The Crown and The Sword

   The restaurant was packed, and not you normal packed, but fucking PACKED. Infinity gulped at the massive dinner get-togethers, he just so happened to be on waiter duty at that exact time too. There was atleast two others, but he was more worried about getting the food to the patrons instead of the bonus that came with the work load. Yes... Hearth's Warming Eve was tomorrow,  but the ponies had decided now to celebrate due to some visiting family apparently, or so he concluded.

   Infinity hustled out of the kitchen sideways with a total of 10 platters. Three spread across each outstretched wing and two balanced on each forearm. The tables he waited on were perfectly aligned, lucky for him. Infinity passed by each table with a breeze, each platter placed in the center of their assigned table.

"Job... done." Infinity patted his hands together, taking in a breath.

   His wings were now comfortably lain against his back as he headed back to the kitchen. A smile splayed on his face as he entered through the door. Infinity was about to get slammed with another round of orders until his ass was saved by one of his co-workers.

"Figure ya needed a break." The waitress simply said, rushing out the door.

"Thanks Souffle." Infinity gave a small wave then taking his place in a seat near the stove.

"One question has always plagued my mind." The chef spoke up.

"Hm?" Infinity just looked over at him.

"Why is it that a pegasus is working at a restaurant instead of on the weather team?"

"It's simple, really, more ponies to interact with and not just one or two days of work." Infinity explained, his wings rustled a bit.

"Never figured a pegasus to be a social type." The chef commented, finishing up the last meal of the night.

"What can I say? I love a good conversation." Infinity shrugged leaning back into the chair.

"Order up, table thirty-six." The chef handed the plate to Infinity.

He took it with a confused look. "Thirty-six? Isn't that an outdoor table?"

"Yeah, I guess some fool wants to get sick." The chef started to clean up his station.

   It didn't take long for Infinity to stride out of the kitchen and into the now half-empty dining room, it wasn't that late yet, if he was lucky, Twilight might still be up to welcome him back. As soon as he felt the cold winter air hit his face, the atmosphere changed. The occupant of the the table he was supposed to deliver to, was simply reading a newspaper, their face hidden from view. Infinity felt a sort of chill go up his spine, and not from the cold. The snow crunched beneath his steps, getting closer to the table. The pony reading the paper had his or her hands shown, an unsettling black coat that seemed to move covered them. Infinity set the plate on the table and got out a note pad and quill.

"Will there be anything else you need?" Infinity asked, looking at the pony.

"No," The voice spoke.

"Voice pattern analysed; pony, male, a layer is present on the original voice is strongly present. Recommend caution." Edge went off inside Infinity's head.

"But you can help me." The stallion spoke again.

"Not on work hours, sorry." Infinity quickly put away his pad and quill and was about to head back inside.

"I just need directions, looking for a lost friend is all..." The paper came to a close, revealing the stallion's pupil-less, yellow eyes. "Male, probably pale in color, probably not from around here."

Infinity looked at the stallion, "Sorry sir, but I haven't seen this one nor met him, please, have a nice evening and enjoy your meal."

  Infinity was well on his way to the library for the night. After he had made several stops at some late-night stalls for any last-minute purchases, he shivered in his winter coat, a bag safely tucked within the jacket. Thankfully, his current train of thought was interrupted by the sight of the library light still on.

With a smile, Infinity head for the door, hoping he could finally get out of this cold.

"Sorry, but the library is closed for the night. You'll have to leave." Twilight seemed to be busy with her face in a book, typical.

"I thought it was always open for a regular." Infinity quipped with his smile.

"Well, in that case..." Twilight looked up with a smile, "... I don't suppose you have any checked out books that are late, hm?"

"Lucky for me.. no." Infinity smiled at the mare, now face to face with her.

"Aww... that's too bad, I was hoping to have you pay some late fees." Twilight patted his cheek and began he ascension upstairs.

"Tease." Infinity muttered.

"What was that?" Twilight called down

"I'll be up in a moment!" Infinity called out, "I just gotta get these wrapped up."

   The morning sun bled through the window. No doubt the cold wasn't affected, and certainly eh snow wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Infinity was lying awake, not that he didn't want his sleep anyway, with Twilight cuddling up to him for some extra warmth. Not that the blanket wasn't warm enough. Twilight began to stir against him, letting out a cute little yawn before murmuring something.

"Hm?"

"Could you go get some breakfast?" Twilight whispered again, Infinity picking up on it.

"Ah.. okay, sure. Just lemme shimmy on outta bed." Infinity smirked. He knew Twilight wouldn't let go without a fight.

   It didn't take Infinity long to win the fight with the tired unicorn, get dressed and head downstairs. There was a certain change in the air now, one he couldn't quite describe. The feeling was shrugged off quickly, and Infinity's hand reached for the door handle. An electrical shock shot through Infinity's body.

   A loud thunk that rang through the library woke Twilight up. She raced down the stairs in a moment's notice to find scorch marks on the floor that lead to an unconscious Infinity. As she wen to investigate, an audible inhale came from Infinity, his wings flared out from his back, and he tried to push himself into the centerpiece further.

"What happened?" He asked, not fully aware that Twilight had made her way down yet.

"I should be asking you the same thing." Twilight looked as if she was thinking, observing the scorch marks.

"I thought you were still asleep." He pointed out, standing up and brushing himself off of dust that didn't exist.

"And I thought you were going to get breakfast!" Twilight shot back

"Well, apparently your door doesn't like me!" Infinity pulled off a fake pout, folding his arms.

"Impossible. A door doesn't have feelings." Twilight looked over at Infinity with an unnamed look, "But since it's just you, I'll let it pass."

"OH you're so mean." Infinity chuckled. "I think someone or something enchanted that door."

"How can you tell?" Twilight looked back.

"OH, it's not like to electrocuted me then sent me flying half way across the library." Infinity replied sarcastically.

  Twilight reached a hand out to the door handle, before making contact, her hand was swiped away by Infinity's. Her eyes shifted to Infinity's face. His face looked serious as he shook his head lightly towards her. A silent argument was going on between the two as daggers were being passed back and forth.Twilight eventually rolled her eyes and reached for the door quickly, her hand wrapping around the handle and swiftly opening the door. A smug grin on her face as she looked at Infinity. Infinity was paying more attention to the field in the frame than the fact Twilight had opened the door. Twilight's victory grin quickly dropped as she found a white-furred finger pointing towards the door. Her mouth dropped open at the yellow magic present in the door she just opened. Infinity silently approached the yellow field, touching it with a finger. It felt tingle-y, changing at the most. His hand sunk through the field, the yellow tint becoming transparent revealing his hand again, only it the state he was originally found in.

Infinity quickly retracted his hand. "Obviously it was meant to keep me inside... Twilight, I may need your help."

"What? Why?!"

You're a unicorn, you can use more magic than I can at this moment, and I can't do anything about this field." Infinity pointed out, a few sparks flying off his hand. "The best I could do is summon... probably."

"Probably?" Twilight looked dumbfounded.

"I have to fit in, so, I sacrifice my main magical abilities for those of a standard pegasi, which in turn, I can't defend myself properly unless I revert back to my original form. You know, the form you nearly bashed in a statue?"

Twilight blushed a little a smile sheepishly.

"What I would like for you to do is to overload this field, which will either; A, cause it to dissolve; B, cause the field to explode,, or; C, do nothing to it at all."

"You have a very weird way of looking at things, don't you?" Twilight had her head cocked off to the side.

"Indeed I do." Infinity replied with a smile.

   Twilight shrugged slightly, but was a bit hesitant to stand in front of Infinity. She didn't really feel comfortable with the possibility of this sort of magic blowing up in their faces. Well, probably more hers than his. Nonetheless, Infinity probably didn't want to stay cooped up in the library again. Twilight took a deep breath and concentrated, her horn flared up in a magenta hue. By instinct, she threw her hands in front of her body and a blast burst forth from her horn. Her magic collided with the field for a short time before before fading away.

They both stood in silence, eyes on the field that still stood in the doorway. A few minutes passed by, the field still stood. Infinity threw his hands up in anger a stormed off up the stairs. Twilight stood still in her place, her eyes watching the field falter, then fall to the floor like a blanket before disappearing. from existence. Twilight was about to jump up into the air and shout, but was interrupted by two guards entering the library with questionable looks about their faces.

"What can I do for you gentlecolts today?" Twilight asked, brushing back a strand of rogue hair away and tucked it behind her ear.

"We were informed that a pegasus might live here?" One of the guards spoke.

"White fur, possibly a stallion. Know any?" The other asked.

"Let me think..." Twilight put on her best, fake thinking face.

"Hey Twi-" Infinity stopped at the foot of the stairs, his eyes gazing at the two guards in the library. "Hello... gentlemen."

"Halt, by order of the crown, you are hereby under arrest." They both said in unison, apprehending the pegasus.

"What did you do?!" Twilight hissed in a hushed manner.

Infinity shrugged before speaking, "And what charges are for my arrest?"

"For an attempted assassination of Princess Celestia." One spoke as the tugged him out the door.

"Hold it!" Twilight shouted, stopping the guards and causing them to look at her, "What evidence do you have to his accusal?"

"There was a single white feather found at the scene along with a blade."

"Where does she live?" Infinity asked.

"Canterlot. Where else?" The other looked at Infinity, an eyebrow raised.

"Let's just say that I'm not from around these parts. So, I wouldn't know where this 'city' was exactly." Infinity stated.

"Where do you think Canterlot lies?"

Infinity simply nodded his head west, the guards looked at eachother.

"Regardless, you must be taken in for questioning by her majesty!" They both lugged Infinity off, Leaving Twilight to go slam the door and go on a frantic search.

In Canterlot

Infinity sat alone, in a dungeon, on a rather uncomfortable wooden chair. He was naked, he was beat, and worst of all, he could've sworn he had splinters sticking into his ass cheeks. A rather large looking guard was trying to interrogate the poor pony, using any means necessary to get what he wanted. It wasn't much though, just sarcastic remarks from Infinity. The door opened across from where he was sitting, but he smiled before looking up.

"Is the little man comin' in for more insults?" Infinity asked, he smile faded as soon as he looked up.

Before him stood a mare taller than Twilight and himself, even though Infinity was slightly taller than Twilight. She had a calm likeness about her, a mane the seemed to flow even with no breeze, although the dungeon he was in has a slight draft, maybe because he was naked also. This mare had wings and a horn, which he had to assume that was a rare occurrence considering the amount to wings, horns and neither in the society he lived in currently.

She was taking slow,pacing steps towards him, then circling around the chair several times before leaning down. Her eyes came to level with his. This winged unicorn or horned pegasus, whatever the name was, it was escaping Infinity's mind, stared. Eyes shifted from one of Infinity's to the other, then stood to a full attention.

"Whoever you are, you can't simply be the assassin that attempted to murder me." Her tone seemed serious, but neither angry, happy, nor sad.

"What, why? I thought you're guards were looking for a white pegasus stallion." Infinity spoke up.

"The perpetrator had yellow eyes, you have red, There must be a mistake."

"Y-yellow you say?" Infinity asked, his eyes widening.

"Do you know of this pony?"

"Let's just say that this perp, well, isn't from around these parts. Quite frankly, neither am I." Infinity put on a sheepish smile, know exactly what he meant.

"Then how do you know this... assassin?"

"Let's just say that we go back a ways. Say, five years." Infinity looked down for a moment.

"So you two are.. friends?"

"No, we were never friends. Just that were aware of each other up to a point we never saw one another." Infinity looked back up, the mare was staring at him in a suspicious manner.

"Well then, I guess you're free to go."

"Just like that? I'm good to leave this place and that's all I needed?" Infinity was confused now.

"Well, it is Hearth's Warming Eve, and as I understand it, you are currently living with my most faithful student."

Infinity just stared at this mare, his mouth agape. All she did was smile back at him.

"I'll see to it that somepony gets to clothed again and sees you out, I'll meet you out front." With that said, she left the seemingly colder room.

"What?" Infinity asked himself.

    Infinity was finally dressed appropriately again and being escorted down one the castle's many corridors. The trek was silent, but as long as he didn't have to interact with any of the guards, he was fine. Although, he did admire what he could of the castle's interior before he left. What a structure it was to him. He grinned and waved at the guard who beat him with his 'interrogation'. The guard only snorted and looked away from Infinity with disappointment. Sure, he'd have a black eye for a week, but at least he was finally getting out of that dreary, old dungeon that was probably older than the castle he was walking in. As the queen had said, and he did finally put two and two together, her stature, the rarity in her genetics, and the golden tiara-crown-thing that sat above her horn, kept her word and really did meet her 'prisoner' outside. She stood with a small smile, hands tucked behind her back, and in front of a carriage with two pegasi guard ponies tugging it along. The carriage itself looked ornate, fit for someone of the princess' stature., gold trimming and a picture of a sun on the door.

"I take it that I'm not really heading back alone, am I?" Infinity asked, bowing by sticking his left foot to the bottom of right at a 90 degree angle and bent down at his waist line.

"I would appreciate it if you could accompany me for the journey, since I am head to Ponyville to see my pupil." The queen spoke with sincerity, certainly a pleasant aspect for a ruler.

"As you wish, your majesty." Infinity smiled on the inside as well as the outside, knowing his own manners for royalty very well.

"Please, Princess or Celestia is just fine."

Infinity looked up confused, the princess had the carriage door opened and was already stepping inside. "Princess? I thought you were a queen at least."

"Queen is a bit malicious here in Equestria." Infinity took a seat across from Celestia, he nodded slight mouthing a silent 'oh.' "Are you and my student... hmm?"

"I'm Sorry?" Infinity asked, tilting a ear in her direction.

"Twilight and you, both of you... ahem... mates?"

Infinity nearly dropped to the floor, but considered how she had started acting towards him after that night and how he acted to her. "I guess you could say that we share a sort of relationship.. She's a nice girl, very considerate sometimes."

"Sometimes?"

"There are times where she will forget there's anyone else in the world while she studies. So I just go and put something out of place and see how long it takes her to notice." Infinity smiled at the numerous times he had to pull that off to get Twilight to eat.

"Like a sort of prank."

"Yeah, sort of, but I do it to remind her that she does need to eat every once in while when she has been studying for hours on end. Although, she has been studying at a more.. reasonable.. rate nowadays." Infinity gestured towards something that didn't exist.

"I see, she's very studious."

"You don't have to tell me, I think I startled her the first time we met, I mean, she nearly took me out with a stat- erm!" Infinity stopped near the end, his mouth immediately latching shut.

"What was that last part?"

"Nothing!" Infinity blurted out before his hands latched to his muzzle, shutting his mouth for good. "Did I just yell at royalty?!"

Celestia just nodded and started to relax a little, she didn't find that Infinity could pose any threat, at the moment, but sometimes being prepared helps. A lesson she found out through the years. Infinity slid down into his seat, his ears falling just below the top cushion's edge. His cheeks, the ones on his face, felt like they were on fire. For all he knew, they might literally catch fire, something that has happened only once in his life.

The total flight only took roughly an hour, either the distance was shorter going out rather than coming in, or these were some efficient guards that could fly. It didn't matter to Infinity right now., all that did matter is that they arrived at the library and he was going to let Twilight know that he was all right. Of course, Infinity couldn't help but be a gentleman spite his current looks. He stepped out of the carriage before Celestia and 'helped' the princess out. Infinity only got a few steps away from the carriage before the library's door flew open, a certain lavender mare came running out, and tackled Infinity to the ground in an amorous hug. She had also looked like that she'd been crying just a few hours ago.

"Sheesh Twi, I was only gone for a few hours and you're already crying?" Infinity asked before wrapping his arms around Twilight's midsection, returning the hug.

"I might have never gotten to see you again!" Twilight wail into Infinity's shirt.

"And yet we have company, this is how you present your pretty lil self?" Infinity smiled.

"We d- ohmigosh! What happened to you?!" Twilight gasped at Infinity's current bruised state.

"One of my guards took it upon themselves to interrogate him their way instead of by my orders." Celestia spoke up.

  Twilight quickly got up from Infinity and bowed before her mentor, a blush rampant through her cheeks.