Akasa's Tale

   It is winter in Roanoak, and the world seems to slumber under a fluffy white blanket of snow. It is a time of ice-skating and well tended fireplaces, hot cocoa and holidays. But now, with Hearth’s Warming recently behind them, the ponies of Trotsdale are slowly getting back to the business of the year ahead.

   Trotsdale itself is a town just like any other, for the most part; ponies in scarves and hats come and go, merchants and shoppers haggle over prices in the crisp air, and foals romp around in the snow of the town square.

   The town square is a large area, about a city block in size, and just inside of its borders of sidewalk and decorative wrought iron fencing is a park-like expanse dotted with a few large oak trees. The square serves as the public meeting spot for the in-town ponies, and it also makes for a right nice place to rest one’s hooves on a shopping day. Currently the square hosts a large fire pit containing an equally large fire, and some twenty ponies are gathered about it in groups, warming up as they discuss the day.

   To the north of the square sits the town hall, a large and official looking building topped with the big clock that merrily chimes out the hours for the busy ponies below. To the east and west of the square are rows of shops, each painted colorfully according to the owner’s tastes – and ideas as to what color combination will attract business.

   The buildings themselves are a sort-of fancy Manehattan style; most are two stories tall for the shop below and home for the shopkeepers above, and they all have big bay windows full of wondrous items that look out over the cobblestones of the busy square. The shops themselves are as varied as the ponies who live here – clothiers, jewelers, the bank, and other fancier establishments on one end of town, a farmer’s market, blacksmith, and other such trades on the other.

   Pretty much anything a pony could be looking for can be found in Trotsdale, and that is where the differences between Trotsdale and any other prosperous pony town start to become apparent. Many of the signs in front of the stores have several languages, some of the items in the shop windows are truly foreign in both make and purpose, and if one watches long enough they will soon see that there is more to Trotsdale than just ponies.

   This is the town I grew up in. I have galloped along every meandering cobblestone path that lies amongst the forested hills and valleys of the surrounding countryside. And many times I have travelled the wide central road that runs east to west, tying the far ends of Roanoak together. Even the sight of castle Morgan’s spires, several hours away by hoof to the north, is familiar enough to me I no longer really notice.

   But, right now none of that matters. Right now my only real thought centers around not looking like a foal in front of the Empress, and that entails keeping my breakfast where it belongs…

• -=- -

   The Empress turns her gaze back to the captain, “I shall gather what I require and be on my way to Trotsdale – with the corporal as you require. Is there aught else captain?”

   “Nay milady.” He shakes his head and returns once more to rigid attention.

   “Then you are dismissed captain,” She slightly nods her horn at me, “I am certain the corporal will keep you abreast of what develops in his report.”

   My captain salutes, turns smartly, and departs – closing the heavy door silently behind him, and leaving me alone with the Empress of Roanoak.

   She eyes me curiously for a moment before rising fluidly from the large pillow on her side of the desk. “Be at ease corporal.”

   I suddenly realize I had been holding my breath since she had addressed me, and I will myself to relax a bit - lowering my muzzle and settling back to a position of parade rest.

   She fairly glides around the desk to stand before it, and she is tall… Really tall… I mean, am a bit bigger than most in my battalion being farm stock and all, but the Empress looks down at me from at least a head’s height above me – maybe even a bit more.

   “Corporal Dale,” as she speaks, several items sitting on a nearby bookshelf are surrounded in the lavender of her telekinetic magic and float into an open satchel that is similarly held aloft. “As I am certain Imperious has mentioned, I am not one to stand on an overabundance of protocol. Therefore, when we are in public you will address me by my title. You will not bow in my presence for that takes your eyes off of those around us – a simple nod will suffice. And in private I am to be addressed by my name - after a few hundred years of ‘your highness’ one seeks the familiarity of one’s own name.”

   She flares her wings for a moment; the satchel, an under-wing model with straps that perfectly match her coat color and buckles of what appear to be gold, fastens itself about her barrel and she carefully folds her wings once more.

   She smiles at me, “Is this acceptable corporal?”

   “Yes ma’am … I mean, yes – Empress  …”

   “Aurora – my name is Aurora.”

   “Yes, Aurora.”

   “Very good.” She chuckles as she turns to a full-length mirror and lifts a silver tiara from a shelf on the other side of the study. She places it upon her head, just behind her long horn, and then telekinetically picks up a brush and adjusts her mane as she speaks. “Now, what is thy name young corporal? If thou art to address me as a Friend, I would ask of thee the same boon in recompense.”

   Her change of language to the archaic mode often associated with the Royals takes me off guard. “Ma’am?” I wince, “I – I mean Aurora…”

   She grins and looks at me sidelong with one brilliant green eye, “That would be my name young corporal – I asked for yours.”

   I tilt my head in confusion – was the immortal Alicorn regent of Castle Morgan, the right royal Empress of Roanoak herself, having a bit of fun at my expense? This was certainly not what I had expected an audience with the Empress to be like.

   I stammer, “Clyde. My, my name is Clyde.”

   “Clyde” she turns from the mirror and dips her head graciously to me. “It is a pleasure to meet you Clyde, and I thank you for the familiarity.” The brush settles on the shelf near the mirror as she paces slowly back to the center of the room. “In a position such as mine, one is rarely afforded the chance to actually know anypony. Any encounter tends to be one of the crown, and met with bended knee and supplication – it is difficult to maintain one’s sense of self in such an environment, so I prefer to be myself around my guardians.”

   I nod, “I am honored Aurora.”

   She smiles, “Excellent. We are awaiting one more member for this particular outing,” She turns her head and looks out at the forest beyond the leaded windows of her study. “And he should be along at any moment.”

   As if on cue, a shaft of sunlight slants though the window and brightly illuminates an area just to the left of the Empress’ desk. Small motes of dust flash and sparkle as they slowly float through the brightly lit air for a moment, and then suddenly move about with purpose as if being arranged into patterns. The shaft of sunlight fades just as quickly, and leaves a deep blue ambiance behind that coalesces into the shape of an enormous wolf.

   The flashing motes quickly settle into the appearance of a starry sky within the bounds of the wolf-shaped void, and with a bright flash a single star upon the wolf’s brow ignites brightly as it turns to face the Empress, and … bows.

   “My liege.” It rumbles deeply.

   She nods to the beast graciously, “My dear Painless – it is good to see thee once more, my friend.” She then motions towards me with a forehoof. “Allow me to introduce Clyde, he shall be my appointed Imperial guard for this trip.”

   The wolf turns its huge manned head in my direction and its eyes are like bright stars as it looks at me. A moment passes and then it nods and rumbles, “Well met corporal.” It turns back to the Empress, “Shall I await thee in the courtyard, my liege?”

   She nods, and with a flicker of her horn the door to the study opens for the ghostly blue wolf as it pads silently out of the room.

   I hear a light giggle and realize I am staring at the now closed door with my mouth agape, and forgetting protocol entirely I blurt out. “What – what was that?”

   Aurora chuckles, “That was a Celestial Beast... Specifically a Canis Major – though I prefer to use the name he was given by Star Swirl of, ‘Painless’.” She nods at my eyes going wide with the mention of the name, “He is a … gift to the princesses Royal of Equestria from days long past.”

   She gathers one more scroll and tucks it away in her satchel as she continues, “In days long ago there were but two Royals, the Princesses of Equestria, and Painless’ geas is to serve those worthy of the Oath Bond. Apparently old Star Swirl never foresaw me, and I seem to fit the criteria for the Oath Bond too – so Painless attends to me on occasion as well. He comes and goes as he pleases, but his presence is always an omen and I have come to value his presence when he deems he is needed.”

   As she moves towards the study door she stops and smiles at me. “He is ancient – far, far older than even Celestia and he is very wise. But his defeat at the hooves of Star Swirl diminished him greatly. He contains a great power, but it is not his own to control anymore – and this makes him a great ally to us.” She looks back to the door as it opens, “Are you ready?”

   I nod.

   She motions towards the door with a tilt of her head, “Then by all means corporal – deliver me unto the courtyard so that we may be underway.”

• -=- -

   I lead the Empress to the courtyard and, as it had said, the wolf is sitting there staring off at something only it could see. I enter the open space first and then behind me a few paces the Empress also enters. The instant one of her royally shod hooves touches the flagstone of the courtyard the wolf rises from its sitting position and turns to bow once more.

   This ‘Celestial Whatsit’ is just downright creepy and I vow to keep a close eye on it.

   The Empress looks up at the brilliant blue sky for a moment, and then closes her eyes and inhales deeply. She holds that breath for a moment before exhaling a plume of steam into the cold winter air and smiling.

   “It shall snow this evening.” She announces matter-of-factly and then nods. “It is good then that we will be travelling magically.” She looks to the wolf and I, “Normally I would just fly to Trotsdale is it is a mere hour as the Pegasus fly and the trip is quite relaxing. But as time is of the essence and the trip by hoof is several hours… Well, you should find this interesting at the very least.”

   There is no real fanfare or preparation, she merely closes her eyes and lifts her head, her horn ignites with purple light, and the ground for a few meters around her bursts into a series of faintly glowing mystic symbols and oddly patterned circles.

   Before her, at about her eye-level and some five or so meters distant, a small point of light forms. Around the light the world suddenly twists and appears to spiral inwards. I have to look away; something about the effect makes be feel as if I am looking down an impossibly deep hole. And it is not the hole so much that upsets as it is the strange sensation where what I am seeing just does not make sense – a sort of odd fuzziness in my head brought about by part of me trying to figure out what I am seeing, and the rest steadfastly refusing to believe it.

   Interesting. She did say ‘interesting’ – this was not interesting, this was disconcerting.

   I hear her voice next to me, “Go ahead corporal – it is safe.”

   Go ahead? What does she mean ‘go ahead’? I look around and note that the wolf is gone. Rationally I assume he walked into that gaping hole in reality, but the little colt in the back of my mind assumes he is around here somewhere and I just can’t see him. This has to be some sort of mistake – I mean, why don’t we just walk to Trotsdale? I do it all the time; it is only a few hours, tops. This swirling … thing just was not normal and there was no way it could be safe. Nope, not safe in the slightest…

   A light laughter breaks into my thoughts, like tiny silver bells, and I am brought back to the empty courtyard and the spell the Empress was casting. She looks down at me with – understanding? That smile, that is the same as a mare coaxing her foal to take their first steps – I have seen it many times… “It is perfectly safe Clyde – you can trust me on that – the first time is always the worst, but I assure you nothing but maybe a little vertigo awaits you.”

   I nod, and feel a bit ashamed at my reaction to this spell. I live in a world of magic, the strange and unusual is a part of the very air I breathe, then why is this so different?

   “You mistrust this because it is not commonplace. Only very skilled Unicorns can teleport themselves, and only the most powerful of them can move another across space. You know this happens, you have heard tales of it – but here it is, right in front of you, and it is no mere tale.” She smiles again and nods at my internal questions, “Yes, it happens to everypony – this is why there is none but you and I here. Your fears are safe with me young Clyde. But if you are to be my protector, then this is something you shall have to get used to.” She nods towards the spell.

   I nod again. Her protector. Yes. That is why I am here after all. I cannot let a little thing like a spell get in the way of that.

   I steel myself, take a deep breath, and step into the vortex.

   It feels a bit like falling – but by the time you notice, you get the sensation your middle is falling towards your front and away from your behind. But the worst part is that split second where your hind hooves are where you were, and your front hooves are where you are going…

   And in a heartbeat I am weaving slightly in front of the Trotsdale Library building and feeling decidedly green. The wolf, who has probably been sitting here for a few minutes now, simply watches me, expressionless as I struggle to look as if nothing just happened.

   There is a slight fluttering of large feathers and the Empress trots to a stop next to me. I look up and am rewarded with a subtle smile and a quick wink before she looks to the wolf, “Are they here?”

   It nods once, “Below, in the storage rooms of this building my liege – Miss Sparkle and a filly await.”