The Sentinel of Equestria

I was taken by flying chariot to the mountain ranges to the north of Ponyville. The town looked like a war zone from high above. Smoke still billowed where Greek fire had been used on buildings and bodies still littered the streets in front of Rarity’s boutique. I look to the north and my jaw nearly fell from its socket. A massive, gleaming city sat atop of man made cliff face. It’s white and dark purple towers loomed over a massive city built into the towering mountainside.

Once over the rim of the city, I can see massive amphitheater in the center of the city large enough to hold easily sixty thousand ponies. Not as large as the original Coliseum but larger then the one in New Rome. There’s also trolley cars moving on their rails through the winding streets like in San Francisco. Everything here was like a combination of the world I came from, old and new.

I have to shake myself out of another wave of depression as we came to the most impressive building I had ever seen. The castle match the city but rose double any buildings height and then some. The towers hung, yes hung, from the sides of the main building and massive archways gave way to several gardens and open air bridges. A large fountain adorned the front of the castle along with its moat leading to a waterfall. The moat was the waterfall, being fed by a waterfall coming from the mountain. They must really like waterfalls.

The flying chariot lands on a portion out of site of the rest of the city; the western most side. The grass was green and a few birch and willow trees grew on the grounds. Righty and Lefty, as I had come to call them, unhooked me from the chariot and lead me towards a solid stone wall. The other chariot landed just as we reached the wall. Princess Twilight exited with Spike riding her back. Couldn’t she have just flown here? Come on, it’s not like she’s had them a few months or something right?

As she approached Lefty’s horn lit and the stone in front of us glowed yellow. There was a low rumble as a section of the stone wall slowly rotated on a center axis and stopped at forty-five degree angle.

“Is there really no other way we can go into this place? Do we really have to follow movie tropes?” I ask as Twilight stands behind the guards.

“No, now walk creature. Welcome to your new home.” Righty told me as he shoved me in.

The wall shut behind me and a bared window formed out of the wall. How the Hades is that even possible? Even with magic I wouldn’t have expected even Discord to do something like that. I shrug and look around the dimly lit room as everything started to come out of the walls. They really love using their magic every chance they get don’t they? At least I was in a better room then I had in Ponyville.

It was white for starters; much more pleasant then gray. There was even a bed, sink and toilet. It would seem this was meant to hold people longer then a few hours. There was no bared door, just four solid walls and a bared window. I look over the sink and see a mirror hanging over it. I walk over and take a look at my reflection. It’s been a while since I had seen my face. Before I had been leading a campaign against an army of rouge demigods for a month only getting my hair cut once to keep it at normal length.

I didn’t look that different. My black hair was still only barely passed my hair line in the front and not at all anywhere else. My face was thick and broad along with my shoulders. My greenish brown eyes showed me worry and begged for help wherever it could be found. A small white scar was etched above my lip on the right side of my face where a harpy had nearly taken my head off back when I was still a probie. My skin wasn’t that dark or light, it was somewhere in the middle. I still looked as stern as any son of Mars only I neglected to shave off my head or get a short Mohawk.

I sigh and crack my neck. Call it a nervous habit. Though it never came up in battle, I’ve had a habit of cracking either my knuckles or my neck when I was contemplating a plan of attack or trying to carry on a conversation with Rose. Anna… No! Not right now. any minute now you’re going on trial, don’t have her on your mind now matter how calm she makes you. No matter how much you miss her you are going to keep your mind on the ball. About fifteen minutes later, the solid wall shook and metal door formed. When it opened, Twilight entered flanked by Righty and Lefty.

“I see you decided not to take the giant magical wall.” I say standing.

“Princess Twilight wishes to have a word with you before your trial by the Princess.” Lefty said.

“Fine.”

“Jack, what you did back there-”

“Before you say anything I have to ask. Are you okay?”

“What? Yes I’m fine, but you’re about to be put to trail for war crimes. Doesn’t that concern you at all?”

“It does. But not as much as my job. Regardless of what you might think of me, I take my job seriously. Regardless of how utterly fucked my mind is about even being here, I had a job and I did it. That’s all I can really ask for.”

“But what I saw out there didn’t even look like you. It looked like something out of a horror movie.”

“So your horror movies involve bipedal creatures that have honor while others don’t? That’s oddly specific.”

“Would you stop that!?”

“Stop what?”

“Being sarcastic! This is serious and you’re making jokes? What is wrong with you?”

“I’m a soldier and a leader. If I’m not calm under pressure or in the face of danger, then those bellow me follow. The leader is the image of the masses.”

“The leader is the image of the masses? That’s actually-”

“Insightful. I get that a lot. People like me aren’t usually like that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m-”

“Princess Twilight.” Righty said from the door. They were good at keeping quiet; I’d forgotten they were there. “Princess Celestia is waiting for you.”

“In a minute Phalanx.” Twilight replied.

“Okay these names aren’t doing you people any favors.”

“Listen, I’m trying to help. Can you please act more proper in front of the princess. She’s not as forgiving when there’s a threat.”

“I’ll take my chances thanks Princess.”

Twilight only groaned as she exited the room. “Your trial’s in five minutes. My sister-in-law is coming to give her insight as well.”

“Sister-in-law? How many of you are there?”

“Four. I’ll see you in fifteen minutes Jack.”

The wall spun and became seamless once more leaving me alone with my reflection. I lay back on the cot and wait for Righty and Lefty to return in fifteen minutes.