Alright, here is the part most of you have been waiting for. The long talk with Princess Celestia of Equestria, Diarch of the Sun and Protector of blah blah blah. Oh there was talking. So...much...talking. I think I agreed to half her minor conditions just to shut her up.

The treaty mostly went as follows. All mineral rights belong to Australis. All dust rights belong to Australis. All taxes, dues, levies and other administrative charges gained from Australis are the property of Australis. This goes on for a bit, mostly just confirming that both sides own their own stuff and anything that comes from it. So if our homes catch fire we can't just bill Equestria. After the ownership bit, there were a few clauses. Australis becoming a protectorate of Equestria was throw out without so much as a second "no".

We gained a few things. Equestria would pledge to render aid to build and feed the growing populace for compensation. The storm cloud would be opened in places to allow travel and tourism. Celestia offered some of her brightest scientists to help us understand the effects of the red dust, but I declined. We have our own scientists. Besides, her people would report to her and I don't trust her that much yet. Also I think we understand the dust just fine given that it is a permanent part of each of us. But food and the ability to leave were our main goals, and achieve them we did.

However, there were some losses. Firstly, Australis is not permitted for a period of ten years to form a standing army, guard corp, battlemage division, navy, or air force. Secondly, Australis must remain shrouded in the storm cloud. Celestia wouldn't budge on that one. If the cloud went, so did all Equestrian aid now and in the future. We would be defenseless and exposed. I had to accept it, fates damn me for it. And finally, all surviving Equestrian equipment would have to be returned to the mainland. The last one wasn't much. Just a few ships of personal effects to go to the grieving families. Nothing major. The ships themselves would be cannibalised if they weren't already to make new ships.

But there was one little niggly thing that stuck in my craw.

"You will have to travel to Equestria to finalize this alliance."
"But your country is like 200% sugar."
"It will be good for you. Sunshine, healthy foods, excersise, friendship."
"I don't like sunshine. It's bright and terrible and I don't like it. Your healthy foods are probably 300% sugar, topped with sugar, dusted with sugar and served with a tall glass of more sugar. Excersise, I think I get enough what with the building a town from scratch with my bare hands. Friendship I'll take to go, because the rest of that offer is making me shake just thinking about the sugar rush."
"What is wrong with sunshine?"
"It's bright. Bright and bleh."
"What if we gave you a way to make it less bright?"
"It could be better, yes. What is this magic sky-darkening device of which you speak?"
"They are called sunglasses."
"They trap the sun in glass and put it somewhere else? Genius."
"Ah ha, no they are-"
"I know what they are, Celestia. Somehow."
"Oh?" A raise of the eyebrow. Not critical, but like a teacher asking you to tell them something they already know but want you to say, just so they know you've got it.
"I know the meaning of terms I don't think I should. Terms like anachronism and temporal destabilisation and tachyon diffusion and..." I paused, the unfamiliar terms coming unbidden.
"Go on."
"Genius Loci. If it's important I'll find out later. "
"The Spirit of Place."
"Yeah that."
"And what do you think it means?"
"That smart people like to put the word 'genius' in front of short words to make them sound impressive. Now, are we talking you out of making me come to your sugar country or not?"
"We're not. This is a momentous occasion. A new alliance only happens once every few hundred years and the celebration of peace is marvelous to behold."
"This is one of those clauses I'm not getting out of, isn't it?"

Long story short, It was. But not for some time. I had time to build some manner of residing government and laws and structure and all those things I just couldn't find myself caring about. I resolved to talk to Crater. Maybe find out her real name. It was a learning things kind of day.

I found her on her own again. Being the only one of her universally hated species didn't leave much room for a social life. Being a unique personage myself, I felt her loneliness sometimes. But only sometimes. I'm strong and the Red King and I fear nothing and feel no emotional pain at being along in a world of candy-coloured equines. None at all. Arr.

Yeah, she was alone and I said hi.

"Hey cutie."
She stared off into space.
"Hello there, Australis to bug-girl, come in bug-girl."
Was that a sniffle? Not taking chances, I immediately went into "hug everything" mode.
"Come on little one. Tell old Ayre the whatever what's up."
"I'm tired."
"Sleepy? Well, let's get you to bed then. It's a little early but-"
"I'm not sleepy."
"No? Ah. Tired of all of this?"
"Yeah. The dust that blocks magic, the ponies who are just so..."
"Creepy?"
"Creepy."
"With the sterile smiles and the bowing. I wish they'd stop the bowing. Next they'll be arrowing and where will that get us?"
"Hah, you're silly sometimes for a King."
"Well, you're adorable sometimes for a ball of chitin. Tell you what, if you age to whatever age is acceptable you can be the Queen. That way I can avoid all the extra creepy love letters." I'm not talking about them. They're in a pile over there. No don't read them now-

Alright, let's take a moment to let captain romance over there read through my private letters. Take your time, no rush. Oh? Wide eyes, slightly green, shaking hooves, you've just read one of my favourites. Wait until the next page when he gets really creative and describes how he's fashioned a rock and two vines to... Yup, you just read it. How can I tell? He's throwing up into the bucket again. Just try not to get it on the letters, champ. I still need those to disturb ponies who won't keep their nose out of my business.

"I can't be your queen, silly King." Crater chided with a smile "You need another of your species for that."
"Yeah, but I don't know any others of my species. And you can be any species. So you totally count." She gave me a look "Alright, fine. You can be a princess. I'm sure we can make a crown for you out of something. Or a tiara, princesses like tiaras, don't they. I mean, I know Celestia and the other one have them so-"
"Stop." she squealed between breaths of laughter "I can't take any more of you right now. You're too silly."
"Alright, I'm going, I'm going. Just remember this when you want to be a queen of something and I'll say no, you had your chance then make a big rock queen of rocks. I think I can do that. Can I do that? I'm going to do that."

I left her in higher spirits than I meant to. Rolling about in the dust giggling like a maniac. Which left me with one thing left to do in the day before I could do as I liked. Judge things. I don't want to call it court, that sounds too formal. Ponies come to me and ask for things that I can usually provide. Help with building, farming the vines, try new recipes, make a decision on some quasi-legal matter, that sort of thing.

Ghost was the first case of the day. Now Ghost used to be a researcher at Canterlot U, which is funny because the U is shaped like a horseshoe. Okay it's not that funny, moving on. She took the name because of her old field of research, which was intangibility. She used to be called Sunshower. I think I liked Ghost better, but she always had the strangest requests.

"Can I study the affects of dust on the red vines?" Sure, go ahead.
"Can I experiment with the water to see if it has a similar effect to salt on ponies?" Only willing ones, but go ahead.
"Can I brew alcohol with...whatever I can find?" Hmm. Yes, but keep it away from the foals.
"Can I taste pony flesh?" Sure. But you know the rules, natural causes or accident only. I made rules for this. Only with prior consent and only if the death is natural of accidental. To keep me from gobbling you up. Mwah ha hah~!
"Is it possible to study you" Seems harmless "And your mating process?" No. "Just once?" Hell no, stop being weird.

See, weird? She was harmless enough though. This time was an attempt at making paper. No harm there, so I gave it the okay. Paper is made from trees, so no possible loss of life or molestation. Next up was a young foal wanting to show me her newly acquired cutie mark. Aw, isn't that sweet, a little one finding out a part of themselves. And her mother was so proud too, one of the first little fillies to get her mark in Australis.

It was a red crown. Pointed. Hard edges. The colour of blood and dust.

"It's the Red Crown of the Red King, your grace." she was positively hopping. "It means I'm good at serving you!"

The joy in the room did nothing to counterweigh my sudden despair. There was a reason I wore the wooden crown rather than even think about having a new one made when the Equestrian supplies started coming in. Other that it would be selfish to use all that dust for a small amount of gold instead of a large amount of food, I liked this crown. It was light. It was made with care and love. Apart the wood and glass and stone were practically worthless but together they were brilliant. It was a symbol of togetherness and unity, not of royalty and riches.

That symbol on that little filly's flank was not the one I wore. Not the one I wear. Some days I wake up and have to remind myself that and for just a moment, I forget why. But then I remember. I remember the blood in the dust. When the old things came back and we had... I'm getting ahead of myself. Where were we?

Right. I said it was very good and that her parents must be proud and then patted her on the head, told her to go outside and play with her family, declared council over for today, crawled into a corner and froze. I froze for a good long time.

"I believed I would find you here, brother."
Sturdy Gaffers voice was a smooth hum rather than his usual rough bark.
"You are troubled."
I couldn't speak to tell him why.
"I understand why, do not worry."
Could he read my mind?
"Celestia is demanding too much of us and of you."
No, that's not right at all.
"She has demanded a price from you that is too high to pay, but you will pay it regardless to save all of us."
No. That's wrong. Sturdy. Sturdy stop talking.
"I can see you nodding. I know, brother. Sometimes we have to do something terrible to Save us all."
Please no mor- Oh no. I heard that capital.
"I will speak to some of our Loyal friends here."
I don't like where this is going.
"We will join Together and stand with you, Ayre. You are Not Alone. We are With You."

No.

Not you too.

I don't like to think about this next part too often. But for the sake of the tale I will tell you. After all, I can't just very well stop now, now can I? Just...just don't ask me to tell it again.

Author's Note

Shorter one, because it's 2am and I have work in the morning but too much coffee now.