Adventures in the TARDIS

Something occurred to me that while Princess Arielza and I trot our way to the Grand Cathedral. We passed several other maids, servants and guards who recognized us on sight. It doesn’t surprise me in the least that they recognize my escort, but the reason that it surprises me is because none of them are chasing me as if I were a criminal and gutter trash. Instead of that, they react to me as if they’ve seen a ghost return from the dead.

While it is true that my attire has been spruced up some because of the outfit my wife gave me, it still strikes me as odd that that is the only dividing line allowing these ponies to recognize me as the former Sultan or not.

That still feels strange, too. I’m divided on that point. Part of me recognizes others regarding me as if I’m the Sultan, yet another part of me keeps expecting to “wake up” from this dream. Considering the fact that a bunch of other crazy elements are part of this reality as well, that only reinforces my subconscious belief that this has to be a dream.

If I dismiss that notion for a moment and convince myself that this is real then I also have to acknowledge several other points that go along with this. Now that I’m trotting through the Palace in the open and being recognized as the apparent former Sultan who returned from the dead, then it’s only a matter of time before the antagonists of this adventure make a move as well. Somepony is going to report to them the fact that I’ve returned. That pony might not even intend any harm in that action, but nevertheless, this is going to stir a reaction from Dispatcher and Grimwald. When it does, they will most likely be hostile.

What really worries me about that is the secret strength Dispatcher commands. Fortunately it is still daylight outside, but I’ve been warned that the Grand Vizier has been augmented far beyond the degree most ponies would expect him to be. There’s no telling how many spawns he has out there either or what he’ll command them to do too.

Having my wife beside me really helps ease my mind, though. It’s almost as if I can absorb her confidence through osmosis. By watching her trot through this Palace with confidence and authority, I feel as if it’s easier to hold my head high as well. Right now it kind of feels like I’m a foal being escorted by a powerful adult, which is ironic considering I was the one who originally grew up here, but eventually I might get my groove back in this Palace.

In thinking of Red Star, however, there is a part of me that laments that transition. In order for this life to become more my norm, the one I had must be, more or less, abandoned. Here, I’ll regain comfort, security, and authority again. Despite all of that, the prospect of the shift still makes me sad.

With each guard we meet, I keep tensing up as if expecting for spears to be aimed at me or scimitars ripped from their sheath while the wielder chases me down and screams like a madpony. I just can’t help it. That experience has been so ingrained in me recently that it keeps catching me off guard when they bow to me instead.

To be fair, the Princess is with me too, but she’s highly unlikely to be the one that caused their stunned, haunted, and/or relieved reaction. Most of them look like they are begging me to give them permission to ask me a question or dozens.

While all this is going on, plans formulate in the back of my mind. That’s the part of me that’s saying, “Well, just in case this is all true, there is a list of things that need to get settled in this country before I can relax. This includes the list, and plans, that the Doctor gave me.”

When the Princess and I get to the Grand Cathedral, I do not get much time to soak in the atmosphere of this place. In what degree that I do, it leaves me stunned. My mind floats between recognition and unfamiliar awe. Part of me wonders if this place used to stun me as the Grand Sultan Nanpour as well.

Judging from the sheer opulence of this place, there’s certainly a chance of that even for a pony accustomed to royal luxury. It feels like comparing a royal throne in a mortal realm to a divine throne among the gods. There’s something about this sheer open space, the acoustics here, the grand architecture, the incredible magnificence, and masterful art that conveys a sense of otherworldly presence. Any pony who trots in this place is bound to feel much smaller in comparison. I can’t help but wonder if Princess Celestia would feel the same in this place, and it boggles my mind to think I may soon get the chance to ask her.

However, before I can fully absorb and digest the grand elegance of this place, the Princess and I meet another encounter that neither of us can afford to ignore, for he is none other than Captain Grimwald.

I just keep on getting caught off guard by a different reaction of these guards than I expected until I glance to my right and notice the fact that the Princess is still standing beside me which is yet another element I have to get used to again. Once again, I keep expecting somepony like the Captain to immediately brandish his sword and demand something, like for me to step away from the Princess as if my mere presence next to her taints her somehow. Instead, I am surprised to see him remain still. There is a weary, resigned look to his face and yet, for some reason, a hint of relief as well.

The three of us stare at each other for several tense moments. I’m not exactly sure how long until my wife dispels this tension by speaking up.

“Captain,” she says with a nod of acknowledgement. “It might be evident to you, by now, that you have some explaining to do.”

“Indeed, Princess,” Captain Grimwald acknowledges.

I grow startled when he finally does draw his large scimitar and he does it slowly, too, as if for dramatic effect. However, seconds after he draws it, he chucks it to the ground. Considering the incredible acoustics of this Cathedral, only Grimwald is the one who manages not to wince at the intense echoing sound of metal clanging in this huge room, and the only reason he probably managed to resist that reaction is because he was the one expecting that sound.

“Was that really necessary?” Princess Arielza asks with a wince and hint of annoyance in her voice.

“That,” he points down at his dropped sword, “is something a royal guard of this Palace should never do, especially one of senior authority. However, in this case, I made this gesture to convey my surrender and my resignation.”

“Resignation?!” the Princess and I ask simultaneously. We both glance at each other long enough to notice a stunned expression on both of our faces. The Princess is the first to turn back to Grimwald and say, “I acknowledge the gesture, Captain, but I don’t accept your resignation yet until I receive a satisfying explanation. Until I do accept your resignation, you are still under my royal authority.” After a second she corrects herself to, “Our authority, actually.”

“Fair enough,” Grimwald accepts with a grim nod. “It should be pretty evident to your husband that I was hired by Grand Vizier Dispatcher, and he did that because of my history. I was once a former slave, you see, but the task I’ve mostly been set to before was a gladiator. The reason I stand before you today, with the authority granted to me, is because of the sacrifice many other ponies were forced to make before my blade. I was good at my job. That meant I have talent, and Dispatcher wanted that for his own ends.

“For multiple reasons, he used to have my loyalty too. Partly because of the favor he granted me. Both for freeing me, sort of, and made me Captain of the Guards. I also enjoyed the fact that I had the legal right to brandish and wield my blade.

“On the flip side, I also cooperated with the Vizier because I knew how powerful he secretly was and still is. Is that loyalty? I guess you can say that. Fear can so closely resemble that sometimes. I can be intimidating, but you do not want to meet Dispatcher in a dark corner of the Palace at night. I’ve seen enough of what happens to his victims to know how easily he could also “dispatch” me if he wanted to. No pony else in this Palace knows how easily that tall and lanky stallion could absolutely devastate anypony in his way. He’s not a pony anymore, assuming he ever was. Instead, that stallion is a monster.”

I’m surprised when Grimwald suddenly looks at me fondly. It is a look I have never seen from the guy before.

“The real reason I eventually, and secretly, switched my allegiance to you, My Liege, is because of what you did for Red Star,” Grimwald tells me.

“Since when?” I feel compelled to ask as I am taken aback. “Allegiance to me? You gave me so much grief. You chased me through the streets so many times.”

“Right, but I had to,” Grimwald acknowledges with a nod. “It must have caught your attention, by now, that the Guards here in the Palace recognize and give deference to you, My Liege. Given those facts, don’t you think it’s odd that the ones who followed my orders on the streets didn’t recognize you?”

“Not really,” I reply as I calm down a little. “I’m not an idiot, nor was I born yesterday. Clearly the ones who followed you on the streets were also hired by Dispatcher, and that more recently. Recent enough that they wouldn’t recognize me on sight.”

“Correct,” Grimwald agrees with a nod. “That also means they report to him too, and if it became obvious that I was granting you mercy, then Dispatcher, in turn, would grant me none.”

“Oh!” I exclaim with a surprised blink.

“Furthermore, if it became clear to them that I had secret allegiance to you, then not only would I be disposed of, but the next pony he hires for this job might take it more seriously,” Grimwald explains. “Sure, I chased you down and made a good show of it, but behind the scenes, I also put my hoof down with firm denial when some of my subordinates suggested we capture Red Star instead and use him as a hostage to secure your cooperation.”

“I take it you were sympathetic for Red Star because you were a former slave yourself?” comes Princess Arielza sympathetic and educated guess.

“I hate slavers!” Grimwald says with a passionate growl. “Well and truly I despise them. Just as well, I somewhat despise myself for being forced to look the other way while they operated on the streets.” He shakes his head. “I don’t know why Dispatcher regards them favorably but I get the sense there is some hoofshaking behind the scenes. He acts like he owes them some favors or something. Don’t ask me why because I don’t know. For his part, this seems to be a reluctant alliance. It’s as if they have some hold over him.

“Whatever the case may be, he has ordered me, and my stallions, to turn a blind eye to these cases. I have never despised another order he’s given me more but I had to do it. Not only because of the legal authority he has for the moment, but also because of the secret strength he hides in the shadows. There might be other shady allegiances and alliances in there as well. Who knows?

“But for me personally, everything changed when I noticed that you, My Liege, not only broke into a slaver compound and freed all of their so-called ‘merchandise’, but you personally took care of and lovingly raised Red Star ever since. For so long, I wanted to convey how proud I was of you for that, but under the watchful eyes of the Vizier, I was forced to hold my silence.

“So, ever since then, I resolved to pretend to chase you down and make a good show of it not only to protect my own life, but also to protect yours . . . sort of.

“I should also make it clear that my job was never to specifically kill you. In fact, I was expressly forbidden to do that. According to him, a pony cannot suffer more if he, or she, is terminated instead. I wasn’t even supposed to capture you either. At worst, my job was to rough you up a little then secretly arrange an opportunity for you to escape. The overall goal was to convince you that the Red Sands were the only ‘family’ you could count on and therefore convince you to bind your allegiance to them all the tighter. Dispatcher wanted you to become a force that stood for the very thing you once opposed. It wouldn’t even surprise me if he had hopes that you’d even become a slaver one day.”

“In that case, why confess all of this to us now?” I check with him.

“There are several reasons for that,” Grimwald says. “My secret loyalty to you for one thing and for the reasons I specified. For two, there is the Princess here,” he says with an emphatic nod to her. “Because of this, it seems clear to me the jig is up anyway. She probably already explained to you who you are which thereby unravels some of Dispatcher’s plans. All I’m really doing is confirming what you already know aside from my own personal motivations.”

Grimwald gives me a piercing stare as he goes on to say, “The third reason I’m telling you this is because Dispatcher’s grand design has recently scared me all the more, and this time I’m not just talking about my own life. He has aims to capture and enslave none other than Princess Celestia herself, and if he does that . . . he might as well rule the world, and if he does that . . . it won’t likely be a good world.” He shakes his head with a grim look on his face. “At that point it doesn’t matter how many riches I retire with for my ‘loyal’ service to him. Under his rule, I’m half expecting the windigo’s to return. Even if they don’t, the world may be bathed in frost and shadows for different reasons anyway which means there is no safe sanctuary anymore, for anypony, anywhere, ever onward. That’s the ultimate disgrace.” He, once again, shakes his head. “I may not be what you could consider a good pony, but Dispatcher’s grand ambitions are on a whole different level. Now it’s getting so bad that even I’m willing to make a noble sacrifice if that’s what it takes to stop him. Because of my history, I’m not exactly a fan of this world but I certainly don’t hate it that much. The absolute last thing I want is for a horrible world to get even worse.”

Princess Arielza and I give each other a silent, meaningful look for a while. Wordlessly, we both reach a decision. During that time, I also inwardly marvel at how deep our connection to each other is. This gives me a familiar pang of fondness for her.

“If everything you have told us is true, I have a proposal for you,” I say as I look back at my former nemesis. “I see shame entrenched in your eyes. Because of that, I’d like to give you a chance to redeem yourself. If you help us to take down Dispatcher, I will pardon all the crimes you have committed against me and this nation. Furthermore, you may continue to prove your loyalty to us by taking your stallions and hunting down the slavers that plague our glorious city.”

I notice how Grimwald’s eye pupils suddenly grow very small due to his intense surprise. He asks me in shock, “Are you serious, My Liege? You’d forgive me just like that?”

“I take my duties to protect and serve this nation very seriously,” I answer him then ask, “Can you say the same?”

Grimwald’s eyes shift back and forth rapidly as he thinks about my offer before he looks back at me, grows a wicked smile, and bows to me as he says, “My Liege, nothing would please me more than to help you get rid of those pony trash that call themselves slavers. As well, it would be an honor, and quite frankly a relief as well, to help you take down Dispatcher.” He looks up at me with worry. “But can you do it? You have no idea how powerful he is even if he gets cornered and alone.”

“Dispatcher has been augmented by an invasive alien from beyond the stars,” I tell him.

Grimwald widens his eyes in surprise as he asks, “Are you sure, My Liege? Normally I’d dismiss your claims as far-fetched, but after the things I’ve seen him being able to do, I can’t write anything off the table anymore. However, there is a legend of a certain kind of undead he strongly resembles now.”

I lift a hoof at him as I tell him, “I know, but trust me, he is not. His abilities and weaknesses are very similar, however, and we can exploit that.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, My Liege, how do you know all this?” Grimwald checks in the hope I’ll tell him something reassuring.

“Because I’ve met another alien from beyond the stars that has come to our aid in getting rid of the other hostile alien,” I tell him. “That’s, ah . . . sort of his job? More accurate to say his hobby, I guess.”

Grimwald narrows his eyes as he inquires cautiously, “And are you sure you can trust this being, My Liege? Also, how can you be sure that he is what he claims he is?”

I wave a hoof as I say, “I prefer to keep how I know this confidential for now, but suffice it to say, I am sure, Captain. We can trust his word, his motives, and his means to help us solve the problem.”

Grimwald’s shoulders sag as he relents and says, “Be that as it may, we could use all the help we can get as long as it truly is help.

“In that case, is there any other way I can serve you, My Liege?”

“An escort to Dispatcher might be nice,” Princess Arielza reasons. “That way you can make sure no other Guards get in our way. You can also provide us some valuable backup when we do confront your former employer.”

“There might be one other thing you can do for us,” I propose.

“Name it,” Grimwald invites.

“Do you know where we can find a hidden Brass Sphere in this Cathedral?” I check with the Captain.

At first I mistake the Captain’s look of confusion for a no to my question, but instead he says, “Indeed, I do know where it is hidden, but what of it, My Liege? How can that help?”

“Securing, then relinquishing, that is one of the conditions for the cooperation of our alien benefactor,” I explain to him. “It would also neutralize a critical advantage Dispatcher would have had. You think he’d be a greater threat with a secure hold on Princess Celestia? Then you don’t want any idea what he could do with that Brass Sphere. Suffice it to say, it could eventually become a problem for us unless we secure it first. If we do, we’ll also secure the help of a valuable ally as well. We could also gain a safe means to dispose of this potential super weapon.”

“Wait. A weapon?” Grimwald blinks. “In that case, couldn’t we just use it against Dispatcher?”

“Only if we have to and are able to,” I answer him. “To do that, we need to secure it first.”

Captain Grimwald nods in understanding as he says, “Understood, My Liege. Allow me to show it to you right away.”