A Promise Not Forgotten

“So I can just stay here?” Colin asked Celestia as she readied a squad of pegasi.

“Yes, I can’t risk the gryphons getting you, too,” Celestia said in a flat tone. She wasn’t in the mood to negotiate and Colin knew that.

“Anything I should do while you are out?” He asked.

“Nothing I can think of now,” She said walking out of her quarters as Colin followed her to the runway.

“Ok, well good luck. I know Aidan isn’t the biggest guy around, but he can hold his own,” Colin said hoping to calm the princess.

“I know, I just…” She said looking down.

“You know something, about us, don’t you?” Colin asked in an equally caring and firm tone. He knew that she was protecting us from something, and didn’t want to ruin that. Whatever she was protecting us from must be big if the princess herself is going to retrieve Aidan.

Celestia kept looking down, “Not now… please, trust me, Colin,” She said as a tear fell.

Colin simply stood there and nodded, “Ok, go get Aidan, I’ll be waiting.”

“Thank you,” She said with a small smile as she walked to the waiting guards. “We will be back soon.”

Celestia opened her powerful wings, much larger than a normal pony’s, and flew away with the royal guards and a covered carriage in tow.

There is definitely something more to her. But what would she want with Aidan? Colin asked himself.

Do you know those times when you have and epiphany of sorts? The kind when you realize that you haven’t really been the best you can be. I’m having one of those moments when you feel like crap for treating people, or ponies in my case, like garbage. Anyway, its time I show these ponies how kind people can be, not just swear to anypony, or act like I don’t have a place in this world. This is my home now; I better start acting like it.

We were walking through a forest we had entered after getting out of the town. “Hey, Luna, you doing ok?” She was still suffering from the hangover, poor mare, I’m sorry I got her into this mess. Now I’ll have to answer to Celestia when she gets us.

“I’ve been better,” The princess responded. She was getting better, but still had a headache.

“So I take it you don’t do these kind of things all the time?” I asked with a stifled laugh. Honestly she didn’t look so good.

“No, I usually never leave Canterlot, let alone drink,”

“I’m sorry I got you mixed up in all this, I didn’t mean for us to wake up in a different town,” I said, yep, here was the drunken man’s guilt.

“It’s fine. We will manage. Don’t worry,” She said. It was oddly reassuring; somehow I doubted things would go that way. With the possibility of the gryphons to come follow Luna and me, I can’t let my guard down just yet, not until we are out of this mess. Not until I find out what is going on.

As Luna opened her mouth to speak a loud screech from a gryphon flying above us cut her off. “Time to go!” I said pushing her along. I know I’m going to try to be a better person to these ponies, but gryphons don’t like me, not one bit. I won’t give them the benefit of the doubt. I somehow knew that these gryphons would cause some problems, I just hope they don’t accuse Celestia for anything.

We were running fast, and I mean fast. Luna flapped her wings and flew just above the ground. I’ll have you know she is faster than rainbow, by a longshot. I took a quick glance back and found about eight or nine gryphons running after me, and about six in the air. They were gaining and fast. These weren’t like the street rats; they were wearing a shiny bronze armor. Likely they were part of some royal guard, or police force.

With the sudden feeling of impending death or torture the adrenaline kicked in. Let’s just say when a human scared for his life, yes scared, runs from something, they run fast. Add a super powerful ghost being to the mix and you get the fastest thing around. I felt Vis swirling in my head and then felt a surge of energy, and speed. It took me off guard at first and I nearly tripped on the exposed roots of a passing tree.

As my pursuers struggled to keep up with me I thought I would attempt at taking a few of them out, see if I can out maneuver them. Being smaller allows me to fit through the small gaps in between trees. Gryphons bigger than the ponies, and rival me, but their wings ruin the ability to maneuver quickly in this forest. Jumping and kicking off trees and ducking under low branches I heard my followers crash into things, sometimes with a loud screech of pain.

Luna was gone at this point, she didn’t try to fake out the gryphons as I had so she just sped through the forest. That didn’t matter though, these guards were the more important thing at the moment. I have to lose them before I get out of the forest. At this point all of them were flying, I’ll admit though, I am amazed at their maneuvering skills.

Vis?

Mmm?

Any ideas for losing these guys?

I like this nonviolence thing you came up with.

Yeah, so anything you can do to help?

No. But they are slow to stop; you can just hide in a bush or something.

That’s all you got?

Not like you can think of anything better.

I got one thing… Can you make a flash or something when I stop?

Tricky, I like that…

I ran as fast as I could before stopping behind a tree. The flash of magic temporarily blinded the gryphons, but I knew a bush wasn’t good enough, so I climbed up the tree. Some looked confused, some blamed magic, none expected me to be watching from above. Eventually they all left, prowling different parts of the forest. Luckily none went in the direction I was heading, seems a flaw in their logic.

I jogged through the forest, now feeling the ache from that running episode. In all honesty I’m surprised that the gryphons were that dumb. I decided it would be best to find Luna, and fast. Sure enough, she was sitting just outside of the forest. As I walked closer I saw she was shaking, no, not shaking, crying.

“Luna?” I asked in a soft tone, I didn’t want to scare her or anything. I swear if these gryphons hurt her, I don’t know what I’ll do…

She looked at be quickly before wrapping me in a hug, “Aidan!”

I returned the hug. “What’s wrong, Luna?” I asked calmly, not ready for what would come next.

In a burst of tears and sobs she hugged me tighter, “I was so scared,” Her voice shook as she fought the tears back. “I didn’t mean to leave you! I thought they got you…”

I could now see what I had done, and how much she cared for me. I didn’t mean to leave her like that, I just needed the gryphons off our track. “Luna, I will always be here, don’t worry,” I said trying to be reassuring. I just let her cry into my shoulder, which seemed to be what she needed.

“Aidan, if you could, would you leave?” Luna asked. That caught me off guard; I didn’t expect something like that from her so soon, maybe later, but now?

“No,” I said confidently. This was something I spent a lot of time thinking about. At night while the others slept, I kept awake and asked myself these questions. It’s hard choosing to leave behind my family, and the possibility of being a dad, but these ponies, they look up to me. I don’t know why they would; I wasn’t much to look at and I wasn’t a role model. I hate to think of what they would do when they need me, and I’m not there. They are dangerous questions to ask oneself, but they must be faced some day.

“Really?” She asked looking up to me with teary eyes.

“Yes…” I said looking back into her eyes. We each sat in silence next to each other waiting for Celestia.

After about five minutes of waiting, Celestia arrived. I had never seen such an angry look before. “Aidan!” She said in an equally angry tone while walking to Luna and me.

“Don’t sister, we are fine,” Luna said. I could understand her being protective, but I deserved this.

“It’s ok, Luna, this was all my fault. Why don’t you go wait in the carriage,” I said. She returned a look of worry. “Please, Luna.” At that she walked off, looking back.

Celestia took me out of earshot of the guards and Luna. “What were you thinking?” She asked again with that angry tone.

“Honestly, I wasn’t, it’s kind of hard to when you get drunk. Listen, Celestia, I’m sorry…”

“What did you do to Luna?” She asked preparing for the worst, as if I did something stupid.

“Umm… nothing. What do you mean?” I asked, hoping she didn’t think what I thought she thought.

“Why did SHE come here with you?” She replied. Yep, of course she would…

“I don’t know, honestly. We just woke up in the center of a park. What are you implying I’d do?” I responded with a disgusted look, knowing exactly what she meant.

“I- I just, I don’t know,” She said looking to the ground. This was becoming a habit of the goddess. It seemed all she does is push us farther away.

“Listen, Celestia. I would never do anything to hurt you. You and Luna took me in when I needed a home, why would I do anything to ruin that?” She looked up to me and gave me a small smile. “Can we go home now?” Really that wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted answers. Too many of my questions are left unanswered. Tomorrow, it’s time to find out what is really going on.

“Yes, Aidan.” Celestia said leading the way back to the carriage.