For Her Happiness, or Yours?

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three

Prologue

Author's Note

As this is my first story, it may be missing some tags that will be added later. Along with cover art.

Also, I do not have an editor yet. I only have one person proofreading it, and I do my best to edit anything she points out. If anything is not up to par, I apologize. Hopefully I can find an editor in the near future.

Prologue

Stratus Swirl awoke to the tolling of the Fartrot City School bell. He counted the chimes. One... two... three... four... five... six... and seven, just as he expected. That would give him a full hour to prepare himself for departure aboard the eight o’clock train for Canterlot, Equestria. He was looking forward to his first venture to Equestria, along with meeting the short-haired ponies who dwelt there.

Stratus was a young stallion, barely an adult by the law’s standard. Most ponies still thought of him as a colt, some even treating him as such. Fortunately, he would not face that trouble in Equestria. Being a Swirl meant an inordinate amount of skill relative to his age and experience, granting him an equal measure of respect outside his native country. Along with said skill and respect came confidence, something that ponies in his line of work often depended on.

Calmly, the young stallion arose from his bed, shaking out his two-tone silver and blue-gray mane and tail before quietly exiting his bedroom to make his way to the washroom down the hall. As much as he loved his thick and fluffy coat, it took horribly long to adequately groom it, not to mention his mane and tail. He took his time freshening up and grooming himself before returning to his room to dress and pack up for his trip.

He knew that formal attire would be rather uncomfortable, especially on what he expected to be an unduly warm train. On the other hoof, dressing too casually would cause ponies to show him less respect than he needed, which may lead some to believe any official documents he may present were fraudulent. Thus, he selected a casual businesspony outfit, along with a spiffy-looking hat.

Satisfied with his appearance and having finished packing his saddlebags, he now found himself predictably famished. A glance out the window at the clock tower told him he had less time than he would have liked to have a meal before his train would depart. Fortunately, upon opening his bedroom door and stepping out to the hall, he caught the scent of delicious homemade waffles. His parents must have busied themselves in the kitchen whilst he had been making ready for his trip.

With a gentle toss of his mane, Stratus hastened down the stairway and through the parlor into the kitchen, hoping he would have enough time to partake in what might well be the last meal he would share with his parents for a year. Granted, nopony believed it would take him that long. The Swirl family were known for their efficiency. It simply wouldn’t do for him to be the first to delay in completing his mission.

The moment Stratus stepped into the kitchen, both his parents were quick to greet him, though he made no sound and they were not facing directly towards him. He was quite easy to spot at the edge of their peripheral vision with his warm indigo coat standing out against the white porcelain tiles of the floor and the cream-colored walls. With a grin, he silently strode towards the little breakfast nook and wrapped his wings around his father, embracing him from behind.

“You will have time to eat with us before the train arrives, won’t you?” his mother asked as he made his way back to the counter to pour himself a mug of steaming coffee from the Prench press setting near her.

Before Stratus could respond, his father interrupted, “The train was delayed in the Crystal Empire.” He held up the newspaper from whence he had garnished that information. “Due to weather in the region, it is expected to be a half hour late.”

“Perfect,” Stratus commented, giving his mother a peck on the cheek, “No need to rush breakfast, mama.”

Mr. Swirl’s horn glowed with cyan energy as he levitated the Prench press over to the breakfast nook to top off his own mug. “Don’t listen to the boy, Radiance. I’m starving!”

“You’re always starving, dear,” the orange mare replied teasingly. “I think you can survive five more minutes.”

“Perhaps,” Mr. Swirl nodded thoughtfully for a moment before his stomach growled ferociously, “but I can’t stop my stomach from complaining.”

Radiance, more formally known as Radiant Emissary, decided to casually change the subject. “Stratus, are you certain you’re quite ready for this?”

Her son, knowing exactly what she meant, gave her a confident smile. “Equestria is a peaceful country with friendly citizens and a rich capitalist economy. The ponies there have a deep-seated love for their royalty. As such, I need only be concerned with said royalty for negotiations. Princesses known as kind and gentle rulers should be simple enough to arrange satisfactory terms with.” He pulled some dishes from the cabinet, and silverware from a drawer, and began setting the table.

“Yes, I know all of that, but this is your first mission as a proper ambassador. Until now, you’ve mostly played envoy for your father or myself. You study plenty, for sure, and you’ve picked up a lot from us. Still, I--”

“Now, Radiance, he has to go on his first solo mission at some point in time. I’d rather it be in Equestria than the Griffon Kingdom or Yakyakistan. Why do you think I picked out this particular mission for him?”

Radiance let out a quiet sigh as she brought over the hot waffles, along with butter and maple syrup. “I was just asking if he has confidence in himself. Lord knows we both trust him more than anypony else.”

“Well, if that’s not enough to boost his confidence, then succeeding in his first mission will. Besides, those Equestrians have a lot of respect for our family. Old Starswirl the Bearded used to be rather close to Princess Celestia, you know.”

“Is that why grandfather gave you his name?” Stratus inquired, taking his first bite of waffle and making an appreciative gesture to his mother.

“Actually, that’s a thing I never asked him,” the older stallion said as he poured syrup onto his own waffle. “Perhaps I should next time I get the chance.”

As Radiance and Star began a new topic betwixt the two of them, Stratus allowed himself to get absorbed in his breakfast, mentally reviewing his plans for his first diplomatic mission to Equestria. He became so engrossed in his thoughts that he failed to notice when his plate was empty, going through the motions of eating several bites from his empty fork until the sound of a train whistle roused him from his thoughts.

“Better hurry, son,” Mr. Swirl said as he levitated Stratus’s saddlebags down the stairs and onto his son’s flanks while Radiance subtly added a snack she had packed for him into the bags.

Traditionally, the Swirl family refrained from the cliche phrases of “good luck” or “break a leg”. Instead, Radiance wished him a safe and fortuitous journey, and Star instructed him to make his family proud and bring home a cute Equestrian mare, which managed to earn a chuckle from his son.

While it was not widely known in Faroan or its cities, the Swirl family had refrained from wedding foreigners for many years. It was a pattern they started when Starswirl the Bearded passed away. Radiance was the first foreigner in the family since that time, which had caused some tension in the family. That in turn caused some stress for Stratus. Of course, he never let anypony know it, not even his parents.

After rushed but tender farewells, Stratus departed, taking into the air above the city so he could reach the station faster. Once there, he was a bit surprised to find the station mostly empty. It seemed few ponies wanted to travel to Faroan from the south, and even fewer wanted to go to Equestria.

When asked for a ticket, he presented a document bearing the signature of the Lord of Faroan declaring Stratus’s status as an ambassador to Equestria. It also ordered that all his expenses be billed to the Faroan government. The porter led him to a private luxury car, rented in advance courtesy of the Lord of Faroan. Stratus thanked the pony and stashed his saddlebags under the seat.

After taking some time to get comfortable, he pulled a book from his saddlebags just as the train started moving and settled in for the long trip ahead of him. It would be easily two days before the train would reach Canterlot. That would give him plenty of time to read some Equestrian publications to acquaint himself with any unusual customs or etiquette so as to avoid making a fool of himself. If there was one thing he was good at, it was following proper etiquette, and he knew that the way a pony presents himself could make a world of difference in how others listen to him.

Chapter One

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Chapter Two

“Ah! Here we are, darling! The Far Afield Inn, by Marritrot.” Rarity’s horn glowed softly as a small notepad floated out of her saddlebag with a ruffle of flipping pages. “Oh, I do hope Twilight made a note of your room number. She neglected to inform me.”

“It’s quite alright. We can simply ask the receptionist. I’m quite certain there is only one ambassador from Faroan staying here tonight.”

Rarity chuckled nervously, “Yes, that is true.” The light from her horn faded as she returned the notepad to her bag and pushed the door open with a hoof.

The Main Six spotted them immediately from a lounge area in the center of the lobby. Pinkie bounced in her chair and waved them over, grinning brightly. They trotted over, and Twilight gave them a cordial smile, “You’ll be staying in the Executive Suite on the 3rd floor, Stratus. I have already been up to ensure that everything is in order.” She levitated two keys into Stratus’ hoof.

“Thank you, Twilight,” Stratus nodded, tucking the keys into a pocket in his shirt.

“Princess Celestia has requested your presence for dinner. It is merely an informal meeting so she can go over a few things before introducing you to the nobles you will be negotiating with. I will be presiding over the day court during the negotiations, but Princess Celestia will brief me on the progress each evening.”

“I presume this means that you will communicate your ideas through Her Highness Celestia?”

“That is correct, although I doubt if I’ll have much input. I’m the Princess of Friendship, not the Princess of Formalities.”

Stratus chuckled at that. “I see. When should I make my way to the castle for this meeting?”

“Princess Celestia was very clear to leave that up to you. She does not want you to feel rushed. Please take some time to make yourself comfortable in your suite.”

“Thank you, Twilight,” Stratus bowed his head slightly. “I assure you I will not keep her waiting for long.”

After some quick farewells, Twilight and her friends departed. Stratus made his way to the Suite Twilight had mentioned. As he stepped through the door, he noted a small kitchenette to his left and a coat rack to his right, which he promptly placed his hat on.

Next to the rack was a closed door, which upon opening revealed the bathroom. Entering, he grabbed a washcloth to clean off the slight accumulation of sweat and street grime he had gathered over the day. Satisfied, he stepped back out into the main room of the suite. As promised, his luggage was already placed neatly aside in the corner. He quickly changed into a fresh shirt and vest, spritzing the vest with a cologne he had diluted to make its scent more subtle.

A brief stop in the bathroom to ensure his mane and clothes were straight, and then he exited the room and trotted downstairs back to the lobby. His plan to hail a cab was dashed when an armored stallion met him at the door.

“Mister Stratus Swirl?” the guard questioned.

“I am he,” Stratus answered.

“I am Captain Solaris of the Solar Guard,” Solaris continued with a salute.

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Stratus returned the salute.

“Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia, has sent me to escort you to Canterlot Castle. Am I correct to presume you are ready to depart?”

“You are correct, Captain. Lead the way.”

The Captain saluted again before opening the door and leading Stratus outside and into a cluster of guards surrounded a coach to which two more guards were yoked. “It has been some time since we have had a high profile ambassador in the heart of Canterlot,” Solaris explained before Stratus could ask. “I advised Her Highness to make a little show tonight to ensure that her citizens know you are under the protection of the crown.”

“Thank you, Captain.” Stratus calmly took a seat in the coach. After pausing to be certain he was situated, the guards set off at a comfortable pace, taking the main street straight to the castle.

Overall, it was quite a comfortable ride. The coach looked simple outside, but was quite lavish inside. It appeared to be intended to transport a princess when she did not wish to make a public appearance.

The guards arrived at the castle in no time and escorted Stratus to the throne room, which surprisingly was already empty, implying that Celestia had adjourned her day court early. Captain Solaris stepped forward, bowing deeply. “Your Highness, Princess Celestia, keeper of the sun and guardian of the day…”

I wonder how long he rehearsed this introduction. Stratus thought, resisting the urge to roll his eyes as the Captain recited some details from the Lord of Faroan’s commendation letter he had sent to Princess Celestia a month prior.

“ …from the northern land of Faroan, the Lord Hissing Steel’s prized ambassador, Stratus Swirl, the youngest descendant of Starswirl the Bearded.”

“Thank you, Captain. At ease.” The voice of Princess Celestia filled the room, despite her soft tone. Everypony could clearly hear her without having to raise her voice in the slightest. When she spoke again, Stratus felt as if she had the sweetest voice he had ever heard. “I trust my guards made your trip comfortable, Mister Swirl.”

“Yes, your highness. I can assure you I have never received better treatment. Please accept my compliments on your guards, as well as Her Highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle. She and her friends have a most refreshing approach to greeting ambassadors. Her kindness is a welcome change.”

“Are you often met with hostility?” Celestia inquired, as if reading his mind.

“Some nobility are loathe to welcome a potential threat to the status quo. I am delighted that Equestria has a different mentality.”

“Twilight Sparkle has been greeting and befriending our allies and their representatives for the past decade. She excels at reading their needs and making them feel welcome. I have enjoyed watching her grow with each new experience.”

Rising from her throne, Celestia waved to her guards. “You may leave now, Captain. Will you please accompany me to dinner with my sister, Mister Swirl?”

“It will be my pleasure, Your Highness,” Stratus said with a slight bow, prompting a giggle from Celestia. He looked up at her, flicking one fluffy ear in confusion.

“There is no need to be so formal, Stratus. Without my guards present, we may speak more casually. Please, just ‘Princess Celestia’ is fine.”

“I see Twilight is not the only princess who likes to waive formalities,” Stratus observed.

“She takes after her teacher, much as her students have taken after her. After ruling Equestria for thousands of years, I have found that formalities are only good for hiding my little ponies’ personalities. I prefer to let them shine for who they really are.” Celestia surprised Stratus by draping a wing around him and guiding him to her private dining room. Stratus cast a sidelong glance at her nervously, but decided that her intentions seemed innocent enough.

Princess Luna was already in the dining room, her horn glowing as she fidgeted with the place settings, trying to hide her nervousness. Despite having spent just over a decade in Equestria after returning from the moon, she still felt like she wasn’t adequately familiar with modern ponies. Meeting foreign ambassadors was nothing short of terrifying to the lunar mare.

Hearing the door open, she hastily stopped fidgeting, the sudden swivel of her ears and slight clatter of silverware as her horn grew dark the only signs of her anxiety when her sister entered with Stratus. She put on the calmest smile she could muster, turning her head slowly and subtly clearing her throat before she spoke, “Good evening, dear sister. We see thou hast brought young master Swirl with thee.”

Stratus stopped abruptly, his attention drawn wholly to the lunar mare. Princess Luna was standing at an angle that allowed him to see her perfect form, from her soft features and flowing mane down every gorgeous curve to her ethereal tail. What held his gaze the most, though, were her angelic wings, which she held proudly spread above her, framing her stunning beauty. She was absolutely the most beautiful mare he had ever met.

Celestia showed no sign that she felt his wings fluffing up beneath her, answering her sister calmly, “Yes I have, Luna. I hope you don’t mind if I discuss some things with him over dinner.”

“Assuredly not, dear sister,” Luna replied, her smile turning a hint sweeter.

“Thank you,” Celestia said before glancing at Stratus. “Mister Swirl, this is my sister, Princess Luna.”

“We are pleased to meet thee at last, master Swirl,” Luna greeted, turning her bright teal eyes to meet his gaze.

“The pleasure is all mine, Your Highness,” Stratus responded, bowing politely. The return to formality helped him draw his wings tight against his sides again. He knew he had only narrowly escaped making a fool of himself, and he was determined not to let it happen again.

Despite this promise to himself, he barely concealed a startled twitch when a blue wing entered his vision and lightly touched his chin, turning his face up to meet her beautiful eyes again as her mesmerizing voice washed over him like silk and honey. “Please, you may simply call us ‘Luna’ if thou wish. We know our sister has instructed thee likewise. Thou art a guest in our home. Do not think of thyself as an ambassador meeting royalty.” She smiled at him again, “If we did not know better, we daresay we might think thou art nervous.”

“I seek to please you and your sister, yet I must put my country first when negotiations begin tomorrow. I only hope the kindness I have seen thus far does not dwindle if negotiations become...heated.”

Luna shook her head, “Our kindness is not dependent on the result of your negotiations. Equestria can afford to lose a little in this agreement if it means securing friends and allies in your country.”

“You appear to have him hanging on every word, sister,” Celestia observed. She was sitting in the center seat at the table. When had she sat down? Stratus had nearly forgotten she was there, so engrossed was he in her sister’s voice and her eyes. He felt his cheeks reddening when he realized this.

“Yes, sister, ‘tis true. Thou knowest the moon has quite an effect on ponies.” What that effect was, she neglected to say, and Stratus thought better of asking her.

He cleared his throat as he approached the table and selected a chair, “Forgive me if looking you in the eyes is some terrible grievance in Equestria. I am used to associating with representatives rather than royalty and I do not recall mention of that in my studies of Equestrian etiquette.”

“Thou knowest very well that is not what we mean,” Luna retorted, her tail swishing playfully as she trotted up to him and sat in the chair closest to the one he had chosen. “However, as we can see thy embarrassment, we shall allow thee or our sister to change the subject.”

“A wise decision, Luna,” Celestia clattered her silverware as she raised it to get their attention. “Shouldn’t we eat while it is still hot?”

“Indeed. We hope it is to thy liking, sister.”

“Did you cook again?”

Luna looked indignant, “We only started because we were interested in the development of modern culinary masterpieces. We are not wholly awful at it.”

“Not wholly awful? Luna, you are almost better than my paid cooks are.”

Stratus, growing curious, took a cautious taste of the meal. Whatever was in it certainly did not grow in the north, but it tasted delicious. He dug in with more enthusiasm, much to Celestia’s amusement and Luna’s rapture. “Huzzah!” she exclaimed, causing Stratus to jump visibly. “Our dear teacher’s young descendant is pleased with our cooking! Thou owest us the bid thou gambled, sister!”

Stratus frowned as Celestia’s expression turned to one of sheer horror. “You...gambled on whether I would enjoy your cooking?”

“Thou hast found it to thy liking, yes?”

“It’s delicious, Luna,” he answered, “but--”

“Thou owest us thy cake, sister!”

“--cake?” Stratus glanced back and forth between the sisters in bewilderment. “You gambled...with cake?”

“And jammie dodgers were Luna’s bid,” Celestia replied with a grumble. “I love those cookies, and she hogs them all.”

“As thou doth lock away all thy cakes, sister.”

“They are baked fresh daily just for me,” Celestia replied, putting on an adorable pout. “I don’t want to share my cakes.”

“Couldn’t Luna just have your baker make her another?”

“Nay! ‘Twouldn’t be my sister’s cake! The bid was for her cake!”

Stratus chuckled, “Well, you two enjoy fighting over your cake while I enjoy Luna’s delicious cooking.” He promptly took another bite as the princesses broke out into a food fight, fortunately sparing him from the crossfire. He watched on, still bewildered, but thoroughly entertained as he witnessed millennia-old royalty fighting like children.

When the princesses settled down, they were both quite covered in bits of food, and giggling uncontrollably. They returned to their seats and promptly stared at their empty plates for a few seconds in silence before bursting into more giggles. Stratus grinned at them, “You two certainly had fun.”

“Sister!” Luna exclaimed loudly, making Stratus flinch. “How has our guest evaded our flying food arsenal? This must be rectified! We declare it shall be so!”

“Oh, no, that’s quite alright!” Stratus fell from his chair as he attempted to escape, but the lunar princess was too fast, leaping on top of him and promptly smearing the food from her own body onto him. He froze in shock, totally mortified by what was happening as the princess lifted him bodily and squashed him between food-stained feathers, giggling hysterically. “Huzzah! The mess has been spread to thee!”

“How has this happened?” Stratus groaned, wondering if the food stains would ever wash out of his clothes.

As if she read his mind, Luna set him down, “Fear not! We shan’t allow thee to venture back to the inn thusly.” Lighting her horn, she teleported his clothes off of him. “Our staff shall clean up thy wardrobe with the utmost haste.”

Stratus shivered slightly, extremely conscious of the sudden lack of clothing. “Thank you, your highness.”

A stallion whom Stratus presumed to be the cook entered the room with a cake, “Your dessert, highnesses and ambassador.” He set it carefully on the table in front of Luna. “You won your bet, yes?”

“Assuredly so, good teacher,” Luna replied, giving him a cheery grin as she cut a slice for Stratus and one for herself before pushing the rest across the table to Celestia. “Fear not, sister. We had no intention of taking all of thy cake.”

Celestia beamed, “Why thank you, Luna! I should have known you would save me plenty.” She dug in with a gusto entirely unbefitting of royalty. Stratus did not even care at this point, struggling to preen one wing as he returned to his seat. Giving up for the moment, he took a bite of cake. As expected, it too was delicious.

“Dost thou desire assistance with preening thy wings?” Luna inquired innocently.

Stratus froze, his face turning red as an apple instantly. “I...do believe I can manage, Luna.” He folded his wings tighter, hoping she would not insist.

“We are responsible for thy trouble. We feel it is owed thee.”

“Your highness, with all due respect, I do not think that is proper.” Stratus met her gaze, hoping she could see that it was best not to keep trying.

Fortunately, Luna was getting quite good at reading body language. “We understand, master Swirl. In that case, please accept our apologies, both for the damage to thy feathers, and for...our second error.”

Stratus smiled, “Of course, Luna, you are forgiven.”

“When thou hast finished thy cake, we will show thee to someplace private where thou may clean and preen thyself before thou must return to the inn.”

“Thank you, Luna. I appreciate it.”

“You are most welcome, master Swirl,” Luna replied before shoving her entire slice of cake into her mouth at once, doing an excellent hamster impression while she chewed the sweet morsel.

Stratus chuckled again, finishing his cake more politely. Barely had he swallowed the last bite when Luna wrapped a wing around him and pulled him out of the dining room, dragging him quickly to a washroom. “Will this do for you?” she asked, gesturing toward a steaming bath in the center of the room and plush towels stacked neatly along a wall.

“Yes, this is excellent, thank--” the door clicked shut as Luna slipped back out swiftly. “Well, at least she respects privacy,” he mumbled, still quite confused by the lunar princess’ behavior. He shrugged it off as he slipped into the bath, letting out a happy sigh as the hot water slowly pulled the food from his coat and feathers.

Yes, this meeting went quite well, he thought.

Chapter Three

Stratus had just finished bathing and was busily preening when a knock came at the door. “Come in,” he called, not even looking up from his wing.

The door opened slowly and a male voice spoke politely, “I have just come to return your clothing, sir.”

Looking up, Stratus saw the servant placing his clothes on a low table and bowing to Stratus before turning to leave. Stratus thanked him and returned to preening, not noticing the second set of hoofsteps and the taller figure slipping through the door before it closed.

A long silence followed before a familiar voice startled him, “We see that our servants have done an excellent job of cleaning the food from thy clothing.”

Stratus uttered a rather unstallionlike noise, his wings flaring out as if ready to fly for his life. Princess Luna giggled, blushing slightly, and gave him an apologetic smile. “We are sorry for startling thee. We should have announced our arrival sooner.”

Relaxing, Stratus smiled back at her, “That’s quite alright, Luna.” He fluffed up his feathers before folding his wings down. Trotting over to her, he took a quick glance at his clothes, “Yes, they did clean up rather nicely. Thank you for taking care of that for me, your highness.”

“Thou art most welcome, Master Swirl. Wilt thou be returning to the inn immediately, or dost thou wish to socialize for a spell first?”

Stratus shrugged, “I’ll probably be heading back. I expect the Elements of Harmony will have something planned for the morning. It is best if I get some rest tonight to ensure they don’t wear me out before the negotiations begin tomorrow.”

Luna nodded, “That is fair. We shall direct the captain to escort thee back to thy inn.”

Stratus thanked her again, blushing as she draped a wing over him and led him back to the front entrance, where the captain and his small squad from earlier were already awaiting him. They promptly bowed to their princess uttering quiet greetings of “Your Highness”.

The captain gave Stratus a stiff salute, “We are ready to escort you back to the Far Afield Inn. Shall we be on our way?”

“Yes, just one one moment, captain.” Turning to the princess, he gave her a slight bow, then met her eyes with a wide smile, “I thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness. The accommodations and...entertainment were most delightful.”

“It was a pleasure to have thee join us, Master Swirl,” Luna replied with a polite nod.

Stratus turned back to the captain, “Now we may go.” He followed the captain out, barely noticing the rest of the escort that accompanied them back to the hotel. The trip seemed even shorter this time, and few words were exchanged before he made his way inside and up to his suite to get some much needed rest.

*****

Stratus awoke to an unfamiliar sound, complete silence. He rolled out of bed and mozied over to the balcony. Though the sun had not yet risen, it's light was beginning to break over the horizon. Did Canterlot’s school have a belltower like home? Perhaps if they did, it was simply too far from the hotel to hear.

Shrugging off these thoughts, he waited until the sunrise then quickly made ready for the day. A strange thought kept running through his mind during his routine. Equestrian citizens, with the exception of nobility, didn’t wear clothes for the most part. With that thought came another: could he avoid the attention of the nobility if he too refrained from wearing clothes?

It was not illegal, nor even unusual in his own country, though the long winters made it unsafe for most of the year to be outdoors without some manner of garb. Despite that, he always clothed himself, even in the summer. The thought of walking around in public without clothes seemed almost as uncomfortable as the sun’s heat this far south of his home. If he was going to be out in town all morning, it could get much hotter than he was used to. He did not want to walk around in sweat-soaked clothes.

With his mind made up, he set out clothing for the afternoon and left the room, feeling oddly vulnerable without his clothing.

As soon as he entered the lobby, he was aware of the presence of a familiar pink mare. She noticed him too, and he had not a moment to brace himself before his senses were again overwhelmed by the giggling pink hurricane. There was something different this time. She had smelled like cake frosting before, but now he smelled something else: a small hint of coffee. Did she just?—Yup, she was hugging him, and he could hardly breathe.

“EEE! Look how cute and fluffy he is beneath all those fancy-pantsy clothes!”

Oh, good heavens! That squee was adorable! Wait, what was that she had said? “Cute and fluffy”? He wasn’t...actually, his coat was certainly denser and longer than the Equestrian ponies. Ouch! Why was she pulling on his wings?! He frowned at her, “Please let go.”

“Look, Nilly! I told you he has big, pretty wings with strange feathers!”

A creamy-colored magic aura carefully freed his wings from the mare’s painful grip. He turned to Pinkie’s companion, whom he had overlooked before. She was a beautiful unicorn mare, about his age. Her coat matched the color of her magic, and her mane the color of dark, freshly brewed coffee.

“Yes, Auntie Pinks, I see them. They aren’t that strange. It looks like northern pegasi have broader, stronger feathers to match with their larger wings.”

Pinkie nodded excitedly, “I bet Scoots will be so jealous when she sees.”

“I don’t think she cares as much, now that hers finally grew in.” The young mare took a couple steps closer and offered a hoof to Stratus, which he gladly shook. “I’m Pinkie’s niece, Vanilla Drops. I own the café next door. Pinkie said you’d like a spot of good coffee, so I thought I’d personally invite you over today for breakfast.”

Stratus smiled. This mare had good manners, and she owned a café to boot. He already liked her. “Yes, please. I’d love a good strong cup.”

Pinkie bounced forward, grabbing Vanilla and pulling them both along, “Then let’s go already! The others are waiting for us!”

Stratus splayed his ears back, “Others? You mean, Twilight and—”

“No, silly! You already met them. You need to meet Maud and Scootaloo.”

“Maud is my mother, and Scoots is a friend my age,” Vanilla elaborated. That sounded good. Stratus thought he could handle meeting two more new ponies in one morning.

They were in the café before he could think or say any more. It seemed busy, but not crowded. Pinkie had pronked out of sight somewhere, so Stratus simply followed Vanilla to the counter.

“Two tall Prench roasts, Cara!” Vanilla called to her employee.

The mare behind the counter quickly passed them two large mugs. From the color of her fur, Stratus assumed “Cara” was short for “Caramel”. He gave her a polite smile and wave as Vanilla, draping a hoof over his withers, directed him towards a table where Pinkie sat with Rainbow Dash and four mares he did not know, though he guessed the lovely, athletic orange pegasus was Scootaloo.

“Hey, everypony, say hi to Stratus!” Pinkie pointed at him as he approached. The mares all said “hi” in vastly different tones. The gray one sounded as bored as she looked.

Vanilla came to the rescue again, “This is Scootaloo,” she said, pointing to the orange mare as Stratus had expected. “Sweetie Belle,” she continued, the ivory unicorn with the shrill voice. “Applebloom,” she had to be related to Applejack, “and my mother, Maud,” the bored gray one who seemed nothing like her daughter.

“Pleased to meet you all,” Stratus said, repeating the names in his head as he looked around the table again.

Pinkie lunged for Stratus’s wings again, but Vanilla caught her aunt’s hooves in her aura again. “What?” she asked innocently. “I just want to see Scoots’s reaction to them.”

“Didn’t you see that it hurt the last time? Besides, he doesn’t have to show them off if he doesn’t wish to.”

“I’d like to see them,” Maud piped up. “Do be a dear and spread your wings out for us, Stratus.”

Well, at least she asked nicely. Stratus took the last empty seat by Vanilla and slowly stretched out his wings. By the time they were spread to their full length, silence reigned in the café as everypony stared at him.

Scoots was the first to speak, stamping a hoof down on the table and flaring her own wings, “Oh that is so not fair! Your wings are huge! They look awesome, and I barely have enough to fly with.” She pouted, letting her wings fall limp at her sides.

Dash scoffed, waving a hoof dismissively, “They could be all for show, you know. You should challenge him to a race. I bet you’d make him eat your cloud trail.”

Scootaloo perked up instantly, “Aw, heck yeah! I’d totally destroy you in a race, big guy. I’ll prove it next time I come back Canterlot.”

Stratus glanced at Vanilla, half expecting her to interject as she did with her aunt, but the mare was strangely quiet and seemed to be hiding behind her coffee mug. That was even stranger than the silent stares from all through the café. He folded his wings, eager to get the eyes off of him.

“She’s not even boasting, you know,” Dash began flying in a circle around the table while she went on. “My little ‘Loo got herself into the Wonderbolts reserves with way less effort than it took me, and way less air time. She’s faster than Fleetfoot!”

“To be fair, the lack of air time means I have, like, zero stamina,” Scootaloo admitted. “I’m fast in a short race, but even Twilight could outfly me in a marathon.”

“You’ll get there, ‘Loo,” Dash ruffled her mane playfully. “What do you think I put you through all those crazy exercises for?”

“Wait, all that is to help me stay in the air longer?”

“Yeah, heck, you could totally take him on for a marathon by this time next year, if he’s still here negotiating.” Dash waved her hoof at Stratus again, knocking over her own coffee, “You’re still gonna race her before all that, y’know.”

“I expect you to clean that up,” Vanilla piped up. Stratus turned to her, but she avoided his gaze again. Grumbling, Dash went to the counter and rudely demanded a towel from Cara, which came flying right at her head a few seconds later.

“I have to head back to Ponyville tonight,” Scootaloo started, “but I’ll be back next week. We’ll race then, if only for the fun of seeing those wings in action.” She ruffled her feathers at that mental image.

“Then we’re on for a race next week,” Stratus agreed. “Now, how about the rest of you tell me about yourselves?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” Applebloom hooked her hooves around her friends’ necks. “We three are the Cutie Mark Crusaders! It started off as a club for foals that hadn’t found their cutie marks, but then we got our marks for helping others understand theirs.”

“That kinda got way bigger than we imagined,” Scoots added.

Sweetie Belle continued, “My sister helped us turn it into a full-fledged counseling business. We only asked for her help because we couldn’t legally buy the office building on our own.”

“I still think that’s nonsense,” Applebloom remarked.

“Totally!” Scoots nodded, “It was even our money we were paying with!”

Vanilla finally spoke up again, “My mom did the same thing for me with the café last year. I just bought it back from her when the law allowed.”

Stratus turned to her again, noticing she’d moved her chair closer to his. “I suppose that’s one benefit in my line of work. The lord of Faroan pays for everything, so there were no legal issues when my father let me tag along.”

At this point, Dash had cleaned up her spill and returned to her seat, bringing a basket full of fruits, muffins, and bagels. “Hey, you guys need some food to go with caffeine, you know.”

Vanilla gave her a bright smile, “Of course, miss Dash. We were just waiting for you to get hungry enough to buy something.”

Rainbow shrugged, “Well the ‘Bolts have a training session today. Can’t practice on an empty stomach.”

Vanilla nodded, “That’s how I knew you’d be the one who caved first and bought breakfast for everyone.”

“My daughter is smarter than you give her credit for, Rainbow,” Maud added with a small hint of a smile.

“Yeah, well, her bagels are the greatest, and she gets the freshest fruit this side of the Canterhorn. Seriously, Stratus, try those bagels.”

“They’re really not as good as Auntie Pinks makes,” Vanilla muttered.

“Sure they are,” Pinkie squeaked out surprisingly coherently around at least three bagels as she stuffed another in her mouth. “You use my recipe still. I can tell.”

Stratus quickly concluded that he had to try them before the pink menace inhaled them all. He selected a simple blueberry bagel and took a generous bite. Instantly, his eyes lit up and he nodded at Dash as he chewed.

“See?! Mister big, gorgeous wings likes them, too!”

Blushing at that description, Stratus turned to Vanilla. This time, she met his eyes, her cheeks taking a delightfully rosy hue. “I daresay miss Dash and your aunt are underselling them. I’ve never tasted bagels so delicious.”

The flattered young mare splayed her ears back, somehow making herself even more adorable. “Thank you, Stratus.”

“Why is everypony else just staring?” Dash gestured wildly at the platter, “Hurry up and eat so we can get moving again! Uh, your café is very nice, Nils, but I’m bored of just sitting around.”

Giggling at Dash’s impatience, the Crusaders dug in. Noticing that Maud was the only one not eating, Stratus cast a curious glance her way and was surprised to find her staring at him blankly. When he met her stare, his blood ran cold and he found himself unable to look away.

Vanilla caught on and waved a hoof at her mother, “Will you stop staring? You’re making him uncomfortable.”

“Do you like him?” Maud asked tactlessly.

Vanilla’s horn glowed as she levitated a muffin directly into Maud’s mouth. “Don’t talk like he’s not here, and don’t ask such questions the day I met him. I don’t know him any better than you do.”

Maud, having extracted the offending muffin, replied, “I like him already. Why can’t you say so too? Are you embarrassed to admit it? I saw how you blushed when he flared his wings.”

Vanilla squeaked, struggling to find words as that adorable rosy hue lit her cheeks again. Figuring he could help, Stratus draped one wing around her, which she promptly hid her blush behind. “I believe your daughter simply wants to point out that it is normally considered rude to talk about who likes somepony and why or why not while the pony in question is listening.”

“She clearly likes you, though,” Maud observed.

Just then, Stratus felt Vanilla nuzzle his feathers. It felt incredibly pleasant, and when he looked at her face, her eyes were shut. Was she…sniffing his feathers? He lowered his wing to rest it on her shoulders, and she looked up at him with a sweet smile, “Thanks. My mom can be impossible sometimes. She’s not really trying to be rude. It’s just hard to tell that she’s teasing me if you don’t know her that well.”

“That’s quite alright. I think I know what she really wanted.”

“Y-you do?” Vanilla’s ears perked up and she leaned closer to him, “What do you mean?”

“I mean she’s just teasing you to get you to blush,” Stratus replied.

With a gasp, Vanilla turned to look at her mother, folding her ears back and giving her the most adorable pout. However, Stratus wasn’t finished. He continued, “I must say, I don’t blame her. It’s certainly adorable.”

Squeaking, Vanilla quickly hid her face in his wing again. Maud gave him a tiny smile. “He teases you too. I like him more now.”

Applebloom tapped a hoof on the table, “Y’know, the faster ya’ll eat, the more time we’ll have for our plans before we have to deliver the ambassador back to the castle.”

“Alternatively, anything we miss today can be rescheduled down the road.” Stratus sipped at his coffee, “I’m quite sure negotiations will take several months. I’m not leaving anytime soon.”

Vanilla lifted her head, raising her mug for a sip before making a face. “My coffee’s cold. I need to get another. Don’t eat all the muffins before I get back.” She wriggled out from under Stratus’s wing and trotted over to the counter, passing her mug to Cara. Stratus watched her for a moment, then turned back to the table.

To his surprise, Maud had disappeared from her seat. He took a bite of his bagel, then jumped slightly when Maud hopped into Vanilla’s vacated seat. “Do pegasus wings have any cultural significance in Faroan?”

“Are you talking about draping them over other ponies, specifically?”

“Yes, exactly that.”

“Centuries ago, it was reserved for couples. Now, it’s either used for comfort or to show other ponies that the pegasus is protective of the pony under their wing. The context clues can be a bit complex and confusing, especially when there is some overlap between the two common interpretations.”

“Thank you,” Maud said simply, standing back up to return to her seat before he could say anything more.

Vanilla came back then, setting a steaming latte on the table. “Oh good, you did save me a muffin.” She quickly grabbed it with her telekinesis and set it on her plate. “Unfortunately, I need to do some shopping before Cara can make more, so I won’t be coming with the rest of you this morning.”

“That’s alright, Nils,” Scootaloo gestured to her other friends. “We can definitely find something to entertain him for today.”

“What time do we gotta have ya back at the castle, anyway?” Applebloom asked.

“Actually, we should return to the hotel before going to the castle. Say, the first hour past noon.”

“Oh, we can find more than enough things to fill that time!” Sweetie Belle waved a hoof at Vanilla, “We can leave some stuff for you to do tomorrow, since you won’t be joining us today.”

“Thank you, Sweetie. I’m sure I’ll have more time tomorrow.”

Noticing that Stratus was finished with his food and coffee, Rainbow flew around the table and nudged him, “Come on, let’s get moving. Scoots and I are tired of sitting around.”

“Very well,” Stratus stood up, following Dash and the Cutie Mark Crusaders out of the cafe. “I will see you tomorrow, Nils,” he said, giving her a smile as they departed.

Author's Note

This chapter is so late going live. I had to add the AU tag to avoid rewriting everything to adopt season 9 canon. I will do my best to adopt most of the canon through season 9, with at least two major exceptions. The first involves Twilight and the royal sisters. The second involves character ages, as I wanted Vanilla and Stratus to be the same age as the CMC's, which does not work with Maud not being a mother in canon.

Also, cover art has been added, thanks to the wonderful Aurora Fang. It is a couple years old already, so make sure you check out his new arts on Twitter. I will have a few illustrations from the same artist to go along with future updates.

Lastly, while I do intend to continue working on this story, I will not promise faster updates. They will be randomly spread out depending on when I find time and inspiration to work on them.