The assumption that his classes would be easy did not prove as accurate as hoped.

He had the standard litany of courses, of course. Equish, or English as it was known to him, Math, History, and Science. That last barely merited the title in his opinion, but it was still part of his curriculum. There wasn't really a gym class though after-school activities might warrant looking into at a later time.

Mathematics in this school quickly turned into a trial he had not expected, having initially dismissed the laughably inadequate curriculum in Manehattan as the norm. That was now proving a grave mistake, as many of the formulas and applications were utterly new. What he had learned before had been child's tricks compared to what was required for him to memorize now.

So much for an easy ride.

Science proved to be something else entirely once he had sat halfway through class. While not as tricky as math, it was still interesting that the subject vastly predicated itself on the effects magic had on the physical world.

There were also significant religious overtones within the field of study; things such as Celestia moving the sun and moon were taken as fact. Orion's original assumption that those "facts" were now being called into question, challenging his belief that it was all mythos.

The idea of existence relying solely on one individual, bloodline or not, scared the ever-loving shit out of him. He resolved then and there that he needed to confirm those rumors, one way or another.

Equish, his first-class, was essentially the same as Manhattan, just as ponified as before.

History was his second to last class after lunch. It was as dull and happy-go-lucky as propaganda could get. Extolling the virtues of pony society and how they could do no wrong. Peppered in were wrongs they had righted in history, as well as the complicated nature in which their civilization formed.

To borrow a word from Mr. Era, it was all very droll. Orion could read between the lines, and it was easy to spot the gaps in the timeline, even if there was no clue to what had actually happened.

One sticking point, and another thing he was rather upset about, was the Reunification War. It was the usual civil conflict spiel, save for the outcome. At the end of it all, a massive, almost incredible amount of stallions died during the years of that single conflict.

This is considered the most significant contribution to mares taking the forefront of society, undoubtedly furthered by the ruling elite, the Princesses themselves.

Mr. Era pointed out that while those numbers have improved, there are still a lot of females to males. Current projections suggest that in five or so hundred years, they could see a more balanced population; the rate suspected would be three to one rather than the eight to one average now.

His final class, and the longest, was Magical Theory and Application, where the mathematics of the morning came back to haunt him with a vengeance.

Thirty minutes into class, Orion ran into an unfortunate complication, and a creeping suspicion washed over him. He feared that there might be something wrong with his body or horn in this case.

Not only did he have a range issue, but he was much, much weaker than the other kids in his class.

The first spell taught was a simple light spell, a candle flame without the wick. It was something the black colt knew already. But Mr. Cottonridge wanted to see how many the students could make, and how large each flame could be. Within reason.

It was then that he began to struggle.

At four, he was sweating, breathing hard at the effort of casting and maintaining as large a flame as he could. The math had been simple, but it was like pulling wire through a hole far too small for what was needed.

He almost passed out as he got to five, his knees wobbling dangerously.

Twilight, in an effort to look helpful, gave an example. She created twenty-five massive flames, more like orbs, just to start. He didn't bother counting as that number rose with multiple points of light continuing to form.

He was suddenly very glad he decided against hitting her with a stone when they had first met. It was more than likely that she would have buried him in one of the gravel pathways.

The filly was a freak of nature, that was without a doubt, and her look of pity as he struggled to reach his fifth flame made him want to break a rule he had set for himself. He Hated pity.

And the longer this struggle went on; the more Mr. Cottonridge mocked him for his feeble efforts. Wasn't it a teacher's job to be supportive and a shoulder to lean on when needed? It took everything in him not to lash out physically when the other students joined in the jeering.

He gave up after the headache grew too much to bear and collapsed in his chair. His jaw throbbed in time with his skull as he had clenched it, redoubling his exertions to no avail.

As the rest of the class individually performed their own, the differences were made clear.

One filly even made forty-eight of them. While not as large as his Warden's, or as many, it was still impressive.

His giving up as he had, tore a hole in his heart. Dreams of being able to use magic like everyone else seemed like dust now. A childhood fantasy shattered before it could even grow.

Was that it? Was that all his ability would allow for him to do? He frowned in thought. If that was the case, how might he close that gap?

He looked on as the others performed as if they had been born with it. And in truth, they had been. From birth, these unicorns knew things he was only just grasping. He was still a human in a horse suit.

Was it something to do with his strange biology?

Outside of levitation and the weak-ass spells he had managed to learn, he knew next to nothing. They likely knew much more by this time.

He would have to push harder. Orion was farther behind on the curve than he had initially believed.

Twilight had been a surprise for several reasons. After her near one-eighty from that morning, she seemed to have an unending stream of questions to pester him with. He kept his answers short and had to tell her at least three times that his teeth were classified. He had no idea how she had noticed them and thought it best not to let her know anything about what they meant and their real purpose.

She had finally relented on the subject when he just growled at her, leveling a stare that very much spoke of wanting to melt her into the floor.

Still, toward the end of that final period, she had compiled a list of books to help him fix, or at least make up the difference he had compared to everyone else. It was…nice. He hadn't imagined she would try and be so helpful.

The day had been a whirlwind of learning and humiliation; he was already on the school's steps by the time he realized it. He had come too far, survived too much. He had to bridge that chasm, one way or another.

He was missing something. Something important. He boarded the tram with a grim smile on his face. He had come too far to be held up by something like this.

That smile faded as he realized something. He had completely forgotten to say goodbye to his shadow for the day. Instead, he opted to almost completely ignore her as he made his way out of the school grounds.

"I'm a fucking asshole." He lamented.

Twilight stood, watching Orion climb up the stairs to the tram system she had followed him to.

After the disastrous start, things had gone better. He was really surprisingly funny if a little crass. His mannerism was much aligned with a filly rather than a colt.

He had also proven far more intelligent than she had suspected. But some of what he spoke about when asked went over her head. Despite her being ahead by a year, he seemed the older and wiser of the two of them. He knew and thought of things she had not even begun to contemplate.

She had noticed his struggles in Mathematics. But by the time she was showing some worry, he was starting to improve in that brief period. She hoped it would only amount to a minor hurdle for him.

But then came Theory and Control, and she watched him struggle so hard to make those five orbs. She had remembered Mr. Cottonridge from her classes last year, and she hated the stallion then. There was always one student he targeted as an example. Something for the foals to focus their ire on. Even to her young mind, she immediately knew he was in the wrong. But she wasn't brave enough to stand up to him about it then.

Just as she wasn't now, watching him swiftly walk away.

Orion clearly wanted to explode on the older pony, but she could see the self-doubt and fear, war on his face. There was no argument he could make.

She sighed and turned around after the tramcar rolled away.

A royal carriage stood at the entrance to the school's ground, her royal carriage.

Painted in gold, white and purple, it had her cutie mark on wall panels. Indicating to anypony who looked who was inside.

After two years, it was still a surreal feeling to see that. Never in her young life had she imagined this moment. As she approached the coach, she couldn't help but smile at the memory of the day she was accepted as her Highness's student.

Plaster and wood struck the cracked tiled floor near where she lay, startling her.

"Wh...what happened?" Twilight was covered in dust and tiny pieces of purple and green shell. She had remembered focusing on the green and purple splotched egg in front of her. After all, it was her test, though, at the time, she had no idea why hatching the rather large egg was so important.

Princess Celestia was standing there, a serene and good-natured smile on her face that at the time seemed so knowing. Her parents watched on in anticipation and confidence, beaming at her with broad grins.

The magic examiner in charge only just watched, a frown that seemed to be a permanent adornment on her face.

Twilight's horn was shining, but nothing was coming. As the seconds became minutes, she had started to doubt herself more and more.

She should have never tried. What was she thinking? Trying to become the Princess's student? It was laughable to her now.

A sudden and loud boom followed by a shudder of the tower they were in itself made her shriek in terror, and many things happened at once.

She had been so focused on the egg that the sudden noise and vibration made instinct kick in, and she lashed out wildly with the built-up magic. No focus. No control.

Coming to, she discovered a massive dragon of purple and green blocking her view of the examiner. Its head was through the roof. Gazing about herself, she spotted several potted plants, twisted and not quite right as they were wearing clothes of various species, scattered around the room.

Where were her parents?

Princess Celestia stood to the side, a pair of plants flanking her wearing, oddly enough, the armor of the Royal Guard. Spears lay in front of them.

The Princess's eyes were wide, with a small bemused smile.

"P-p-princess? W-w-wh-"

A flare of light on both her hips cut her short, the shining luminance going right through the skirt she wore. Sparkles and a strange tinkling sound echoed in the room as warmth flooded through her flanks and into the rest of her.

Scrambling, Twilight yanked up her skirt and gasped in surprise. There was a cutie mark just below her waist on both sides of her hips. Her cutie mark.

A six-pointed star of bright pink sat there with a hint of a white star of the same number of points peeking out behind it. Five other little white stars seemed to orbit the large pink one.

Tears came to her eyes of shock and wonder.

"What happened, my dear little pony, is that you have found your talent. In magic itself, no less." The soft and gentle tone of the Royal Monarch caught her ears.

Looking up, she saw the alicorn glancing around, now with a wide grin on her face.

"In a rather explosive way, I might add." She chuckled. "Don't worry, Twilight. I can fix this. But first, I would ask you, would you do me the honor of becoming my student?"

Tears no longer leaked; they flooded from the filly's wide purple eyes. There was only one answer she could give.

"YES!"

She giggled to herself at the memory.

She was surprised to learn that she had somehow tapped into dark magic on top of casting a time spell.

That had scared her.

The dark magic, especially as she had no idea how she had done it and hadn't since that first time.

Looking out the window, Twilight realized they had already pulled into the castle's outer court and made their way toward the gatehouse. The portcullis was up, and a division of Royal Guard's arrayed outside.

It had become a familiar sight for her these past few years, yet she did not think she would ever get used to it.

As she stepped out, they saluted her, which just drew a sigh. She hated that part.

Nodding graciously, she quickly pulled out a book and began her journey into the castle, her nose buried into the pages as she began to study. She hadn't had that opportunity all day, so she made up for the lost time.

As she traversed the halls, her hooves taking her to her destination by muscle memory alone, she ignored what had become a routine view for her. The hanging plants from gold hooks, the expansive white and gold floor tiles with large sunbursts chiseled and gilded every few yards, the banners stirring gently in the drafts. Even the lovely afternoon sun that filtered in through stained windows that note stories went unnoticed by her.

She had seen it all so much that it had become the norm for her.

A hand shot out and stopped her in her tracks. Startled, she dropped the book and took a couple of steps back, only to blush in embarrassment. She had nearly walked right into the golden double doors of the Princess's private rooms.

The arm that shot out to stop her belonged to Silver Bell, who was currently biting her lip to stop from laughing.

This hadn't been the first time Twilight had nearly walked headlong into something. During the early days, when she had not known where she was going, she often would run into ponies, walls, doors, and windows as trying to study as she walked.

So guards and the castle staff had taken to keeping an eye out for her whenever they spotted her.

"Sorry, Silver Bell, I wasn't paying much attention." The mare smoothed her face and smiled down at her.

"It's alright there, little one, but I 'ave to say, not seen you nearly smashin' inta doors like dat in 'while. Somfthin' on your mind?" Her low, cockney accent, which had made Twilight giggle over the years, did little to lift her mood now.

Despite being a Unicorn, Silver Bell grew up on the Isles of Bales. The islands sat northwest of Equestria's capital, in the bay of Ruby Breast. Other than the fabled Crystal Empire, that was as far north as most ponies would, or ever did, go.

Her people's language was hard to decipher. While they spoke in Equish, their accent was so thick that some scholars theorized that an entirely new language would have developed in another three or four hundred years if they had not been found when they were.

"Yeah, just been an awful day." The purple filly smiled meekly, her ears still a little pink.

"Well that's alright, somftimes we all have our heads in the clouds." She gestured with her head. "In ya git. Princess 'adn't 'ad the best day neither."

Twilight's mouth formed a worried line. "Thank you."

"Not a problem, love. Now git yer arse in there." Opening the door with one hand, she pushed her in with the end of the spear she was holding.

Entering with a little more force than she wanted, she spotted who she had been looking for at the end of a rather large study.

Here, where everywhere else were colored white and gold, was a library in dark wood. Instead of bare tiles, great carpets from Maris covered the floor, intricate patterns bordered in warm gold colors.

The study itself was two stories in a circular shape; following the tower's curve, it had been built inside.

The window, that spanned the gap left by the shelves opposite the entrance was as tall as the highest mantle. A beautiful mosaic of stained glass and metal depicting the sun at its zenith, and the foundation of the three tribes as one, bathed the room in the warm light of the afternoon sunlight.

A gorgeous sight for anypony and a reminder of whose office this was.

At the foot of the window sat a large desk in the same wood as the bookshelves that surrounded it, and in the ornate wooden chair that sat behind it, was Princess Celestia, First of Her Name, Mover of the Heavens and Ruler of Equestria.

Her mouth was stuffed with cake, chocolate coating some parts of her lips. There wasn't much left on the plate, but she suspected head Chef Gourmand Ram's "Death By Chocolate" from what Twilight could see.

"This must have been an awful day." It wasn't even six, and she had nearly devoured it in its entirety.

Before she could utter a greeting, Princess Celestia quickly swallowed what was in her mouth, and belched loudly. A blush blossomed on her ears and cheeks, going almost solid pink.

"Bad day, Princess?" She asked tentatively. She still wasn't used to addressing her in any kind of familiarity. But she thought she was improving.

"You…could say that. I sneezed into the face of Marble Stone, the Saddle Arabian ambassador. It came so suddenly, and I couldn't even stop myself in time!" She sniffed. "And when I was beginning to believe it was a fluke, it happened again! Right in the middle of Day Court. It was so embarrassing!" She finished in a wail.

Her eyes looked for more cake and found only crumbs and frosting that remained.

Twilight giggled. She was likely not as upset as she seemed, but her mentor occasionally liked to be dramatic.

"What about you, my student? I would expect you to be sequestered in either the school or Royal libraries by now. What brings you to me? Trouble with a class?"

She took a seat in one of the ornate chairs in front of her mentor's desk and grimaced.

"Not exactly with class…"

Orion Falls. She had most certainly heard that name before. Lucky Write had an encounter with him only a week ago.

From what she said, he was a rude little colt that needed his mouth washed vigorously with the most potent soap and water anypony could find.

Judging by what her student had just told her. It either didn't happen or hadn't worked, which somehow amused her.

However, his argument against the condemnation of his language was poignant and surprisingly refreshing. His recitation, which clearly seemed to be the case, though she could not remember a book with that particular passage written within, was poignant and remarkably refreshing.

"The Path of Tyrants..." She murmured.

"I'm sorry, Princess, what did you say?" Twilight had at one point opened a scroll that she had jotted notes down into, notes on answers to her questions about Orion. Typically adorable of her.

"Nothing of importance, Twilight." She quickly amended.

As the little filly sat in a chair far too big for her, recounting her day, she had been surprised.

The colt didn't just bear a rough tongue. He was brilliant. It was often said that the rudest of ponies were often the most intelligent. The thought of that surly stallion, Starswirl, almost made her chuckle. Now there was a cantankerous pony.

Her student hadn't got much of his past out of him either. He hailed from Stalliongrad and grew up on the streets themselves. But despite rather humble beginnings, he seemed to keep up with the work presented to him easily. Only when the Theory and Control arrived did his calm and collected attitude evaporate.

He understood the subject quickly enough. But when it came to application, he didn't measure up to the rest of the class. Celestia suspected it might be because he had only really begun to learn about magic.

But Mr. Cottonridge was far out of line and would have to be confronted on his behavior. She would not tolerate belittling of her school's students in any form. No matter what station in life they bore.

Teachers were supposed to be nurturing and supportive. He was not living up to that standard.

Turning her attention back to her student, she now knew what had her upset and what she may ask. But there was nothing she could do to help the young colt. A pony's growth can only be determined by the effort they, themselves, put in.

Twilight continued to recount her day spent with him; she was forced to bite her tongue to not laugh aloud when she listened to how he had handled the bullying during lunch.

She would have to look into his history. It would be easy and convenient, considering she now owned the orphanage he was housed in. If only by the fact that it was under the Throne's supervision.

"I understand why you are upset, Twilight. But I know of no magic nor artifact that may help with improving a pony's ability. There may have been something long ago, but that knowledge is lost to time." Lost to the countless wars that plagued the world in the ancient past.

Ears folded back, her student's head hung. The news was not what she had wanted to hear, and her disappointment broke Celestia's heart. But this was one of the many lessons she needed to learn if she were to achieve all that she had hoped the young pony would.

The actual problem lay in her social ability, or lack of it.

Twilight would isolate herself in the libraries or her room, deep in study when not peppering her with a thousand questions. Learning spells and their effects on the natural world. She was so far along in her studies she technically did not need to remain in regular classes. But she felt it essential for the filly to have an everyday school life and to broaden her knowledge in as many things as possible.

Few subjects were outside her interest. Two of which may have scarred her when she was still young, the day she earned her cutie mark. Dark and Time magic. They frightened her, Celestia was not blind, and every push toward those subjects was met with surprisingly firm resistance.

Outside her studies, there was no interest in anything or anypony. Musty old tomes held more for her than anything else.

That was, till today. Judging by her enthusiasm and the way she spoke of him, Orion Falls may just be the catalyst Celestia had been looking for in solving that little problem.

She would have to be careful; however, she wanted her student to learn from her friendship with the colt, not become enamored with him. As harsh as it sounded to her, she could not allow her protege's future to be muddled by a pony with little ability. If Twilight were to find a special somepony, it would be one of fantastic skill and strength. One handpicked by her teacher.

Still, some coaching on how to help a friend was in order. And who knows, maybe she would have a chance to meet this crass young stallion for herself.

After the embarrassing first day, the week swiftly flowed by in a haze of homework and stalkers of the purple persuasion. Awkward and always watching, it had become just as much a chore keeping her questions at bay as doing his own work.

That wasn't to say she wasn't helpful, but Twilight seemed to take her job as a guide a little too seriously.

Visiting the library with her ended with him carrying nearly twenty books on various mathematical theories home with him.

She wasn't just powerful in magic, she was pretty brilliant in academics. All academics. When she got too out of hand with her need to help, he would hit her with a formula of his own.

Despite mathematical advancement, it was still early to mid-eighteenth century alchemy for their society. Of course, some of his formulas didn't work anymore. He had discovered that on his own. He wouldn't be making methamphetamines any time soon, and there was no sign of marijuana in any botany books he could find.

Just as well, really. That nonsense was what led Orion down this path, to begin with, considering where he ended up in the end.

Still, he taught her how to make penicillin, something they didn't have here, as a simple spell could easily alleviate symptoms. He really should have been a pharmacist like his grandpa told him. But that had required school, and he didn't like school.

Now he was once again in school. Orion couldn't escape. He wanted to laugh at the irony.

All in all, she had been a far cry better than the first half of Monday, and while he was happy to see her go back to her own classes, he would miss her.

But then again, she was finally gone, and he was beginning a routine all his own. Starting with the gym early in the morning. He almost quit.

On the third day, he woke to aches and pains he could no longer ignore. Instead of sympathy, Mrs. Evergarden gave him some weird tea while admonishing him for going overboard.

The tea worked surprisingly well, but not as much as he would have liked. Some numbing chemical in the leaves?

Still, he took that for the lesson it was and restructured his plans. He was sticking to three days a week until his little body had grown used to the strains and rigors of a more athletic nature.

Screaming, the other woman in his life had become an insistent annoyance. It was not necessarily bad or anything, just that she wanted to play, and he really couldn't afford to babysit.

She was five years his senior, at least in the body if not mind, seemed not to bother her at all.

She was also very grateful for the fact that because of him, they now had a fridge full of meat for themselves. Not just fish, either.

There was a type of boar found in Griffonia called a sheridit. A leggy animal that ate damn near anything. Including its own. It was fuckin' delicious. Damn close to beef, which was good because the cows in this world talked and had bipedal motion. He had not met one yet but feared the day.

There was also cockatrice meat. From what he had read, it was basically Medusa tarred and feathered. It tastes just like chicken. Apparently, it was dangerous to hunt them, so there was a price increase.

All this was provided by contract from griffons that supplied communities of their kind in major cities.

He had plenty of protein to help pack on muscle, and Screaming reaped the benefits as well. So she tried to hang out. For her trouble, he started speaking about history with her, Griffonia's rather troubled history.

For him, it was an interesting if sad, subject. The nation had been declining for the last six hundred or so years.

A largely isolationist country, Griffonia had been on the receiving end of embargoes and tariffs for centuries. Primarily due to their own poor decisions. The last major conflict occurred roughly five hundred years ago. What would have been a bloody and violent fight ended up turning into one of the largest blunders in known history.

Griffonia's King at the time, Darkwing Bloodbeak, an edgy emo name if he ever heard of one, chose to attack during Equestria's Estrus Season. He ended up choosing Manehattan as the point of his strike.

The logic had been to use the weakness the season forced on the mares of the nation. Instead, what had happened was an orgy of sorts that resulted in the birth of an entirely new species; Hippogriffs. They now dwelled in the land of Neighbon, a land of sheer cliff walls and rocky ground not fit for farming that had been caught in a dispute between Equestria and Griffonia for years. Neither side wished to house the new race and decided to hand the disputed territory to them.

The thought at the time was that the species would not last more than a couple hundred years before disappearing, and the two nations could go back to contesting the land. However, Orion could not find a reason to argue over what was considered useless territory by everyone other than stubborn nobility.

Instead, the Hippogriffs and the families that spawned them ended up turning a trick. The seaport of Neighbon became a major trade and fishing harbor in less than a century, and they thrived. Now the nation is one of the most well-funded countries in the world. Many of its ruling class were merchants and traders that had risen to prominence in the early years.

If not for the tiny nation, Griffonia might have gone under completely. Rising prices set on them by Celestia had crippled their wealthiest and had made investors turn tail and run. Neighbon had been gracious to sell fish and what products they brought in at cost. However, they did take advantage of reduced taxes when moving goods through what was essentially their parent nation.

In short, Griffonia had been subject to bad decisions made by bad griffons in leadership.

Screaming had listened attentively but did not like the subject. He supposed she had reason to hate it.

When it got too much for the griffon, her only other friend that he knew about would somehow know exactly when to swoop in and rescue her from his "lectures”.

Storming Wing had trouble with a capital T written all over her. The pegasus filly was known for pulling rather mean pranks on the other foals and even random adults on the street.

There had been one incident, and only one, that had involved him. She had dumped water on him the morning of his twelfth day at the orphanage, and she had been dumb enough to still be in the room afterward, laughing her feathers off.

By the time she had staggered out of his room, ten minutes later, she was rubbing her bottom and crying.

Mrs. Evergarden disagreed with his method of punishment, reminding him of what he claimed he would try to do. But he thought he was rather nice about the whole thing. His first instinct had been to give her a black eye.

That instinct had given him pause on more than one occasion. He did not like the fact that he had somehow slipped so easily into the idea of hurting a woman, girl, mare, filly, whatever the hell they called themselves. He did not like it. He had been raised better than that.

Even at his worst back on earth, he had never struck a woman. Now, he had been contemplating it whenever a female had been particularly awful to him, like the two fillies during lunch that first day.

It could be because of the switch in roles. Many colts he talked to called Orion a Jane Filly, as if he knew what that meant. But they all seemed to agree he wasn't like one of them. That was true, he supposed, and in this society, it would not earn him friends easily, though that had mattered very little to him.

Still, she had not bothered him again, and he had not struck anyone else. He was keeping to his not-promise despite the temptations that sounded him on a daily basis.

A couple of months later, things were turning up golden. The pun was intended in this case. For the most part, magic classes still sucked ass, but things under the roof of "Mrs. Evergarden's Home for Wayward Foals" was as green as grass.

The whiny, stuffy crybaby, Golden Trot had finally been adopted. Orion had only wished it was snowing so he could pelt the brat in the back of the head with a snowball when the carriage had pulled up to take him away.

A rather fancy white carriage with golden inlays and a symbol of two four-pointed stars, overlapping one another, one white and the other gold.

Good riddance. Even better? He was leaving the school. That news was practically orgasmic.

He had been trying to stir up trouble against him with some of the more troublesome foals in school. Luckily, many didn't buy into the idea that he was a meat-eating monster.

So yes, good riddance to bad rubbish.

He stayed the course with school, gym, and not much else. His grasp of their mathematics grew. Whoever that Starswirl guy was, he was an asshole for making it so confusing.

When Hearth's Warming came up, he bought Mrs. Evergarden a small tree called a "Hearts Blossom" with the bits he had saved up. A rather pretty tree that bloomed with pink flowers, and had even brighter pink leaves as well.

He figured she could plant it in the garden she had begun to build during the fall. Spring wouldn't be too far off. She was delighted.

It had been hard to keep the purchase hidden, considering she had access to all his money. But he had managed to get her to let him "surprise" her.

For everyone else, he just got them knick-knacks. Even Screaming only got a book on griffon flight mechanics.

Storming got coal.

January arrived with little fanfare and brought misery in with it.

Sitting in his Equish class, Orion’s work was already done, and he was contemplating what to do about his locker that someone vandalized over the holiday. He never used it, but it was the principal of the thing that had him considering violence.

The problem was he didn't have a lot to go on. Janitorial were usually the ones that ended up cleaning whatever mess was made in the halls, and they had neglected to clean his locker out.

"Maybe I should start with questioning them-"

The door popped open, and in walked Mr. Clip Board. He was a guidance councilor of sorts for the school. One of eight.

"Good morning, my students!" He said enthusiastically.

"Not technically your students, but whatever, believe what you want."

Mrs. Greenfield had smiled when he had entered. Orion's spider-sense was tingling.

"Mr. Board, what brings you to our humble classroom?" She said; the twinkle in her eye screaming that she was in on whatever was coming. Something was definitely up, and they were not bothering to hide it from those paying attention.

"I have exciting news!" He boomed. The short, bluff-faced stallion practically vibrated with excitement.

"Wonderbolts show?" He had heard a great deal about the aerial acrobatics team and considering how fast some pegasi were, it would be interesting to see how they handled tight turns with extreme speed.

"This Friday, your class will be attending Day Court! And meeting Princess Celestia herself!"

The class exploded in excitement.

"You have got to be shitting me." This was the very last thing he wanted. How was he going to get out of this?

It turns out, that trying to get a stomach ache when you want one, when it's convenient for you, is impossible. Either that or his newish biology was far more robust than when he was human.

Instead, Friday morning found him with the rest of his class, standing in front of two gigantic golden doors. Reliefs carved into them stylized, almost tribal designs on the borders. A large sunburst, divided by the door seam itself, sat in the center. If he had to guess, that door was fifteen feet tall. Who in the hell needed a door that big?

The castle itself was nothing less than stunning. Massive towers, capped in gold, blue and purple, surrounded a central cathedral-like building with mosaics and stained glass windows, all in white with accents of gold.

Orion whistled through his teeth. There was some serious cash tossed onto this money pit.

Mrs. Greenfield was nervously fiddling with her clipboard and repeatedly counting the heads of her class. The mare needed a drink or a valium.

Their Equish teacher had been the lucky draw for being the class chaperone. Rumor had it that Mr. Cottonridge was pissed. Orion was ready to change places with the asshole that very moment if he could.

A head peeked itself out of the smaller side door that was built as a service door for servants and deliveries. The door, of course, was gold too. And, of course, Lucky Write just had to be the individual assigned to them for the day.

He put a much taller filly, Carpet Dancer, between them. He didn’t see the sense in starting the drama early.

"Ah, Mrs. Greenfield, I trust everypony is here?" She said with a quick smile.

Instead of their teacher answering her, she received a class full of excited cheers minus one black colt. Her smile turned into a broad grin.

"I will take that as a yes." She said with a laugh, delight in her eyes. Miss Write ducked back inside and called out. "Well, colts and fillies, come. Single file, mind you, would not wish to cram the door now, would we?"

Orion was nearly the last to walk in, Mrs. Greenfield bringing up the rear, and had to endure the surprising glare from the secretary pony. She either forgot his name or didn't realize he was with this particular class.

"You." She stated just a bit too harshly if he was to judge. The veiled venom in her tone caught the attention of several of his classmates. Their eyes darted between the pair quickly.

"Yes, me." He didn't know what to say. He should have expected this encounter, but other things had been on his mind, and he had not thought about it.

"Are you going to behave?" Not a whisker of deviation from that voice of hers.

"Are you going to try and give me that overly sweet-death-by-sugar candy?" He shot back, trying to match her stare for stare.

"No."

"Then we should have no issues." He sighed heavily. "Look, lady. I just want to get through this without too much hassle. I want no problems. Just peace. Okay?" He gave his best apologetic look. "And for what it's worth, sorry." There. He said it. He could be polite.

In response, she snorted, very horse-like, and turned away from him. A clearly fake smile plastered on her lips. "Okay, colts and fillies. This way to Day Court. Don't lose sight of me." She gestured for everyone to fall in behind her.

Mrs. Greenfield cast a questioning glance at him. She wasn't the only one.

"None of that was anyone's business but ours, come on. I have a feeling this place is a labyrinth." He passed a fair share of classmates before, as one mob, the group moved further into the beautiful and bright environment of the castle.

She wanted cake, and she wanted it right now.

There were few pleasures in her role as ruler of the most prosperous pony nation. Being able to order cake when and where she wanted should have been one of them.

Instead, she just sat on her throne, bejeweled and garbed in the best silks, passing judgment on such things as zoning disagreements.

Sadly, Picker Basket and Whispered Fruit were arguing over roughly ten acres of land that the pairs' families had shared for the better part of two hundred years. A recent spat between the herds forced her to hear their inane arguments.

The land wasn't even profitable to hold! Down the middle of the ten acres is a large crack in the earth leading out to Ghastly Gorge. The terrain itself is more stone than soil. But bitter stallions, it seems, will argue over anything.

This was the whole reason why she encouraged the formation of local courts and magistrates in various shires, townships, and cities. They were intended to handle any land disputes that may arise.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Lucky Write. She was discreetly coming in through a side door. Behind her, filed in her guests, just as quiet as their guide. She couldn't help the smile that broke through her stern visage.

Celestia loved foals. Especially those not yet in their teen years. The wonder, the joy, it was so enrapturing. Disappointingly, it was rare that she would get the chance to see them.

Dignitaries often left their offspring behind when entreating with her and her nature. And it was an absolute miracle if she could arrange a time to visit her school she had founded so many years ago. It left a hole in her heart that she could not engage with the young as she had in the distant past.

So today was truly special for her, and she would enjoy it.

Just then, she realized all had gone quiet. Looking back, she realized both stallions had stopped to stare at her. They looked angry. At her!

It was enough to make her giggle. But she had still paid attention, if only with half an ear.

"Gentlestallions, this is a simple matter." Ghastly Gorge has been a protected status sanctuary for six hundred years. Many of the species inside the refuge existed nowhere else. On top of that, those very same species were some of the most dangerous in the world. "Tell me, is the land profitable?"

Basket was the one to respond first. The mulberry stallion in course brown linens frowned. "Um, no, your Highness."

She looked at Fruit, and he only gave a grudging nod. Satisfied, she went on.

"As I am sure you two are aware, there is a rupture in that plot of land that leads right back to Ghastly Gorge. Given the creatures and the status of the Gorge itself, I propose that the disputed land be attached officially to the said refuge. Thus taking away the trouble between your two herds and protecting everypony at large." She smiled satisfactorily to herself. Basket opened his mouth, likely to interject, and she overrode him. "The safety of my ponies is my highest priority. In fact, I should have done this long ago. However, I had not been made aware of this particular recess until you filed for a dispute. I must thank you. You both have brought forth an issue that needed rectification. A small gift will be dispensed to both of you. Both as compensation and to reimburse the cost of traveling here."

It would not be substantial, barely covering both the return trip and the original ticket to get to her city. It would be a reminder for them not to waste her time on trivial matters, yet wouldn't cripple the families' own coffers so that they could keep planting without struggle.

Both stallions shut their mouths as one and eyed each other before bowing and thanking her for the trouble of taking over the land from them.

The now sanctified land would also act as a border between them. Hopefully, reducing issues for the local authorities. Yes, very well done if she said so herself.

With their departure came another, a mare, in her best refinery. Celestia suppressed a sigh. She wished she could just call the Court closed now. But she had to put on a show for the little ones. With that in mind, she focused on the matter of tax law that Lady Frost Frostburg wished to adjust.

Really this should have been brought before Parliament.

Orion kept to the group's rear as best he could, earning a quizzical look from an otherwise statue of a guard on occasion. He hoped that there would be a little meet and greet, a brief tour of the more boring bits of the castle, and then they would be on their way home.

When they had first entered, he had barely kept from gaping. The mare was the first thing that caught his eye. How could she not, after all?

Princess Celestia sat on a throne of pure white marble on a purple cushion laced with gold tassels and trimming. She had to be the biggest pony he had ever seen.

In textbooks, it was said that she was roughly nine feet tall, and looking at the Princess, he could believe it. The monarch was damned gorgeous to boot.

Garbed in a white toga style dress, trimmed in gold, the Monarch of the Sun, Princess Celestia of Equestria, was every bit the Royal one might expect. Without all the inbreeding required.

She wore a crown of gold set with amethyst gems. A thick chain of gold in a very similar style to the crown draped down her chest. More gold adorned her arms in the form of thin bracelets and armlets. She certainly loved her purple and gold.

All white with a warm glow, she sat straight back and proud, wings gently tucked up. A gold chain was attached to several bands along with her horn in small arches.

Her magenta eyes were motherly, even while her expression was stern. But they did nothing to detract from her beauty and grace. Her mane flowed in an unfelt breeze that made the shifting colors of dawn ripple.

"How in the hell does it do that?"

However, the more base parts of his still adult mind had locked onto other things.

Her rear filled that seat completely, and it was a wide seat. Which meant she had a vast plot. Women, the world over would be jealous.

Her breasts were nothing to dismiss either.

Those massive mammaries managed to stretch the fabric of her dress in an almost threatening manner. If there had been buttons there, they would have undoubtedly struggled to contain.

The only word he could come to describe her is stunning.

"This lady? That's the ruler of a nation?" She looked like a porn director's wet dream.

He shook his head and pulled his eyes away from her. That same guard that had shot him the curious look snickered. He sent a glare in return.

Glancing around and ignoring the matter being discussed, he took in the sights. The Royal Court of the Sun was a bit similar to a rectangle, the ends were rounded rather than flat.

Purple curtains with gold trim, he sensed a theme here, framed a multitude of windows that let in as much light as possible. A large stained glass mosaic sat behind the throne, depicting the sun itself, fostering life and growth.

The floor was marble like the throne, with sunburst and gold trim on each tile. Across from Orion was some form of enclosed bleachers. Various snooty-looking ponies of what was likely high station populated the seats.

On his side was the same, but the occupants were more elderly and bored-looking.

Pretty damn fancy.

While he was gazing about, something was starting to bug him. He had noticed it when he first stepped hoof into the room. A heavy pressure he had at first chalked up to nervousness permeated him to his bones.

Looking back at the Princess, that pressure increased. Like a physical weight being dropped on him. It was almost suffocating. He looked at his teacher, and she was just standing there, an excited smile on her face but otherwise seemingly unaffected.

A look at his classmates showed the same. Even the ponies in the bleachers and in line didn't appear to be affected. Could no one feel that?

He looked once more at the Princess, again creeping doubts filled his mind. "Could she really control the sun and moon?" It was a thought. One he tried to kill with prejudice and failed.

His eyes drifted to the floor before his hooves, a frown creasing his features as he tried to reason out the how and why he felt what he was feeling.

He had not realized they were moving till they were. Court had been adjourned, and they were being shuffled to another side door that took them down a hall to a private receiving room. The pressure lessened when they left the chamber but did not truly go away.

Decorated much the same as everything else seemed to be, it was populated with couches and chairs of various designs with the exact same color schemes.

There were plants here, in marbled pots, just as there had been throughout the castle. Just more noticeable with the chamber's relatively small size.

Sitting down into the surprisingly cushy seat, he was forced to spring back up almost immediately when the double doors opened to admit the towering Monarch.

Bowing with the class, he silently prayed that she was the typical type of ruler who did not have, nor made, the time for the common folk. That this was all being forced upon her.

"Please, please, rise. You are my guests today." As one, they rose, those around him practically vibrating with excitement. He looked on in thinly veiled horror as she asked, "Would you all allow me the privilege to know your names? I very much wish to be allowed to know each of you."

"Well, shit…"

One by one, the foals introduced themselves to her. Stumbling over their own names so cutely as she smiled down graciously at them, murmuring their names back to them in gentle tones.

By Faust, she loved little moments like these.

Toward the end, a uniformly black colt with a dark orange mane stepped forward, if just, and muttered his name.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess. My name is Orion Falls." He said sourly.

Her smile slipped a little in surprise. Unlike the others, he had not stumbled through his introduction. But that was not what had given her pause. Standing before her, with a grimace of distaste as plain as her day on his face, was the very colt Twilight would talk her ears off about at least three times a week.

She wondered what had him so upset.

She briefly debated the merits of questioning him on his discomfort at that very moment but instead only smiled kindly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Falls."

For a moment, he merely looked at her before turning around and sitting himself in an oversized chair. A filly glared daggers at him. He responded with the same flat look.

"It seems as if he is not well-liked amongst his peers." She mused. "Well, that's something to contemplate later."

Once introductions were made, she settled herself into the largest of the chairs, a couch, really.

"I am so happy all of you came to see me." She was more than happy. She was ecstatic! Her duties often made life so dull for her. All the meetings, court appearances, and delegations to greet and entertain, it made times like these all the more precious to her.

One filly, Fancy Breeze, raised her hand.

"Yes, my little pony?"

"What's it like being the Princess?" She asked sweetly. Celestia could only smile.

"It is hard work. I will not deceive you. Some days can be so busy, that I sometimes find myself in my room before I realize it. But it also offers up the most rewarding gifts. My time with you all in this case." A very chaste and censored answer to a more adult topic. They didn't need to know the grueling hours spent bent over a desk signing document after document in the wee hours of the evening.

After that, a flood of questions broke forth, and it was all she could do to keep ahead of them, giggling along the way.

Everypony had a question to ask, even Mrs. Greenfield. Everypony, save for Orion Falls.

Instead, opting to watch. Simply observing as she answered what questions she could, deflecting those she must. Those gray eyes, almost steel-like in quality. Twilight's observations had been correct. This was a pony not looking for fun.

Eventually, she raised her hands against further queries. They had only so much time, after all. It was time for Miss Write to take them on their tour, thus bringing her period with them to a close.

As her secretary began to escort them out, excitedly commenting on what they were all about to see, Celestia raised a hand in front of both Orion, and Mrs. Greenfield.

"A moment if you would?"

The bright orange mare blushed. "Of course, your Highness! W-what is it?"

"Oh, it's nothing of too much importance. I was just wondering if I might borrow a moment of Orion's time. If that's not too much trouble." The named colt's eyes tightened, and a worried frown tugged at his lips.

"But…of course! But if you would forgive me, won't he miss out on the tour?"

"He may miss out on a few things, but I wanted to have a few moments to speak with him, and what better time than now. It saves the taxpayers a bit by me not having to send a carriage for him. Do not fret, Mrs. Greenfield. I will have him back to you in no time." She understood the mare's worry, and she wanted him to get the whole experience of the castle with the rest of his class. But if all goes well, he will be getting his fill, more than most foals his age would ever dream.

"Well, okay, Princess." She turned to her student. "Orion, be respectful." She admonished with a finger. Now that was an odd comment. Turning back to her, she bowed low and slipped out the door.

She left him there. Just fucking left him there! Sure it's with the Princess, but the lady didn't even put up an argument.

The white monarch turned to him and gestured toward the seats without a word.

"Oh. Haha….I'm in danger."

With little choice, he drifted to the smaller of the two chairs and sat down. His mind raced with what might be coming. Staring at his hands, he didn't look up as the country's sole ruler sat before him.

The ticking of the clock was loud in his ears. Celestia looked at him, and he kept his eyes firmly glued to his hands, wishing he would be able to stop twisting them in nervous energy.

"You are certainly not much of a conversationalist. " Her sudden soft tones nearly made him leap out of his own skin. His eyes shot up to hers. "Well, there you are. I was beginning to believe your fingers were more interesting than me." She giggled. "I can't remember the last time somepony had put that much effort in trying to ignore my presence."

Orion licked his lips. They were rather dry.

"Uh…what…what do you want? Uh, your Highness." He felt like there was a gun to his temple again.

"Oh my dear, Orion. There is no reason to fret. You are most definitely not in trouble." The pressure of the phantom firearm did not lessen. "You know, my student talks of you a great deal. I wanted to meet the pony Twilight has become rather enamored within recent months. I can honestly say this is the first time since I've known her that she has shown any interest in anything outside of a dusty old tome or a particularly challenging spell." She paused, waiting expectantly for a response.

He was here because of Twilight? "Oh, Jesus Christ…" Heart rate slowing, he did his best to wipe the panic look off his face.

"I…uh." How does someone respond to someone like her? Since she walked in, it felt like his heart, and his head had been steadily being squeezed. He licked his lips again.

"Are you alright?" When had she moved? She was kneeling before him now, and he still had to crane his neck up to look at her. A warm hand was placed against his head. This was the most influential person in the country. Quite possibly the world, and she was acting like a concerned mother.

Now there's a scary-ass thought.

"I…" He sighed heavily. "Fuck it." Pushing her hand gently away, he struggled to put a smile on his face. "Honestly, it feels like my very being is in a vice. Has been since I walked into the door of the Courtroom."

Her mouth fell open in a perfect "Oh face", and then she giggled. Why the hell was she amused?!

"My, oh my. Two in such close proximity? And around the same age as well. That doesn't happen often."

"Uhhh, what?"

She poked him in the nose. "I suppose you wouldn't know much about that, not in your classes as of yet. But let me explain." She rose from in front of him and walked toward a window. Her posture was different now, commanding. "You, my little colt, are capable of sensing me. My magic to be more precise. The ability to judge a unicorn's magical potential is a rare gift. However, not as rare of an ability to perceive an Alicorn's. You are one of two that I know of in this generation, maybe three. Though I do not know what may have happened to her…" Celestia's mouth turned down into a frown.

He blinked at her. He could do what now? "I'm sorry, I don't understand. I can…sense you?"

"Indeed. Tell me, have you ever looked at another pony and knew almost instantly how powerful they were? Or could point out a pony without needing to actually see them?" She moved to sit in the larger chair across from him.

Orion's eyes drifted down to the floor. He was trying to think back to moments of meeting other unicorns for the first time. Had he felt them before? His mind drifted back to when he had been on the run from the law in Stalliongrad. There had been a couple of close calls. Moments where something made him stop before turning a corner, pulling himself just short of running into a patrol with actively searching unicorns in the group. Their horns glowed as they swept their heads back and forth.

"Holy shit." He breathed and heard a snort and splutter. He looked up to see her dabbing her lips with a napkin. Where did the tea tray come from? She was looking at him scandalously. "Wait. What did I say?" He groaned as he replayed the last two minutes in his head. "Sorry about that. My mouth often speaks before I can think." Lame excuse, but what could he do? Tell that he habitually swore at every opportunity? Fuck that.

She looked at him for a long moment, then grinned slyly.

"So, what you are saying is that your thoughts are filled with bad words?" His face scrunched up. Who in the hell was this woman? She snickered at him and took another sip of tea, and it hit him.

"You're a troll, aren't you?" He deadpanned.

"I'm afraid I truly don't know that reference. Explain?" This was an entirely different side to what she had displayed before with the others.

"It means you like to put people on the spot, boxing them into a corner where they have to embarrass themselves." She just gave him a very impish smile. She had dimples. "Of course you are. Well, if that's how it's gonna be…"

He eyed her carefully. On the one hand, if he spoke like he usually did, odds were in his favor that he might not get into that much trouble. It would certainly make it easier to put up with all this nonsense if he could.

On the other hand, he could get in a whole lot of trouble with school, Mrs. Evergarden, and Mrs. Greenfield as well, considering her close proximity. That innocent look she was now wearing picked his path for him.

"Ya damn right I do." She gaped at him and then busted out laughing.

"I did not…hehe…expect you to answer truthfully." She wiped tears from her eyes.

"What?"

"Oh, don't look so stunned. Orion, do you think I let just anypony be around my student for longer than passing without having them investigated?" He worked hard to close his jaw. "Not to mention that little incident with Miss Write. That's not something a normal foal would say in response to the offering of…candy."

This bitch had been playing him the entire time. Just how much did she know?

"Oh, don't glare so. It's not often I get to have such fun." A scroll appeared in her hands, and she unrolled it. "Let us see. You were found in Stalliongrad. An orphan. Your surprising occupation at the time was being a thief. Considering your lack of a herd, I can forgive that one. But evading their attempts to capture you for well over five months is rather impressive for one so young." She did that soft giggle again. "What is truly impressive to me is when you arrived in Manehattan. It was expected that you would struggle with your education. You did not." She fixed him with a suddenly unreadable look.

"Um, I have a great study ethic?" He said sheepishly, now wishing to sink into the seat and disappear.

"I am sure." She turned back to the scroll. "You surpassed all but one of your entry tests. History, which is understandable, but your flat refusal to use proper pony vernacular is a bit disturbing. I have heard your reasoning behind it, but I do not understand where that thought process has come from."

He only looked at her.

"I see you are going to be quiet on that one." She only smiled, then continued. "After a recent confrontation with a few fellow orphans, you were moved here. Formerly "White's Orphanarium," now "Mrs. Evergarden's Home for Wayward Foals”." She put the scroll down. "Where you come to meet my faithful student, Twilight, on your very first day of school. In which you caught her interest with your strange ways." She folded her arms. "What are your intentions with my student?"

"Holy shit. I really am in danger! What the fuck?! This bitch knows damn near everything." His panic thoughts slowed. "Wait a minute. She doesn't care about my past. At least, not as much as she cares about what I plan to do with Twilight. Oh, lady…you may very well be the answer to my prayers."

He liked the purple menace well enough, but her constant stopping him in the halls of school to ask a question was getting a bit much. He was almost late to class twice because of her. Not to mention how she would just stare at him as if he was a bug she was trying to figure out, was very off-putting.

"You're the Princess, right? No one's authority exceeds your own, yes?" She nodded, confused. "And she is your student? Personal student?"

"Where are you going with this?" She asked finally.

"Let me answer your question with one of my own. Just how obsessive can Twilight get?" She just started laughing all over again.

"So, I take it you're not appreciating the constant attention then."

"Hell, no. I'm expecting her any day now to ask for a blood sample. Tell me. Does she have a bag with my fur follicles? Maybe some of my mane?" She is struggling to contain herself now. If she's laughing, it means he's off the hook, right?

"I can see your concern." She chuckled. "You must understand; she's never heard of a pony like you before."

"What do you mean?"

"Why, your omnivorous nature, Orion. She can't find a single case file, or history text, of anypony like you."

He gaped. Then frowned. She had been asking a lot of questions about his diet and instincts. He had to explain the concept of sushi to her on more than one occasion. He had never told her of his eating habits, at least not at first. Once it became apparent that she knew what his teeth meant, he swore her to secrecy under the condition he would answer her questions in return.

"Not to mention your mannerisms. Very marely, might I add?"

"What do you mean by that?" He was getting indignant now.

"Orion, from what I can see and read, you're not a naive colt. So let us not pretend otherwise. I'm sure you noticed the other males around you. How they conduct themselves around mares and fillies?"

He had noticed, in fact.

In Stalliongrad, it hadn't been as prevalent as all hands were needed to work. There never seemed to be enough people. But in Equestria, stallions always seemed to take a back seat in almost everything that was a significant decision or considered too dangerous. Even Steady, while more outspoken, always submitted to the will of his wives. Doing the cooking, the clothes washing. Everything.

It was embarrassing, and it irked him. He supposed those women's rights movements he had made endless fun of may have had a point, a small one. Day after day was a constant reminder that one day those mares who find him adorable and funny now may demand his submission later.

He shoved those thoughts away and glared at the monarch instead. All semblance of a foal's innocence was gone.

"Are you going to get to the point of all this goading? It's clear to anyone that you want something. Spit it out." He spat.

Celestia set down her tea and stared back at him just as hard, a dangerous gleam in her eye. "First, I will not tolerate rudeness. Do we understand?"

It was turning out to be the soap incident all over again.

"Knock yourself out, lady. I'm not gonna let you push me around. I don't give a shit who you are. The creator itself. Don't give a fuck. What. Do. You. Want?" Somewhere in his mind, a siren wailed its shrill warning.

She did not know what to do. Well, she did. She wanted to wash Orion’s mouth out with soap. She wanted to box his ears. She wanted to spank him till he cried.

It had been centuries since anypony had the gall to speak to her in such a way!

Yet, she knew his history. Her agents had returned from their investigations in both of the previous cities he had inhabited with strange tales of a colt who had made it routine to challenge the expected norms.

None of her "wants" would amount to much other than him digging in his hooves at the first shove just as he was now.

She composed herself, years of self-conditioning hiding the fact that he had managed to rattle her. The fact that it was an effort made it clear that she had grown unaccustomed to challenge.

As she centered, she began to reevaluate what she knew of him.

Orion was a colt who did not take kindly to authority figures. However large or small, his conflicts with teachers pointed to the personal ideology that they could not be trusted.

"He expects the worst. He expects me to attempt to overwhelm him." She suppressed a smile.

"I am sorry, my little pony." Those hard eyes blinked. Uncertainty cracking his gaze. "When you spend a couple of thousand years manipulating everypony around you for their own good, you may develop a...habit."

"But you still want something." He was not to be deterred, but his tone had moderated itself to something a little more civil.

"I do." She sighed and laced her fingers together. "I am sure you are aware, but Twilight is a rather unusual filly."

"She's a freak of nature, is what she is. She's as powerful as one of the adults in school. Hell, now that I think about it, she outclasses a fair few." He frowned in thought.

"Very good. He is remembering past encounters with Magic Perception and already realizes just how extraordinary she truly is. What you could accomplish if you were not a cripple." She mused sadly.

Like he and her student, she could sense strengths amongst her ponies. But he did not need to be made aware of that fact. Still, what she could feel made her heart ache for the colt, his attachment to magic was pitifully weak as if somepony had given him a thimble instead of the buckets his peers had been gifted with.

Celestia had not lied when she told Twilight that nothing was to be done. She knew of no possible way a pony could be "altered" in a way that could improve their ability.

"Yes, she is particularly powerful. And wholly devoted to study." Maybe she should ask Professor Coil. She might have an idea that may help him.

"Yeah, she is. I've never seen anyone read through six books simultaneously." He shook his head, eyes wide for a moment before hardening again. "Still haven't gotten to the part that involves me, though."

"Patience. It is one of the virtues." She admonished him.

"Never heard of it." He snarked back. Sighing, she continued.

"Twilight has very few failings. She has excelled at nearly every task and assignment I have set before her. However, there is one that she does have that troubles me greatly." She paused.

Orion folded his arms and leaned back into his chair.

"She does not interact well with other foals her age. Even most adult ponies find it difficult to engage her in anything more than passing pleasantries. My desire is for you to grow closer to her-"

"Absolutely not. I want peace, not problems. And she's a barrel full of 'em."

She really shouldn't have been surprised at this point. But interruptions just did not happen to her.

"Orion-"

"Don't "Orion" me. When she's not asking me a billion questions, she's hammering me with references to some dude named Starswirl. The way she goes on, you'd think he was Jesus himself."

She ignored the strange name. Like him, she refused to be brought off course now.

"She has no pony to talk to other than myself, her parents, and on occasion her brother whenever he is on leave. She is alone, Orion. Her youngest brother is far too young yet to be more than an idle distraction who cannot speak her concerns to. You are the only pony I've ever seen hold her attention longer than an hour." She took on a pleading look. "Please, Orion."

For a long moment, he sat there, eyes on his hooves.

"She could lose interest in me eventually."

"She very well could. But the way she speaks of you, I rather doubt it." She smiled. "These are the formative years of her, and yours might I add, youth. I recognize my selfishness in this request to help her, but up to now, no pony I have found or seen has captured her attention quite like you."

"You make it sound like you're planning to marry us." He scandalously replied.

"By the Tree, no!" She giggled. "This is in no attempt to slander you, my little pony, but her partner will be more…well.." she shrugged her shoulders, finding herself faltering under the return of his withering glare. Celestia supposed she deserved that.

"Yeah. I get it. I'm a cripple." Rubbing his face, he finally relented. "Fine, but I get to speak how I want to. None of this bowing and scraping I see folks doing for her. Just cause she's your student means jack to me." He paused and eyed her, a shrewd look replacing the exasperated one. "In fact, outside of official functions and public audiences, I don't wanna do that shit with you either."

She arched an eyebrow. "Do you not believe you might be reaching there, colt?"

"Maybe, but you-"

"I am Princess Celestia. Ruler of Equestria." She reminded him. "I cannot have one little foal have free run to do as he pleases."

"Fine, fuck it. You win." He frowned. "I can't get anything out of this, can I?" She wanted to admonish him on his choice of expression, but something she had learned over the centuries and millennia was if you drew more attention to a foal acting out, the more they would do so. He was intelligent, that was true, but his language was just a way for him to act out.

"Nonsense, you're getting the friendship of my student. That's more than enough for anypony." She stood, and he followed suit. "Now, let's have Sergeant Bell escort you to the rest of your class. If I were you, I'd make an effort to memorize the halls. I have a feeling you will be coming back here often."

Summer had come upon him before he knew it. With the arrangement with Celestia, Twilight now occupied most of the evenings during the week. They mostly spent the time comparing notes, which was actually helpful for him as much of her knowledge pieced together what he had been missing in his understanding.

Outside of studies, they rarely talked of anything else other than his bitching about Cottonfuck, or her interest in the new quills that were being released, or that long-dead mummy of a stallion named Starswirl the Bearded. He was seriously confused by her obsession with the guy.

Screaming had grown obviously jealous of Orion and Twilight's time together and had done her best to muscle into their study.

For about a week.

The poor griffiness ended up falling asleep halfway through, sometimes sooner. After that, she had given up on that line of attack and ended up joining him in the gym instead, which was both to the good and his embarrassment. She could easily handle his regimen and go beyond.

That pissed him off and forced him to double his efforts, which resulted in the first week she joined with him being pure agony.

But things were decent, and he was happy. For the first time in a while, he was content.

Lately, however, he hadn't seen a lot of either one. At the end of the school year, Twilight ended up going with her family on various vacations to one of the many islands that were around the nation. They still got together occasionally, and she would bring a souvenir with her when she did. He was most certainly not going to wear the fucking kilt she had bought for him.

Screaming had been kept busy by something, of what she would not say, but she had a pensive look in her eyes whenever she looked at him. It looked like reluctance. He wondered what was bothering her so much.

With summer also came the easing of studies. His magic was improving but nowhere near where it should be. But he had decided that he would not study himself to death. He needed a break.

His time eating meat for protein and hitting the gym had actually hit an all-time high, and it showed on his now nine-year-old frame.

Though in his opinion, he looked like a muscle midget.

Still, he was proud of what he was accomplishing and wished he had the drive to do it back in his past life.

He had wanted to explore the city with the idle time he had to spare, but a certain Directress had stated in no uncertain terms that he was not about to be let out to wander till he was at least twelve. To school, gym, and home were his only allowance outside of planned trips with the foals. It rankled, but there were rules. That didn't stop him from sneaking out at night. The sewer covers were surprisingly easy to move and didn't emit the stink one would expect from a major city.

Orion avoided the crazies in the dark. He was not some dumbass brat who would accept free candy from a stranger.

In regards to rule-breaking and those who make the rules, something very odd happened with Mrs. Evergarden.

She and her new assistant, Sanguine Spirit, had vanished during the month of April. The more he thought about it, the weirder it got. Because some of the older fillies he had seen in the area had also disappeared. He and his fellow colts had been restricted to the orphanage.

This same phenomenon had also happened when he was living in Manehattan with Miss Dreams and Sapphire.

In place of the Directress, was an earth pony stallion simply named Chip. Nice guy if a bit of a pervert. He was always mumbling about a smell, and once Orion had overheard him in a closet. He wished he could bleach his ears.

In May, they had returned, looking a little haggard, but nothing was ever said. He knew there was something about it, something he should remember, but he'd be damn if he knew what, though.

Late one afternoon, Orion wobbled home from a particularly hard session at the gym. Pilate, no second name given though it was well known that she was Will's daughter, had decided to see how far he had come.

Despite the owner's name, she was in charge. Her father had only put up the money, and she honored him by naming the gym after him. Of course, her clientele was mostly mares, but she had classes for stallions with aerobics involved. He had never seen so many stallions just stand around and gossip around one another in his life.

They even wore leotards with leggings. The only question rolling through his mind was how the hell did they make the stretchy material without modern technology.

He stuck to shorts and a loose t-shirt. His first day had been to run into the tyrant of the gym. She had outright laughed at his desired goals. And when he had struggled at the beginning, she had only grinned, thinking she had been proven right.

But he stuck with it and was soon keeping up with many of the mares on the treadmills.

Since then, she had taken to coaching him every now and then. Mainly when he was using a particular weight incorrectly or if she felt he was going too far for his body. Worse, she was now talking about her daughter, Gymna, a filly a good two years older than him.

He had hit her with a ten-pound disc. That had shut her up but didn't stop that grin.

Today she pushed him. Hard.

He felt like he was made of rubber. Judging by how his legs shook occasionally, he wasn't sure how untrue that actually was. Getting to the orphanage's stoop, he half stumbled into the foyer and right into a large pair of dark brown wings.

He reeled back, sputtering out loose feathers that had gotten caught in his mouth.

"Ahhhgg, what the hell!? Who ordered the giant feather duster?" He coughed, which made his knees shake. "Don't quit on me now!"

The “Feather Duster” turned to glare at him. An adult griffon. Orion racked his brain for the term they called their males.

"Drake?"

He looked like a bald eagle. Beak only showed a bit of age, with the end having a bit of looking a little pale. It was tough to get an age on these folks.

Behind him was what looked like a falcon. Much closer to Screaming's features. She too looked to be older. The term hen came to mind much more quickly.

Speaking of Screaming Rush, the young griffon stood between the two, a bag on the floor between her paws. Tears in her eyes.

"What the fucky?"

"If this is…a birdnapping? Is that the right word? If this is a birdnapping, your doing a terrible job of it. It's the middle of the day, for fucks sake." He said tiredly but had already inched a hoof toward the door, prepping his voice to shout.

His legs were barely under him, but he was sure he could get someone's attention if he screamed loud enough.

Both adults gasped aloud, feathers poofing. "Okay, now that's funny."

Screaming laughed through her tears.

"No, Orion. No. I'm…. I'm being adopted today. They are…here to take me to Griffonia." Her voice was steady, but her face could have done some shoring up. The beak was turning down into a sad frown.

"How did those things do that?"

He had read up on griffon biology a few months back with no conclusion. He suspected the same thing was involved when it came to pegasi wings bending in flight.

That cover-all bullshit thing known as magic.

"Wait…. adoption?" He blinked in surprise, then smiled.

"Well, that's great news! You've been here forever. It's about time you found a home. It is a bit of a shame, though. Without you here, who's going to keep Storming in check?" He chuckled.

She did not.

"Awwwww shit. Those are not happy tears, nor is that a happy face. Fuck I'm a dumbass."

"Screaming, who is this chick? Do you know him?" The falcon spoke up. She had pretty blue mascara around her green flecked golden eyes. Those eyes were examining him from head to toe.

"This is….this is Orion Falls. You know, the colt I was hoping to see before we left. He...he's the one who eats meat like us." Her voice hitched and made him wince. He thought she would take to being adopted better than this.

"Preposterous!" Captain America clucked out. "No pony can eat meat. Their biology simply cannot handle it." A sneer took over his beak, being directed at him.

Orion merely grinned at the Symbol of Freedom, the sharp points of his teeth flashing in the low afternoon light.

Amber Waves of Grain stopped sneering.

"Asshole."

"No! He can! He used to eat with me all the time." She sniffled. "He's why there is a meat fridge in the kitchen now." She turned to him, the tears were coming faster and fatter too. Crap. But he couldn't help but notice that she was only mentioning the meat-eating thing. Why?

"Looks….looks like I won't be able to try and get you to hang out with me anymore…."

Oh. That's why. Orion had to stop the dam before it broke! He was not good with these sappy situations.

"Hey hey hey hey…..you can, ya know, always write to me? I'm not going anywhere I promise. Not like anyone wants to adopt this asshole anyway," he gestured to himself, "so I'll still be here for years to come. Unless I REALLY fuck it up." He smiled.

"Please, dear God don't start crying."

Her tears did stop. "R-r-really? You'll….write me back too?"

"Yeah. Sure, you may get a: "Sorry I can't hang out with you today" letter back. But I will write to you." His mind was screaming at him not to make that promise, but he figured what could it harm to make a promise like that? How much could she actually write?

She laughed delightedly and hugged him.

He did not consent to this. Hugs were a commodity, one he was loathed to deal out no more than a few at a time mostly because he had never liked to be touched too much.

This griffon, this hen in the making, she stole a hug. Hug stealer!

He hugged her back, and they said their goodbyes, with him reaffirming that he would indeed return her letters with his own. They separated, and all too soon, Screaming was gone. Taking flight with the two adults that had whisked her away. Sometimes he wished he had come to this world with wings instead of the silly bone on his forehead.

A hand settled on his shoulder, almost making him jump. Mrs. Evergarden had been there, but he had barely registered her presence at the time and had somehow snuck up on him like a cat. He hated that.

"That was a very nice thing you did, Orion. She was so upset that she might never have gotten to see you again."

"Eh, how much time will she have to write?" He wished he had knocked on wood.

A week later, he had gotten no less than six letters from her. She had apparently started writing the moment she had gotten on the train heading north.

The only good thing that came from all of that is her handwriting would eventually get better because it looked like she had been using her mouth to write at the beginning. That would have been a silly sight.

His summer, however, was just beginning. A chance for revenge against a pony. He just wished it hadn't come with a reminder of how similarly ugly this world was to his past one.

Author's Note

Surprise Tuesday posting.

This is a one-time change in the program. I wanted to test out a new application I got called Grammarly. A web app that is linked with my browser to help edit my writing in real-time. It's supposed to help me with sentence structure, and of course, grammar.

I have done this without my editors' help, not to dismiss them because they still help in getting my point across when writing, but to push the extent of what this program can do.

As usual, this is the part where I ask you all to leave a comment. I want you to tell me what you see differently from the last chapter to this one.

Once again, thank you for reading. And being my guinea pigs mwhahahaha.

See you between the pages. Peace!