After having been out of the hospital for a few days, Zhou was fully recovered and back to throwing rocks and splitting the ground as if he never got hurt from his encounter with Nightmare Moon. Not only that, but the loss had given him the mindset that he needed to train more everyday. That he needed to improve his earthbending and hook sword skills. Though he started right when he was released from the hospital. And the doctor clearly told him to take it easy. But like all earthbenders, he was stubborn and strong willed. He fought through the aches and pains while he trained. Though it did concern Applejack and the other members of the family. But all was well in the end.

As always, Zhou was up early in the morning before everyone else. Doing his usual training when he heard what sounded like the beating of wings in the air coming towards him. He looked up to see two of the royal guard in their golden armor land in front of him a few feet away. They were tall and muscular. But then again so was Zhou, but if they wanted to take him with force. He would have no trouble with them. They looked like all they had was regular swords. Something earthbenders can easily combat.

“How can i help you boys today?”

Zhou asked as he crossed his arms over his chest arching a brow at the two.

“We have orders to retrieve you. From Princess Celestia herself. She wants to meet with you personally.”

“Am I being charged with something?”

“Not at all. She said it was about the...incident with Nightmare Moon.”

One of the guards walks up to Zhou and holds out a clear small crystal that seemed to radiate with magic.

“Take this and you will be brought before her.”

Zhou takes the crystal hesitantly, a minute goes by.

“Uuuuh….when is it gonna hap-.”

Suddenly he is swallowed by a bright light. He appears suddenly in a large decorated white room and a red carpet leading up to a throne. He stands there with wide eyes and blinks a few times. He feels a slight tingly sensation throughout his body, probably the aftereffects of his first teleportation.

“What...just happened?”

He asked before turning around and seeing who was sitting before him. A beautiful white alicorn, with a mane and tail that seemed to flow freely as if on a gentle wind, but that was none. Not to mention that they were both of a multi-colored spectrum. She was curvy in all the right places and she looked like she stood about eight feet tall. So this is the princess of the sun he had heard so much about. Celestia herself.

“Ah, I see my guards have retrieved you for me.”

She said as she stood up and began walking down the stairs that her throne sat upon. Zhou watched her movements. She was graceful in her steps, but she had a very nice sway to her hips.

“And you have been living here for nearly six years now? How is it that you have been staying under the radar for so long, young one?”

He lightly shrugs.

“It’s quite easy for me to do actually. I spent three years on my own when I didn’t have a family back in my world. The guards in the kingdom even gave me a pretty sweet name because I stole food and pieces of gold to survive.”

He said with a big smile, his arms crossed over his chest as he stands proud. Celestia however arched a brow at him. She understood that he had to steal to eat. But why was he so proud of it?

“And what was this name they gave you?”

“They named me ‘Liū Huá Shé’ or ‘Slippery Snake’ because I’d always slip away from them, even when they caught me. When you are an earthbender and a master of moving around on foot, you are hard to capture.”

There was that word she was interested in, ‘earthbender’. Twilight had told her mentor about the human and his abilities, including the name. She was as curious as Twilight when it came to them. After all, the young man can manipulate and toss dirt and massive rock like it’s second nature.

“Yes, my student, Twilight Sparkle mentioned your abilities to me. She says that you are quite a capable warrior. She told of these weapons you possess called...Hook Swords?”

Zhou nods and unsheathes them from his back. The guards immediately take a defensive stance and get ready to rush the human, but Celestia puts a hand up to stop them. Zhou walks over to the princess and twirls them in his hands, the hilts facing toward her now as he holds them out to her.

“You can take a look at them if you want to.”

He said as he placed them together. Celestia gets a curious look in her eyes, taking both of the black steel blades and examines them fully. They are definitely something she had never ever seen before. And she had never seen such dark steel. She was really curious as to what kind of ore he had created these out of.

“It is not like any other sword I have seen before. Is there a purpose to having the ends curled into hooks like this?”

He took his blades back after she handed them back to him, he sheaths one but keeps the other out.

“As you can see, the back of the blade itself is often used as a regular sword. The hook, however is quite versatile. It can be used to trip, slash, and even disarm my enemies. But when you are someone like me..well, you find evasive ways to use them. For instance, let’s say your wingless guard are trailing after me in the town below because i stole a piece of fruit or something. I am sure, being a city of many building, I could scale the walls and climb the roofs, using these swords as an extension of my hands and arms. Easily propelling myself about. Especially if you have lots of rope line for me to glide across.”

Celestia was genuinely fascinated by this. Such improvisation and creative skills. But now, it was time to ask him about his greatest ability.

“And would you please tell me about this…’earthbending’ you can do? Twilight Sparkle seemed very excited when she told me about it.”

Zhou rubs his chin in thought, then nods.

“Honestly Princess, all I can tell you is that it is an ancient art passed down from my people. Some of us are born with the ability, some are not. I could show you how they work exactly but, I am not sure you want me to wreck this room. Considering this is all made from rock.”

He said with a light chuckle. Celestia blinks and nods. She definitely did not want her throne room destroyed.

“Then, perhaps you can show me in the training grounds?”

“A wise idea.”

“Very well, if you will take my hand please young one.”

Zhou slowly reaches out and does so, when he felt her touch, it was...gentle and warm, even more so when she wrapped his fingers around his hand. It made him blush a bit. Suddenly in a flash of light, they were in the training grounds. Other guards were there as well, getting their own training regiments in for the day. Though when they saw the princess appear, they quickly stopped and bowed. Though seeing the human with her, they all got a confused look on their faces.

“Um...Princess? Who exactly is that with you?”

One of the guards asked.

“He is a guest here. Nothing to worry about. Though, I do need you and the others to clear out for a few minutes. I wish to see the abilities he possesses.”

The guards hesitated for a moment but comply. They move to the sidelines and watch on with their own curiosity. Zhou nods and moves into the middle. He looks back to Celestia.

“Mind if I borrow a few of your archers?”

She raises a brow.

“May I ask why?”

“Well, I can’t show you a decent amount of my skills if I don’t have anything to defend against. Don’t worry, I won’t hurt them and they won’t hurt me. You have my word.”

Celestia was hesitant, but nods. A few archers line up in front of him and aim their arrows at him. They pull back on the strings and release. The projectiles make their way towards him, only to have hand sized rocks thrown directly at them in great accuracy, effectively destroying both the rocks and the arrows. They all watched at what just happened with wide eyes, even Celestia was quite impressed.

“Come on guys, empty your quivers. Not a single one will hit me.”

They grin and accept the challenge, taking aim at him again. All but Celestia didn’t notice, however that rock was forming around his boots.

Wouldn’t that just slow him down…?

She thought to herself. But to her surprise, she saw him...sliding across the ground as if he was gliding. Evading the oncoming arrows with ease. But now, was the fun part. He stopped and took a firm stance, raising a hand up as a large slab of stone came up in front of him and stopped the arrows entirely. The slab falls apart into smaller pieces of stone, he begins to move his arms around fluidly and the rocks start to flow around him like a river. They all stared at this display in complete shock.

“He isn’t even using magic…”

“Who in Equestria is this pony?”

The guards continued speaking among themselves. Celestia however, was quiet and in deep thought.

This being...he can control earth itself without any magic. This is a potentially useful ally...but could be a dangerous enemy. I will have to monitor him over time. But for now, he seems like a very genuinely good stallion. A good heart, a little show-offy. But what stallion isn’t his age?

She giggled to herself at the last part.

“Alright, you can stop now. I am quite impressed with you skill. You do things that even the most powerful unicorns can’t. That being said…”

She said as she walks over to him. He tosses the flowing stones aside as she does. He looks up to her, she was so tall compared to him.

“I will ask you this now. Do you have any ill intentions as far as causing my subjects any trouble?”

She asked with a serious look in her eyes. Zhou simply shakes his head.

“I do not. I am simply living out my life here in Equestria. I know I am not one of your kind. But I have a new family here now who I love more than any being in this world. And I will not do anything that would compromise that relationship.”

Celestia nods a warm smile formed over her muzzle.

“What is your name, warrior of stone?”

“I am Zhou Lin. A pleasure to meet you, Princess.”

She liked that name a lot it seemed, the name just sounded so...strong and firm.

“Very well, Zhou Lin. I also still need to express my thanks to you.”

He tilts his head.

“May I ask why, Princess?”

“You helped save my sister from her darker self. You weakened her considerably before Twilight and her friends brought her back to her senses. You see, Nightmare Moon is in fact, my little sister, Princess Luna.”

Zhou blinks a few times and remembers that night, how he had almost died from that large blast.

“Yeah….somehow I came out alive after that one…”

She nodded a genuine look of slight sadness on her face.

“I am very very sorry for what happened. Should you have died that night, I’d imagine the Apple family would be devastated. But it seems Faust had other plans for you. But, regardless. You helped considerably…”

She walks up to him and wraps her arms and wings around him firmly but lovingly.

“...thank you. Thank you so so very much. I missed my sister all these years, and to have her back means the world to me. I owe you a great deal Zhou, great warrior of stone.”

When she hugged him, he blushed heavily. She was so so soft and warm. Her embrace made him feel...safe and not to mention her ample breasts pressing against his body made his heart rate jump a bit.

“I-I only did what I could. I was only following my father’s footsteps I suppose. He always jumped into other people’s business of he felt he could help for the greater good.”

“Well, I know it wasn’t your business, you could have just done nothing. But you chose to not stand by. And I am grateful for that. Thank you again, Zhou.”

And with that, Zhou’s path was continuing on its way. Later down the road, however. A fork in his path of life will stop him. And he will need to make a critical decision that will change him, forever.

Author's Note

Here ya go everyone, enjoy!

May the darkness grant you peace.