An Equestrian Rogue

‘What the absolute fuck was that about?’ Thorne thought to himself as he kept his smile upon his face. The lingering unease was gone, but now it was replaced with sheer panic. He was keeping his face from revealing what he had witnessed. ‘Fucking magic is bullshit I swear. Did anyone else see that shit?! We were in fucking space! What the hell was with all that blood?!’ A bead of sweat went running off his temple and down to his chin before falling to the carpet.

“Guards? Would you please excuse yourself?” The soothing motherly voice of Celestia rang off the throne room.

All of the guards looked at one another with hesitation before bowing and heading to the door. Once it was shut, they were all alone. Only this time it was the three of them in a very real throne room.

Luna lost the regal pose immediately. Her horn went aglow and she began inspecting the room. Celestia just smiled down at Thorne, motioning for him to rise with a hoof. He did as requested, his glances going to Luna every now and again. “That… wasn’t Discord.” The dark blue mare stated.

Celestia tittered. “I had a feeling it wasn’t. The distinct lack of comedy gags made that apparent.”

Thorne blinked. ‘Time to gamble!’ “So… uh… I didn’t just hallucinate all that, did I? We all saw that? The blood? The lightning? The sun and moon? Us in space?... Wait, did the guards see it?!” His body turned, looking back toward the doors.

“I don’t think they did, no. But that was… intriguing.” Celestia said as she climbed down from the dais and went to Thorne. Upon hearing the hoofsteps, the man turned back. He immediately took a defensive pose which made the solar princess recoil and flinch away. Luna on the other hand, seemed wary of even approaching.

“This went from rather regal and formal to not in a magic-made-manifest split second. Why order the guards away? Why are you approaching…? You saw all the blood. You must know I’m--”

“A soldier? Someone who served his nation. Yes, I know.”

‘Did she…? Does she?’ Thorne’s mind began a lot of assuming, making him take a step back.

“A mercenary and someone who wishes to be a ‘rapscallion rogue’ as you put it eloquently in the papers,” Celestia said as she steeled her resolve and began approaching again. “I don’t know what caused the scene that just played out, but it is all very interesting, isn’t it? Yet out of all the blood, I didn’t see any malice. Did you, Luna?”

Luna simply raised an eyebrow. She sighed and stepped forward to meet her sister’s approach. “No. No malice. None of it directed at us or anypony. Or rather, wasn’t directed at us or anypony yet.”

Thorne smirked at that. “Clever.”

Celestia stood tall enough to meet Thorne’s gaze. Her pink eyes met with his golden and they shared a stare for a few moments. His smirk was wiped from his face as he got lost in the irises' sea of pink.

“Something within the world wanted you to know what you were meeting. It also wanted to inform us a bit about yourself,” Luna broke the silence that had formed between the two.

“Magic,” Thorne exhaled. “Fickle yet telling. Seems to me like I disturb the balance of this world. It wants to make it known how much of a threat I am, apparently.”

“Are you a threat?” Luna pressed.

“Perhaps.” Thorne answered honestly, his gaze finally breaking from Celestia. The moment he did break the stare, he was suddenly hugged by a pure white wing. The action caught him off guard and made him stiffen. He didn’t recoil away, but it put him on edge.

“Sister…?”

“You’ve been through much, haven’t you?” Celestia said in a worried tone. “And now you find yourself in a new world with strange creatures and strange abilities. But you keep seeing yourself as the monster.”

Thorne blinked. ‘Okay that’s unsettling…’ “For your next trick, you’re going to tell me something personal about my family life, aren’t you? Not going to lie, the feathers are nice. Very plush. But mind letting me go? Not that I don’t like it, just unused to this. Buy a guy dinner first, yeah?”

Celestia gave a soft chuckle and pulled away. “Well, you are a guest. Dinner does come with you staying here.”

“Staying here?”

Luna stepped in. “For the time being, yes. You don’t have a home, no income… And from the looks of it, no clothing.”

“What’s the catch?” Thorne deadpanned.

“Clever,” Luna returned with a smirk. “We’ll be assigning one of my thestrals to accompany you--”

“A babysitter! How fun.” He groaned. “I should expect that, however…”

“Of course. Secondly, you’ll have access to tailors, the library, the gardens, and the armory.”

“Armory? Why?”

“Because the second part is that we request your services.” Celestia butted into the conversation with a cheerful smile.

“Okay,” he said, drawing out the vowels with a confused tone. “But why?”

“We’ve gotten reports from the Crystal Empire that a ravenous Ursa Major has been tearing through the winter wastes and the ponies that inhabit those areas are getting desperate. Tempest Shadow was sent to assist, but she’s finding it difficult as well.” Luna answered.

‘Tempest Shadow… Wait.’ “The pony that had all of you at her hooves?”

“Oh so you know of her. Well good. While I wouldn’t say we were at her hooves--”

“Oh come on, she had you all dead to rights. You all literally got saved because the Storm King is an idiot. Trust me, I heard the story from your guards. It was a long train ride. Side thought: Can I get an airship? Does she know of where I could get one?”

The two looked at one another and let a guffaw. “An airship, sister! He wants an airship!” Luna cried out as Celestia covered her muzzle with a wing to hide her laughter. “We offer shelter, clothing, even armor and knowledge, and he requests an airship!” The two mares finally fell over with laughter, leaving Thorne standing there with squinted eyes.

“Fine, fine, laugh it up. I’m seriously going to get one. Someday. But before that, you two wanted to hire me to clear out something called an ‘Ursa Major’, yeah? Sounds like a big bear.” Thorne stated as he crossed his arms. “I’ll need a month to prepare. And I take it that armory access comes with access to smiths, yeah?”

The two alicorns took a moment to regain their composure before rising up. Celestia cleared her throat. “Sorry about that. We expected this meeting to go several different ways, but this certainly wasn’t the way we thought it would go. First the magic leaves us both rather confused, and now talks of acquiring an airship.” She gave a little giggle. “But yes, it comes with access to blacksmiths. A month, though?”

Thorne nodded. “I’ll need time to study, modify, and experiment. I’d honestly like a little more time, but I won’t abuse my gracious hosts. Plus I am on a time table as it stands. I need to get to the Crystal Empire anyway, so it works out in my favor.” He held up his mechanical arm. “I was told the Empire has magically charged crystals in abundance so I could perhaps modify my arm to use them as a power source.”

Luna nodded sagely at that. “Indeed. While we could get some here, it is better that you seek out the crystal ponies for more information on it. Plus their knowledge would be helpful in adjusting that arm of yours.”

Celestia sighed. “A month, however, is stretching the limits. While I think they could stave off the Ursa for that long, it worries me.”

Thorne brought his mechanical arm up and rubbed his chin. “You truly care about your ponies…” he said aloud. Though he realized he let the words flow from his mouth and immediately cursed himself mentally for doing it. He cleared his throat, “Even when they are under another banner.”

“Princess Cadence is my niece. While the Crystal Empire stands as an Empire, it is still a part of our domain. An ally that we would never abandon,” Celestia rebuked his words with a stern tone.

“Ah, one of those situations. It’s a part of your kingdom while it still stands on its own hooves, then. I see, I see,” Thorne ran the fake fingers over his growing five o’clock shadow, letting them slide up and down over the stubble as he inspected the two rulers. “You two are awfully friendly. I mean, this entire encounter has been… odd. That aside, I want to meet this ‘companion’ you mentioned, Luna.”

Celestia was the first to remark before Luna could respond, “We’re friendly with you because you haven’t been unfriendly. That and we excused the guards and dignitaries for this meeting. We wanted you to feel comfortable.”

Thorne gave her a flat look. “You leave yourselves vulnerable to a stranger to keep to your ideals of friendship and harmony.”

“In order to receive trust, one must give trust.” Luna spoke, that judgmental stare of hers breaking into one of wisdom that surpassed her appearance. “As far as that ‘companion’, I shall go get her. Excuse me a moment,” Luna bowed out and stepped away.

‘Her? Well I suppose I’ll have someone to tease. I always enjoy a good blush.’

“This encounter certainly has been strange. You’ll find our world can act out on its own,” Celestia remarked as she went around Thorne, inspecting him. His eyes followed her, his head having to turn in order to keep her in his vision. “But my sister is correct. We put a lot of trust in you, a stranger. And as this meeting has shown us, you’re dangerous. Perhaps even a monster.”

The word felt like a dagger in his chest. That knot that had vanished suddenly came back. “Then why trust me? Why act so friendly? Why give me access to the castle and even weapons?”

“Because we wanted you to feel safe. You wouldn’t go into detail about your family life or past. You hide things, Thorne, that much is easily seen. But how much do you hide away?” Celestia spoke in a gentle tone, but Thorne suddenly felt the heat of the sun once more piercing his frame. “Luna is incapable of accessing your dreams and I fear you’ve wrapped yourself up in so many protective measures, you don’t know what is true and what is a lie anymore.”

Thorne scoffed. “I know what is true and what is a lie, don’t worry. And I don’t know anything about the dream stuff. Way over my head. If she cannot access them, that sounds like an incompatibility problem.”

Celestia sighed and shook her head. “When you’re ready to talk, you’ll always be safe here, Thorne. I want you to know that. Luna will tell you as much as well.”

‘I’ll never be safe. Stop trying to earn my favor...’ He thought to himself as the knot subsided. ‘You’re smart, Celestia. You know how to play this game all too well. I appreciate the challenge. Just wish I didn’t have magical bullshit working against me constantly…’

The doors swung open again, causing both necks to whip around. Luna stood tall and proud. She inhaled to announce the mare at her side but before she could, there was an audible gasp from beside the smaller mare. Suddenly a midnight blue blur went shooting off, the hooves connecting with the carpet before leaping into the air and flying toward Thorne. He had just gotten turned around fully to see the doors opening as his eyes caught a glimpse of the miniature rocket that was now aiming at him. It would be a matter of seconds before he felt hooves go connecting into his chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him stumbling back.

“I’ve been hit! Man down! Man down! Medic!” Thorne breathlessly cried out, falling to his knees. He gasped for air. “Oh I think I got a broken rib! Or maybe several!” He wrapped his arms around the furry creature that had assailed him and chuckled. “That actually didn’t hurt too badly, but you’re lucky I didn’t go swatting you away. Also lucky I recognized you, kid.”

The thestral colt in his arms shuffled slightly and was set down by Thorne. “How’d you recognize me?”

Thorne had to pause a moment. He didn’t see the sunglasses on the colt and now he could see golden cat-like eyes staring up at him in wonder. “Well, I did save you earlier today. And Luna told me that I was going to have someone accompanying me in the future. After hearing your mother saying she was heading to the castle, I put two and two together.” He reached down and ruffled the colt’s ashen-white mane.

Luna had stepped close in the time the two spoke, accompanied by the mother of the colt. The same ashen gray mare but without her regal armor. Instead now she just wore a black vest with a stark white undershirt. He even noticed two golden loops in one ear. She was young by the looks of it--or at least trying to appear young. He was also able to see her cutie mark.

‘Looks like a nightshade flower with wings sprouting from the stem…’

“This is Nightshade Wind. Though, she prefers to go simply by ‘Silver’.” Luna said, motioning to the mare.

“Silver, eh? Guessing because of the steel-like fur coat. Rather beautiful if I must say.” ‘Resist the ‘hi-ho Silver’ jokes, she wouldn’t get them anyway…’ Thorne’s eyes continued to scrutinize the now slightly blushing mare. He noticed a hint of metal around the tips of her folded onyx wings. ‘Weapons on the wings. Their wings would be more muscular and pliable than feather since it looks like a bat wing. Still a dangerous game using your method of flight as a weapon…’ His eyes then fell on hers. That same cat-like appearance. Both of them stared at one another, getting lost in each other’s eyes. ‘Gold. That’s where her son gets it. His was a bit duller, but hers... Pure as can be.’

“Gold…” she said in a hushed tone, still enthralled by his appraising stare. Luna cleared her throat, snapping Silver from her daze. “Oh! Right! Sorry, Nightmother.”

‘Nightmother? Oh ho, there is a story there.’

Silver bowed slightly. “Thank you, Lord Thorne, for saving my son. His name is Dusk Slicer and he should be introducing himself, apologizing for causing you harm, and thanking you for saving his life.” She rose and shot a glance to her colt who darted over to her side and stood at attention before giving a gracious bow.

Thorne waved his hand and stood up, giving a bow in return. “Just Thorne works. And it was nothing. I heard a child crying for help and instincts took over.” There was a purr-like ‘Oh?’ from behind him, making him turn his head to see Celestia smirking. Luna even gave a snicker, covering her muzzle with a wing. Thorne simply rolled his eyes and looked back to the two thestrals. “I’m hoping to get to know you better, Silver, since we’ll be accompanying one another by order of Princess Luna. Though I have to ask, is Dusk going to be joining us on a dangerous mission?”

Silver sighed. “I’ve no one to watch over him. He will be joining us, but Princess Luna has assured me that Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor can look after him in the castle for a few days.”

Thorne raised an eyebrow. “I… see.” ‘No father, huh, kid?’ His gaze went to Dusk for a moment. He looked back to Celestia and Luna. “They have a child, yes? Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor? We won’t be imposing on them, will we?”

Celestia shook her head. “I’ve already written to them and received a reply. They should be able to handle Dusk. Flurry is still a yearling and will take up most of their time, thus--”

“Thus Dusk must be on his best behavior so as not to disturb the two or I’ll see a fitting punishment delivered to him,” Silver interrupted.

Thorne let a soft chortle. “A loving but strict mother. Good. I was worried. Well then, I suppose that settles it.” He held out his hand to the mare. She put her hoof in the hand and Thorne shook it. “I look forward to working with you, Silver. And you too, kid.” He smirked at Dusk who lit up with glee. “For now,” Thorne let go of the hoof and turned to face the princesses. He put his right hand to his heart and his left behind his back, bowing deeply to them. “My Ladies. Your Majesties. I formally accept this contract. No need to put it in ink, you have my word that I will carry out this mission for the crown. I shall see this ‘Ursa Major’ put to rest.”

He rose up, garnering the attention of everypony there as his casual nature shifted into noble professionalism. “If you wish to hire me for any other services, please do not hesitate. Though, if they involve... “ his glance went sideways to the child for a moment then back to the princesses, “Dealing with ponies, you’ll need to be informed of my three rules of work.”

“I doubt we’ll need you to take care of somepony, Thorne.” Celestia’s tone was flat, almost appalled he offered such a thing.

Thorne merely chuckled. “Of course. Offer is there if you need it. But I think this concludes our meeting. For now, I really want to go speak with some tailors about clothing. A toga is charming, but I miss pants. And shoes.”

“We actually have someone in mind who would love to design you some clothing. I recently got a letter from Princess Twilight expressing her interest in meeting you and that includes her friends. One of them is a rather talented clothier.” Celestia beamed with pride.

“Glad that I’m a stallion in demand,” Thorne remarked with a cheeky grin. “Very well. I take it they’ll be here in a few days? Gives me time to do some sketching, work on gear, and read up on this world. For now, I do wish to excuse myself. Do you all have punching bags out in a training area?”

Luna blinked at that. “We do, actually. Out near the barracks they have dummies set up to practice on. Why?”

“Just want to work up a sweat before dinner. I’m assuming I’m going to be requested to join at the dinner table.”

Celestia smirked at that. “Of course. Though do bathe before coming into the dining hall. Do you need help finding your way around? I can have someone--”

Thorne raised his hand. “I’m good. I like to figure it out for myself. If you don’t mind. Besides, I’m sure Silver will be behind me whether I want it or not.” He deadpanned.

Celestia and Luna looked at one another. Luna shook her head. “Untrusting as can be. She wasn’t going to be spying on you, Thorne. She is here to help you. Isn’t that right, Silver?”

Silver stood at attention as Luna addressed her. “Yes, Nightmother. No spying, simply helping and looking after.”

‘Sounds a lot like spying.’ Thorne thought. He shrugged and turned to take his leave. “If you need me, I’ll be outside.”

It was becoming late afternoon. By the position of the sun, Thorne figured it would be around four. He stood outside the barracks of the guards--those he saw as the ‘day guard’. He had no idea where the ‘night guard’ would be stationed. He had the amusing thought of them being bats thus they must be inside a cavern. Still, Canterlot and the surrounding mountains were large. A huge population of guards must have been in reserve in order to serve as protection for the city. The city itself was large for it somehow perched upon a mountain.

The barracks themselves were large and spacious--towering at least four stories. It was off to the side and built more toward the mountain as to be away from the castle proper, but it was decorated with the same colors. Marble white, gold trim, purple tints here and there. Several windows littered the building’s face, each one with a set of curtains. Many were open and several ponies that were off-duty were now intrigued by the human that had beset upon the training yard.

In front of the barracks stood a running track in an oval that encircled the yard. The yard itself held several training dummies for several different styles of combat. Wooden cutouts of strange looking monsters and beasts for catching bladed weapons. Archery targets were off at set intervals. Up on long poles were targets that were meant for pegasi spears.

What had earned Thorne’s ire were the punching bags. One that he had picked out that was solid looking--one that hadn’t been bucked and kicked at with hooves for too long. Or rather, one that appeared large, heavy, and meant for stout ponies to test their strength upon. He had moved it to an area away from the other guards that were currently honing their reflexes against unmoving targets, though they were distracted as the newcomer to the field treated it like he belonged there.

He fixed it to a pole in order to let it hang and sway. He backed away from the bag and inhaled deeply, trying to find his center. He undid the toga and shuffled the covering around his chest down. He placed the two books he carried inside of the chest on the ground, putting a rock atop the stack so they weren’t subject to the wind. Now that his torso was revealed to the gentle heat of the sun, he tied off the cloth covering him in a kilt and began to stretch.

The knot had returned to his stomach. The moment he stepped outside of the castle, it all came back. Something about the city continued to disturb him. The more it gnawed at him, the more enraged he became. Even as he stood there trying to center himself, he felt his mind tugging him in different directions.

‘Why does this feeling persist!? I felt nothing in Vanhoover, yet now in Canterlot it eats at me.”

Thorne put his left hand behind his back and took a step into the bag’s space, swinging a hard right hook into it. It connected with a solid smack, sending the dummy gently swaying. The blows began one after another, his right fist seeking out different points to beat against. It started as a solid hook then went into fierce jabs.

‘That magic… What the fuck. It practically gave me away and everyone fucking saw it! And then Celestia just treats me like a fucking friend?! Fuck you, you fucking horse!’

Another powerful punch from his right hand went into the target. This time, he followed it up by spinning on his left foot, his right pushing hard against the ground. It came rocketing in, his shin connecting. The bag absorbed most of the momentum, allowing him to pull the leg down and follow up with more jabs.

‘And Luna. At least Luna was wise enough to keep her distance. She knows. She fucking knows! That was her that tried to assault my dreams. That’s why she put one of her little bats on me. I wasn’t born yesterday, damn it. Stop underestimating me!’

The punching got louder and louder as he threw them faster and harder with more reckless abandon. There wasn’t a style to it any more. He was simply giving into his anger.

‘You give me the keys to the fucking castle and you better believe I’m going to use them. Weapons. Armor. Knowledge. Send me to take care of a fucking bear like I’m a fucking game warden. How fucking dare you!’

The man began to pant, sweat pouring from his body. He threw his entire weight into the motions, sending a hail of blows into the sturdy dummy. He started to growl and break into grunts, predator-like eyes locked and tunneling on breaking the sandbag. His legs started to swiftly be brought up to throw knees, the movements becoming more animalistic and savage as he unleashed his wrath.

All he heard was ringing in his ears and the sound of his weight striking the dummy. He didn’t hear the hoofsteps.

‘This fucking feeling. Why?! I feel like I’m about to come under fucking assault! Gods! Damn! It! Is it the mark? Come on, Thorne, think! I should be over this feeling. I felt the same thing in several other large cities back home, but I quickly got over that! And why did I feel so safe and secure in the palace?! Not just fucking physically but mentally?! It was like a godsdamn sanctuary!

Is this place trying to tell me something? Trying to warn me of something? Someone?! Is it trying to warn others of me?! What did that solar bitch mean when she said ‘the world acts on its own’?! What is it?!’

“Thorne…?” the sweet tone of Silver called out. Thorne, however, did not hear. He continued his assault. “Thorne!” She said a little louder.

‘What do you want of me?! What is it that you need from me?! What do you fucking want damn it! I shouldn’t be here! I shouldn’t exist! I shouldn’t be alive! What more will you drag out of me before this ordeal is fucking done?! Huh?! Answer me, something! Somebody!’

“Thorne!” Silver yelled out.

At that, Thorne brought his left hand out and roared at the dummy. His wrist flicked toward his body, mechanical fingers forming a fist. A gleam of steel erupted from his prosthetic. “What do you want?!” He bellowed out as he slammed the blade home. He put enough force behind the blow that the dummy snapped the rope tether. He and it went tumbling over, Thorne tackling the target to the ground.

Everypony in the vicinity recoiled back at the human who had shouted in a fit of rage. Thorne had pinned the target under him, the man resting on his knees. His shoulders rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath. Thick beads of sweat rolled off his chin and nose, falling to the lifeless target. He suddenly snapped out of it, his eyes going to his left hand. He withdrew his arm from the cut cloth and sand. As grains of the fine substance fell away from his hand, he stared down at the extended blade, the implications slowly sinking into his mind. It shimmered in the dimming sunlight, its stunningly bright silver easily seen against the carbon black polymer arm.

He let his arms and shoulders go limp. He rolled his head back and closed his eyes, drawing a deep breath. He sat there a moment, counting off all the mistakes he had just made by giving into his anger. Thorne finally let the breath out after a minute of silence.

“I’m sorry, Silver.” He let his head go listless, his cheek falling onto his right shoulder. He looked at the mare as she stood there in mild shock. “Should probably get used to me saying that. I don’t know what you want to say or why you’re here, but would it mind waiting? Please. I need to be back inside the castle. Back in my room. Would you escort me there?”

The sudden listless tone in his voice brought another shock. His eyes were dull. Silver stared at the man, a hoof raised toward her body as if ready to turn and run. What had been an animated stallion now was a shell upon realizing he raised his voice and mutilated the target. She swallowed hard and nodded. “S-Sure…”

Thorne shifted and rose up. “Thanks,” he offered as he brought the mechanical hand back up to inspect it. With a simple twitch of his wrist the blade went shooting back under the housing from which it emerged. He muttered something about needing oil before scooping his journals and motioning to her to lead the way.

Silver nodded again and turned, the thestral in her shades now leading the disheveled human back toward the castle. “So what was that about…? If I may ask?”

Thorne grunted. “I let my anger get away from me. My thoughts started running rampant. I got consumed.”

“Do you at least feel better?” The mare looked over her shoulder at the man as he kept pace easily.

“I probably will after a cold shower,” Thorne stated bluntly, the annoyance simmering in his voice.

Silver sighed and looked back ahead. Back inside the castle after a couple hundred feet and Thorne felt more relaxed. She watched as the man let the tension from his shoulders, her shades slipping off as they came into the darkened structure. Candles were gentler on the eyes than the sun. Again she took the lead, escorting him back toward his room in silence. Every now and again she’d hear him mutter something, breathe in, then sigh loudly. She counted every time he did it on the way to the room he was claiming--a total of twenty times.

“What’s gotten into you, Thorne?” She asked. “You’re not the same man I met earlier today it feels.”

Thorne shrugged and stepped inside his room. “Maybe it was all a mask and the mask finally slipped off,” he begrudgingly stated. “Feel free to come in. You had something you wanted to tell me.”

Silver stepped into the lavishly furnished room. “I was really just there to thank you again. And to tell you that dinner was going to be happening within the hour.”

Thorne peered at the window. Dusk was swiftly approaching. ‘Had I really been out there that long? It must be near seven…’ He nodded at the thestral. “Thanks. And it was no problem, again. I did what came naturally.”

“It’s admirable.”

“It’s just doing my duty.”

Silver smirked. “A soldier through and through.”

Thorne gave her a sideways glance as he busied himself going through the room, making mental notes. His musings brought him to a writer’s desk. He opened a drawer and slipped the two journals inside. “Of course,” he said with a sigh. “Anything else? Or can we continue this riveting topic over dinner?”

Silver bounced her head back and forth in thought, debating something. “Hmm. Sure. Celestia, Luna, and I, will see you at dinner.”

Thorne nodded and waited, eyes watching her leave. Once the door was shut, he went collapsing into the chair at the desk, the wood creaking under his weight.

‘Get it together. Endure and adapt.’

The dining room was a rather lavish affair. Large and long table with chairs flanking each side. At the center was a delicate flower bouquet of various flowers. It was divided into two, clearly meant to hint at the diarchy. One side held sunflowers amidst pink tulips, small red lilies, and green poms. It brought about thoughts of summer and the day. On the other side of the vase was lavender, several blue delphiniums, and large white lilies as if representing stars. Under the vase, the table cloth was a silken white that lay against a deeply stained wooden table.

At the head of the table sat Celestia, while at the other end was meant for Luna, though she was beside her sister. Opposite her was Silver. Thorne had chosen to sit next to Silver given Luna’s hesitation and there was no place beside Celestia--though, he would have denied her should she have sat anywhere else. He didn’t want to be next to her. Though inside the castle his rage sat still, he still harbored some of it toward her for being so friendly.

Thorne had placed his prosthetic arm up on the table and was idly drumming his fingers as they waited for the meal to be served. His eyes were on Silver and hers were on his arm. ‘Go on. Rat me out. I know you want to bring it up to your Nightmother.’ He thought to himself.

“Did you manage to get that oil you were talking about?” Silver said, her gaze going from his arm to his face.

The question smacked him in the face like a wet towel. “What…?” He twisted his expression into confusion. “Oil…?”

“Yeah… you were muttering about it and a few other things on the way back to the room. And that thing looks like it has important gears inside of it. How does it work?”

“Oh. Right. Yeah. After that shower I managed to find someone to bring me some machine oil--surprised the shit out of me. Then I realized you have trains and sewing machines and fans and tons of other machines.” Thorne stated, bringing his hand up and flexing the fingers one by one. When his eyes went up, he noticed them all staring at him. “What?”

“Swearing,” Silver reprimanded in a soft whisper.

“Oh fu--I mean. Apologies. I try to keep that under control around people who don’t know me. And I promise not to swear in front of your child. Or any children for that matter. Unless I am in dire straits and really need to let it slip.” Thorne nodded sagely. “Speaking of, where is Dusk?”

Silver let a sigh. “He was exhausted so I put him to bed. Normally we sleep during the day to avoid the heat and brightness. But we were summoned to the castle and it’s technically way past his bedtime. Plus the experience he had… I’m letting him sleep it off. Hoping he doesn’t have a nightmare.”

Luna piped up at that. “I’ll help him if he does, Silver. Do not worry. Did he have anything to eat before slumber?”

The mare shook her head. “He was too tired.” Silver reached over and tapped the arm with a hoof as if testing something. The human raised an eyebrow but allowed it. “So how does it work…?”

Thorne sighed. ‘Hope that kid is okay…’ He shifted in the seat and sat his arm down. On the underside they could see a small screen. Upon tapping it, it lit up. “One second…” He would flick his wrist again, extending the hidden blade. It made everypony jump.

“You have a hidden dagger in that thing?!” Luna exclaimed.

“I may have lost an arm, but now I’ll never be disarmed again. Ha!” Thorne had a smug look. Clearly he was proud of that joke. Celestia actually snickered. It got a look of ‘I can’t believe you’ from her sister. Thorne smirked. “Anyway. This screen acts as a readout for general health regarding its mechanics. It has an onboard computer that can assess itself and check if it’s damaged in places. It’s made of synthetic materials and reinforced plastics on the outside while having a steel shell on the interior. In-between is a layer of fabric that acts as shock absorbers. Basically it’s thick and hard skin with a bit of squish and give. It’s not a real fist or arm by any measure of human standards and can’t withstand me punching someone with it--not for too long, anyway.”

He looked about to a sea of confused faces. Thorne groaned. “Arm made of good fake material, made strong. Not as strong as real arm. Since I lost you all.” He rolled his eyes and chuckled at the stern looks he got for talking at them like a cavepony. “Just know it’s highly advanced stuff from my world. Though you all might be getting close. No idea.” He shrugged.

He brought his left arm closer to Silver to let her admire it. “It’s connected directly into my nervous system and gives me a dull sense of touch.” He extended and flexed his fingers. “There is a special set of sensors in my hand and fingers that allow me to feel and gauge things like I would with my right hand. Can even detect temperature. If I were to take this off, you’d see what it connects into. I’ve got an implant at my elbow that allows me to unplug and remove it--that’s where the nerve connections are.”

He made another wave with his fingers, showing the skin-like substance that covered metal bones. His fingers seemed to be reinforced but leave enough room for the mechanical joints to bend and move much like his other hand.

“As far as the hidden blade, that’s in a hidden compartment that opens when I flex my wrist to a certain breakpoint. Like I said, this hand isn’t made for punching--a backhand would hurt like no tomorrow. I use it to slash and stab but as a last resort.” Thorne flexed his wrist again, drawing the blade back. “My kind often looked down on those with disabilities. I didn’t like that. So I put a dagger in my arm.” He tapped the screen, inspecting the readout and showing it to Silver.

The thestral seemed to be intently curious by the object. “So not going to accidentally stab someone?”

Thorne groaned and brought his arm up. He reached over and placed his hand on her head, forefinger and thumb rubbing at a fuzzier-than-normal-pony ear. “No, Silver. Like I said, it has to be a deliberate motion.” He noticed that she went rigid. A sideways look to Celestia and Luna told him he was doing something taboo. He immediately retracted his hand. “Just to prove a point. Sorry. Forgive me for crossing a boundary.”

Silence lingered in the wake of Thorne’s unintentional faux pas. He put his arm under the table, hiding it away after that show. Celestia coughed and cleared her throat, “Dinner is taking its sweet time.” A soft ‘indeed’ was followed up from Luna. Again the silence took hold.

Several minutes ticked by. When the doors did burst open with a loud ‘bang’, the four jumped in unison. “Dinner is served! Apologies for the wait!” The servant bellowed. Several others came flaunting out, setting dish after dish onto the table. ”We wanted to get something with meat, but had no one to really prepare it properly. But! One of the maids told us that Thorne wished to have a cigar and something stout to drink. That is why it took so long and my sincerest apologies.” The head waiter gave an apologetic bow. Another platter was set next to Thorne and promptly unveiled.

There sat five cigars along with a cigar clipper and a box of matches. Next to that sat a small container of ice, a maple-colored liquid, and a glass. Thorne immediately looked to the two princesses as well as Silver. “You all don’t mind, do you? I can move away if it bothers you.”

“Not at all,” Celestia gave a smile. “I do find it unpleasant, but you look as though you’ve been handed a treasure.”

Thorne went a bit wide-eyed at that and chuckled. “Well I thank you for toughing it out in order to placate my selfishness for a moment. So what is this?” He motioned to the rather ornate bottle.

“That is Las Pegasus Apple Whiskey. They import the apples directly from Apple Family Farms in Ponyville.”

‘Las Pegasus sounds a lot like Las Vegas and I needed a ticket yesterday.’ “Intriguing. Las Pegasus, hmm? Guessing it’s a place with lots of gambling and showmare shows, eh?” He gave a teasing smirk to the waiter who gave a chuckle and a nod. “Well then, let’s taste.”

Thorne reached out and took the glass topper off the bottle. He put two cubes of ice into the glass and poured the whiskey with a practiced motion. He capped it and took hold of the glass, swirling it twice before taking a deep sniff. Satisfied, he took a sip. The man recoiled and grinned. “Dang! That’s good! Can really taste those apples.”

Happy with his drink, he set it down. Next came the cigar. He inspected, sniffed, and then cut. Once between his lips, he struck the match with ease and began to light up. He shook the match out, set it down, and leaned back in his chair. He visibly relaxed, sinking into the wood, and closed his eyes. His right hand fingers caressed the tobacco-filled cylinder and pulled it from his mouth. A sigh of smoke escaped him as his eyes fluttered open. “Oh thank you for this gift. It’s a bad habit, I know, and I don’t do it often, but this… This is nice.”

He sat there and lingered in the moment as the mares around him all dug into their dinner. His food could wait. He was hungry, but the comfort of a good drink and cigar beckoned him to indulge a little longer.

Thorne sat at the desk in his room, the journal open to the first page. It was blank. He kept tapping at it with the pencil’s eraser, thinking of just how to start the thing. He peered out the nearby window, looking into the darkness that enveloped the land. His vision blurred as sleep called to him. He shook his head and dropped the pencil, his hand brushing over his face to wake himself up slightly. A groan escaped his throat.

‘Suppose I should start this as if someone reads it after I’m gone--’ a knock interrupted his thinking. He raised an eyebrow with a glance at the door. “One second.” He grunted as he stood and grabbed a pillow, covering his nudity. He was preparing to sleep after writing the introduction and now he feared the Princess of the Night was going to keep him awake a little longer.

He cracked opened the door and peered out. There in the darkened hall stood Silver. “I was about to lie down for sleep, but what’s up?” He asked casually, leaning on the door frame with his right arm while his left pinned the pillow to his waist.

Silver looked him up and down and sighed. “Using a pillow to cover yourself? Really?”

Thorne gave her a flat look. “Given how you reacted when I touched you earlier, the glory of my undraped splendor would send you into bliss. So yes. A pillow. Now can I help you or are we going to make an ordeal of this?”

She hissed at his words, baring her fangs. “I reacted that way because you shouldn’t have touched me like that!”

“I didn’t know! Fuck!” He rebuked.

“Well now you do. Don’t do it again or I'll geld you, deal?”

“Is this really all you came to say?”

“Deal?” She emphasized it by ruffling her wings open, revealing those blades on her tips.

Thorne rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Fine, fine. Deal. Are we good?”

“No.” The word was blunt and prompt, making Thorne click his teeth in annoyance. “One more deal. You and I are going to sit and talk and get to know one another.”

Thorne yawned. “Okay. Sure. Deal. We’ll sit and talk. Soon. Now if you’ll excuse me, I wanted to finish some writing and sleep.”

“Writing?”

“A journal. Good night, Silver.”

“O-Oh… Alright. Good night, Thorne.”

With that, he shut the door gently on the thestral and tossed the pillow aside. He went back to the desk and sat, rubbing his temples in mild frustration. A minute passed and he gave a guttural snort, finding the strength to put words to paper. He picked up the pencil again and began to write.

This is the journal of Thorne. I am writing this to document my previous life and to confess my crimes. At the time of writing this it is roughly two weeks into my summoning. By the time someone reads this, my year on Equestria will be up and I’ll be dead. I’ll leave room to write about some encounters throughout that year as well. A memoir!

So without further ado, let’s use my real name. My name is Damien Iscariot Rutherford.