Author's Note

Evening all. Sorry for the late posting. Real-life issues got in the way, and I was unable to get back home in time to do it early. Real life sucks bum-bum.

I am simply waiting for the book cover to be done. I am currently in a Que with about three other folks ahead of me, so this will take some time. Still, I am happy that my chosen artist is getting work.

Not much else to say for today. Thank you all for being my readers, and I will speak to you soon!

Thanks for Reading.

Peace!

Dangerous Rumbles

The clack of hooves striking marble floor echoed in the long stone hall their owner proceeded down. The air was dry and cool, a far cry from the mugg,y humid air of the city streets below.

Manehattan was going through a particularly hot and muggy summer season, and the occupants of the twenty-story building were grateful to the team of unicorns that recharged their cooling crystals regularly.

Though the cost seemed to increase with each passing year, a complaint more than one accountant has loudly voiced.

However, one mare did not care to notice, could not care to notice in reality. She had been summoned unceremoniously that very morning by a courier to her offices on Third Street, which sat just off the waters of the Hoofprint Sea, upwind of the fishing docks that serviced the more carnivorous portion of the population.

A courier dressed in black and red, with the Church's sigil upon the left breast.

The Ministry of the Church of Sol, in this case, the local branch that oversaw the city and surrounding areas, had called her in. There was a good chance she may have finally been discovered directing resources to her own personal projects and was likely going to suffer the consequences.

Her steps were measured, iron-shod hooves feeling heavier with each step. It was meant to assure herself as well as give an air of confidence to any who might notice her.

She had donned the heavier hoof cleats with the intention of walking a great deal and did not wish to wear down the lighter gold ones she normally liked to see on her hooves. Because of this, the climb of fifteen flights of stairs inside the Ministry's Manehattan offices became a grueling challenge to her thighs and calves with the extra weight. Her ankles screamed for relief.

Velvet had no choice but to ignore it all.

What were they going to do to her? Other than her ill-advised projects regarding the pursuit of Orion Falls, she could not think of anything else that may have warranted such a call.

After the failed attempt using Blueblood and his adopted son as a cudgel, the mare had even backed off from her pursuit of the colt. So what was the reason behind the black-clothed summons?

Unfortunately for her, she would find out soon enough. The double doors of intricate gold scrollwork embedded into the rich black wood loomed large before her, halting Velvet Backwater in her tracks.

Fear tried to worm its way out of her belly and into her heart with vigor. The two guards that stood on either side watched on impassively as she struggled to squash the thing that threatened to break her.

Dressed in the deceptive cloth of black with red piping, they regarded her with cold merciless eyes as they stood as still as sentinels, their gaze no doubt seeing everything without the need to move.

The mare noted that they very likely must have recently come from the Island. She had never seen them before.

Under their clothes, probably, was the most advanced armor somepony with the Church's means could afford. Designed for slim concealment so no pony would suspect, yet hard as stone should somepony attempt to strike them.

Swallowing, she spoke thickly. Finding her tongue to have become somehow swollen in her thinly veiled terror, forcing the words to be thick and sluggish.

"Velvet Backwater, Epsilon Division. I come as called. Iawait to serve." Those words, spoken first at her Cordvo Tal, rang into the still air like a gavel. She tried not to swallow though she so badly wanted to.

"Enter, and be Judged." They said as one, and each grasped a gold handle and pulled the door back.

Velvet hesitated, closed her eyes, and breathed deeply before opening them again, determination on her face. If she was going to be punished for doing what she thought was right in support of the Church, then so be it.

Velvet would have no regrets; even if they chose to have her flesh peeled from her body, she was still confident her choices had been the right ones.

For the Sun's victories, were everyponies' victories.

Squaring her shoulders, she marched in, and the double doors boomed shut behind her.

"Velvet Backwater, we called you in because a concern has arisen." Her stomach sank. "From one of your old projects, no less. We wish for you to give us insight on the matter and provide us with possible solutions."

The dark red mare blinked in surprise. Was she not to be punished?

Upon entering, she was directed to stand at the center of a brightly lit room.

Sunlight cascaded into the chamber from a display of windows of gothic design. The light illuminated the all-white floors and ceilings broken up by ornate gold lines and red stone borders.

At the center, a sigil made of obsidian stood, a pair of hands cupping the sun, the very symbol of their order. Not daring to stand upon it, she instead parked her hooves half a pace from it and knelt.

In front of her, a half-moon dark wood table, its construction matching the window's archaic design, five ponies sat in equally ornate chairs. All were silently watching her enter. Judging her with each hoofstep she took.

With the unexpected statement, she was now confused as to the nature of her summons. Her expectations of being censured had been replaced with wary hopefulness, yet she still suspected a trap. Had they perhaps not known about the attempt to take Orion Falls from Canterlot?

"I will do my best to assist the Ministry." She said it almost too late. One of them, Cloud Blight, who was the only pegasus among the unicorns, arched an eyebrow at her.

"The Ministry hopes you do." Sound Bright said sternly. "First, we are aware of the operation in Canterlot that you coordinated with Lord Blueblood and his son."

Velvet did her best not to wince. "Of course, they were aware."

"Yes. I-"

"You believed it important to try for the colt," the gray mare lifted a sheet, squinting at it, "Orion Falls, after your discovery in Marussia, we are aware."

It seemed they wanted to confirm their own investigations. Any explaining away would be either ignored or shut down entirely. It would be best that she kept her answers simple till given leave to explain further.

"Yes."

"An artifact was found there, yes? Your report referred to it as a possible suit of unknown design and purpose; that is what you called it in your report." The dark red mare nodded. "What is it?"

"We are not entirely sure, Honored One." One never spoke their names, only knew who they were. "The fabric is made of a material we still have not identified that is tougher than any material we have ever encountered. Whatever it is, we do not believe it could be found in nature. It is also oddly shaped at where hooves would be and long, which indicates its original wearer was tall."

"And the broken dome?" Asked another, Holistic Trust. He was also unique in being the only stallion in the room; the blueberry-colored pony sat back languidly in his chair. However, anypony who thought him lazy and self-indulgent would soon find themselves in trouble when he decided to act.

"The dome we now believe to be a helmet of some sort. There is some type of lock-in mechanism that allows it to fit the suit; the material it is made of is also unknown." She reminded herself to keep it simple.

"I see." He said simply.

"Tell us," the lone pegasus said. Velvet didn't know her, so she must be new. "Why do you believe Orion Falls has a connection to this suit?"

The mare did wince then. They had most certainly read her notes in their entirety, which meant she had a leak among her people. Which was expected, but it did mean she now had a chance to explain herself, to explain her obsession. Still, maybe she should not have written two reports.

"Orion Falls origins," she began with a lick of her dry lips, "has been a mystery no pony has yet to solve. Not that many besides myself have been very interested in him, you understand."

"All because he gave you the slip years ago." Holistic interrupted, a grin spreading across his face.

"Yes." She almost hissed. "Cloudy Sapphire did lose her license for her involvement in his escape, however." It hadn't been too difficult to get the foolish mare removed from her stewardship of the orphanage, though unseating Azure Dream had been a challenge she had not spent much time on and ultimately just left her in charge. Seeing it more as leaving her predecessor as a warning, seemed easier than going through the process twice.

In the end, it was a pyrrhic victory.

"Did you know she is already practicing again?"

Velvet nearly stood in outrage.

"She is WHAT?!"

"I was not aware."

"I suppose you would not. She is now living in Stalliongrad, of all places, and doing remarkably well. Though the local crime syndicates there are giving her some difficulty. But she is not the focus of this discussion."

"May not be the focus now, but I will not allow that trollop to thrive after she refused to obey." It was a sore point for her, one that many in the Church derided her with. Velvet Backwater was done over by a simple low-level custodian. The thought alone was enough to make her vomit.

She did not ask what the focal point of the meeting was; the Honored Ones would get to it when they chose. So she put her issues with Cloudy Sapphire aside and stayed attentive.

"In your report of the "suit", as you called it, it was remarked that the outfit was all of one piece and stretched beyond what our fabrics can currently do. Is that statement accurate?" Cloud took back over.

"Yes."

"Now that we have established the nature of your discovery, I will ask again. Why do you believe there's a connection between the colt and this artifact of yet unknown origins?"

She licked her lips nervously. If they had truly read her reports, then they know she was making a conjecture more than having concrete evidence. This inquiry was seeking the reasoning behind her thought process.

"I…I will not deny that what I am about to say will not inspire confidence. However, there are too many anomalies surrounding the pony known as Orion Falls for me to be able to simply write him off as just strange." Velvet began, wanting them to understand that even she was not one hundred percent certain.

"Start from the beginning, if you would." Said Cloud Blight, who had rested her back against the seat, green eyes bright as she regarded the mare.

"When Orion Falls was first brought to my attention, I merely regarded him as another failed example of our race. His attitude was beyond abhorrent, and I was appalled to see how out of control he really was. It wasn't until I looked deeper, after my first encounter with him, that I noticed something was off about him." She shifted slightly, her knee long gone numb.

"Rise, Velvet. I cannot imagine that position is comfortable, and it sounds like your tale has more than what could be said in a few short minutes." Amber Waves said with more warmth than she expected.

The golden mare was the eldest, and her honey-colored bun, streaked with grays and whites, showed her age.

Nodding gratefully, she rose and continued, now confident this was not a trial.

"My investigations showed a remarkably intelligent colt. He surpassed his peers and, surprisingly, many of his teachers. His knowledge of science and mathematics was, and likely still is, beyond standard schooling." She shook her head. "According to school reports, the principal at that time was having difficulty curbing his willful arrogance as well, often devolving into shouting matches between them. Punishments seemed not to phase him at all when administered."

Velvet remembered her surprise at what she had read and was shocked further by how much he had weaseled out of.

"What made all of this so unusual was his age. At six years old, he was far beyond what he should have been, learning to use capesso after just seeing it performed once. His vocabulary was also a point of interest, sounding more like he was born and raised in some backward griffon village to the north.

"The oddities only expanded when he demonstrated that meat was something he not only liked but required in order to live." Amber chimed in, and the dark red mare nodded.

"Exactly. I interviewed both doctors that had evaluated his blood and himself. Both confirmed that the colt needed meat in order to be healthy, or at least the protein itself in large quantities. But the blood was strange, roughly one-half showing unicorn parentage. The other was a muddled mystery that, to this day, we have yet to identify." She shook her head before continuing. "In any case, when I finally had all the right ponies in place, I made an attempt to bring him into our care after an unfortunate incident occurred at the orphanage he was living in. Unfortunately, Cloudy Sapphire was aware of what was to happen and made plans in advance. Getting out of the city by carriage was a calculated plan that had worked in their favor, as I expected them to either go by train or airship." Throwing her hands up, she shared an exasperated look with the Ministry. "I had never even considered it until two weeks later after several inspections of seabound shipping vessels and a report saying he was spotted in Canterlot."

"And we can assume, once you realized you lost the chance to take him, you turned your attention to his past." Cloud Blight prodded, likely realizing that Velvet was getting off-subject.

"Yes. At that point, I figured perhaps I could track down his birth parents, or at least a parent, and persuade them to bring him to me by invoking their rights. Sadly, that was not the case.”

"My team and I arrived in Stalliongrad three months later. Interview after interview revealed nothing but more questions. Many didn't even remember him. Those that did were uncertain when he appeared. I should have expected that, considering how long it had been. But one mare did help us, Agnessa Proud, a resident of that city and quite old. She spoke of him with fondness. Apparently she liked them spirited. From what she could discover, Orion Falls had come from outside the city."

"So you took your search to the villages, I take it?" Holistic said, his usual demeanor gone in favor of rapt attention.

"Yes," she sighed, remembering the failure of that search, "and we turned up nothing. If the storm hadn't forced us to take shelter by a clearing near a creek, we might have never found anything."

"But you did." He spoke again, excitement gleaming in his eyes.

"That is correct. There were signs of an obvious attempt at burial. I tested the soil myself later in our mobile lab and noticed the age at which it was exposed to the elements. It roughly coincided with his appearance."

Velvet paused then, her mind going back to the moment she pulled the dirt-covered cloth that had been exposed by the elements. The strange boxes that decorated its surface that they later found no way of understanding.

"As I am sure you're aware, there are also detachable boxes that came with the suit. We managed to break one of them open and discovered copper, gold, and tin inside. Along with, of course, yet more unidentifiable material." She shook her head. "That…is when my obsession truly began, and you know the rest."

The punishment for wasting Church resources had been one of pain. No pony in their organization believed her. Though they did note the oddity of the suit, none could explain away the odd hoof coverings.

In the end, they confiscated her discovery and locked it away. Once her punishment had been administered, she was forbidden to pursue him any further.

"Yes. Thank you for providing that brief overview." The eldest Honored One said. "What we are about to tell you is sealed to the Sun." The change in tone caught her attention immediately, it meant no pony outside that very room was to know what was about to be discussed, and it sent a chill down her spine.

Amber Waves held up a small stack of papers.

"This is the report from our agents in Griffonia. You may not be aware, but our efforts to keep Bloodbeak from doing anything more than collecting taxes have been going well. We have fielded small forces acting as mercenaries in support of a Margarette Rosebreast. A Duchess in their country. Rosebreast is a prime challenger to the current ruling family, and from our analysis, she has shown to be far too narcissistic to make a favorable ruler. Our efforts to ensure that she obtains the throne have been largely successful." She paused, letting the papers drop. "Though Gerhard, the King's son, is currently doing far better than we like. All that, however, does not concern you."

"Forgive my impertinence, but what does, if not that?"

"Orion Falls has been discovered in Griffonia." Velvet might as well have been struck because she physically recoiled at the news. "At first, no pony knew why the colt was there; his stay in Griffonstone has been marked by unusual events. Are you aware that he has close ties to the Bloodbeak-Fairheart bloodline?"

"He's in Griffonia?! Why? How?!" More to the point, could she get to him?

"No, Honored One, I was not privy to that information."

The mare nodded in acceptance.

"We were not as well. It seems Grace Fairheart, the twelfth in line for the Crown of Griffonia, was a foalhood friend of his before she was whisked away back to her home nation. When she did live among us, she was known as Screaming Rush, a simple orphaned griffon from the food riots of the border between the nations years ago."

Velvet felt her eyes widen in surprise. She did know that griffon. Never once had she bothered to investigate her, believing her to simply be what she had been at the time.

"My apologies, Honored One. I should have investigated her when-"

"It is fine, for even we were unaware. However, his proclivities of being attached to royalty seems to be a recurring theme with him. As you are no doubt aware, he has the ear of the Princess, if very loosely, by way of being a friend to her student." The title held no respect, and it never did when a member of the Church spoke of the usurper on the Throne. "That, unfortunately, is not the focus either. Currently, he is in a small town known as Aviary. It exists in the province of Seacrest, which technically belongs to Grace Fairheart herself, though there is contention between her and Rosebreast for the land due to rights of holding. Apparently, Grace Fairheart's parents' death and her disappearances put that land into Margarette Rosebreast's care."

The wine red mare didn't think that mattered either.

"Aviary was once a prosperous steel manufacturer centuries ago, and what Orion Falls has done is revitalize that industry. Or he is attempting to." Amber said suddenly.

It was a hammer blow to the belly that left a sickness in her stomach.

"He…he is…"

"From the latest reports our agents have gathered in the field, Orion Falls has either known or discovered how to forge steel." Velvet's eyes bulged. She was going to throw up.

Centuries of assassinations, scouring the griffon libraries of the knowledge of the process to craft steel, and embargoes pushed in the halls of nobles had stifled the Griffonian people of the industry and crippled their economy to its current state of retchedness.

All that work was now being threatened by a singular colt.

"He must be stopped!" She cried, taking a dangerous step closer to the sigil in the center of the floor.

"Peace, Mrs. Backwater. We already have the Thirty-Fourth in a position to stop this risk. However, we have been forced to wait because of his sudden departure to Neighbon." Amber Waves scowled. "Nor can we simply attack the village either. Drystan, Rosebreast's steward, is keeping a tight rein on Honey Blade. He is more of a terror than we had realized, and we fear that if we push too hard, he will turn on us quickly."

Velvet placed a hand over her heart and took a steady breath. The Ministry had this well in hand. It was now all a waiting game at this point. But if that were the case, why call her in?

"I am relieved to hear that, Honored One. However, it seems like you have everything well in hand. Why ask for me?"

"Orion Falls has shown a remarkable ability to get out of trouble. If this event fails to yield favorable results, we need another avenue of attack. Some other way to get to him. He has turned out to be far more troublesome than we could ever imagine. That is where you come in. This is as much an apology as it is an assignment. We wish for you to begin planning. As to what, we will leave it to your discretion. That will, of course, be subject to oversight should the need arise."

She nodded thoughtfully. If he did manage to escape, they would need something else. Something ironclad that he could not weasel out of.

"It will take time, Honored One." She said finally after silence had filled the room. "But given the information presented, I may have something. However, I will need help moving some of our own in place."

"You shall have it."

Sunlight reflected off the water in a beautiful lapping cascade of sparkles that rippled along the coast. It was beautiful, and it blinded him the moment he walked out of his rented rooms.

The beating of the waves soothed his annoyance at the Sun's continued attempts to punish him for some slight he could only guess at.

The call of seabirds echoed in the air as the tiny avians swooped and dived into the clear, if turbulent surface.

Some would rise with fish in their beaks, beating hard to the sky once more as some of the more unsuccessful hunters chased after them. Hoping to nab the prize for themselves, no doubt.

Orion just breathed it all in. In, and out. As he did so, he felt the weeks of worry and stress flow out of him. It was almost a physical thing, making his knees wobble slightly as he leaned against the rail of his room's balcony to stay upright.

"Goddamn…" He thought. "I've missed this."

Smelling the salt tang in the air brought back memories of all-nighters. Those nights would often end with him watching the sun rise over the water in the state of Florida, where he once called home.

It was a bittersweet reminder of how far he had come, across an infinite void of time and space, to become part of a world that never gave birth to him.

He was also aware of how impossible that should have been. For the first time in a long time, Orion began to consider his origins and how it came about that he ended up here, how he became a pony, of all things.

His first memories of this world were ones of panic and paranoia, and while the latter remained, it surprised him how easily he had overcome the former. Not to mention the odds that this dimension would be a pun-filled, yet understandable, twist on the one he came from left him dizzy at times with the implications.

How was it these creatures had the same names for cities and countries, only altered slightly in equine wording? How was it that they could even speak the same language or that other countries shared many of the languages of Earth itself?

What made it worse, or at least unfortunate, was that he could speak to no one about this. The moment he mentioned these thoughts to another being would be the moment the illusion of him would be broken. He'd either be considered insane, or someone may just believe him and bring up their own set of issues that would surely complicate an already messed-up existence.

It was one of the primary reasons he did not desire a relationship outside of friendship. Sooner or later, he would screw up and let something slip.

"Shit, that is already happening."

He sighed and ran his hands through his mane, still wet from the shower he had taken earlier.

"Why am I thinking about this shit now? It's too late to really dwell on it, isn't it?"

But something in Orion told him it wasn't. It was telling him that something wasn't right about his new home, and it wasn't his technically crippled status as a unicorn.

He glanced at the newspaper that had been left in front of the red door marked twenty-seven. His private rooms.

No one saw headlines like that back in Equestria. But he remembered seeing them back on Earth.

Violence erupted in Maro last month when Equestrian Forces claimed the west bank of Neighile. It said in bold letters plastered across the front page.

According to the writer, the Equestrian military had made the decision to take a part of the major river to protect shipping coming up from the mines to the south. Apparently, the local zebra tribes had issues with not just the loss of territory from the south but the use of waters they deemed their own as well.

It went on to discuss that while the Zebricans were putting up fierce resistance, they were still being pushed back, resulting in massive casualties on both sides as the conflict escalated.

Marussia was in another civil war, it seemed. A known fact about that nation.

The city-states, with its loosely defined borders, were having trouble getting supplies and were relying more and more on Prance to supply them.

Prance, who was having its own little scuffle with the southern waters with Saddle Arabia. Both made use of the Lunarian River. However, the increased demand from the sultan, a Nasir Stormwinds, about ancestral rights to the whole of the river being returned to his people had led to skirmishes between the two nations.

Every page contained some type of conflict.

Pirates in the southern seas near Zegypt who somehow had their own airships. Mexicolt was going through its worst drought in a hundred years. Murder, disappearances, disease.

All of it screamed of an imbalance.

Just like with Griffonia. That strangely Germanic country he was working to improve by setting one town as an example.

He couldn't help but think this was all on purpose. But if that were the case, what was the end goal? Or was he just being paranoid.

The screams of children, hippogriffs called their offspring fledgling, and chicks, like the griffons who helped spawn them, broke him from his increasingly spiraling brooding thoughts.

He could see them jumping and flapping in some weird game on the beach, splashing in the waves as they came to strike the shore with thunderous clashes of water on the chicks themselves as the seemed to frolic without a care.

It pulled a smile from him.

One question remained. The same one, in different variations that had been bouncing around inside his skull since this mad idea had spawned forth from there. Why was he bothering? What had changed within him to pull him away from his original selfish course?

The answer was simple, the kids in his life had changed his perspective on what was worth his time and what wasn't.

Every day he spent time with a constant revolving parade of foals in the orphanage he called home. Their stories, whispered to him by some of the less closed-lipped staff that occasionally took employment with Mrs. Evergarden, told tales of abandonment. The loss of family and relatives broke down his desire to remain secular, away from them in general, to preserve what he could of himself.

"We are all always changing, Orion. That is the beauty and joy of life."

His shrink had said to him just before he jumped at the opportunity to come north. And she was right. He had changed. The fact that he didn't care to make a profit from his efforts in Aviary was more than enough proof of that for him.

For years he had lived only for himself. Shunning family and friend alike who could not further his pursuit of his own pleasure.

How might his life have changed had he not isolated himself in drugs and alcohol? Would he have still been a victim of others if he was more connected with those in his life?

Orion shook his head, mane shifting with the movement making the ornaments there clack together.

"This world has changed me, hasn't it?" The man-turned-pony could only hope that it was for the best.

He tossed the pages of the newsletter back on the ornate coffee table. Shaking his head at the fact that, for some reason, the people of this world really enjoyed the dark wood motif, he admired the setup. It sat on the balcony of his second story of his temporary residence, vines of a plant he could not identify scaled the wood lattice. It was surprising that the rooms were so cheap, considering the work and care that had gone into something that only served a simple purpose.

Orion glanced once more at the newspaper and snorted, he had already read the damnable words twice this morning, and he was done wasting the day. All of that was outside his control any way and in truth, he just wanted to relax.

Turning, he walked to his bags, which he had haphazardly tossed on a blue couch after finally getting the key to his rooms and swiftly crashing on the plush bed he had been provided with. Digging, he pulled out the red shirt and the familiar black pants he almost always wore.

Rarity would be appalled.

It made him chuckle a little, not just the thought of annoying the finicky mare, but he always thought he looked half-naked running around in the breeches. He doubted many got the joke, so it was always a private joke that made him giggle when he thought no one was looking.

Quickly he changed, then headed to his bathroom to run a brush haphazardly through his mane. His teeth, he had taken care of in the shower.

Taking stock of himself once he set the combing implement down, he smiled. It was time to start the day.

Heading down the stairs, his smile broadened as he practically skipped into the common room of the Crimsonwave. The smell of spices wafted into his nose as he passed the kitchen doorway, and it made his mouth water. He smelt eggs.

The innkeeper, a portly griffon of middling height, had been delighted to have Grace and her retinue in his establishment. Otto Fallowclaw seemed to have a smile on his face even when no one appeared to be looking. But then again, with half the staff of his inn being his offspring, he likely saved a ton employing them, which would make anyone happy.

Orion knew he would have been happy.

Walking up behind the drake, who was currently polishing a table, one eye sweeping over the morning patrons, he clapped the birdcat on the shoulder.

"Morning Otto, how's the day treatin' ya so far?" He grinned at the innkeepers' startlement.

"Orion, you shouldn't do that!" He squawked at him. "I'm getting too old to be frightened like that." A smile slowly replaced his scowl. "The morning goes very well. The…omelets," he spoke the unfamiliar word slowly, "are selling faster than I thought they would. I never imagined doing that."

The colt's smile turned to a grin.

"Well, I got an idea for chocolate chip pancakes if you want to target those with a sweet tooth." He grinned back. "Lady Fairheart come down from on high yet?"

"Nope. But she is a Lady, so it may take her longer to get ready than some orphan that barely spent the time to do his mane. Do you want breakfast? It's on the house." The portly drake said, already moving toward the kitchen.

"Hell yeah! I could go for a meat lovers." Orion followed after, noting that more than one patron had the egg dish in front of them.

"Hah! Had someone told me a meat-eating pony existed out in the world, I would have told them they were full of it. But after that display last night…."

Otto was referring to the eight skewers of some type of seabird he had all but inhaled when they had first sat down late yesterday afternoon. The poor drake and his staff looked on in wonder as the colt had demanded seconds, then thirds of the tasty meat on sticks.

"Yeah, I get that often." He chuckled. Shaking his head at the memory of them, attempting to understand what was happening in front of them. There was now a betting pool of what his parentage actually was. Insultingly enough, Diamond Dog was the lead.

"I'm sure you do. Living in Canterlot, I can't imagine that goes unnoticed."

The colt winced at the statement. While his needs had been widely accepted in the school, once the incident with Golden Trot had run its course, he was still encouraged in the strongest terms to keep it out of the academy.

"Yeah, unfortunately, I've had to adopt the practice of eating either at home or away from others. They know, of course. But as long as I keep it out of the way of their sight, no one says a damn thing." He nearly growled at that.

It had been an uncomfortable reminder that despite their grudging acceptance of what he was and what he needed, pony society still demanded he keeps it out of public view. Some still insisted he was faking it somehow. Others called for his head.

"Sounds like it isn't to your advantage," Otto said sadly as he made two quick knocks on the countertop, and suddenly a plate appeared, the omelet still steaming. He could see the chunks of meat breaking the surface past the sea of eggs and cheese.

"Already prepared for me, eh?"

"Trade secrets of an Innkeeper, son." He winked, shoving the food into his hands, and pushed him toward one of the open tables near the back. "Now I got things to do, so you go eat. That pretty little hen of yours will be done shortly, I'm sure."

Orion carefully did not show much reaction to the comment as he went and found a seat. Just one of many such remarks of the proprietor and his staff they threw at him and Grace.

It was the general consensus that they were a couple and the half-hearted attempts to squash that had been met with statements on them just being shy.

For him, it was a bit funny if annoying, but for his friend, it was like salt in the wound that was being ground in with each sentence. With every look.

He sighed and ate his food. His now soured mood made the dish not as great as it could have been.

A major reason for this outing was to get Grace's mind off of everything. From the not-break-up to the worry she might have set something in motion her uncle was not prepared for, he knew she was feeling the weight of those concerns and had wanted to do anything to get her mind off it.

Now, in the Crimsonwave, she would be reminded constantly that she had been rejected. How could he get it to stop?

"Communication is key to any issue." He thought as he gnawed through a particularlytough piece of meat. He would have to tell Otto that the pieces should be smaller. "Ninety percent of all problems stem from missed signals, right?"

Placing his fork on the finished meal, he carried his plate into the kitchen. That was a big no-no, and a cook beyond one of the massive skillets glared at him. Orion shot one back equally as hostile and kept his pace till he approached Otto, who was now busy instructing his workers.

"Hey, Otto," he began, startling the poor innkeeper once again, "we need to talk." Placing the plate down, he turned around to face the scowl.

"Colt, I often let a lot of shenanigans get past me, but this ain't one of 'em." He made a shooing motion, but the colt stood firm.

"Sorry, this will only take a moment, and most of your staff needs to be in earshot anyway." He raised his hands placatingly, his aggravation at having to do this taking a back seat. "Listen, I need you all to stop inferring that me and Grace are a couple."

The request must have been bizarre for the drake because his glare was replaced by surprise.

"What do you mean by that, hatchling?"

"What I mean is, I need you to stop. For one, because we are absolutely not a couple. Two, she wanted us to be. Every time any of you say something to her, it hurts. Me, you just annoy the shit out of, but her?" He chuckled darkly. "This has to stop now, and I don't care if she learns I said something. This is supposed to be a vacation, and Grace does not need to be reminded that I rejected her every other sentence from you all."

"You rejected her?" Piped up a pony by the name of Color Palette. She looked and sounded shocked.

"Yes. My reasoning is not yours to know, just that it has less to do with Grace than myself." He shrugged, looking back at Otto. "I just need this to stop, and I get that it's gonna be awkward knowing what you all know, but please just try and keep the same upbeat attitude you've had up to this point around her."

"I understand." The drake said solemnly, no longer looking outraged by his presence. "But to reject royalty…." His eyes darkened. "It's not because she's a griffon, is it?"

"Hah, no!" Orion laughed. "Believe me. Grace is built like any guy's wet dream." A hen's face and beak flushed. "You should have seen her the night we went out to a noble's party. Wow."

Just thinking of that night made him regret it all over again.

"And you chose not to?" Otto said in surprise. Leaning in, he spoke in a conspiratorial whisper. "My young fool, you do realize she will not wait around forever. Don't you?"

With a wistful sigh, he responded with a shrug. "I know, and if I am being honest, I hope she doesn't. The sooner she gets over me, the better. Trust me. I am more of a wreck than you would believe."

"That's so sad!" Wailed Color. She had produced a handkerchief from somewhere and was now dabbing at her eyes and sniffling loudly.

"Yes, it is." He said sagely. "But I need you to just knock it off with the whole couples thing. Neither one of us needs that over our heads right now. Okay?"

That got nods of agreement all around.

"Good, now. I have an idea…"

Grace descended the steps to the inn's foyer with more hesitancy than she would like to admit.

The place was surprisingly large, considering its modest size. The rock stone it was dug out of, while porous was still sturdy enough to support not only all the hanging lanterns and random assortments of ship paraphernalia but the large pillar that stood atop it. Its decorations reminded her very much of being inside a ship on the sea.

When she and Orion had been given the tour of their accommodations, including their rooms, they were shown most of the floor layout.

On the seaside of the inn, a whole awning and porch area was built up, allowing anyone the luxury of a view with their meal. However, on the west end of the structure were carved various storage rooms that kept most items that spoiled easily cool and dry. One particular vault had a refrigeration unit for meat alone.

Otto Fallowclaw had confided that it was expensive to have a unicorn come out once a week to charge the crystals that were embedded in four corners of the chamber. Not because the effort to do so was taxing, but because the unit was used to store meat, and the mare that did it often complained of the smell.

Orion laughed and remarked on the squeamishness of ponies, which got an odd look from the proprietor, only for that look to morph into awe and concern later when the colt demonstrated his need for a more carnivorous diet.

She paused on the final step.

Grace had heard the gossip. How could she not when it was spoken in the very bathroom she had gone to relieve herself in.

The staff had assumed automatically that Orion and she were in a relationship, which made sense to them because this was Neighbon. That kind of romance existed here as a daily part of their lives.

Her friend had tried to put a stop to it, attempting to be jovial yet being firm with them. It hadn't worked very well.

Now she was going to have to face them again. Be reminded again.

The young Lady of Seacrest took a deep breath and stepped down, turning right to the dining room.

"Orion. What is this?" Grace asked, staring at her plate, which had three rolled pastries topped with berries and some type of white creamy substance. Now that she took a closer look, she noted inside the rolls were more various berries and that same white substance.

"That, my Lady," he said without a hint of mockery, "is crepes with strawberry, blueberry, I think blackberry and cream cheese." He grinned. "It's a breakfast burrito of fruit, one you missed out on that the brats in the orphanage get to partake in every adoption day." His grin morphed into a sad smile. "This is my way of making up for it."

Shaking her head, the hen had no idea what a burrito was either, so she decided to ask another question. "What is cream cheese?"

"Essentially curdled milk, a bit of lemon, and salt." He replied immediately, obviously expecting her next inquiry.

"You're trying to feed me spoiled milk?" She said in alarm.

"Not spoiled! Curdled. C-u-r‐d-l-e-d." He spelled it out. "Trust me. It's delicious. Have I ever steered you wrong?" Her flat stare caused him to chuckle and add, "About food."

Eyeing him once more, she shrugged uncomfortably and picked up a fork to cut off a piece of the pastry.

With clear hesitancy, she took a bite. The berry blend, along with the cream cheese, exploded on her tongue in a way she wasn't expecting. It was delicious, and she had no words to describe it truly.

Grace couldn't help it. She moaned.

"Heh, some might say that is better than sex." He commented dryly, taking a seat across from her with his own single, crepe.

"You've never had sex." She spoke around her next bite, delightfully putting a hand to her cheek.

He just smiled in that mischievous way he did when he thought he knew something she did not. That look was always infuriating.

"Does the Lady like?" Otto casually sidled up to them, a worried frown on his beak.

"It is delicious." She murmured, unable to stop herself from taking another bite, savoring the way the berries popped in her beak.

"I told you it would be." Orion smugly replied, wiping his lips with a napkin. "Why are you so worried? The omelets are doing fantastic." He gestured with a fork at other patrons who had various versions of the egg dish the colt had told them how to make the night before. However, some of them were now eyeing what they had.

"Because," the innkeeper said with seriousness, "you claimed that crepes are a Prench dish. I have never heard of it, and none of the others have either."

Her friend cocked his head curiously, but behind his eyes was something else entirely. "Why is he panicking?"

"Really?" He said with feigned coolness. "That is weird. Eh, still delicious, and now you know it. No need to grumble any more, alright?"

"Yes, yes." Otto waved a pudgy hand. "So I assume you two will be heading out today? Do you wish your rooms to be tidied?"

"My room? No, I didn't do much other than sleep. Though if you really want to give them," he pointed at the gaggle of staffers whispering conspiratorially with each other, "something to do, I could use some new towels. Otherwise, I'm good." He turned to Grace. "You? Do you need anything?"

"No. I don't need anything either." She flushed. It was a lie, and her blush confirmed it. Currently on the floor of her bathroom was a small pile of feathers she had preened from herself that morning. The idea of someone else cleaning that up, even after the years spent in noble society, did not leave a comfortable feeling in her stomach.

"Alright, no need for the cleaning crew then. Also, yeah, I figured we could either hit the market first, the beach or see if there are any museums in the area to look through." He paused. "Are there museums in this city?"

"There are, but only one. It covers the founding of our nation as well as the geographical discoveries of the area." Tapping a claw to his beak, Otto continued. "It has been a long time since I last went when I had less gray feathers and fewer daughters, but if memory serves, there are relics of ancient times on display there as well. Should be interesting for you, colt."

"Huh, would love to check that out." His attention swung back to her. "How 'bout it? Want to go to the museum with me?"

Grace thought about it for a bit, far longer than she normally would have, but she was eating the rest of her delicious breakfast, so she used that as an excuse.

After a moment, she shook her head.

"No, Orion. I don't think I will." It hurt to say that to him. To even think it. However, as she bedded down the night before, she thought about what she needed, and it was time away from him. Some space so that she could focus on herself rather than be caught up in whatever strange idea he had suddenly dreamed up.

Orion paused and arched an eyebrow as he looked at her, then slowly, he nodded.

"Yeah, that's fair. It's been a while since you had a real break. Just give me an idea of where you'll be so if something comes up, I can find you quickly."

Grace smiled gratefully. It would seem he immediately knew she wished for her own time. Her heart seemed to lighten just a bit because of that.

"Of course. I can tell you now. I plan to spend today sleeping. The breeze coming off from the sea is refreshing, and I think I want to enjoy it." She said, moving out of the way as her now empty plate was removed. The hen was very tempted to order another, but she suspected Orion had more to do with that dish than Otto's cook.

"It is nice, isn't it?" Pushing his own plate to the side, he stood. "Well, I'm gonna go get some spare change and head out. I think I will hit the museum first, then maybe look for a library in-"

The quickly approaching steps of someone stopped her friend's voice cold. He was looking at someone, a frown pulling at his features.

Turning around, she bit back a gasp.

Roderick Silktail stood behind her, panting as if he had run, or likely in his case, flapped for all he was worth to get here. The hippogriff drake smiled shakily, and spoke in a winded voice.

"Grace, it is so very good to see you!" He exclaimed. There was warmth in those words, enough to make her blush furiously and look toward a puzzled Orion Falls, knowing he was likely not to take the merchant son's sudden intrusion very well.

"Yeeeaahhhh…" He responded slowly, snapping Roderick's attention to him. "But who the hell are ya? Don't you know it's rude to come calling without a notification of sorts? I mean, she is a Lady, you know." He gestured at her without looking.

The neck feathers on the drake ruffled, and Otto hissed in alarm.

"I am Roderick Silktail of House Silktail. The current head of the Neighbonese Merchant Alliance." He fixed him with a glare. "And you, pony, I don't like you."

"Well, I've never cared too much for those who obviously ride on their predecessors' coattails either." He smugly replied back.

Everything about Orion said he was calm, but Grace had looked down and noticed how his hooves were placed. The black colt was ready to strike, his legs slightly apart.

She couldn't help but groan. Roderick was many things, intelligent, charming, kind, and even generous. Especially, with the people. But the drake had one terrible issue. His anger.

"How dare you!" He spat. Taking a step back.

"If I am to stop this, it better be now." She wasn't sure who would turn out on top in a straight-up conflict, but knowing her friend like she did, it would likely not turn out in the Heir to the Silktail House's favor.

Standing, she set herself between the pair and stated in a clear voice of command.

"There will be no fighting!"

"Hey, I wasn't fighting. Your boy over there was the one getting squirrely, not me." Orion shrugged his shoulders and grinned insufferably.

"This serpent in the sea is being rude, Grace. Far too eager to climb above his station." And there was the other issue, Roderick did tend to believe his position in life made him better than others.

Wisely, her friend looked at her, smiled a tight smile, and said nothing, yet the tension did ease from him.

"Roderick, I request in the strongest of terms that you treat my friend with respect. He has come a long way at my behest, and has gone through some terrible trials to remain here. I will not tolerate such rudeness aimed at him, not even from you."

The mild rebuke left the poor drake at a loss for words. His small beak clacked uselessly as she watched his mind try to find a way to respond.

Finally, he choked out, "Your friend?"

"Yes, Orion, let me introduce you to the Heir of Silktail, Roderick Silktail. Roderick, this is my friend from when I lived in Equestria, Orion Falls."