The Grey of Winter

Mason had finally made it up to the room in the crystal palace that the pink pony, who's name he learned was Cadance, gave him to stay in. It was a room not unlike one you might find at a hotel, the only difference being that everything was made of crystal and it had only a bed, some chairs, a desk and a dresser.

Mason walked over to the dresser and removed his helmet and visor, revealing his long blonde hair and his silver-gray eyes. Next he unwrapped his long red scarf. It was the scarf his friend had left him when he died in Mason's arms. Mason heard someone clear their throat from the door of his room, and looked to find Cadance standing there with a concerned smile on her face.

"You look a little down Mason, something you want to talk about?" she asked.

Mason didn't show it, but he was glad she was concerned for him, even though she was the one who had just lost her husband. "Maybe I'll tell you about it another day" Mason said. These ponies may trust him, but Mason wasn't ready to trust them completely yet.

"Well if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here for you Mason. Because you were there for us when the giant attacked." Cadance said. "Dinner is in 2 hours, I'll send someone up to come get you." she said as she walked out the door, shutting it behind her.

Mason set down his scarf on the dresser, and sat on the bed. It felt weird for him to be sitting on a bed after three years of only being able to sit on rocks, snow and ice. But it was a good kind of weird. However, Mason also felt...tired. Tired of going nothing but surviving.

He toyed with the idea of leaving after telling Cadance whatever she wanted to know, before deciding that he wouldn't leave like that. These people were fatally unprepared for giant attacks and Mason knew that if one giant could make its way down the mountain range and attack, what was stopping the rest of them from coming and attacking as well?

The answer was clear. Mason was all that stood between these ponies and the total destruction of their city. He would stay. And he would protect them.

Mason woke up to the sound of knocking on his door. He thought it strange that he didn't notice falling asleep, or even having laid down on the bed for that matter.

"Sir?", a voice from the other side of the door said,  "Princess Cadance requested that you be brought down for dinner, I'm here to escort you there".

"Just a second!" Mason shouted, to make sure whoever was on the other side could hear him. He got up, feeling his back was sore from sleeping on his bag and gun. He made a small vow to remember to take it all off before dozing off again. Mason walked over to the door and opened it. The orange pony in guard's armor looked like he was about to knock again just before it opened.

The guard put his hoof down "Sir, are you ready to go?" he then asked asked.

"Yes, let's go." Mason replied. Cadance neglected to tell Mason she was a princess when they talked. He was going to ask about that later. When Mason and the guard reached the dining hall, they found that it was only Cadance sitting at the table.

"Hello Mason! And thank you Flash for bringing him here. Take the rest of the night off." Cadance said, going from a cheerful greeting for Mason to a slightly more serious tone.

The guard gave a slight bow to Cadance before turning and leaving the room. Mason sat down at the table next to Cadance, and draped his bag and gun straps around the back of the chair he sat in. "So, Mason," Cadance began, "Tell me about yourself! What species are you?" she asked, almost a little too excitedly.

Mason was slightly hesitant to answer. "I'm a human and as you already know my name is Mason. I was a Leiutenant in the United States Marine Corps. before arriving here through--", they carried on long through the evening. Cadance asking Mason questions about where he's from and Mason answering them to the best of his ability without giving out military secrets. He told Cadance of his day to day life on earth and what he went through for three years after arriving in what he found out was called Equestria, a land of ponies.

Mason and Cadance quickly became friends that night. When it came time for the princess to go to bed, she asked Mason to join her in her room before he went to his own room. And so, Mason gathered up his bag and gun and they both set off to Cadance's room.

When they stepped inside Cadance shut and locked the door before casting a soundproof spell on it. Mason quickly voiced his concerns. "Cadance what's going--" he said at first. However, he was then interrupted by Cadance bursting into tears.

"Mason I'm sorry for dragging you into this but I-I can't take it anymore! Shiny's dead! He-he's dead and there's nothing that can bring him back!" Cadance bawled as she wrapped her forelegs around Mason's midsection. "Everyone expects me to be strong about Shiny's death, to not feel sad over it, and I'm scared! Scared because I don't think I can be that strong! Scared that if I'm not that strong that I can't lead the crystal empire properly! Scared that-*sniff*-that--" Mason cut her off.

"Cadance. Listen to me." Mason said a little more forcefully than he meant to, silencing Cadance's weeping almost entirely. "I didnt know your husband before he died. But if he was anything like any man i knew before he died, he would want you to tough it out for him. He would want you to go on, even when you don't think you can go another minute without him." Mason's voice was getting shaky as he went on.

"He would want you to know that--that even though he's gone, he is still watching your back." Mason closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. He continued, his unsteady tone gone. "I know that your husband, if he was anything like the men I knew on earth. The good ones. He would want you to honor his memory not by grieving, but by moving on." Mason opened his eyes to look at Cadance, who was staring at him in awe. Staring at him as if he had just told her his tragic life's story. Unknown to mason, Cadance was the princess of love and emotion. And in a way he had told her everything.

Mason was a little unnerved by Cadance staring at him like that. "Cadance?" he asked, to try and gain her attention. "Cadance, are you awake?" he asked again, slightly concerned. Mason tried to think of a way to physically break her miniature trance without harming her, but not knowing much about pony physiology, he didn't want to risk it.

"CADANCE!" Mason shouted, successfully breaking her stare.

"Oh!  Uhh...yes Mason?" Cadance asked letting go of Mason and looking anywhere but at him, a slight tint of red to her muzzle.

"You were giving me a weird look and staring at me. Are you alright?" Mason asked, raising an eyebrow out of genuine curiosity.

"Oh ummm-uhh-yes! Yes I'm fine! Thanks for the pep talk, you should...uhhh...probably get to bed! We have to start rebuilding what was destroyed in the city tomorrow! Goodnight Mason!" Cadance stuttered out nervously, blushing even more.

"Okay...goodnight Cadance." Mason said as he got up, grabbed his bag and gun and walked out, shutting the door behind him.

Cadance couldnt sleep that night. She was kept awake by the magic she felt resonate off of Mason hours earlier. The regret, the anger, the sorrow, and the agony of repressing it all. Mason was an interesting creature to Cadance, and she didnt like how he was bottling up his feelings inside.

In Cadance's experience ponies who bottle up their feelings like Mason never show people their real selves. They bottle that up like the rest of their feelings. So Cadance made a silent vow that night to get Mason to open up. To get Mason to show her his true self. Cadance however was unaware that ever since Mason had arrived in their world, the magic within her and The Crystal Heart was shifting to accommodate a large change in The Crystal Empire. This change would change the lives of her, and the rest of her kingdom until the end of time.

As soon as Mason made it back to his room, he set down his bag and gun for the last time that day. After opening up his bag, Mason pulled out the last chocolate bar from his private stash that he had been saving for three years. He felt like it was time for a little celebration, no matter how little it was. Although Cadance forgetting about getting either of them dinner, and instead questioning him about earth and himself helped sway his decision for the late night candy bar.

Miles and miles away a small pink pony had awoken from her slumber in a panic, her pinkie sense telling her that somebody somewhere was not having a party in celebration of an event that changed their life forever. She was determined to find who this somebody was, and awoke the next morning to tell her best friend Twilight Sparkle that she should check up on her brother more often.