Five Finger Artificer

"Lesson one!" Cracking his neck one more time. "I'm not a Minotaur!"

"Neither are-" The keen feminine voice disappears much like the unicorn herself off the dock when her loudly announced teleport to just behind is met with the low hum of upside down knuckles. Shot out like a bullet along with wooden debris to the valley below, several fliers take in after her with only the one flying to Catfish's left allowed, the right met with the same as the unicorn.

"Our accords allow just enough to cross enemy lines to recover their wounded."

As chaos begins to fill the air with a few going to check on the pegasus laying clear across the dock, spears begin to fly from those uneasy of getting any closer. Showing their inexperience, even those that soar near do so with tips never coming close. Shrugging it off in contempt to the threat, Catfish John carefully pulls up and snugs his goggles over his eyes.

As a more charge their magic, they can do little more than hold with the lone raised fist, knuckles held sloped down in warning.

"You all seem surprised." Raising his knuckles in guide to his eyesight, a few with more primal instincts kicking in scatter out even more. "You'll find no cheer in the streets by the time you ever manage to bring me down, cause they'll go down with me."

"You killed her!" A stallion earth pony seethes with rage.

"If your flier couldn't catch her, then she killed herself."

"You attacked her with your magic!" Another bucks up in the scattered garrison.

"She crossed the line and I held when she decided to push. Do you wish for me to show the difference?" Shifting one foot back in order to anchor with the hum unseen energy upon his knuckles begins to vibrate ear hairs.

Showing little to the rise in fear as only a few are left in the alignment of his guided knuckles, the slow glide left and a little higher towards the large open gates behind the guards gives rise to pleas and screams.

"Stop!" A unicorn rushes forward alone, it's baritone voice cracking to the shakes of it's current position. "Please don't! My family live just outside the gates!" Literally throwing off it's helmet to which it's coat shifts from white to brown. "Please!"

"Then if they die you will need to blame the one who moved." The vibrations strong enough to bring visual shimmers of heat from the ground directly underneath the fist that strikes out like a fan, starting to sizzle and smoke soon after. "Well?"

Not easily impressed, the thundering decompression of air near the gates comes into full view to block the pleading stallion. With it's dark coat of fur adorned with the accessories of wing and horn reacting to the tension already in the air, the iris barely make themselves known from their narrowed shields. Holding it's wings in warning arch, it finally speaks.

"Were you never told where you had made landfall?" Princess Luna's words of courtesy ask no question, nor does the tone that can barely contain her anger but speaks clearer than any word. "If you were ever lost, you should have stayed that way."

Each holding their ground, more ponies in armor tiers above that of the plain guards shown thus far usher the latter away in any manner required. Cleared of any pony save for the biggest one yet, tension simply refuses to do anything but grow.

"My name is Princess Luna. You are not a Minotaur, and even if you were, it make none the difference now. Yet as stipulated with our treaties, I must still inquire if you speak for them in this act of aggression, or perhaps, act of war."

"I speak only for myself." Giving nothing of word or fist still brimming in hum. "Who do you speak for."

"All those whose lives you have threatened."

"Without the context, I'd have to say that some would rather die than accept that."

"Your crimes this day are numerous, and too great for simply a change of heart. While I do not think such will carry much weight, I'd rather you willingly surrender your weapons and yourself than for me to force you to your knees."

"None have died." Giving her no indication to his cooperation. "I'm not a dock guard. I'm well aware of who and what has been watching and assisting, and for how long." Only now giving the slightest indication to an understanding. "Just not long enough."

"If you infer onto the reasons for your actions, then I am not concerned."

"At least you understand, then." Taking notice to the briefest of moments that shows her confusion, before her horn begins to flare in held decision. Concealing from her only the slowest of blinks, does the invitation and subsequent sneeze ring his ears.

Forced to bring his hand up to the dust forced in along with all the air once forced out, the rumble and crumble directly ahead in the distance continues as more and more begins to topple down from the hardest of impacts against the city wall. Realizing what had happened, Catfish John does the one thing any with any sense would immediately do.

"Well, I had a good run." He braces to fight for his life, once more in the sight of the pissed off princess flipping a giant chunk of the wall off her with a wing. Somehow finding the courage to crack a smile to the sight of her hair, "Best way to go, I guess."

"That is quite enough!"

The voice, coming loud and true to it's intend, denies any who might wish to not look it's way. Already in whistling descent followed by Winzor and an entourage of golden armored pegasus, she lands equal distance between Luna and Catfish John.

"You will both endanger those farther inside the city if you persist in this!" Showing more worry towards her sister not of her well being, but state of mind. "Luna? Luna, please listen to me. This has escalated far too much from it's origin. I believe-"

"I do not care what you believe. He tried to kill several guards and had I been anything but what I am, myself as well." Curling her lip with hooves cracking and kicking up hard concrete with each impact. "It must be contained, immediately!"

"And it shall, but not the way you intend unless left with no other way. Please calm yourself." Finally switching targets. "I give you my word that if you do as we ask I will also listen to yours, but only if you desist any and all aggression."

"You expect me to believe you'll do more than showcase in front of your own, let alone against your own?"

"I have given you no reason to believe otherwise, have I?"

"She has." Pointing over towards Princess Luna who attempts to burn him with her gaze alone. "Not intending on dying like a bitch when she charges, flies, or just teleports past you and attacks me. So get out of the way."

"If she intended to do such then you would not be speaking as callous as you do now, I can assure you."

"Not good enough."

"You would rather have judgement made here and now?" Celestia shakes her head to the insanity. "You arrived on unscheduled Minotaur transport to our docks, yet you are not one of the horned. You take great offense to your presence being unknown, and as such, one of contention. Harbormaster Glitter calms you down, and then something about a picture causes the guards to raise their spears?"

"Picture of your ass." Catfish John remains rigid, but not focused. "Winzor thought it was pretty hot, however."

"Winzor?" Celestia tries to process what she must, ignore any else until later.

"The pegasus behind you." His words bringing Celestia to look behind her towards the blushing pegasus who now covers her eyes with her forelegs, wings twitching rapidly like her nerves. "I gave her a better name than what she had."

"Harbormaster Glitters?" Softening her voice which earns her part of one eye back into her own. "Winzor?" Which immediately takes back what was just given and more as she curls up down on the dirty dust covered ground. "I see."

"Where I come from the only time you have weapons pointed at you near a cliff is so that when they get what you want, you still die." Losing some context with his goggles guarding his eyes. "Only need to read a story once to know how it always gonna go."

"The unicorn you shot off the edge along with the pegasus who you hurt to prevent aid are both in serious condition." Luna joins into the conversation with her voice scraping against ice. "Nothing you can say can excuse what you've ultimately done."

"Whose trying?" Catfish John fans the flames once again. "If I wanted them dead they would be. I told Winzor she had five minutes, but I knew if I needed ten, she'd only make it if she was going to run out of time. Kinda cushy, you know?"

"Cushy?!" Winzor pops up only to look directly forward and pop back down.

"Then you have no remorse to the pain you've caused?" Celestia treads carefully, not only for her own willingness to hold judgement but also that of her still fuming sister. "Do you think it is so fair to punish them so for not being of your world?"

"What do you mean by my world?" Showing the first time a break in his usual nonchalant. "Speak up!"

"You dare demand answers from the only one here who permits you able?" Luna looks towards her sister. "It matters not if he comes from the Griffon or Minotaur realms, or even farther. That is still is not here, and for him to come uninvited-!"

"That is one of the few reasons I have permitted him the chance to explain, for all of us to understand." Celestia looks first to her sister and then towards Catfish John. "According to Harbormaster Glitter, he was ordered here under our invitation."

Brought into silence and greater tension mixed with confusion and the unconvinced, Princess Luna cannot stand it any longer when she teleports to just before Catfish John who neither flinches or backs away. Fixated on each other, one guarded of eyesight to the other who hides nothing from her own, all bare audience to the possible finale.

"You, who have taken to the act of pain and suffering as if born your right. You, who disregards any and all as entertainment even upon their very home that you might spit upon." Doing the same act herself to the side. "I would never invite."

"Luna?" Celestia teleports over as well, unable to hide the rising concern in her voice. "Luna, you're bleeding!"

Staring upon her sister as if gone mad, Luna only hesitates to match where Celestia from the sheer lunacy of the suggestion. But with the flick of her sight upon the ground where she had spit, each return grows until entirely fixated upon the dark blotch.

"A crystal dragon acted the same way, once." His casual mention something long since thought extinct causes both princesses to step back and away, the atmosphere instantly changing against his favor. "Guess that's why I sneezed. You tried."

"What do you mean I tried?" Gaining only enough distance to react if need be, Luna readies her posture.

"That's lesson two." Shifting his head to align the goggles towards Luna. "I call it The Hard Way."

"Hey!" The voice pitched so high it almost squeaks literally flies up and to directly in Catfish's face. Reaching up with her hooves, Winzor yanks his goggles down before pressing the tip of her muzzle to his nose. "No more."

Not even letting his breath be heard, he simply stares down upon her even as the air begins to sting his eyes. Holding them both on Winzor until one finally closes with the subtle crack of a grin, he lets go of all tension with the light drag of his nose across her muzzle. Never letting contact end, he drags his cheek alongside her own until both their nostrils each near the others ear.

Dipping his chin down, much to her now automated state, he makes sure that all hear his gradual but deep inhale during his travel back up to near her ear. Opening his mouth just enough for her to hear the tap of a quick snap, he blows a little up to the longest hairs coming out from inside the ear. "It's gonna be one hell of a wild ride if you plan on trying to steer me."

Pulling away while dragging skin to hair until parting end to end, he does so farther than immediately understood. Smirking to her staring utterly taken back, the clean footprint of no dust or debris marks his one and only compromise. Turning his attention to just behind the still unnerved pegasus mare, he becomes combative once again.

"Problem?" Giving the princesses just enough time to open their muzzles. "Better go deal with it, then."

"Certainly!" Luna stomps forward before a white wing impedes her, again. Turning to confess her contempt for the act, she instead snorts when attention does not flow back onto her, but instead forward towards the ground. Narrowing her eyes, she eventually follows their path down towards the only part of the ground protected in it's entirety. "Not accepted!"

"You have complicated this day, to no end." Celestia leads off to try and salvage what still may drown. "You have attacked my home and subjects, including my only family. Even if I were to fall asleep tonight, come morning, I will still feel unsure if standing before my sister for your protection was the right course to take. You have given me so very little to compel me otherwise."

"Was never here to convince any of you anything. I was ordered to come here, never to stay."

"Under whose authority?" Luna interrupts where Celestia once stood. "You said you spoke only for your own."

"As the last living member of my clan, as far as any of you will ever be concerned." Squinting one eye to the expressions both the princesses begin to shift into. "What you could ever want from the Rockhorn clan was never made known to me, regardless."

"I sought the clan out in order to help me save all of mine." Celestia, already weighed too far down by the events of the day, cannot bring herself to remain much longer. "I will need some time but if you will allow us to accommodate your housing and other needs, I will fully divulge the information you seek. I will also pardon your crimes this day and not bar you from leaving if you choose, tomorrow."

Given not enough time to even answer, Catfish John can only watch as Princess Celestia instantly teleports away. Glancing towards Winzor who looks visibly shaken to the voice of the most loving and accepting pony she'd known breaking in pitch, pulls her forelegs in to comfort herself. Nodding to the guards in sparkling golden armor, he taps Winzor who brings up the rear.

Finally brought a moment of isolation herself, Princess Luna waits to show any reaction until those in question disappear past the gates and into the city. Jerking her head abruptly to the guards who approach her, they too leave until the dock remain as barren as her once joyous day to any inner comfort.

Catching her eye, and blame, she struggles to hold her raised quivering hoof after giving approach.

"I'll never accept you."