his building rage to its maximum in an instant. He whirled on his heel and launched the hammer at the pony. “Will you fucking do something?” he screeched. The dawn light touched the pony just as the hammer left his hands, and Elias could only let out a gasp as he beheld a pegasus with crimson fur. The hammer passed through the pony and he vanished, leaving Elias alone. In the long orange rays of dawn, Elias looked down at himself, finding hands and armor caked in blood, old and new, flaking black and dripping red. He looked up again to where the pegasus… His throat choked up, and he felt tears try to blur his vision, but just as quickly, he let out a bellow. “You think I care what you think?” he screamed into the empty air. “You’re just like the rest! I should have made you stay home, should have known your worthless ass was going to get killed the second we saw a fight.” The trees started to fill with birdsong, as if to show that the world itself was ignoring him. Elias let out a wordless scream of frustration, tearing a knife from his belt and plunging it over and over into the corpse before him, mangling its belly beyond recognition. Elias staggered, suddenly out of breath and soaked in sweat. He fell to his knees, holding onto the tree to stay upright as he continued to sweat, his eyes wide and locked onto the grass. He… It was nothing. Just some phantom, some hallucination that his crazed mind had conjured. It wasn’t the first time, hell, he was surprised that he hadn’t yet had his other half come out screaming and whining. Scarlet… Scarlet was gone. He’d died because of his actions, and because of Lionheart. He wasn’t coming back in any way, shape, or form. Even if his spirit was lost, Luna would have seen to getting him to the afterlife. What business could the pegasus possibly still have…? Elias growled and his grip on his knife tightened as he shot to his feet, again shouting into the trees. “Leave me alone Scarlet! I don’t need some ghost haunting me. Go to your heaven, have a happy afterlife.” An afterlife I won’t get, he thought. His lip curled at the selfish thought, and he again screamed. “I don’t need your help you stupid bird! I don’t need anybody’s help to see this through! I am the best killer this world has seen, and I will kill until I win!” He wiped his knife off and tucked it back into his belt before stalking forward, snatching up the hammer, throwing it into one of the wagons as the first alarmed cry left the minotaurs’ stockade. He glared across the field at them, a specter painted in blood, eager to spill more. His hands clenched and he stared for a long few moments as large shadows moved across the stockades. Turning away, he continued muttering under his breath. “Just leave me alone. Let me get this done, and then I can leave everyone to go back to how things were before I came along.” A chill breeze made the hairs on his neck rise, and a voice, almost sad, whispered in his ear. ‘It’s not your fault…’ ‘Yes it is,’ another voice hissed. ‘Every single death has been a result of your actions...’ Elias continued moving into the trees, his bad eye twitching as he did his best to ignore the pair of voices now warring in his head. > Chapter 72: Ambush > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steel Horn stood atop his wooden battlements, staring out toward the grisly display marking the edge of the woods. It was either sour luck or the work of the ponies, but the wind was blowing from the east, carrying the stench of blood and the beginnings of decay toward his bulls. They’d been able to hear screaming most of the night, and at dawn one of the missing bulls had approached the gates, bloodied and traumatized, but coherent enough to deliver a brief story, and one half of a message. ‘Surrender, I have your brother.’ Steel Horn had sent the bull off to drink his sorrows away as the second half of the message shined crimson in the dawn. He watched his scouts tromp toward the treeline, but he already knew what they were going to find. It turned his stomach, even at distance, but he knew what fresh heads on spikes looked like. He’d never liked such “displays of strength”, especially didn’t like when other chieftains used skulls to decorate their meadhalls. It was barbaric, and pointless. Captured shields and weapons, those were prizes, not body parts. To see the fallen mangled… He sighed and rubbed his forehead. Stone Hoof stood beside him, his massive hands clenched around the railing of the battlement. “He will return Stone Horn untouched or I will personally flay the skin from his wretched hide,” the elder bull snarled. “I thought him a worthy opponent, thought he had a shred of honor, but this-” “Shut up,” Steel Horn grumbled. “Even the pile of ponyshit Half-Horn told us said that Stone Horn led an ambush against a barely armed human, and an unarmed princess. I’m sure its far worse in fact, and the fact that Stone Horn still lost is a sign that he’s an even bigger idiot than you. Were he not my brother, I’d happily be rid of him. The Keepers clearly don’t support his acts, look at his repeated failures.” The timber snapped in Stone Hoof’s hands and he whirled on his eldest son. Steel Horn straightened, towering over even the large elder. He snorted in Stone Hoof’s face and moved forward, forcing him to step back. “Go ahead, challenge me,” he growled. “I would happily be rid of you too. I warned you that this was too risky, that we should have kept the army together and forced the Equestrians to negotiate for a princess, but you stupidly listened to your lesser whelp and got all the rest of the chieftains to divide the army.” He motioned all around them. “Now look where we are. The Saddle Arabians continue to resist, with their armies no doubt summoned from abroad, and the Equestrians have arrived to keep us pinned in place at the best. Time is on their side, and now your idiot calf gets more of my bulls killed pursuing some grudge match against a clearly superior warrior.” He stuck his finger in Stone Hoof’s face as the elder bull wilted away. “I should just leave this, call Elias Bright’s bluff, see if he mounts Stone Horn’s empty head on a stick next. By the Keepers I should thank him for doing so. It would certainly have spared me bulls had he executed Stone Horn the first time.” A cry from the treeline drew his attention and he felt his head pound as a familiar figure rushed from the trees, sword in hand. The trio of scouts drew their weapons too slow, and the first fell clutching his neck. The human threw a knife at the second, the blade sending a glint across the field as it found a home in the bull’s thigh. As he fell, the third turned tail and ran, leaving his fellows to their fates, not that Steel Horn could wholly blame him. The human moved quick, and within short order another pair of bodies sat propped up as a mockery. Steel Horn felt a slight chill as the human paused, staring at him from across the grassy plain. It was impossible over the near mile of distance, he knew that, but it still felt like those mismatched eyes were staring into his, daring him to come out, challenging him. Steel Horn had faced many challengers, had bested each one, and while he still felt the usual heat welling in his chest, the ancestral rage that had led him to so many victories, this time it was just slightly tampered. Not with fear, he feared only for his son and his long-suffering bride, not his own life. No, he felt just the slightest trace of doubt. Doubt that he’d win, doubt that he should even try to. He had become a powerful, well-respected warchief through his intelligence, and his unmatched will. He’d never once felt truly challenged, not since he was a child. Yet staring across the field, matching the human’s gaze, Steel Horn could only sigh and rub his brow. “Poor fool,” he mumbled. “In a better life, you and I would be brothers. You’d be a better brother than who I have now.” “Barbaric monster,” Stone Hoof spat from beside him. “We must act. He will kill Stone Horn and… and…” Steel Horn heard a sob, then closed his eyes as the old bull collapsed to his knees, weeping openly. “He’s going to kill my son. He’s going to kill Stone Horn, and then you, and then everyone here. I will have nothing left.” Steel Horn couldn’t bare to look at the weeping bull, just stared out across the grass as the human turned away and again vanished into the trees. After a few moments he said; “Then find your courage and get on your feet. I am not content to sit here and wait for death.” Stone Hoof looked up, the faintest traces of hope in his eyes at the sharp words. Steel Horn let out a near inaudible snort and waved him away, unable to bear the sight of the self-disgracing bull. “Bring me Chieftain Khari, and try to dry your tears. I need my warriors inspired for the fight ahead, and their elder weeping will not inspire confidence. They are already beginning to fear the human, you showing them yet more fear will not help.” Stone Hoof flinched, but nodded, continuing to dry his face as he got to his feet. He bowed, then trotted down the battlement, his shoulders sagged. Steel Horn simply stared off toward the trees, his fingers tapping against the railing. The human was crafty, but he wasn’t some apocalyptic magician. Stone Horn was an idiot who had misused his forces, but he had damaged the Equestrian army, proving that while strong, they were not invincible. They’d stopped in their approach to Saddle Arabia after all, and even now his scouts reported that most of the army was still limping along, recovering its strength in anticipation of the battle to come. That fact was baffling to him. A scouting party was to be expected, even scouting in force. Attacking his foraging parties, that too made sense, they were small, easy wins that allowed the human’s forces to vanish into the trees while picking at his bulls, enraging them, making them irritable and sloppy. Already there were nearly a dozen fights a night over the little arguments that kept tribes from uniting. It was the promise of great battles and glory that had united most of the tribes, and the death by a thousand cuts the human was inflicting was only making the already boring siege even more straining on the carefully maintained peace. Elias Bright surprised him though. Had he been in the human’s place, he would have continued the probing, the little stabs to enrage his enemy. With Stone Horn’s ambush… Steel Horn took a deep breath, tapping the rail. He wasn’t quite sure how he’d react to that. The surviving bull said they’d manage to wound Princess Luna, and even now Steel Horn wanted to throttle his idiot brother. How Elias had managed to avoid cutting him in two, he didn’t know, but using him as bait, that also made no sense. The human couldn’t possibly believe that he’d win any major battle with his smaller force, not unless he’d seen the rest of his army arrive. The last report Steel Horn had received, however, still put the main Equestrian force another day away at least. If he went after Elias with even half of his minotaurs, the human would be hopelessly outmatched, disguised camp or no. To openly bait a battle… but what else could the human do? Killing Stone Horn would demand he go out and fight in response anyway. Letting him go would just lead to another ambush, if Steel Horn didn’t lock his wayward brother up first, and then they’d be back at square one. He supposed General Bright’s actions made enough sense, the human was trying to make the battle favor him by making the fight begin on his terms. He sighed and continued tapping, his almost-smile making a return. He’d never had to think this hard about an opponent before. Moves within moves, what was genuine, what was bait? If the stakes weren’t high, it’d almost be fun. He glanced back at the sound of hoofsteps and clattering, and his nose twitched as the zebra chieftain, Khari, ascended the battlement. The zebra chief gave him a respectful nod before hopping his forelegs up to stand and stare out beside him. “I am here. How do we fight, Warchief? My warriors are as eager as your own.” Steel Horn took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the still gruesome display. He hated it the more he looked at it. He turned and bellowed out a command to one of the minotaurs on the ground. “Ground Breaker! Take fifty warriors and clear those bodies! If the human attacks you, kill him, but nobody enters the trees! And take shields, he may have ponies lying in wait.” The tall bull nodded and he jogged away toward one of the ramshackle ale halls. Steel Horn turned back to the field and nodded to the faraway trees. “He will be waiting there I think. You are an expert in ambushes, is there a way to counter him in the trees, or do I leave my brother to die?” Khari hummed thoughtfully, his regalia clattering as he tilted his head this way and that. “I will take scouts through the land, but if I were to guess, I think he would spring a trap along a path. How else are you to find him?” He sniffed and tapped the gold rod spearing his nose. “But you cannot bring many warriors. This one is no simple pony. He has some of their softness, but not nearly enough. He is crafty, he will cheat if he believes he will win.” He chuckled. “He would fit in well with changelings I think. Vicious, sneaky.” His tone darkened, and his smile widened as he looked up toward Steel Horn. “But I am also sneaky. My warriors are sneaky. I can win your brother back, Warchief. Your warriors may not like it however.” Steel Horn waved him away. “My warriors will like winning well enough, and General Bright will give them a fight. How that fight starts, they can get over.” He again nodded to the trees. “Go, find out what you can. I’ll prepare a small band of warriors. Hopefully it will be enough.” Khari’s eyes twinkled. “Trust me, Warchief, we shall be more than plenty.” ***** Elias waited in the middle of the game path, shield on his arm, loaded down with pila. Beside him stood Storm Chaser, the tall pegasus glancing up at him every once and awhile. There had been nothing quiet about his confrontation with Lionheart, and with Granite remaining with the reserves, all the ponies could still feel his burning anger from the night before. The fact that his armor was still painted with dried blood did nothing to help his image, but he didn’t care. If anything, it was going to help intimidate the minotaurs, and if it won him the fight that much sooner, then the ponies could cope. So long as they were alive to do so. He did his best not to look to the small mounds of dirt and brush behind which many of his legionaries were hiding with Ice Blossom. The place was an obvious spot for an ambush, one of a dozen that he could’ve chosen. The land was pockmarked with small delves and trenches as the forest moved away from Saraj, the one he’d chosen was on of the largest, consisting of ten-foot drops of sheer stone to either side of a game path that was no wider than four ponies shoulder to shoulder. If the minotaurs tried climbing them, the legionaries hidden a few yards back could easily spring forward and cut them down before raining javelins on any bulls trapped in the delve. If the minotaurs tried to flank, the ponies, well-hidden in the brush artificially thickened on the cliffs, would be able to fight a quick holding action while some ran back to warn him, letting the strike force escape with little casualties. Then he’d be free to string Stone Horn from the palisades... Elias closed his eyes and tilted his head from side to side, cracking his neck. He felt stiff, the scores still decorating his arms and legs aching and pulling as they tried to heal despite his lack of care. Bandages were wrapped around his knuckles, stained black with dried blood, and they too ached, but he did his best to ignore the pain, taking his flask from his belt and unscrewing his cap as he continued to think. They were to close one end of the delve, and with javelins raining down on them from either side, the bulls would be forced to die trying to hack through the shield wall, or turn and run, where a few pegai were set to dive at them from the trees. If none of the bulls ran, Pyrelight was under orders to set fire to the other end of the delve, while Granite was to move forward and fortify the shield wall with fresh reinforcements. With any luck, Steel Horn would come forward himself, and the battle would be decisive. The siege would end with minimal losses, and then as a hero, he could deal with Lionheart and Stone Horn properly before the rest of the army arrived. Simple. His plan just had to work. A horn call from the trees made the ponies around him jolt into readiness, little clatters of javelins bumping off their shining steel armor filling the air as they shuffled into tighter formation. Elias tapped his fingers on his gladius hilt as a troupe of minotaurs stomped through the trees along the game path, armed to the teeth, but seemingly unsurprised to find him waiting with his own armored troops. Elias took a long pull from his flask, earning him a disgusted look from the pegasus beside him. “What is that filth? I can smell it from here,” Storm Chaser protested, his muzzle curling. “That’d better not be gryphon vodka, that’s illegal outside Bordertown!” “Why don’t you worry about them rather than how I chose to self-medicate,” Elias grumbled, savoring the burn he felt in his throat. The pain in his hands quickly began to dull, and he clenched his fist tight around the shaft of his javelin as his the fog of exhaustion was replaced by a lighter fog of intoxication. Better to fight with a dulling agent than tired though. Storm Chaser huffed, but his eyes turned forward, eyeing the approaching bulls. Steel Horn led the group of thirty hulking warriors, his shining horn enough to distinguish him from the rest of the bulls, even with his helmet on. He paused his band before entering the delve, looking up at the short stony cliffs with an appraising eye before looking toward Elias. “Let us talk, General Bright!” he called, spreading his hands. “I recognize that my brother has done heinous, dishonorable things in the name of my cause, but he will be punished if he is returned to me. Of that you have my word.” He nodded toward the center of the delve. “So let us speak, warrior to warrior.” The minotaur drew the sword on his hip and stabbed it into the soft, leafy dirt before removing his helmet and setting it on the hilt. He moved forward slowly, but confidently, keeping his hands outstretched and his palms up. Elias’ bad eye twitched and his lip curled in a sneer. His grip tightened around the hilt of his pilum, and almost instinctively he started calculating the distance to Steel Horn’s heart. Idly he asked; “What do you think that is, two-hundred feet?” The words were barely more than a mumble as he tilted his head to the side. “General, something isn’t right, don’t go up t-” “Shut up,” Elias snapped, cutting Storm Chaser off. “Keep the legionaries in position unless they try to kill me.” He stabbed the butt of his pilum into the ground and snatched his helmet off, plopping it atop the spear point before striding forward. His long, quick steps had him arrive at the center of the delve before Steel Horn, and he rested his hand on his hip, impatiently tapping his fingers as the bull closed the remaining distance. “I should’ve strung Stone Horn up for what he did. I still might just for the fun of it, so talk quickly before I get bored and start taking pieces to pass the time.” Steel Horn grimaced and his hands dropped. “I don’t respond well to acts of barbarity, General Bright. We are both proud, honorable warriors. I will forgive your barbarism against my warriors this morning only because they died like cowards. You have my sincerest apologies for my brother’s actions.” “Save it.” Elias spat into the dirt at Steel Horn’s hooves. “I want to hear what you think is a worthwhile price for getting him back in one piece. I think you already know what I want, but I want to hear what insult you think is worth your coward brother.” Steel Horn’s muzzle twitched, and he let out a snort that covered his nose ring with steam. Elias’ bad eye twitched again, but he didn’t break eye contact with the bull. To do so would be a sign of weakness, and he had all the cards so far. He couldn’t move back a single step. “You would have us leave, abandon our siege and our hope of a princess to guide us.” Elias snorted. “Seeing as your warriors damn near killed Princess Luna, I think you know the answer.” Steel Horn sighed and he rubbed his brow, mumbling under his breath. “Idiot calf, my life would be easier if you were dead.” Dropping his hands, he said; “I again apologize, and even offer our finest healers. Princess Luna-” “I already in the care of her loyal ponies and recovering,” Elias cut in. “What do you think your brother’s life is worth Warchief Steel Horn? Give me a straight answer or I’ll give you his head.” Steel Horn’s nose twitched again, and Elias could see a burning fury smoldering away in his eyes as he fought to control his temper. The minotaur’s thick, corded muscles flexed as he exhaled, his thin tail flicking. “I will allow more food to be brought into Saraj. A weeks worth, you and your warriors can take it in.” Elias blinked in surprise. It wasn’t anywhere near what he wanted to happen, but if he could take in food as well as his legionaries, they’d be able to pinch the minotaurs between two coordinated forces. He had no contact with the defenders of Saraj, but he could easily contact Night Flash and Book Binder from within the city. They could coordinate attacks, and what was better, Luna wouldn’t be stuck in some tent, exposed to attacks. She’d be protected by a palace. Hell, with a big enough distraction he could smuggle Celestia and Cadence into the city, finish the portal and then flood the city with food and reinforcements from Canterlot. His ears detected something particular in Steel Horn’s words, however, and he squinted at the bull. “Me and my warriors, what of Princess Luna?” “She will be safe in my care,” Steel Horn said. “I will personally escort her to the rest of your army, and will present my case. They are not so far away, perhaps a day. A week will be plenty of time for our negotiations.” The bull knew he only had some of his troops, that was mildly troubling, but not unexpected. He hadn’t exactly been fighting like he had the full might of Equestria at his back after all. Elias tapped on his sword belt again. “And what’s to stop you from running off with her once we’re in the city?” Steel Horn smiled, the motion lacking… something. Elias wasn’t sure, but he continued to scan the bull’s face, trying to read it for any hints of deception. Perhaps that was what it was lacking. Perhaps the bull before him was trying to be genuine. Elias wasn’t so sure he wanted to deal with genuine. It was harder to be angry at it. “You will keep Stone Horn with you, and I will offer more hostages, as well as food to keep them fed, separate what you carry in. I will give you my father, as well as fifty of my best warriors!” Elias tilted his head and smiled. There was the catch, but his brain was quickly able to offer a much better idea. “No. I want your wife and son.” The words died in Steel Horn’s throat, and all of the fury fled his body as a touch of fear entered his eyes. His muzzle flapped, and Elias’ smile widened. “Come now, Warchief, you just admitted that you’d be better off without your brother, which means your father sent you out here to get him. Two troublemakers and fifty warriors you claim are your best? Those aren’t hostages, those are favors. You’d snatch Princess Luna away, and then make her a million promises about how you will protect all her friends and loved ones if she stays. Then I’m trapped in Saraj to starve with all the rest while you try to figure out a way to convince, or coerce her. You want me to trust that you’ll just go to the rest of my army to meet with the other princesses? Give me your family.” He snorted and looked up the side of the delve, toward the sunlight filtering through the canopy. “Surely you trust an honorable warrior like myself to keep them safe.” His eyes flicked back to Steel Horn. “Unless of course you’ve been lying?” Steel Horn shook his head, but his words came meekly. “I wouldn’t… but I will not give them up. Not my wife, not my son. You understand, you have-” Elias sneered. “Nothing, Warchief. This is all I have, and you’re trying to take it away from me. I suggest you try a little better than lies and backstabbing to win me-” His bad eye twitched a third time, and he looked to Steel Horn’s left. The sunlight shimmered as something equine shaped moved, and with wide eyes, Elias raised his shield. He was just quick enough, the dart skipping off the scutum and nicking his ear before clattering off the stony wall. Immediately he felt a burning sensation, followed quickly by his ear going completely numb. Elias’ gaze flicked to Steel Horn. The bull let out a bellow and tore the battleaxe from his back, sending it cleaving through the air. A javelin pierced his shoulder, making the bull bellow in pain, the axe swing carving into the dirt at Elias’ side. The human finally recovered his senses, and he drew Feather, lashing out with the gladius and cutting at the still-hidden equine. The enchanted steel momentarily caught on something before biting into the neck of the creature. Crimson blood sprayed as the hidden equine staggered away before collapsing. The blood painted the golden jewelry the zebra wore, but Elias could focus no more time on the dead equine. He and Steel Horn both staggered back as their soldiers poured into the delve, racing to overtake their leader and kill the other while he was still exposed. With the advantage of their smaller size, the ponies were quicker, and Elias was able to spit out an order to make sure they didn’t rush headlong to their deaths. “Shield wall!” The ponies started to skid on the leaf-covered forest floor, but managed to stop their forward momentum and start jamming their shields into place to halt the rush of minotaurs. Elias stumbled as he ran toward the safety of the shields, but with a cry from Storm Chaser, the shield wall lowered enough for him to hop over. The legionaries locked their shields in place, and a trio hopped onto their hind legs, flinging their pila at the minotaurs. Each javelin found its mark, and the bulls collapsed, sending their fellows sprawling into the dirt. As the momentum failed in the tightly packed delve, Elias caught his breath, rubbing his jaw as the feeling of numbness spread. Baring his teeth, he looked toward Storm Chaser. “They don’t leave alive. I want Steel Horn on his knees and begging for mercy.” The pegasus gave him a short nod, passing the human his helmet and pilum before flapping into the air. “Legionaries! Press forward on my call! No prisoners!” The legionaries tightened their formation and lifted their shields. The ponies in the second row helped them brace, while those in the third set their pila on the shields, ready to stab any minotaur that reached the shield wall. A bellow from behind the minotaurs halted their confused scramble, and called them into a similar line, with the bulls at the back passing discarded shields to those in front. Storm Chaser barked a command that set the legionaries stomping forward. “One!” “One!” came the shouted reply, and the shields inched forward, scraping the sides of the delve. Elias shook himself, growling as he did his best to ignore the numbing sensation spread across the left side of his face. He cocked back his arm and sent a pila spearing into a minotaur’s chest just as a cry from their rear ordered them back. The bull bellowed and dropped his shield, leaving a gap in their line that more pila quickly filled with suffering. He watched as the bulls made a cutthroat choice, pushing their wounded fellows out of the formation so that a minotaur with a shield could plug the gap. The legionaries quickly stepped forward under the instructions of Storm Chaser, and they stepped over the first of the fallen bulls, the legionaries in the rear of the tight formation finishing them off. Elias bared his teeth as Steel Horn bellowed out an order again, pulling his bulls back in an orderly fashion. It was hardly the ambush he wanted, but he could still cut the bulls off, could still end this decisively. He drew his flagged pilum and waved it. “Centurion Blossom! Box them in!” ***** Khari crept silently through the brush, his fur painted in shades of brown and green to better disguise against the trees and their fallen leaves. While he would have preferred to have received a potion of invisibility, the ingredients necessary to make them were incredibly rare, his shaman only having enough for two potions, so he gave it to one to his best sharpshooters, Taqua. Her mission was essential to deliver the human alive to Warchief Steel Horn, and he hoped that she would get the drop him. He didn’t know why, but he had a feeling that it would take every trick to drop the human without bloodshed. Perhaps it was that strange eye of his. It reeked of changeling magic, no doubt a result of his battle during the slowly-becoming-legendary Canterlot invasion. Regardless, his camouflage was more than sufficient for his part in the plan. He had had his scouts tracking the ponies all morning, and had been delivered reports of the ambush awaiting Steel Horn, no doubt to try and force a quick end to the siege. Unfortunately for the crafty human, his warriors just weren’t quite sneaky enough, and while his ambush would be decisive, it wouldn’t be in the way he expected. Khari let out a breath, a near-silent signal to the warriors around him to halt their slow crawl. They had been moving forward for the better part of the hour, making sure that not a single leaf would be disturbed by their passing. The ponies did their best, but their bright colors were easy to pick out, even smeared in mud and grime. Even had they been completely hidden, they simply made too much noise. Their tails swished through the leaves with nervous, perhaps even excited energy. Their ears flicked this way and that, listening for some signal as Steel Horn and the human spoke below. Khari resisted the urge to snort, though he could likely get away with it. The ponies would die in the grasslands, where every odd sound, every swish of grass could spell death. They were soft, but that was to be expected, even with their fierce combat prowess. Their lands were all lush, green, and largely undisturbed by predators. They didn’t need to concern themselves with threats in the grass, and in the trees, and so they were complacent, their senses not honed like those of himself and his warriors. He faintly wished to make a stray noise, to see if they would notice. If they did, he would at least get to test the mettle they were apparently quite adept at displaying, but alas, he needed this victory, and he needed it to be executed perfectly. There would be more battles. He slowly raised his blowgun to his lips, picking the leader of the ponies in his sights. As they’d crept forward, he and his warriors had selected their targets, debating and arguing who they should get with simple glances. He’d had to argue about little, however. He was the chief of his warband, and so he took the leader, a light blue pegasus, only a single stripe of clean fur on the back of her neck to betray her true colors. She had been the hardest to see, and for that, Khari made sure to aim for the back of her neck. When she fell asleep, she would slump forward, the dart doing no more damage than a flea. A respectable warrior such as her didn’t deserve to die by falling on a dart. Shouts split the air, making his ears flick as sounds of violence and pain started to fill the delve. He grimaced, his ears detecting the enraged voice of the human. He sent a prayer to the Keepers for Taqua’s safety, then flicked his tail, signaling his warriors. They took a collective breath, and he saw the mare’s ears turn. Too late. With a collective exhale, darts sprouted from each of the ponies. Most didn’t manage more than a whimper before they fell. The venom was a particularly potent mix of a potion that aided sleeping ceremonies, as well as three different scorpions, distilled to be completely harmless, but extremely effective. It took less than a full dose to drop a fully grown bull, let alone the much smaller ponies. The mare was apparently made of stronger stuff, because she sprang to her hooves, whirling and brandishing shining blades on her wings. Her eyes fluttered as she fought the effects of the dart, but she still took a step back, glancing over her shoulder, her muzzle opening. A dart pierced her jugular and her cry died in her throat. Khari sprang forward and caught her as she fell, gingerly removing the dart with his teeth and reapplying it next to the dart on the back of her neck. He then tore a strip of cloth from beneath her armor and tied it around her throat as a precaution. The dart wound was leaking blood, and he didn’t want the wound to grow any worse. He glanced to the warrior who had fired the second dart. “You will carry her to camp, and ensure that Zansora heals her wounds immediately. Warchief Steel Horn requested them alive, and alive he shall have them.” The zebra bowed his head, and he rolled the mare onto his back before slipping into the brush. More zebras moved forward, creeping up the edge of the delve and peering down, their fellows across the way in a similar position as the sleeping would-be ambushers were dragged away. After a brief moment making sure that all was going to plan, Khari similarly crept up to the edge of the delve, peering down at the small battle unfolding. He scowled and felt a touch of rage as he quickly noticed the still-disguised body of Taqua, just steps away from being trampled by the retreating minotaurs. He could Steel Horn, the minotaur warchief bellowing commands to his warriors even as he staunched his bleeding shoulder with a massive hand. Opposite him was the human, his face twisted. Khari narrowed his eyes, scanning the human up and down. A stream of red running down the human’s neck led him to a cut on his ear, and he sighed, closing his eyes. A grazing wound might slow most creatures, but clearly the human wasn’t all that impacted, and he had struck back with lethal force. Khari readied another dart, his warriors all doing the same. The ponies stepped quickly forward, and the minotaurs stepped quickly back, the large warriors struggling with the tight walls of the delve. The human raised a spear with a bit of red cloth tied to it and waved it. “Centurion Blossom! Box them in!” The human stared right up at him, clearly expecting a response from the warriors that were now sleeping. Khari flicked his tail, and with another collective breath, they gave the human their response. ***** Elias felt something off even as he noticed the pair of brown eyes staring down at him where there should have been light blue. His scutum raised instinctively even as the words left his throat too slow. “Testudo!” His shout came at the exact wrong moment, as Storm Chaser shouted another step forward. The front line of legionaries stepped forward, while the third row immediately started pulling their shields up. The second row was split between the two, leaving an exposed gap in the line of protection. Dozens of darts rained into that gap, and the ponies immediately started to collapse, sending further turmoil into the line. Elias felt a dart skip across the boss of his scutum, and he grabbed one of the fallen ponies, dragging her beneath his protection. “Tighten ranks! Front row, two steps back. Pick up the wounded!” Storm Chaser quickly spat out the corrected orders. “Two steps back! One!” The front row immediately responded and started moving back, but one pony caught a dart in her throat, and she fell forward, her shield falling with her. The shield wall tried to tighten, while one of the second row legionaries still on his hooves tried grabbing her tail to pull her back. A dart pierced his neck and he fell as well, his body acting as another obstruction on the already cluttered and tight delve ground. Elias spat an obscenity and he drew a pilum, sending it skipping up the rocky cliff face. He heard a cry of pain, and the javelin vanished as the zebra he’d partially impaled withdrew, leaving a patter of blood in his wake. Elias immediately crouched, his scutum taking the reply from the zebras, the darts bouncing harmlessly against its painted surface. His bad eye glowed in the low light the shields created, but he was still able to see Storm Chaser. “We need to back out, regroup. Get Granite to bring the reserves forward and sweep the cliffs. I’ll keep us together and prepare to retaliate. We’re not losing any ground here.” The pegasus gave him a short nod, then started slipping backward in the formation. The minotaurs started moving forward under the commands of Steel Horn, and they moved quickly, taking two steps for every one the ponies took back. As his legionaries struggled to bear the barrage of darts, Elias cocked his arm back. The minotaurs had to be slowed, and the zebras couldn’t possibly fire forever. Once the darts stopped he could make an orderly withdrawal and figure out just what the hell had happened to his legionaries on the ridge of the delve. Then they’d counter-attack, make the zebras and minotaurs pay in blood for daring to disrupt his plan. “Patefacio!” The shields in front of him lowered and he sent his pilum spinning through the air. The minotaurs halted their steps to raise their shields, the javelin sticking in place. A cheer rose from the bulls, and one ripped the javelin free even as his legionaries closed their shields again, a dart skipping through and embedding itself between the plates of his armor. Elias’ face twitched in irritation, but he kept up the commands to withdraw. “Another two! Keep moving back! Leave nobody behind!” His ponies responded as best they could, dragging the fallen bodies of their fellows along as they kept their shields raised high. More darts pattered against their scuta like raindrops, and Elias bared his teeth, growling as one slipped through, causing another gap that was quickly filled. His ponies grunted and stumbled, the testudo growing hot with frustration and sweat. Elias felt a touch of worry in his chest, hoping desperately Granite wouldn’t delay. ***** Khari’s gaze snapped away from the human and his shielded ponies as a pegasus bolted from the back of their formation. He bared his teeth and withdrew from the cliff-side, motioning with his tail to two of his warriors. “Track him. Bring him down if you can, but if he reaches more ponies, return, we shall withdraw and spring our trap on them.” The pair nodded and bolted into the trees in pursuit of the pony. Knowing that the speedy pegasus would no doubt out pace them, he waved at his warriors, making silent signs for them to slowly draw back one at a time. He then counted his remaining darts. He had ensured that each of his warriors had been armed with at least a dozen, had thought that the element of surprise would have been more effective in stopping the ponies, but they held better discipline than he’d anticipated. Their broad shields were perfect for stopping small darts, and their formation utilized that advantage brilliantly, as did the speed by which they formed it. Even their armor, as shiny a target it made them, was helping them stay on their feet. More than one dart had skipped away to uselessness on that thick silvery steel, or had been stopped by the thin chain protecting what were normally gaps in such heavy pony armor. He needed his warriors to conserve their ammunition, to pick easier targets, otherwise they would have to fight the ponies hoof to hoof. It was a prospect that was slowly starting to frighten him. He had seen the results of the ponies first battle with the minotaurs, but had attributed it to spells, and pony endurance, both of which faltered in the face of a careful ambush. These strange human tactics however, they would make things far more difficult, especially if the full brunt of the human’s forces arrived. He directed his warriors toward their original positions, preparing them to ensure the human would find no escape. ***** Gray Granite paced as the sounds of a violent fight continued to fill the air. His orders were clear though, he was to wait to be summoned, either to deliver Stone Horn if a deal had been struck, or to provide reinforcements. He had a mixed batch of auxiliaries and legionaries, mostly the ponies who had witnessed Elias’… handling, of Lionheart. While a few of them had been happy to be away from the seemingly mad human, more than a few had taken the pseudo-banishment personally, himself included. The ponies were used to being in the front few rows, were used to staring their foes in the face side by side with Elias, and he had relegated them to be a back up plan. Perhaps it was their training, or perhaps their concern for the friends they could hear crying out in pain and rage, but he wasn’t the only pony pacing. His blood was boiling, his pelt itching with the need to lead his ponies forward, to charge into battle and drive their enemy from the field, even as his ribs and face still ached from the beating he’d received. Kind Heart had spent a little time healing his ribs, but she’d needed most of her magic for the traitor. He’d limped off to a few short hours of restless sleep only partially mended, but it was enough. Elias hadn’t slept at all as far as he knew. If his friend could keep going, so could he. But he waited. Elias trusted him to keep his ponies in control until the right moment, and so he would, as much as it burned him. Granite’s ears flicked and his head raised as Storm Chaser came crashing through the brush. The pegasus rolled to a stop, panting hard, sweat and blood dripping into the dirt. His eyes flicked around until they landed on Granite, and he gulped. “Need… reinforcements. Careful… ambush… above.” One of the auxiliaries offered the Royal Guard a canteen while the rest looked to their commander. Granite snatched up his shield, nodding to the pair guarding Stone Horn. “Back to camp. Put him in the stockade and then fall in with Princess Luna and the healers. If you think the battle isn’t going our way, you bolt east. Don’t stop until you meet the rest of the army.” The pair of legionaries nodded and tied themselves to the wagon holding the well-bound and gagged Stone Horn. While the minotaur had been furious about the treatment, Granite had thought it prudent to reduce sources of stress for Elias. The minotaur’s bile-spewing tongue was certainly one of those things. As they tromped away, Granite looked to the rest of his ponies. “Tight formation, shields at the ready.” The earth pony watched as Storm Chaser stood, spitting into the dirt and passing the canteen back. “You said you were ambushed? By minotaurs?” Storm Chaser shook his head. “I only saw them in the delve where they were supposed to be. I think it’s zebras above us, ponies are dropping silently, I think by paralytic darts. I couldn’t tell. I was focused trying to keep order, then running to get you.” Granite’s muzzle twitched. There were supposed to be ponies on the edges of the delve. “Where’s Centurion Blossom and her legionaries?” Storm Chaser just shook his head and shrugged. Granite felt his muzzle twitch again, and he tightened the strap on his helmet. “Stay tight ponies! Make sure those shields can snap into a testudo instantly. I’m not about to have a panic when General Bright is still holding strong.” The ponies closed around him, and once they were in a tight, steely square, he barked a command. “Forward march, double time!” ***** The pair of zebras watched silently as the block of ponies jogged toward the sounds of battle. The older of the two, a tall mare, frowned, looking toward where the pair of ponies had been pulling a wagon. As the younger zebra started to pull back, she stopped him with a slap of her tail, moving toward the wagon trail. “What are you doing?” the younger zebra hissed. “We are to report back!” “That was the warchief’s brother,” she muttered in reply, keeping her voice near silent in case the ponies had scouts flitting about. “If we bring him back, the battle will be won with no fight. The ponies will have no leverage, less than that. The warchief will have prisoners where the ponies have none.” The younger zebra hesitated as she vanished in the brush, increasing her pace, but with a mumbled curse, he snuck after her, the pair moving quickly to catch up with the wagon. By the time they overtook the wagon, a fort made of tall logs rose through a clearing of trees. Guards stood at the gates, their spears pointed out and waiting. The zebra mare motioned silently to her younger counterpart, and he quickly obeyed, slipping through the brush to the other side of the wagon as the ponies trotted along, oblivious. The zebra mare readied a dart as the pair chatted, relaxing as their bastion grew closer. “Do you think Princess Celestia is going to do anything about the general? Princess Luna looked like she was gonna drop her feathers.” “I was going to drop my feathers,” the pegasus shuddered. “You weren’t in the tent, he was pissed. If you thought minotaurs were scary, I would hate to see a line of humans charging me. General Bright might be smaller, but he’s terrifying when he’s mad. He could stop a changeling’s heart just by looking at them.” “Given everything I’ve heard about the wedding, I bet he already could. I’m surprised this Steel Horn guy is even putting up a fight by now. He hasn’t touched a single legionary, and the general killed a dozen bulls by himself. Who the buck can do something like that? Who goes out of their way to pick a fight with that guy?” The zebra mare noticed a small glint, the signal her partner was ready. She pressed her blowgun to her lips. The pegasus shuddered again. “I’m just glad General Bright is on our side. I’d surrender in a second if I had to f-” The mare collapsed without a word, her fellow following a second behind. The guards at the gate cried out in alarm, but the zebra mare was already darting forward. She dove into the wagon and started cutting away Stone Horn’s binds with her knife. She heard hooves clatter as her fellow stood on the wagon, his blowgun ready with another dart in case the guards grew too close before they finished. As soon as his hands were free, Stone Horn ripped away his gag, his eyes blazing with fury. “Give me a weapon. I will kill them all, then return with their precious princess over my shoulder.” The zebra mare shot him a vicious glare as she cut the binds on his hooves. “You lost badly to the human and even now cost lives. I free you to end the battle in the warchief’s favor. You will follow or you will die. I care not which.” She finished sawing through his binds and hopped down. The younger zebra sheathed his blowgun and immediately dove into the brush, quickly vanishing. The guards grew near, still shouting, demanding they stop. Stone Horn stood and snorted, his muscles bulging as he stared the ponies down. His beady eyes then fell to the unconscious pair, still tied to the wagon, before finally resting on her. “We can take them.” The mare snorted and turned away, trotting into the brush. “That is not my mission, nor were you. Die if you’d like, I am returning to the battle.” With that she took off at a sprint, leaving the bull to his fate. Within a few strides she heard the obnoxious crashing of a bull through the brush in pursuit, and she smiled. ***** Elias gritted his teeth, his fingers still clenched around the armor of one of his fallen legionaries. The testudo had barely moved. The ponies were already struggling to maintain the cohesion of the formation, and he was quickly coming to the realization that he had a choice before him. They were weighed down and cluttered by the bodies of the fallen, if he ordered them abandoned, they could easily keep formation and withdraw, perhaps driving the zebras away in time to re-rescue his ponies. That was only a maybe, however. What was certain was the fact that the minotaurs continued to advance, and the zebras were evidently quick learners. They’d learned his Latin command for ‘open’ and were saving their darts for his attempts to slow the minotaur advance. The stallion in his hand had been a victim of three darts after he had ordered an opening in the shield wall. Then there was the issue of exhaustion. Stone Horn’s failed ambush had kept many of his ponies up, as had his… punishment, of Lionheart. Combined with heavy armor, and now a tight formation that made them sweat and hold up heavy shields, his legionaries were growing tired. Soon enough they would be too tired to fight, and then the minotaurs would trample over them without a thought. He didn’t see a way out though, could only pray that the zebras ran out of ammo, the minotaurs out of courage, or that Storm Chaser had managed to summon reinforcements. A horn call sounded, and the minotaurs halted their advance, still bellowing jeers and insults, taunting the bottled up ponies. Elias panted, his eyes forward, even as he offered steadying words. “We’ve killed more of their kind in a month then they’ve killed ponies in a century, don’t let schoolyard insults shake you.” He spat into the dirt. “Centurion Granite is on his way. They won’t be so arrogant when we put them on their knees.” He blinked away a bead of sweat as the jeering came to a stop. Steel Horn’s helmeted head pushed through to the front of the minotaur’s line, and Elias felt a touch of satisfaction at the hasty bandage gracing the bull’s shoulder. He quickly smacked his pride out of the way as the minotaur spoke. “I offer my apologies, General Bright, and I again extend my offer as a token of regret! It is not my way to fight hidden in the shadows, but you make me desperate. I will not sacrifice my wife and son, but I am not a dishonorable warrior!” He thumped a hand on his chest. “I am Warchief Steel Horn of the Stone Crusher tribe and you have my word not a single hair on your ponies, or your princess’s head shall be harmed! Take a weeks worth of food into Saraj, take your wounded warriors as well, just leave the princess with me, and I shall see her to her sister. Of this you have my word as a warrior!” Silence reigned. Elias could feel the eyes of the ponies around him focused squarely on his back. His eyes were elsewhere however, even as his mind worked for some kind of clever reply, some faint afterthought about the historical impact his words could have doing its best to cut through his anger and frustration. A stone skipped down the side of the delve, and a flash of silver glinted above, gone before it could truly be noticed. Elias felt his mouth twitch, and he grinned, his mind briefly recalling Lionheart’s recent escape from justice. Steel Horn and his zebra allies would not be so fortunate. He rose from the formation and drew his flagged pilum. “I’d rather have your head!” He flung the javelin and grimaced as it thudded into the minotaur shield wall. He knew they’d get their appropriate punishment momentarily, however. “Legionaries, box them in. Kill them!” Gray Granite and his force of legionaries and auxiliaries appeared as if from nowhere on the cliff-sides, and in a collective motion peppered the minotaurs with javelins. The bulls cried out in pain, and several collapsed. Steel Horn and a few of his warriors were quick enough to raise their shields, however, and with a few sharp bellows, their shield wall reformed. A cheer rose from the legionaries at his back, and the testudo fell apart as the exhausted ponies let their shields fall. Elias whistled, waving his hand to grab Granite’s attention. “Keep pushing them back! We’ll join you shortly.” As the earth pony nodded and repeated the command, Elias turned and pointed toward two of his legionaries. “Start pulling the wounded out, one of you run to camp to fetch a wagon. The rest of you, form up, get some water if you can. We’re ending this n-” He found himself face down, blood streaming down his face and into his eyes. A sharp pain filled his back, concentrated around a circle on his left shoulder blade. Alarmed cries filtered through the ringing in his ears as he gasped for air. One hand milled at the back of his neck, trying to drag the helmet from his head so that he could see, hear, breathe. The other sat trapped in his shield, twisting his arm at an awkward angle that made the circle on his left shoulder-blade agonizing. He bellowed in pain as somebody kicked the… was that a javelin in his shoulder blade? Elias grit his teeth and glanced back, feeling his fury match his pain as he noticed a familiar flag on the pilum. “My own… fucking… pilum…” He noticed a colorful body falling into the delve out of the corner of his eye, but his brain couldn’t focus on anything other than the javelin in his back. “This… is why they’re… supposed to break...” As he tried to shift his right hand around to grab at the pilum, he heard fresh insults flowing from the minotaurs. “Thought I’d give it back human! Gimme a second and I’ll give you another one!” “Up! Get the general on his feet!” “They’re still on the cliffs! We need to withdraw!” “Testudo! Form the testudo ag-” Elias grunted as something fell on top of him. He tried crawling forward, but heard another cry and grunted as another body toppled on top of the first. His free hand finally managed to rip his helmet off, and he took in a gulp of air as he shoved it away. “He’s here!” Hooves seized his hand and started pulling. Elias cried out in pain as the movement jostled the javelin, but the ponies managed to drag him clear of the fallen bodies and into a freshly struggling testudo. Without asking or preparing him, one of the ponies yanked the javelin free, causing him to cry out again. Hooves pressed bandages into the wound and bound it tight. Elias winced as a hoof very nearly stomped on his nose as something heavy landed atop the shields of his legionaries. Panicked cries spilled through the formation of ponies as they called out asking for orders. Some wanted to open the shields to let the object fall, others wanted to leave it up there and snapped at those around them to brace. One of the stallions who had dragged him into the testudo tried to yank him up, his eyes wide and his voice hoarse. “General, we need orders! I don’t know whats happening but the minotaurs are advancing again and something is on the cliffs.” Elias blinked, trying to see through the throbbing pain his shoulder. “Granite?” he slurred, staggering to his feet. His left arm hung limply at his side, while his right still held his gladius. He wiped sweat from his face, turning to try and peer out of the testudo. “I don’t know. I think his reinforcements were up there, but darts started coming in again, and something keeps dropping on us.” Through a crack Elias noticed several new bodies on the ground. Some were clad in silver, while others were painted in mud and debris, their black stripes identifying them as zebras. A panicked shout found another of the striped ponies flung into the delve, hitting the stone wall with a sickening crunch. He hit the pile of bodies forming and moaned, clutching at his foreleg. “What about Storm Chaser? Where’s he?” “I don’t know, he never returned to our formation,” the stallion answered. “General, what should we do? We can’t pull any more wounded ponies with us. I think we should continue backing out, get back to the castra to regroup.” Elias’ nose curled at that suggestion, but perhaps it was the pain, or the exhaustion, but his pride and fury were dampened enough for him to nod. “K-keep the testudo tight. Grab as many ponies as possible… give me one.” The legionary stared blankly at him. “What?” Elias sheathed Feather and turned away from the minotaurs. “I can carry a pony. I’ll run out of the delve with one of our wounded, then come back and get another. Drag as many as you can back, and as soon as you’re clear, form a wider wall at the delve entrance. Hopefully Centurion Granite will be waiting with some ponies to help us push these cows back so we can recover everypony else. Once we’ve got all our wounded, we can regroup and finish this.” The stallion’s fur seemed to flatten slightly, and he nodded. “Yes, General. Who-” Elias gave him a nod and squeezed backward through the formation, grabbing an unconscious mare by the collar and dragging her with him. He’d swing her onto his shoulder once he was clear. “Keep my ponies together legionnaire. One step at a time.” The brown earth pony gave him a shaky nod, then looked forward. As Elias made his way through the tightly packed group of ponies, he heard the stallion bellow; “One step back!” ***** Granite bucked a zebra back into the brush, shaking his leg a few times. He’d been lucky so far. Four darts had hit him, but only one had managed to pierce his armor. He’d been able to rip the dart free from his hind leg quickly though, so while the limb was numb, it was still functional. “Legionaries regroup! Rally to me!” The call barely provoked a result. He’d split his ponies to sweep both sides of the delve, but had found none of the ambushers Storm Chaser had warned them of. A wave from the pegasus on the opposite side had told him they’d found much the same. So with a pair of legionaries watching their rear, he’d ordered his ponies to the cliff and at General Bright’s orders had peppered the minotaurs with pila. Then his ponies started dropping silently. The auxiliaries were the worst hit with their lighter armor, but all of his ponies had been quick to respond, charging blindly into the brush. The zebras, perhaps stunned at the foolhardy charge, had been unprepared, and while some even still remained hidden, firing their darts at the dueling combatants, the rest were forced into hoof-to-hoof, where heavy armor shined. His ponies on the opposite side were not so fortunate. He’d watched several pitch over the side of the delve, and saw more silver on the ground than camouflaged stripes. He bared his teeth as Storm Chaser took to the air. “Withdraw!” the pegasus called. “Reform with General Bright!” What few ponies Storm Chaser had left broke from their engagements and fled, the zebras, bloodied and exhausted, letting out a cheer. Granite snorted as their eyes looked across toward him and his ponies, who were slowly tightening around him, their opponents chased off or lying in the dirt. All eyes snapped forward as an auxiliary sprinted free of the brush, only to collapse as a trio of darts cut through the weak points in her armor. “Shields up!” Granite snapped. What legionaries still had their shields formed a tight wall, forcing the rest of his ponies to pack together, doing their best not to step on one another. The brush shifted again and a dozen zebras strode forth, spears and blowguns ready in their hooves. A mare at the lead narrowed her orange eyes, staring at Granite. “Surrender pony. My chieftain wants you alive. He will understand if I deliver a corpse and said you fought.” Granite bared his teeth at the mare, trying to think. What would Elias do? His tail flicked, thinking about all the times he’d watched the human fight. “Well,” he mumbled, “there’s really only one thing to do.” He looked to his ponies and gave them a nod. They seemed to silently understand his plan, and their shields started to lower. “Mares and gentlecolts, it’s been an honor.” Taking a deep breath, he and several of his legionaries let out war cries, with the rest of his ponies following suit after recovering from the brief jolt. Granite couldn’t quite tell if the zebras looked surprised as he led the charge racing forward. ***** Elias laid his cargo outside the delve, giving the unconscious mare a pat before trudging back toward the fight. One of his legionaries limped free of the delve, dragging another wounded legionary with his teeth. The stallion dragged the legionary to rest beside the one Elias had dropped off before falling to his haunches beside her, panting and staring at the ground. “J-just need a second,” the stallion gasped. “H-hooves feel like jelly.” Elias gave his legionary a nod and turned back toward the sounds of battle. Before he could re-enter the delve, a pony came crashing through the brush on the left side of the delve, his face covered in blood, an eye missing, and the other wide with panic. The stallion didn’t say a thing, just continued bolting back toward the castra. Elias didn’t try to stop him, just gritted his teeth as he tried rolling his left shoulder. He was going to need it momentarily if the stream of ponies fleeing the side of the delve was any indication. Some of the ponies managed to halt their panicked flight when they spotted him, and they ran over, a half dozen muzzles asking for orders or making suggestions in a flurry of words his ears couldn’t parse as anything other than nonsense. A familiar blue pegasus twirled from the brush and landed at his side, barking an order for silence before looking to Elias. “I thought we chased them off,” Storm Chaser said “but the zebras returned in force and are hitting us hard. They might still be in pursuit, I don’t know. I highly recommend a withdrawal. We’re only losing ponies the longer we stay.” “Form a line, watch the left side,” Elias barked at the legionaries around him. “Legionaries in front, auxiliaries behind. Spread out what ammunition you still have, but give priority to the auxiliaries.” There were hardly enough ponies to form a coherent shield wall, no more than a dozen, most of whom were wounded in one way or another, but the orders were enough to quell some of their panic, and they fell in, watching the brush nervously. To Storm Chaser, he said; “Where was Centurion Granite last?” Storm Chaser nodded to the right side of the delve. “We split his reinforcements up both sides. Last I saw, his ponies were still fighting, but if there were as many zebras as we were fighting, he’s in trouble.” He grimaced, looking at the shaky line of ponies watching the left. “We need more ponies though. We go charging off without protecting our rear, we’re going to be surrounded.” “With you gone from the left, I can’t imagine my ponies in the center are doing any better than I left them. I have one of the legionaries drawing them back though. We…” His face twitched, his chest aching slightly, even as he said the words. “We might just have to withdraw and hope Granite can find his way back to the castra in time for a counter attack. We weren’t pulling all of our wounded when I left, I’m supposed to go back for more to lighten the load… but we have too many fallen ponies to fight effectively.” Storm Chaser spat in the dirt. “Let’s go then. Two of us means more wounded pulled out, and if we’re quick, we might be able to rescue Granite.” Elias nodded. He pointed to a legionary at random, his mind hazy on her name. “Hold this point, send a runner in after us if you start getting overwhelmed. We’re going to try to pull more wounded out.” The mare nodded, and Elias and Storm Chaser moved into the delve. They reached the back of the legionary formation just as they took a step back. The ponies at the rear bared their teeth at the pair, but recognition held them back from attacking. “Give us the wounded!” A silver clad body rolled over the right side of the delve and slammed into the formation of shields before the pair of ponies could react. Under the fresh weight, the exhausted ponies fell apart, the armored body slipping to the ground and taking several ponies with him. The pair of ponies that had been protecting the rear stumbled into Storm Chaser and Elias as they were pushed out of the formation. The ponies again tried to raise their shields, darts hammering into the gap from their left. Elias had nothing to throw at the zebras, his shield and spare pila lost when he’d taken the javelin in his shoulder. So he spat harsh words, hoping to draw fire while his ponies scooped up their shields and formed the testudo once more. The brown earth pony perhaps panicked, perhaps simply not knowing the middle of testudo was falling apart, made the mistake of calling for a step back. The ponies near the front obeyed, and they dragged their shields backward. Their hinds legs kicked and trampled at their fallen comrades, and cries of pain and confusion rippled through the formation, its cohesion falling apart as the ponies struggled in the tightly packed delve. “Form up!” Elias snapped, dragging a stallion to his feet. The legionary stumbled into the stallion beside him As the testudo fell apart and more gaps formed, Elias could see the minotaurs nearing the middle of the delve, still approaching slowly and carefully. One of the bulls in the shield wall let out an enthusiastic roar and he raced forward, smelling opportunity, even as Steel Horn let out a bellow calling him back. He cast about for a javelin, but among the stumbling ponies, there was nothing that wasn’t already broken by their stomping hooves. He instead pointed a finger at the charging bull as he stomped over a trio of bodies. “Kill him!” The legionaries at the front of the formation tried raising their shields, but darts dropped any pony that was trying to maintain the defense. The ponies in the center of the formation were so tightly packed that some couldn’t move, crying out that they were being crushed. A legionary mare managed to poke out of the panic with a pila in her hooves. A dart struck her neck, while another skipped across her helmet. She collapsed without a sound, and the bull grew closer. Storm Chaser took a few steps back from the panic, then took to the air. “I’ve got him, sound a retreat.” Elias snarled at the pegasus as he skipped into the air, but he could still recognize the sense in Storm Chaser’s words. It would only be until they were out of the delve. It was quickly becoming a killing box for the wrong side, and that he wouldn’t tolerate. He grabbed a legionary by the tail and yanked him backward. The stallion yelped but stayed on his hooves as Elias shouted in his face. “Regroup outside the delve! Move, move!” The stallion gave him a panicked nod before bolting. Without his shield, or any of his other weapons. Elias cursed, almost calling the stallion back. He bore a snarl as grabbed the next legionary. “Regroup outside the delve, carry a shield or the wounded. Move!” The stallion nodded and he grabbed hold of a fallen mare, dragging her backward. He heard a gurgle of pain, glancing forward to find Storm Chaser slitting the throat of the charging bull before flapping back into the air, dodging a spear thrown at him. As the pegasus made his escape, Elias continued. He went from pony to pony as darts continued to rain down and the minotaurs continued to approach, closing the distance far too quickly. As the delve was cleared of wounded and equipment, however, his ponies started to get to their hooves, again raising their shields and sheltering those too wounded or too panicked to act. What was the odd pony running back became more orderly, with pairs shielding the wounded as they pulled out of the delve. Soon all that was left was the front row of shields, and several ponies abandoned beyond their line. Elias scooped up a discarded shield and held it over his head, crouching behind his retreating line of ponies as he stared out, trying to figure out how to snatch back his legionaries. The minotaurs continued to inch forward, their beady eyes focused squarely on him and his remaining ponies. Above, he saw striped mohawks bob and weave, shifting about as they tried to fill him with darts. Hot breath filled his ear as Storm Chaser’s muzzle panted. “We’re clear to withdraw General.” Elias pointed a finger to his legionaries, lying motionless in the mud. “Not yet. We’ve still got wounded, and I’ll be damned if the cows make me leave them behind.” His eyes flicked around to his ponies, making a quick count. “Six is enough, we all have shields and steel armor. The darts mean nothing, I just need a spear and I can keep the bulls back while you grab the wounded.” “General, we can’t, I’m sorry. Maybe one, but only maybe, and you’re risking five, as well as yourself to get them.” Elias bared his teeth, butting heads with the large cobalt pegasus. “You think I care? Each one of my legionaries-” “Is expendable compared to you,” Storm Chaser snarled back. “You think the rest will fight if they see you as a strung up, bloodied mess? Congratulations General, you’re invaluable, now let’s get back with the others and re-group. Those ponies knew what they signed up for, and there is no way we’re getting them back right now without losing more.” A rain of darts pattered against the shield wall, and the bulls again called out. “Come on out human! Where is that famed ferocity, where is your courage? I’ve heard so much about the great minotaur slayer, and I am so disappointed!” A round of laughter filtered through the minotaurs ranks, and Elias felt his face twitch as they stomped over the first legionnaire, his steel clad body disappearing beneath their marching hooves. He flexed his shoulder, grimacing as pain lanced through his chest. As he started to draw his sword, the mare to his right gasped and collapsed forward, a feather sprouting from her neck. Elias and Storm Chaser turned, their shields stopping the next two darts from biting into their rears. A pair of mud covered zebras glared at the pair, their dartguns at the ready. The one on the left bared her teeth. “Surrender General Bright. This fight is over. We will kill you if we have to.” Elias grinned, pulling out his gladius and poking it over his shield. “You fast enough to get to the one on the left?” Storm Chaser growled softly. “They’re on the cliffs too.” Peeking out from beneath his helmet rim, Elias found four more zebras atop the right side of the cliffs. The ponies at his back pressed against him, one of them swearing. “General, the bulls aren’t stopping.” Elias bared his teeth, tensing his muscles as he shifted, getting ready to race forward. “Do you think I’m afraid of death?” he spat at the zebra mare. Their eyes met, and he slowly shook his head. “I’m not afraid of the empty black waiting for me, but if you try and bar my path, I promise I will cut you in two. You’d better pray you haven’t disappointed your gods recently.” His eyes flicked as the zebra on the mare’s right shifted nervously. His foot shifted as he targeted the weak link. “Move!” Elias and Storm Chaser sprang forward, closing the distance to the zebras as quickly as they could. The zebra on the right flinched at the sudden assault, and Elias managed to lash out with his gladius, marring the stallion’s eyes. He fell to the mud screaming in pain and clutching at his face. A wheeze to Elias’ left made the human turn. Storm Chaser crumpled into a heap at the zebra mare’s hooves, a trio of dart poking through his armor. Time slowed as Elias’ eyes flicked all about. Dart guns pointed toward him, their owners loading in fresh darts and taking a collective breath. The zebra mare was similarly turning toward him, her teeth clenched tight around the hilt of a curved kukri. Elias’ right foot instinctively moved back, pressing flat against the wall as he prepared to launch himself at the mare. Using her as a hostage, that’s how he got his ponies out of the damned hole he’d gotten them into. He raised his shield, ready to ram the mare into the stone behind her. His eyes blinked and he moved forward, able to cross the delve in two strides. Just as he pushed off, however, the sounds of a mare shouting in alarm touched his ears, and Elias glanced to his left. His remaining legionaries were scattered as a monster of a bull rammed through their line, his head lowered and his crimson eyes focused on the marred red of his scutum. Elias tried to stop, to turn and brace, but in a rush, time seemed to resume. Elias found that it wasn’t the impact of the bull that really hurt. No, his armor took the worst of that. What hurt was his head slamming into the ground as the bull slammed into him, driving him, as well as all of his momentum, straight into the mud covered stone beneath him. If he’d had his helmet before, it was certainly long gone now, blackness filled with stars consuming his vision as his hair struggled to cushion the impact. His sword hand didn’t need the help his brain, however, and it struck up. A roar rattled his head and warmth covered his front. Something stomped on his wrist, then another something kicked his jaw, sending blood pattering up the delve walls. “For Equestria!” Elias screwed his eyes shut as the sunlight was suddenly turned back on. Blinking up at the tree cover, he leaned up, gasping in pain as he tried to roll onto his side. A silver clad hoof stomped the mud next to his hand, splattering him as the pony launched forward. Another was not a miss, and he groaned as he was kicked in the back of the head. Nausea filled him, and he turned over, spitting and gagging into the mud as his empty stomach tried to empty itself further. As he heaved, hooves seized his armor and dragged him forward. “I’ve got him! Retreat, retreat!” Elias shook his head, his thoughts mired in fog, but retreat? No… No retreat. They had to win. He… he couldn’t lose… His next thought was to shield his eyes as he was laid in the back of a cart. The sun was bright, and he rolled, gripping the side and peering over as ponies were laid beside him. A line of silver stood strong, watching the empty entrance of the delve. Nothing came out, but looking around, he found a good number of ponies, their teeth bared, their weapons at the ready as they protected the wounded. He clutched at his head, blinking away as much of the pain as he could, and his eye focused on one earth pony that drew closer. “Lay down General,” Gray Granite said softly, resting a hoof on Elias’ hand. “We’re pulling back to the castra, and we’re going to get everypony patched up. I managed to pull everyone out of the delve, even Captain Storm Chaser.” Elias screwed his eyes shut and shook his head, his words slurring as he clung to the side of the cart as if it was a piece of life saving driftwood in a vast ocean of fog. “W- ‘bout the ponies deeper?” Granite looked toward the delve, slowly shaking his head. “I’m sorry General, but there’s no way they’re-” Elias’ fingers wrapped around his armor and yanked him so that they were nose to nose. “Go. Get. Them.” He growled as blood streamed from his nose. “Go. N-nobody gets left-” He coughed, wheezing for breath as Granite continued to shake his head, his hoof gently touching Elias’ shoulder. “Lay down General, there’s nothing more we can do right now. I’ll pull the legionaries back and get everyone healed up, then we’ll go out again and get-” “Now!” Elias spat. “N-now you coward. I- I’ll…” He bared his teeth, barely able to meet the earth pony’s eyes. “Go get my ponies. I’d go for you.” “General, I…” Fire burned in Elias’ chest and he bared his bloodstained teeth. “I’ll do it.” He pushed Granite away and he tried rolling free of the cart. He hit the ground and immediately gasped as his lungs tightened. Ponies cried out in alarm as he writhed wordlessly, fighting and clawing for air. He managed to draw in one breath as they again laid him in the back of the cart, and Granite was again beside him, patting the side. “Go! Make sure Doc Scalpel treats General Bright immediately!” The cart rattled as the ponies pulling it started moving. As it pulled away, Elias stared into Granite’s eyes, his hand reaching out as his vision blackened to nothing. ***** Gray Granite watched the cart rattle away, the wound stained his fur red aching as he watched the badly wounded ponies bounce over every stray rock. One of his legionaries trotted up beside him, matching his watching gaze. “Should we follow, Centurion?” He sighed, glancing back toward the delve. It had largely fallen silent after his party had rescued Elias and Storm Chaser. The zebras had either ran out of ammunition or had been ordered to conserve it, and the minotaurs had been ordered to withdraw after he’d dove down and decapitated the large bull. They were either retreating, or were still waiting, shield high, for more legionaries to walk into the death trap. The zebras were probably doing the same. He’d killed or wounded many, but there seemed to be yet more hiding, always hiding, just out of sight. Any legionaries in the delve were either dead or had been captured. There was no hope of saving them. He knew that. He glanced back toward the cart just as it rattled out of view. His chest ached in a way that hurt far more than any wound. He thought he’d done well, had kept his ponies together, had rescued yet more with a brazen charge for the history books. Still Elias called him a coward. He knew the human was in pain, knew that he’d been hit in the head, his helmet gone and a thick knot of red hair missing from the side of his head, replaced with a mess of blood. No doubt he was suffering from a severe concussion. These things he knew, but still the human’s words hurt, and what was more, he knew they were genuine. ‘I’d go for you.’ That was what made Granite hesitate. Elias would. He’d stop at nothing, would throw himself into the fray again and again to save his ponies, his friends. All he was really asking for was for Granite to do the same, even if the same was suicidal. A tap on his shoulder brought him back to his legionaries, and the stallion at his side looked worriedly into his eyes. “Centurion?” Granite straightened, looking at his ponies. “General Bright told me that we still have ponies in the delve. He wants them back, as do I. We are legionaries. We do not leave our friends behind. I will be going to get them.” The legionaries shuffled around him, but he pressed on, his volume raising. “I know this is dangerous, more so than what you signed up for. I will not make it an order, but I am going, and will gladly accept the company of anypony who will join me.” The ponies looked to each other, a few short whispers filling the air. One by one they straightened, meeting his eyes and giving him slow nods. Granite let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, and he nodded. “Alright. No shields in the front row. We attack fast and hard, hopefully faster than the zebras can jump out. If we see anypony, we grab them, testudo up, and run back to the castra.” He drew his gladius, shouting through clenched teeth. “For the legion!” “and for Equestria!” ***** “Brave fools,” Steel Horn muttered as a wave of silver charged around the corner and into the straight part of the delve. His shield wall stood firm, the minotaurs waiting with spears in hand as the ponies drew nearer. He glanced up at the cliffs and nodded to Khari. The zebra’s teeth shined as his blowgunners, already lying in position, picked out targets amongst the charging ponies. A ferocious war cry sounded from the ponies, lead by the earth pony at the head of the charge, his gray fur already marred with blood. “He must be dead,” the bull beside Steel Horn muttered. “The human wouldn’t do this.” “Perhaps, perhaps he’s gone mad with the shame of defeat.” Steel Horn signaled with his hand, letting the missiles fly at the ponies. Their charge shattered and died as they dropped, tripping and falling over one another. “It doesn’t matter. We withdraw and drink to our victory. This day is ours.” He turned away as his bulls let out a cheer. ***** Elias winced as he waved away the bright light shining in his face. Sounds vaguely filled his ears with noise, but nothing distinct as he sat up, faintly noticing the bandages wrapped tight around his shoulder. A unicorn he recognized sprinted to his side, hooves touch his chest, trying to guide him down, even as words tried to tell him to rest. He needed to find someone though… He knew the earth pony had been hurt, had noticed blood on his armor… He scanned the wounded lay about the tent, not finding the one pony he was looking for. His words still slurred, he looked toward Scalpel and asked; “Where’s Granite?”