"Is it their power and wealth..."
“Her Imperial Majesty will see you now, please remain on the allotted path toward the Throne Room.”
The weathered, and frayed feathered griffon looked up at the equally aged unicorn staring down at him.
The red armor was finely polished to produce a sheen unmatched by anything except the crowns worn by the royal family, contrasting against his grey and black spotted fur. His eyes were classically reserved, and lacked any real spark behind them, signalling the pony’s proficiency as a guard in service. Yet the pony before him seemed a little less common than the normal guard that patrolled the castle and city with a golem-esque behavior, the unicorn seemed empathetic to their wait when he offered them a bottle of water each.
“Keep your sight lowered at all times: wait to be addressed before speaking, don’t ask for hoofouts, but most importantly remember to smile and thank the Queen when you are done.” the pony instructed as his lips stretched back while curving upwards.
“Yes. Thank you kind guardstallion.” the old griffon thanked as he began to stand up “Come along, son.”
Perched next to the old griffon, and closest to the door a young chick of a modest six years of age was snapped out of his daydreaming. He looked with surprise and wonder at the unicorn standing just a few talons away before turning to his father, and followed his example by jumping off the bench. Even as his father walked past him, the cub stood still watching the old unicorn move over to the wall where a turning wheel, like a ship’s wheel, poked out of the wall. With a nod from the cub’s dad, the unicorn with practiced ease began turning the wheel with the strength of two griffons!
The chains clinked and clanked as the pulley system served its purpose, and began tugging on the massive wood and iron doors. Soon the barriers groaned before opening for the two griffons, and with another ‘thank you’ to the unicorn, the old griffon entered while his son lingered back to stare at the winded unicorn. Besides a shortness of breath, the pony appeared no worse for wear, and even gave the young griffon cub a smile.
This made the cub’s day as he chirped happily at the attention before rushing into the large room after his dad.
Passing through doors led them down a hall, where a narrow rug fashioned into the colors and design of the Queen’s Emblem escorted the two griffons further into the castle. As the clanking of chains signaled the main doors to the castle were being closed. The older griffon wasn’t phased by the door or the sensations pelting him, but his son was high in the clouds with an innocence only found in the young.
They followed this barren hall until it deposited them into a large chamber, where it further separated into many offshoots leading to entire enclaves created to attend to the needs of the castle. To the right could hear the mutterings as kitchen staff began rushing to prepare for the afternoon meal due in a few hours. An unfelt breeze carried the faint scents of spiced meats, fresh bread, and a merriment of other scents the cub couldn’t identify.
To the left, across the private kitchen, he could hear lite hammering of blacksmiths pounding metal strips into shape from behind a set of doors. All of this could be heard over the humming of a large fan and thick doors to mask the sound, but somehow the noise never traveled further than beyond the entrance. Because as they passed, the sound became muted until nothing could be heard of the professionals creating art.
Little examples like these were normal as the two griffons followed the rug acting as a guide through this collection of artists, and professionals doing whatever it was they had to do. He wanted to stop and ask his father about everything if only to continue staring in wonder; back home had their share of skilled labor, but nowhere near the amount or drive to work and seeing this need to work only fueled his desire to ask more questions.
“Papa?” He asked, wanting to see if it was alright for him to ask questions.
“Yes, my son?” The old griffon turned slightly to see the young cub before looking back to the path ahead.
“Why does the queen have a village in the castle? Where are the guards?” The young cub asked unsurely as he kept casting glances to every creature going about their daily activities.
The older griffon felt himself relaxing at the innocent question, and even felt himself wanting to smile at the thought of an actual village sprouting within the castle. In the many years he’d made pilgrimage to this very castle of stone and crystal, there had been little change of interest. A change of staff or layout of the various chambers were all he had ever noticed, and even these changes quickly lost their excitement as the old air of this place washed away any sense of the new.
“The castle is like a village my boy, but let me ask a question to answer your question. What creature would attack a member of royalty?”
“What of the monsters?” the cub asked, finding the idea of not needing a wall or guards a strange phenomena.
“Rarely, but even then it’s only the most dangerous of the beasts. Her Majesty’s will is enough to keep the others at bay.”
“No bows?”
“None.”
“Swords, spears, or pitchforks?” His father laughed.
“Hardly any, but her most trusted would even be granted the privilege to carry one. No, my son, her strength alone keeps every creature safe.”
At the older griffon’s encouragement, they resumed their journey through the castle only to get out of the busy staff’s way. It was when they had put some distance from the staff’s wing that the ‘village’ in a castle idea faded from their thoughts, and replaced with the traditional motions of walking down long corridors. As they walked, great banners depicting the Royal Crest on each side, a rare guard patrol watching your every move, and the ever present feeling of walking into the very lair of a beast much stronger than you accompanied them in earnest. It was all there, and made the old griffon feel a mixture of emotions he only felt in this building.
His son trudged behind as he took in the new sights around him, fascinated with the alien environment on display. The grand cities of the coastal provinces could surpass the castle keep by leagues, but no creature publicly did so out of fear and respect. The seat of power for the Equestrian continent was as old (if older) than their famed rulers, and to make any comparison to it only invited ill wishing upon your family.
Wisely so, the cub kept his thoughts to himself as he studied what might be a once in a lifetime moment.
“I remember feeling the same way when my father brought me here, I knew then no other profession would compare. Someday, you will bring your own son down these halls.”
“I will?” His father nodded
“Or daughter. Our entire profession requires our familiarity with our lords and their needs.”
Following the grooves and dents made by claws, hooves, and paws over the many the cub didn’t say anything as he half paid attention to his father’s words, he hurried to keep up, unwilling to tear his eyes away from the dull stone. Every step they took revealed a world increasingly older than everything the cub had ever known, far older than what he was taught in school, and he was the only one of their village that knew that.
He looked up toward his father who was still talking about something, and wondered what he would tell his own cubs about this strange castle, and their master who lived here.
Today’s court had a plethora of ponies toward the front with a mixture of other races; buffalo, diamond dogs, a few other griffons, and even a couple of well fed changelings closer to the door where father and son stood waiting.
Their appointment wasn’t until later in the afternoon, but the older griffon wanted to bring his son early to experience the spectacle of their visit. While the cub stood on the shoulders of his father, he was awed watching the gathered creature talking amongst themselves while waiting for the Queen to arrive.
Standing in the Seat of Power for all of Equestria would give the impression the extravagance on display would be worthy of that title, but it was remarkably barren. The usual red and purple banners hung overhead, two by side in four sets from the great hall doors to the large stained twisted oak throne the Everfree City was famous for. An old rug long and wide enough to let two pony size creatures walk side by side from the door to the throne was the sole item on the aging marble floor- it showed signs of constant use as well.
Every creature present appeared focused on their immediate conversations, or were used to the castle’s look to be bothered by history that surrounded them, yet the cub could barely keep his eyes from sparkling brighter with delight. In the daunting, but underwhelming throne room, the five stained glass windows provided little sunlight, but the light it did emit was a rainbow of colors and hues that created a light show.
As the sun slowly moved outside, the lights would appear and disappear as the light moved between each glass fragment to create a living play using all six windows to tell the tale. Mesmerized by the dancing lights, the cub watched as six pony-like figures performed an abundance of dances, and actions as the sun descended during their wait.
The pink light figures had just begun playing a strange instrument when the cub’s father began speaking to him, but he didn’t catch what was said as the gathered audience began shushing themselves. Ponies clad in the traditional armor plates of gold suddenly appeared upon the stage, they moved together as they took position around the platform that the old throne set while the most beautiful pony he had ever seen appeared from behind the throne.
Her golden fur shone with a brilliance like the shiny bits his father would show him sometimes, but they seemed dull and lifeless as the few rays of light reflected off her coat like golden waves. Her mane was equally pampered; styled in a dazzling feat of hoofwork to shape its length to create the curls that hung over her left eye that bounced as she raised a hoof.
“Gentle Creatures of the world, I am prouder than my great great great grandmother on my father’s side…” Her voice was pippy and flowed with a charm that left the cub hanging onto her every word as she delicately used her hooves to support the heavenly voice.
This sudden infatuation with the beautiful mare left the cub blind to the world, for the sudden trumpets playing freighted him enough to nearly stumble down his fathers neck.
“...of the three continents , her Imperial Majesty Twilight Sparkle.” the herald proclaimed and every creature in the room immediately knelt before her grandness as she entered the throne room upon the clouds themselves.
And that was no exaggeration!
The cub had heard tales that stretched the limits of his belief growing up, and while fascinated with their queen’s abilities never truly believed them until now. No creature could fly like the birds or a griffin, or perform feats that defied the very laws of known fact…
...but his queen was doing just that before the splendor of the court.
The young griffin dared to lift his head to see if his fellow mortals were witnessing this feat of might and divinity, but to his shock no creature( including his dad) so much as acknowledged it was even happening.
In awe of the scene before him, the cub watched worriedly of being caught not bowing as law declared as his queen floated in, her large kept wings lazily extended out and down the side so the wing tips could barely touch the bare floor. Her immaculate crown of gold and black ivory was fashioned to a gold band resting atop her flowing mane, while the two ebony colored ivory horns protruded from the sides in an arc until they reached the same height as her alicorn horn.
Her eyes fixated on each creature with a dismissive glance as her cloud carried her closer to the throne. The young griffin watched the Queen with amazement until those purple irises found his own bit colored sight, causing him to freeze on instinct. As his father’s stories of what happened to disobedient cubs peppered his frightened mind, he nearly missed the small smile she flashed that reminded him of his mother’s own smile before finding another creature to occupy her attention.
He might have fainted if his father hadn’t smacked him with his tail. This knocked the cub out of his stupor, but failed to keep the Queen out of his mind long enough to focus on his bowing. The cub would do his best to follow the example of his peers ( father), but after getting his first glimpse of royalty laying on an actual cloud left him too excited to focus properly.
“All may rise.” The cry came from the back, and on command every creature rose from the ground with the guards clanking their armored hooves, and talons together to signal their shift was complete.
Upon this singal, the Queen shifted her weight over to her left shoulder to give her right leg the ability to support her body as she straightened out her back. The change wasn’t too drastic, but was enough to switch from lounging noble to alert monarch.
“The Throne of the Equestria acknowledges you all, and I, Queen Twilight Sparkle, will proceed to today's court.”
Her declaration was met with much talk as the court partitioners were herded into two separate lines based on the level of their grievances, with father, and son pair being left to stand off to the side. When the cub questioned his father about this, the greying griffon smiled and told him to wait, and so they did. For nearly three hours as her majesty heard, passed judgement, or declined loan offers until they were the only two commoners left in a room full of armed guards and one of the most powerful creatures in the world staring at them. Without wasting any time, she lifted one of her lazy wings and extended it toward the waiting griffons.
“The Court will recognize the griffons presented before I.”
The cub nearly streaked back from the attention, but only held his ground because his father’s legs pinned his tail in place. It took some coaching, but the older griffon managed to push his son toward the throne.
“Thank you, your majesty. We’re humbled by the court’s willingness to see two lowly griffons on today of all times.” the cub’s father recited as he gave one final bow when a loud scoff was heard coming from the throne.
“Copper Pouch, you haven’t changed at all, and ‘today of all times’? It’s Sunday afternoon, and we both know every creature likes to finish their business in the morning.”
“It’s why I always request an afternoon time.” Copper happily chirped, confusing his son at what he was witnessing. His father and the Queen of all Life were talking like they knew each other, and while he knew his father traveled for his work never once had he mentioned knowing the Queen.
The more he watched them, the more he was convinced this wasn’t a subject and lord relationship, but a friendship.
“Of course, excluding any pressing concern we’re more than happy to grant the request. Now then…” In a move that shocked not only the cub, but his father and the guards, the queen began making the effort to extract herself from the floating cloud.
The guards began moving toward their Queen only to be given a disapproving look that definitely reminded the cub of his mother, and this was enough to back them off as she continually made the effort to get up. Why she struggled to get up wasn’t completely clear to the cub as he didn’t see any fat on her, but once he noticed the pain flashing across her face did it make sense.
As the cloud began to lower toward the marble floor, she began folding her wings with much trouble as her Majesty's stiffness and pain became more pronounced. The faint scars and awkward way her right foreleg bent reminded the cub of the guards back home around the town inn telling their stories of fighting the wild beasts, and her slight limp toward them sent his mind racing.
“Queen Twilight, there really was no need to get up.” His father took a step forward, but stood down when the damaged queen shook her head side to side.
“Twilight will do, Copper, and don’t baby me like every creature. I’m tired of growing fat on that throne, and felt like stretching my legs.” The casualness of her mannerisms and speech only bothered her guards while Copper knew their princess more personally, and hated seeing her struggle from the simplest of actions.
The young cub remained frozen with wide eyes as his mighty queen moved closer, for every story he’d heard of the royal family left him more scared each time. He practically cried when his father told him they would be seeing the Queen three weeks prior, and forgot when they arrived in the city, but seeing their (very pretty) Queen act more like a family friend or that one griffon the village might willingly offer assistance because they’re so beloved.
Her hobble was more pronounced as she descended the steps from the raised platform, but that minor discomfort appeared gone for she showed no sign of pain. The cub felt the need to move closer to his father as the giant limped toward them with the off sounding clopping of her hooves since the alicorn never fully raised her damaged leg, but dragged it slightly behind.
“And who’s this cutie?” She swooned over the now scared cub, who had moved back to hide underneath his father.
“That’ll be our miracle cub your… I mean Twilight, my first born son. Say hi junior.” When the cub failed to greet their ruler right away, his father was quick to push him forward like he was making a sacrifice. “Copper Planchet is his name.”
Copper Planchet was feeling many things he couldn't understand due to age and worldly experiences, but the one thing he understood was his father had ditched him.
Without the safety of his father, little Planchet lowered himself closer to the ground in the classic display of submission as the mighty pony cautiously moved closer. Most of his attention was directed to the approaching royal, but enough of his mind was left to wonder what was going to happen after his early death. He was old enough to have heard a few stories of what the royal family did to creatures on a whim, and while he didn’t know what he had done to attract the Queen’s ire, he couldn’t blame his feather for saving himself.
The only thing the young cub could do was close his eyes and hope the Queen would make it quick. So he closed his eyes, and pinned his ears back, unable to hide his fear as the offbeat hooves of his queen approached.
“There, there little one. Don’t be afraid because my name is Twilight, and I'm here to say hello.”
Her voice carried a warmth that reminded Copper Planchet of the spring flowers and song birds of his home at the base of the Brozenhills. Surprised, he opened his good eye, daring to take a peek only to find the monster of all ponies staring down at him, with her weight mostly shifted to her left foreleg. Up close he could note how pretty her large purple eyes were.
They reminded him of his mother’s own green eyes, filled with a love, and calming warmth a mother had for their cubs all the time. Planchet didn’t even notice his ears perking up with interest at the display before him, and suddenly remembering his father, turned back to see the old griffon looking amused- the cub turned back to face the strange pony.
“I’m going to make you smile, and brighten up your day just a little bit.” Queen Twilight continued to sing with a cheerfulness unbecoming of royalty.
Engrossed by the song, Planchet didn’t even notice one of her wings unfolding until the large primary tickled the side of his face, breaking his concentration with a high squawk of surprise. His embarrassment was final when the Queen’s smile curved further upwards in a wide arc as the snickering of his father and the guards left the cub red feathered.
He tried to put on a brave face once more as he stopped crouching, and stood up with his feathers fluffed out to make his appearance more frightening. A commendable attitude for the young cub if he were dealing with other chicks, but his display incurred more snickers from the creatures around him.
“That’s my son, a natural tiger isn't cha?” Copper Pouch happily barked as he strolled forward to pull his son into a proud hug. “What a fearsome drake you’ll be when you’re older…”
“Even I was surprised by his courage.” Queen Twilight chimed. Her smile never left as she hobbled over to the father and son, the pain forgotten as she witnessed the loving scene before her. “Perhaps he’s old enough to sit in on our business dealings?”
“Quite the responsibility my queen, and one I’m not sure my son is ready for even if he’s a tiger.”
The two adults knew what they were doing, but for the young cub the sudden shift in tone was welcomed as it was frustrating. No longer was he the attention of their teasing, but now they were questioning whether or not he was a big drake, and that really ruffled his feathers further.
“I AM TO!” Copper Planchet cried out, even daring to take a threatening step toward the damaged alicorn, earning a few gasps from the guards, and his own father.
“So daring aren’t we little one?” Queen Twilight questioned before looking over to his father, Copper Pouch. “Where could he have learned that from, his father perhaps?”
“HA! As if I would be stupid enough to teach the cub to run toward danger..that would be his mother. Bertha could chase a bugbear through the Bronze Mountains if she felt like it.”
His admittance and joke did earn a good laugh from the Alicorn Queen as she briefly ignored the lingering pain. The throne room would grow quiet as their queen coughed in between bits of laughter, but no creature dared express their concern having known the alicorn long enough it would fall on deaf ears, and as before they waited until they were finished.
“I’ve never met your wife unfortunately, but she sounds very spirited.”
“Ye should count your blessings then, Bertha is sweet at times, but a real monster when she wants to. But I love that tigress of a griffon.”
Unbeknownst to Copper Pouch, his statement alone inflicted a wound more serious than any battle the queen may have had, and no creature caught the swift change in mood as they listened to the old griffon talk about his wife.
‘Some wounds hurt more than others.’ Twilight thought as she tried to ignore the little drops of rain that always dampened her mood, but it didn’t mean she had to ruin their mood as well. So, with the nearly three centuries of practice the alicorn produced that imitation smile she loved to wear and nodded along as she listened to her friend tell his tale.
After a long afternoon catching up (with some talk of business) the day was ready to end.
After wishing Copper Pouch and his son a goodnight, Queen Twilight departed back to her tower to prepare the ritual needed to lower the Sun and raise the Moon, leaving the two griffons alone to find their way. This didn’t bother the old griffon as he was used to this and knew the way to the entrance of the large castle, and motioning for his son to follow, the pair followed the mixture of candle lights and electric bulbs.
Even during the night, the castle projected a power and splendor only the Royal Family could fully command.
No other place in the entire world could compare to the riches and beauty of Everfree Castle, nor its legacy in extorting control over the entire continent. Copper Pouch had heard through questionable and likely illegal sources that the mighty spires that served as the Royal Family’s private lodging were directly taken from the Canterlot Ruins.
As he told his ruler and friend, he wasn’t stupid that was for sure, and no way in the depths of Tartarus would he ever seek validation to these rumors. So, the greying griffon kept it to the safety of his imagination, and continued guiding his son through the brightly lit halls.
It was fast approaching nighttime meaning the current guard shift would transition to the night watch, and it was ill advised to be roaming the castle during these times else they would face dire consequences.
“Hurry up Planchet, else you will be meeting the Night Watch.”
Like all children in the world, he’d grown up on the stories of the Night Watch, and their deeds. Their love for snatching disobedient children (and adults) from their beds during the long hours of the night. Copper Planchet didn’t need to be told twice to keep up, nor did he dare call out to his father as they hurriedly moved through the halls looking for the exit.
Planchet trailed behind his father as they made another turn onto a familiar hall, and nearly crushed into his rear leg when the older griffon stopped, mumbled to himself and suddenly turned around to go down the hall behind them.
As a young griffon growing up on the Eastern Continent, admiration of your parents is almost a requirement instilled into all cubs at a young age, but his faith was starting to wane as their trek to find the exit began looking like endless wandering. Even the lighting from the candles and bulbs were against them as they flickered with each step as father and son desperately searched for the exit, but it became an afterthought once the echoes of metal striking marble reached their ears.
Every way they turned was met with a familiar hall, or very similar off-centered paintings whose eyes followed their movement. No matter which way Copper Pouch led them the feeling of paranoia would nip at the back of his paws knowing they were lost, and it would only be a matter of time til the Night Watch found them.
Copper Pouch cursed under his breath as he stopped once more trying to identify any sort of landmark or distinguishing feature that could lead him to the right path, but found now.
His son, Copper Planchet had abandoned his courage several turns back, and did his best to remain ‘tied’ to his side as they walked with the cub scurrying under him when they stopped in vain to hide. Copper Pouch knew it wouldn't do any good, but saw no need to point it out as the humming of electricity rushing to the bulbs above went silent.
The lights went out leaving only the sparse candles flickering above, and with the white noise of the bulbs gone, it exposed the patterned strikes of heavy hooves echoing behind them…
“LETS GO!” Pouch commanded, waiting long enough for his son to hop onto his back before sprinting down the hall once again.
This time he didn’t worry if they would be heard or not as the fears of what would happen if they were caught by the Night Watch spurred him onward. It was fruitless, but he needed to try for their sake even as he turned onto hall after hall trying to outrun the heavy hoofsteps trailing somewhat behind him. He couldn’t even bother wondering if they’d been down this hallway before as he slowed to a quick trot to catch his breath, and get his bearings, but that constant heartbeat in his ears made it difficult to think.
Frantically looking around yielded nothing, but the growing realization the halls might actively be hindering their escape. Copper Pouch had no proof, but his grey feathers held the wisdom of a near lifetime of exposure to the strange and mysterious, especially when it comes to working for royalty. He had seen wonders performed using the lost arts, but with it being directly used against him made the fur along his back stand up at the thought.
If they managed to make it out without being caught, Copper Pouch was already vowing to finally retire and devote the rest of his life to not dying to anything else.
The little claws of his son digging into his neck reminded the old griffon he needed to move, and with no other choice than to proceed forward, Pouch made sure his son was holding on and resumed his mild gallop down the hall before him. Unfortunately, they didn’t even make it to the end when at the snap of the talons a massive four legged figure appeared before them forcing Pouch to flap his wings just to stop in time.
“Oh.. sorry.” It whispered while peering down at them, placing a hand behind his head as if to rub his embarrassment away.
With the body of a pony, and the torso of a minotaur, the strange creature stood nearly as tall as Queen Twilight with his long, slender legs contributing much of its height. His ashen grey fur clashed with his bright marble colored hooves, but the immaculate condition of his body made the color combination appear more natural and fitting against the maroon skin of his minotaur half.
“I..uh we…” Copper Pouch started but the figure cut him off unintentionally as it tried to justify its sudden presence.
“I was looking for my mother, when the halls kept laughing about something.” His bovine ears pinned back as he looked away from their wide eyed stare. “When I learned of their trick, I told them to stop it.”
“I..thank you my liege.” Copper Pouch managed to get out while doing the traditional bow, but he did catch the passing wince across the young lord’s face.
“It is your privilege subject…” He was pronouncing each word with a stiffness that reminded Copper Pouch of his youth when he had to recite his oaths to the thrones, but why would the young lord sound so…
“...normal.” Pouch thought as he listened to the young lord finish his response, who looked and sounded even more like he was reading off some unseen paper. The young crossbreed’s body was more rigid as he spoke: locked legs , straightened back, and eyes forward staring at nobody in particular. If anything, the whole display only proved his stellar upbringing.
“...but why are you wondering about my home without an escort?” For his earlier timidness and golem speech, the young lord quickly found himself as he crossed his arms at his chest and peered down upon them.
“We sir.. And…”
“We, subject?”
“My son and myself…” It was at this moment the old griffon realized the weight of his son on his back was missing.
Before he could even panic, Copper Pouch heard the distinct clacking of talons coming below him, and a quick adjustment of a foreleg revealed his missing son who looked worse than himself. The talon clicks he had heard weren’t because his son was moving around, but because the cub was shaking with terror as his wide eyes refused to blink or acknowledge anything, but the towering hybrid before them.
“I’m..apologies, my lord! The boy is young, never left the village before…” The worried father started off trying to keep his son safe from any repercussions, but ceased when the young centaur raised hand wanting his silence.
“My time is precious as it is limited. Why are you wandering the halls of my home?” He asked once more as he crossed his arms, the earlier meekness gone as he wielded the power granted to him by his position with frightening coldness.
It really highlighted the similarities between the prince and his father.
“We had just finished our meeting with her Majesty, Queen Twilight, when we found ourselves..lost.”
Copper Pouch didn’t know how to word it any better, but years of close proximity to the Royal Family had instilled a great sense of self preservation within him. So, he knew the more words he added, the greater dilution of the truth would follow, and with that the increased likelihood he would be found guilty of some crime he had not committed. A great lesson he had learned early on was to not only appear as transparent as possible, but say it with a grit that can only come from a character with no fear of hidden truths.
This could also be seen as a challenge to the family’s rule, and might be dealt with as needed…
“You know my mother? Very few creatures would openly claim such a connection, let alone within the very center of her power.” The stiffness of his words were still there, but the anger that wielded them had softened just enough to offer the feeling Pouch and his son might survive.
“That I do, my lord. She has been my employer, and I her faithful servant for nearly three decades accomplishing all manners of tasks on her behalf.”
“What sort of task…”
“Many tasks her majesty found beneath her, but mostly acting as her sponsored merchant during official treaties between guilds, or provinces. It was myself that represented Queen Twilight in the Provincial Conferences a decade ago.” Copper Pouch added that final tidbit of information to further emphasize not only his importance, but validate his reasonings for being in the castle.
As he waited (still bowing) until the young prince permitted him to do otherwise, he couldn’t help but worry for his son still cowering underneath him as a zebra foal might do to avoid a predator’s gaze or the stifling sun. It pained the old griffon to hear his own cub’s body shake with terror and to not comfort him, but to act without permission would further test the royal’s already limited patience. Thankfully, his honesty was rewarded that day as the young royal not only gave him permission to rise, but seemed even more relaxed than moments before to drop his crossed arms to his sides once more.
“I have heard of you then griffon if only in passing, but it is rare for mother to speak of another so highly, let alone consider an acquaintance. Here then, take this as a sign of your importance not only to mother, but myself.”
Before Copper Pouch could respond, the young centaur began muttering to himself, and with a few quick hand movements created a bright red light that quickly took the shape of the Royal Crest: a simple crown with fanned wings surrounding it with a pair of bull horns overtaking the wings. This floating crest of light hovered just out of reach of the young lord as the image grew bright before splitting in half to create a second crest.
“Here. These will allow you to leave unmolested by the Night Watch, or any creature for the next several hours. If you are bothered, touch the crest and the guard will be alerted.”
As the centaur spoke, the two crests floated over to the two griffons where they settled in for a nap on their chest feathers, giving the illusion they were wearing a necklace of sorts. A glowing necklace of pulsing light.
“I..my.. Thank you my lord. Your generosity is unmatched, and unbefitting of us.”
“You may drop the formalities subject for an acquaintance of my mother is rarer than Father not breaking something or some creature. If you so desire, I am Prince Spike, first of my name, and fifth in line to the throne after my father, mother, and my two sisters.”
Prince Spike’s declaration left the old griffon stunned, unsure what he should say or do as the half breed stood expectedly for an answer he didn’t have. A mere thank you would be insulting to the young prince who had acknowledged him so highly, but the words escaped him of all times.
“What was that?” His son asked as he left the safety of his father.
In another day of twists and firsts the old griffon wasn’t prepared for, he found himself literally shaking with terror for his son who of all times decided to stick his beak where it didn’t belong. Yet, before he could step in to defuse the situation he paused when the young prince’s childlike laughter ripped the tension away.
“That..my subject, was magic.” He said between pauses in the laughter.
“Like the traveling show wagons?” the cub asked, having forgotten his previous fear, now amazed at the unusual magic he had just seen.
Lord Spike smirked at the young griffon as he knelt down to bring himself closer to the ground, Copper Pouch remained still as he watched with trepidation. The two griffons focused on the young lord's hands as a small flicker of red light manifested just above the palm of his hand, and with a flex of his fingers the orb flickered dimly before popping loudly.
The two recoiled back from the unexpected noise, but quickly leaned in when the chirping of a young phoenix graced their ears. Where the light had been stood the form of a young phoenix chick chirping angrily at having been awoken from its nap, and when it noticed the young prince began squawking and beating his little wings.
“Sorry, Egan. I wanted you to meet my mother's friends.” The young prince apologized to his young companion, who found enough comfort from the words to calm down.
“HOW DID CHA DO THAT!?” Copper Planchet squawked as he looked between the prince, phoenix chick, and his father hoping one of them would tell him the secret to this crazy trick.
His father seemed hesitant to speak, but the young prince took up the task.
“That was magic.”
“But it looked nothing like the wagon shows!”
“Because my young subject, mine is real magic.”
"...or their guilt that makes them royal?"
The evening twilight had given away to the dark sky above, providing the necessary backdrop for the thousands of sparkling orbs that accompanied the moon to make their appearance.
Each star twinkled and shined with a muted dullness that could be mimicked by placing wire mesh in front of a bulb or candle, but would never be as bright as the guiding lights above. For the citizens of the Equestria (and world) these little pinpricks of light held a mystery greater than what happened in the time before their rulers took leadership of the whole world. Most believe these lights are a product of some great invention only the royal family is privy to, but a daring few on the fringes of society would dare suggest these stars are lefts of the before times, directly conflicting with the royal family.
While the reason for their existence is questioned, every admirer of the night sky will admit it is a beautiful sight to behold. Taking a half hour to admire the subtle changes of the sky and compare it to the night before has been one passed down through the generations, but for one single family it is nothing more than a hobby of their mother.
Twilight Sparkle had left the meeting abruptly, and no excuse she could provide would fix the mistreatment of her longest friend, but the damaged alicorn trusted the pair to find their way out. This wasn’t the first time Copper Pouch had visited the castle before, so he shouldn’t have too much difficulty finding his room, but if he should then the old griff could ask one of the loyal Night Watch for assistance.
That was her reasoning for the hasty retreat, but during the final stages of purchase when one of the security wards went off signaling an arrival the alicorn feared and welcomed in equal measure.
It was also the main reason for the rushed night sky leaving the stars in nearly the exact space as before with only a few major differences big enough for ponies to notice. By no means her best work, but the alicorn had little time to waste if she were to meet the visitor on time, and while her stiff hobble slowed the Queen down, it didn’t stop the stride toward the preselected room.
Many of the senior Night Watch parted and greeted the rushed alicorn as she passed, and to Twilight’s great credit, always managed to greet them by name as she limped passed. Her destination wasn’t hidden by any means, but due the casting of a few spells she designed herself allowed the very hallways to lead away wandering eyes, and curious souls before they could find the lone double doors along that stretch of hallway.
Even before the castle’s reconstruction and revenavations, Twilight knew she would need a single room to call her own when the need to retreat from the reverence became too much. It was in this lone room Twilight stored her greatest treasures of vast wealth, and irreplaceable mementos of a bygone era, but always served as an oasis for her suffering mind.
Twice more she greeted a few early Night Watch walking to their posts, but eventually the cluttered halls full of doors: chandeliers, tapestries, artworks, ect were wiped away with a single hoof leaving a hall bare of any decor and fanfare. Looking to her left and then to her right, the Queen’s horn glowed with a brightly focused energy to disengage all of the wards that laced the old Manehattan style doors and metal locks before entering.
The moment she crossed the frame, Twilight was besieged with the stale and musty air of a room that has not been visited for some time. Along the left and back wall were literal library shelves of books lining the two walls only breaking to allow the lone window a chance to do its job, and let in the hazed grey of the moon. The other half of this private and mysterious room was left nearly bare save for the single large circular bed located in the direct center of the room, and the few personal effects that hugged the remaining walls.
A single family portrait painted a hundred years ago hung in the center of the right wall with eight additional photos, four on the left and four on the right. The four on the left were framed moments of the early years of rule with the top most picture of her marriage and the other three being the birth of her children. The four on the right of the portrait were special in the fact they weren’t of her family, but were considered family by her.
The charred photo of her friends hung proudly at the top, with her parents, Spike Shining, and Cadence following next. The bottom two photos were of Twilight and her older children in one of their rare visits. To stand before this history filled her with both pride and heartache knowing her current family was only possible because of the sacrifices made to achieve it all, and that no amount of magic in the world could fix it. If it were at all possible to go back to that very moment of their battle, the alicorn doubted she would even change her decision; a terrible fault of hers if Twilight was honest, and it was that primordial fear of messing up that romanced the alicorn into striking that deal.
It spared Equestria and the world, but ultimately led to its destruction.
Everything she had ever known was lost that day, and replaced with the world she had grown to care for with the tenderness only a mother could bring while stilling the disciplinary hoof of its father. It had taken a number of decades to welcome the new standard, and with that accpantace the understanding of some sort of gallery should be erected to preserve what little of the past remained.
From this desire to retain a shred of her old self led to the birth of this time capsule.
Perhaps the only realm in existence that housed any definite answer to what happened before the deal was struck, but most importantly helped the damaged alicorn turned Queen remember where she came from. What she had to give up to become the cripled pony Queen of the world. Who she casted aside for the greater good…
Her depression scurried back to the shadows when the restrained magic took hold of wards and locks on the doors, and began forcing them open. This commotion interrupted Twilight’s self pity earlier than usual, and for that she was thankful for the disruption.
Directing her attention away from the past, she stiffly began hubbling toward the door already knowing who it likely was. Of all creatures, there are only five that can unlock this door with only one of them being expected tonight, and that knowledge sent the alicorn’s heart in a flurry of excitement. A feeling she never expected to feel for the creature that became her husband, but to immortals like them all they had was time to live and forget.
The being that entered was taller than Twilight by a head and that wasn’t including the minotaur horns on his head. Usually, he would make himself taller than most three story buildings as a way to remind the populace of his authority, but on rare occasions such as tonight he adapted to a ‘normal’ height. Looking up into his eyes made her heart beat a little faster, and even more so when he adjusted his height once more to meet her eyes for a change.
“Hello, dear husband.” Twilight greeted the centaur as he approached.
He ignored his wife’s greeting as he kneeled before her, and with no resistance from the alicorn took her bad hoof into his hands to rub the hoof with his thumbs. The action caught Twilight off guard who nearly fell on her flank from the loss of balance, but managed to remain standing as she watched her husband with great interest.
“How’s your leg?” He finally asked with a lower pitch gruff than normal as he continued to tenderly massage the alicorn’s hoof.
“The same as last year I’m afraid, but not enough to impede my mobility.”
“I see your bitterness hasn’t left.” He scoffed rudely as he carefully placed the appendage down to stand up, crossing his arms as he looked down upon her.
“And you still refuse to comb your beard and mane.” Twilight snarked as she turned around to make her way toward the large bed. This blatant display of disrespect had its intended effect on the centaur whose red fur became brighter with rage.
“DON’T YOU DARE TURN YOUR BACK ON ME!!” His bellows echoed off the walls with enough strength to rattle the old library shelves, but as a testament to their build remained firm against the assault.
Thankful for the silencing wards in the room, Twilight wasted no time whipping around to confront her rude husband. She stomped over to him, ignoring her bad leg as her damaged wings flared in defiance as she leaned in to match the centaur’s stare.
“Don’t you ever raise your voice to me.” She hissed “I fought you once, and I’ll fight you again dear.”
How much of the threat could follow through was unknown, but for the two long lived beings that had taken part in the conflict knew the stakes. Both knew the power the other wielded and the centaur king (out of fear) respected his wife’s combat prowess while the alicorn queen worried if she could even muster the strength to survive a prolonged engagement. Against the differences in opinion, the two shared a devotion for the other that made mortal acts of violence toward their spouse near impossible to achieve, but little expressions like this one were encouraged.
Boredom in prolonged life could destroy the very mind of the unprepared, and to combat this the pair often encouraged ‘heated’ exchanges to excite and release possible tensions one might have accumulated during their absence.
Their postures remained tense as the two gods continued sizing the other for potential weakness, or signs of further aggression before settling down once more. Terik’s breathing became less ridge as the adrenaline circulating through his body weakened with each pass. Twilight’s own reaction gradually softened as her body realized the damaged wings were flared, and dormant nerve endings began firing in agony from the stress of miss use.
The subtle flinches in her face as muscle contracted alerted the centaur of her pain, and further desculated the tension as his worry for the alicorn took over, forcing him to approach.
“You shouldn’t have done that.”
“I know that dear, I’m not stupid.” her tone had lost the venom, but still held an irk strain behind them.
“Here…”
“Stay back...wait!” she cried as her husband reached out and picked her up off the ground, careful to cradle Twilight just under the barrel and rump.
There was a mild cry of surprise as the centaur carried his wife toward the large circular bed that had provided them a familiar comfort for many decades. For a bed meant to support royalty, it was remarkably plain in both design and appearance to garner questions about its actual origin, but its appearance isn’t the reason for its inclusion to the hidden room.
Likely the last one in existence created for the sole purpose to support the highest echelons of society, the cloud bed still retained the original clouds the pegasi stuffed into the mattress and pillows centuries ago. The last of its kind, and a perfect match for a couple and their room of obsolete ways.
With practiced motion, the centaur king placed his broken wife on the surface, taking great stride not to upset her old injuries. When Twilight didn’t complain or express her displeasure, Terik took his own seat on the edge of the bed to the alicorn’s right.
The old familiar sting of silence filled the void of sound yet again as the two lolled on the bed unsure how to proceed. It was only when Terik felt the damaged wing of his wife being draped across his back did the spell end. He quickly found his shoulder becoming the perch for Twilight as she tried snuggling closer to his left side in preparation for what was to come.
“ Let’s read our favorite story, dear.” She whispered as a coat of exhaustion weighed her tired frame down.
The Mighty King didn’t reply nor make a move to remove his exhausted wife from his side, but instead lifted a finger toward the third bookshelf from the left, second row from the top, and first book on the left watching it glow red as his magic grasped it. With surprising carefulness that would worry every creature (including their children) in the world, the ailing book was pulled toward the pair until it left the shelf and floated their way with a practiced motion derived from nearly 300 hundreds years of practice.
The book was showing its age, but the spells placed upon the binding and pages had done their job to slow the process down all these decades, but it would be time for a special reprinting of exactly one copy very soon. Opening the worn hard cover, the lord felt his wife fully leaning into his side as she settled in for the story and possible nap…
“StarSwirl’s necessary guide to Magical Effects, and everything else.” His deep, imposing voice rumbled with a suppressed anger he only did for his wife. The King did not hate this, but found it difficult to read without sounding frightful, and angry, but thankfully his alicorn wife paid it no mind as the soundwaves reverberated throughout her body.
Closing her eyes with a sigh of relief, and contentment of the moment, Twilight found herself drifting off to sleep as her husband Terik continued reading the table of contents from the sole remaining copy of magic left in the world. The damaged alicorn tried to not think of her failure that led to the current world today, and truthfully, spending rare moments like this with her husband, the very being that nearly crippled her, and stole all of the magic in the world should have felt so wrong, but it didn’t.
There was another feeling that followed her everywhere now like rain clouds to ruin any thoughts she ought to have about the centaur she was snuggling against. The years come and go, and eventually so did her hatred of the beast she called her husband to be replaced with a feeling the alicorn never expected to feel again after betraying Equestria in order to save it from complete destruction.
“Forward. The creation, donation, and compilation of every spell, potion, rune…” Tierk read on with the same pace he found soothing, almost forgetting about his wife by his side.
Twilight inhaled a deep breath, taking in some of his and the book’s scent with it and smiled as she expelled the calming mixture from her body.
“...relaxing.”
It had taken many decades to grieve, and hate before she could accept her role in the creation of this new world, but through all of that Twilight managed to find a small amount of comfort in this alien world. A sense of familiarity with the centaur she had helped in destroying everything she loved, and ironically it’s because of this shared history that made this union possible.
In the end, they were two souls belonging to a world that would never come back.
