Author's Note

I didn't think this deserved to be a part of Chapter 6. No reason, other than if it was, it'd be an extremely short part.

So! Here you go: A bit of backstory to an upcoming Side Quest!

Side Quest: Get the Gear: Part 1: Pre-Mission

When we arrived at Wolfhound HQ, everyone dispersed to various places. I eventually tracked down Leon.

“You wanted to talk about something?” I asked him.

He started fidgeting and he glanced around nervously. “Y-Yeah…” He sighed, “look, seeing you readily accept them, without hesitation, it made me think. I-Do you just accept bad people, purely because they’re willing to temporarily put aside what they are and help?”

“Uh, not exactly. At least, not in this case.” I looked him straight in the eyes, showing him that I wasn’t even trying to butter it up, or straight out lie. “I accepted them because they’re willing to change.”

“I think they’ve already changed.”

I smiled, but held the laugh in. “True. But that’s because they’d already decided to. In my mind, if you regret it, want to change, or don’t even know what you’re really doing, - which they didn’t – then you’re forgiven.”

Leon looked off into the distance, thinking and absorbing what I’d said.

I sped it up. “As far as I’m concerned, they’ve all got a clean slate.”

“And... that’s that?”

“That’s that.”

He bit his lip, like he was nervous, and stayed like that for a full five seconds. I opened my mouth to ask him what was going on, but then he spoke up.

“I used to be a bad person. Not as bad as them, but… well, maybe worse, because I knew what I was doing…”

I gave him a quizzical look.

“I used to be a thief. And a da** skilled one, at that. Hardly ever got caught. And when I did, I got away. I don’t want to be ostracized, so I never tell anyone. I tried to move past that life. And, for the most part, I did. But... my name’s still out there. I’m always worried about getting recognized and taken in. I wouldn’t resist, now, but I wish I could just leave it all behind me.”

I put a comforting arm around him. “Even though back then you knew what you were doing, you’ve also just told me that you regret it. Not in so many words, but it’s obvious. You’re trying to change.... I won’t judge you on your past. I didn’t know you then, nor are you the same as you were. Just like them, you’ve got a clean slate, up here.” I tapped my head. “Not everyone has that great of a start, but that doesn’t mean they can’t rise up and make themselves great by their own blood, sweat, and tears.”

Leon smiled, and I heard a sniffle, but there was also a humorous note in there, too. “Since when did you become a philosopher?”

I laughed, and I heard him laugh too.

“Well,” I replied, “maybe I’m not one. Maybe I’m just spouting stuff from when I hit my head as a colt.”

“That’s more likely.”

More laughs rang.

After a few more minutes of conversing about just about anything that popped out of our mouths, - which, considering us, was a lot of weird stuff –I said goodbye and went to bed, as it was getting late. The Sun had already been lowered by Celestia herself, and the night’s crisp, fresh air was ready to greet its animals.

One of the few times I actually just stopped and admired the beauty of it all. And it was. Beautiful, that is.