Fallout: Equestria - Until Death Do Us Partby AniMunChaptersPrologueChapter 1 - The First MorningChapter 2 - The Masked BallPrologueThe bright sun shone through the complex and beautiful stained glasses of Canterlot Castle, painting intricate designs on its pristine white walls. Silence and color filled the corridors and halls, giving a peaceful and relaxing aura to all who worked there. All but one mare, who hurriedly galloped her way to the throne room. Her dark purple mane flowing through the air as she dashed through each turn. Documents being scattered all around as she tries to sort her paperwork. Princess Celestia had summoned her with utmost urgency and the mare would make sure that her Princess wouldn't be kept waiting. Reaching the entrance to the throne room, the mare composed herself and made sure that her violet coat was as presentable as possible. Once everything was checked, she knocked on the golden doors, announcing her arrival. “Come in please.” Her a soft, motherly voice say. As reassuring Princess Celestia’s voice was, there was a subtle, underlying tone of worry. Not subtle enough to not be noticed by the violet mare. She slowly opened the door and peeked inside to make sure she was allowed entrance. “Miss Violet, I’m glad you could come so quickly.” Princess Celestia said, bowing her head as greetings. Violet swiftly entered the room and bowed to her knees before her ruler as two guards closed the door behind her. Getting back up she asked, “Of course your highness! How can I be of assistance?” Princess Celestia gestured to a guard on her left, who presented her a yesterday’s newspaper. Princess Celestia Levitated the newspaper with a certain weight in her magic, her golden aura opening it so that Violet could read the news. “Have you heard of the energy crisis on Fillydelphia?” Violet immediately understood why her princes felt so worried. “Yes, your highness.” “The coal shortage stroke earlier than I anticipated, multiple other power plants are running at low capacity and I’m afraid the situation with the zebras reached a Stalemate.” Princess Celestia elaborated as she rolled the newspaper and returned it to her guard. “Miss Violet, your knowledge of foreign cultures and your position in the office might be what we need right now.” Violet furrowed her brows, not really understanding what her princess meant. “Miss Violet, would you be able to go to the zebra nation of Roam as my ambassador to negotiate our peace treaties with the zebras?” Princess Celestia asked, hope clear in her voice. Violet was stunned. Sure she worked at the castle, but she was never involved in politics and her love for history and culture was nothing but a hobby to her. Doubt permeated her mind as she pondered the numerous ways she could ruin everything. But at the back of her head, the seed of excitement and curiosity spread its roots. The zebra's culture is one of the richest and oldest cultures there is, and she never had the opportunity to travel to Roam and learn about its history! “Your highness, you can count on me!” A young zebra woke up earlier than the sun, no dizziness in his eyes because of the early hour, only focus. He got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to freshen up a little, the cold water soothing his sore, toned muscles, once satisfied, he returned to his room. He made his bed with practiced movements of years long routine and proceeded to get dressed. His red and black military uniform had the Roam army insignia embossed on each shoulder, medals of honor adorned his chest to show his achievements of bravery and loyalty. As a final touch, he inspected his sword, the sharp blade had his name; “Romelus Montakeus”, written in Golden letters around an enchanted Ruby. Now, with everything in order, it was time to meet the general. His walk took him across the third battalion training camp, passing through the empty gym and mess hall. Something about this silence really calls him, as a colt, he always wanted to become an alchemist, so he could pass down to the young three knowledge that the spirits taught his race so long ago. But the name Montakeus carried the weight of generations of soldiers. He doesn't like conflict, so to avoid one, he obeyed his family's wishes. The first rays of sunlight were beginning to reach the camp as Romelus waited patiently for his general to arrive at his office. “Oh, Captain Romelus. Early as always.” He heard a rough voice say to his right. His general had arrived. “Reporting for duty general Tullius!” Romelus saluted. General Tullius saluted him back and opened the door to his office, gesturing for Romelus to enter. The office was filled with golden trophies and medals, a red carpet complemented black curtains that blocked the sunlight from entering, a big Roam flag served decoration for the wall behind the general’s fancy dark wood desk. It was a bit over patriotic, Romelus thinks as he sits in front of the general as he waits for his next assignment. “Captain Romelus, as you already know, our relations with the ponies are dangerously tense. War is looming over the horizon, we may have superior technology, but they have magic at their disposal. We need to be prepared for when it happens and for that reason, I’m assigning you as an instructor.” “Sir?” Romelus questioned, it was never his duties to train new soldiers, why would it be now? General Tullius reach for a drawer on his desk, grabbing a cigar and lighter as he explains, “There are a lot of new recruits in the army captain, some of them came back from Equestria. You’re our most capable and trusted soldier, I want you to make sure that these recruits survive out there and that no spies slip past us.” Now it made sense. Despite receiving a work assignment that most officials would consider a waste of his abilities, Romelus was, in fact, glad. This way he would be able to teach his fellow soldiers how to survive while he avoids having to actually fight. It was almost too perfect. “I understand sir.” He saluted. “Good. Your new assignment begins immediately. You’re dismissed.” General Tullius saluted back. It was time to wake up the newbies. Footnote: Characters Sheets Name: Romelus Montakeus Strength: 7 Perception: 4 Endurance: 7 Charisma: 6 Intelligence: 5 Agility: 6 Luck: 5 Tagged skills: Melee Weapons/ Sneak/ Survival Traits: Pacifist's Rage: Even though you try to avoid conflict, you’re the last one to run away once it starts! You do 10% more damage when below half heath, but also loses -2 Perception and Agility. Loyal Companion: You are a loyal zebra and others try to do the same! Your companion’s perk gets better and better as your bond is strengthened, but you don’t receive new perks by leveling up. *** *** *** Name: Violet Amulet Strength: 4 Perception: 6 Endurance: 4 Charisma: 9 Intelligence: 8 Agility: 4 Luck: 5 Tagged skills: Barter/ Science/ Speech Traits: The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword: The right words can cut deeper than any weapon! Your Barter, Medicine, Repair, and Science skills are raised by +5, but your Magic Energy Weapons, Explosives, Firearms, Melee Weapons and Unarmed skills are lowered by -5. Inspiring Companion: You are an inspiring pony and others try to do the same! Your companion’s perk gets better and better as your bond is strengthened, but you don’t receive new perks by leveling up. Author's Note A new story! This story is a parody of a classic drama story with some adaptations and modifications, of course. Who will be the first to identify what is the original story I based this one on? I hope you liked it! Please let me know of anything you think I should improve in, so I can make better stories for your enjoyment! bye! PS.: This was supposed to be a short introduction to the characters and setting, but it turned out longer than I anticipated... So I made it into a prologue Chapter 1 should be out soon and after it, Stars chap 7! -T.M.W.D. Chapter edited by: EverfreePony Chapter 1 - The First MorningThe sun was peeking over the horizon, its hot colors painted the sky with beautiful shades of yellow and orange, bringing life and warmth to the waking nation of Roam. Romelus stood at the training field impatiently. It has been two weeks and the rookies still had trouble waking up early, it was understandable for the volunteers coming from Equestria, the time difference been almost ten hours, but the majority of the troops lived in Zebrica. It was unacceptable! He watched the sun, it’s light still at the rooftops of the buildings, ‘Whoever arrives after sunlight touched the floor will suffer double duty today.’ thought Romelus. The first recruits began to arrive in a hurry, their stumbling steps being worsened by their sleepiness. As they reached the training field, they went into formation and saluted their superior. Romelus didn’t salute back, instead, he frowned. “You’re late!” “Sir! Sorry, sir!” The recruits replied in fear. They knew that Romelus wasn’t unfair or cruel, and they respected him for that, but they also knew that the thing he hated the most, is tardiness. Romelus paced in front of his designated troops, inspecting them like a bird of prey. Their red and black uniforms were in good condition, not pristine, but presentable. “Swords out!” he commanded. Their swords seemed to be well cared for, he nodded to each soldier he passed, approving their appearance and signaling them to sheathe their swords. At the last soldier, a brown striped mare with green eyes, he stopped. Her sword had a well-cared blade at the base, but fresh red stains at the tip corrupted its otherwise pristine condition. Romelus glared into her emerald green eyes, searching for the cause of her poor maintenance. Her eyes jumped to and fro, avoiding his. She began to sweat, her resistance trembling under his penetrating gaze. She gave a quick glance to her left hoof, as she straightened her stance. The small gesture giving her away. “Private Venus?” Romelus asked, his voice tough but calm. “Y-yes sir?” she replied, visibly trembling. Fearing her possible punishment. “Would you mind telling me why your sword is uncared for?” “I’m sorry sir, I was negligent! It won't happen again, I promise!” She replied as she saluted with her left hoof. The wrong hoof. “Is there something else you would like to tell me?" He pressed on, still glaring directly into her eyes. “N-no s-sir!” “Then why did you saluted me with the wrong hoof?” Her eyes went wide, he noticed! Now she was caught lying to an official, she was doomed! “I... I…” She tried to say, but Romelus raised his hoof, asking for silence. “Show me your right hoof, private.” Venus imply raised her right hoof, revealing a deep cut at the base. The cut was clean but bleeding, nothing serious, but she needed medical attention. ‘She cut herself when cleaning her sword.’ Romelus thought, remembering how many times he had to deal with this kind of injury. It was a common rookie mistake. “P-please sir, don’t send me to the infirmary…” Venus pleaded through a trembling whisper. The infirmary, every soldier that needed to visit the infirmary during training hours earned some bad reputation for being careless or clumsy, that can really put a soldier down and it was not what she needed after committing such a basic mistake. Romelus refocused his attention on the rest of the troops, who were staring at them before straightening back into a formation under his gaze. “Alright soldiers, I think today is a good day for me to teach you the basic procedures on how to apply first aid to an injured ally during combat! Private Venus here will assist me so I can demonstrate! Now, go fetch you first aid kits!” “Yes, sir!” His troops shouted in unison as they hurried back to their tents to fetch the necessary items. Private Venus muttered a silent “Thank you, sir” as she went off as well. A small smirk ran across Romelus face. ‘Newbies.’ *** *** *** The class continued through the morning, Private Venus was already treated by Romelus as he instructed the others on their own procedures. “Now, be careful not to tie the bandages too tight, it’s important to keep the wound away from dirt but it’s also important to make sure that blood can run through under the skin and…” “Captain Romelus?” Another official interrupted his instructions, bringing a scroll in his mouth. “Yes?” Romelus asked, grabbing the scroll from his mouth so he could speak more easily. “The Caesar is waiting for pony ambassadors to arrive, they’ll be arriving at Bahari Soko in thirty minutes. The Caesar wants the ponies escorted to the capital.” The official explained while Romelus read the orders. ‘More ponies coming to Roam, and at such a hostile state?’ Romelus asked himself, it seemed that the ponies still wanted to negotiate peace after all. “Understood.” Romelus saluted his messenger. Now, returning his attention to his troops, he barked, “Attention!” His troops hurried into formation, abandoning their equipment. “The Caesar is expecting ponies ambassadors to arrive in thirty minutes and he wants them escorted to the capital!” Considering who to send he pointed his hooves to two of his soldiers. “Private Kagiso, Private Funani! I’m assigning you to this mission.” “Yes, sir!” They barked back. “Don’t. Be. Late.” Romelus warned dangerously. Violet felt the cold ocean breeze on her face, the smell of salt water permeated her nostrils and brought up a bad past experience as her giant steam powered boat swayed through the waves of a calm sea on a sunny day. The sea always made her sick, but nothing could bring her down now, the seaside market city, Bahari Soko was just ahead! The seagulls announced their arrival to the rest of the ship, who worked hard to make sure everything on the ship was in order and ready to reach land. “Isn’t it exciting?! One of the oldest civilizations in all of Equus, and we finally arrived!” Violet squealed, happier than a filly on Hearth's Warming Eve. “Yes, of course, and a really exotic culture.” Her assistant, Ink Spot, a beige mare with black mane and a scroll and quill for a cutie mark answered, clearly less excited than Violet. Violet turned around to look at her assistant. Noticing that she wasn’t all that comfortable on coming to Roam, she tried to cheer her up. “Oh, come on Inky! This place is awesome! If we’re lucky, we can even spend some time in the market and taste some of Roam’s native foods!” With exotic food as the main focus, Ink Spot brightened up a little, her sweet tooth overcoming her reservations. “Ohhh, I always wanted to taste that “Açai Ice Cream” I’ve heard…” “That and much more my dear,” Violet assured her. Her smile growing more and more as they approached the harbor. “Stay focused, cousin. We’re here to get our coal back, not to chitchat with the zebras.” A deep voice called her, killing her joy instantly. The voice belonged to her cousin Sharp Spear, he was tasked to accompany her and keep her safe alongside two of his fellow soldiers. Sure they were family but they were far from close. His antics and manners displeased Violet greatly, she asked the princess if another soldier could take his place, but his skills and experience made him difficult to be replaced. “The coal is not ours, Sharp Spear, and we’re not here to “take it back”. We’re here to prevent a war to happen.” Violet retorted dangerously. What nerves he had! We’re on a mission of peace in a great and rich nation and the only thing he thinks is about what he wants?! There are way more things at risk than just coal! As Violet remembered how much things depended on her success she began to doubt her abilities. Sure, Princess Celestia herself taught her all she needed to know to fulfill her duty, and the princess wouldn’t send her here if she didn’t believe her but… was it enough? Her thoughts were interrupted by the shouts of Captain Zacarun, an elderly but sturdy looking zebra stallion. “We’re docked! All passengers please proceed to exit on the left side of the ship!” This is it! Roam at last! Violet grabbed her saddlebags and darted out of the ship so fast not even a hungry manticore could keep up with her. She proceeded through all the customs and other procedures as fast as she could, eager to finally meet the famous market. The approaching war was noticeable, zebra soldiers searched pony passengers and checked their papers much more thoroughly, distrust and apathy took over their actions. She was finally released and got out of the harbor. She followed the path that led her to the main market street where she was told would be guards waiting for her, but as she turned the final corner and reached her destination, she was stunned. The market street was bursting with life, zebras came and went every which way carrying their merchandise. There was no boring stone walls, only hundreds upon hundreds of colorful cloths and tapestry, their beauty as mesmerizing as a radiant phoenix. The shop owners shouted their goods on the street, luring eager customers to their shops. Ships of all shapes and sizes unloaded their shipments on the far harbor which restocked the shops. “Wow…” Ink Spot gasped, even though she wasn’t as excited to be there, but the sight was breathtaking nonetheless. “Where are the soldiers that were supposed to escort us?” Sharp Spear asked, looking around for the supposed soldiers. He was right, there were no soldiers waiting for them. Violet saw the opportunity to explore the market. “I’ll go do some shopping. Please call me when our escort arrives please?” She asked Ink Spot. “But we sh…” She tried to counter but Violet was already darting to the market. “I won’t take long!” There she was, at the famous market at last. The shops displayed clothing, spices, foods, jewelry, gadgets and so many other things that Violet didn’t even know where to start! Her eyes darted around from shop to shop until they landed on a small table on the street. The table displayed some intricate, hoof-crafted bone bracelets. It had glyphs and marks weaved together, creating complex designs that she recognized immediately. Violet approached the shop, her gaze never leaving the bracelets. “Are those authentic high priestess ritual bracelets from the second era?!” She muttered aloud. “Ah, you have good eyes, little pony.” The shop owner said as he approached her. He was an elderly zebra stallion with a rough, raspy voice. His coat and mane now had more white than black. “Oh, excuse me, sir, I didn’t mean to bother you,” Violet said, straightening herself so she could greet the old stallion. “You bother me not child, here, take a closer look.” the shop owner offered her the bracelet. She held it in her hooves with the most care in the world, gently turning the bracelet around so she could see the design. At close, she could confirm that the piece was genuine! Golden details accentuated the runes as it converged into a central “jewel” made of fossilized tree sap. “It's so beautiful…” Violet whispered softly, her eyes shining with wonder and amazement. “A fine piece indeed, it would complement you purple amulet well.” the shop owner commented as Violet returned the bracelet to him. “Are they for sale?” Violet asked with hope. She needed to have it! “Of course.” “How much are you asking for it?” “Hunm… it was a hard piece to find and restore… I was thinking about… three hundred denarii.” Violet eyes widened in realization. She just arrived and haven’t had the chance to exchange her bits for denarius!” “I’m sorry sir, but I just arrived from Equestria and haven’t had the chance to exchange my money! Would you be willing to accept two hundred and fifty bits instead?” Violet pleaded, showing her bits to the shop owner. It was a hard choice for him, Equestrian bits were getting hard to exchange but they were more worth than Roam denarius… at the end of the trade, he would be getting seventy-five more denarii than his original offer. “Hunm… bits are getting hard to exchange, but I was surprised you knew our story enough to identify these relics… alright, child, you have a deal.” The shop owner said, passing her the bracelet. “Thank you, sir!” *** *** *** Thirty minutes have passed. The guards haven’t arrived yet and Violet was still wandering around the market. She was about to enter another store when she heard her assistant calling her. Violet navigated through the crowd to her friend who was looking for her at the entrance of the market. “What is it Inky?” “The soldiers have arrived, we need to go.” “Oh, yes of course!” They hurried back to Sharp Spear and the recently arrived zebra soldiers. At the arrival of Violet and Ink Spot both zebras saluted them and struggled to apologize in Equestrian, “We’re sorry we’re late… we didn’t intend on making you wait.” “Yes, of course, you are,” Sharp Spear replied, disdain hidden in his voice. “Now, take us to the capital, yes?” “Yes.” The soldier saluted again and began walking them to the train station. “They’re mad at us. Damn ponies, I bet they’re gonna complain about our mistake… Captain Romelus is gonna skin us alive!” Kagiso nervously muttered to Funani in Zebrican. “Quiet! They’re gonna be suspicious about our whispering!” Funani hissed back. Violet approached them and reassured them in Zebrican, “Don’t worry friends, I’m not gonna let him complain about it.” Both soldiers looked at each other in surprise. “Y-you understand Zebrican?” “Of course! It would be rude to visit your incredible nation without knowing how to speak your language.” She replied with a wink, trying to calm the soldiers. “Y-yes… Thank you, miss…” Footnote: Level up! (2) Character: Romelus Montakeus Skills Raised: Melee Weapons: 39 Survival: 41 *** *** *** Character: Violet Amulet Skills Raised: Barter: 50 Speech: 50 Author's Note Chapter 1! It's finally here! Sorry for the delay everybody but hey, I gotta have a vacation from time to time I'm still waiting to see who'll discover what classic drama work I'm basing this story in, so if you know, tell me in the comments and win a new car! Not really XD I hope you liked it! Please let me know of anything you think I should improve in, so I can make better stories for your enjoyment! bye! -T.M.W.D. Chapter edited by: EverfreePony Chapter 2 - The Masked BallThe last weeks have been pretty hard for Violet, representing the voice and needs of an entire country was a pretty stressful job and negotiations had been pretty slow. Violet was overwhelmed and frustrated, she had almost to no time to study the zebra culture or visit touristic landmarks. That, coupled with the constant presence of zebra soldiers watching her every step, made her stay a lot less exciting than she expected it to be. But nothing mattered anymore. For now, she was a ball of pure energy and excitement, she was invited to the traditional masked ball at the royal palace tomorrow! “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I can’t believe it! We’re going to the masked ball tomorrow!” Violet screamed, jumping up and down on her hotel bed. She was doing it for about ten minutes, and her volume and pitch made sure that everyzebra at the hotel know it as well. “It sounds fun!” Ink Spots said, also holding her invitation. “Fun? FUN? IT’S AWESOME!” Violet shouted once again, almost deafening her assistant. “Did you know that this ball is in celebration of the marriage of the first high shaman with her husband? And that the masks are enchanted to create gorgeous patterns and designs on the stripes of the wearer?” “Really? That’s really interesting! But we don’t have stripes...” Ink replied with a coy smile, happy to see her friend so cheerful after her stressful weeks. “Don’t worry, the mask only creates an illusion on top of the wearer’s actual coat so it’ll work on us too!” “Ugh, what a waste of time, they took a whole day we could spend finally getting our coal back and decided to throw a party,” Sharp Spear said. He wanted to simply throw his invitation to the trash can, but it had the Caesar’s seal, so if he did that, it could mess up the whole diplomatic operation. “Move, move, move!” Romelus ordered from the side of the race tracks. His soldiers were running on a muddy track full of obstacles, climbing walls, zig-zags, up hills, barb wires, and other things stood between his troops and the finish line, a finish line that promised a day off duty to the first who crosses it. “Captain Romelus?” his superior called him from outside the training grounds, holding a red envelope with his right hoof. “Keep running recruits! I’ll be right back,” Romelus ordered one last time before walking away toward his general. “Yes, sir?” “You know that tomorrow is the night of the masked ball at the Caesar’s manor, right?” he asked with a grin, knowing that Romelus tried to avoid it every single year. “How could I forget sir…” General Tullius passed him the envelope, “Well, this is your formal invitation coming directly from the Caesar himself. You know what it means, right?” “That I cannot avoid it…” Romelus replied, ears down in disappointment. “Exactly, I expect to see you there with your usual punctuality. Dismissed.” He saluted and excused himself. Romelus saluted back and returned his attention to the envelope, then proceeded to open it and read its contents. “Captain Romelus Montaqueus, due to your excellency and loyalty in the services you provided to the legion, I cordially invite you and a companion of your choosing to the annual Grand Masked Ball, tomorrow at eight past midday at the imperial manor. Yours truly, The Zebra Legion’s Caesar III.” As Romelus was concentrated on the letter, he didn’t notice a newly arrived recruit approaching him. “It must be hard to be an official of your caliber, right cousin?” Romelus identified the voice immediately, turning to confirm who it was. It was his cousin, Xul Montakeus. He lived a block away from Romelus’ parents’ home in the countryside, where they grew together. Being the youngest, Xul always looked up to Romelus and always strived to be as diligent as his older cousin. “Xul! It’s so great to see you! How have you been?” Romelus asked, giving his cousin a tight hug. “I’m doing fine cousin, our family misses having you around,” Xul replied, letting go of the hug. “And I miss them, but what are you doing here cos’?” “What do you mean? I’ve joined the army, just like you! So we can protect our country together,” he said with a prideful smile on his face. The thought that he dragged his cousin to the army troubled Romelus greatly, not wanting this path for himself, he much less wanted to be responsible for another life on the battlefield. “It’s good to see you again cousin, but I don’t know if you should do this…” “Why not? I can prove that I can be a valuable agent of the legion’s will, right guys?” Xul asked the other recruits at the running tracks. Romelus completely forgot about them and was surprised to see all of them standing together side by side, giving the last step toward the finishing line. The first one to cross the finish line would have the next day off. A sly smile crossed Xul’s face, he coordinated the recruits knowing that Romelus would never go back on his word. Clever. “Alright.” With a small smile, he said, “I promised the first one to cross the finish line would have a day off, and you chose to cross the line together instead of competing for it, showing that union is the strength of the legion’s army. I’m proud of you, dismissed!” All the recruits cheered, charging Xul, thanking and welcoming him to the troops. The clock on the Caesar’s manor showed 8:00 pm, the grand masked ball has begun! All the nobles hurried inside, all hoping to grab the attention of the great Caesar himself. Among the sea of stripes two figures stood out, Sharp Spear and Ink Spot. Sharp Spear was wearing his formal Equestrian military uniform, a red coat with crossing white bands displaying his medals. Ink Spot wore a long blue dress alongside some traditional golden zebra earrings and an unenchanted mask, trying to blend in with the crowd. Right beside them was Violet, wearing a traditional zebra dress with elegant red and golden patterns, her front legs portrayed traditional zebra emerald jewelry which contrasted with her usual violet amulet she always wore around her neck, and her mask, its intricate runes and glyphs covered her coat in white fur and black, beautiful stripes, their design so carefully crafted that even the most renewed zebra historian couldn’t tell her apart from a real priestess. “Hmmm, I’m so nervous! We’re drawing too much attention!” Ink Spot said, her ears glued to her head in apprehension. “Don’t worry, we have a reserved seat alongside the Caesar and the other high nobles, if you’re too uncomfortable, you can stay there,” Violet reassured her friend with a calming hoof on her shoulder. “Let’s get inside, shall we?” Sharp Spear interrupted them, scouting them to their seats. At the end of the wave of nobles and other aristocrats stood Romelus and his cousin Xul, both wore their formal military uniforms, red coats with golden details. Romelus’ mask turned his stripes into a single, horizontal set of glyph-like signs while Xul wore a unenchanted, simple mask. “I told you to search for an enchanter yesterday, but nooo, you were sure that you could find one today when everyzebra is doing the same thing,” Romelus mumbled, rolling his eyes in annoyance. Xul flinched at the remark. “I’m sorry! The masked ball was never so busy back at home!” The two kept in line until they finally managed to enter the manor, saluting their general as they passed by him. The general was waiting patiently for Romelus’ arrival, wanting to make sure that he didn’t dodge the party this time. The night began with a big feast, an enormous table filled with delicious zebra dishes kept Violet and Romelus distracted as each sat at one end of the table, a wall of snobbish nobles proudly chatting about their recent accomplishments between them. Time passed by, out gone the food, in came the desserts, Violet appreciating the opportunity to try some of the exotic dishes while Romelus was almost dying of boredom, eager to call it the night and hit the bed. After the desserts were gone, all guests proceeded to the main hall where an orchestra composed of the most talented musicians of the empire played the ball’s traditional music, a mixture of classical music and tribal drums. Most of the guests got up and went to the center of the hall to dance to the slow rhythm of the drums and the sweet notes of the piano. Couples slowly circled each other with their chests leaned against the other crossing their necks and swaying to the song. Violet took the opportunity to put her knowledge of this traditional dance to the test while Romelus just wanted to try and have a bit of fun while he was stuck there, both would dance for a few minutes before switching partners at the beats of the drums, not satisfied with the partners they ended with. ‘One more dance.’ They both thought, switching again. Spinning around along the sound of the cello, they blindly extended their hooves in search of a new partner. They could feel each other’s hooves before they turned around, their eyes met and their hearts jumped. They were stunned, lost in each other’s gaze. The slow tunes of a violin signaled the beginning of a new song as they instinctively closed the distance between them and leaned their chests together, feeling the warmth of the other’s body. Crossing their necks to rest their heads comfortably behind the other’s, they closed their eyes and began to dance. Left, right, left, right, their bodies swing back and forth to the rhythm of the song, every swing they would feel more comfortable with the feeling of their touch. Opening her eyes for the first time for what felt a millennia, Violet saw the patterns on Romelus’ stripes and identified them as an ancient Zebrican dialect, her inquisitive mind getting the better of her, she asked, “Excuse me, your stripes portray some kind of tale, don’t they?” Romelus opened his eyes wide, caught by surprise by her question. “Y-yes… it is the tale of how the zebra warrior Kain befriended a dragon and brought peace between the two species…” Violet was staring in wonder, trying to memorize the glyphs so she could study them later when she mindlessly muttered, “Fascinating…” The word echoed in Romelus’ mind as he inspected her stripes as well, so carefully crafted. “Amazingly well-crafted stripes.” Violet smiled from ear to ear. “Thanks, I’ve made the glyphs myself!” Now that was something completely unexpected to Romelus. “You did?” “Well, I had to ask a shaman to activate the glyphs, but I crafted them,” she answered proudly. ‘Fascinating indeed.’ Romelus thought. Silence returned for a couple of minutes, their minds racing with questions they wanted to ask each other but were afraid to ruin the dance. This time, Romelus broke the silence, “So, you seem to be interested in ancient zebra history…” They both crossed their heads to the opposite sides, following the song, taking the opportunity to gaze into each other’s eyes. “Oh yes, I love to study history and culture, in fact, I plan on visiting the national museum of ancient relics next week.” The museum of ancient relics, the home of hundreds of shamanic artifacts and enchanted items, a favorite field of study for Romelus. “I see… m-maybe I could serve as a guide... if you’d like me to of course.” Romelus offered, stumbling on his words in nervousness. Violet took a step back so she could look into his eyes again, feeling almost light-headed. She was eager to visit that museum, but now, she could barely wait for it. “I-I would love to…” Their conversation was interrupted by an increase in speed on the drums, most of the zebras left the dance floor, for they knew that this moment would come. Romelus balanced himself on his hind legs, offering a hoof to Violet. Using his hoof as support Violet struggled to do the same and stood straight up, they held each other’s hooves and began to follow the drums. As Romelus and Violet danced around the dance floor, other zebras would stare in amazement, this kind of dance was difficult and required perfect synchronism and absolute trust of your partner, not something that most zebras there had. The rhythm of the drums rose more and more as Romelus and Violet synchronized with each other, and them with a final beat on the drums and a final note on the cello they were one, their hearts unwilling to be apart no more. Like the High shaman and her husband did thousand of years before, the couples that manage to finish the dance a partner would remove their masks and reveal themselves to their partner. Romelus removed his mask, showing Violet his real stripes and handsome face. A bit of red could be seen under the blue eyes of Violet as she blushed, a bit nervous about taking her mask off. Romelus was getting worried, his brown eyes fixed on Violet who hasn't taken her mask off yet. Did she rejected him? What is he supposed to do now? That and a million other questions flew across his mind as he waited for her. Noticing his worry, Violet threw her nervousness to the wind and removed her mask, her striped fur slowly returning to her usual violet fur. Romelus was shocked by the surprise, she was a pony! His shocked expression made Violet uncomfortable but he quickly recomposed himself and asked, “Would you be willing to grace me with your name?” in Equestrian, surprising Violet. His Equestrian was good enough that he didn't need to rhyme, but his heavy accent was evident. His question, made her heart skip a beat, he didn’t avoid her for being a pony! “I-I’m Violet Amulet… and you are?” Romelus brought her hoof to his lips and kissed them, “I’m Romelus Montakeus…” Footnote: Level up! (3) Character: Romelus Montakeus Skills Raised: Speech: 30 Companion Perk: Word of Wisdom: While you have Violet as a companion, all speech and science checks in conversations are lowered by 25! *** *** *** Character: Violet Amulet Skills Raised: Survival: 27 Companion Perk: Ancient Knowlege: While you have Romelus as a companion, all survival based crafting recipes are twice as effective! Author's Note Chapter 2! Sorry for the long wait, but I've finally finished it! When two souls are destined to meet, the world stops, and watch, for there is nothing as beautiful as the love they share. I hope you liked it! Please let me know of anything you think I should improve in, so I can make better stories for your enjoyment! bye! -T.M.W.D. Chapter edited by: EverfreePony
PrologueThe bright sun shone through the complex and beautiful stained glasses of Canterlot Castle, painting intricate designs on its pristine white walls. Silence and color filled the corridors and halls, giving a peaceful and relaxing aura to all who worked there. All but one mare, who hurriedly galloped her way to the throne room. Her dark purple mane flowing through the air as she dashed through each turn. Documents being scattered all around as she tries to sort her paperwork. Princess Celestia had summoned her with utmost urgency and the mare would make sure that her Princess wouldn't be kept waiting. Reaching the entrance to the throne room, the mare composed herself and made sure that her violet coat was as presentable as possible. Once everything was checked, she knocked on the golden doors, announcing her arrival. “Come in please.” Her a soft, motherly voice say. As reassuring Princess Celestia’s voice was, there was a subtle, underlying tone of worry. Not subtle enough to not be noticed by the violet mare. She slowly opened the door and peeked inside to make sure she was allowed entrance. “Miss Violet, I’m glad you could come so quickly.” Princess Celestia said, bowing her head as greetings. Violet swiftly entered the room and bowed to her knees before her ruler as two guards closed the door behind her. Getting back up she asked, “Of course your highness! How can I be of assistance?” Princess Celestia gestured to a guard on her left, who presented her a yesterday’s newspaper. Princess Celestia Levitated the newspaper with a certain weight in her magic, her golden aura opening it so that Violet could read the news. “Have you heard of the energy crisis on Fillydelphia?” Violet immediately understood why her princes felt so worried. “Yes, your highness.” “The coal shortage stroke earlier than I anticipated, multiple other power plants are running at low capacity and I’m afraid the situation with the zebras reached a Stalemate.” Princess Celestia elaborated as she rolled the newspaper and returned it to her guard. “Miss Violet, your knowledge of foreign cultures and your position in the office might be what we need right now.” Violet furrowed her brows, not really understanding what her princess meant. “Miss Violet, would you be able to go to the zebra nation of Roam as my ambassador to negotiate our peace treaties with the zebras?” Princess Celestia asked, hope clear in her voice. Violet was stunned. Sure she worked at the castle, but she was never involved in politics and her love for history and culture was nothing but a hobby to her. Doubt permeated her mind as she pondered the numerous ways she could ruin everything. But at the back of her head, the seed of excitement and curiosity spread its roots. The zebra's culture is one of the richest and oldest cultures there is, and she never had the opportunity to travel to Roam and learn about its history! “Your highness, you can count on me!” A young zebra woke up earlier than the sun, no dizziness in his eyes because of the early hour, only focus. He got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to freshen up a little, the cold water soothing his sore, toned muscles, once satisfied, he returned to his room. He made his bed with practiced movements of years long routine and proceeded to get dressed. His red and black military uniform had the Roam army insignia embossed on each shoulder, medals of honor adorned his chest to show his achievements of bravery and loyalty. As a final touch, he inspected his sword, the sharp blade had his name; “Romelus Montakeus”, written in Golden letters around an enchanted Ruby. Now, with everything in order, it was time to meet the general. His walk took him across the third battalion training camp, passing through the empty gym and mess hall. Something about this silence really calls him, as a colt, he always wanted to become an alchemist, so he could pass down to the young three knowledge that the spirits taught his race so long ago. But the name Montakeus carried the weight of generations of soldiers. He doesn't like conflict, so to avoid one, he obeyed his family's wishes. The first rays of sunlight were beginning to reach the camp as Romelus waited patiently for his general to arrive at his office. “Oh, Captain Romelus. Early as always.” He heard a rough voice say to his right. His general had arrived. “Reporting for duty general Tullius!” Romelus saluted. General Tullius saluted him back and opened the door to his office, gesturing for Romelus to enter. The office was filled with golden trophies and medals, a red carpet complemented black curtains that blocked the sunlight from entering, a big Roam flag served decoration for the wall behind the general’s fancy dark wood desk. It was a bit over patriotic, Romelus thinks as he sits in front of the general as he waits for his next assignment. “Captain Romelus, as you already know, our relations with the ponies are dangerously tense. War is looming over the horizon, we may have superior technology, but they have magic at their disposal. We need to be prepared for when it happens and for that reason, I’m assigning you as an instructor.” “Sir?” Romelus questioned, it was never his duties to train new soldiers, why would it be now? General Tullius reach for a drawer on his desk, grabbing a cigar and lighter as he explains, “There are a lot of new recruits in the army captain, some of them came back from Equestria. You’re our most capable and trusted soldier, I want you to make sure that these recruits survive out there and that no spies slip past us.” Now it made sense. Despite receiving a work assignment that most officials would consider a waste of his abilities, Romelus was, in fact, glad. This way he would be able to teach his fellow soldiers how to survive while he avoids having to actually fight. It was almost too perfect. “I understand sir.” He saluted. “Good. Your new assignment begins immediately. You’re dismissed.” General Tullius saluted back. It was time to wake up the newbies. Footnote: Characters Sheets Name: Romelus Montakeus Strength: 7 Perception: 4 Endurance: 7 Charisma: 6 Intelligence: 5 Agility: 6 Luck: 5 Tagged skills: Melee Weapons/ Sneak/ Survival Traits: Pacifist's Rage: Even though you try to avoid conflict, you’re the last one to run away once it starts! You do 10% more damage when below half heath, but also loses -2 Perception and Agility. Loyal Companion: You are a loyal zebra and others try to do the same! Your companion’s perk gets better and better as your bond is strengthened, but you don’t receive new perks by leveling up. *** *** *** Name: Violet Amulet Strength: 4 Perception: 6 Endurance: 4 Charisma: 9 Intelligence: 8 Agility: 4 Luck: 5 Tagged skills: Barter/ Science/ Speech Traits: The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword: The right words can cut deeper than any weapon! Your Barter, Medicine, Repair, and Science skills are raised by +5, but your Magic Energy Weapons, Explosives, Firearms, Melee Weapons and Unarmed skills are lowered by -5. Inspiring Companion: You are an inspiring pony and others try to do the same! Your companion’s perk gets better and better as your bond is strengthened, but you don’t receive new perks by leveling up. Author's Note A new story! This story is a parody of a classic drama story with some adaptations and modifications, of course. Who will be the first to identify what is the original story I based this one on? I hope you liked it! Please let me know of anything you think I should improve in, so I can make better stories for your enjoyment! bye! PS.: This was supposed to be a short introduction to the characters and setting, but it turned out longer than I anticipated... So I made it into a prologue Chapter 1 should be out soon and after it, Stars chap 7! -T.M.W.D. Chapter edited by: EverfreePony
Chapter 1 - The First MorningThe sun was peeking over the horizon, its hot colors painted the sky with beautiful shades of yellow and orange, bringing life and warmth to the waking nation of Roam. Romelus stood at the training field impatiently. It has been two weeks and the rookies still had trouble waking up early, it was understandable for the volunteers coming from Equestria, the time difference been almost ten hours, but the majority of the troops lived in Zebrica. It was unacceptable! He watched the sun, it’s light still at the rooftops of the buildings, ‘Whoever arrives after sunlight touched the floor will suffer double duty today.’ thought Romelus. The first recruits began to arrive in a hurry, their stumbling steps being worsened by their sleepiness. As they reached the training field, they went into formation and saluted their superior. Romelus didn’t salute back, instead, he frowned. “You’re late!” “Sir! Sorry, sir!” The recruits replied in fear. They knew that Romelus wasn’t unfair or cruel, and they respected him for that, but they also knew that the thing he hated the most, is tardiness. Romelus paced in front of his designated troops, inspecting them like a bird of prey. Their red and black uniforms were in good condition, not pristine, but presentable. “Swords out!” he commanded. Their swords seemed to be well cared for, he nodded to each soldier he passed, approving their appearance and signaling them to sheathe their swords. At the last soldier, a brown striped mare with green eyes, he stopped. Her sword had a well-cared blade at the base, but fresh red stains at the tip corrupted its otherwise pristine condition. Romelus glared into her emerald green eyes, searching for the cause of her poor maintenance. Her eyes jumped to and fro, avoiding his. She began to sweat, her resistance trembling under his penetrating gaze. She gave a quick glance to her left hoof, as she straightened her stance. The small gesture giving her away. “Private Venus?” Romelus asked, his voice tough but calm. “Y-yes sir?” she replied, visibly trembling. Fearing her possible punishment. “Would you mind telling me why your sword is uncared for?” “I’m sorry sir, I was negligent! It won't happen again, I promise!” She replied as she saluted with her left hoof. The wrong hoof. “Is there something else you would like to tell me?" He pressed on, still glaring directly into her eyes. “N-no s-sir!” “Then why did you saluted me with the wrong hoof?” Her eyes went wide, he noticed! Now she was caught lying to an official, she was doomed! “I... I…” She tried to say, but Romelus raised his hoof, asking for silence. “Show me your right hoof, private.” Venus imply raised her right hoof, revealing a deep cut at the base. The cut was clean but bleeding, nothing serious, but she needed medical attention. ‘She cut herself when cleaning her sword.’ Romelus thought, remembering how many times he had to deal with this kind of injury. It was a common rookie mistake. “P-please sir, don’t send me to the infirmary…” Venus pleaded through a trembling whisper. The infirmary, every soldier that needed to visit the infirmary during training hours earned some bad reputation for being careless or clumsy, that can really put a soldier down and it was not what she needed after committing such a basic mistake. Romelus refocused his attention on the rest of the troops, who were staring at them before straightening back into a formation under his gaze. “Alright soldiers, I think today is a good day for me to teach you the basic procedures on how to apply first aid to an injured ally during combat! Private Venus here will assist me so I can demonstrate! Now, go fetch you first aid kits!” “Yes, sir!” His troops shouted in unison as they hurried back to their tents to fetch the necessary items. Private Venus muttered a silent “Thank you, sir” as she went off as well. A small smirk ran across Romelus face. ‘Newbies.’ *** *** *** The class continued through the morning, Private Venus was already treated by Romelus as he instructed the others on their own procedures. “Now, be careful not to tie the bandages too tight, it’s important to keep the wound away from dirt but it’s also important to make sure that blood can run through under the skin and…” “Captain Romelus?” Another official interrupted his instructions, bringing a scroll in his mouth. “Yes?” Romelus asked, grabbing the scroll from his mouth so he could speak more easily. “The Caesar is waiting for pony ambassadors to arrive, they’ll be arriving at Bahari Soko in thirty minutes. The Caesar wants the ponies escorted to the capital.” The official explained while Romelus read the orders. ‘More ponies coming to Roam, and at such a hostile state?’ Romelus asked himself, it seemed that the ponies still wanted to negotiate peace after all. “Understood.” Romelus saluted his messenger. Now, returning his attention to his troops, he barked, “Attention!” His troops hurried into formation, abandoning their equipment. “The Caesar is expecting ponies ambassadors to arrive in thirty minutes and he wants them escorted to the capital!” Considering who to send he pointed his hooves to two of his soldiers. “Private Kagiso, Private Funani! I’m assigning you to this mission.” “Yes, sir!” They barked back. “Don’t. Be. Late.” Romelus warned dangerously. Violet felt the cold ocean breeze on her face, the smell of salt water permeated her nostrils and brought up a bad past experience as her giant steam powered boat swayed through the waves of a calm sea on a sunny day. The sea always made her sick, but nothing could bring her down now, the seaside market city, Bahari Soko was just ahead! The seagulls announced their arrival to the rest of the ship, who worked hard to make sure everything on the ship was in order and ready to reach land. “Isn’t it exciting?! One of the oldest civilizations in all of Equus, and we finally arrived!” Violet squealed, happier than a filly on Hearth's Warming Eve. “Yes, of course, and a really exotic culture.” Her assistant, Ink Spot, a beige mare with black mane and a scroll and quill for a cutie mark answered, clearly less excited than Violet. Violet turned around to look at her assistant. Noticing that she wasn’t all that comfortable on coming to Roam, she tried to cheer her up. “Oh, come on Inky! This place is awesome! If we’re lucky, we can even spend some time in the market and taste some of Roam’s native foods!” With exotic food as the main focus, Ink Spot brightened up a little, her sweet tooth overcoming her reservations. “Ohhh, I always wanted to taste that “Açai Ice Cream” I’ve heard…” “That and much more my dear,” Violet assured her. Her smile growing more and more as they approached the harbor. “Stay focused, cousin. We’re here to get our coal back, not to chitchat with the zebras.” A deep voice called her, killing her joy instantly. The voice belonged to her cousin Sharp Spear, he was tasked to accompany her and keep her safe alongside two of his fellow soldiers. Sure they were family but they were far from close. His antics and manners displeased Violet greatly, she asked the princess if another soldier could take his place, but his skills and experience made him difficult to be replaced. “The coal is not ours, Sharp Spear, and we’re not here to “take it back”. We’re here to prevent a war to happen.” Violet retorted dangerously. What nerves he had! We’re on a mission of peace in a great and rich nation and the only thing he thinks is about what he wants?! There are way more things at risk than just coal! As Violet remembered how much things depended on her success she began to doubt her abilities. Sure, Princess Celestia herself taught her all she needed to know to fulfill her duty, and the princess wouldn’t send her here if she didn’t believe her but… was it enough? Her thoughts were interrupted by the shouts of Captain Zacarun, an elderly but sturdy looking zebra stallion. “We’re docked! All passengers please proceed to exit on the left side of the ship!” This is it! Roam at last! Violet grabbed her saddlebags and darted out of the ship so fast not even a hungry manticore could keep up with her. She proceeded through all the customs and other procedures as fast as she could, eager to finally meet the famous market. The approaching war was noticeable, zebra soldiers searched pony passengers and checked their papers much more thoroughly, distrust and apathy took over their actions. She was finally released and got out of the harbor. She followed the path that led her to the main market street where she was told would be guards waiting for her, but as she turned the final corner and reached her destination, she was stunned. The market street was bursting with life, zebras came and went every which way carrying their merchandise. There was no boring stone walls, only hundreds upon hundreds of colorful cloths and tapestry, their beauty as mesmerizing as a radiant phoenix. The shop owners shouted their goods on the street, luring eager customers to their shops. Ships of all shapes and sizes unloaded their shipments on the far harbor which restocked the shops. “Wow…” Ink Spot gasped, even though she wasn’t as excited to be there, but the sight was breathtaking nonetheless. “Where are the soldiers that were supposed to escort us?” Sharp Spear asked, looking around for the supposed soldiers. He was right, there were no soldiers waiting for them. Violet saw the opportunity to explore the market. “I’ll go do some shopping. Please call me when our escort arrives please?” She asked Ink Spot. “But we sh…” She tried to counter but Violet was already darting to the market. “I won’t take long!” There she was, at the famous market at last. The shops displayed clothing, spices, foods, jewelry, gadgets and so many other things that Violet didn’t even know where to start! Her eyes darted around from shop to shop until they landed on a small table on the street. The table displayed some intricate, hoof-crafted bone bracelets. It had glyphs and marks weaved together, creating complex designs that she recognized immediately. Violet approached the shop, her gaze never leaving the bracelets. “Are those authentic high priestess ritual bracelets from the second era?!” She muttered aloud. “Ah, you have good eyes, little pony.” The shop owner said as he approached her. He was an elderly zebra stallion with a rough, raspy voice. His coat and mane now had more white than black. “Oh, excuse me, sir, I didn’t mean to bother you,” Violet said, straightening herself so she could greet the old stallion. “You bother me not child, here, take a closer look.” the shop owner offered her the bracelet. She held it in her hooves with the most care in the world, gently turning the bracelet around so she could see the design. At close, she could confirm that the piece was genuine! Golden details accentuated the runes as it converged into a central “jewel” made of fossilized tree sap. “It's so beautiful…” Violet whispered softly, her eyes shining with wonder and amazement. “A fine piece indeed, it would complement you purple amulet well.” the shop owner commented as Violet returned the bracelet to him. “Are they for sale?” Violet asked with hope. She needed to have it! “Of course.” “How much are you asking for it?” “Hunm… it was a hard piece to find and restore… I was thinking about… three hundred denarii.” Violet eyes widened in realization. She just arrived and haven’t had the chance to exchange her bits for denarius!” “I’m sorry sir, but I just arrived from Equestria and haven’t had the chance to exchange my money! Would you be willing to accept two hundred and fifty bits instead?” Violet pleaded, showing her bits to the shop owner. It was a hard choice for him, Equestrian bits were getting hard to exchange but they were more worth than Roam denarius… at the end of the trade, he would be getting seventy-five more denarii than his original offer. “Hunm… bits are getting hard to exchange, but I was surprised you knew our story enough to identify these relics… alright, child, you have a deal.” The shop owner said, passing her the bracelet. “Thank you, sir!” *** *** *** Thirty minutes have passed. The guards haven’t arrived yet and Violet was still wandering around the market. She was about to enter another store when she heard her assistant calling her. Violet navigated through the crowd to her friend who was looking for her at the entrance of the market. “What is it Inky?” “The soldiers have arrived, we need to go.” “Oh, yes of course!” They hurried back to Sharp Spear and the recently arrived zebra soldiers. At the arrival of Violet and Ink Spot both zebras saluted them and struggled to apologize in Equestrian, “We’re sorry we’re late… we didn’t intend on making you wait.” “Yes, of course, you are,” Sharp Spear replied, disdain hidden in his voice. “Now, take us to the capital, yes?” “Yes.” The soldier saluted again and began walking them to the train station. “They’re mad at us. Damn ponies, I bet they’re gonna complain about our mistake… Captain Romelus is gonna skin us alive!” Kagiso nervously muttered to Funani in Zebrican. “Quiet! They’re gonna be suspicious about our whispering!” Funani hissed back. Violet approached them and reassured them in Zebrican, “Don’t worry friends, I’m not gonna let him complain about it.” Both soldiers looked at each other in surprise. “Y-you understand Zebrican?” “Of course! It would be rude to visit your incredible nation without knowing how to speak your language.” She replied with a wink, trying to calm the soldiers. “Y-yes… Thank you, miss…” Footnote: Level up! (2) Character: Romelus Montakeus Skills Raised: Melee Weapons: 39 Survival: 41 *** *** *** Character: Violet Amulet Skills Raised: Barter: 50 Speech: 50 Author's Note Chapter 1! It's finally here! Sorry for the delay everybody but hey, I gotta have a vacation from time to time I'm still waiting to see who'll discover what classic drama work I'm basing this story in, so if you know, tell me in the comments and win a new car! Not really XD I hope you liked it! Please let me know of anything you think I should improve in, so I can make better stories for your enjoyment! bye! -T.M.W.D. Chapter edited by: EverfreePony
Chapter 2 - The Masked BallThe last weeks have been pretty hard for Violet, representing the voice and needs of an entire country was a pretty stressful job and negotiations had been pretty slow. Violet was overwhelmed and frustrated, she had almost to no time to study the zebra culture or visit touristic landmarks. That, coupled with the constant presence of zebra soldiers watching her every step, made her stay a lot less exciting than she expected it to be. But nothing mattered anymore. For now, she was a ball of pure energy and excitement, she was invited to the traditional masked ball at the royal palace tomorrow! “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I can’t believe it! We’re going to the masked ball tomorrow!” Violet screamed, jumping up and down on her hotel bed. She was doing it for about ten minutes, and her volume and pitch made sure that everyzebra at the hotel know it as well. “It sounds fun!” Ink Spots said, also holding her invitation. “Fun? FUN? IT’S AWESOME!” Violet shouted once again, almost deafening her assistant. “Did you know that this ball is in celebration of the marriage of the first high shaman with her husband? And that the masks are enchanted to create gorgeous patterns and designs on the stripes of the wearer?” “Really? That’s really interesting! But we don’t have stripes...” Ink replied with a coy smile, happy to see her friend so cheerful after her stressful weeks. “Don’t worry, the mask only creates an illusion on top of the wearer’s actual coat so it’ll work on us too!” “Ugh, what a waste of time, they took a whole day we could spend finally getting our coal back and decided to throw a party,” Sharp Spear said. He wanted to simply throw his invitation to the trash can, but it had the Caesar’s seal, so if he did that, it could mess up the whole diplomatic operation. “Move, move, move!” Romelus ordered from the side of the race tracks. His soldiers were running on a muddy track full of obstacles, climbing walls, zig-zags, up hills, barb wires, and other things stood between his troops and the finish line, a finish line that promised a day off duty to the first who crosses it. “Captain Romelus?” his superior called him from outside the training grounds, holding a red envelope with his right hoof. “Keep running recruits! I’ll be right back,” Romelus ordered one last time before walking away toward his general. “Yes, sir?” “You know that tomorrow is the night of the masked ball at the Caesar’s manor, right?” he asked with a grin, knowing that Romelus tried to avoid it every single year. “How could I forget sir…” General Tullius passed him the envelope, “Well, this is your formal invitation coming directly from the Caesar himself. You know what it means, right?” “That I cannot avoid it…” Romelus replied, ears down in disappointment. “Exactly, I expect to see you there with your usual punctuality. Dismissed.” He saluted and excused himself. Romelus saluted back and returned his attention to the envelope, then proceeded to open it and read its contents. “Captain Romelus Montaqueus, due to your excellency and loyalty in the services you provided to the legion, I cordially invite you and a companion of your choosing to the annual Grand Masked Ball, tomorrow at eight past midday at the imperial manor. Yours truly, The Zebra Legion’s Caesar III.” As Romelus was concentrated on the letter, he didn’t notice a newly arrived recruit approaching him. “It must be hard to be an official of your caliber, right cousin?” Romelus identified the voice immediately, turning to confirm who it was. It was his cousin, Xul Montakeus. He lived a block away from Romelus’ parents’ home in the countryside, where they grew together. Being the youngest, Xul always looked up to Romelus and always strived to be as diligent as his older cousin. “Xul! It’s so great to see you! How have you been?” Romelus asked, giving his cousin a tight hug. “I’m doing fine cousin, our family misses having you around,” Xul replied, letting go of the hug. “And I miss them, but what are you doing here cos’?” “What do you mean? I’ve joined the army, just like you! So we can protect our country together,” he said with a prideful smile on his face. The thought that he dragged his cousin to the army troubled Romelus greatly, not wanting this path for himself, he much less wanted to be responsible for another life on the battlefield. “It’s good to see you again cousin, but I don’t know if you should do this…” “Why not? I can prove that I can be a valuable agent of the legion’s will, right guys?” Xul asked the other recruits at the running tracks. Romelus completely forgot about them and was surprised to see all of them standing together side by side, giving the last step toward the finishing line. The first one to cross the finish line would have the next day off. A sly smile crossed Xul’s face, he coordinated the recruits knowing that Romelus would never go back on his word. Clever. “Alright.” With a small smile, he said, “I promised the first one to cross the finish line would have a day off, and you chose to cross the line together instead of competing for it, showing that union is the strength of the legion’s army. I’m proud of you, dismissed!” All the recruits cheered, charging Xul, thanking and welcoming him to the troops. The clock on the Caesar’s manor showed 8:00 pm, the grand masked ball has begun! All the nobles hurried inside, all hoping to grab the attention of the great Caesar himself. Among the sea of stripes two figures stood out, Sharp Spear and Ink Spot. Sharp Spear was wearing his formal Equestrian military uniform, a red coat with crossing white bands displaying his medals. Ink Spot wore a long blue dress alongside some traditional golden zebra earrings and an unenchanted mask, trying to blend in with the crowd. Right beside them was Violet, wearing a traditional zebra dress with elegant red and golden patterns, her front legs portrayed traditional zebra emerald jewelry which contrasted with her usual violet amulet she always wore around her neck, and her mask, its intricate runes and glyphs covered her coat in white fur and black, beautiful stripes, their design so carefully crafted that even the most renewed zebra historian couldn’t tell her apart from a real priestess. “Hmmm, I’m so nervous! We’re drawing too much attention!” Ink Spot said, her ears glued to her head in apprehension. “Don’t worry, we have a reserved seat alongside the Caesar and the other high nobles, if you’re too uncomfortable, you can stay there,” Violet reassured her friend with a calming hoof on her shoulder. “Let’s get inside, shall we?” Sharp Spear interrupted them, scouting them to their seats. At the end of the wave of nobles and other aristocrats stood Romelus and his cousin Xul, both wore their formal military uniforms, red coats with golden details. Romelus’ mask turned his stripes into a single, horizontal set of glyph-like signs while Xul wore a unenchanted, simple mask. “I told you to search for an enchanter yesterday, but nooo, you were sure that you could find one today when everyzebra is doing the same thing,” Romelus mumbled, rolling his eyes in annoyance. Xul flinched at the remark. “I’m sorry! The masked ball was never so busy back at home!” The two kept in line until they finally managed to enter the manor, saluting their general as they passed by him. The general was waiting patiently for Romelus’ arrival, wanting to make sure that he didn’t dodge the party this time. The night began with a big feast, an enormous table filled with delicious zebra dishes kept Violet and Romelus distracted as each sat at one end of the table, a wall of snobbish nobles proudly chatting about their recent accomplishments between them. Time passed by, out gone the food, in came the desserts, Violet appreciating the opportunity to try some of the exotic dishes while Romelus was almost dying of boredom, eager to call it the night and hit the bed. After the desserts were gone, all guests proceeded to the main hall where an orchestra composed of the most talented musicians of the empire played the ball’s traditional music, a mixture of classical music and tribal drums. Most of the guests got up and went to the center of the hall to dance to the slow rhythm of the drums and the sweet notes of the piano. Couples slowly circled each other with their chests leaned against the other crossing their necks and swaying to the song. Violet took the opportunity to put her knowledge of this traditional dance to the test while Romelus just wanted to try and have a bit of fun while he was stuck there, both would dance for a few minutes before switching partners at the beats of the drums, not satisfied with the partners they ended with. ‘One more dance.’ They both thought, switching again. Spinning around along the sound of the cello, they blindly extended their hooves in search of a new partner. They could feel each other’s hooves before they turned around, their eyes met and their hearts jumped. They were stunned, lost in each other’s gaze. The slow tunes of a violin signaled the beginning of a new song as they instinctively closed the distance between them and leaned their chests together, feeling the warmth of the other’s body. Crossing their necks to rest their heads comfortably behind the other’s, they closed their eyes and began to dance. Left, right, left, right, their bodies swing back and forth to the rhythm of the song, every swing they would feel more comfortable with the feeling of their touch. Opening her eyes for the first time for what felt a millennia, Violet saw the patterns on Romelus’ stripes and identified them as an ancient Zebrican dialect, her inquisitive mind getting the better of her, she asked, “Excuse me, your stripes portray some kind of tale, don’t they?” Romelus opened his eyes wide, caught by surprise by her question. “Y-yes… it is the tale of how the zebra warrior Kain befriended a dragon and brought peace between the two species…” Violet was staring in wonder, trying to memorize the glyphs so she could study them later when she mindlessly muttered, “Fascinating…” The word echoed in Romelus’ mind as he inspected her stripes as well, so carefully crafted. “Amazingly well-crafted stripes.” Violet smiled from ear to ear. “Thanks, I’ve made the glyphs myself!” Now that was something completely unexpected to Romelus. “You did?” “Well, I had to ask a shaman to activate the glyphs, but I crafted them,” she answered proudly. ‘Fascinating indeed.’ Romelus thought. Silence returned for a couple of minutes, their minds racing with questions they wanted to ask each other but were afraid to ruin the dance. This time, Romelus broke the silence, “So, you seem to be interested in ancient zebra history…” They both crossed their heads to the opposite sides, following the song, taking the opportunity to gaze into each other’s eyes. “Oh yes, I love to study history and culture, in fact, I plan on visiting the national museum of ancient relics next week.” The museum of ancient relics, the home of hundreds of shamanic artifacts and enchanted items, a favorite field of study for Romelus. “I see… m-maybe I could serve as a guide... if you’d like me to of course.” Romelus offered, stumbling on his words in nervousness. Violet took a step back so she could look into his eyes again, feeling almost light-headed. She was eager to visit that museum, but now, she could barely wait for it. “I-I would love to…” Their conversation was interrupted by an increase in speed on the drums, most of the zebras left the dance floor, for they knew that this moment would come. Romelus balanced himself on his hind legs, offering a hoof to Violet. Using his hoof as support Violet struggled to do the same and stood straight up, they held each other’s hooves and began to follow the drums. As Romelus and Violet danced around the dance floor, other zebras would stare in amazement, this kind of dance was difficult and required perfect synchronism and absolute trust of your partner, not something that most zebras there had. The rhythm of the drums rose more and more as Romelus and Violet synchronized with each other, and them with a final beat on the drums and a final note on the cello they were one, their hearts unwilling to be apart no more. Like the High shaman and her husband did thousand of years before, the couples that manage to finish the dance a partner would remove their masks and reveal themselves to their partner. Romelus removed his mask, showing Violet his real stripes and handsome face. A bit of red could be seen under the blue eyes of Violet as she blushed, a bit nervous about taking her mask off. Romelus was getting worried, his brown eyes fixed on Violet who hasn't taken her mask off yet. Did she rejected him? What is he supposed to do now? That and a million other questions flew across his mind as he waited for her. Noticing his worry, Violet threw her nervousness to the wind and removed her mask, her striped fur slowly returning to her usual violet fur. Romelus was shocked by the surprise, she was a pony! His shocked expression made Violet uncomfortable but he quickly recomposed himself and asked, “Would you be willing to grace me with your name?” in Equestrian, surprising Violet. His Equestrian was good enough that he didn't need to rhyme, but his heavy accent was evident. His question, made her heart skip a beat, he didn’t avoid her for being a pony! “I-I’m Violet Amulet… and you are?” Romelus brought her hoof to his lips and kissed them, “I’m Romelus Montakeus…” Footnote: Level up! (3) Character: Romelus Montakeus Skills Raised: Speech: 30 Companion Perk: Word of Wisdom: While you have Violet as a companion, all speech and science checks in conversations are lowered by 25! *** *** *** Character: Violet Amulet Skills Raised: Survival: 27 Companion Perk: Ancient Knowlege: While you have Romelus as a companion, all survival based crafting recipes are twice as effective! Author's Note Chapter 2! Sorry for the long wait, but I've finally finished it! When two souls are destined to meet, the world stops, and watch, for there is nothing as beautiful as the love they share. I hope you liked it! Please let me know of anything you think I should improve in, so I can make better stories for your enjoyment! bye! -T.M.W.D. Chapter edited by: EverfreePony
