Chapter 15

Whack! Pow! Bam!

The sounds of fists and kicks being blocked, struck, and parried filled the outside ring as Shining and I sparred again in the training area. It’s been about two days since my time in the royal capital and I was able to ease my mind a bit after the last few days. I was still coming to terms with my supposed new role in the world, but I decided to not worry about it at the moment. Shining came at me with a haymaker which I managed to block with my forearm.

“That all you got, Shining?” I asked with a cocky tone.

“What…just taking it easy on ya,” Shining said with a smirk as he bounced in place as if ready to move to intercept my next strike.

I obliged his challenge by sidestepping and following up with a flying roundhouse kick. Shining crouched below my kick and then swept one his leg towards me in an attempt to knock me off my feet. I hopped in the air just in time before going for a palm strike. Shining blocked my attack and followed up with another haymaker and surprised me by quickly trying to kick my side. I blocked his punch but took the kick hard on my side. I was lucky that I tensed my muscles in time before receiving the hit, but it hurt like hell and almost knocked the wind out of me. When Shining went for another kick, I raised my knee up to block. I used this chance to deliver a few swift punches to his chest. Shining stumbled back a few steps but still the stallion held his ground and moved to counterattack.

I was still feeling winded from the kick I received earlier and found it difficult to power through the pain as I tried to take a back step, but Shining wasn't giving me any room to breathe and instantly saw I was in pain as he went on the offensive again. As we brawled, many of the guards and trainees who were watching started taking bets and cheering us on.

“Wow you’re doing pretty good,” Shining complimented with a devilish grin. “I almost hate to do this to you.”

Before I could even ask what he was talking about, the captain caught me in a full body takedown before trapping me in a figure four leg lock that was almost too much for me to bear.

“Nnnng! Shit!” I grit my teeth. I tried pulling out, but it only strained my legs every time. I had no choice but to tap the ground in surrender, which Shining obliged by releasing his legs and freeing me. “Ugh, damn that smarts,” I said, rubbing my leg.

“You lasted longer than last time,” Shining said as he stretched his arms.

“Barely, so what did I do wrong this time?” I wondered, seeking more of his combat advice.

“Nothing, I was just faster.” Shining said as he helped me up. “You’re getting better, just a few more years of practice and you might be good enough to beat me.”

“Seriously?” I deadpanned. “I’ve been practicing karate since I was teenager! I’ve fought in multiple tournaments, spars, and even traveled out of town, back home, to fight seasoned karate veterans, and I even beat some of them! How is this any different?”

“Have you ever been in REAL combat?” Shining asked while wiping off the sweat. “Have you ever had to actually fight someone because your life was on the line without hesitating to kill them?”

“Well…no, not exactly,” I admitted, rubbing the back of my head.

“Trust me, it’s not easy. It never is.” Shining said while tossing me a water sack. “Get cleaned up and then head to the mess hall for lunch, we’ll train again after I finish up some duties back at my office.”

I nodded as he walked back over to the barracks. I drank a mouthful of water before dumping some on my face. The cold water felt nice on my skin as I shook my head. The sound of giggling caught my ear and I glanced over to see a few mare recruits whispering to each other while staring at me.

“Seems like you got some admirers, bud.” One of the other recruits teased with a friendly nudge and a wink.

“But, uh, don’t try anything. Illicit relations are forbidden in the ranks.” Another said while polishing his helmet.

“Um…okay?” I said with a shrug, blushing a little. The one with the helmet set his helmet aside and raised his hand at me.

“Bolt Strike, pleasure,” he said. The stallion was a pegasus with auburn brown fur and a dirty blonde crop top haircut.

“And I’m Lancer Ice,” the other unicorn stallion said. He had light blue fur with a dark, two-toned, white mane and tail.

“Will Saber, nice to meet you too,” I said, shaking their hands. “How long have you two been here?”

“A while. Both of us signed up with Shining Armor before he was promoted to captain,” Bolt said while inspecting his helmet.

“Not to mention we were both teammates in the academy’s hoofball team.” Lancer boasted while thumping his chest plate in hopes of impressing the mares.

“But besides us, you got some serious skill, Saber,” Lancer said, slugging bone playfully. “I’ve never seen anypony be able to go hoof-to-hoof with the captain like that before. Let alone being able to win in a spar!”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” I said bashfully. “Besides, he wasn’t coming at me seriously the first time. So it doesn’t count. These last few bouts are different.”

“Be that as it may, it’s still pretty cool,” Bolt said. “What’s that fighting style called?”

“Karate, been doing it for many years,” I answered.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the two rejects and the freak of nature.”

Our eyes turned to see a stallion walk up to us with a couple other stallions following him. He was another unicorn stallion with dark pink hair and deep yellow fur.

“What do you want, Cherry Gold?” Lancer spat.

“My business isn’t with you, reject. I need to speak with this one.” Cherry pointed his finger at me.

“And what business do you have with me?” I asked, not liking his tone already.

“Feel honored, peasant. You have the great privilege of becoming my subordinate,” Cherry said with a proud grin as though he just gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. “I could use somepony of your skill and after seeing the way you trounced that upstart Shining Armor, I was thoroughly impressed. I’ve been waiting for somepony to take him down a notch.”

“First of all, I didn’t trounce him,” I said. “If you were paying attention, I was the one who got my ass handed to me. Second of all, what makes you think I’d wanna be your subordinate? Because no offense dude? But you’re too much of a pompous ass for my liking.” That last comment earned some snickers here and there.

“You dare to insult Sir Cherry Gold?!” One of his lackeys growled, but Cherry held up his hand.

“The worm is entitled to his opinions, even if they are incorrect,” Gold said with a smirk.

“Says the entitled one,” I shot back with a smirk of my own.

“Know this, worm, I always get what I want,” Cherry said before leaving with his minions.

“What’s his deal?” I asked the guys after he left.

“Cherry Gold, he’s the son of a noble family so it’s standard for him to attend this military academy.” Bolt answered as we made our way to the barracks and changed out of our workout clothes.

“Are all nobles like that?” I asked.

“Oh no, he’s an upgrade to their usual snooty behavior.” Lance said. “He uses his family’s influence to worm his way up and he absolutely hates the captain.”

“I can only imagine why,” I said as they led me to the mess hall.

The hall was filled with recruits and high-ranking officials. We approached a lunch bar with bowls of salad, and what looked like loaves of hay? I steered clear of the hay loaves and served myself a large bowl of salad.

“I’ve been curious about something,” Lance said as we sat down. “Are there any more humans like you somewhere in this world?”

“Nope, last I checked, I’m the only human standing around here,” I answered.

“Really? Because my grandpa once told me about an old legend when I was a colt,” Lance said.

“What legend?” I wondered.

“Well, long ago, during the reign of Queen Faust, a warrior was summoned from a different world by Starswirl the Bearded himself; a human like you. He wore strange clothes and carried weapons that could fell hundreds of foes in the blink of an eye, weapons of fire and thunder.” Lance continued his tale as the mess hall grew quiet and the other recruits began to listen.

Fire and thunder? I thought, trying my best not to laugh. Rokai was just a regular knight, and they’re painting him as some kind of battle mage.

“What happened to the warrior?” A recruit asked.

“What’s his name?” Another asked.

“Nopony knows, his name was completely forgotten. One thing is certain, this warrior feared nothing,” Lance said as he began to describe the incredible feats accomplished by Rokai during his life. “According to legend, the pieces of his sword are scattered across Equestria, waiting for a worthy master to find them.”

“Ugh! This drivel again?” Cherry interrupted as he entered the hall like he owned the place.

“And here comes the ball-buster,” I groaned with a roll of my eyes.

“Honestly, you all need to grow up. That was just some ponytale made up to fascinate little foals at bedtime. There was never a great warrior from another world, nor was there some magical sword. Besides, even if there was, why would the royal family hide it away, hmm?”

“Maybe to keep it out of the hands of pricks like you?” Bolt replied, earning a chuckle from the hall.

“It’s a good thing I don’t acknowledge the words of a subpar wannabe recruit who barely scored a passing grade on their combat entrance exam,” Cherry scoffed, earning a growl from Lance as he was about to stand up, but I put my hand on his shoulder.

“What’s your deal, Gold?” I said, stepping in front of him with my arms crossed. “You think you’re better than everyone because you’re some noble son?”

“I know I’m better,” Cherry replied without hesitation. “No matter how much all you peasants struggle, you’ll always be lowborn scum in the eyes of nobles like me. It doesn’t matter if you become a captain, a general or even a hero, you’ll still just be peasants.”

“Then I guess the same thing can be said about you,” I remarked at Cherry.

“What do you mean?” Cherry said with a sneer.

“Was your family always noble? Of course not. The reason your family is where it is now is because a peasant, like me, clawed his way to the top and amassed himself more wealth than anyone's ever seen in their lifetime so in all honesty Cherry, you're no different from us,” I said with confidence in my voice.

Cherry growled at me and grabbed my shirt collar.

“I dare you to call me a peasant again!” Cherry snapped.

“Better idea,” I said and swiftly grabbed his wrist.

I held his wrist in the bend of his arm while using my legs to keep me stationary and on my side. I then folded his hand downward while forcing it to move towards him, holding Cherry in a tight wrist lock.

“AAGH!” Cherry yelped.

The entire crowd was in shock after seeing me put him in a submission hold while his goons just stood there unable to do anything.

“Don’t stand there, you idiots! Get him!” He commanded as I gave them a menacing glare, daring them to make a move.

One goon tried jumping me and I lifted my leg to deliver a standing side kick straight to his gut while keeping my balance. The goon was sent toppling backwards while I put more pressure on Cherry’s wrist.

“That wasn’t very nice,” I said smugly.

“Uhh, I’m out!” The second one said as he made a run for it.

“Damn coward…” Cherry growled before feeling his wrist get twisted to the point of snapping. “AAGH!” Cherry yelped again.

“Do you yield?” I asked after he let out another pained grunt.

“To a commoner?! Never!” Cherry snapped.

“Your funeral,” I said as I let him go and allowed him to get a free shot. As expected, he went for a right hook hoping to put my lights out when I suddenly ducked down and did the splits. I reeled back and gave him the infamous nut punch.

“OOOoooohhhhh!!” Cherry’s voice ended up sounding like he sucked in a whole tank of helium before he toppled over and curled up in a ball of pain.

“I’ve always wanted to do that,” I smirked while the rest of the cadets applauded.

“WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?!” Shouted one of the officers who happened to be passing by.

All recruits in the mess hall stood up at attention as a very tall and muscular pegasus stallion marched in.

“SERGEANT STORM FLY ON DECK!” Bolt yelled.

“At ease!” The sergeant said before coming up to me and Cherry. He looked down at Cherry and shook his head. “Pick yourself up, recruit. This isn’t naptime.”

“He attacked me!” Cherry accused me while pointing his finger at me.

“Is this true, human?” The sergeant asked.

“It was self-defense, sir.” I answered while keeping my eyes forward.

“Thought as much. Cherry! You’ll be scrubbing the latrines for a week. As for you, Saber.” I straightened up, awaiting whatever came next. “Grab some pudding before Bolt over there takes it all.”

“Will do, sir,” I said, giving him a mock salute.

“As you all were,” the sergeant said as he left. Cherry’s goons were left to carry the whimpering noble away.

“Dude! That was nuts!” Lance said. “You had complete dominance over Gold!”

“It’s just a basic wrist lock,” I shrugged. “One of the most common techniques in karate.”

“Not to mention you’re flexible!” Bolt said. “It felt so good seeing that prick put in his place.”

“If you guys want, I can teach you a few moves,” I offered after grabbing a pudding cup.

“Heck yeah!” Lance said along with a few others.

While we were chatting it up, Cherry was fuming with rage and humiliation as he was handed a mop and bucket.

“My father will hear about this!” He shouted from across the mess hall.

“Is that a threat?!” One of the other commanding officers snarled in Cherry’s face. “I could tell you stories about your father that would even curl your greasy hair!”

“Now, where have I heard that before?” I asked myself.

“I’ll see you guys later!” I said, waving goodbye to my new friends as I left the barracks.

“Sweet you later, Will!” Bolt said as he and Lance and some others waved goodbye.

“Don’t be a stranger!” Lance said.

I left the barracks and made my way back to the castle. The sun was about to set, and I was in a better mood than I was a couple days ago. Even though the lingering doubt was still apparent about my role in this world, I didn’t let it bother me. For now, I was just gonna enjoy my time in this world and whatever it has to offer. As I made my way to the main gates and through the garden, I noticed a different band of guards were now guarding the castle. Unlike most of the ponies I met, they seemed to have more batlike features with their long ears and fangs but what was most intriguing was their dark armor. It kind of reminded me of Princess Luna.

“Oh, there you are, William,” a voice said, belonging to Princess Luna.

“Hello, Princess Luna.” I bowed as the princess of the night came to greet me herself. “I was just on my way back from the barracks.”

“I have heard from Captain Armor that you have been sparring with him,” Luna said as we walked together. “How did you fair?”

“To be honest? I got my ass kicked,” I chuckled, then mentally punched myself in the gut. “Oh…sorry, that was rude of me.

“No worries. You know, you don’t need to be so formal with me,” she said as we entered the main hall. “I hope you're getting along well with the cadets. Seems you’ve become the topic of gossip lately.”

“Me? How so?” I asked.

“Well for starters, you’re a human, you can fly without wings, you’ve become quite accustomed to our captain of the royal guard, and, while you may treat my sister and I with respect as princesses, you speak to us as if we’re not royalty.”

“Is that a bad thing?” I wondered.

“On the contrary, it’s rather refreshing to hold a conversation with somepony without them kissing my hooves,” Luna said.

“Should I?” I joked. “You must keep your hooves quite clean, Luna.”

“Oh stop,” Luna laughed. “Onto another topic. There’s an event I'm hoping you can attend, the Canterlot Garden Party.”

“Garden party?” I asked out of curiosity.

“An event for the nobility to gather and mingle,” Luna explained.

I took a moment to look down at my current attire and frowned.

“I’m a little underdressed for a shindig with nobles, don’t you think?” I asked.

“Not to worry, I’m sure the royal tailor will fix you up something spiffy for the event. For now, I suggest you take a bath before your stench stinks up the castle,” Luna said.

“I don’t…” I was about to retort when I caught a whiff of something rancid, only to see that it was indeed coming from me. “Fair point.”

“So will you attend?” Luna asked.

“I…dunno” I wanted to say no, but I figured it would be rude to deny a princess’s request. “I guess…I can pop by.”

“Splendid!” Luna said and snapped her fingers. Two bat-looking pony servants approached Luna and bowed.

“Take Mr. Saber here to get cleaned and ready for the party,” Luna said.

“As you wish, your majesty,” the servants said.

I parted ways from Luna and followed the servants. They led me to a room where I saw a large bath and figured it would be best to wash up.

“Strip,” one of the servant mares said, making me turn around and arched a brow at her request.

“Come again?” I said.

“You heard her.” the other maid said while holding a scrub brush.

“Uh, thank you ladies but I can wash myself,” I said when one of them suddenly trapped me with a freezing spell.

“I see we'll have to do this the hard way,” the first maid said with an innocent smile.

“…shit.”

“Hey! Hey! I said I can scrub that part!” I snapped as the maid stubbed my ass with a brush

“Oh, don’t be such a baby.” The maids insisted as they held up my arms and rubbed me down like I was some helpless toddler.

“This is a SERIOUS violation of my personal space!” I protested while they giggled.

“We need to make sure every bit is scrubbed so that no filth goes near the princess,” the maid said.

“Hey! I shower every day!” I barked back.

“Indeed,” the maid said when she started scrubbing towards my crotch.

“That’s off limits!” I said, snatching the brush out of her hand. “I insist I be in charge of washing my unmentionables!”

For what seemed like an eternity, the maids gave me a good scrub down and even wiped me down as I was given a clean shave and dressed.

“You look good,” said the maid who trapped me in the first place.

“…I feel violated,” I frowned as one of the maids stood on the tips of her hooves and tied a bow tie around my new shirt collar.

“There we go, all neat and tidy for the party,” she smiled while fixing my shirt. “Now hurry along.”

I sighed heavily as I reached into my pocket and pulled out my earrings. I spied a small mirror on the wall and put each earring on my ears. I also took note of my new suit. It was a sharp black suit with a white dress shirt underneath. A red bow tie was tied around my neck and they even procured dress shoes for my feet. Probably something the princesses had made for me ahead of time. The maids even went as far as to comb my hair down and smooth it out so it wasn’t so spiky anymore. Once I put my earrings on, I nodded to myself in satisfaction.

“I make this suit look good,” I said aloud to myself.

The servants directed me to the area where the party was taking place and it was just as Luna had described. All the elites of Canterlot were gathered and having tea while playing croquet.

“Ugh…I can feel the snob on my skin,” I groaned.

“Good evening William.” I saw Luna approach me to greet me again.

She wore a beautifully made midnight blue dress that twinkled a little like the stars. She wore white gloves that went up to her elbows and I caught sight of blue glass skippers on her hooves underneath her dress. Something else that caught my eye was that she had some makeup on her eyes, some tint on her cheeks, and she wore light blue lipstick. Her mane had its normal breezeless look to it, but she had it styled more regally than usual.

“Woah…” I said, without realizing I was blushing a little. “You look…beautiful, Luna.”

“You look dashing as well.” She replied before linking arms with me. “Shall we?”

“U-Um…s-sure?” I said sheepishly, pulling my collar to let some air in.

I nervously walked with Luna through the party while the nobles and elites stared at me. Some had looks of curiosity, others looked at me with disgust. Meanwhile, I was trying to keep calm due to the fact that I was walking side by side with one of the freaking princesses of Equestria.

“Sorry if I’m a little awkward, Princess,” I apologized.

“You say that a lot, don’t you?” Luna said, looking up at me.

“Huh?” I replied.

“You’re always apologizing. Don’t be so nervous,” Luna advised when a unicorn stallion with a monocle came to greet us.

“Princess Luna, so glad you could make it,” the stallion said with a grateful tone.

“Fancy Pants, it is good to see you this evening,” Luna smiled while I tried not to laugh at the fact his actual name was Fancy Pants.

“And who is this strapping young lad you have your arm hooked around?” The stallion asked.

“Erm, my name is William, sir,” I said with a small bow of my head. “William Saber.”

“Ahh, the human who’s been the talk of the town. A pleasure to meet you at last. I must say, you’re not at ALL what the rumors described you as,” Fancy said while adjusting his monocle.

“What did they describe me as?” I asked while he brought us to his table.

“Well, to be honest, they said you were a vicious, meat-eating brute,” Fancy chuckled when he introduced us to a mare who was almost as beautiful as Luna. Almost. “This is Fleur De Lis, my wife.”

The mare next to him was also a unicorn with pristine-looking white fur. Her name was royal pink and she wore a beautifully made one piece red dress that hugged her incredible body nicely.

“Charmed, Mr. Saber,” Fleur said, holding up her hand.

I decided to respond in kind by using my free hand and taking hers gently.

“The pleasure is all mine, madame De Lis,” I said before lightly kissing her hand.

“To what do we owe your company?” Fleur asked as her husband sat next to her.

“He is my escort for the evening,” Luna smiled while clinging to me.

“I see, well do enjoy yourself, dear boy, we have plenty of refreshments to go around,” Fancy said while flagging down a waiter to bring us some drinks. “So, how are you liking Canterlot?”

“To be honest, it’s not really my style,” I said bluntly. “There’s sometimes so much uptightness around here that it might give me a wedgey.”

I was worried that I made a fool of myself thanks to my inappropriate joke, but to my surprise, Fleur almost spat out her drink before laughing hysterically.

“Oh, I know what you mean, dear boy. One does grow tired of all the sophistication and mannerisms of the upper class. It’s why my wife and I like to go explore the city and even far off places,” Fancy said.

“Like where?” I asked when another waiter brought us some hors d’oeuvres.

“Well, there is this little town not that far from the city. Ponyville, I believe it's called,” Fancy said.

“A quaint little hamlet. Lots of farms, nice ponies, and the townsfolk are quite friendly,” Fleur added.

“Ponyville?” I said. “That’s where I’m staying.”

“Really now? And what are your living arrangements?” Fleur asked.

“I’m rooming with Twilight Sparkle,” I answered, piquing Fancy’s attention.

“Princess Celestia’s pupil? You are indeed a lucky young stallion to be friends with a talented unicorn indeed,” Fancy said.

“Lucky is indeed the correct word…” Another stallion said when I noticed Fancy's expression change to an annoyed mood.

“Oh, Lord Amber Gold. I didn't know you were coming,” Fancy said with a bored tone.

The moment I heard his name, I immediately knew this was Cherry’s father.

“Your majesty,” Lord Gold said with a curt nod to Luna, but Luna just stood there, barely acknowledging him. The stallion had peach pink fur with a dirty blonde mane, similar to his son’s. He wore a whitish-pink tuxedo with a white bow tie. “I’m surprised you decided to crawl all the way to this soirée, Fancy Pants. And here I thought you would be mingling with the commoners as usual.”

“Those fine folk are more pleasant than you give them credit for. You should try seeing for yourself, Amber,” Fancy remarked.

“As if I would sink to your level,” Amber scoffed before he noticed me linking arms with Luna. “Princess, surely you could’ve arranged for a more…civil escort to bring you to tonight’s event?”

“He is my guest by invitation, Lord Amber, I’ll thank you not to insult him,” Luna said as he gave another bow.

“I meant no disrespect, your majesty, I was only looking out for your image,” Lord Gold said.

“Since when does image matter?” I asked. “Prin…no, Luna shouldn’t have to be put on a pedestal all the time. She’s a pony like the rest of you, right? Who cares who she spends time with.”

All the nobles gasped when they heard me mention Luna by name and even the musicians had stopped playing when they heard me.

“You dare address the princess in such an informal manner? YOU?! A filthy commoner?!” Amber said in outrage.

“Oh, you cut me so deep,” I said with a fake dramatic accent before stepping up to Amber. “Look pal, I’m not from around here, so I’m not as well-mannered as anyone here, but I try. However, in my opinion, whoever Luna decides to socialize with, regardless of her title, shouldn’t matter to the likes of you.” I glanced back at Luna with a smile. “You don’t mind me calling you by your name, do you Luna?”

“Of course not, dear William.” Luna winked, giving the crowd a sort of wrong idea about our relationship.

“Wait…” Amber paused. “William? William Saber?”

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out,” I said.

Ba-dum tss!

Everyone looked at the drummer and he smiled sheepishly.

“Saber…you’re the one who attacked my son!” Amber growled.

“Oh, Cherry’s your son?” I said. “Although, you might wanna double check, since I may have made him a daughter.”

“You…” Without thinking, Lord Amber removed his glove and in one swift motion swatted it across my face. “I challenge you to a duel.”

Slap!

The crowd gasped while I just gave a pleasant smile.

“Hmm.” I tapped my chin.

POW!

“I accept,” I replied after knocking him to the ground.

The entire party was agape with shock as Amber yelped in pain as he held his cheek. He managed to collect himself before standing back up and glared at me.

“So it’s come down to this, has it?” Amber said bitterly. “A fight to the death. Mano a mano, stallion to stallion.”

I glanced back at Fancy with a face that asked if this guy was serious. Fancy only shrugged while Lord Amber collected his glove and glared at me.

“Courtyard, tomorrow, come if you dare.” He said before storming off.

“Come if you dare~!” I said in perhaps the most ridiculous snooty accent I could make while the others gave a short laugh and the party resumed.

I saw Luna trying her best to not laugh as she covered her mouth.

“That was fun,” I smiled.

“You’re quite bold to accept his challenge,” Fleur said.

“Eh, I’ve faced tougher-looking pricks than him,” I shrugged.

“You truly are an interesting young human,” Fancy said. “How long are you staying in Canterlot?”

“Two more days, why?” I asked. Fancy reached into his coat pocket and handed me a card.

“If you ever find yourself in Canterlot again, I would like to invite you to brunch, if you would like?” Fancy said.

“Wow, thanks! I’ll take you up on that,” I said as I tucked the card in my pocket.

“Let’s continue enjoying the rest of the party, shall we?” Luna said.

The Next Day

I never thought I’d be challenged during my stay here, but here I am. Standing in the castle dueling ring, standing on the opposite end with my hands in my jeans pockets while Amber readied himself.

“You picked a fight with a noble?” Shining asked as he stood on my side.

“Dude can’t take a joke,” I responded with a shrug.

“Just be careful. Nobles never fight fair when fighting, well…” Shining trailed off.

“Commoners?” I asked while doing a few stretches.

“Yeah,” Shining nodded.

“Are you prepared for a thrashing, whelp?!” Amber said.

“Sure, I guess?” I said. I took off my jacket and cracked my knuckles.

One of his servants came over with a set of dueling swords for us to use. This guy was really going old school on me as he grabbed his sword and began to do a few twirls to show off to the audience. Even both princesses decided to watch this bout of ours.

“Fair warning, I am a Manehattan fencing champion,” Amber said.

“My heart’s all a flutter,” I replied while giving the sword a quick twirl as we took our stances.

“Are the duelists ready?” The servant asked as the other nobles watched.

“Have at thee!” Amber said.

“Alright,” I said, then tossed the sword away. I crouched down and went in a full sprint towards Amber.

“Rushing to your death? Brave, but foolish!” Amber lunged at me, going for a quick kill but just as his arm extended forward, I instantly got the drop on him and surprised him with a judo flip before dislocating his arm in one quick movement. The fight was over in seconds before anyone knew what had happened.

“AAAH!! Aaahhh…Haa…” Amber screamed as his arm hung limp.

“Still wanna go?” I asked as he glared at me with hateful eyes.

“How dare you?! This is not honorable!” Amber spat. “You didn’t even use your sword!”

“Eh, not much of a sword guy,” I shrugged. “I let my fists do most of the fighting. But, judging by your arm, it looks like this is my win.”

“No…I refuse to accept this!” Amber protested as he tried to reach for his blade.

“Enough! The duel is decided,” Celestia commanded.

“Your highness please! Let me-!” Amber tried to say.

“It is over, Lord Amber, accept your loss with dignity,” Luna said.

Amber sneered at me, to which I just shrugged, as he walked away holding his arm.

“I think I’m beginning to like this place,” I smirked.

“I believe you just set a new record of ending a duel so quickly, William,” Celestia said. “It’s a shame you are returning to Ponyville tomorrow.”

“What? Tired of me already, Celestia?” I teased and placed a hand over my chest. “And I thought we were friends! Woe was me! Where did I go wrong!” Luna giggled at me while covering her mouth with her hand.

“Oh hush, little sister. I truly am saddened to see you go, but I know Twilight will be missing you. Do give her my regards, will you?” Celestia requested while the staff cleared the courtyard.

“Of course I will,” I nodded. “Come on, Shining, let’s go get a drink.”

“Now you’re talking,” Shining said as we walked away.

3rd POV

The two princesses stood by as they watched William leave until he was out of sight.

“Sister,” Luna said, looking at Celestia who still kept her eyes glued to where William walked away. “Is this wise? Keeping it from him?”

“It’s what’s best, Luna. At least until he’s ready.” Celestia said as they made their way back to the throne room. “For now, let us focus on our duties. And maybe you can tell me how your date went last night.”

“D-Date?! Surely you jest!” Luna argued.

Meanwhile
Back On Earth

The sky was vast with clouds as a gloomy atmosphere hung over the rural town William grew up in. Signs of his picture were posted on every telephone pole, window, and even at the train station. Months had gone by since his disappearance, months since word of his disappearance reached public news. His search was nearing the point where authorities would have to expand their search on a national level. The residents of the town were in no better mood since most of them knew Will. It devastated some of them that such a bright young man ended up missing in the blink of an eye.

A train from the main city chugged along the tracks just outside of town. When it stopped at the train station, only a few people got off. One of them was a man wearing a hooded trench coat, dark blue work jeans, boots, and gloves to stay warm. The man breathed into his cupped hands to warm them, before pulling a piece of paper.

“I should be close,” he said with a serious tone, as he made his way out of the station and hailed a cab.

The local cab pulled up to the curb and the man opened the door and stepped in.

“Morning, where we headed?” the driver asked.

The man passed the cab driver the piece of paper. “Can you take me here please?”

The driver took the paper and read the address. He frowned and looked in his rearview mirror.

“Not to pry, but why there? Those folks are going through a rough time,” the driver said.

“I’m well aware.” The man flashed the driver his badge. “I’m hoping I can shed some light and bring them some peace.”

The driver merely glanced at his badge, but nodded as he drove along. The man looked out the window to see the missing person signs all over town with Will’s face on them.

“It’s like a curse,” the driver said. “Ever since the kid went missing, there’s hardly ever been a sunny day. I knew the kid, sadly, he always bought me a donut whenever he saw me doing my rounds.”

“William is a kind person. I’m sure when I bring him back, the town will regain its missing light.” The mystery man spoke in an almost confident tone.

“Every other cop or detective said the same thing,” the driver said. Both glanced over to the right and saw a man sitting outside the local dojo with a bottle in his hand. “Breaks my heart to see Ivan hitting the sauce. Will was his best student and his good friend.”

There was a brief silence before the mystery man spoke. “A person is only deemed dead when a body is found. Over the last seven months, six bodies have been found around the states. None of which belonged to him. There is hope that he is still alive.”

The driver sighed as he drove across the bridge towards the neighborhood. The man noticed a large memorial with flowers, candles, and a picture of Will in the middle.

“Stop the car,” the man spoke.

The driver did as he was told and the man walked out of the car. He slowly approached the memorial and gazed at all the flowers and heartfelt words written along the picture frame.

“Sir, tell me something, is this where they believe he died?” The mystery man pulled out an envelope.

“Investigators say he got hit by a truck or something,” the driver said and pointed off behind the memorial. “Right over the bridge, over there.”

The man opened the envelope and looked through it while explaining the papers inside. “Sir, do you know if the day he went missing, the river below would be full?”

“It was the beginning of winter, so yeah,” the driver said. “The water usually rises a few feet every raining season, nearly full.”

“Would you say the river would be strong enough to carry someone downstream if they were, say, unconscious?” The mystery man questioned.

“Yep, the water that flows from the rain and into the river would do it,” the driver nodded. “It flows down from the surrounding mountains and gives the current an extra oomph.”

The mystery man continued to read the papers until he saw a part that made him smile. “The river leads to a small lake right? One that is only three hours away from here, yes?”

“Yep, but don’t waste your breath," the driver said. “Authorities got a scuba crew to go down there and try to see if he sank. Turned up squat.”

“And why do you think that is?” The man turned to the driver. “I looked over the reports of wildlife around this area, and much to my surprise when I see there is practically none, especially big preds.”

“Your point?” the driver asked.

“Despite there being no body found at the lake, and that no animal could have eaten the body. Why else wouldn’t they have found anything?” The man spoke with an almost prideful tone.

“That he’s still alive?” the driver guessed.

“Correct. And that means there is hope,” the man grinned.

“Well, here we are,” the driver pulled up to Will’s house. The mystery man got out of the car and paid the driver his fee.

“Hey buddy.” The man looked back at the driver. “You really think he's still alive?”

“If William is the same as he was as a kid, I’m pretty sure he’s too stubborn to die.” The man smiled and turned to walk to the house.

The driver drove away and the man walked up to the house. The man gently knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. After a few moments, the door slowly opened to reveal a tired-looking young woman. Her blonde hair was frizzy and unbrushed, she wore a sweatshirt and sweatpants with a few stains here and there, and her eyes were baggy and red from lack of sleep and probably crying. The young woman’s name was Rachel Saber, William’s stepsister.

“Can I help you…?” Rachel asked, her voice sounding raspy.

The man revealed his badge. “Good evening miss, I’m here to speak with the family members of William Saber.”

“Look, I already told you cops everything,” Rachel sighed. “What more do you want? My brother’s dead…he’s never coming back.”

“Miss I’m not a cop, I’m a private eye detective, and if you’ll let me have a moment of your time.” The man seemed persistent.

“Please, just go away…” Rachel said, sounding like she was going to cry again. “Let us mourn in peace…”

“I would. But you can’t mourn someone who may not be dead.” The mystery defective spoke in a caring tone.

“Rachel? Who's at the door?” a gruff voice came from inside the house.

A man walked to the doorway and had a slight glare in his eye. He was a tall man with blonde, graying hair. His build was slightly muscular, but he too had bags under his eyes. This man was William’s stepdad, Thomas Saber.

“Some PI who wants to talk about Will,” Rachel said bitterly.

“Will, huh?” Tom said. “And who are you to want to talk about my son?”

The man bowed slightly and looked at the adult father. “My name is Holmes, Rook Holmes.”

“And what business do you have with my dead son?” The man asked. “Authorities have been looking for him for months.”

“Look sir, despite what those amateurs said, your step son isn’t dead, not until we find a body,” Rook said with confidence.

“And how do you know? You’ve never even met my son,” Tom said. “Furthermore, how did you know he was my stepson?”

“Because sir, I do know your son.” The defective smiled and looked past Tom and pointed. “If you don’t believe me, you may ask her.”

Both turned around to see William’s mother standing behind them. The poor woman looked like she’d seen better days since she looked as though she had been crying longer than Rachel. Her dark brown hair was also a bit of a mess, and her eyes were baggy from lack of sleep. She slowly approached the PI, her eyes scanning the man’s face.

“You…you look…familiar,” William’s mother said.

“It’s been some time, but I think you still look as kind as the days when me and William hung out.” Rook then pulled out a photo that showed a young William and himself playing together, with William’s mother in the background looking much younger.

William’s mother gasped and covered her mouth. She looked at the man again as tears leaked from her eyes.

“R…Rook! Rook Holmes?!” William’s mother said in shock.

“Hello Victoria, it’s been a long time,” Rook said as he pulled his hood off his head. Rook Homles had straight light brown hair, and emerald green eyes. “I wish we could have met under better circumstances, but I’m here to help.”

“Dear? You know this man?” William’s father asked as Victoria wept happily.

“Rook Holmes. The boy who was William’s only friend before we moved here. They used to play at the park almost every day,” Victoria said.

“I don’t buy it,” Rachel said. “If you knew my brother, what’s his worst fear?”

Rook leaned in and whispered into Rachel’s ear. “He’s absolutely terrified of spiders.”

“His favorite candy?” Rachel asked.

“He loves skittles, he and I would always trade candy on Halloween, my skittles for his crunch bars.” Rook sounded like he had found memories.

“Woah…you really do know my brother,” Rachel said in astonishment.

“I…suppose introductions are in order,” William’s father said. “Name’s Tom, Thomas Saber.”

“I’m well aware.” Rook then looked at Rachel. “And that makes you Rachel Saber, William’s stepsister.” He gave a slight bow of his head.

“Rook, what are you doing here?” Victoria asked. “More importantly…how on earth did you find me?”

Rook looked around before entering the house and closing the door. “I found where you guys moved thanks to my connections. I’m a well-known PI, so I have access to a lot of information. Including cases regarding missing people. I was in my office when I saw a news report about Will going missing.”

“But…even with them still out there?” Victoria asked nervously. Rook noticed Rachel and Tom looked like they knew what she was talking about.

“I know you wanted help finding William, but I was worried that they might have seen the broadcast.” Rook moved to a nearby window and peaked his eyes around before looking back. “Thankfully, I have an insider that told me they hadn’t seen it, and they aren’t making any movements. But you should be more careful next time.”

“We covered our tracks thoroughly when we left,” Victoria said as she sat down in the living room. “Thanks to Ron, god rest his soul.”

Rook walked over next to Victoria and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. “Listen, I came here because I want to help you guys find William.”

“What else do you want to know?” Rachel wondered. “You probably already know everything about the case.”

“Yes, but I came here to tell you that there is still hope.” Rook pulled the envelope from before out along with another. “I have reason to believe that they are involved.”

Opening the second folder, Rook pulled out some papers. “The truck that had hit William was reported as stolen several hours prior. And when police arrived on the scene there wasn’t a driver in sight. What’s more is that the truck was still fully functional, meaning the person who stole it left the vehicle behind on purpose.”

“How could they be involved?” Tom wondered. “They should be across the whole damn country.”

Rook pulled a photo that depicted a gas station and in the image was a man stepping into a truck. There was a second photo of the man’s face blown up to look bigger. “This man was the one who stole the truck, and I ran his face through criminal records. Do you wanna take a guess who he had worked for?”

“V…Vongeonce,” Victoria shuttered.

Rook nodded. “He hasn’t been caught yet, which leads me to believe that he is still at large and may know where William is.” Rook had a slightly grim look on his face as he took a deep breath. “If Vongeonce is involved, I will be going in to look into the matter myself.”

“NO!!” Victoria yelled. Her face went pale as she began to hyperventilate. “YOU CAN’T GO AFTER HIM!! THAT…MONSTER!! HE HAS NO REMORSE!! HE’LL KILL YOU!!”

“Mom! Please calm down!” Rachel said.

“Rook, you do realize what you’re saying, right?” Tom said. “My wife told me all about her…former husband after we got married.“

Rook sat in silence for a moment, his hands together with a pensive look. “I’m well aware of the dangers, I’m also aware my life would be on the line.” Rook looked up with a now stoic look. “But I don’t care. Because if it means I can find my best friend. I’ll go to hell and back.”

“You’re really set on this, aren’t you?” Rachel said, still tending to Victoria. “And you believe my brother’s still alive?”

Rook had a smile on his face as he looked down at the floor. “I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. William is a stubborn-ass guy, and that means he’s too stubborn to die.”

Victoria took a deep breath and managed to calm herself.

“P-Please wait here.” Victoria left the living room and went to the master bedroom. Everyone heard her rummaging a little until she came out holding something in her hand. “Rook…if you do find William, please give this to him.”

Victoria handed Rook a small medallion with an image of a howling wolf in front of a full moon engraved on it.

“I-Is that?” Rook gently took the medallion in his hand and let one of his fingers trace over it. “He kept it. All these years?”

“Yes…” Victoria smiled sadly. “He kept it, despite everything. You’ll have to jog his memory a bit if you wish for him to remember you, since he locked away those memories years ago.”

Rook moved the medallion around his neck and patted it. “I will.” Rook stood up and turned to look at Tom, he reached a hand into his pocket pulling out a paper and set of keys. “Listen, I’m still not sure if Vongeonce is involved. But if they are, they might know where you guys are.” He handed the paper and keys to Tom. “That’s a safehouse I own, and that paper has the address and pin for the safe room in the basement. The keys are to the house and my gun cabinet inside. Take Rachel and Victoria there and lay low for a while.”

“So soon? For how long?” Tom asked.

“I’m not sure, but at best six months.” Rook looked at Victoria. “We both know the kind of man Vongeonce is, so if he does have any idea where William is, he’ll know where you are too.”

“O-Of course,” Victoria said.

“Bring my brother home, Rook, please,” Rachel begged.

Rook smiled and moved to hold Rachel’s hand and lightly pat it. “I will do my best, or die trying.”

Rook exited the house and walked back down the street. Once he was far enough away, he pulled out the medallion from under his shirt and looked at it. The name Vongeonce rang in his head, which only made his resolve and anger heighten.

“I swear to God, if you are behind all this pain, I will end you.” His voice was full of rage, and his eyes lit with a fire of determination. “I’m gonna find you, Will, just you wait.”