Imperator Stonewall approached the towering double doors that marked the entrance to Princess Celestia's throne room. He marveled at their construction; intricate decorations of oak and cherry wood that concealed metal reinforcement bars, the result of the Nightmare Moon cult's brutal attack on Canterlot and the palace itself several months prior. No battering ram would break down the doors this time.

"Krosus," he said by way of acknowledgement. His artificial foreleg clacked on the tile with every step.

"Stonewall, sir. Good to see you, as always." For the last several hours Tercio had taken the languorous job of guarding the throne room doors. Security had lightened as of late, with the standard two guards typically reduced to one. With the Whitetail losing in the west, and the Nightmare Moon cults being rooted out regularly, Canterlot had mostly returned to its pre-attack feeling of comfort and familiarity.

"I thought I told you to knock off that 'sir' shit, Krosus."

"And I thought you were supposed to address me by my first name now, sir."

They shared a good-natured laugh and Tercio relaxed his posture, leaning his spear and shield against the wall.

"Is there something I can do for you while I'm standing here doing nothing in particular?"

"As a matter of fact, you can." Stonewall stuck out his wooden leg. "If you could polish this for a couple of hours it would look much better, I think."

"As much as I appreciate the generous offer, Imperator, I'm going to have to pass."

"Suit yourself, human. But in all seriousness, do you know of the Princess' whereabouts? I believe her schedule is free for the next hour or so, and our dual-wielding instructor is about to arrive."

It was the first Tercio had heard about Celestia's continued combat training since it had been mentioned during their sparring session. He was pleased to learn she intended to do as she'd promised.

"Really? He has taken his time getting here. Who might he be?"

"I think you'd probably like to see for yourself."

Stonewall turned and let out a sharp whistle that echoed through the great hall. A few seconds later the doors leading to the courtyard opened with a groan and a familiar figure stepped through. He was a unicorn of average size, with a coat of light grey and a purple mane hidden beneath his same-colored, crested helm. His polished armor shone with gold detailing, and a purple cloak emblazoned with intertwined olive branches flowed over his back as he trotted.

"I believe you're familiar with Praetorian Polaris."

Polaris. Tercio had heard word of the newly-anointed praetorian's survival, but several months had passed since the last time he'd set eyes upon him. Before the attack on Canterlot, before his induction into Celestia's personal cadre. Tercio stared in disbelief for what felt like a long time. Polaris approached and bowed his head.

"Tercio. It has been some time, hasn't it?"

Stonewall pushed his way through the doors to the throne room.

"I'll leave you two to catch up. Krosus, your replacement will be here shortly. Do try to avoid falling on your spear until then."

The heavy doors slammed shut, leaving Tercio and Polaris alone.

"What, no warm greeting for an old sparring partner? Or did the assassin take your tongue?"

Polaris was as sharp as ever, though physically he was different. He still maintained an inherent handsomeness, but his face was now pockmarked and rough. Patches of skin showed through where his coat had not grown back, or could not grow back, and one side of his face appeared to bulge slightly over his cheek bone. Tercio was overtaken by harsh realization.

I did this to him.

He searched for the words, but could not find them. Instead, he settled for a simple "welcome back."

"It's good to be back, believe me. Convalescing in a hospital bed has taken up far too much of my time as of late. If I never smell another medicae concoction it will be too soon."

Tercio managed a small laugh, but his heart was not in it.

"Right. Too much time."

Polaris cocked his head, then removed his helm and set it beside him.

"It's alright. You can say what's on your mind. I'm relatively sure I know what it is: you're concerned about my appearance, aren't you?"

"Well, I--"

"I know what I look like. You won't offend me."

Tercio let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"I'm sorry," he finally said. "Gods above, Polaris, I'm so sorry. First there was the sparring ring, and then the night I came to see you in the medicae building, and all of this ridiculous matter of some sort of...trigger word! Like I'm a trained beast jumping at the will of some cruel master! You deserved to be fighting alongside the princess, not laid up in a bed because I could not control myself."

Tercio removed his own helmet, its weight suddenly feeling like a stone.

"And now you're disfigured because of me. I alone am responsible." He laughed bitterly to himself. "You would not be wrong to despise me. I would accept such a thing without objection."

Polaris leaned against the wall beside him.

"When I was under medicae care," he began, "I wasn't sure what to think. I was hurt, both physically and mentally. I was angry; angry at you, for lashing out at me. Angry at myself, for allowing such a thing to best me. I spent my days and nights in pain, bleeding and bruised under a mountain of bandages and healing poultices, trapped within my own body but unable to move or speak. It tainted my thoughts, and when you showed up that night, when I finally regained control of myself, all of it came flooding back to me. I wanted to hate you. That was why I couldn't speak with you at length. I forced myself to remain civil, but there was no weight behind my words."

He sighed.

"And then the attack came. I was barely strong enough to stand, but once the sound of battle echoed through the palace grounds I knew I could not simply lie in my cot and wait to die. By the time I managed to obtain a weapon the palace had been over run. I fear I would have not lived to see the morn if it wasn't for the three apothecaries who showed me another way out of the building, a passage built into the very walls that took us around and behind the cultists to an old spire."

Polaris lifted a hoof and pointed to a distant tower, visible through the large windows that let in colored sunlight through their stained glass facades.

"It was there we met up with a few others from the Royal Guard, and together we held out against the brutes for nearly an hour. At some point we received terrible news -- the throne room had fallen, and Princess Celestia was nowhere to be found. We feared the worst. I feared the worst. I was overcome with grief and anger, and it drove me to fight despite my wounds."

"How many of you were there?" Tercio asked.

"No more than a dozen. We held the doorway against numbers three times our own. Th apothecaries and surgeons could do little more than offer encouragement and treat our wounded with what little supplies they had on hoof. It was...not a time I remember fondly."

"I can relate. Our small band held the throne room after the cultists battered down these very doors. There were so many of them. That's what I remember the most: the endless pouring of bodies, so many that they were climbing over the dead to get to us. Poor Venerin, he was the first to fall."

"I heard. He was a good stallion," Polaris added.

"Indeed so. How long did you hold out, the dozen of you?"

"I cannot say with certainty. It felt like a very long time, though it could have been only a few moments. At some point, I don't know exactly when, the weakness of my body and the strain of my continued fighting seemed to simply...disappear, I suppose you could say. I cared not for my own safety. I only wanted to kill as many of those damned brutes as I could manage. I wanted to see them bleed. And at that moment, even in the middle of the carnage, a thought entered the back of my mind: at long last, I understood you, or a small portion of you. Not where your trigger word came from or why you knew it, of course, but I understood why you fought so tenaciously, why you'd attacked me so. That pure, unbridled rage...it gave you strength. It was intoxicating. In that moment I felt I could take on the entirety of the cult by myself."

Tercio flashed back to the times he'd been under the control of that damnable word, a prisoner in his own body; brief glimpses and snippets of time stained red. Had he actually enjoyed it? Some perverse part of him, the part that screamed for blood until it was all he could hear, had enjoyed it immensely. The feeling of his fists against Polaris' face, the impact of flesh and bone. The spray of arterial blood as he ripped Lacertus' throat out with his bare hands had been nearly orgasmic, in a twisted sort of way. The thinking part of him, the personality that was trapped behind the other force within him, had felt sick at every second of the fight. Even now, his stomach turned at the thought of it.

"Polaris...I'm not sure I would put it that way. This force inside of me, it goes counter to everything we've learned. We're soldiers, not barbarians. We fight as one, with honed skills and precise movements. When I am under the influence of that word, I can't think of anything but dispatching my enemy as quickly as possible. Self-preservation doesn't even factor into my actions; there is only the blood lust. I would not call such a thing 'intoxicating'. In fact, I am ashamed that it even happens at all."

Polaris scratched at his mane. "Perhaps I chose the wrong words, and for that I apologize. I did not mean to offend, I merely sought to sympathize with your, uh, condition. Allow me to try again." He cleared his throat loudly. "I forgive you, Tercio."

"You do? Truly?"

"Yes. I did not understand what drove you to attack me. I did not understand why you reacted the way you did when I brought up that word. But now I know. Word travels quickly among our ranks. I heard of how you saved the lives of Stonewall, Thunderburst, Rimeberry and even Princess Celestia. Somehow, you controlled that anger within you. I now realize that you are a good soldier, caught up in something beyond what you could have ever imagined, and for that I forgive you, before the gods themselves."

A huge weight felt as if it was lifted from Tercio's chest. Months of worry and self-doubt, many a sleepless night, vanished in an instant.

"Thank you, Polaris." Tercio put his fist over his heart and bowed deeply, a sign of great respect. "You are a better man than I. I would be remiss if I did not apologize in turn for putting you through such a miserable experience, all of that pain and anguish. If only I knew then what I know now."

"Said many a stallion before you, as will many to come. Do not dwell on the past, Praetorian." A trio of hard raps on the doors signaled that an impatient Stonewall was waiting for them. "Right then, we should not keep old Stonewall waiting, lest we end up cleaning the latrines out. Again."

Tercio and Polaris put their helms back on and secured them, saluting as a replacement stallion came to relieve Tercio of his post. Together they pushed through to the throne room.

"Polaris, if you don't mind me asking, where have you been for the last three months? We've seen neither hide nor hair of you."

"That, my tall friend," he said confidently, "is something I'll have to tell you about another day."

Days later, Tercio stood before two of his fellow Praetorians, their spears crossed to block his entrance. Praetorians from a different barracks, with names he couldn't remember. They looked vaguely familiar, a pair of dark-coated earth ponies, but he could not place them. He doubted they had the same issue with him.

"Centurion Tercio Krosus, here to see Princess Celestia. I was told she's expecting me."

"Centurion," the larger of the two said with a tip of his head. "Go on in. I'm sure you know the deal by now -- no weapons with the Princess."

"Of course." He lifted the sides of his tunic to show he was not carrying a gladius, then pushed forward. The spears remained crossed.

"Everything. That includes the dagger."

He grumbled and unfastened the holster from around his thigh, letting the dagger and its sheathe tumble to the floor.

"You know we're supposed to be armed at all times, don't you?"

"You know we're not allowed to have weapons around the princess per Imperator Stonewall, don't you?" the earth pony countered. "Don't be difficult about it. We're a few paces away if there's trouble." They pulled their spears back and pushed the door part way open. Tercio didn't particularly like the new rule -- being without a weapon left him feeling naked -- but he was in no position to argue.

The mid-day sun was almost alarmingly bright as he stepped out onto the balcony. The view was, of course, amazing; the overhanging platform looked down upon Canterlot's business quarter, where throngs of ponies and other species went about their rounds and made deals by the hundreds. Directly ahead, where the great city connected to the mountain, a series of aqueducts carried fresh, clean water from a deep reservoir hidden under the mountain itself. As his eyes adjusted to the light he could see that the day was still clear and blue, with hardly a cloud in the sky. Cool, moist air blew in from the north, carrying the clean smell of the previous night's rains with it.

"Hello, Princess," Tercio said politely, giving the customary salute. The nigh-immortal ruler of Equestria bowed in return, then motioned for the door guards to give them privacy. A loud ka-chunk faded away until only the breeze made any sound.

"Hello, Tercio. It's good to see you, as always."

"Likewise. I hope you'll forgive the informal attire, today is one of the rare days I don't have the Imperator screaming in my ear."

"No need to worry, I know that armor can get uncomfortable after a while." She lifted a hoof to a stack of cushions. "Please, sit down. Would you care for some bramble berry tea? It's quite pleasant on a chilly day like today."

"That sounds good, thank you."

Celestia poured a steaming cup for both of them, floating Tercio's over to him. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything important."

"Not quite," he said, grasping his drink from the air. "I was just reading a a copy of a play one of the others had recommended. So far it's not bad."

"I didn't know you were a patron of the fine arts."

"I'm not," he chuckled, "it's not exactly The Seven Cities of Elsewhere. It's a bit more...lurid."

"Oh, I see. I'll refrain from asking you the details then."

"That's probably for the best." Careful sips of the hot liquid warmed his mouth and trickled down into his stomach. A hint of fruit, but not overwhelming. It reminded him of his mother's favorite drink, albeit without the mouth-puckering tartness she seemed to enjoy so much. "So...if I may ask, what was the reason you summoned me?"

Celestia looked up from the rim of her cup, her expression serious.

"Does the Princess of Equestria need a reason to ask for one of her soldiers?"

"I, uh -- of course not. My apologies, I didn't mean to imply--"

He was interrupted by her refined laughter.

"I'm only kidding, Tercio. Come now, you know me better than that!" He felt his face flush red, eliciting another fit of laughter from the princess. "Busy as I may be, I am not without a sense of humor. Sometimes it's the only thing keeping me sane, I swear."

"Right. As you say." Tercio cleared his throat. "Quite a lovely day, isn't it?"

"It is. The weather works in our favor. More tea?"

"Please."

They drank in silence for a short time, enjoying the cool winds and fresh air. Celestia finished half of her cup and set it to the side, adjusting her position on the large pillows.

"Tercio...there is something I need to ask you, and I want you to answer truthfully. Do you swear it?"

His mind raced with what she could possibly be wondering. "I do..."

Celestia looked around to make sure they were alone, then locked her sight upon him once more.

"A few days ago, when we were in Swiftwing, were you confronted by one of my pegasus guards?"

The memory came back to him at once, the damnable Praetorian forcing him down with more strength than he'd thought possible, spewing distrust and barely-contained anger at his recent placement in the Praetorian ranks.

"I...well, I'm not sure I was confronted so much as we had a conversation. We have some...some disagreements. But it's nothing to worry about."

"Were you threatened?"

"I don't think--"

"Were you?"

Of course he'd been threatened. He'd even been rendered unconscious afterward. But Tercio considered it to be an internal matter, a disagreement between soldiers. The Princess, he'd reasoned, had enough to worry about without him bringing up inner-service rivalry. It wasn't exactly the first time he'd been verbally or physically threatened in his years in the Equestrian military, and it had always worked itself out in time. But now, looking into her unfaltering pink gaze, he found himself unable to withhold such a thing.

"...Yes. Although I cannot be entirely sure, I believe it was Praetorian Whirlwind who did so. I did not want to make this your issue," he quickly clarified.

"Tercio, you are one of my most valued guards, but so is Whirlwind. You are part of a close-knit and exclusive group, so if there is ever discord among the ranks I consider it my duty to see it through. I have been doing this for long enough to know when heads are butting, and I've become very good at acting upon my suspicions. What did he say, exactly?"

"He said I was dangerous, a threat to your safety. Somehow word has gotten out about my...situation. He knows what happened in the crystal cave, and he knows about Polaris. He knows what really happened. I doubt he's the only one."

Celestia frowned. "I was hoping such a thing would stay private. Everyone there was sworn to secrecy. I assumed they understood."

"I can't say who spoke of it first, but it's no use hiding it anymore. Because of it, Whirlwind thinks I'm a monster who has lied his way through the ranks. He said if he ever believes me an imminent threat, he will not hesitate to do what has to be done."

Tercio had never seen Celestia angry, and even now she maintained her impeccably practiced demeanor, but it was there, on the very tip of her voice, in the subtle movements of her body. She was not exactly angry, but she was clearly disappointed. He imagined that must have hurt far worse.

"This cannot be allowed to continue. I will speak with Centurion Whirlwind as soon as his shift has ended and put a stop to this. It is not okay, under any circumstances, to threaten a fellow soldier. Especially in a time of war. I will not have it."

He wondered if Whirlwind would lose his rank and be kicked from his posting. Strangely enough, some small part of him felt no ill will toward the pegasus. By all accounts Whirlwind was a good soldier, and in his position Tercio imagined he might even have reacted the same way. It still didn't excuse his actions, and he would likely remain untrusting of Whirlwind for some time to come, but ultimately the decision came down to Celestia herself. It was not his place to ask, nor would he have expected an answer.

"I understand. Such behavior is unacceptable."

"I always hate having to discipline one of my own guards, but it's not unheard of, I'm afraid. Sometimes personalities clash, or species rivalry and mistrust rears its ugly head. You should have seen the Equestrian military before the formal unification of the three nations. Some of it still lingers."

"So I've heard." A gust of wind ruffled his clothing and turned his skin to goose-flesh. It would be a cold night once the sun was down. Celestia finished what was left of her cup and gave a short sigh.

"War, infighting, cultists who worship the grossly perverted form of my sister, foreign affairs meetings nearly every day with this ruler or that, not to mention the daily business of running Equestria -- it can all be so tiresome at times." She managed a smile despite her worries. "Let's not talk about those things for now. I would much rather talk about something else."

"Such as?"

"Well, the festival of the Three Pillars is no more than a week away. Are you familiar with it?"

"Of course, as is anyone who remembers basic history." He began to recite from memory, years of celebrations and education making the old words as familiar as if they were spoken the day before. "Tolerance, the open mind. Devotion, the open heart. Generosity, the open soul. With these pillars we build a strong foundation. United, they are unbreakable."

"I see someone paid attention in school," Celestia giggled.

"I tried to, whenever I wasn't distracted by pretty mares or meat-headed stallions. You'd be surprised how many former bullies decide to leave you alone when you come back from the Month of Harvest nearly twice their size."

"I imagine. You seem to be familiar with the festival, so allow me to ask: what are you thankful for in life?"

"Well...if I had to pick three things, I suppose it would be my family, my current position in the military, and my continued survival in the face of such dangers. Is that too simple of an answer?"

"I don't think there is such a thing," she replied with a warm smile. "Those are all good things to be thankful for."

"If I may break tradition and add one more thing, I am thankful, in all honesty, that I've had the chance to meet you. Back when I served in the Equestrian Guard I thought of you as, I don't know...aloof, perhaps? No offense intended. You always seemed like someone who was so wise, and obviously powerful if you could move the sun itself. My own experiences must pale in comparison to some of the things you've seen. And yet, when I accepted my position in the Praetorian ranks and sat down with you that first time, I began to see 'the Mighty Princess Celestia', as the others used to call you, as surprisingly humble and relateable."

"The Mighty Princess Celestia," she repeated, laughing in disbelief. "Goodness, I feel as if I should be be standing on the parade grounds flexing my muscles and making grunting noises!"

"To hear some of them talk, you weren't far removed from such a thing."

"Four hundred years, and I can honestly say that's the first time I've heard that word used to describe me."

"First time for everything, I suppose. What about you, Celestia? What are you thankful for?"

Celestia wasn't sure how to answer. What was there to be thankful for in such a time of strife?

"I...suppose I am thankful, of course, for still drawing breath, despite the best efforts of Lacertus and the others. I am thankful for life returning to some sort of normality after so many of our citizens lost their lives in the attack. I am most certainly thankful I do not have to convene with Empress Elinwyyn on a daily basis." She touched a hoof to her jeweled breast collar. "And I am thankful to have you at the palace with me. Not only did you save my life from the assassin--"

"Just doing my job, Princess," Tercio stated.

"Of course. Not only that, but having someone to talk to is a welcome change of pace."

"Surely you must have others you converse with. You are, after all, the Princess of Equestria."

"There are others, yes," she answered, "but with them it is different. With my long life and power over heavenly bodies I'm often seen as a fascination, perhaps a sort of Goddess. To this day I find ponies who worship me as some sort of living deity. While flattering, it always makes me feel just a little uncomfortable. Even those I call my friends do not conversate with me like a normal pony. Their speech is lofty and often their demeanor turns out to be a way to gain my favor, as if I am some sort of...of...tradesmare looking to give out positions of power."

Tercio considered what he'd heard; growing up immersed in Equestrian culture, he had been convinced Celestia was, in fact, some sort of higher power. It had taken a long time to dispel that myth. No doubt others would still believe it.

"I can see why they would think so highly of you. After all, your sun brings warmth and life. It's more than any of us could hope to accomplish."

"But that's just it -- they look at me and see power, in one form or another. I have tried my entire life to assure my subjects that I am as caring as any of them; that I, too, do not live in a crystal spire away from the realities of day-to-day life. It's just that I have to do so without appearing weak. It is not an easy balance to find. Hundreds of years of practice and still I worry." She smiled at Tercio. "That is why I am thankful to have you here. In the time I've had to speak with you, you have always been respectful, but it's more than that. That day when we shared a meal at sunset, I saw you open up and really be yourself. Not just a Praetorian, or a soldier, but a person. You were frank and sincere."

"I was simply trying sound at least somewhat interesting. No small feat, to hear my brother speak."

"I'm sure he's only kidding. Let me ask you something: do you feel comfortable around me, Tercio?"

"I...yes, I suppose I do," he answered. He rubbed the back of his neck with his palm. "I don't know what it is, exactly. I tend to keep to myself most of the time. Being so different from everyone else had made me somewhat of an introvert, I think. It's not often I get to share a story or listen to one myself."

Celestia watched the sun for a moment as it continued its slow arc across the sky, shielding her eyes with an outstretched wing. Still plenty of time in the day. Soon there would be meetings with her top generals and advisers, then a late lunch with her kitchen staff, followed by the veritable pile of scrolls that awaited her every evening from citizens across Equestria and beyond. All the more reason to enjoy the moment.

"Maybe we're not so different, you and I," she said thoughtfully. "It's rare I meet someone who can share the feeling of being a stranger in their own land. Perhaps it's why I enjoy our conversations so much."

"I enjoy them as well. Believe me, given the choice of getting yelled at by Stonewall or talking with you, I'm much more fond of the latter. Not to insult the good Imperator's looks, but he's rather harsh on the eyes, comparatively. Harsh on the back, too, should he happen to have us hauling supplies for the day."

Celestia gave a wry smile. "So you're saying I'm easy on the eyes?"

"Well, I...that is...I'm going to remain silent lest I put my foot in my mouth further than I already have."

"No need to be embarrassed, I'm flattered. That's very nice of you to say." She laughed softly and floated both of the small cups back to her side, then filled them up once more, tipping the tea pot to get every drop out. "You would be surprised how few ponies have the courage to pass on even a small compliment. It would seem I'm more intimidating than I'm led to believe."

"Intimidating? Perhaps a little. After all, it's not every mare than can incinerate you with a thought, should you happen to speak out of turn."

The idea of being so petty and power-mad was so absurd it elicited a hearty laugh from Celestia. For all its ridiculous implications, there were likely some ponies who actually believed she could do so.

"Tercio, Tercio," she chuckled, "you have it all wrong. I only incinerate those who don't compliment me. All shall love me and despair."

Tercio grabbed his cup from the air. "Remind me to stay on your good side, then."

For a brief moment their eyes locked, and Tercio found himself entranced by her smile and her laughter. Somewhere, deep within himself, the smallest of notions -- really, an absurd idea -- made itself known. He was enjoying himself, not as a guest of the Princess, but as if he were speaking with someone who was genuinely pleased to have him as company.

"To not being incinerated," he said after only a few heartbeats. Another soft, comforting second of amused laughter as she clinked her delicate cup against his.

"Never have I heard a finer toast."