Chapter 20: Discussions and Ponyville

Tristan

It was a half hour from my conversation with Luna that I decided to get up and head to the Dining Hall. I arrived in the dining hall to see both princesses and the Elements eating at the table. When I entered the princesses did not give much but a glance towards me. The six mares that embodied the Elements however gave me glares of various intensities with the cream pegasus shaking like a leaf. I took off my helmet and put it in my lap and I could hear a couple of surprised gasps that I ignored.

I took several items from the table from pancakes to fruit avoiding any items with hay or flowers. The nice if tense quiet was doomed to be broken by a cyan blue pegasus with rainbow hair. “Why is this monster here! He was with the Nightmare for two years while we were forced into cells. He should be rotting in Tartarus right now!”

“Want me gone all you have to do is die, my head explodes and everyone else is traumatized.” I replied in a dead tone.

The six young mares gasped, Celestia gave a disappointed look and Luna glared at me. “You didn’t have to scare them.” Celestia looked at the girls with a sigh, “I tasked him to protect you six from anypony that would wish you harm.”

The cyan pegasus regained more of her bravado, “We don’t need anyone to protect us together we can take anypony on!”

The orange earth pony spoke up with a deep southern accent. “Rainbow Dash is right, we kin protect ourselves well ‘nough , we don’t need some darn bodyguard.”

Soon enough all six were affirming what Rainbow Dash and the orange earth pony said moments prior.

“I hospitalized all six of you by myself in barely more than a minute, with no magic and was trying to keep you alive. You have little to no fighting experience and you six were lucky to escape and lucky every guard was trying not to kill you!”
Before Rainbow Dash or the others could protest Luna spoke up. “He’s right the six of you stand no chance to fight a foe that is ready to kill you and you will not always have the Elements to save you.”

Rainbow Dash and the orange earth pony continued to insist that they could defend themselves.

I looked at all six of the mares in front of me, making sure they were looking me in the eye. “You may be able to fight, perhaps I’m not a fair indicator of what you may face. Now I must ask, if it came down to it, to choose you and your friends over your attacker could you kill your attacker, watch their life fade from their eyes and forever know you have blood on your hands. Then go back to your life and try to live with the sleepless nights, the flashbacks and the what if’s?”

All six of the girls looked at me with their eyes wide full of shock and even small hints of sympathy. I shook my head as I got up and put my helmet back on. “I’ll be in my room just send a messenger when they are ready to depart.” With those final words I walked off.

Rainbow Dash

Rainbow Dash looked at the odd looking stallion before her shock replacing any feeling of bravado she once held. As she looked into the Demon’s eyes she was surprised by what she saw in the pale blue orbs.

She heard guards speak of his actions in Cloudsdale, how he killed Fleetfoot, Spitfire and Soarin and dragged their bodies for the rebelling pegasi to see. She had heard of the legends surrounding ‘The Demon’ as a filly. A stallion with the ability to cut through armies with ease whose presence inspired fear during the war against Discord. She even watched him take down herself and all her friends with ease.

She was prepared to see the eyes of an unfeeling monster but instead she saw the eyes of a broken and defeated stallion carrying countless scars. His words rang with experience. She found it hard to carry the hatred she once held even though she had every right to hate him. ‘Why did he have to take off his helmet? Why does he have to be so much like a pony?’ Rainbow thought to herself and from the looks of it her friends had similar revelations.
When the Demon walked off she sat there gawking her eyes trained at the spot the stallion once sat in. Her confused mind bouncing between anger and pity. Rainbow and her friends ate in silence. Though after several moments the ever so curious Twilight spoke up. “Princess Celestia I mean no disrespect but is there another reason you want him to guard us besides just protection?”

Princess Celestia bowed her head for a moment, taking a deep breath, “Yes there is. As you girls can tell he is deeply troubled, carrying scars that run deep. I am hoping with time you six could possibly help him put himself back together. I know you girls will not like him, he is the one who led to you being imprisoned for two years but I just ask you to give him a chance.”

All Princess Celestia got in response were hesitant nods and murmurs.

“You girls are free to go, your train should be here in an hour.” Princess Celestia said with a quick wave.

Rainbow Dash and her friends all left the dining room. Twilight was the first to speak, “The request at the end there felt odd, it just felt like… I don’t know, like she was asking us to do a personal favor.”

“But why would the Princess care that much about his mental health? He was part of the reason she was imprisoned.” Rainbow Dash commented

“I honestly don’t know the answer to that.” Twilight said with a shake of her head.

Princess Luna

Luna watched as the six mares responsible for ridding her of Nightmare Moon left the dining hall then promptly turned back towards her sister. Luna noticed her sister look at The Demon quite often during the breakfast with a longing gaze. With the Elements out of earshot Luna cast a quick spell to keep any curious ears from overhearing the pair. “So sister, I saw how you were looking at The Demon. You're smitten with him aren't you?”

Celestia gave her sister a shallow nod. “His name is Tristan if you want to know.”

“Despite expecting the answer, Luna still was shocked by her sister’s confirmation. Part of her did not want to believe it. Luna knew The Demon… Tristan was not evil in the sense of killing innocents, that he had his goals and followed orders given. But he still played a large part in her sister’s capture and her own inability to be free of the Nightmare for two years.

To think that Celestia could have suddenly fallen for her jailor was a hard pill to swallow, “Why, what made you start falling for the same stallion you called an enemy even hated for the longest time?”

Celestia looked at her sister blankly before speaking. “I was at first Imprisoned in the dungeons before being brought up to my room you know this right?”

Luna nodded, having seen glimpses while she was suppressed by the Nightmare.

Celestia sighed, “Then you must not know the reason why that was…” Celestia hesitated to speak further but took a deep breath giving her a little courage to continue. “Three stallions entered my cell and started beating me. With my magic sealed, they could have killed me.” Celestia choked the sentence out.

“What!!”Luna shouted “Why didn’t you say anything before?” Luna paced back and forth in the bubble. “I’ll find the one responsible if they are still in the dungeons or free it doesn't matter, I’ll find them then I’ll kill them.”

“Sister listen!” Celestia said only just able to push past the memories. Though her words were enough to gain Luna’s attention. “The three who harmed me were killed.”

Celestia started sobbing, the memories hitting full force. “It was “The Demon” that killed them, he was going to check on me and heard my screams and pleading. He killed all three when he threw them off me. I sat there begging for him not to hurt me as I sat there bruised and bloody.. And for some reason took his helmet off and held me.

“I was taken to the medical wing and there he would spend an hour or two just sitting on the floor next to the bed and I thought about what he did and how it contrasted to what I first thought of him.” Celestia calmed down a bit, her tone lightening a little. “That was when it became a possibility. During my imprisonment in my room he would often come to speak to me. We would discuss a number of things, even some events he could disclose. That was the time I started falling for him. Though I did confront him about my feelings nine months ago but he refused them saying he held no such feelings for me beyond that of a friend. That he forgot how to love someone he compared himself to a machine even.”

Luna spent a long while processing everything her sister told her, “I see why now, it makes sense why you supported my action to have the Elements watch over him and he would protect them in return. Though I did create a few precautions to keep him in line just in case of the worst.”

Celestia nodded, “I see.” Celestia wrapped her arms around Luna. “Thank you for listening to me. It’s good to have one other know what happened and to know my feelings, thank you Luna.”

Luna shook her head and put a hand on Celestia’s back. “It is no problem Celestia now that I am back I will always be here for you.”

The two sisters sat there both glad to see and speak to each other for the first time in over a thousand years

Tristan

I was in my room for only a few minutes when a guard came to give me a ticket and tell me the train would be leaving in an hour, I quickly dismissed him and the guard walked off the light dancing across the golden armor. Dreading the inevitable barrage of questions that would come from the six mares once they get over the shock he gave them during breakfast.

Not wanting to delay any longer I walked out of my room and towards the castle exit. It did not take me long to get to the market district a half kilometer away from the castle proper and it was there I saw the six mares I was supposed to be protecting. I opted to stay at a distance and quieted my footsteps all around me ponies stopped and went quiet staring at me. Taking a quick look around and I saw the expected expressions of hate and fear. Funnily enough the Elements did not notice this as they talked amongst themselves.

Thanks to a clear path We made it to the train with plenty of time to spare.The conductor took my ticket and let me in without question. The Elements found their own seats sticking to a group in the back of the first passenger car. As they sat down they seemed to finally notice me. The pink mare flagged me over like some over eager child saving a seat for their best friend. I sat in an empty seat near the group.

It was quiet for a while until the purple unicorn spoke up. “We did not really introduce ourselves at breakfast so I can do that right now. My name is Twilight Sparkle and these are my friends, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity.” Twilight pointed to each person as she named them. “So what’s your name?”

“One-one-seven, Spartan, Demon, Spartan one-one-seven, take your pick..” I saw Twilight sigh but she did not push any further.

The rest of the train ride was mostly quiet, the girls talking amongst themselves while I deflected most of the personal questions occasionally asked. An hour later the train lurched forward and came to a halt. I followed the girls into the town proper, it was no surprise that the streets were cleared quickly upon first being seen. For two years seeing me without the Nightmare being close by was a sign of certain doom or at the very least imprisonment for someone.

The Elements seemed to notice the empty streets and Applejack commented on how fast the town cleared out. The group eventually stopped and I found myself at the Ponyville Library which just happened to be a living tree with a door and some windows.

I entered the building ducking my head and looked around inside. It was nothing impressive, just a standard library but with living quarters for the librarian on the top floor and a kitchen near the central room.

Twilight looks at me and then at her friends. “He will stay here, it is near the center of town and I am the most likely to be able to subdue him.” None of the others argued but they all looked ready to go to their homes, each left saying goodbye to Twilight.

Soon enough Twilight and I were the only ones in the room until I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. I instinctively pulled out my rifle but quickly put it up when I heard the startled yelp of a boy and saw before me a small purple and green dragon hatchling.

“Twilight, why is the Demon in our home you guys won right?” The boy asked.

“Yes we won Spike and the Demon here is now tasked with protecting myself and my friends. The princesses put a spell on him to keep him cooperative.”

Spike shrugged, “I’m just glad everypony is fine.” Spike walked to the door. “Twilight Mind if I go to Rarity’s?”

Twilight nodded her head and Spike walked out the door. “So…” Twilight trailed off “I have a guest room upstairs across from mine you can get yourself situated and I have some questions if you don’t mind. Oh and before I forget I should come with you to reinforce the bed.”

I shook my head, “You don’t need to do that, the armor will not be a problem.” Not wanting to take my armor off just yet I sat on the floor. “So what is it you want to ask something about the war between Discord and your Princesses or perhaps another one of your personal questions?”

“A mix of both if your don’t mind.”

I shook my head, “Let it out then.”

“So, How did the Discordian wars start? Historians only have guesses, and the Princess has never said anything about it to historians beyond Discord’s reign of chaos had to be stopped.

“Now that leads to my second question, how did you get involved? It is another thing that is only conjuncture at this point.”

I thought about my answer for a moment, “I was not there at the start of the war but I was told the war started because of land disputes between Discord and the Princesses, resources and numerous other things. The war was never about Discord spreading chaos with his magic. Though he would do that a lot during the war to spread chaos throughout the Equestrian army.

“As for how I got involved, well I was wandering around a forest, I don’t recall the name or location and Discords soldiers found me and told me to surrender. I did so because I was unsure of their capabilities at the time.”

Twilight finished her notes and stared at me for a moment. “I see. Well that is all right now I have more for you later but I want to get a proper list going before I start.” Twilight then left the room leaving me alone in the living room.

Author's Note

Not my best but this is more of a transitional into what will end up as his misadventures as a bodyguard for the main six