Depending on the undependable

With royal correspondence long since delivered to the Minotaur empire, eagerly awaited reply gives way to deafening silence well over one month and counting. But with patience holding firm so does life across Equestria with the hustle and bustle of many hard working pony no matter where they may reside within. This holds especially true for those who might call Canterlot home.

Capital to Equestria, home of the eldest princesses of day and night, and for it's humble size an epicenter of activity for those at home and even abroad. Shops, markets, and entertainment from the questionable to that of royal pedigree find just enough time to cast their mark on the passing of days none would ever consider numbered.

Less you work the busiest air dock in the entire country.

Cut right into the northern cliff that stands as Canterlot's foundation, the open face corridor stretches several hundred yards along the bedrock with rounded platforms built outwards for ease of larger foreign transports. Housing more tour blimps than airships, its purpose changed over time from when foreign diplomatic rendezvous remained tenacious and discreet.

Now open to the public, so too does it's management.

"Harbormaster Glitter?" A stallion's voice riddled with caution calls from just outside the small office window.

Especially if yet one more day of pushed back outbound pickups never show, forcing the pony in charge to merely stare in defeated silence in her office upon the assumed blackboard. Holding the black marker between her teeth, Harbormaster Glitter continue to scan around for anywhere to make another mark. Whimpering softly, she finally hangs her head in utter defeat.

"Harbormaster Glitter? I'm really sorry to bug you but we need you on the dock." The stallion's light blue ears and green eyes peeks up from the bottom window frame. "There's a huge airship coming our way."

Clenching down on the marker with her teeth, Harbormaster Glitter throws a small temper tantrum with splotches pelting the floor and nearby wall. Taking to the air, she spits the market towards the overflowing trashcan before zipping out the open window. Almost immediately letting go of her anger, the sight of inbound transport far in the distance snaps her into focus.

"Gonna need everyponies help on this one!" Harbormaster Glitter calls out to the quick rush of a dozen more with the abnormally large airship coming into clearer view. "Alright ponies, we're going to need to use the large gangway for this size of an airship."

"What!?" Several workers groan, with the pegasus moaning the most. "But it's massive!"

Not immediately responding to their moan and groan, Harbormaster seems far more concerned to the small blotch coming in from the same distance as the airship. Quickly recognizing one of her pegasus ship guides, the slow but gradual details of it's frightened expression and struggle to fly faster sends sends off alarms of not only herself, but a few nearby stationed volunteer guards.

"Harbormaster Glitter!!" The light green pegasus mare comes in so hard she almost skids into a fall on the rounded edge of the dock, skipping several times before turning into a screeching slide. "We have Minotaurs inbound!"

"Minotaurs?" Harbormaster Glitter cracks a nervous grin to the notion. "Trying to give me a heart attack, Star Breeze?"

"I'm not joking!" Star Breeze begins to trot in place. "I don't even think it's a shipping transport! There was a whole bunch of them on deck in formation like the royal guards in front of the castle, and they didn't even acknowledge me."

"What kind of formation?" Harbormaster Glitter shifts her sight from Star Breeze to much farther behind her, finding the closer the ship comes the more nervous she becomes. "The only thing a bunch of guards are in front of- Oh crap."

Noticing Harbormaster Glitter looking now towards the several guards assembled nearby, Star Breeze seems confused to why that only causes Glitter even greater worry. Tilting her head, she seems unable to find her voice before Glitter finds hers first.

"You can't be here!" Glitter states in unintended intensity that hardly seems well received by the guards now folding back their ears. "None of you have been properly trained for this sort of thing. Send word to the royal guards that some sort of diplomatic envoy has arrived from the Minotaur Empire, and ask for immediate relief to your posts."

"Hey, we're not afraid of a bunch of Minotaurs." The left mare unicorn taps the flat end of her spear on the smooth bedrock before looking to her own left with a cocky grin. "Besides, this is the kind of stuff they say you need to experience first hoof."

"Please, listen to me." Harbormaster Glitter almost pleads as she steps closer to try and get compliance. "I'm sure the royal guards will allow you to watch, maybe even assist, but there are strict protocols when it comes to dealing with foreign military."

"Military?" Star Breeze looks to her fellow dock workers who shrink back or look around nervously. Gulping down, she flies over closer to speak in the flickering ear of her boss. "Um, none of us know if we're supposed to do something special, either?"

Blowing a puff of air in Star Breeze's face to move her back away, Harbormaster Glitter makes sure to shoot Star Breeze an understanding wink before looking back towards the guards who now are five when once they were three. Growling to the blatant disregard of her advice, she wishes she still had the authority of years long in the past.

"I am hereby making it known that I am against your presence here, and while I understand that you might not understand why, I am without time or extra hooves to do what you refuse to yourself." Harbormaster affirms her stance even in the face of those who roll their eyes and look less than impressed. "But if you cause international incident, you'll never step hoof on my dock again."

"Just do your job so we can do ours, eh dock girl?" An earth pony in the ever growing guard pool mocks aloud, earning a few earnest chuckles and snickers along with intense glares from the dock workers close enough. "Hmm?"

With the large airship passing even the distant haze of the hot summer day, such confrontations only add to the unneeded tension already weighing the Harbormaster down. Bringing a light twitch to her eye, she mentally marks down descriptions to deal with later before swishing her tail like a whip to grab everypony in full attention, once again.

"I need every pegasus on the clock front and center!" Harbormaster Glitter turned Drillmaster Glitter finds her request only half filled in number but overfilling with merit with only five coming forth. "While I have the earth ponies pound that old rusted gangway as you lift, the unicorns will do what they can to lighten the load. When the ship arrives, I want you all to be patient until I give the word."

Smiling to all her workers nodding firmly, Harbormaster then turns towards Star Breeze.

"I need you to fly out and inform the captain of the airship that you will lead him to where we are now, as this is the only anchor with a gangway large enough." Glitter nods in unison to her ever trusty Star Breeze lead. "Be polite, and careful."

Watching Star Breeze leave as earth ponies scramble to get their tools and pegasus their ropes, Harbormaster Glitter holds her side glance of disapproval on the dozen large gathering of civilian guards in plain armor laughing and dropping their spears on each other. Not one to judge otherwise, it is from those known to do so quickly that she too must adapt less things get out of hoof.

Yet as all under Harbormaster Glitter's watch take their rightful place, it is the what seems to do so with far too much inbound speed that comes to the forefront of not only herself but those already stepping back in rising fear. Lead by the visibly unnerved Star Breeze doing much like she had on her first skid across the bedrock when she comes in for another hard landing, she finally makes the call.

"That's a bucking warship!" Glitter watches in pure terror as one of farthest away tour blimps is torn from it's anchor in the wake of such mass traveling so fast and close. "Get away from the edge!"

Caught in the frenzy of clamoring guards and galloping workers, those frozen in stare are quick to follow when something is launched from the deck of the passing warship towards them. Screaming and yelling to the misunderstanding, the hard crash onto the very edge of the platform only solidifies seemingly unprovoked attack with dust and light objects not anchored down blowing in a frenzy.

Left speechless to the events of a few seconds, Harbormaster Glitter somehow manages herself above any other. Her dock caught in the proverbial tornado, she leaves her muzzle hung open towards the supposed object of attack begins show signs of movement. Tilting her head, one of her ear flicks about when the sound of a cackle tickles the hairs within.

"Holy shit!" The supposed small Minotaur jumps back up as more screams ring out, turning around towards the Minotaur airship already soaring away from it's hazardous fly by. "I didn't think you'd actually do that you bastard!"

"I didn't think I could either!" The large Minotaur yells back with an echoing laugh, followed by pounding it's hand into others in celebration to a throw well made. Knocked over by the hard roll of the ship, laughter only increases, even as one struggles to hold onto the railing over the port side slowly turned into view, shifting finally into a dissipating belligerent scream for help.

"Are. You. Crazy?!" Harbormaster Glitter screams from shock, worry, and rising anger. "Are you laughing?!"

"Hey assholes! I need my stuff too! Oh wait." It grabs hold of both shoulder straps, giving a tug. "We're good!"

Seeing it's fellow Minotaur off with a raised fist given likewise in return, no hard feelings seem apparent. Lowering it's arm, it abruptly turns about to it's eager to chastise audience, whom for their patience are greeted something very much not expected when one just plain faints into a ball of fur on the dirty ground.

It's eyes small and beady, with no muzzle to speak of. Lacking any sort of fur or hair save for the short blonde atop it's head, even it's attire seems all too foreign that time itself seems to freeze as some begin to question what their even seeing.

"You're making a bad impression." The creature's definitive male voice speaks loud and clear.

As does the screams of those fleeing in unbridled terror to anything a shield, be it a crate or fellow fainted pony. Even the assembled small battalion of twenty or so guards find a few within their ranks dropping their spear in order to gain another hoof to flee faster. Or in the case of one sending it's spear whizzing by the creature's unflinching head, a very good reason to.

"But a great one for getting your ass kicked." It's voice lowering past baritone with an abrupt aggressive step forward.

Harbormaster Glitter, jumping into the air from the well forecast sign of aggression, beats her wings to try and get somewhere in between unknown creature and untrained guards. Facing to quell what is far more focused in it's intent, she gulps while holding her forelegs up to try and impede any farther movement that will surely only escalate things further.

"W-wait! You're not a Minotaur." The pegasus mare somehow finds her proper voice, one gradually growing calmer in an effort to hopefully set in example to the one before her. "We need you to come to customs, before you can enter Canterlot."

"I did not honor the request for my presence only to be insulted by such gestures of fear and thrown spears. If this is what you would offer one who has come to your aid, then none of you would be deserving." The creature turns around while sliding it's hand into a loosely tied pouch fastened to it's waist belt, wiggling out a small blue marble. "What a waste of time."

Staring towards the Minotaur ship all but enveloped in distant haze, the creature rolls the marble in it's hairless hand of even more fingers than it's once assumed identity. Snapping it's hand closed into a fist, it shifts it's straight legs to anchor for a hard throw.

"Wait!" Harbormaster Glitter zips just in front with hooves extended forward. "Listen, we're all just a little surprised because we weren't even expecting a Minotaur ship today, let alone one who seems to have come from even farther away."

"Are you admitting that you do not trust the Minotaur?"

"What? No! Of course not. All I'm trying to explain is that-"

"What is your age?" It's tone closer to what most pony would only expect within a garrison. "It would be needless for me to speak with but a youngling any further, and I shan't make my final decision with one too young to accept it."

"I'm a full grown mare! Can't you tell?"

"You are the first before my eyes of what I only know only in words." It Scans her up and down. "Yet you would cast such disgrace as to fear me, as if my arrival upon a clearly marked Minotaur airship means absolutely nothing. Perhaps I only need call them back to inform them that the entirety of your dock view me a greater threat than the sum of all of them?"

"Oh no no, please don't!" Glitter begins to plea, "They'd destroy the dock!"

"Is that not what you've made very apparent of what you considered of me?" It leans in, causing Glitter to move her head down without her eyes losing sight of it's own, it's open finger gloves creaking from the clench. "Still think of me."

Glitter begins to gleam the wetness from her eyes from all the tension and frayed nerves. Looking around for possible help, her eyes now cast upon the guards with weapons poised offering the opposite. Shifting from the harder flap of one wing, she finds nothing but more of the same to the blindside of what still stands an enigma.

Glancing back to the creature, she catches just in the time the tell tale signs of what may truly have become most endangered. Caught in the drag of it's vision in swift turnabout, Glitter cannot help but notice the etch of a devious smile making show and tell.

"You catch on quick. Most don't." Turning it's head towards the guards, curling it's upper lip with the tip of his tongue helping give emphasis to something in particular. "If they want to have a go, I'll give them some first hand experience."

"Now you stop that too." The mare whooshes her wings extra hard to the statement. "We shouldn't of acted like we did, but right now you're purposely trying to egg them on. If you're telling the truth that you're not a threat, then act like it."

Heaving uncontrollably, the Minotaur like creature lowers his head while sounding like he is trying to hold in a sneeze. Catching the curiosity of the utterly befuddled Glitter, she extends a hoof to touch in concern just as the creature erupts in laughter. Slapping it's knee a few times to allow no words time to come between the bouts, it suddenly points a finger towards the guards.

"You all look so damn scared I'm surprised you haven't dropped your spears!" Struggling to catch it's breath, even as it almost begins anew to the slew of enraged glares. "This one beside me has more balls than all of you put together!"

"C-come on now, let's calm down. Yes, lets all calm down." Glitter flutters in between the creature and guards, light red somehow coming through her dark gray coat to the comments made. "If we exchange names, will you work with me and cooperate?"

"Names? Well which one do you want, because I have quite a few."

"You have more than one name?" Glitter tilts her head to the notion. "Not titles, names."

"How about Catfish John?" Catfish John crosses his arms with one eye held close. "It's a good name, I think."

"It's not your real name, is it." Glitter crosses her forelegs in kind. "That's not very nice, you know."

"Neither were any of your parents when they tried to drown you lot in rainbows when you were born. But I guess you ponies are just weird in general. Even if your wings flapped as fast as a hummingbird you're still too damn big for it to make sense." John reaches over to grab Glitter, much to her shriek and struggle to his heaving up and down. "They told me on the way here, but damn."

"Hey, I might not be like Fleur Dis Lee but I'm not unfit you big brat!"

"Who the hell is Fleur Dis Lee?" John watches patiently as Glitter zips away towards the large office, coming back just as fast with something strangely held in her hoof. "Bullshit."

"This is Fleur Dis Lee!" Glitter shifts the two page picture back and forth to match John's intense focus on the edges of her hooves that arch out halfway on either side of the flipped magazine. "That's very very hard, you know."

"Bet she fucks like a skeleton, too." Ignoring all the gasps. "How are you doing that?"

"You realize you can't just be going around talking like that, right?"

"If you don't give me a name in the next ten seconds I'll have to name you myself." John looks her dead in the eyes with a return to his previous serious demeanor. "You don't want that, but I do."

"Aren't you listening to me, at all?" Glitter asked with growing exasperation. "My name is-"

"Winzor." Catfish John nods to himself. "Most likely better than any name you had before."

"But that's not even-" Suddenly going silent, Winzor blinks a few times. "That's not as bad as I expected, but-!"

"Shut up Winzor, we're wasting time on things already set in stone. I need to meet with someone that I only have in description." John slips out from one of his shoulder traps to bring about a rugged looking saddlebag. Grabbing it with his other hand to slide it off the other arm, he sets it down in order to clip the top flap free. "Never surprised how much crap I can fit in here."

"You came all this way without even having a name?" Glitter barely resists smacking her forehead with a hoof. "What if they aren't even in Canterlot?" Flaring her forelegs in growing frustration. "Or Equestria?!"

"Well, it's someone associated with another of the clan I was forced into that died long time ago." John's selective wording bringing little comfort or clarity to Winzor or the others listening nearby. "When they came and asked if I knew, I lied and said no."

"Um, okay." Winzor watches as John seems to pull things up that shouldn't even fit. "Huh?"

"Week later they came back with a few more soldiers, but I had already packed up my house and moved elsewhere." John's continued wording causing Winzor to look back to find only the same reaction as her own. "Considering how many almost died finding me up in the mountains, there was little more I could do than move again."

"You say that like you don't even care." Winzor speaks with softness to the very idea. "That's not very nice."

"Not my fault and I healed them before I left." John looks up with a raised eyebrow. "I said almost."

"You do understand how you made that sound just now, right?" Winzor inquires. "Right?"

"Two weeks and quite an adventure later, they finally brought me down and took me to the head judiciary at the capital." Rearing back after catching whiff of something that curls his upper lip, John dives right back into his little story. "Turns out I may have went and committed some capital offense with a capital punishment." Pausing. "Well, twice after that."

Unable to offer much for or against, Winzor just flaps her wings in continued awkward silence.

"All said and done, and I mean done, I was satisfied for the good run I've had here. But I guess I was the only one who thought so, and when it comes to the last of anything for the Minotaur, that's all that matters." John peers down inside as if his pack were a deep chasm, his voice muffled to it's true context. "So here I am, looking for a picture."

"Sad thing I guess was that even though back then the Minotaur had made a kind of camera, he never could figure out how to do the next step of processing." John reaches down inside up to the shoulder. "Later on they were able to actually get the stuff to imprint onto something else, and damn was it a well guarded secret until I made a bunch of copies. Kinda silly to me, though."

Finally finding what he needed, John pulls out to show Winzor the same type of book used by many a pony for modern pictures. Flipping through a few times, he turns it around to show Winzor who immediately goes full eyes white with muzzle agape. Slowing her flaps, her wings stiffen to her eventual plop.

"That's Princess Celestia!" Winzor flares her forelegs, unsure if to keep looking or not. "Close it! Close it now!"

"What the hell?" John turns it back around to look back onto the picture. "What do you and the Minotaur even see? Her wings are fully extended and you've already flashed me a dozen times. I mean she looks pretty majestic, I guess?"

"Release the fabrication!" One of the closest guards shoves his spear forward, signalling all behind him to ready their own once more in much firmer posture and intent. "Under penalty of law, you are hereby under arrest!"

"No can do. It's property." John stuffs the book back into the pack. "My property."

Clipping the top flap shut, John seems to entirely ignore the events unfolding before him. As Winzor hovers firmly between him and the guards, she is rewarded with being enveloped in orange glow and shoved aside. The same unicorn guard as before suddenly lunges forward with his spear tip stopped only mere inches away from John's forehead.

With lack of reaction a warning in itself not heeded, the unicorn soon finds himself well rewarded in kind.

Grabbing the shaft of the spear without even lifting his eyes, John yanks it hard enough to bring the base of the head into his hand but out of the magic somehow unable to keep hold. With the orange blur lingered from it's owner's surprise, it only helps to blind him from the flat end of the spear slamming underneath his muzzle in upward swing, shattering teeth and wood.

With the unicorn snapped up onto it's hind legs in reactive rearing, the punishing ball of bone at the bottom of John's foot serves well enough to send him flipping back the rest of the way. Sent onto the several other guards mistakenly overconfident in their attempt to reinforce the unicorns advance, the high pitched frequency their only warning to the concussive impact across their chests and forelegs. Finding their breaths robbed of the ability to scream, they fly back like rag dolls past even their rear guard.

Distracted and mostly blinded, the guards mistake of being so condensed like a pointed vanguard instead blunts from the sudden fear and confusion. Lending themselves to the mercy of their plight, they find none as another impact from the newly established line of scrimmage brings even more front to back. With those once in front crying out in pain from their injuries, none seem to notice Winzor separating the dust overhead in the wake of her frenzied flight towards the only way into Canterlot itself.

"Kind of feeling bad over here. I guess I should of warned you that I'm not used to warnings." John's voice cuts through the dust that still conceals him otherwise with a bit of play in tone. "Guess I should teach you a little about myself, huh."

As if in accordance to proper Minotaur etiquette, he slams both fists which never meet knuckle to knuckle with a thundering vibration whipping the clouds of dust away in violent efficiency to make his entirety known once again. Stretching out his arms, he lets forth a battle cry worthy of any who would call themselves warriors of the horn.

"Lesson one!" Cracking his neck to the growth of a cornered smirk he refuses to hide. "I'm not a Minotaur!"

Author's Note

While the next chapter remains up, it is set to be heavily revised as well. I didn't want to take it down while that was being done since the comments on the mistakes helped pushed the revisions along, and deserve to be seen. I will be updating the chapter instead of just doing a new one for the same reasons. So if you read onward, please be aware.

As any whom may have read this chapter prior, much has been altered. I am trying to apply what I have been given feedback on, and would absolutely love more on how the revision has succeeded or failed. Please let me know as it will only help me fine tune on the next.

Once the next chapter is revised and the next chapter, already finished, released these author notes shall be removed since they might be an eyesore.