Simplified

Midtown Canterlot The next morning...

Slowly and blurrily, half of a world fades into focus. He looks to his left, seeing one of his forelegs trapped under the orange unicorn mare beside him. He feels a shift to his right and turns that way to see a jet black mare hugging one of his wings, drooling as her slumber intensifies. It takes but a moment to recall what events transpired to lead to his morning of what many would call a resounding victory.

"Of course. The changeling invited me for drinks at a brunch. And these two got feisty and pushy, so much that they dragged me back to this hotel and just about made me rediscover how much I love drinking and mares. The beverages they have here are quite potent, and they operated like they didn't know the first thing about restraint." The prince thinks to himself as he looks down to see a changeling nestled closely into his chest, her eyes fluttering open and a gentle smile directed to him. "Dammit, it's morning. I wasn't supposed to stay here this long."

His heart jumps as her hooves clutch to his fur, pulling herself up to meet with him. "Morning cutie. You seem a bit discombobulated. She pets the stallion's cheek with an amorous intent. "Maybe you'd like some actual food instead of mares for meals?"

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea, Larvae." Jewel raises herself from off of the prince's foreleg, letting him get the feeling back in his crushed limb.

"Mr. Well-gifted-and-endowed here should be down for a meal after working in a hot kitchen all night. Stayed up serving up a party of three for hours on end." Shadie stretches her legs, finally releasing the prince's wing, "Your feathers are so soft, really well-preened. You really do take your grooming to a new level."

"Care to share some of that routine with us, pretty boy?" Jewel requests as she leans in for a kiss. "You should be able to share a few more secrets with us this morning."

Larvae pops her head up, quickly dominating the prince's personal space. "I think you'd be more interested in a meal first, I can cook."

"In a place with no stove?" Shadie points out. "Dream on, girl."

"The longer I stay, the more I'll be subject to the whims of these three. I wouldn't mind it much, but..." Images of his brothers flash before his eyes, their varying shows of disapproval casting shadows over the mouse-sized replica of himself for his being clung onto by the changeling currently before him. "I cannot get attached to any of this. No matter how good it feels, this isn't my place. I've got a job to do." He tells himself before rising up from the bed and notifying the others. "I know that our time together has been more than a stir in the right direction, but I'm afraid I have to get back to my brothers. I've been here for too long."

"Aw, cutie's gotta run." Shadie groans with disbelief.

"And to think we were all having so much fun together." Jewel tries to pull the stallion back towards the bed. "Oh c'mon, you know you can stick around a little longer. It's still early and checkout is around noon."

"Ladies, it's been fun. But I need a shower." He hops out the bed, marching towards the bathroom as the three mares quietly congregate outside of the door.

Throughout the minutes passing by, the Ponyland prince runs his shower, looking at the picture the changeling mare made him take the moment he received the device. "Why am I even staring at this girl? She opens her legs once and I claim her as I would any mare..." His eyes close as he takes in his time from the previous night, how his hard earned sweat and seed found rest on everything other than his own body. And yet, even with the two equine mares to cleanse his palate, an outstanding thought remains. "It's unfair, why the hell is she so good? I had more than just her and all I can remember is her and her alone. Is this really the taste of forbidden fruit, thrill of a taboo that becomes the sources of my future addictions? Damn that girl and her smile, she's just using me to cope with her own losses. That's all this is." The water comes to a halt, he walks to the mirror, seeing the ghastly burn scar over his disabled eye. He groans in complaint as the reflection reveals to him the contradiction to the mares' endless compliments. "After all, she would probably run away at the sight of what I look like in here." He takes the unfashionable remains of the bedazzled cloth for concealing his non-functioning eye and wraps it tightly around his head before walking back out, seeing all three stare back at him with lust in their eyes. "And just like that, you all fall for the lie. It never changes."

Shadie expresses her disappointment in seeing the stallion immediately go for his cloak. "Aww, so that's it for now?"

"Well it won't be like the last time, where we had no way of reaching out." Jewel cites as she leans into the prince with a playful smirk. "You have our numbers, right? We snuck 'em in yesterday at the brunch, you have like no security enabled on that thing, so yeah. All you gotta do is look for our names, You know who to ring up if you want to make it a fun time for all of us."

Looking to play out his role of the foreign playboy, Agamemnon winks back at the mare and hurries past her. "I'll be sure to contact you should I feel a need to unwind."

As he walks out of the room, he sees the changeling standing in the hallway, looking to bid him well until the next time they'd meet. She frowns with disapproval. "Leaving us already? You haven't ate anything. I just ordered breakfast."

"Yes. I have much to do." The stallion says as he offers her back the device she purchased for him. "I believe this is yours. I know it seems like I'm just─"

"Oh no you don't!" She shoves the phone back into his chest, standing mere inches away from his face as she leans in. "I didn't just get this for you, you know. It's for me too, because I want to stay in touch with you, make sure you're okay."

He shakes his head. "How long do you intend to suck the life out of me?"

"Dunno. Can you come back so I can suck a little more love out of you?"

Knowing her suggestive tone, he looks away to hid his eye from her gaze. "True to your nature, I suppose." He hears the sound of the elevator ding in the hall nearby and darts off to catch it.

"Text me when you get home. I'll be waiting!"

He grumbles to himself as he halfway ignores her, instead reaching out to the patrons boarding the lift. He hails to the duo of stallions. "Hey, hold that thing."

As he enters, the stallion presses the button for the first floor. The other stallion leans against the mirror-lined lift. The prince waits quietly as the doors close and they begin their slow descent. But as their climb down shows on the display above the doors, the stallion near the panel smiles as he starts to press more and more floors at once, causing them to stop at each floor on the way down. The doors open to reveal not a single patron looking to board. "Interesting... cool to know that a prince like you can even learn to unwind a bit."

Agamemnon's ears pin back as he realizes his cover is blown. His horn begins to produce a silver glow. "Who the hell are you?"

"Just a few friends from the underside." The second stallion replies. "Your big bro told us you'd be shacking up some of the locals, but given his attitude, I'd never thought you'd let a changeling in on the fun."

Attempting to defend himself, the prince belittles his interactions. "It was coincidental."

"Sure. But let me ask you this. Did she flip your world upside down? Did she shake things up? Did she ever follow up a real mare and let you know that she's just built differently, that anything after her is just an unfair contest?" The prince glances away, seeing the stallions looking at him from either mirror in the elevator. "Yeah, I knew you'd get turned out by one of them. They're a gifted bunch when it comes to the bedroom, they can go for hours with no rest. I can tell she's got you stuck too."

As the doors close, they descend another floor and stop to another empty hallway. The prince waits for the door to close again before speaking. "I only ask that my escapades remain anonymous."

"Sure. We don't judge." The first stallion replies. "But I'm sure your brothers might have a few words about it."

"What do you want?" Asks the now-aggravated prince.

"Well, seeing that you're already up here, your big bro Xerc wanted you to scope out the locations around the city, you know points of interests─" The doors open, revealing a mare with her daughter. They look at the three inside, already growing intimidated of their appearance. She lightly gives the trio a silent wave as the doors close on her. The ride down continues. "Points of interests, key figures in charge, things of that order."

Agamemnon glances at the panel, seeing that the buttons glow according to the floors that were accessed. The sign above the door now indicates the 7th floor. The corresponding button dims. "And why would I do something like that?"

The stallions wait for the doors to close again before speaking. "Because you got the friends to do something with. You're getting pretty familiar up in these city streets. Might as well keep you topside and gather intel for the boss."

"Why does this sound like an ulterior motive of yours?" The prince questions.

"Look, my guy. We all benefit from it. You, me, Xerc, Elroy, the boys, the Doc, all of us."

The prince snaps into a moment of confusion at the name. "Who's Elroy?"

"The third alicorn, you know, the one with the light purple streaks in his mane."

"Eros." The prince mutters.

"Whatever." The sixth floor opens to yet another empty hallway. The doors barely close as the first stallion starts talking again. "Look, you stay up here, keep it snazzy, make a few friends, turn a few heads the other way, and we'll work."

"What of the holy mother then?" The prince asks.

"Eh, we got an even better target for the Doc." The second stallion replies. "But first, we gotta meet up with some friends. They'll really help us get some shit done."

"And who are these friends of yours?"

The first stallion smirks as he presses the button for the top floor for fun. "I have a feeling you'll know 'em soon enough."

Meanwhile in Ponyland...

The human still seated in his dungeon cell patiently knock his feet together, humming along the rhythm he makes with every pat of his shoes contacting one other. Throughout the course of his self-entertainment, the door opens to reveal Gabranth and two centuries flanking either side of him.

Nondis glances up and stops his humming and greets the trio with a smirk. "Oh, cool. You guys are back. Guess you got some more news from the rapture." However, his playful demeanor comes to a halt as an assault rifle is brought before him, levitated in the commander's aura.

"News, minus the letter." The stallion replies.

"Hmm, new toy. Where'd you find that?"

The stallion smirks as he gives what information he believes would gain him an immediate benefit over the chained man. "We have some friends working on the inside of your group of two-leggers and city defenders. A few of these were brought right back, along with a few other things we've managed to capture."

"What else did you capture then?"

The stallion teeters the dangerous weapon playfully before the man's face. "Well if you'd wish to know, then you'd have to play nice with us over this thing in front of you. So you can start by telling us what you know about it, and how it works."

The stallion's aura quenches immediately as the man closes his eyes. The weapon falls to the ground with a clatter, the weapon also fires a stray round into the wall, causing the bullet to ricochet and hit one of the other centuries in the leg. Nondis shakes his head. "Safety's off. Should've read the manual instead of toting it around like you've won a prize." As the other century checks on the wounded stallion, the man leans forward with a more serious expression. "Let me reword my question, Gabranth, Gabbie, old buddy, old pal. Who did you capture?"

The armored century places his injured comrade onto his back and totes him out of the room as Gabranth gives a cold response. "That's our secret. And imperial doctrine dictates that we don't trade our secrets."

"You know, I don't like it when you guys try to play rough. It comes across as disingenuous." The man replies. "It's like you're trying so hard to be intimidating."

"How so?"

Nondis leans back to his wall and briefly elaborates on his personal level of discomfort, rather the lack thereof. "Have you ever considered that while I may be stuck here, this is just a fun time for me?"

"Judging from your posture, it must not be as fun anymore."

As Gabranth looks to pick up the weapon, the man flicks one of his fingers to stealthily switch the safety back on. "You should be careful. Mocking me isn't really a good idea you should follow up on. Now, I'll ask you politely once more, who do you have?"

The stallion refuses to answer the question, instead responding to the strange build of the weapon. "Interesting craftsmanship. Such intriguing design. And I'm sure the functionality should be more than substantial enough to perform to our standards. Obviously it's a weapon that shoots pellets." The stallion looks to the casing on the ground and picks that up as well. "Strangely shaped pellets, with an interesting design. I'd say give us a few months, and we should be more than able to recreate such a weapon."

"That requires you taking it apart carefully, which you dumbasses wouldn't know how to do in the first place." Nondis answers dismissively.

"All a matter of careful separation by some of our most educated minds."

"Pfft! I wonder how many of those 'educated' minds will be in for a life-changing experience. Or in the similar case of your injured friend, life-ending."

"You could just simply tell us what makes these weapons of yours so potent. That would cut down on our current miscommunications. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Or you could start by telling me who you've got, and how many." The man emphasizes once more. "We can go at this all day. I'm stuck here, right? So obviously we've got time."

The stallion shakes his head. "What a shame. I was thinking that you were going to work with us a little more since we've brought this to your attention. But now, I see that my beliefs in you is a mere show of misjudgment." Finding the man chooses to remain firm on the time being, he gambles on the idea of letting his guilt wear him down. "I'll tell you what, rogue apostle. Why don't you find out for yourself how many of your kind we may have access to. I'm sure you'll love to discover the numbers as they roll in. Not that you'd be able to do much from this cell here. So why don't you take some time to think it over while we take a little gander at this here device and it's workings to come up with a better solution. Of course, while your participation could be greatly appreciated, I assure you it is far from mandatory."

The door to the cell shut close, leaving the man with pursed lips and a motivation. "Yeah, I'm gonna learn you dumb fucks a little something new." He leans back against the wall, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "So, 'Doc', what was it that you said, 'just as easy as blinking', or something like that? Let's check on that."

2407 Golden Oaks Way...

As we sit around the dining table for breakfast, Hestia goes into a story about some of the things that happened in the empire throughout the years. While I wish I could say that I'm keeping track of her story, I know that it's becoming more and more difficult to process, almost to the point where the only thing I seem to hear is the sound of a sustained dial tone. I'm trying my best, but Ponyland matters are so convoluted.

"And then there was the one time when he missed out on the day we all thought our family was going to finally have a war within itself. He didn't believe me at first, but after that one exchange between him and─" Without warning, a loud thump sounds in the chair next to me. Hestia greets her brother. "Amor! Good morning!"

Unfortunately, he appears to be anything but having a good morning. In fact, just from appearances alone, I swear he's harboring the weight of mourning a recently deceased loved-one. "Morning."

"Oh gosh. You look... ehh..." She tries to soften the blow of her opinion, but there's no cutting around his heavily disheveled appearance.

"Terrible." I bluntly point out.

"Thank you." Sarcasm? Wow, that's usually my thing.

"You okay?" Hestia asks.

"One day at a time." He replies before addressing me with a rather flat tone. "Sir Spike, do you know of any places hiring for an assistant? I need a job."

"Well, there's a farm on the west side of town. Applejack runs the place, but Big Mac and Sugar Belle could always use the extra reinforcement, especially since they're expecting."

"I've never done farmwork before." He lays his head on the table. "To think that I give up my life for more crushing disappointment. Guess a life in serfdom would be a fitting response to my lavish failures."

"Uh-huh, no!" Ocellus jumps in. "Bump all that, you tag along with me and Smolder. We're teachers at a local high school. You don't need to worry about any part of possibly hurting yourself when you're with us. Besides, the last thing you need is a weak constitution in an orchard of apple trees you could easily get lost in. We want no surprises."

"Do I really look the part of utter misery and despair, so much that I would think to take my own life?"

Everyone looks to one another with discomfort, not really wanting to outright say it. Hestia is the first to say something to him. "Amor... Have you looked in a mirror today?"

"Why bother, I'm just going into serfdom. Might as well not bother with appearances."

Smolder rolls her eyes as she pulls on the stallion's foreleg. "Hey, you're tagging along with us. You don't have a choice in the matter. Now go upstairs, wash up, clean up, and get ready for school."

"Wow, I thought I was going to volunteer, not be a student." The prince mutters.

"Let's move!" The dragoness chants as she marches the stallion upstairs to spruce himself up.

Hestia looks at Ocellus and questions her. "So what do you think brought up the idea of him working so suddenly?"

"I told Amor that he needs to stay out of his room for a few days so he can get some interaction going. I know he's a kind character, but that's gonna go to waste if he stays locked up in his room like a hermit. So I'm dragging him out of his comfort zone and letting him see some new faces, fresh perspectives, and with the school, maybe even interact with some of the students. He's close to the same age as the senior students, so I'm sure he'll fit in somewhere." She glances back to the pegasus. "You cool with that?"

"I'll more than agree to it." She cheers as she grabs both of the mare's hooves and shakes them with gratitude. "Thank you so much. I just didn't want Amor to be sad and depressed since Princess Twilight finally gave him the big 'NO'."

"No problem, just hold on a sec." She looks past the young princess to me, using her voice to mimic Smolder knowing immediately what the dragoness' mood is going to be for today. "Big guy. Movie night upstairs. Make sure you keep the couch clear so we can actually enjoy it for a change."

I chuckle back at the changeling as she walks upstairs to help Smolder get Amor ready. "Got it." As she disappears upstairs, Hestia giggles at the changeling's response. "Gotta give credit to Ocellus, she's taking the front in reinforcing his recovery. I don't think I could even go that hard for him at this point, I wouldn't know what to say."

"Have you ever tried?" She asks. "I'd think you'd be somewhat decent at it."

I can't help but to find amusement in the idea of being a source of help for Amor, especially with my own past and means of dealing with the matter. It was only up till recently when I didn't have her picture to beat my meat to. "Never ask the advice from the guy who's still battling the demons of that circumstance." I warn.

"That doesn't sound very encouraging at all." She sits herself next to me. "Though I'm curious about something. You and Miss Rarity, did you two ever, you know, get close?"

"Never." A flood of memories rush my mind, a lot of them are from the time before I got my wings. From moments when she gave me the fire ruby, when we were in freefall over Ponyville and I tried to confess my feelings, moments where she came to my defense against Garble, and times when we had our disagreements over her failed romantic interests. Actually, that last one is more of a frustrating reminder. "Nope. Not even once."

"Did you wish for it?" She probes further.

"Still do, deep down at least. But I try not to let that show too often."

"Talk to her about it?"

"Yeah. Results stay the same though."

"You ever tried letting go?" She tilts her head at me.

"I've tried. But sometimes I think of her and it just... you know."

"So is it something that you started, or like how did that come about?"

While I don't mind the questions about my past, I start to show a little discomfort over her constant line of inquiries. But I answer anyways. "I was a dragon youngling. Crushed on her real bad. Did everything for her without question. She'd use me in a number of ways, but I didn't care. Just as long as I did whatever she needed to get done, I would always be rewarded somehow."

"Just not in the way you wanted, right?"

I grimace as I'm left to answer the uncomfortable truth. "Getting kinda pokey there, aren't you?"

"No, I mean, well... Okay, I'm just trying to see from your perspective of being rejected for so long, being in this current situationship with multiple partners, and still have room for her, though metaphorically she left the place a bit of a mess for everyone else."

"Can I give you my honest answer, heart to heart, no bullshit, fully confidential?" The mare nods back at me. "Honestly, I don't know. It's hard guessing why I feel the way I do at times. Like I know the girls are trying their best to fill in holes where I once let her stay, and sometimes I do wish that I could tell Ocellus to just outright change up into Rarity so I can get that bit out of my system. But out of respect for her, and a very stern request, I don't. And to be really candid, the closest one I've gotten to that is... would you like to guess?"

"Gabby?" She quirks a brow.

"Not even. Think least likely for me."

The mare's jaw drop with a bit of disgust. "Really?"

"Yeah, I can tell you've already found the answer. It's just..." I fold my arms thinking of it, the things I've done and the boundaries I've crossed. "Like I know Rarity is probably the one who complains a lot, and I'm sure she'd give me a lot of blowback over some of the things I do. But it's the attitude, the spunk, the way she just pulls me in and demand what she wants outright. The forwardness. I get that speech and voice is great for the mind, not to mention the physical appearance, but the warmth... the manipulation, the pride, all of it, it's almost a one-for-one. She challenges me in the right areas, places I would've imagined Rarity doing, she does that. Not only that, but she knows what she wants, and she demands it each time, and I'm allowed to truly be myself. Just that much is like a drug... almost as potent as the stuff she had me huffing on when I was over in Ponyland. The main difference between them is that Rarity was like a journey with no reward, and Zenobia is a reward with no journey. Not to say that she's easy, but─"

"She is." Hestia interrupts. "No cutting around the issue. She's just as perverse as our father, all the noble bloods are, some of the lesser bloods too. And I mean they can be pretty perverted, like they find all sorts of ways to get theirs. But she's no different from anyone else. Everyone in our family are complete perverts."

"And you're not?" I ask.

"For reasons that are my own." She answers. "But enough about that, let's get back to you and Rarity, more importantly of how you two got to this point."

"Who made you a shrink?" I ask.

"Look, I just see a similar situation, I have to ask questions. I just want to know how you feel from your perspective. What drives that part you keep buried deep within yourself towards her?"

"Who the fuck knows." I grumble. "Nowadays, I just regret the idea of falling in love with her the way I did."

"Was it her looks that got you hooked?" She inquires further.

"She's definitely got that."

"Attitude?"

"She's all over the place. Don't catch her when she's drunk, that's just another long list of problems."

"Pedigree?"

"Regular mare born and raised here in Ponyville."

"With that voice, I wouldn't have guessed." She comments of the fashionista. "Humor?"

"Yeah, she's got that. Obviously played me for a joke."

"Could it be the sound of her voice?"

"Yeah, the way she speaks is nice on the ears. Yelling is another thing." I reply.

"The way she acts towards you?"

"Dismissive, but also deeply caring─"

"Almost like a sister?" She finishes before I could.

I shake my head. "Nah, you know that siblings are the most ruthless assholes you'll ever have around you."

"Considering that my branch brothers are both Agamemnon and Eros, that's not a far stretch." She deadpans. "How long have you known each other?"

I think back to the very first day I was accompanying Twilight here in Ponyville. The first place I saw her was the town hall. she was doing decorations for the Summer Sun Celebration. "Basically eleven years."

"You had to have been pretty young." She points out.

"Yup, I had a crush on her since I was eight, and I never really could let it go."

"I see." She mutters. "Did she ever show hints that she'd reciprocate your feelings in the later years?"

"No. But she never outright told me to leave her alone. In fact, she demands my attention when I start drifting away. That's been more apparent this year."

"That's... unfair." She assesses.

"It is." I cosign.

"Have you ever told her that?" She questions me as we hear the others shifting towards the stairs.

"Honestly no... Sometimes I wish I did."

The trio comes from upstairs, stopping briefly in the foyer to bid us farewell for the time being. "We'll see you guys later!"

Hestia perkily shouts back. "Keep him out of trouble for me!" While she's bidding the others a good day, I rise from the table and look to separate myself from her modest game of twenty-one questions. "Aww, just when I'm starting to get to the good part, you wanna leave?"

"Sorry. I have some reading to catch up on."

Meanwhile in the Crystal Empire...

The humans on post are continuing to keep a keen eye on many of the towns landmarks after the recent bomb threats. But as they remain on that detail, one helicopter shuttles out of the city-state with the entirety of the high princess and her council.

While the gunship slowly disappears from the city's view, Zenobia watches from the castle balcony with many thoughts on her mind, a lot of them revolving around the increasing discourse between herself and the princess, and how it could bitterly affect the relationship between her intended and his administrator.

As she's in the kernel of her convictions, a willing associate reaches out to her. "Alrighty then. The girls have gone on and here you stay. That drama between you and them was pretty tense. Wanna tell me what's going on?"

"Disagreements of the heart." The foreign princess replies to the human.

"Like?"

"I suppose it's more of how he's being looked at by them. And then there's their comparisons to me."

Alex pulls out his phone, going through a number of his updates to his security forces. "Is it any better than what you do?"

"I mean I'd like to think so. At least I'm a lot more honest about what I say and do."

His eyes cut back to her and he pauses his browsing for a moment. "Let me reword that for a moment and ask again. I know what you feel may be justified, and that's your prerogative. But is what you're doing any better than what they've done up till now?"

The mare grits her teeth at the discomfort of having to face herself. "You humans really are fully loaded with the ammunition, aren't you?"

"Not always. Some of us can be pretty dense for a while."

The mare scoffs into a cackle. "Like who?"

"My baby brother. Stats was always a hard-headed jock with barely any maturity for his own good. If anything, he's just now coming into having a brain, much less using it correctly."

"That's just the part of maturity settling in. I'm sure we're all stubborn in some ways."

"Yeah." He nods. "But not every bull-headed person gets a chance to mature though. For some, it becomes their personality, their lifestyle. For others, a phase they eventually grow out of. It's just the habits we go through in order to facilitate that change, or lack thereof."

The mare shifts her brows as she cranes her neck towards the human. "How old are you?"

"Thirty-two."

"Hmm... Interesting." She purses her lips with an inward inquiry.

Already having gone through the same response to his age, he promptly jumps ahead of her and discloses his familial
developments. "Yup, thirty-two and a proud father of three."

"Wife?"

"Of course." He confirms. "What about you?"

"Single. Bachelorette. I'm actually thirty-seven, but still fertile."

"And you're intimate with Spike?"

"Not that he minds it. We've had our fun, even after I've revealed to him my age. It just made him go even harder." She shrugs, but quickly shifting gears as the man snickers to himself. "What's so funny?"

"I have a younger brother who's just like that. You could say he has a thing for prehistoric grannies."

"Prehistoric grannies!?" She asks with a bit of disgust.

"Oh yeah. He's twenty-eight, she's well over a thousand years old. I bet he's wrecking shop even now."

The mare quickly gathers an idea of who he may be relating to. "He wouldn't happen to have a boat, would he?"

"A yacht, yeah."

"His name is Nondis?"

The man rolls his eyes, tapping himself on the side of the head. "Ah, of course you've met him. That's how you got here."

"Can't exactly say that our first encounter was a pleasant one."

"Really? What happened?" He inquires.

The mare blinks, the moment where twenty of those under her command replays the instant each of their necks were crushed in unison as the black tendrils flexed their strength. "Well we call him the rogue apostle of the Doctor for a reason."

"The rogue apostle? That's a new one." The man scratches his head. "Yeah, but that look on your face you just made now tells me that you saw a scary side to him, something that left a psychological impression." His eyes falls to the mare, his cheeks running pale with a recount of his own. "He did the thing, didn't he, where his shadows move and he doesn't?"

The mare shakes herself form one image and brings herself back to the humbling reality that even the aforementioned human holds an even greater fear for his spouse. "Well you shouldn't be too concerned. It's not even him that's the worser nightmare. Have you seen his wife when she's angry and blood-lusted?"

"Celestia? I mean I've heard stories of it." He ponders.

"Her mane turns into a fiery orange. Literal fire." She briefly summarizes. "Her cheeks run red, her eyes smolder into a lava-like glow, and she bears the strength of ten thousand strong creatures, she swings her weapon with the gravity of the sun. Not even the finest forged metals are spared."

The man looks to the mare with an incredulous wonder. "You must've pissed her off because I've never seen that before."

"Not to that degree, but I did rile her anger once. Was left in a bed with first and second degree boils after I insulted her husband. Learned my lesson that day."

*BANG*

Both of the pair duck their heads down, immediately looking around to see what it is that disrupted their conversation before seeing a rapidly ascending plume of smoke sourcing from the northern part of the city. "What the hell was that!?" Zenobia shouts.

Alex's communications device chirps as a transmission is sent over. "OVERLORD, THIS IS HIGHTOWER, WE HAVE A CONFIRMED EXPLOSION IN THE DIRECTION OF THE FUEL DEPOT! REQUESTING ASSISTANCE FROM LOCAL FIRE MARSHALLS TO CONTAIN DAMAGES!"

"Read! Will update ASAP!" He answers, looking back to the foreign alicorn. "Let's go, princess!"

As they briskly make their way through the castle, they encounter a steadfast but concerned Shining Armor. "What was that about!?"

"Fuel depot! We gotta save some of the tankers before that fire spreads! I'll be bad for the city if we don't!"

The blue-maned emperor is quick to enact a plan. "I'll send in some of our best in emergency response! I'm sure the nearby unicorns are looking to help move the other tankers away from the source so that we minimize how much we lose!"

"Good man!" Alex replies. "Less we lose, longer we stay operational."

"I'll go help!" Zenobia eagerly chimes out.

"Good woman! Shining, take her to the depot! See what you can do from there! I'll run evacuation efforts to minimize casualties!"

"Good on you!" The stallion replies before questioning the mare walking beside him. "Do you know teleportation magic? We can get there that way."

"Teleportation magic, on us!?" The alicorn asks. "Doesn't that give you crippling headaches and terrible mana burns?"

The stallion shakes his head as he grabs the mare and holds her close. "Not really, let me show you."

"Don't teleporting more than one pony makes those side-effects thrice as worse!?"

"You got a lot to learn, princess." He says as his horn glows a rich magenta glow. "Step one is seeing yourself as an object to be summoned. Step two is to know where you want that object to be and visualize it in your mind. Then there's step three."

The princess glances down to see how close the emperor holds himself to her. The mare's cheeks run a humble crimson. "Um, what's step three?"

"Poof."

Twilight's School of Friendship Ponyville...

As the students are engrossed in a game of hoofball outside of the gym, Ocellus and Smolder keep keen eyes on many of the students during their going about. As some of the students all wait their turn, a group of teenage girls snicker and giggle over the figure sitting in the grass across the field, looking off as the wind blows.

In his distracted gaze, he pays little mind to the group of giggling girls growing closer to his side. But there is one who steps in to intercept the promiscuous trio. Within the second, they stammer with embarrassment over their being caught so quickly. "Oh! Good afternoon, professor!" One of the girls try to play off their intent.

Amor shakes awake to the present situation, seeing a mare standing between him and the three teenage girls. "Stardust Dream, good afternoon. Is something wrong?"

"Actually, we were all wondering who's the new sub. He's pretty... different looking." The teen unicorn plays with her mane a bit as she looks past the mare.

"Oh him, that's Prince Amor Ambrosia. He'll be volunteering for the time being."

"A prince?" One of the girls mutter under breath.

The second student speaks out. "How long is he gonna be here, do you know?"

"For some time. Now why would you ask that question?" The mare narrows her eyes at the three.

"We were just wondering!" The third replies as she walks around the instructor to ask the young prince a question. "Excuse me, sir. I know that you're a volunteer chaperone for the time being, but I wanted to know if you were any good at math. I'm having some problems with my geometry assignments. Could I burden you with a few?"

"Ugh, girls these days." The mare shakes her head as she ignites her horn, using her magic to politely displace the eager teen from the prince's personal space to rejoin her friends. "Sorry, ladies. He might not be that far off from you and volunteering, but he is staff for however long he'll be here. And you know we have a strict policy with staff-student relations."

"Okay..." The first girl grumbles in protest before pressing the issue further. "How old is he?"

"Get moving! No stumpies here! Get!" The mare replies sternly.

The three trot off giggling as the first shows her disappointment with not being able to probe the prince for his age. As they disappear back into the playing field, the mare chuckles at their boldness. The young prince also comments on their approach. "They're a pretty ambitions bunch."

"Freshmen." The mare groans. "I'm sorry, but girls that age don't need to start looking into guys like you until they get a little older."

"I wouldn't dare entertain the thought." Replies the prince.

"Good to know that you aren't looking to, because oh boy they will. And you need to know how to say no to that."

"Are girls always like that at their age?"

"You don't have the slightest clue." She replies with a smirk. "Girls like that will make time to get frisky. So you better avoid those types, especially the ones that hang around the library after school. They may have some good study habits and grades, but that just means they manage their time well. And they especially love to fit something into their schedule, if you know what I mean."

"How terrifying." He comments as a gust of wind blows his own mane into his face. "This wind is really gusting today."

"I know, it's hard to keep my mane in check. I literally grew it out just so I could be pretty like some of the models, it's hell to manage. But I like it anyways." She says as she tries her best to maintain her own style. "Anyhow, Ocellus did mention that you would be here for a while."

"That's... up to chance. Though I haven't met you formally. Even if you know my name, it's only customary that I properly introduce myself to a colleague, no matter how temporary." He bows his head towards the mare. "Amor. Amor Ambrosia."

"Ambrosia... that's a name." The mare grins as she leans into the young prince. "You must be one of those herding types, aren't you?"

"Herding?" The stallion asks, caught in confusion.

"You know, polyamorous, indulgent, active."

"Oh! Well... not really." He shyly replies before giving the mare a second look. "Um, actually, you don't look all that older from those girls a moment ago."

The mare quirks a brow. "Really? How old do you think I am? Just off of looks, give me your best guess."

"Um... seventeen?"

The mare smiles at him as she fixes her mane after yet another strong breeze. "Wow, you're an even bigger flatterer than I thought!"

"I never did get your name, ma'am."

"Sweetie Belle. I'm one of the staff here."

"You must be pretty young then."

The mare tries to hide her blush as she clears her throat. "Okay, prince flattering, now how old are you?"

The prince points to himself. "Nineteen, I believe that's the same age as Sir Spike."

The mare's eyes widen. "Wow. You're younger than me, just a year short of it."

"Then you'll have to forgive me, I should probably address you as my senior─"

Sweetie plants her hoof on the stallion's muzzle. "Stop that right there! Don't you go around with that. We're already starting off solid, don't ruin this for yourself."

The prince corrects himself. "My apologies. I suppose we are peers, even if you are a year above me."

The alabaster mare stands herself next to the stallion, lowering her voice as the winds finds a moment of reprieve. "So just to let you know, I didn't come over here only to scare off some aspiring teens looking to give you a court case."

"You didn't?" He asks.

"Not even." She clarifies. "Ocellus told me and the others a little thing about you. Word through the grapevine is that you've been hard stuck on a certain princess who hasn't really had the time to invest in what I'd like to call 'extrapersonal team building'. And I hear that's got you in a pretty funky mood too."

The stallion sighs. "So I see."

As Ocellus runs by, trying to oversee a group of boys getting a bit aggressive in the game, Sweetie calls out to her. "Professor, mind if this CMC takes this one off your hooves?" She points back to the young prince.

"All yours. Just try not to break him!" The changeling replies as she strives to put a moratorium on some growing tension between the boys. "Smolder, need your help here!"

The prince calls out to the two that brought him to the school. "Hey, wait! You're just going to leave me here with this mare I don't even know!?"

"Uh, duh! That's the point of today, put you around a bunch of ponies who you don't know, who don't know you, and get you to interact so that you don't fall into hermit territory." Sweetie explains as she casually picks up the prince in her magic and escorts him about her way. "Now come along while I kindly abduct you to our office."

As they travel down the hall of the school, Amor is quietly mesmerized by the photos on the wall. Some of them have the early showings of all the previous instructors and staff, especially the previous headmare that the school is named after. It appears to be the photo from the inaugural year. He also notices that some of the faces of those students are also staff and teachers of today's classes.

"Is that... Sir Spike down there at the forefront?" The prince questions.

"Oh yeah, lot smaller then than what he is now. Dragon puberty is a strange thing, you go from being a shrimp at thirteen to having your first molt, then getting a new pair of wings, then go through the second molt that shoots out your limbs, and then a third molt after that to really kick your voice down a few tones and keep your body in it's growth stage for however long you live."

"Growth stage?" The prince inquires. "You mean Sir Spike isn't done growing?"

"Ha, I wish. Give it a few decades and he'll be over six feet tall."

"That's terrifying. That means he'll be the size of a two story building after a few hundred years." The prince ponders aloud. "So, aside from things we'll never see, I would like to ask about that acronym you've given yourself. What's a CMC?"

Sweetie stops as she points to a photo of her on the left side of a trio of mares smiling in a picture. "Cutie Mark Consulting, we're a trio of school counselors who do our best to interact with not only students, but also staff and faculty. In a way, we're like Equine Resources, but we don't mind getting personal with you." The mare's magic twists at the door knob to her office, offering the prince entry into the humble office. "Come on in."

As the prince walks in, he sees that there is only one desk, a chair, a chaise, and a shag rug on the floor. The mare walks behind the desk, going through a file cabinet and pulling out a pen. Amor comments on the lack of desks. "From the photo we just saw, I expected this to be an office held by three. This feels more like a room for two."

She also pulls out a bowl of decadent chocolates before sitting down in her chair. "We all use this office, not all at once, obviously. But no matter where we are in life, there's always room for counseling to give us a deeper perspective on ourselves."

"Why do you feel that I need that?"

"How would you need me, let me count the ways. Have you undergone a life-changing paradigm shift within the period of six months?"

"A month, yes." His eyes lift as he hears a scribbling sound. He sees the pen beside the unicorn mare jotting some observations down on a clipboard. "Is that really necessary?"

"Attention to detail requires an immediate recollection of testimonials, sometimes perspective has to be written down before we can finally address the issues on hoof." She replies. "Now, have you ever had ambitions that were previously seen unrealized?"

"That's pretty specific." She pauses, expecting an answer. "...Yes."

She carries on. "Have you ever had, at any point in your life, experienced suicidal ideation?"

"That's really specific... and uncomfortable."

"I'm just asking general questions I'd ask any of the students here. You don't have to tell me everything at once, but that one I would really like to know for your sake."

"...Thoughts... I was always too afraid to try."

The mare places down the clipboard, giving him her direct attention. "Have you ever engaged in an extrapersonal exchange for the purpose of feeling content, only to feel less than rewarded at the end of it all?"

"How much did that changeling tell you?" The young prince complains. "And what's with your strange wording of things?"

"We have students that like to eavesdrop on occasion, and we also have changelings in attendance. So I speak like this to not sound as blatantly obvious. Plus, you're a pretty hot topic around the girl students too."

"As if we didn't find that out earlier." Amor responds as a school bell sounds over the PA speaker.

"Guess it's time for the exchange period. Will definitely be needing this then." She says as she illuminates the room with her magic. A bright green flash dilates the prince's eyes, causing him to wince initially before seeing a bubble surround both him and the caster. "Okay, so to run things down on the simple tip. Ocellus is concerned because of something that occurred last night, after you and her got... friendly. She's, among others, are worried that in your time here, especially after everything that was revealed to you, you might have developed some internalized scenarios that would involve you... disappearing altogether."

"My life isn't exactly a soap opera to be studied, you know."

"I understand, really I do." She answers warmly.

"You understand?" Responds the prince, now growing a bit agitated. "I'm sorry, but you don't know the first thing about me."

"You are correct in that regard." She offers a piece of chocolate to the prince. "But now we're in a space where we're able to understand each other. Now I'm not asking you to tell me what all happened to you in foalhood. But I would like to start with you telling me a little more about yourself. Again, doesn't have to be too deep. Just tell me about you feel right now, what do you feel about this, me dragging you here. We'll go into Ocellus at another time, but I want to hear what you have to say that's on your mind right now. Surface level stuff, be honest, and let it go."

"I feel like... I'm angry." He grumbles before taking a piece of chocolate.

"Okay. What makes you feel that way?"

"Me being here right now, how I can't return home, how I can't go back to the way things were when I was blissfully ignorant, how when I wanted to see my most treasured vision come to pass, it gets stomped out like some embers of a discarded match." In the course of the brief outburst, the prince lays himself on the chaise and closes his eyes. "Everything feels so... empty. I don't know what's left. My father just started a war with a nation allied with the very descendants of creatures who gave us the blueprint for our weaponry. And it's all for an asshole of a brother who started this mess to begin with!"

"Alas, for he swears." The mare whispers under her breath. "I can understand you being upset about what's going on. However, understanding doesn't always feel empathetic. And I suppose right now, you don't feel like anyone empathizes with you, or can. So while I don't quite understand right know what all you're going through, what I do know is there's more to this than you being upset that someone rejected you. So let's start working backwards, you're here now. What do you think has you here that makes you feel what you feel now?"

A heavy breath leaves the prince as he opens his eyes. "Sometimes it's better to dive in, that's what Hestia tells me." He says aloud. Sweetie offers to question him of what he just spoke, but he carries on with his issues at heart. "...I feel... so useless... as a male."

The mare continues to scribble away at her clipboard, but makes it significantly less obvious by keeping it outside of the bubble behind him. "Why do you feel that?"

"...Last night."

"Now I did say that we could talk about that part later, but do you feel comfortable talking about last night?"

The prince turns his head to her. "If I may confide in you, not to besiege your coworker on the matter."

"There are a number of students who come here with their minds in flux, especially with their bodies still going through drastic changes they don't yet have a grasp for. We aren't that much older than them either." She rises from her desk, placing her hoof on his head. "What you say in this room will not leave from within these four walls unless you allow it to leave from your own mouth when you walk back out. I promise you that."

Amor looks at the bowl, taking another piece of chocolate. "She changed into Princess Twilight, just as I asked. She sounded just like her, perfected in every facet. She showed me everything I dreamed to see. And... I mean, I was more than interested."

"Aesthetically?"

"...Sexually." He confesses. "She welcomed me with open hooves, and I couldn't have been more enticed. I played right into my fantasies, and indulged. It was... heavenly. I felt so embraced that I just drove my hips forward. I feared that I would've really collapsed at the very moment I hilted, but I didn't. I just kept going... and going... until I... broke down."

"Broke down?" She repeats.

"I... I cried. I cried into her hooves, unsatisfied, unfinished, and feeling even worse because I knew that none of it was real. I just gave my first to the illusion I desired out of my pain of being rejected." He grabs the pillow from behind his head and plants it over his face. "I felt terrible, like I was using the image of my desires to placebo myself into feeling better about what I couldn't get. And then, I hear the words of my father calling me inept, as he always would."

"Hmm... Why would your father call you that?"

"Because I never could be like my brother." He responds. "My brother was... My older brother would've been better with my name than I ever could dream to be. He was so easy to fraternize with, charismatic, just... effortless when it came to mares. But while I was around him, I tried to imitate that, but it never could work with me, probably because I was so young. But even as I got older, nothing really... stuck. I just felt... out of place. I felt like I wasn't equipped enough for that."

"I beg to differ." Sweetie retorts. "From my outsider's perspective, I see this really nice looking stallion dumping on himself for some reason. Now of course, I'm not going to say that what you're feeling is nonsense, but I don't have a grasp of your perspective. Where and why do you feel like you're not enough?"

"Because..." The prince begins through much hesitation. "Because I don't know how I'm supposed to feel. I mean I know that us lesser bloods are always just as titled, but my father... my brother..." Flashes of a darker time plays out in his mind, causing him to suddenly rise from his seat, even wrapping his tail firmly around one of his hind legs. "...I'm sorry. I just..."

Seeing that he's hit a sensitive place in his mind, Sweetie elects to give him time to process and ends her session with the young prince. "Well it's easy to understand that you aren't quite sure of what you are because of some development in the past. I won't tell you to elaborate right now because I have a scheduled visitation coming up in about five minutes with one of the students." The bell rings, signifying the end of the exchange period. As the bubble subsides, she grabs a hold of his hooves and holds them in hers. "But what I want to do for you is that I want to get you to stop by for my lunch hour tomorrow. You don't have to dig deep, I'm not going to pressure you into that. You can just tell me about your day. I can get you lunch, we can talk casually, may even go out and get you a phone just so you can reach out to me whenever something's on your mind."

The prince's eyes lower with guilt. "I... I don't want to inconvenience you like that."

"You'd inconvenience me if you refuse." She replies with a nurturing tone. "So tell me that you'd be willing to see me tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay."

She smiles back at him, also offering one more piece of chocolate before putting the bowl back in her drawer, "Alrighty then, I'll see you tomorrow. Hopefully we'll get to know each other a little more, hang out, because I'd like to hear what you'd like to do, and maybe we could do those things together."

"Thanks." He says as he accepts the last piece of chocolate. "You know... this is the first time I've probably seen a therapist in all my years."

She shakes her head as she teleports the clipboard back into her drawer. "Don't look at me as a therapist, I tell the kids that all the time. I'm a counselor, I'm not some self-absorbed bitch who lords over you with my intelligence, just to scribble your personal problems into a folder and stuff it in a cabinet at the end of the day. I'm someone you talk to, to connect with. Maybe even be a friend, if that's what you want."

"Well... I think I have someone like that at home... but I can't really talk about my personal things. You know."

Sweetie snickers as she starts to push the stallion out of the room. "I say it so many times before, and I'll say it again. I don't want you telling me anything until you feel comfortable. Now get back out there, Smolder and Ocellus should be in the break room starting their lunch. You can mingle with the other teachers and staff there. I'm sure they'd love to get to know you throughout your time here." She looks each way in the halls. "Now go on, you don't want to get caught by those sneaky ones. They'll get ya."

"Thank you." He says as he trots away, leaving the mare to return to her office. As she closes the door, she leans against it with an idea bouncing wildly in her mind.

"Fuck, he is fine as hell... I'm gonna fix him first... Then he can snack on something other than my chocolates."

Onboard the IAS Harpy Midnight Castle Airfield...

"ATTENTION ALL CENTURIES! ATTENTION ALL CENTURIES! YOU ARE TO FORM RANKS IMMEDIATELY IN THE HOLDING BAY! REPEAT, YOU ARE TO FORM RANKS IMMEDIATELY IN THE HOLDING BAY!"

Everyone in the ship gathers as instructed, the numbers of the crew reaching over that of a thousand active members. Some fill the walkways of the rafters, others look on from the floor as the commanding officers of the vessel walk onto a separated walkway leading directly to their quarters. All lift their heads as the captain steps out to the center of the suspended bridge and speaks into a comms device powered by an orange crystal.

"Centuries of Ponyland, many from the crusts of the land below, those who have yet to see the beauty of the world's sun, I say to you, REJOICE!"

The many reply with severely dwindled morale, many spattering the word in staggered form.

The captain's mouth turns downward as he chides the crew for their lack of enthusiasm. "Pitiful... Is this not a day for many of you? Are you all so deprived of life that you fail to see the opportunity before you!? The sun will soon be yours to see, the air clean to breathe, the sky open to receive it's abundant blessings upon your faces! The emperor has granted you such privileges! REJOICE!"

"Rejoice!─joice!"

"It has been designated to me that you all have been assigned to the northern front of this war! Glorious day, for many of you are given this wonderful position! You all shall be the spear that thrusts itself unto the shields of these weak and feeble Equestrian knaves! And what glorious wonder would it be to have such an honor, to be the ones to tell your families back home of the first to encounter such a foe! But hold, for we have been given yet a more daunting task!" The captain holds up a letter with a wax seal. "As our reports have given unto us a perilous update of our front, the legendary creatures known as the two-leggers hold yet a stronger shield and sword to our ranks! Thus it is assigned that many of you are now assigned not to battle, but to glory immortal!

Many of the faces of the centuries in attendance turn sour and grim as they feel an impending dread associated with the term of 'glory immortal'.

The captain continues. "Your losses are expected to be substantial, and your lives expendable for the greater cause! For country, for land, for our emperor, you will die with honors!" The whole hall grows silent with occasional sniffles and stifled moans of dismay. "While I hope that many of you poor bastards have solidified your affairs, some I can assure have not! But fret you none, we will have our notaries available for you to report to for the duration of this voyage! So speak with them, that is if you wish for your family to either receive your honors, or your remains!"

Those that have held back their cries now weep in silence over their inevitable demise, all at the given directive of their superiors.

"It is possible that we may not even touch the fettered soil of those lands! Fighting has begun in the air, an unprecedented arrangement that now pits us against the best of what they have! We wage war against machines unlike any other! And not only do we raise our banner against the Equestrian filth, but also the likes of the legendary creatures! While our battle may be one-sided in favor of them, our objective is not to win! Our objective is a more simplified manner! Spill blood! We spill for our country, we spill for our emperor, we spill for what is noble!"

As they all share in the existential dread, one of the medical assistants offer a compensatory measure, a small glass filled to the brim with rum. "Take one and pass it down. The captain proposes a toast."

As the many gather their mutually disadvantaged compensation, the captain above continues to preach down to the despondent masses. "We reach the northern front in eight hours! Sleep well! Dream of great things, of the country we will soon have for the morrow, for those who come after us! We spill our blood for their victory!" An assistant approaches the captain with a common glass filled with an aged merlot. He takes the beverage and raises it above his head with jubilation. "Long live the empire!"

"Long live!" The masses take the miniscule shot of rum in unison, many already bemoaning the idea that all they are given in their final moments is the reassurance that their lives are forfeit, and an accompanying shot glass of rum to hold them over for the incoming eight hours of finality.

The captain sips on his wine, finding satisfaction of the taste. "Be proud, centuries! For your night ushers in a new dawn! What a glorious day to die for our great empire! It is an honor bestowed upon many, but few are given this chance! SO MAKE WHAT YOU WILL OF IT, BUT LET IT BE GLORY FOR OUR PRESTIGIOUS EMPIRE! DISMISSED!"

Some fall to the ground, weeping uncontrollably as their fates are all but sealed. Others speak out complaints as they leave the room. "Stupid commanders. We get thrown into a suicide mission and all we get is a single lousy drink. I literally asked for more, but there's a shortage!"

"And in the meantime, they get to live in their lives of luxury after reporting back. I'm almost convinced that our ship blowing up in the air over these waters would be a justified end if it meant they were to join us."

"What good will we be when it's all said and done? Just more bodies to the pile." A third replies. "I just wanted a good life for my sister."

A crying century carries himself out, sniffling all the while. "I'll never see my family again."

Another walks out with a despondent stare into oblivion. "I'd rather die an unknown in the mines."

Another walks out, staring at each of the disgruntled crew before leaning against the wall with a few thoughts in mind. "Ah, the sound of despair, words ushed to the many given their chance to meet the cold embrace of the reaper's touch, all to spare the lives of the few who give their orders. Such a depressing thing." One of the centuries file out with a sickened groan before projectile spewing his anxiety all over the floor. "Damn. Now, I'm starting to get all nostalgic and shit. Too bad this body doesn't have much of a will to keep going. Can't blame the poor guy though. It's not his fault the dungeon gave him little other than half a molded slice of bread for a week. Guess I can make this his big payback."

"Hey you, lackey on the wall there! Report to your quarters and rest up! We've an early day in the crucible!"

"Yes sir!" The pony replies with a young but strained voice, trotting back to the barracks.

"Not quite as easy as blinking, but it's a start."