Author's Note

Description

To the surprise of the recovering townsfolk of Ponyville and Storm Breaker alike, our fierce ancient warrior is unexpectedly thrust into a tense- yet brief -meeting with the solar princess, daughter of the alicorn who killed her those many thousands of winters ago. Meanwhile, Trotselot, one of the four dastardly nobles intertwined with the warrior's downfall, discusses a concerning matter with Brandy, revealing shocking revelations. Situations conclude and started, past wounds mended, and new adventures await in the warrior's modern-day blight!

An: (If there are any mistakes or parts of the chapter I should change, please leave a comment. I've been feeling burned out on writing, and it's almost ten in the evening :p. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy it!)

Chp 15: Pleasant fallout and a cracks at the seams

For the longest time, Princess Celestia and the blindfolded warrior spoke no words to each other, only the tense quietness and faint murmurs of patients filling the air.

It was a horrific sight for Celestia, seeing the warrior mare’s body; bloody bandages, splints, and, previously, an I.V. The cord once connected to her dangled motionlessly, dripping clear liquid from the bag above on a metal rack. She had heard the heroic exploits of Storm Breaker from the same letter Olive Branch sent asking for reinforcements. To say she was shocked by her battle with a Hydra- if just transitioning into adulthood, indicated by the lack of a fourth head, would be an understatement.

Still, to do such a thing, all while injured.

Celestia took a deep breath, releasing it through her lips to calm her nerves. “First off, I’d congratulate you on your success in your mission, Storm Breaker. If you were not here, I dread what would’ve happened.” She said, breaking the thick layer of ice that was the mood.

“...Yeah.” The warrior responded in a flat tone.

Strange, this wasn’t the usual tone the warrior used with her; Celestia reckoned there’d be snippiness and a condescending undertone she always spoke with. Well, she just woke up and isn’t in the best shape. The solar princess couldn’t blame Storm Breaker for the ‘under-the-weather’ attitude. “Yes, I thank you dearly for saving my little ponies lives. And secondly, if you wish, I’ll spare some of my magic to speed your recovery up.” She offered, giving a warm smile.

Instead of responding, Celestia and Olive Branch alike panicked as the warrior began to stand on shaky, weak legs.

“Darling, didn’t you hear me a second ago? I-” Olive Branch was cut off by the stomping of hooves from his hulking friend, stepping closer to Celestia until their chests were barely an inch apart.

Celestia would be lying if she said she didn’t feel at least a bit of distress rise within her as the taller mare glared the alicorn down despite her covered eyes.

“Spare your magic?” The warrior echoed in a dark, whispered tone. “Y’know, the last alicorn to do that so happened to do worse to me than those beasts I bet you walked amongst to get here. Somepony, I think you know just as well as I do.” Blinking owlishly, the solar diarch took a minute to process what she heard; when she did, her expression dropped. No…this couldn’t be happening- this wasn’t what she thought it was, right?

At Celestia’s eyes widening, the warrior huffed. “Just as I thought. Since that night a month ago, after the ball, my suspicions of you since we first met were stronger than ever. Olive Branch helped me confirm them.” She said.

Looking bewildered and horrified by the revelation, Celestia quickly shot the sheepish old stallion a hurtful look before returning to the warrior. “Storm Breaker…I-” She stammered. Celestia stared in silence; the alicorn shouldn't be too surprised. For a mare known to keep herself in check, she did a horrible job hiding the truth when pouring her heart out that night.

However, the warrior’s face began to pale, sweat drenching her face. “Save it for when I’m not in the middle…of…dying. This…doesn’t concern…them.” She forced out, looking to the side at the gawking crowd in a strained voice before falling limp to the ground.

The solar princess immediately took a few steps back as the medical ponies rushed to the warrior’s aid, who luckily watched the brief interaction.

As they laid her massive form flat to check for injuries caused by the fall, Celestia’s mind raced at a million miles a second. Everything was too much at the moment; to think the warrior untangled the truth she hid so quickly. Not to say she was slow or incompetent, quite the opposite. Her slip-up hinted at her connection to King Platinum, and the warrior just put the pieces together- to think it had gone unnoticed for an entire month! Emotions got the better of her that night, and Celestia’s retained feelings about the warrior spilled out. But seeing how the drunken, pitiful Storm Breaker was, it was hard not to.

What was truly bizarre was how the warrior didn’t give the expected reaction Celestia prepared for if she found out.

Knowing her, the warrior might’ve made a big scene over it, throwing accusations and insults to prove a point or simply vent her rage. In lieu, it was all hushed talking, and what she said about ‘them’ not having concerns- directed at the ponies around them -Celestia was confused. She never showed a semblance of concern for her or Luna, even less for their titles of Princesses and their subjects.

So why was Storm Breaker covering for her?

“Your Highness?” Olive Branch said, shaking the alicorn from her thoughts. “You okay? I didn’t hear much toward the end; did she say something to upset you?” He asked, face riddled with concern as he glanced to and back at the fallen Storm Breaker.

Releasing a hollow chuckle, Celestia shook her head. “Other than the fact she knows of my father and I’s kinship, no.” She said, spinning around and walking away. “Come, let’s walk.”

With the old stallion trailing closely behind, Celestia weaved in and out between several lines of injured ponies, smiling and waving whenever she could to raise their spirits. Eventually, they broke past the town hall doors and into the snowy outdoors to see the remains of a hard-fought battle. And as Storm Breaker said, corpses of branches, rocks, and flesh belonging to the Everfree creatures laid about in a macabre spectacle of multi-colored blood types staining the once pure white snow. Even from the sky where Celestia and her royal guard descended upon her arrival, the count was mind-boggling- their numbers did seem unending.

Steeping down the stairs, Celestia continued moving through the post-bloodshed, seeing the mix of guards and locals cleaning rubble. “About earlier, Princess, I apologize for not keeping my mouth shut. I only made things harder for you.” Olive Branch said.

“It’s…not your fault, Sir Branch.” Celestia sighed, “It would’ve been sooner or later that she found out, no matter how hard I’d try.” Looking out from her eyes corner, she suppressed a grimace at a small field of covered royal guard bodies- the ones who Storm Breaker fought alongside. They were brave young stallions and mares, taken too early from this world.

“Still…agh, this day’s been nothing but a shit show.” Olive Branch huffed, kicking a lump of snow.

Tearing her gaze away, Celestia wiped the image of a hoof sticking out from under a white sheet. “I must agree and disagree. For all it was worth, damages and lost lives were kept at a minimum for an ambush of this size.” Besides the former, considering what he wrote about Storm Breaker in the letter. Speaking of which, “In your letter, you mentioned Storm Breaker took some form of herbal drug; am I correct?” She asked.

Olive Branch nodded, “Yeah, lit on fire and ate it like it was nothing.” He added.

“Remind me, did she give you a name for this drug?”

“Goddess Locks, your majesty.”

Celestia barely held back a gasp hearing the name, the drug’s name striking a sore memory. “Sir Branch, back then, do you still remember in the field medical kit a certain bottle of painkillers?”

“You talking about Aceon?” Olive Branch answered, “Yeah, it was standard issued for all kinds of pain caused by field injuries, even giving ponies a boost in physical ability at the cost of severe exhaustion. But it was replaced by more harmless stuff after it had been discovered Aceon ruined kidney cells.” He explained, giving her a confused look. “What’s this have to do with Goddess Locks?” Her features hardened at the question, Celestia remembering the effect of the ancient herbal mix on soldiers in her youth- not too dissimilar to what happened with Storm Breaker.

“Because Aceon was based on Goddess Locks.” She said, stunning the old stallion.

Stopping dead in his tracks, Celestia halted a bit ahead at turn back to face Olive Branch. “Say what now?! How is that possible?” He frantically said, “Aceon was just some above-average painkiller pills you took from a bottle; what Storm Breaker took…it changed her. How does something that can allow a pony to kill a Hydra bare-hoofed become Aceon?”

Celestia looked down in indignity, “Goddess Locks is a drug made from different herbs and hallucinogenic mushrooms that gives the user tremendous strength by blocking out the nerves connected to the part of their brain that processes pain.”

“However, extended use or overtaking the set amount damages the brain and leads to mania and loss of all cognitive function, rendering that pony nothing more than a wild animal out for blood. I’ve seen it used before when first setting out to unify Equestria and banned it when I rose to power in hopes nopony could find it. But when the griffon wars started, I was desperate to supply my losing soldiers and turned to Goddess Lock. I hoofed over the recipe notes I secured in my attempts to erase its existence and gave them to the best scientists and doctors to see if they could make a safer version- the result: Aceon.”

As the solar princess took a deep breath, she noticed where she was and moved her focus to a long row of destroyed houses- a dead Hydra lay motionless in the distance. “This is why I made Goddess Lock, and by extension, Aceon, a banned substance. Storm Breakers usage can’t go overlooked.” She said.

Olive Branch flinched at her unreadable tone, “Wait, but didn’t she save the town? I know this Locks stuff is illegal, but it helped kill a Hydra that could’ve hurt dozens!” The old stallion argued, wearing a look of distress. “And with my mental-link spell, I talked her down. Her already poor condition made it easier.” He grimaced.

While it was true what he said, the circumstances forced the warrior to use such a disgusting substance; sadly, Celestia couldn’t let it slide, not this time. “I’m truly sorry, but with multiple incidents of near murder during her starting run as a night guard, Storm Breaker’s reputation only fuels the hate of Canterlot residents who disagree with her freedom. They remain to cite her as a monster.” She regretfully explained. The solar princess swept those moments under the rug, and she couldn’t keep doing it for much longer without backlash.

“Then…uh…lighten her sentence!” Olive Branch suggested, “It was the heat of the moment that led to her using Goddess Locks, so the punishment shouldn’t be too bad, right?” He nervously grinned.

A light smile crossed Celestia’s lips, followed by a small giggle. “I’m glad to see your relationship with Storm Breaker’s grown enough to entertain the idea of manipulating the system to give her some reprieve. Unfortunately, I can’t do that.” She said, making his grin drop. “However, you make a point.”

“Really?”

“Yes,” Celestia nodded, “You are correct in assuming her usage was circumstantial, but it’s a crime nonetheless. Since she is already serving her time for ruining the market space, it’ll only add to her already existing punishment.” She said.

A sense of relief seemed to wash over Olive Branch as he sighed happily, slumping his shoulders. “That’s good,” He chuckled, “what’d you have in mind?”

However, before she could give the details of Storm Breaker’s fate, Celestia was interrupted by an approaching guard, face as stoic and straight. “Your Highness, I have urgent news that needs your attention!” He saluted in royal guard fashion. “A group of stragglers was spotted leaving Ponyville borders who match the description of five high-ranking guard ponies. We’ve sent out a retrieval party to apprehend them for desertion, how should we proceed?” He said.

Shocked by the sudden development, internally, Celestia became infuriated that any guard would cower away in times like these when they were most needed. The fact they were high-ranked gave away who they might’ve been. “By any chance, was there a large, gruff unicorn stallion among them?”

The guard nodded, “Yes, your highness.” He said.

“Then have them captured and brought back to Canterlot.” She ordered, hiding her angered face by turning away. “I’ll personally question them, that is all.” With a second salute, the guard took off, leaving Celestia to fume as Olive Branch approached her. “I can’t believe it. I entrusted them with Storm Breaker because of their loyalty and strength.” She muttered, a hint of hurt in her tone.

Glancing back where the guard left, Olive Branch’s brows furrowed, “High-ranking and large unicorn? Besides me, minus the size aspect and haggardness, only one other unicorn I know has a rank almost similar to mine.” He said, returning to Celestia.

“Commander Thunder Charge, up and coming Captain of the Royal Guard and head of Storm Breakers escort team.”

Else were, in the pearly white city of Canterlot, amidst the hustle and bustle of the well-off, mountain-side city, the renowned fashionista, Trotselot, entered a low-class bar. Upon setting hoof inside, the pungent stench of hard liquor and masculine musk entered his muzzle, forcing the high-class pegasus to suppress a gag, pushing past the many tables and booths. Compared to the interior filled with rugged ponies and brutish decor, the out-of-place prissy noble ignored the disgusted glares and murmured insults as he approached the bar across from the frontmost wall.

Sitting on a metal stool topped off by a leather seat, he found the deflated cushion more welcoming than his environment but settled in as a smoking earth pony stallion behind the oak bar closed in on him.

“Huh, don’t get too many of your kind around here.” The smoking stallion hummed, blowing smoke, “What it’d be, money bags?”

Trotselot smiled kindly to the grumpy-looking earth pony, “I’ll take a mojito with extra lime, my friend.” He requested, earning an affirmative grunt as the smoking stallion disappeared behind a door beside the display rack of varying drinks behind the counter. As he waited patiently, a mare sat beside Trotselot; although not one of his playmates, she was a familiar pony. Both rough and soft in her complexion and personality.

Brandy, known otherwise as Caramel Swirl, scowled at the seductive stallion, “Alright, fruit cake, what do you want?” She spat.

A chuckle escaped Trotselot, “Dear, moody, aren’t we? However, color me surprised; you showed up!” He said in a joyful tone, making the drunkard groan slightly.

“You’re lucky, freak.” Brandy said, “No matter how much I despise your very existence, I can’t say no to a good drink, especially within one of my bars- interesting pick of location, by the way.” She added sarcastically, smirking. “Other than that, I had nothing better to do. So hurry up, or I’ll make up a reason to get far away from you.” She said.

Sighing, Trotselot watched as the door behind the bar opened to reveal the smoking stallion holding a wide glass filled with a greenish beverage, a pair of lime slices wedged on its lip. Setting down the glass, the snuffer looked over and instantly recognized Brandy, standing straight up and rubbing their front hooves together with a closed-eyed smile. “O-Oh, your Caramel Swirl, I didn’t expect you to be here, Mrs. Can I-” Their bipolar character and greeting ceased at a growl emanating from the amber mare.

“Brandy, you idiot, it's Brandy!” She rudely interrupted, dropping the earth pony’s smile and his cigarette onto the bar top. “I ain’t in the candy-making business anymore. Just give me a glass and a bottle of rum.” She ordered.

The earth pony quickly nodded in panic, “Y-You’re the boss!” He groveled, swiftly flipping around and grabbing Brandy’s requested items in record time, setting them before the young mare. “Is there anything else I can get?” the earth pony laughed restlessly. Not giving a retort, a sharp glance provided by the drunkard mare was enough of an answer, which they promptly left through the door a second time.

Brandy rolled her eyes, scoffing while pulling the cork from the bottle’s neck. “Kiss-ass, why do I run into the most annoying ponies in Equestria?” She groaned under her breath.

As for Trotselot, he let out an amused giggle at the mare's expense, “Well, to answer your earlier question, before we were so rudely interrupted, I was thinking over my involvement in Iron Hoof’s plan. And, to be rather blunt here, I humored the thought of leaving this operation of his.” He said, getting a mildly surprised look from Brandy as she filled her glass.

“Is that so?” She hummed in reply, taking a quick sip of rum, then setting the glass down, “Why the change in pace? That monster mare destroyed the shops you invested in, right?” The amber mare poked.

He sighed, “Don’t act so surprised,” Trotselot jokingly said, “Since day one, I’ve never felt entirely…obligated to involve myself. Sure, I made the excuse of ‘it was all for the fun of it,’ but in reality, I owned Iron Hoof a…favor.” Noticing the sudden grim tone of the usually obnoxious stallion, Brandy halted another sip. “It only worsened the night I first faced Storm Breaker, and it's like a spell’s got cast on me; I could never get rid of her visage.”

“Did she have a retractable horn or something?” Brandy snickered.

Unexpectedly, Trotselot lightly slammed his hoof onto the bar top, just loud enough to startle Brandy without gaining others’ attention. “You don’t get it! I foolishly entangled myself with Iron Hoof since the day he loaned me bits to start my industry.” He exasperated.

Brandy settled down after the shock wore off- this time, taking a long swig of her drink. “So? You’re rich. You should be loaded with tons of bits by now- a simple loan couldn’t be that much.” She said.

“That’s the problem; I was young and despairing due to my first couple of clotheslines not going well. I took more and more from him, throwing away entire waste fields of ruined material just to get things right.” He argued, face falling into despair. “You don’t know how much I owe to him- and Iron Hoof isn’t a pony you want to cross, Brandy. This deal of his is one of many I’ve done- I just don’t want to admit how royally screwed my life’s become. I had it up to here with his villainy!” Trotselot, hanging his head, began bouncing his left hind leg shakily.

With her grumpy attitude and hate for the stallion all but replaced by underlying fear, Brandy gulped quietly, “What are you getting at? I know the old ogre of a stallion can get grumpy, but you make it sound like Iron Hoof is some cartoony mob boss.” She tried to reason with the solemn pegasus.

A small chuckle came from Trotselot, “You’re not too far off. He may seem like an everyday banker, but he didn’t get his spot in the top five richest ponies in Canterlot for nothing. He is a parasite.” He snarled, clenching his hoof.

The tantalizing stallion still remembers that fateful day he met Iron Hoof. Down on his luck and fresh out of the high school he worked his soul to get into, Trotselot was a hop and skip away from being the next drifter sleeping on the park’s benches. Every investor turned down his masterpieces, and the bits were running low. So, when one of his few friends mentioned a stallion named Iron Hoof that gave out ‘special’ loans, he didn’t think twice. After that, and subsequent boot-lickings to acquire more bits to speed things along, the start of Trotselot’s fame made him a well-known figure.

However, Brandy's description of Iron Hoof was almost right. But he was more ruthless than a tropey striped-suit-wearing mobster, the stallion’s meticulous and malicious in his punishments when buyers don’t pay him back on time, akin to a slaver. Trotselot wouldn’t dare think of what would happen if he went against him.

Because, like most ponies he used to know, he would ‘disappear’ just like them.

Drinking down what little remained of rum in her glass, Brandy sighed and placed a hoof on Trotselots shoulder. “I think I know what you mean. And, look, we don’t see eye-to-eye often, but from what I’m hearing, you might want to turn on him.” She said, “If so, I don’t care; he’s done nothing for me besides visiting my bars. I only agreed to his plan for the chance of a reward to replace my lost liquor. I won’t rat on you.”

Trotselot raised his head to stare at Brandy with disbelief- the usually standoffish amber mare now showing a semblance of concern for him. “Really? You mean it?” He said, a smile returning to his muzzle, “I’m dead or dreaming; Brandy actually agreeing about little ‘ol me.”

“Don’t let it go to your head!” Brandy replied, softly pushing Trotselot’s shoulder as the faintest hints of redness left her face. “Call it honor among nobles or whatever, but being honest, I hate Iron Hoof more than I do you. He’s why I don’t have my candy shops anymore- took them away when I couldn’t pay to keep the lights on.” She said, pouring herself more rum.

“We can at least toast to that.” Trotselot giggled, raising his mojito, “Truce?” He inquired cheekily.

Brandy looked to consider the stallion’s pledge temporarily until she rolled her eyes. “You idiot.” She scoffed, raising and tapping her glass against Trotselot’s. “You don’t want to be in this deal anymore; what do you plan on doing? As long as it doesn’t involve me.” She asked.

Taking a long taste of his drink from a solid purple straw, he nodded, “Yes. In fact, my natural charm shall come in handy. No Brandy required!” He proudly stated, humming pleasantly at the taste of his beverage. In spite of this establishment’s exterior, they knew how to make a decent drink. “Say, do you remember how they imprisoned Al Capony?”

Maybe the future was looking bright.

In a shocking turn of events for the warrior, she didn’t wake up drenched in sweat and shaking following a harrowing nightmare, more of a light sense of confusion in the wake of nothingness.

The surrounding room around her was a nostalgic sight: a hospital room.

It is similar to the one she woke up on her first day in Equestria. Sans the tiled floor, now wooden, and the window to her replaced by a solid wall. Ugh, she was getting sentimental over a place she despised. This room was the embodiment of weakness, where shattered and worthless ponies not worth their two shekels in anything go to rot. But her body and mind were too weak to brood over her pride right now, the clock on the wall saying it was still nighttime, giving the warrior more motivation to return to sleep.

Yet, sleep would not resurge, the warrior mulling over the dream she had an unknown amount of time ago. Like the one involving her father, the warrior speculated that these flashes of memories were likely taunts from the universe or something else entirely. She hadn’t thought back to Sky Slicer in years, trying to block out one of many hurtful points in her long life.

Remembering correctly, it was a warmer day than most, and the warrior and her group were out on a joint contract by a wealthy pony to take care of a rabid unicorn convoy stealing supplies.

Of course, they took it, and there was little trouble finding the unicorns, given that the contractor provided a rough estimate of where their camp was- plus, the horn-heads weren’t exactly quiet. And with any job, the warrior and her comrades cleaned out a good portion, starting off smoothly…until it went downhill. In a dreadful twist of fate, the number of unicorns increased in minutes due to an equally large gathering of them returning from a thieving spree, and the vanguard group was quickly overrun.

The warrior fought fiercely, successfully getting everypony away from the encampment, but it was temporary, the unicorn’s thirst for blood and revenge running high.

Luckily, Sky Slicer, ever the master of escape plans, said to split up and regroup at the vantage point they used to spy on the unicorn camp after losing their pursuers. Complying with his plan, the warrior took off and, about an hour later, killed off the portion of the chasing unicorns that broke off to kill her.

That was the last time she ever saw the young stallion.

Regrouping where he said to meet up, it was apparent something had happened when the warrior pointed out a missing Sky Slicer. She and the other’s interrogated each other if they saw him, but it was no good.

Only when they went ahead and stormed the camp again to take advantage of the unicorn's lost numbers did the fate of their missing member was revealed.

…They…ate him.

Even thinking back on the sight of his remains sickened the warrior. All that remained was broken bones, discarded flesh, and his fucking hung skin- the once timid, kind stallion reduced to an afternoon meal! To say the warrior was beyond enraged would be a massive understatement. The raw and unchained rage she felt and enacted on the unicorns rivaled that of her Goddess Lock trip earlier that day. Sadly, once the smoke cleared and silence filled the camp she destroyed, only sadness and regret remained as she cried over Sky Slicer’s grave the next day.

The contract reward felt hollow, and the gap in her heart was equally so. She knew he wasn’t good for large-scale fights, yet she let her emotions and adrenaline go along with his plan without a second thought. Endless nights spent thinking of what would’ve happened if she trailed him stole her rest, how he could’ve still lived if not for her stupidity.

He…was like the son she never had. The warrior had lost more than the unicorns could ever hope to obtain in their lives in a single day.

Snapping the warrior out of her dreary recollecting, the handle of her room’s door moved down as it opened, introducing the one alicorn she wanted to meet. Stepping in, Celestia thanked an unseen nurse as the door closed behind her, approaching a chair left of the warrior’s bed- a regular bed with a hoof-stool situated at the end to uphold her back hooves- and sitting down.

“I’m…glad to see you doing better, especially your sight.” Celestia started off, referring to the noticeable lack of bandages blocking the warrior's vision.

Putting a hoof to her cloth-covered eye, the warrior ignored the tubes poked into her foreleg and huffed. “If only I could fully see again,” Noticing the solar princess wince subtly, the warrior let her hoof fall and sighed. “You got something to say, or did you come here to pity me?” She said.

Celestia’s regretful expression brought some joy to the warrior, but she set it aside as the alicorn began to speak. “Storm breaker, all I want to say is sorry. I only wanted to hide the truth from you because I wanted to see you move on from the past- foolishly believing my father's connection to me held no more importance. I was wrong.” She said. “You can hate me all you want, but I-”

“Cut the crap, alicorn!”

“H-Huh?” A shocked Celestia said.

Sitting further up in her bed, the warrior narrowed her eye at the startled alicorn princess, “Whatever pathetic notion you have of me in your head, forget it! I couldn’t give two shits about your father.” She snarled, pain peeking through the painkillers in her veins.

Celestia’s brow furrowed, “W-What? Why not?”

It’s always the same yak shit. What, why, how; the collection of words showing up more frequently in the warrior’s new life. “He pitied me in my final, glorious moments by giving his magic, yes. For a warrior like me, it’s worse than death itself. But it doesn’t change the fact I lost; I went up against an opponent much stronger than me, got a couple of hits in, and paid the price with my life. I was relieved not to have died once I woke up, but I was somewhat content with it before.” The warrior moved her gaze away and down to the bed sheets. “What I hate more is that you tried to sweep it under the rug, then act like a saint when it was your blood who did this to me.”

Celestia tried to retort. “Storm Breaker, that wasn't my-”

“I know,” The warrior cut off, “...you, this country, and the ponies living in it, I despise it all. You, in particular, always walked around like you were better than me, no different than the cowards working under you. Now, I see a fool who put her heart where it didn’t belong.” She pulled back the sheets, revealing her chest scar. “These, and the memories that created them, don’t go away with kindness.”

The warrior guessed she appreciated the thought Celestia had if Olive Branch spoke true about her. But the warrior didn’t suffer many losses and kinds of pain to end up getting coddled because of them; it was the way of her and other Knight’s lives. To ignore the fact she DIED to her father, chalking it up to something to forget about and move on from like a common annoyance: it’s what nagged her the wrong way.

Despite that, In the end, it won’t matter.

Time will take its course, the warrior and her rage will soon wither away to age, and Storm Breaker will remain to see it through.

“All I can do is live with the outcome, and grow from it.”

“I see,” Celestia hummed as the warrior replaced the sheet over her chest. “I have done you wrong and disregarded your personal feelings. My mistake; Luna was more in-depth with the warrior code than me.” She chuckled lightly.

Laying back down, the warrior snorted impassively, “Nah, it ain’t about codes. We knights have pride and hate it when people look down on us or don’t acknowledge our strength- none of us were going around in gleaming armor and protecting lords. I just don’t like it when you treat me like a sensitive foal. Leave that crap for your soldiers.” She grinned.

The alicorn should give some with Vally Carver. He’s always straightforward and noble, like a fireside tale of a knight that saves a fair maiden from a tower-guarding dragon.

“If that’s the case, I’m glad we understand each other now.” Celestia said, standing up, “Although it makes my verdict of your crimes today seem cruel.” She sheepishly added. Upon hearing this, the warrior shot up in her bead and turned to the alicorn, wide-eyed.

“What?!” She shouted.

Flinching at the volume, Celestia held a hoof up, “Before you go off, you need to understand that the drug you took, Goddess Locks, has become highly illegal in the modern age. It is another fault of mine: not informing you of this, but I was shocked when I discovered your knowledge of it.” She explained, allowing the warrior to calm down before continuing. “Thankfully, I will not completely count your use as a crime due to circumstance; however, your freedom of roaming the castle will be limited to a few hours, and daily searches of your room will be necessary.”

A gloomy huff escaped the warrior, “Great, is that all?”

Celestia shook her head, “No, I also have something else in mind you will hate.” She said with a mischievous grin. Dreading what would come, the warrior watched as Celestia’s horn glowed warmly prior to a flash of golden light.

Instantly, the warrior saw the changes around. For one, the light rectangles in the ceiling illuminated the room, showering every corner with a pale, white hue. More notable, however, was the addition of five new, recognizable ponies and a table packing several, colorful food and drink items the warrior had never seen before. Above it, a banner read ‘THANKS FOR HELPING PONYVILLE!!!’ in bold letters.

“SURPRISE!” They all shouted.

Stunned and highly confused, the warrior shuttered and pointed a hoof at the five new mares known as the elements of harmony. “I- uh- wha-?” She said. Weird, wasn’t there supposed to be six of them, or did Olive Branch’s counting suck?

Appearing by her side without making a sound, the overly fluffy pink mare smiled widely at the warrior. “Here, take this!” She loudly said, sticking something sweet and soft in her mouth and running out of the room.

Chewing the small piece of sweetness, the warrior was pleasantly surprised by the taste of apples and other fruits coating her mouth. “What in Hades is all this?” She spoke with her mouth full, then swallowed. One moment, she and Celestia were having a serious conversation, and now the warrior’s senses were overwhelmed by the change in tone. Walking closer to the foot of her bed, the apple farmer tipped her hat.

“What does it look like? It’s ah party, partner!” She happily said. “Ya gave me an’ your friend quite the shock; Ah’m glad you’re awake and sane enough to see one of Pinkie Pie's parties.” She laughed.

“A party? I don’t need a party. I did what I was told to by your rulers, nothing more!” She argued.

The annoying rainbow-maned pegasus hovered overhead, a grin plaster on her face, “It’s no use fighting it, pal. Once Pinkie gets rolling, nothing will stop her until the guest of honor is satisfied. The other royal guards that fought have their own parties, so it's best to let this happen.”

The warrior’s hardened expression wavered, a sense of confusion consuming her. “You damn ponies, none of this makes sense.” She mumbled.

A chorus of friendly laughs rang out as the five mares basked in the joyful environment they created, and at the warrior confusion, even Celestia joined in. Still, what was the point of this? The vanguard and her comrades never had these ‘parties’ before- it was a waste of hard-earned valuables and food, and there was no reason to celebrate a day's work. However, in her confusion, she couldn’t express herself in front of the pony’s before her. It was best to take the pegasus’s advice.

And so, as the night crawled on, the warrior did her best to relish in the small gathering, tasting the assortment of treats and beverages and small-talking with the elements. Alien as everything else in this world, the warrior strangely began to warm up to the party. A shame Olive Branch wasn’t around; she wondered where he went, probably resting like her.

No matter, Storm Breaker saved a slice of ‘cake,’ as Twilight called it, for him later.

It was a fickle thing, feeling happy around non-earth ponies still living in her presence. The warrior guessed that between tiredness and the dream of Sky Slicer, including other things, in some way, she changed- rage wasn’t as prevalent as much in the past month. Sky Slicer, her father, and Olive Branch were her anchors in keeping her bloodlust and anger in check. Their pure hearts were too good for the warrior, but she had a tough time avoiding them and finding it harder to let them go.

However, she practically spat on their teaching, throwing them to the wind when she confronted a thing she didn’t like or understand.

But that was then- this is now; Enough with the wallowing and self-pity, to Hades with creating more problems for herself.

The time to carry on her comrade's legacy was now. She would never fully adapt to Equestrian life, her pride refused her to become mussy and soft like these ponies, but it couldn’t be too bad to try, right?

Ugh! If only the old coot were here to sort out these annoying feelings.