Between Heaven and Hell

Chapters

Chapter 2: Divinity
Chapter 3: Revealed
Chapter 4: Sunrise
Chapter 1: The New Task

Chapter 2: Divinity

As the first light of day crested the eastern horizon, I couldn’t help but revel in the astral sound of the magic coursing through the celestial body of day. Because of the sun princess’ magic that was required to pass the days, soft music could be heard by me, as if beautiful chimes were welcoming the new day. I had seen trillions of sunrises on trillions of worlds, and yet every one had been special. Some held a single sun, like this one, others were binary systems. No matter the state or form of the sunrise, it was always special and unique, whether by the state of the situation itself, or because of the beloved mortals that I was sworn to protect.

Not a moment passed in my eternity that I did not revel in my purpose...it was a true gift from the greater powers to have a calling so true and resolute that I completely adored every moment I spent working it. This made sense of course, as I was created to do this, but I didn’t mind in the least. After all, few beings alive could say they truly did what they loved...and even fewer of those were eternal beings.

My thoughts were torn from me as I heard a door open within the building I was perched upon. I rolled open my scroll and saw the picture of a lavender unicorn appear, with a six-pointed star mark on her flank, and black hair with a pink and violet stripe in it. I read through the briefing to find that this was Twilight Sparkle, protégé of Princess Celestia herself, local librarian, and the Element of Magic. She was considered to be the most powerful unicorn to have ever lived, save for Starswirl the Bearded, and had helped save Equestria on three separate occasions already, with more to come, no doubt. Her closest friends were Applejack Apple, Pinkamena Diane Pie, Rainbow Tempest Dash, Rarity Belle, and Fluttershy...

Curious...

The only one of Twilight Sparkle’s friends that didn’t have a second name was this “Fluttershy”, which for some reason piqued my interest. I suppose I shouldn’t look too deeply into it, however, as at the moment I had just arrived, and my purpose was to guard them, not make friends.

I sighed and phased myself to become intangible before dropping through the floor and into the main room of the library.

For the next hour, I observed the pony and her small assistant, which appeared to be a reptile of some sort. They busied themselves about the library cleaning, organizing, and studying. Once I actually got a chance to observe the young pony work with her magic, I found it very intriguing. To think that with a simple thought, she could levitate and manipulate many objects all at once.

It was amazing to watch.

To think that of all the worlds I’d visited, this was the first one that had an energy used upon it so versatile and powerful as magic. I was blessed to have been able to see such a thing, and I thanked whatever force allowed me to be the one to watch over this world.

From what I could see, things were safe enough around here, and I needed to get acquainted with the others of this group, so I quickly made my way outside to the crisp morning air and spread my wings before flying to my next destination: Sweet Apple Acres.

My mental request made the scroll change to a map of the area, and I followed the waypoint to my destination, which was a large multi-acre farm on the outskirts of the town. Even though the farmland was clearly named for its chief produce, apples, I could also see many similar fruits and vegetables that humans would eat, namely pumpkins, strawberries, corn, wheat, tomatoes, and even onions. Finding my charge was not difficult, and as I checked the scroll in my hands, I followed the description to one young orange pony, who was kicking apple trees in such a way that they dropped all of their fruit.

Fascinating.

In the fields with her was a hulking crimson pony, who from the information provided to me I realized was the elder brother, Big Macintosh Apple. Let it simply be said that I have never actually feared anyone before, but the mere size of this giant was enough to cause me to be wary should my need to remain hidden ever cease to be. There should have been two other living relatives residing at the Acres though...

“Applejack! Granny Smith says y’all need ta hurry up so we can make it ta tha party!” shouted a young yellow pony with a bright red bow.

From behind her I noticed a rather aged green pony approaching, and it was clear that she was the matriarch of this family. I was subtly relieved that there was in fact no danger to report as of yet, and that everything so far seemed to be a fairly standard day for these ponies, which I was pleased with. I found it curious however that just from my initial observations of this world so far, there seemed to be a startling unbalanced ratio of females to males. I decided to let the thought dissipate though, as in my travels, I had come across worlds that did not even have separate genders. With that being the case, I decided to focus on my charges-to-be instead, realizing that it was simply my place to learn their mannerisms and schedules, not befriend them or anything of the sort.

I took a quick note to keep a particular eye on the farmers, seeing as how they provided food, and then took flight towards a large cloud formation in the distance.

As my wings took me to my next destination, I unrolled the divine scroll once more and read aloud to myself.

“Rainbow Tempest Dash. Element of Loyalty, and the only living pegasus to perform a sonic rainboom...whatever that is. Hails from Cloudsdale, a floating city made completely of clouds and rainbows, home to pegasi. Lead weather manager of Ponyville and fiercely competitive athlete.”

I could not help but imagine that she would make a nice challenge in a number of different events, and in some small way felt a small bit down that I would not get the chance to issue such a challenge.

Oh well...perhaps I could ask the council for such a wish to be granted, in light of my eons of dedicated service.

I landed on the cloud, and was surprised to find that the fibers were actually firm to the touch, yet soft and springy...like a mattress. Looking at the massive tower that was Miss Dash’s home, I could not help but wonder exactly how one would go about building such a thing, making it float, and garnishing it with liquid rainbow fountains.

It seemed the more I learned about this world, the more I did not understand. I sighed once more before looking at my map once more and chose my next destination: The Carousel Boutique.

As I approached the rather flamboyant-looking building, I again skimmed over the details of this particular pony. She was Rarity Belle, one of the most talented fashion designers in all of the land. She was the Element of Generosity, as well as a very kind and loving pony overall...if not somewhat overly dramatic at times. Her parents were deceased, but she gave home and care to a younger sister by the name of Sweetie Belle.

As I was reading however, I came across a very interesting warning in my briefing...

WARNING: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO APPROACH DURING MATING SEASON

Ah...so like many mammals, there was a specific season where all the females’ estrous cycles would synchronize, and depending on the type of society, it would be either the males or females that should be approached with caution.

Apparently this was a female-dominated society in most senses.

What gave me pause was the fact that such a caution was even put in place for me. True, I would never deliberately harm one of my charges, but I was perfectly capable of defending myself if necessary...which only made me wonder exactly how bad such a season could get for these beings, especially for this specific pony.

Why am I having the foreboding feeling that my state of incognito would be breached at some point?

Nonetheless, I still had two more ponies to meet before my rounds were complete, so I made a mental note to keep an eye on this mare in particular, with it being close to springtime, before I flexed my ethereal wings again and shot towards my next destination: The Sugarcube Corner Bakery.

I had landed some time ago, as I noticed what good time I had made the whole day, and instead chose to walk at a leisurely pace towards my objective...which was a building that looked to be made of sweets itself. The other observation I made was the fact that this establishment was apparently very high-demand among the local populace, as ponies were literally lining up to sample the goods it produced.

As I made my way unseen into the building, I opened my scroll again and began to read about this specific pony.

She was known as Pinkamena Diane Pie, or “Pinkie Pie” to most ‒ adoptive daughter of her guardians and employers, the Cakes. She was the youngest of her group of friends, and for some reason it made sense that she was the Element of Laughter. She was known for her frivolous celebrations, as well as her cheery demeanor. Apparently, she also had certain attributes about her that simply did not make sense...but these details were left out of my briefing. I somehow had a feeling that I would discover these at some point, so for the moment I simply let them rest within my mind.

As I observed, I was impressed by the efficiency and skill with which the three ponies attended to their patrons. With a speed that rivaled my own, Ms. Pie was baking goods and bringing them out almost faster than my eyes could follow, while Mrs. Cake took the orders, and Mr. Cake handed out the orders to the hungry customers.

In honesty, the treats smelled amazing.

True to her Element, the pink pony was bouncing around happily, and her antics caused the patrons to smile and laugh in joy as they enjoyed both the treats, and the show. A few musical numbers were sung by the mentioned pony, and she even danced a bit...and before I knew it, I found the corners of my mouth also curling up into a pleased grin as I continued to watch.

Perhaps she was no athlete, but I could tell already that I was going to have to stifle my laughter whenever around her.

I made a mental note to try and spend some leisure time around this pony before exiting the building and taking flight towards a forest in the distance.

My last stop of the morning was a small cottage by the outskirts of Ponyville and a dangerous wood called the Everfree Forest ‒ a wild and untamed place that was as dangerous as it was lush. As I read over the briefing for this particular pony, I found it strange that one so timid took residence in a place so remote and dangerous.

And then I saw the pony I was looking for.

I must have been seeing things, because it looked like the pony was single-handedly (or hoofedly) fighting a large furry predator, easily four or five times her size. It had a long snout, brown fur, and four heavily-muscled legs...but I noticed something odd about the two’s little “dance”. The predator did not seem to be trying to hurt her at all, in fact it was not even attacking, and it took the pony popping the creature’s neck and rubbing its back while cooing softly before I realized two things:

1) I did not want to anger this pony...ever.
2) That was the oddest massage I had ever witnessed...ever.

I did a double-take at the scroll as I watched the young pegasus and whispered, “The Element of Kindness?”

For the next hour or so, I observed the young pony. She was infinitely kind, and was apparently a caretaker for many of the animals in the area, which made her place of residence make more sense. From what I read on the young pegasus, I found that she also hailed from Cloudsdale, and was very close with Ms. Dash. Her parents were two high-class pegasi from a land called Vaporia, though no names were provided (which I assume meant it was not important to my task). Along with all the information was a notice that stated she was very shy, almost painfully so.

I suppose her name makes sense.

Yet again, I was receiving the distinct impression that the council assumed that my stealth would be compromised...or worse, that it was planned to be. Now that I was actually rather paranoid about this, I decided to file that little piece of possible anxiety away for later...if only for the satisfaction to know I was correct. I trusted the council. I mean...I had to. Beyond just creating me, they gave me my calling and the authority to execute it whenever necessary.

My doubt in the council made me feel unworthy...dirty, even.

Still, I could trounce my self-worth later. For now, I had to report to the two princesses what I had observed, as well as the fact that I had found all of my charges. So with that all out of the way I spread my transparent wings and took flight once more towards the capital.

I arrived once more within the beautiful throne room of the palace, but this time there was no night princess to be seen. Oh well, I assume her elder sister would explain things when they met again.

Once again, the sun princess was meeting with ponies dressed in a rather noble fashion (it appears clothing is optional in this world). Because of the fact that my task was to guard, not spy, I decided to stay a good distance away in an effort to not eavesdrop on the goddess’ conversations.

Luckily I was not forced to wait long, and as I watched, the princess began to gather up her papers as all but her guards vacated the room.

I took this as my cue and leaned in close to her ear and whispered, “I have returned, princess.”

The pony’s ear twitched, but did not show any other sign of acknowledgment. She stood and voiced, “Guards, I am retreating to my study now. Good day.” The guards posted nodded as she left, and I followed silently after her. As I did so, she continued walking towards a door at the base of a tower, and after walking inside she closed it, locked it, and closed the shutters on the windows before turning and looking around the room. “Christopher?”

I let my shroud of stealth drop, and bowed my head slightly in reverence. “Good afternoon, your majesty.”

The sun princess smiled and bowed her head as well. “Good afternoon, Archangel Christopher. I take it your observations are complete?”

I nodded and opened my scroll. “Yes, they are. However, I am rather interested to learn more about Ms. Sparkle, your protégé.”

The alabaster pony nodded and took a seat on a large violet cushion near a desk. “Very well, what do you wish to know?”

I tapped my chin for a moment before asking, “I have noticed that she seems rather high-strung for such a young being, and she appears to have a large amount of anxiety that seems to stem from her study habits. Would you happen to know why?”

The princess smiled warmly. “That is simply Twilight, it’s how she is. She is quite possibly one of the most intelligent and studious mares I’ve ever come across. She has a strong will to succeed, but a large amount of anxiety about even the threat of failure. She is still young, however, so I am sure with time that will cease to be.” The princess then raised her eyebrow and asked, “If it is not too forward of me, why are you so interested in my student?”

Without blinking, I smiled in return. “If I am to properly guard my charges, I must understand them. I must understand how they think, why they do the things they do, and how they would respond to certain situations. That is all.”

The sun goddess’ raised eyebrow did not fall. “Is that all?”

I was confused by her question, but nodded. “Yes princess.”

The princess eyed me warily for a moment before dropping the stare and smiling again. “Very well. Is there anything else you wish to know about them?”

Over the next few hours, Princess Celestia explained to me all she knew of my charges, from their habits and hobbies, all the way to their favorite foods. True, what sort of sustenance the ponies enjoy might not necessarily be of much use, but I wanted to be thorough, just in case. After all, in my eternity one of the most important things I have learned is that no detail is too small or insignificant. As foolish as it sounds, one of my past charges from millennia ago was saved by my knowledge of his favorite color.

A few times during our conversation, I was forced to cloak myself to keep from being seen as a pony would come to the princess to advise her of something or other, or ask a question. One of the things I found disconcerting was the fact that I envied her...the princess. Every time a pony would speak with her, no matter how brief, I could see love in her eyes for her ponies. To her, they were her children. It was true that I loved all of the mortal races, as one could not properly protect that which they did not deeply care for...but the care and love I felt was rather broad.

That of the princess was focused.

The love in her eyes was strongest whenever the subject of Ms. Sparkle or Princess Luna came up, and every time that gleam of adoration flared in her eyes, my envy grew just a little bit. I remember long ago when I visited one of the human worlds (yes, there is more than one), humans had apparently come up with seven “deadly” sins against the deity that presided over that world...my creator. I found it strange that some humans thought that some malicious actions were worse than others, namely how they believed envy was worse than rape, for example.

Mortals sometimes have a very backward way of thinking.

Nonetheless, I was not upset with the princess for that which she had. After all, she was one of the councilmembers, and it was my duty to assist her with whatever she needed without question. It was not my place to want, or question, or even speak in such a way that was at all disrespectful. My duty to and respect for the council came first, and I had trained myself to forsake selfish thoughts such as the ones I was having at the moment, so I sighed, swallowed hard, and pushed them to the back of my mind.

The problem was, I had momentarily forgotten the princess was staring directly at me, and she noticed this gesture.

Her eyes lit up with concern and she asked, “Christopher, what troubles you?”

My head shot up in surprise, and I smiled sheepishly. “N-nothing, princess. Just assimilating all the new information.”

The white pony princess stared at me for a few moments before shrugging. “If you’re sure.” She then stood and made her way to stand in front of me, and for a moment was completely silent...then she gently placed a hoof on my chest.

I flinched very noticeably.

The only two in my entire history who had ever physically touched me were my two brothers...and only because we trusted each other like no other. The mere trust that most mortals have is nothing in comparison to the trust I held for my two siblings, tempered over an eternity together. Any other who would make physical contact with me caused unbridled anxiety and even fear. I do remember that the humans of Earth had a term for this specific condition:

Chiraptophobia ‒ the fear of being touched.

It was the most important thing that allowed me to care for mortals as much as I did, because at least in some form, I was similar to them.

At my reaction, the princess immediately withdrew her hoof from my chest, and frowned. “I am sorry, Christopher. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable.”

As her hoof left my chest, I felt myself calm down and I shook my head. “It is fine, princess...I just am not used to physical contact is all.”

The sun goddess nodded sadly. “I understand. You trust few others besides your brothers, yes?” I nodded. “I see.” The princess straightened up and smiled warmly. “I only wished to advise you that I know something is bothering you, even if you will not tell me.” I flinched again, though for a different reason. The princess simply shook her head. “I will never force you to do anything in that regard. Council enforcer or not, you are still entitled to your privacy. I simply wish to let you know that for as long as you are here, I am not simply your superior...I would be a friend should you need one. You are isolated without your two brothers, so do not hesitate to confide in me if you feel troubled in some way.”

For some reason, her extension of friendship affected me far deeper than it should have. I felt emotion bubbling up within my chest and throat, as well as the beginnings of tears at the corners of my eyes. I felt I could not trust my voice, and so for the moment, I simply nodded. Perhaps with time I could learn to trust the goddess, enough to speak to her candidly as I did my two siblings...or perhaps not. What I did know is that when she extended her friendship to me, I felt happier than I believed possible from a mere sentence.

With that thought out of the way, the princess smiled and gestured to the window, which I followed her to. As we gazed into the distance, I could see the beauty of this world amongst the coming sunset, and it made me smile with happiness.

“You can hear it, can’t you?” the princess whispered.

I turned to the pony princess and raised my eyebrow in confusion. “Hear what?”

“This...” she responded, and I watched as a bright gold aura phased into existence around her horn, and at the same time, the sun in the sky began to dip below the horizon. Along with the sunset, the beautiful chimes I heard before were in full-force, and now that I was listening for them, they were so much more beautiful.

After a few moments I closed my eyes and muttered, “Yes...I can hear it.”

I heard as the princess shifted beside me, and I felt a charge in the air as well. “What you hear is the sound of magic commingling with the divine power that gives me control over the sun...and only one who has been in the company of the council can hear it.”

“Why?” I asked in curiosity.

I opened my eyes to see the princess shrug. “I have lived for a mere few thousand years, Christopher. If you do not know, I have no right to either.”

I looked away respectfully. “You are one of the council, Princess Celestia. I am just-”

“There is no just, Christopher.” the solar princess interrupted sternly. I looked back and caught eyes with her, and noticed she was smiling warmly. “You have fought and won against adversaries I couldn’t even dream of conquering, and you’ve lived far longer than me.” The tall white pony then bowed her head in respect. “The council has convinced you that simply because you do their bidding, that you are less than them.” The princess’ head ascended again to look at me. “This is very untrue, archangel. In many ways, you are far greater than many of them.”

I coughed a bit in embarrassment and mumbled, “You flatter me, princess.”

The sun goddess smiled again and shook her head. “No...I speak the truth. You and your brothers are far more valuable than you believe...more so than some of the councilmembers.”

“I...” I started, only to swallow hard and compose myself, “I would not want to forget my place, princess.”

The tall pony smiled at me again and shrugged. “Perhaps I am delving too deep, but I believe your ‘place’ may be the problem, Christopher. You are much more valuable than you know...and simply by your response, I can tell you are not told so. You are wrath...and yet also love.”

I sighed and lowered my gaze to the ground in embarrassment again. “I feel it is a handicap sometimes.”

“I think it’s a strength.” the princess whispered carefully. “I believe that a being with your power, but without compassion and love, would be a monster. It is your care for the living that makes you special, archangel. Never forget that. A few of my guards could learn a lot from you.”

The question that had been on my mind all day came back with force again, and now that I was speaking to a councilmember, I could not stop myself from asking, “Am I meant to be seen princess?”

I immediately cringed at the slip, but I relaxed just a hair when I noticed the monarch was still smiling. She stepped forward a little closer, but did not touch me. “Yes, Christopher...with time.”

“Why?” I asked curiously. “Usually my tasks are on the grounds of ‘leave no evidence, and do not be seen’.”

The princess actually frowns now, and upon her radiant face the frown is almost...frightening...as if it goes against an unwritten law. “Christopher...how much were you told about this task?”

I thought about it for a moment before answering, “Simply that I was to stay for as long as I was needed.”

The princess sighed and hung her head a bit...again disturbing me. “Perhaps you should take a seat, Christopher.”

That one statement put me on edge, but I complied and took a seat in a lush chair by the window. I looked up at the princess and asked, “What is it?”

The princess looked up at me sadly and took a deep breath. “You are not the first enforcer to come here, Christopher. You are in fact the eighth.”

Few things have caused me to go into shock, but this would be one of them.

Then something that has never happened before threatened to happen...my shock nearly turned to wrath. I luckily had a firm hold on myself as I whispered, “What happened?”

The princess sighed for a bit before answering, “The Elements of Harmony, for six of them. Think for a moment of what you know about the Elements...what is the only force in the cosmos that could generate that much power?”

“Life.” I answered without thinking...and then it hit me. “Wait...so the Elements...?”

The princess nodded sadly. “There are some things in this world that cannot be bested by force alone, Christopher. The chaos god Discord is one of them, and the corrupted form of my dear sister Luna was another. Because of the magical nature of this world, there are sure to be many more, so the six protectors sacrificed themselves to create the Elements of Harmony, the most powerful benevolent force to have ever existed on this world.”

I took this all in, pleased that my question had been answered, but also angry that such an important piece of information had been kept from me for all these millennia. I then raised an eyebrow upon the realization that something did not add up...

“What happened to the other?” I asked in confusion. “You said I was the eighth, and that six of the others became the Elements...so what about the other?”

The solar goddess sighed sadly. “I don’t know, Christopher. I’m sorry. She disappeared when I was just a young filly, so I don’t remember the details, and I’ve only relatively recently become aware of the council itself.” She then looked directly at me. “Regardless of what you and your brothers may believe, the council is powerful, but none are completely omnipotent. That is exactly the reason why there’s a council in the first place...to keep each other in check.”

I was now very confused. I cleared my throat and asked, “But you are also on the council, princess. Why are you telling me this?”

She again smiled with the infinite love and wisdom that she has. “Because unlike some of the councilmembers, I believe those that enforce the light and good in the mortal realm have a right to know exactly what they’re defending.”

“But why me?” I asked curiously. “What makes me different that you want to tell me that?”

The solar princess smiles sadly. “Because of the way the Elements work, Christopher. Until another bearer is found, the ponies that that bear them are frozen in time...never aging. Considering just how long it was before the last Element bearers passed them on to me and my sister, that could be a very long time...and you deserve to know what you’ve been tasked with in its entirety.”

I let a pained breath out of my mouth as I slumped a bit in the chair. “How long?”

“Two billion years for the bearers before me.” she responded with clear pain in her voice.

I looked down at the floor and asked, “How could mere mortals do that without going insane?”

The princess moved just a hair closer, enough so that I could feel the magic energy radiating off of her without searching for it. “Immortals give far too little credit to the mortals, I believe. They are much stronger than any of us realize...even me. That being said, the friendship of their other bearers helps more than anything.” She then smiled warmly again, letting the near-continuous grin relax me. “That is why you were never meant to stay completely invisible for your entire time here, Christopher. I may not be able to fathom the things you’ve seen and been through, but even in my short life I’ve learned that we all need those that we can connect with and care for in order to live properly...whether we are an eternal being such as you, or a mortal. Without your brothers here with you, you are isolated...you are meant to befriend the Element bearers.”

Taking this all in, I nodded softly. “When?”

“You’ll know when the time is right, Christopher. I have faith in you.” she responded gently.

I nodded with a genuine smile and stood, causing the princess to take a few steps back. “Thank you, princess. I appreciate your care and faith in me...as well as the wealth of knowledge you have provided me.”

“Think nothing of it, Christopher.” she replied as she turned to the door. “Just make sure to keep a close eye on them...they mean a lot to me.”

I bowed my head and answered, “I will, princess...worry not.”

I phased from sight as she opened the door, and I slipped out of the tower behind her, again taking flight towards the town in the distance.

As once again the day began to wane, I found myself thinking of a great many things. The amount of information that the princess had provided me with had opened my eyes to the true nature of my purpose here, as well as the nature of the council...not to mention the fact that I now knew that at some point, my cover would be compromised, so I allowed my paranoia to drop.

The thing that did not leave my mind was the final council enforcer that seemingly disappeared so long ago. It did not make sense to me, but I suppose with time I could unveil the truth of what happened to her.

With my mind made up and full of new information, I again perched myself on the observation porch of Twilight Sparkle, and closed my eyes to rest until morning.

Chapter 3: Revealed

Since that first day of learning my true task in this world, six months had passed.

Several interesting occurrences happened here and there, but nothing that the Elements were not able to handle...save for today.

I had traveled with the Elements to a land known as the Crystal Kingdom, where a great cataclysm threatened to swallow the entire kingdom whole. An ancient unicorn, known as King Sombra, had somehow returned from the depths of the shadows, intent on claiming the peaceful realm for his own again. Shadows danced around the large barrier that Princess Celestia’s niece, Princess Cadence, was struggling to keep strong, but from the flickers of the barrier itself, I could see its caster was weakening. This was not the greatest worry, however, as I had noticed a great number of presences with which I was very familiar...

Demons.

Within the shadows that crowded the barrier’s perimeter were gathered countless demons, ranging from the simple imps, to the Tiamat ‒ a great dragon-esque beast of a demon that was created from ancient Babylonian mythology, becoming a very real threat. The legions of darkness took the idea from human texts on Earth, turning the fearsome creature into a physical being of horrendous power. This Tiamat, however, was not a beast that sought to protect her children. Instead, it was simply a being of evil that commanded the legions that beset this world.

I watched the gathering tide from within the barrier and readied my sword for when it would inevitably collapse...and a moment later, it did.

The dark entities poured across the landscape, rushing towards the largely defenseless ponies that waited within the city, and the very shadows they sprang from corrupted the landscape, twisting it and gnarling the very vegetation. I wasted no time in darting faster than the eye could see all around the circle of encroaching darkness, slashing and destroying the many demonic entities that threatened to kill the ponies I was sworn to protect.

For the first time in a long time, however, I could not fight back the advancing darkness. True that I vastly slowed it, but the tide simply continued towards the Crystal Palace, corrupting whatever buildings it washed over. Luckily, all of the ponies had retreated to the palace itself, so as to prevent the unthinkable...their death.

Slowly, ever so slowly, I was finally driven to fight right along the outskirts of the palace grounds, but I raised my gaze in time to see a large stallion throw a determined Princess Cadence high into the air, to catch was looked to be Twilight’s Assistant, and a crystallized heart-like gem. I watched as the form of King Sombra materialized within the shadows, just in time for a massive wave of magical power to suddenly explode from the center of the palace, driving the shadows away and destroying King Sombra...hopefully forever. As I let myself breathe a sigh of relief, however, I felt a dark presence approaching, and looked to see a massive, shadowy many-headed creature.

Tiamat.

From the blast of energy, the beast was vastly weakened, but was still a grave threat to the ponies before it. Again, the ponies panicked, but the six Elements of Harmony (with an oddly crystalline look) gathered to fend off the beast. I knew for a fact that they could not defeat it, and so I knew that this would be the time that the princess had spoken about...the time when I would be revealed to them. At the moment though, I did not care about that...I knew that my need to protect them came first, and so I rushed forward and drove my armored fist directly into its chest, driving the beast back with a roar of pain.

It was then that I heard the ponies behind me begin shouting in alarm.

“What the hay was that, Twilight? Did you just cast a spell or something?”

“No, Rainbow Dash, I didn’t. It just...backed off on its own. No wait, that doesn’t make sense...it acted like something hit it.”

“Well whaddaya think it was, Twi?”

“I don’t know, Applejack...but whatever it was is helping us, so that’s good enough for me.”

Princess Celestia was right...Twilight Sparkle was rather intelligent.

I wasted no time in lunging with my sword and burying it to the hilt into the Tiamat’s chest...just before releasing a large burst of divine power into it. It began to roar in pain, but a moment later it burst apart, dissipating into smoky shadows that evaporated into the air around us. I collapsed to the ground as the power I had been forced to release took its toll on me...and along with this came the loss of my invisibility.

“W-who is that, Twilight?” asked a young male voice.

“I don’t know, Spike...but I think it just helped us.” replied the female voice, who I recognized as Twilight Sparkle.

I drove my sword into the dirt a bit and pushed myself to my feet, wobbling a bit as I did so. I then pulled a corner of my tabard up and wiped Cassandra before sheathing her, then I focused my gaze on the ponies gathered. “Greetings, Element bearers.”

Rainbow Dash nearly fell out of the sky in shock as she squeaked, “It talked!”

I chuckled a bit at her surprise and nodded. “Yes, I did.”

Twilight Sparkle stepped forward a bit and asked, “Who are you, stranger?”

I placed my hand on my chest and bowed slightly in respect. “I am Archangel Christopher.” I then stood and rested my hand on the pommel of Cassandra. “I have been charged by Princess Celestia to watch over and protect you all.”

“And you couldn’t have come sooner?” the cyan pegasus grumbled.

I grinned and replied, “That monster you just saw was only one of thousands, of which I was driving back to protect you all. Were it not for my efforts, you would not have had time to activate that magic and save the kingdom.”

Twilight Sparkle eyed the large scorch mark on the ground. “What was that thing? It was like a hydra, but much worse.”

I nodded. “That was a Tiamat, a demon that serves as commanders for armies such as the one that threatened to destroy all of you. Make no mistake, you would not have been able to defeat it, even with the Elements of Harmony.”

“How do you know about the Elements?” the young lavender unicorn asked suspiciously.

I sighed and lowered my eyes in frustration. “Let it be said that I know everything about all of you...as well as the power you wield. I have been watching over you for quite some time, actually.”

“How long?” the white unicorn, Rarity, asked.

“Six months.” I replied with a smile. “Until now, my presence here was inconsequential, as I was unneeded. Demons, however, are beyond your capabilities to defeat, and I mean that with no offense.”

The cyan pegasus flew close to my face, and I unconsciously tensed. “Oh yeah? And how do you know what we can do? I’m tough, I could probably take it on my own!”

“Unfortunately the only way for you to know that for sure would be to battle one, and I will not let that happen.” I replied sternly. “Regardless of what you may believe, I only stepped in because I had to...and you can ask Princess Celestia about me. She will confirm everything I have told you.”

“Rainbow, calm down and back off. He could hurt ya.” the orange one replied warily.

I shook my head. “My sole purpose on this world is to protect you. While I am quite capable of doing so, I would never harm any of you. To do so would be a grievous failure on my part.”

Twilight Sparkle eyed me curiously for a moment before turning to her friends. “C’mon girls, we can talk about this later. Right now I’m tired and I just want to go home. This whole thing has been way too exciting for my liking.”

I nodded again. “That is a good plan. I will await you in front of the Golden Oaks Library. We can speak more in a comfortable atmosphere.”

The mares nodded before walking away, though the small dragon kept his eyes focused on me for some time.

I journeyed to see and report to the princesses as soon as I returned, but then made my way to wait at Twilight Sparkle’s place of residence, as I had advised the Elements I would.

Nearly an entire day later, the group arrived, rested, and luckily in much better spirits. The seven of them headed directly to the Celestial Palace first, before finally arriving back in Ponyville, and they all saw I was awaiting them.

Twilight was the first to approach me, and she smiled. “Well, I asked both of the princesses and your story checks out. Princess Celestia told me that we could trust you completely, so that’s good enough for me.”

“So you’re a warrior, hmm? How fast are you?” Rainbow Dash asked with a smirk.

Before she could blink, I rushed to her home, grabbed a pair of autographed goggles she kept beside her bed, and rushed back before dangling them on my finger. “Faster than you.”

The cyan mare’s mouth dropped open as she stuttered, “H-how did you...?”

I shrugged. “Speed is essential in any situation...in battle, doubly so. I am the best at what I do, and so I must be the fastest as well.” I then handed the goggles to the mare, and she took them gently in her hooves. “Thankfully for all of you, I am charged with your protection instead of destruction.”

Twilight Sparkle then motioned to her home and asked, “Would you like to join us for some cookies and juice?”

I smiled softly and nodded. “It would be a pleasure, Twilight Sparkle.”

The eight of us shared the sweet drinks and treats as we came to know each other a bit better, and I must admit, the sustenance of this world is rather good.

The pink pony, Pinkie Pie, was talking nonstop about anything and everything, while the rest simply relaxed, enjoying the warm, safe atmosphere of home. The entire time the friends were speaking, I noticed that Twilight Sparkle did not seem surprised in the least by my appearance...and I had to know why.

So I asked.

“Twilight Sparkle.” I spoke, getting the mare’s attention.

“Just Twilight is fine, Christopher.” the lavender mare responded.

I nodded and continued. “I have observed that you show no surprise at my appearance. Might I ask why?”

The five friends all looked at the Element of Magic, and she replied with, “Well I felt it was kind of strange for Princess Celestia to send us to handle something so dangerous alone. I mean I trust her, but I just felt like this was a little much. I was hoping that she was watching over us somehow, and while it wasn’t her directly, your presence shows that I was right in thinking she cared about us enough to want to keep us safe.”

I nodded as I leaned against the wall near the front door. “Yes. Both of your princesses have made it quite clear just how important you are to them, so I pray you never believe you are unloved, because it would be a lie.”

“So what are you exactly?” Rarity Belle asked.

I smiled and answered, “I am an angel of my Lord, who happens to be the god of a race called humans...and that race looks like me. Angels are the enforcers of light and good throughout the cosmos, and among them are a few that are a tier above the others, and we are known as archangels, or ‘angelic lords’ as we are sometimes called. We directly serve gods and goddesses such as your princesses, and carry out the most vital missions.”

“Missions? Cool! Your brother does missions too, right Twilight?” asked the boisterous cyan pegasus.

The mentioned unicorn nodded with a sheepish grin. “Yes, but I’m sure the missions that Christopher runs are far more important than those that my brother does.”

I shook my head with a smile. “No mission is too small, Twilight. Though it is true that I handle the more dangerous entities that plague your world, your brother does the same as I do: he ensures your protection and those of his home. I am doing the exact same, just on a larger scale.”

The young unicorn nodded a few times before smiling. “Well thanks, Christopher...we appreciate that. So how long are you staying, exactly?”

I shrugged. “For as long as I am needed. My terms in the past have ranged anywhere from a few hours to a few million years.”

“Just how old are ya exac’ly?” the farmpony asked skeptically.

I rolled my eyes to the ceiling in thought for a moment before replying, “Approximately 7.4298 quadrillion of your years. The exact number escapes me. I was present when the first mortals were created in the universe before this, and personally assisted in the creation of the many stars you see in the sky.”

“Wait wait wait, there was a universe before this one? That doesn’t make any sense...” Twilight insisted.

I sighed. “It is one of the things that mortals cannot understand, though it isn’t your fault. Your thought processes are very linear, where time must have a beginning. The concept of forward-moving eternity is easy to imagine for you, because you are already in the present, and you perceive the future simply as an endpoint you will not live to see. The concept of something that ‘always-has-been’ will forever elude you, simply because your mind cannot function that way. It is a thought process that has evolved because of your linear life: you are birthed, you live, and you pass away. From what I have been told, there have been many universes before this one, and it is likely there will be many after this one.”

Twilight was silent for a moment before shaking her head as she brought a hoof to her temple. “You’re right, I can’t fathom that. It’s just giving me a headache.”

I chuckled lightly and smiled. “It is fine. Strange as it may seem, there are things about the universe that even I do not understand, so you are not alone in lacking knowledge.”

It was then that my eyes wandered to the only mare who had not spoken a word since the seven of us “met”...Fluttershy. She seemed downright terrified of me, to the point where she would hide behind the pink mane that draped around her face. Not only that, but the mare never seemed to leave the side of her protector and friend, Rainbow Dash. I was no stranger to the fear and intimidation that my stature, armor, and battle prowess brought with it, but my I also wished my charges not to fear me.

With that in mind, I crouched low to the ground and lowered my voice to a near whisper. “Fluttershy...do you fear me?”

The mentioned mare flinched a bit at my address, and whimpered.

Rainbow Dash turned her head to listen before answering, “She says that your armor makes you look really scary.”

I smiled at this. “The dark armor is only to shroud its true nature, because if I were to let its true form shine forth, it would compel you to adore me. However, I wish to establish a real connection with all of you, so forced adoration is not something I wish for.”

“Why don’t you show us and let us decide that for ourselves, dear.” Rarity requested.

I sighed and nodded before allowing the divine power to flow through me again. The armor caught fire with bright golden flames, and changed from black to a deep goldenrod. The etching changed from blue to white, and my tabard became bright white, instead of its normal gray.

Almost immediately, all of the mares’ eyes widened, and the six of them stood up with bright smiles. Before anything could happen though, I dissipated the effect, leaving my armor as it was before, a solid, matte black.

Twilight Sparkle nearly fell over when the effect ceased, and groaned, “Please...never do that again. I felt like I wanted to worship you, and no offense, but that is not a good feeling.”

“Felt like y’all hijacked mah mind and made me fall in love with ya.” Applejack commented warily.

I sighed again and mused, “I wonder what it is about me that makes people refuse to trust me when I tell them about that. Perhaps it’s my hair...”

The young Pinkamena giggled and exclaimed, “I like him, he’s funny!”

While I did not speak it, the approval of the Element of Laughter felt nice, and I simply smiled in response. I then turned my gaze to the group and explained, “I am far more powerful with that effect active, as the divine power given to me is flowing at full capacity. However, as you have witnessed, such power has rather odd side effects for me. Not even the princesses would be able to resist it.”

“That must be rather cumbersome for you.” Rarity observed.

I shook my head. “I have yet to have to use it in a battle, and I pray to my Lord that I never need to. For that kind of power to be needed...it is frightening to imagine what sort of enemy I would be facing.” I then turned my gaze to the yellow pegasus, who was no longer hiding her face away. “I would do anything to protect all of you though...and I do mean anything. I pray you do not fear my power, for it is nothing to fear for you. As I have stated before, I would never harm any of you.” Though she did not speak, the young pink-maned pegasus smiled warmly at me, which allowed me to smile at the small victory I had won.

“So what are your plans for the future now that we know you exist?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Well,” I began thoughtfully, “I was requested by your Princess Celestia to befriend all of you, which is more than acceptable for me because it will make my task that much more important if I care for each of you on a personal level. Beyond that, it is as it has been. I will stay out of sight in public, only intervening in your day-to-day activities if you are threatened with something you cannot handle on your own.” I then frowned, remembering what happened the previous day. “Although, the appearance of these demons worries me. I had not expected to come across them so soon, but regardless, my task remains unchanged. Keep alert for talk around the town about any suspicious going-ons that are taking place, and report to me directly. Other than that, simply go about your lives as usual and know that I will always be watching over each of you.”

The level of respect and admiration the mares felt for me increased dramatically at this statement, and each one began to gather around me curiously. I raised my eyebrow at this, but then all at once, the six suddenly rushed and embraced me around my middle.

‘Too close...can’t breathe...too close...get away...touching...get away!’

“GET AWAY!” I shouted loudly, causing all six ponies to release me in fear. My heart was pounding with anxiety, and I was panting in an attempt to not faint, but the damage was done. I was trembling furiously, and sweating...but what mattered most to me was the faces of my charges, and how afraid and hurt the six of them looked. It took a few minutes, but after calming down, I took a deep breath and began to explain. “I apologize...truly. I have a rather serious aversion to physical contact with anyone. Yet again, I apologize...it has naught to do with any of you personally...it is simply a ‘quirk’ of mine, if you will.”

Fluttershy finally spoke softly, asking, “So you’ve never touched anyone before?”

“None by my brothers. I trust few else.” I replied sadly.

The kind mare’s ears flopped down in sadness as her eyes brimmed with tears. “Oh my...you poor thing.”

I sighed and shrugged. “It’s of no major consequence. I will see my brothers again, with time.”

Fluttershy shook her head, and I saw a few tears drop down her face before she looked up at me again. “Do you miss them? Do you miss hugging them, talking to them?”

“Every moment I live.” I responded placidly.

“Then it must hurt to be away from them for years.” the pink-maned pegasus pressed.

I nodded. “More than you can imagine.”

“You’re wrong,” Fluttershy insisted, “I can imagine it. For the first five years of my life I lived it. Unlike you I didn’t know if I would ever have someone to hug me...” She then began sniffling. “To love me...” Her rainbow-maned friend rushed over to comfort her, but was gently brushed away as she fluttered into the air to stare directly into my eyes. “It’s not fair that you should have to go without that for any length of time...and I hope that someday, one of us can give you a hug without you getting scared.”

The small pony’s confession had me reeling. For one of the rare times in my life, I was surprised...she was absolutely right. It was true that I missed my brothers dearly, but I knew that at some point, I would see them again...but if I did not have that sort of comfort to look forward to, I may have gone insane long ago.

I suddenly had a new bit of respect for mortals, and this pony in particular.

I stared directly back into Fluttershy’s eyes and nodded. “I appreciate that...truly. I am unsure if such a feat is possible, but I suppose I would be willing to submit myself to such a process, slow as it may be in progress. You all deserve such a thing if you are to trust me, and truth be told, I am curious as to if such a thing is possible.” I turned my gaze to the rest of the mares, who were smiling warmly. “If you can assist me in overcoming such a thing, I would forever be in your debt.”

“You said that Princess Celestia requested you to befriend us, right?” Twilight asked. I nodded, and she smiled in return. “Well that’s what friends do...we help each other.”

The young unicorn’s statement made me smile, and I nodded gratefully. “Then I am thankful for your concern. True concern for a complete stranger is something I so rarely come across, and I personally believe that much of the darkness in the universe could be prevented if more thought as you all do.”

All the mares smiled and blushed a bit at the compliment, while Applejack replied, “Aw shucks sugarcube, t’aint nothin’.”

“So where are you staying?” the rainbow-maned pegasus asked.

I smiled sheepishly as I responded, “I have actually been passing the days upon Twilight Sparkle’s observation deck. It is one of the highest points in town that allows me to keep watch easily.”

The mares all gasped at this, but Fluttershy was the only one to speak. “Y-you’ve been sleeping outside?”

I shook my head. “I do not require sleep. I simply keep watch, always vigilant.”

“So you never sleep at all?” Twilight asked curiously.

“I can sleep,” I began with a sigh, “I just do not need to. It is an unneeded process for me.”

The mares visibly relaxed a bit, but still seemed rather unsettled.

Rainbow Dash floated in front of my face and said, “You’re going to stay with me.”

I shook my head. “I will be fine. As I said, I do not need-”

“I know you don’t need to sleep Chris,” she began, shortening my name for more streamlined speech (a perfect idea for the fastest pegasus in the realm), “but I feel bad if you just sit outside. The guest room at the top of my house is the highest point in the whole town...you can see for miles. I just don’t want you to have to sit outside all alone is all.”

This was quite the crafty mare, appealing to my need to have a good vantage point.

“Alright fine,” I answered in defeat, “I’ll stay with you in your home, Rainbow Dash. I will be sure and leave before dawn, and be gone until dusk, so as to give you plenty of privacy.”

The cyan pegasus shook her head. “Chris...argh....look, I want you there, so it’s not like you’re going to be in the way. You don’t have to be gone the entire day if you don’t wanna be. Besides, it’d be nice to have someone to fly with that’s fast enough to keep up with me.”

“I am fully capable of keeping watch over you from anywhere in town without taking up space in your home, though.” I argued.

Rainbow Dash became frustrated as she shot back, “If you don’t stay in my guest room, I will go out and get in all kinds of trouble...and I’ll make your job really hard.”

I stared at the rose-colored eyes of the pegasus for a few minutes before sighing and nodding. “Fine fine. I suppose I am what you would call a ‘roommate’ now.”

“Yes!” she shouted in victory, causing all of her friends to giggle. She then turned to me with a grin. “Well come on, it’s getting late and I have work in the morning. I’ll get you set up so that you can keep an eye on things while still being really comfortable.”

I sighed and cloaked myself before taking to the skies towards Rainbow Dash’s cloud abode.

The two of us arrived at her home just a bit over five minutes later, and even though I had been privy to her home before, it was always a sight to see...but now that I was on speaking terms with the pegasus, I felt it appropriate to ask a question.

“How exactly do you create the rainbow fountains?” I questioned in awe.

She giggled and shrugged. “Trade secret. All I’ll tell you for sure is that here in Equestria, all rainbows start out as liquid. As for how I make them infinitely flowing, I’ll leave that for you to try and figure out. Good luck though, not even Twi could work it out.”

As the mare led me into her home, I stared at the beautiful liquid rainbow fountains, curious as to the exact physics of this world.

As I stepped inside the cloud home, I noticed that nearly everything within it was made of clouds, or stone-like creations that looked like clouds. It was yet another odd thing about physics that I would need to assimilate into my working knowledge so that I had a better understanding of how this world worked, as it could come in handy at any time.

“So how fast can you go, exactly?” Rainbow Dash asked as we began to ascend a tall spiral staircase.

I followed closely, but my eyes darted around the abode, taking in the floating work-of-art. “Umm, technically I can exceed the speed of light.”

“That’s like really fast, right?” the mare questioned.

I continued following and just nodded. “The speed of light is the fastest anything in the universe can travel naturally. Twilight is able to travel that speed by way of teleportation.”

“Oh yeah!” the pony exclaimed, seeming to understand. “So like so fast that you can disappear from one place and show up right away in another?”

I shrugged as we came to a small hallway at the top of the stairwell. “There is more to it than that, but for practical purposes that you would be able to observe here in Equestria, yes...that is correct.”

“Awesome!” the mare squealed before flying over to a door at the end of the hallway and opening it, leading to a large circular room with five windows and a single, large bed made of clouds. “Alright, so this is it. I’m downstairs and to the left if you need me, ‘kay?”

I nodded gratefully and smiled. “I thank you for inviting me into your home, Rainbow Dash. Your kindness is appreciated.”

The mare rolled her eyes and grinned. “It’s no biggie, Chris. Just chill out and enjoy the place. The windows will let you keep track of everything around town, and even though I know you don’t sleep, the bed will be soft enough to let you chill out on something comfortable until you need to leave for something. I’ll make...wait, do you need to eat?”

I shook my head. “As with slumber, I do not need physical sustainence, no.”

The mare shrugged and smiled. “Well that’s cool. I know you can eat, so I’m gonna make you my specialty so you can have breakfast with me: fried caramelized apples with orange juice. It’s simple, nutritious, and easy to make, and I want to show you some hospitality, since you’re gonna be here on Equis for awhile.”

I forced a smile as I kept in mind what the princess had told me of the Elements, and thus, the Element bearers. “That sounds wonderful, Rainbow Dash. I thank you. Sleep well.”

“G’night, Chris. See ya in the morning.” the mare replied before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

As the pony left me in the room provided to me, I couldn’t help but smile at the kindness that had already been shown. I was a stranger to this world, and though their princess had assured them I could be trusted, none of them knew me beyond that. The world seemed...innocent somehow because of that, but yet also more pure.

It simply made me want to protect this world even more.

I unsheathed Cassandra and seated myself on the plush cloud bed before unrolling the golden scroll and running my finger across the blade quickly. A small spot of blood appeared on the edge of my finger, and I pressed it to the shimmery face of the scroll and watched as it glowed softly.

A moment later, a familiar face appeared...that of my brother Michael.

“Hello, Christopher.” he greeted happily. “I see you are well, and I assume that with this contact, you have met your charges, yes?”

I nodded. “They know of me, and have been very kind and understanding.”

Michael smiled. “Then you are blessed. How are things?”

I shrugged. “The demons broke through somehow yesterday, though I know not how. They were defeated by the combined efforts of myself, and a magical artifact known as the Crystal Heart.”

“Magical? You are in a magic world?” Michael questioned, genuinely surprised.

I nodded. “The first I have ever known of. Magic is in everything and everyone here. It is an integral part of everyday life for the denizens of Equis.”

“I see.” my brother mused aloud. “Consider yourself further blessed...I would wish to see such a force in action.”

I smiled and commented, “It is a force like no other, my brother. This world holds a great many mysteries that I hope to discover, with the help of my charges, of course.”

“Remember why you are there, Christopher.” Michael warned.

I nodded. “Yes yes, I know of my primary objective. Worry not, I will watch over my charges intently...no harm will come to them.”

He nodded with a smile. “Good. Our Lord is meeting with the goddess of that world sometime soon, and if what you say is true, she is like to give you a glowing review on the matter. I expect great things from you, Christopher.”

I smiled warmly and nodded again. “It was a pleasure, Michael. Send my regards to Gabriel when you next speak to him, and as always, walk in the Light.”

“And you as well, my dear brother. Farewell.” he replied, and then the face of the scroll went dark.

I rolled the scroll up and stuck my finger in my mouth, sucking on it to dull the small ache and stop the bleeding. After a moment I removed my finger and sheathed Cassandra again before standing up and looking out one of the windows of my new room. As Rainbow Dash had promised, the view was perfect, as I could see every side of town and nearly all the way to Canterlot, the capital city.

With night in full swing, I simply leaned against the window frame and waited for morning to arrive.

Chapter 4: Sunrise

Like every morning since I arrived on this planet, I sent a silent prayer of goodwill for my charges to my Lord, just as the sun was rising and the “music” was at its apex. The sun, bright and radiant, rose into the sky by the magic and divine power of Princess Celestia, the goddess of the sun itself.

I was still coming to grips with magic and how much it changed the physics of this pocket universe that was Equis, but it was exciting to be learning something new for a change.

With the day started in earnest, I busied myself with removing and checking over my armor, clothing, and weaponry for any weaknesses or damages. To my relief, only minor damage was accrued, and so I set about retrieving a cloth I always kept within the small pack on my waist, and began polishing and cleaning my armor and armaments.

It was mindless work that allowed me to think about what was to come for this world, and for me. By what the princess had explained to me, I may very well be on this world quite a bit longer than I originally believed, and while I was no stranger to isolation in my duties, it worried me a bit that I had encountered demons so soon. Luckily, I could not sense them anywhere near Ponyville or the surrounding areas, which meant that at least for the moment, my charges were safe.

However, I would be remiss to say I did not worry.

Nonetheless, it was my duty to protect all six of them, and by extension, their home...with all of my power, if needed. With that self-promise in mind, I continued tending to my armor and arms.

Nearly two hours later, my equipment was cleaned and mended, and so I set about waiting downstairs for my rainbow-maned charge to awaken.

I could not help but elicit a small chuckle as I noticed her trudging tiredly towards the living area of her home before veering off to her kitchen, preparing a morning meal and coffee. Truth be told, I had become somewhat partial to the drink after spending so much time around mortals. The plant, or at least some derivative of it, was grown and used on nearly every planet I’d been to so far.

With that being the case, I helped myself to a bit of the steamy dark-colored beverage, keeping well out of the way of the groggy pegasus.

“Good morning, Rainbow Dash.” I spoke softly as I poured some of the morning drink into a small blue ceramic mug.

“Morning, Chris.” the mare replied sleepily. “Hope you don’t think I was being rude last night or anything. I was just tired is all.”

I shook my head with a smile. “Not at all. I appreciate you inviting me into your home, and understand well enough how exhaustion can affect one’s mood.”

The pony smiled and began sizzling some apple slices in a frying pan, sprinkling some sugar over them. “Thanks for not taking it personally.”

“We archangels are known for many things, patience being one of them.” I explained as I leaned against the countertop, watching the pony cook our breakfast. “Truth be told, I cannot think of anything that would hurt my feelings.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged her shoulders as she rolled the skillet around on the burner. “I just wanted to be sure is all. Some ponies can be pretty sensitive, and I just wanted to make sure I didn’t make you think I was a jerk or something.”

I shook my head with a smile. “A jerk would not invite me in her home and cook me breakfast.”

She pursed her lips before nodding. “Good point.” The mare then used the edges of her wings to serve up the food, manipulating them dexterously as I would my own hands. “Alright, food’s ready. Take a seat.”

I made my way to the dining area and sat down across from the mare, crossing my legs as I did so in order to fit at the table. “So, I’ve always been curious as to how exactly pegasi coordinate with each other for the weather.”

The mare shrugged as she munched on her food. “Not really sure, to be honest. I mean, I make sure all my weatherponies are where they should be, doing what they should, but I don’t set up the weather. The princesses and the Weather Factory does that. I just follow orders, for the most part.”

“Still, controlled weather is something fairly new to me.” I admitted with a smile as I sampled some of the apples, finding the meal delectable. “It’s...fascinating, to say the least.”

The mare shrugged as she continued eating, thankfully swallowing before speaking. “Eh, I guess for someone like you who hasn’t seen it before, it’s probably pretty cool. For ponies though, it’s common knowledge. We’ve been doing it this way for as long as anypony can remember, save for the princesses.” She finished off the last of her meal before standing and taking her dish to the kitchen, along with my own. “Twi told me a pegasus’ ability to control clouds and such comes from the magic we have inside of us.” She then reentered the room and pointed at me. “The fact that you’re sitting on my clouds like you are proves that you’re experiencing that magic right now, without even knowing it.” I turned my eyes to the clouded ground as she added, “If I’m right, you should be able to scoop some off with your hands, and hold it like I can.”

I cupped one of my hands and scooped it into the floor, and sure enough, a small puff of the cloud was in my hand as I brought it up. It felt slightly cool and moist to the touch, and while it gave when I squeezed it, I could feel it also resist the pressure. I brought the small bit of cloud back down and gently pressed it back to the floor, mending the spot I had damaged.

“Cool,” the mare quipped, obviously pleased with my newfound ability, “I figured you’d be able to do that, what with you being able to fly and all.”

I shrugged as I graciously stood and nodded. “There are many things in this world I am still coming to understand, and that is one of the most interesting thus far.”

The pegasus smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I guess it is pretty cool.” She then fluttered over to her door and looked pointedly at me. “Anyway, I gotta head off to work now. I mean I guess you could stay here, but something tells me that you’re not gonna.”

I nodded. “You understand well enough. My task is to watch over the Element-bearers, so it does me no good to sit alone in your home. Besides, it would make for a rather bland day, even by my standards.”

Rainbow Dash barked a laugh and nodded. “Yeah, I don’t know if I could do that, so I’m right there with you. I guess you could always go hang out with Princess Celestia then. Twilight would kill me if I told you this, but she says that the princesses can get pretty bored sometimes, what with their royal cabinet handling most things nowadays. The only thing the princesses have to do is raise and lower the sun and the moon. There’s probably more to it than that, but that’s the way it sounds.” The pegasus then turned her gaze towards the ceiling as she thought. “Or, you could always visit with Rarity. With how proper you are and stuff, I’m sure the two of you would get along pretty good. Twilight too, but then you’d have to be ready to answer a whole bunch of questions. I wouldn’t recommend Applejack, because she has a lot of work to do, and you’d be lucky to get Fluttershy to even talk to you this soon, let alone hold a conversation.”

I thought for a moment before eyeing the cyan pegasus with suspicion. “What of your other friend? Pinkie Pie, I believe...what of her?”

She chuckled and shook her head. “I know you said you’re some kinda awesome-warrior-dude-thing, but you’re not ready to deal with her. Just trust me on this. She’s very touchy-feely, always wanting to hug, or nuzzle, or any kind of touch really. I don’t want either of you to get into a fight over it. You’d just get really uncomfortable around her, and she’d be sad that she made you feel that way.”

I nodded solemnly. “I understand. I do hope all of you can help me through this. It is debilitating in many ways.”

“I can’t even imagine it.” Rainbow Dash replied thoughtfully. “I mean, I’m not the most huggy mare, but even I like to be able to hug a friend once in awhile, or feel Fluttershy next to me when I’m nervous.” She sighed as she turned her eyes to mine again. “You really are alone, and that sucks.”

I nodded. “Yes, I am isolated. Your group will only make the twentieth charge I have made myself known to out of billions.”

She nodded. “Well, I’m pretty sure we can help you, if you’ll let us.”

I shrugged, patting the pommel of Cassandra for comfort. “I am always open to a new practice to rid me of this unnatural fear. If you and the others can find a way, I am more than open to give it a try.”

She nodded again. “Cool. Well, I’m off. You have fun, I guess. I’ll see you later.”

I smiled as the pegasus dashed into the open air, leaving a large burst of wind in her wake. I took a quick look around before cloaking myself from sight and springing off of the cloud towards the mountain in the distance.

I allowed myself to fly lazily in the sky for an unknown amount of time, simply taking in the sights of the town of Ponyville as I made my way to Canterlot, the cosmopolitan mountain city that was Equestria’s capital, and also the seat of power for the kingdom. No matter the world, I was always pleased with just how beautiful the different styles of architecture were among the mortal races, and even with the countless races across reality, very few were exactly alike.

The mountain city was no exception, with its buildings and towers seeming to mirror the grace and beauty of its two princesses.

The jewel of the city itself was the Celestial Palace, which was in the heart of the city. Its golden spires shined brightly in the morning sun, and the solid white marble columns were flawlessly crafted.

It was far from the first time a god or goddess had chosen to live among their people, but these two princesses demanded not sacrifices or prayers. Instead, they only wished for the continued peace and goodwill of their people, and set an example in life.

It was humbling.

I landed within the throne room of the palace itself some time later, noticing the sun princess, Celestia, signing documents alone. As Rainbow Dash had suggested, she did look rather bored by the work, and as I continued to watch, she would occasionally sigh and rub between her eyes before getting back to work.

In honesty, I did try not to stare, but it was a new experience for me. What I saw before me was not what I had expected from a goddess. Much like a mortal would be, she looked tired, and frustrated even, though she was clearly determined to do the work she was given.

A groan from one of the side corridors caught my attention, and I turned my eyes to it in time to see Princess Luna stumbling towards the throne platform.

“Tiaaaaaaa! Make it stop!” the lunar princess whined as she trotted over, her wings covering her head.

Princess Celestia laughed softly and commented, “I told you to go easy on the cider, didn’t I?”

The younger Princess Luna groaned as she sat on the floor beside her sister’s throne, leaning against the reassuring bulk of her sister. “But I must show the ambassadors a good time, sister. It is my duty to-”

“It is your duty to be good company for our visitors and show them of the many wonders of Canterlot.” Princess Celestia corrected gently. “It is not, however, your job to get plastered when you do so. They would notice only that you were partaking with them, not how much. You could very well have nursed the same drink the entire night.”

Princess Luna sighed as she shut her eyes from the painful light. “That would indeed help had I not absolutely loved the beverages presented, namely a brand of cider from Sweet Apple Acres.”

The sun princess looked up from her work at her sister, squinting at her in annoyance. “And you didn’t think to bring any back for me? How thoughtless, dear sister. You know it’s my favorite.” She then sighed wistfully to herself. “I have always heard ponies remark of a drink ‘sneaking up’ on them, though I could not appreciate that fact until I tried the Apple family’s Special Reserve cider. It is so sweet and smooth, and the only sign that there is alcohol in it is a faint warmth that accompanies it.”

Princess Luna squinted at her elder sister. “Was that what you were enjoying...?”

“On my birthday, yes.” Princess Celestia replied with a grin. “It was one of the few times in my life I have been confused. Who would have thought that my drunken stupor would be caused by my very own student?” She giggled softly as a young girl would before shaking her head. “Unfortunately for you dear sister, there is no spell that exists that cures a hangover. I recommend coffee to counteract the grogginess, and water to counter the dehydration. In fact,” she then turned to a servant, who was waiting in the wings, “please fetch said items, with plenty of sugar and some cream for the coffee.”

The young olive-green mare bowed her head before trotting away to tend to the princess’ needs.

Princess Celestia then perked her ear toward me before smiling. “And hello to you, Christopher.”

I froze as she greeted me, and then looked around the throne room before sighing and dropping my cloaking. “Hello, princesses. How did you know I was there?”

The sun princess smiled. “I heard you exhaling choppily in what I assume was a silent laugh at my sister’s expense.” Her expression then changed to curiousness as she levitated a scroll from a pillow beside her throne. “Twilight sent me a message early this morning detailing your first meeting with all of them, and she’s told me of something rather interesting.”

I stepped forward to stand beside her and asked, “And what would that be, my lady?”

Her brow furrowed as she held the scroll up to her eyes, reading, “‘It appears Archangel Christopher wears magical armor that has a secondary function. The function, when activated, multiplies his battle prowess many times, but has the odd side effect of compelling any nearby to adore him.’” Princess Celestia then turned her eyes back to me. “Is this true?”

I nodded without hesitation. “Yes.”

She tilted her head slightly in thought before asking, “Could you show us?”

I shrugged. “It uses divine energy to make the change, so I am unsure if it would affect you. Both you and your sibling have the same energy running through you at all times, so I guess it couldn’t hurt.” I focused on the dormant energy within me and brought it to the surface, and a faint humming issued forth from my armor as it changed and began to emit the light.

I opened my eyes when I was finished to see both princesses staring at me intently.

Princess Celestia recovered first before prodding her sister to “wake” her, then turned to me. “Well, that is certainly something. I can feel the influence working its way into my mind, as if calling to me in a way I cannot understand, but at the same time I am able to resist it...barely. A pony without the power that Luna and I wield would easily fall to its influence.”

I nodded as I let the energy fade, and my armor dulled until it became dark gray and black again. “I do hope I never have need of that power.”

“As do I, Christopher.” Princess Celestia agreed. Again her ears perked as the three of us heard the soft clopping of hooves. Before I could cloak myself again, Princess Celestia looked at me and waved her hoof in dismissal. “You do not need to hide, Christopher. Because you are to be around so often, I find it meaningless that you should need to slip into the shadows around my ponies.”

“Will they not worry about something such as me?” I asked her, my concern for the welfare of the denizens of this planet clear.

She shook her head. “I will show you.” The same young mare from before approached with a silver tray upon her back. As she approached she noticed me, but at her princess’ calm demeanor, made no discernable change in expression. “Thank you, dear.”

The pony allowed Princess Celestia’s magic to levitate the platter of coffee fare off of her back before turning to look inquisitively at me. “Greetings, stranger. Might I get you something?”

I was a little surprised by the young pony’s calm attitude, but simply offered a smile as I answered, “I am unsure what to ask for, in honesty.”

Princess Celestia saved the situation as she motioned to me and said, “Please fetch him a glass of crystalberry juice, Juniper.”

The named pony smiled gently and nodded. “Right away, your highness.”

As the pony again trotted away, Princess Celestia turned to me as she poured a mug of the steaming beverage. “You see? My ponies trust my judgement. If I am welcoming you as a respected friend, they will as well. I would not go so far as to formally announce you to the public, as it would cause too much of an uproar to do so. Instead, simply being in the company of either myself or my sister will be enough for my ponies to accept you. The same goes for the Elements of Harmony too.”

“Here’s your juice, sir!” called a voice from beside me.

I looked to my left to see the young olive pony, Juniper, carrying a tray with a single glass balanced on her back. I took the glass and nodded with a smile. “Thank you very much, Miss Juniper.”

The young pony blushed slightly and returned my smile. “You’re very welcome, sir. Enjoy.”

As she trotted away, I brought the glass up to my face and inspected it. The juice itself was semi-clear and seemed to shimmer, as if petroleum had been dropped in it. The color of the liquid somehow reminded me of the sunrise, with a warming shade of dark orange.

“An angel though you may be, you must still drink it to taste it.” Princess Celestia stated with an implied grin.

I squinted a bit at the beverage before shrugging and bringing the glass to my lips. I tilted it back and took a modest drink, and my mouth was instantly assaulted by a myriad of flavors. It was sweet in a way that reminded me of honey, but also had a cooling sensation that chilled my tongue and throat. This was followed by a warmth spreading throughout my entire body, relaxing muscles I didn’t even know were tense, and putting me completely at ease.

“Good, hm?” Princess Celestia’s voice commented smugly.

I swallowed the mouthful of juice before lowering the glass and nodding respectfully. “One of the most refreshing beverages I have ever tasted.”

The sun princess smiled gratefully. “I am pleased you enjoy it. This is the only world where you will find such a thing, along with so much else.”

I nodded with a furrowed brow, just realizing exactly how different this world was compared to every other I’d been to so far. “Yes. I must agree that your home is rather unique. The people are kind and respectful, the air is clean and clear, and the fare thus far has been very good.”

A gentle giggle was my response as she answered, “It is good you find it comfortable.”

I nodded again with a smile. “Very much so. Thank you for welcoming me so readily.”

“Of course, Christopher.” she assured with a warm smile. “You are here for quite some time. It would do neither of us any good to annoy or ignore each other. I feel that the stronger and more positive of a relationship we share, the easier your time here will be for the both of us.

At her explanation, I found myself oddly a little put off. “So it’s all business then?”

She breathed a soft murmur of a chuckle as she replied, “Can it not be both business and pleasure? Must everything be ‘black and white’?”

I raised my eyebrow skeptically. “So which is it then?”

The princess sighed and shook her head before focusing her eyes on me. “Something you must learn is that this world is far different than most. Here, I have fostered a place of peace and understanding, where friendship and love are far more valuable commodities than money.” Her eyes narrowed as she continued. “If I wish to form a positive relationship with you, it is because I find you interesting and see the potential for a powerful friendship between us. Such a relationship making your task here easier is simply a nice bonus.”

Confusion overtook me, which was a rarity in itself. Someone wishing to forge a bond “just because” was a new concept to me, as all across the universes, I had been sent to worlds that needed my strength and desire for justice. Never had I beheld such a place where the inhabitants sought positive bonds without an incentive to use the other person. While I was definitely my own person, being exposed to such situations for so long had caused me to perhaps become a bit cynical.

“Christopher?” Celestia ventured gently, getting my attention and breaking me from my own thoughts.

I turned my gaze to the solar princess beside me and offered a sheepish grin. “Sorry, princess. My mind was elsewhere.”

Princess Celestia offered me a smile. “About my explanation, no doubt. I simply ask you to try and see with innocent eyes again, the way you did before your ‘career’ jaded you.”

I coughed nervously and muttered, “I can’t even remember what that was like.”

Her smile morphed into one of slight sadness before she said, “I know. I aim to change that, Christopher.” She glanced at her sister for a moment before turning back to me. “So, how are the Element-bearers?”

I shrugged. “They are well, I believe. Yesterday was my first time speaking to them all, so I am just coming to know them. Miss Rainbow Dash forced me to stay in her home as her guest though, so I believe I will be coming to know her better before the others. From my initial observation, they all seem very kind and willing to accept me into their fold.”

“As I suspected.” she replied happily. “I am glad to hear that they have taken to you so quickly. It will make watching over them that much easier for you.”

I shrugged again. “Well...most of them did.”

Princess Celestia giggled lightly as she questioned, “Let me guess...Fluttershy?”

I nodded with a raised eyebrow. “Yes. How did you know?”

Again she giggled. “The young mare’s reputation as a timid pony precedes her. Twilight has written me quite a few times about all of her friends, and I have heard on many occasions about the young pony’s shy mannerisms. Do not take it personally, Christopher. She has had a rather rough upbringing, and because of that has grown to be very shy as a result. Give her time, and I guarantee she will open up.”

I smiled to the princess, glad that it hadn’t simply been me that had scared the poor mare. “She seems quite kind. I would like to know her better, if possible.”

Princess Celestia smiled gently at me. “And you will. I know it.” She then cleared her throat and motioned to the younger alicorn, who was watching us converse. “Now, I wish to officially introduce you to my dear younger sister, Lulu.”

The younger princess groaned in response and hid her face in her hooves in embarrassment. “Tiaaa! Don’t call me that in public!”

Princess Celestia giggled softly and smiled. “Come now, we’re hardly ‘in public’. Besides, Christopher has us outnumbered in years lived. I am sure he has seen far more embarrassing things than a simple affectionate nickname.”

I shrugged, deciding to follow along with the relaxed atmosphere. “That is true, but I will admit the name ‘Lulu’ is adorable.” Slowly, I noticed as the fur around the night princess’ cheeks changed to a faint purple as she blushed, and I smiled despite myself. Clearly if I overstepped my bounds as an angel, one of the princesses would correct me. They did not, so I allowed myself a bit of informality with two immortals.

Truthfully, I could only hope I was acting correctly. Throughout my long life, I had so little personal interaction with others that my social skills were somewhat lacking, but I relished the opportunity to learn. If nothing else, it could make my time in this world easier for both me and my charges. Thinking of the ponies themselves reminded me of something important, so I drained the last of the wonderful juice before focusing on the princesses.

“My ladies, I have dire news.” I began, preparing them for my report. “I am unsure if Twilight Sparkle advised the two of you about what we met in the Crystal Empire, but the darkness that threatened to destroy it was not simply this ‘Sombra’. Instead, it was an entire legion of demons, along with a Tiamat.”

Princess Celestia nodded solemnly, frowning a bit. “Twilight has told me of the monster you vanquished, as well as what you told her in regards to the sheer number you were forced to fight off to give them time to activate the Crystal Heart.” She then licked her lips and asked, “Exactly how worried are you that you came across them so soon?”

I shrugged. “Honestly, it’s difficult to say. Normally when I fight demons, they are immune to all energies but divine power. It seems that the magic of the Crystal Heart or other forces like it can combat them to a degree. Having never come across magic before, I am unsure of the degree of effectiveness, but the wave that burst forth from the Crystal Heart obliterated all but the Tiamat. It seems that they were targeting the Element-bearers directly, which leads me to believe that they’ll begin searching for a way to counter the magic that did them in before. I expect quiet for some time to come, but eventually they will rise again.”

Both princess’ expressions had changed to something I had been privy to before ‒ that of those who had seen war from the front lines. They calculated the possibilities and possible solutions before turning back to me.

“Keep a wary eye on the horizon, Christopher.” Princess Celestia warned with a grim expression. “I fear that these demons will not differentiate between their targets and innocent ponies, should they decide to come after the Element-bearers. Save any and all that you can should the worst happen.”

I tapped my head with a finger. “I can sense them when they are within range, so should they approach, I’ll know it before the ponies do. With luck, I can prevent any casualties from happening. However, if you have a way to form a sustainable barrier of magic around the town, it would be to our collective advantage. I have fought this filth all my life, and while they are my counter in many ways, they are still predictable in the way that they will seek and destroy their targets with single-minded intensity. This means that we can discount the possibility of your other settlements getting attacked, though Ponyville will be in danger of a full-out assault if and when they do decide to attack.” I then looked out over the landscape from a nearby window, knowing that my enemy was somewhere out there, biding its time. “Legions of them were slaughtered by our combined efforts in the Crystal Empire though. I don’t expect we’ll be hearing from them for quite some time while they muster their forces.”

The elder princess turner her face to the ceiling for a moment before nodding to me. “I believe we have a way to create the magic barrier you propose. We simply need an adequate array of focusing gems, along with a unicorn that knows how they work. I believe Twilight could help us with this. I shall send the information and supplies to her post-haste.”

I nodded. “Thank you, my lady.” I then looked over at the sky and noticed it was near noon. “Regrettably, I must depart. I must see to my charges, and I’m sure you have more important things to attend to as well.”

“Actually,” Princess Celestia countered, “I find your company most enjoyable. I would not mind having you around more often, should you find yourself without business to attend to.”

I thought about the offer. Truthfully, I did indeed find the princesses to be quite a bit more entertaining than I originally thought two on the Council would be, and found myself wishing to spend some more time with them.

I nodded with a grin. “Yes, that sounds like a good idea. When I have the time, I will come by again.”

Both princesses smiled as the elder replied, “I look forward to it. Have a good day, Christopher.”

I offered both a smile before cloaking myself and jumping out an open window, sailing into the air.

The remainder of the day was rather quiet, which I was fine with. Quiet meant no danger, and no worries for me. The calm atmosphere allowed me to circle Ponyville a few times before settling on a cloud overlooking the small town. I took in the sight of so many ponies going about their daily lives ‒ mares, stallions, colts, fillies, and foals ‒ all secure in the belief that all was well in the world. Said belief was the driving force for my orders, and I promised myself that I would see this world safe for as long as I am needed.

The approach of a familiar rainbow-maned pegasus caught my attention, and I offered a smile and a wave as she landed upon the cloud.

“Heya Chris,” she greeted jovially, shaking out her mane, “how was your day?”

I shrugged, glancing at the town again. “It was fine I suppose. I spent time with the princesses before patrolling the town. What of you; how was your day?”

She shrugged as well. “It was work, but it was easy. No storms until next week, and light cloud cover for the night. I spent most of the day training and napping, like I usually do. But I did see Twi, and she had an idea that I’d like to try.”

“I’m listening.” I replied, focusing on her.

“Well,” she began, nervously rubbing her hoof along the back of her head, “we were talking about you. More specifically, we were talking about your problem with touch, and Twilight thinks she might know what’s wrong.” I was a bit surprised that the young unicorn had come up with something so quickly, but I nodded for Rainbow Dash to continue. “She thinks that your ‒ I think she called it ‘aversion to physical contact’ ‒ is rooted in your high sensitivity to touch in general. From what you’ve told us, the only ones you’ve ever had physical contact with have been your brothers and bad guys you’re trying to beat up. She thinks that because of this, you’ve become hypersensitive to physical contact, stemming from a lack of trust.” Rainbow Dash looked heavenward for a moment before mumbling, “I think that’s right…”

I nodded, not entirely sure what Twilight Sparkle had been hinting at. “So what does she suggest?”

Rainbow Dash looked back to me and smiled. “Well, she thinks that two things need to happen: first, we need to earn your trust somehow; not as your job either, but as your friends. Second, she thinks some controlled contact with us here and there would start to desensitize you to it...or something. I wasn’t really paying attention. What I picked up from it all is that she thinks we should have little touches here and there for as long as you can handle, and that you should try and see us as friends instead of just a job you were given. The second thing might take some time, but she said it would be better for us all if we could trust each other equally.”

I felt my heart begin to race as I envisioned the plan panning out, but my resolve was stronger than my fear, and I fought the growing worry away. Hesitantly, I nodded. “Very well. What do you suggest at the moment?”

Rainbow Dash jerked her head in the direction of her home before saying, “Well first, I’m gonna shower. As a common courtesy, I’m not gonna get close to anypony smelling like I just did the running of the leaves. After that, you and me are gonna take a seat on my couch and watch TV together.”

I raised my eyebrow at her statement. “TV? As in television? This world has television?”

She giggled and nodded. “Well yeah. Whose houses have you been to?”

I shook my head with a sigh. “None save for Twilight Sparkle’s, actually. After invading her home months ago while cloaked and catching sight of her bathing, I thought it better to give all of you your privacy, for both your sakes and mine. I can protect you all just fine from outside, after all.”

Rainbow Dash snorted with a grin. “I guess you could have seen something worse than her bathing. Just be thankful that she doesn’t mind being single, and even the thought of doing anything ‘dirty’ mortifies her.” She then shook her head, causing her messy mane to flap about in the breeze. “Anyway, I guess you wouldn’t see Twilight with a TV. She probably thinks it rots your brain or something crazy like that. To answer your question, most ponies have at least one TV. It’s a fairly new thing in Ponyville, but the technology’s been around for years. So with that explained,” she began, lowering her ears and widening her eyes in an entirely too adorable fashion, “can we have pony cuddles?”

When I felt the powerful desire to pick Rainbow Dash up like a small animal and rub her belly, I realized that she was too experienced in giving that face. Even with my phobia to touch, I had to fight to keep from smothering her in pets and scratches behind the ears.

Curious that my aversion to contact only presents with sapient creatures.

Knowing that the Element-bearers were only trying to help me, I sighed and nodded. “Very well, let us depart. I cannot promise anything, but I will try to do things as Twilight Sparkle has recommended.”

Rainbow Dash grinned and took a crouched stance before saying, “Race ya home! One...twothreego!”

A few minutes later, I found myself waiting patiently inside the cloud house of Rainbow Dash. When she had asked for a race, I momentarily considered being “fair” about it, but that just wouldn’t have been as much fun. Likely I was going to be accused of cheating or something similar, but I didn’t mind. Friends messed with each other after all, right?

The front door opened, revealing a panting pegasus with scowl on her face. “You cheated!”

Called it.

I chuckled and shook my head. “How did I cheat? Please, enlighten me. You proposed a race, so I chose to beat you. There were no rules given, and no disqualifications stated.” Rainbow Dash’s mouth opened to retort, but after a moment of silence, she snapped it shut again. I smirked in response. “Thought so.”

She slumped a bit before kicking the door closed behind her and climbing the stairs, presumably to shower. I simply watched her go before planting myself on her sofa (made of clouds, of course), electing to patiently wait for her to return. I noticed with surprise that a large flat-panel television was mounted upon the far wall, and realized that I had trodden right by it the previous day without even noticing.

I silently thanked my Lord that I was fighting demons and not TV’s.

As I waited for ten or so minutes, I began to feel anxiety creep upon me. I realized that I was voluntarily subjecting myself to endure something that terrified me, and with that realization came a shard of self-loathing at the fact that I had no reason to fear these ponies. When it came right down to it, they were rather cute by comparison to many of the other sapient beings governed by the Council. There was no possibility of any of them directly threatening me, nor could I claim to be startled or anything of the sort. It was then that I understood the plausibility of Twilight Sparkle’s theories, and her possible solutions given for my condition.

My momentary lapse in attention was pushed away when I heard a door open from up the stairs, and beheld Rainbow Dash descending the stairway with a pair of brushes linked upon a rope hanging from her mouth. As she approached, I noticed the fact that she was still a bit damp from her bathing, and for some reason felt I shouldn’t be staring at her, so I averted my eyes nervously.

“Alright,” she announced, the sounds of her hoofsteps coming closer before she hopped upon the furniture beside me, “you’re gonna brush me.”

I swung my gaze back to her and raised my eyebrow in subtle defiance. “Excuse me?”

“Twilight’s idea.” Rainbow Dash explained as she hopped upon the cushion next to me. “She figured it would be more comfortable for you to be the one to initiate and control the contact between us, and there’s brushes, so you won’t be touching me barely at all. This way you can kind of ease into it all, and hopefully we can take this slow and easy so that you adjust better.”

“Forgive me,” I began, my skepticism practically bleeding out of my pores, “but ‘slow and easy’ doesn’t exactly seem like something you would suggest.”

She fixed me with a blank stare as she answered, “Which is why I said Twi came up with it.” My reluctance to engage the act must have been clear, since she nervously added, “Unless, y’know...you didn’t mean what you said when you told us you wanted to get over this no-touch issue you have.”

I thought about this “plan” that had been thought up without my knowledge, and have to admit it made a lot of sense. The trust issues, the desensitization…theoretically, it could work. So that just left one question:

Did I want it to work?

No sort of behavioral therapy would work unless the subject wished it to. While I didn’t consider my talents to be in diagnosing or treating mental disorders, even I knew that. In order for any issue of mine to be cured (and I had more than I could count; part of the territory of being exposed to the imperfect world so much), I had to want it.

And the more I thought about it, I realized I did.

Slowly, I nodded. “I meant it, Rainbow Dash. Twilight Sparkle seems like a smart pony, so I will trust her methods until or unless I see reason to distrust her.”

She smiled happily and motioned for me to sit closer. “Twilight has her crazy moments here and there, but I trust her to do what’s right. In the end, she always has our best interests at heart, and I don’t think she even knows how to do wrong to somepony on purpose. If she says this is the best idea, I believe her.”

Anxiety was already rising within me, but I had gotten to know the Elements of Harmony over my stay on this world, and they didn’t seem the type to joke around about something so serious. Of course, that was just speculation. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were known to be quite the pranksters.

I nodded again, letting out a sigh as I did so. “I suppose you’re right, Rainbow Dash. Just to warn you, I have no idea what I am doing. The gentlest thing I have done was…” Suddenly my words caught in my throat, and I coughed in embarrassment. “N-nevermind.”

“Woah, hold on!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, leaning a little closer to me. “You’re like Mr. Warrior most of the time, so if something embarrasses you, you can’t leave me hangin’! C’mon, I’m sure you have some embarrassing dirt about me by now, seeing as how you’ve been spying on us for a long time before we even knew you existed.”

I huffed indignantly. “I was observing, not spying.”

“You were watching us while hidden.” she corrected with a smirk. “Here in Equestria, that’s called spying.”

I prepared to fire back a retort, but found I had none available. So instead, I crossed my arms and snorted in mock offense. “You’re welcome for watching over you then, Rainbow Dash. Perhaps if some monstrosities had attacked your home and I had stopped them, you would not feel so smug.”

“But they didn’t, so you were just spying.” she shot back, still grinning triumphantly.

I grumbled to myself before replying, “Fine, you have a point.”

“Now,” she announced, pushing the tied brushes over to me, “the pronged one is for my mane and tail, and the short-bristle brush is for the rest of me. While you’re tending to a girl’s needs, you’re going to tell me just what is so embarrassing.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and picked up the brushes. I slipped the bristled brush onto the palm of my hand, detaching it from the rope as I muttered, “Very well.” I held my hand above the pegasus for a moment as I mentally prepared myself, then thought back to a memory as I said, “D-don’t ask why, but I really need you not to talk while I do this, alright?” Thankfully she didn’t speak, but nodded her assent. With that, I lowered my hand to her cyan coat and began making long, sweeping strokes. Rainbow Dash let out a slight murmur of appreciation, but did not speak again, dutifully following my request. After a moment, I felt my nerves settling, and I began to speak again. “All of you were absolutely correct: I was and am very lonely. Such is my lot in life, but I do not begrudge my lord for this charge. He chose me for this because he knew I was best-suited for it. However, I had to take measures to be sure I kept my sanity, and so I would often speak to myself or would take a pet to keep me company.” Interestingly enough, as was in the past, the act of brushing the fur of a small warm body was cathartic in a way, and it calmed my heart and mind as a small smile found its way upon my lips. That was how I was allowing myself to touch a pony: by imagining she was an animal. True, it made me feel a little bad that I was pretending Rainbow Dash was a non-sapient creature, but it was a necessary evil, of sorts. “The most recent companion I took was a canine pet on Earth. Her name was Bailey, and she was the only friend I had in the world.” I sighed wistfully as I continued brushing Rainbow Dash’s legs and hooves, continually mentally reminding myself that it was just a cute little pony that couldn’t talk. “Unfortunately,” I continued sadly, “canines don’t live very long compared to humans, and practically no time at all compared to me. However, even though it hurt to lose her, I would not have traded the time I had with her for anything else in the world. That small speck of friendship, no matter how fleeting, was worth the pain brought by the loss.”

I set the short brush down after finishing with the flanks of the pony before me, and picked up the multi-pronged one before I began tending to the beautiful multicolored mane. A small part of my mind registered as she gently kneaded her hooves into the leather-like material of the armor around my thigh, but I pushed the sensation away and focused on the task at hand. It was amazing how easy it was to see a pony as simply a cute pet-like animal, but I knew it would not be a permanent fix. It would help me with my issue though, and that was enough to start.

“So as you can see, I have mortal whims and desires as well.” I explained. I watched as the brushing of Rainbow Dash’s mane changed it from a sharply-separated prism of colors to a blended rainbow, the hues perfectly mixing from one color to the next. I then unthinkingly pulled her into my lap on her side, and began running the brush through her prismatic tail. Again she murmured happily and almost seemed to let out a squeak or chirp of happiness before falling silent again. “Truthfully, I used to wonder why my lord gave me a desire for companionship, along with emotions like anger, sadness,and loneliness. I cannot claim to understand the inner workings of his mind, but I believe he did so in order to give me the ability to understand how mortals felt and thought every day of their lives. If I can predict how my charges will feel or act, I can better understand the best course of action.” Last of all, I flipped Rainbow Dash on her back and pulled her tail toward her stomach ‒ so as to preserve her modesty ‒ and used the short-bristle brush to finish her chest, inside of her legs, and her stomach.

After thoroughly grooming the pony until her mane, tail, and coat shined brilliantly, I roped the brushes back together and gently nudged her off of me. I then sighed and said, “You can speak now.”

Interestingly enough, she didn’t; not right away, anyhow. After a minute or two of silence though, she asked, “So you really were lonely, hm?”

I nodded solemnly. “More than you could ever understand.”

Again, silence permeated the room of clouds. Rainbow Dash swallowed hard and opened her mouth a few times, only to shut it as she seemed to be unsure of what to say. Finally, she croaked out, “I know what it’s like to be surrounded by pon- erm, people, and feel lonely.” She sighed ruefully and said, “It was my own fault though. I was a jerk for a long time, and it’s hard to make friends with an attitude like mine was. I was the princess of jerks, and I was proud of it.” Her eyes then fell to the floor as she added, “Then Gilda left.”

I nodded. “Your gryffin friend you told off, yes?”

She nodded sadly, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. “She was my best and only friend for a long time, and I hoped that when she came to visit me, things would be the same between us. During her time away though, she changed. She wasn’t just a prankster or kinda bossy anymore, she was downright mean.” Rainbow Dash shook her head with a huff of frustration. “She told me to choose between her or my Ponyville friends...so I chose Ponyville.”

I nodded understandingly. “That must have been very difficult to do.”

“Harder than one thing had any right to be.” she replied with hurt evident in her voice. “I still miss her sometimes, but I miss the old Gilda ‒ the way she used to be.”

I swallowed thickly, feeling her pain as if it were my own, and for some reason longed to comfort her. I brought my hand up and held it over her head for a moment before taking a deep breath and lowering it to the soft brushed mane. I felt my heart rate jump as my panic began to rise, but with the will of a warrior who had seen true horrors in life, I fought it down. I knew that such a will would not work for all of the ponies, and not every time the same way, but I knew that I had something worth braving the panic for: a friend who needed to know she was among the company of one who understood her feelings of loneliness. I felt of needing to be strong for her, and my phobia was overridden by my need to protect and comfort.

“You cannot truly know someone until you know their pain.” I mused aloud, realizing I did indeed feel closer to Rainbow Dash after our exchange of past memories...and perhaps that was the secret behind “fixing” myself. I had no fear of contact with Michael and Gabriel because I knew them as people, and while it was unlikely I would ever know these six ponies as well as I know my brothers, perhaps I didn’t need to. Maybe, just knowing them and them knowing me would be enough...and maybe one day, I could be free of my chains.

Maybe one day, I could know the joy of hugging a dear friend without feeling terror.

Chapter 1: The New Task

I scanned the “horizon” of the astral firmament, pleased that once again, the forsaken dredges didn’t dare show their faces in my presence. It was something I prided myself on ‒ my mere name being able to instill fear into the black hearts of our enemies. Even with that being the case, I was ever-vigilant, ready to defend the council at all costs...ready to pay any price.

I sighed and let my left hand rest on the gemmed pommel of the blade at my hip, enjoying the comfort it gave merely by touching it. She was Cassandra...a pure-forged blade created for the sole purpose of striking down the swarm of darkness that threatened to swallow the light. I ran my right hand through the brown locks of hair upon my head and smiled as I felt my brothers approaching.

“Hello, Christopher.” sounded a deep, powerful voice.

I closed my eyes and smiled. “Hello Gabriel...Michael.”

The eldest of us, Michael, simply nodded his head with a smile as he stood beside me.

For a few quiet moments, the three of us simply stood in silence, letting the soft chimes of the aether waft into our minds and hearts. It was a sound and feeling that no word can truly express...and something only the council truly understands.

Six words, three brothers.

My two siblings and I embodied the very values that all those of angelic creation strove to attain: Justice, Truth, Wisdom, Humility, Wrath, and Love. Michael was blessed with the attributes of Wisdom and Humility, with him being the first of us created, and thus, without fault caused by mortals. Gabriel was the iconic defender of Justice and Truth, who would stop at nothing to do what’s right, regardless of the cost demanded of him.

I was left with the remaining two, that were the oddest pair one could imagine.

Wrath made me the greatest warrior among the beings of the astral plane, feared by many, and respected by all. With this, however, was paired Love...and ironic pair if ever there was one. I embodied two of what made mortals what they were, and because of this was closer to them than any of my kin. Me and others like me were often called “Guardian Angels” by the mortal races of existence, and this title was not far from the truth. My calling was to seek out and destroy darkness wherever it may hide, and in doing so, watch over the living and keep them safe from opposing astral forces. Because of this, I had seen many worlds and many people, all unique in their own right. When sent away on a “job”, my time there could last anywhere from a few hours to millions of that planet’s years.

The honor alone was payment enough.

“You have been tasked with another world, Christopher.” Michael spoke gently. I turned to him and he handed a golden scroll to me, and as I took it he continued. “The council finds this world to be in grave danger as of late, as more and more darkness is threatening to swallow it whole. Some of this darkness is native to the world, while the rest is from...elsewhere.”

I opened the scroll and looked at the lettering...instantly recognizing the writing style. “This is from the council itself...isn’t it?”

I looked up to see my eldest brother nodding. “It is. The council has found that this world in particular demonstrates the potential for unheard-of prosperity for many different worlds...not just itself.”

“How long is my term?” I asked as I rolled the scroll up.

Michael sighed as he brushed his long black hair out of his face. “Undefined.”

“Come again?” I asked, hoping I had not heard correctly.

“Undefined.” the wise archangel spoke carefully. “You are to remain for as long as it takes to ensure the safety of the denizens of the planet.”

Suddenly this felt like a punishment.

“Have I done something wrong, brothers?” I asked with concern.

“No.” Gabriel responded resolutely. “You have done everything right, and so much more. It is because of your ability to execute your orders with such stunning efficiency that we are placing you directly on this task.”

“What if I never come back?” I asked with growing concern.

Michael’s gentle hand patted my shoulder. “We are timeless, brother. There is no beginning, there is no end for us. We will meet again eventually.”

I sighed and lowered my eyes to the ground. “You owe me for this, brothers.”

“Perhaps you will change your mind when you get there...and when you hear of my task.” Gabriel quipped with a grin. I looked up to meet his eyes with a raised eyebrow, and he continued with, “The world of humans...Earth. I have been tasked with overwatch of the Four Horsemen...”

I chuckled. “Oooh...I do not envy you. Cleansing an entire world can’t be all that rewarding.”

“It is necessary, though I do admit it will weigh heavy upon my heart.” he responded sadly. “Still, I have yet to have reason to question the council, so I will follow their wishes to the letter.”

I nodded and smiled. “I agree. When am I to depart?”

“Whenever you are ready. Gather your armor and arms, and depart as soon as possible.” Michael responded gently. “Upon arrival, you are to meet with Goddesses Celestia and Luna.”

I raised an eyebrow. “The pony-people of Equis? That’s who I’m going to be defending?”

Gabriel grinned and nodded. “Yes. The council has deemed the world worthy of our personal protection, and you are the most qualified for that position.”

I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Very well. I will prepare for departure immediately and will contact you both when I arrive.” At this, the three of us stepped forward and bowed our heads, placing our foreheads against one another as we clasped our arms around each other’s shoulders. I felt it...this would be the last moment for quite some time that I would see my two brothers, and I savored every second of it.

With my armor and many veteran arms ready, I departed the astral plane and followed the swirling angelic doorways to worlds, tracing my path by instinct until I came upon a wide open green field full of small equines who were milling about, going through their daily lives I assumed. Luckily they could not see me unless I wished it, so I unfurled the large ethereal wings upon my back and took flight towards a palace in the distance, which held the power of the ones I was seeking.

As I floated over the large palace, I noticed quite a few guards posted all about, some on the ground, some in the air, and others likely in places I could not see them. A very unbecoming thought crossed my mind as I imagined exactly how much trouble one such as I could cause among them.

It was times like this that I was glad that my eons of training held fast.

As I found a rather exuberant throne room, I landed beside two tall ponies that I immediately identified as the princesses. They were currently engaged in what appeared to be a meeting with officials of their land, so I allowed them to continue while I waited for them to be alone.

Finally after the single sun in the sky began to set along the western horizon, the many ponies gathered began to clear out, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Whether eternal or not, patience was never my strong suit.

The two princesses were speaking amongst themselves softly and I whispered, “Princesses...I have arrived.”

I watched as both of the ponies’ ears perked up, and the white one whispered, “Archangel Christopher?”

“Yes.” I responded softly.

The two princesses nodded to each other and the white one ordered, “To my chambers.”

After a few minutes of walking through the white marble corridors of the large palace, we arrived at a set of oversized gold double-doors, and as the taller princess held the door open, I made my way inside and watched as she locked the door and used some sort of energy from her horn to close the curtains of the windows, leaving us about as concealed as possible.

“We are alone...reveal yourself, Christopher.” the white pony asked.

I did so and immediately dropped to my right knee, placing my left fist on the ground and bowing my head. “Princesses...it’s an honor.”

“The honor is mine, archangel. It makes me feel like a little filly again to behold such an ageless being.” the white pony commented, who I assumed by her behavior and willingness to speak was Princess Celestia.

I stood and rolled my eyes playfully. “And knowing that I am over a quadrillion years older than you makes me feel like a feeble old man.”

The elder princess quipped, “Feeble...right.”

I smiled and nodded. “You are the elder Princess Celestia I assume?”

The white pony nodded with a gentle smile. “I am. Princess of the sun, love, and life.”

I smiled as well before turning my gaze to the smaller princess. “Which would make you Princess Luna, yes?”

Princess Luna completely ignored my question as she asked her sister, “Tia, what is this creature?”

The sun princess placed a hoof on her face with a sigh. “I have forgotten that you have yet to take your place on the council.” She then removed her hoof and pointed it at me. “This is an archangel of the Astral Council...the supreme rulers of all existence everywhere in the universe.”

“And what is an archangel exactly?” the blue pony asked curiously.

The solar princess looked to me with a shrug and I felt I should explain. “Well Princess Luna, angels themselves are the enforcers of the balance of power put forth by the council. Archangels are the most elite warriors within our ranks, and at the current time there are only three among millions of angels: myself and my brothers Michael and Gabriel. Michael’s wisdom and humility earned him a place at our Lord’s side as a personal advisor, while Gabriel’s unbridled sense of truth and justice put him in complete control of the entire legion of angels at our Lord’s command, while my focused wrath has made me quite possibly the most powerful warrior in existence...next to the councilmembers, of course.”

Princess Celestia thought for a moment before replying, “I noticed that your two siblings each embody two traits that make them who they are as astral beings...but you only have one.”

I shifted a bit uncomfortably and answered, “Well...my other trait is not useful in battle.”

“And that is?” the tall white pony asked.

I sighed and closed my eyes. “Love.”

“Curious.” the blue pony remarked.

The elder sibling nodded in agreement. “Very curious.” Her expression of deep thought changed to one of seriousness as she addressed me again. “Well Archangel Christopher, we welcome you to Equis, more specifically, the kingdom of Equestria. From what I understand, you have been sent by the council to watch over our world and protect it, yes?”

I nodded. “That is true. Can you explain to me what sorts of situations have presented themselves?”

“Well,” the white pony began, “we have come across three great evils already, all of which have been thwarted by a mystical power known as the Elements of Harmony.”

I raised my eyebrow. “Elements of Harmony? These are unfamiliar to me.”

The princess smiled and gestured to a violet chair. “You may want to take a seat...this is going to take awhile to explain.”

After a few hours of explanation and many questions posed by me, I had the gist of what these “Elements of Harmony” were and how they worked. From what I understood, this world fundamentally worked with an energy that ran through nearly everything and everyone, called magic. This magic was most prominent in a breed of pony called “unicorns”, which had a horn with which they could channel magic and use it on command. These Elements of Harmony were physical representations of the six attributes that promote harmony within this world: Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Kindness, Laughter, and Magic...and each attribute was also represented by a bearer chosen by the power to wield it. These six special ponies were the physical embodiments of what these Elements were, and their friendship and willingness to protect the world had saved it time and time again.

This begged a very obvious question from me, however...

“Why am I needed then?” I asked curiously. “Forgive my forthcoming attitude on the matter, but it appears that you don’t need one such as me with these Elements of Harmony to quell dangers that may arise.”

The lunar princess nodded and responded, “This is true archangel, however the ponies that are the Element bearers are not warriors such as thee. They know not the severity of the evil that potentially lurks in the shadowy areas of this world, and We fear that a time may come when a trial is too great for the six ponies to overcome...and they will perish.”

I nodded in understanding. “That makes sense. So what would you have me do, exactly?”

The solar princess smiled warmly and answered, “Simply do what you do best...guard them. Should anything ever come up that they cannot handle and are in immediate danger, intervene.”

I bobbed my head a bit in thought before smiling. “That seems simple enough. What are my orders as far as secrecy?”

At this question, the white pony frowned. “I am under no delusions about my student, Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic. You will not meet a more intelligent pony in this land, nor one more observant than her. Should the time come when you must intervene, I am sure she will recognize something unnatural is happening to whatever their opponent is. Let it simply be said that we will cross that bridge when we come to it. Until then, simply observe and keep watch over the town.”

I nodded as I also placed my hand upon the pommel of the sword at my hip. “It goes without saying that should any demons show their grotesque faces within this world, I will cut them down without hesitation...secrecy be damned. I understand your faith in the Elements of Harmony, but I do not believe they would be ready to handle something of that magnitude.”

The princess of the sun sighed and nodded. “I understand, and fully agree. There has yet to be such a breach within the world, but should one occur, you have full authority to execute your purpose without delay.”

Suddenly I felt the familiar itch within my hand as I was given that sort of authority, and I smiled. “Thank you, princess. I will depart immediately then, and will advise you personally of any goings-on in the town.”

“Ponyville.” The blue princess corrected gently. “That is the name of the town thou shalt be staying in.” She then pleaded, “We beseech thee to watch over them, Christopher...those ponies mean the world to us.”

I held the stern expression of an angelic soldier and nodded. “I will, princess. Worry not of your ponies...they have nothing to worry about with me around.”

The princesses both nodded and the white one added, “I know you were technically tasked with this Christopher, but I would like to personally thank you anyway. You have no idea how important those six girls are to all of Equis...and to us.”

I nodded once more before smiling and shrouding myself once more and taking flight towards the town in the distance.

I arrived as the moon began to rise into the sky, and from what I understood, it was the work of the lunar princess herself that such a beautiful night was now in existence.

I found a large building that was, in fact, also a tree, and it took me a moment to recognize the writing. Though technically an archangel knew everything about the mortal races, that did not mean we didn’t have moments of mental “gumming-up”, as the humans of Earth said. After all, there were many things to know about each race of mortals, and many mortal races in existence. With my mind now focused on the language that appeared to be the written and spoken word of this world, I read that this was the “Golden Oaks Library”...the Element of Magic’s place of residence.

While it was true that I didn’t sleep, that did not mean I could not rest my eyes and body as I waited for my charge to wake and go about her day. With that being the case, I flew to the small observation deck at the very top of the tree-building and took a seat on the red bench before closing my eyes and resting against the railing as I let my senses keep alert, but I still let my mind wander.

From what I’d seen, this world might be quite interesting compared to the others I’d been to in the past, so I smiled as night continued on and prepared for the next day, and the first day of my new task.