Celestia groaned with a shake of her head, her eyes scanning the horizon form her balcony. “Why did he have to take off the brace?”

“Perhaps he figured out what it actually is,” Luna smirked as she joined her sister, the moon above causing her coat to glow slightly. “He already questions the validity of an Element of Courage, and it wouldn’t take much to figure out what he actually has, especially with his awakening abilities.”

“It served its purpose fortunately,” Celestia replied with a heavy sigh. “We need to figure out where he hid it before somepony else does.”

“Seeing as we can’t even sense it, there is only one place he could have hid it,” Luna replied as if it were obvious. “And with the deal fulfilled, neither of us are allowed in there anymore.”

“That bucking idiot,” Celestia growled, turning to look towards the Everfree Forest.

“We see that thou have returned to normal,” Luna said as she entered the guest room I was in, her blue coat shining slightly in the rising sun light.

“I stopped feeling smug at about three A.M and my eyes kinda went back to normal at the same time,” I simply replied from on top of the bed while watching the sun rise from a close by window. I wasn’t under the covers or anything, just sitting on the bed in a pair of ruined white dress pants and a lab coat. Surprisingly, while my eyes had reverted to their natural look and color, I didn’t seem to need my glasses.

“Then I felt a little sick… then I just kinda… meh.”

“Understandable,” Luna said as she took a seat beside me. “Taking the life of another is never easy.”

“Huh? Oh, no, I got over that quickly,” I replied, looking at the princess. “They tried to kill me and while it may sound messed up, I honestly don’t feel bad about killing them.”

“What?” Luna asked, a brow raising in obvious confusion.

“What does make me feel bad, is that I thought of this world like a video game when the attack happened,” I continued, ignoring what she said. “I only thought of it to help cope with the moment, but it felt too easy to get in to that mind set and now, it’s all I can think about.”

“Why should that matter?” Luna asked with a raised brow. “You have been here for but a few months, so it is understandable that you still have trouble accepting things as they are.”

“But it feels like an insult to all of you,” I replied with a heavy sigh, scratching the back of my head. “This isn’t a game or a cartoon. You are living breathing peo-ponies with lives and actual history.

“Then there’s the fact that I ate a soul!” I blurted out in a slight panic. “Where I come from, not only does that shit not happen, but the soul is considered sacred by a lot of people.”

“Give it time, Christopher, that’s all we can say,” Luna calmly replied as she stood back up. “Now follow us, Celestia needs to see thou.”

“What about the others?” I asked as I got onto slightly shaky legs and put on my shoes.

“Sister is talking to them right now,” Luna replied as she began to lead the way. “We both feel that it would be best if they left for home sooner.”

“What about me?” I asked as we traveled the halls. Every now and then, we would pass a guard or servant and each one would give me a wide birth.

“For now, we feel it would be best if thou remained in the castle for some time,” Luna answered. “It won’t be long, but ponies do tend to be skittish after events like this.”

“Will I even get the chance to say goodbye?” I asked as I realized that we were heading towards the medical wing of the castle.

“Do not take this the wrong way,” Luna began. “But sister believes it would be best for them to return to Ponyville before the citizens hear the wrong things.”

“I guess, I understand,” I sighed dejectedly as we stopped outside of a secured medical room.

Two guards stood watch outside the room, both unicorns. But when they noticed me, they both became more ridged as they locked their eyes on me.

“How are the prisoners?” Luna asked, glaring at the guards until they looked towards her timidly.

“T-the gryphon is still steadily declining,” one of the guards began to explain as the other continued to glare at me.

“Go on, keep glaring,” I groaned out, to the glaring guard. “Your about as intimidating as a new born puppy.”

“And the other two?” Luna asked before either guard could reply.

“The unicorn will make a full recovery,” the guard replied as he addressed Luna fully, completely ignoring me with his fellow. “And while the Pegasus will make a full recovery as well, the doctors are unsure if she will ever be able to fly properly without years of physical therapy.”

“That is of none of our concern,” Luna stated before looking at me. “Follow me.”

Without another word, Luna led the way into the small room.

There were no windows and the door we entered from was the only entrance. There were four beds in the room, two on either side. While the beds on the left were open to me to see, one of the beds to the right was covered by a thick curtain.

The two beds on the left were filled. One held a yellow unicorn mare with a black mane who was missing the majority of her horn and had bandages wrapped around her bearl and head. The other bed held a magenta Pegasus mare with one eye bandaged and both wings held up in casts.

While the unicorn was asleep, the Pegasus was awake and staring at me with her single eye, the pupil so small, I almost thought it wasn’t there.

The sadistic part of me wanted to say ‘boo’ and see if she would piss herself, but I decided against it.

“So, what are we doing here?” I asked as I looked away from the Pegasus and towards Luna. A part of me almost felt bad for hurting and killing those mercenaries.

But they tried to kill me, and only a fool would let themselves be killed without fighting back.

“To see him,” Luna replied as her horn glowed and the curtain on the right was removed, revealing the older gryphon.

“What the hell?” I asked aloud as I looked at the gryphon.

There wasn’t a single wound on the guy and aside from his blank stare, he seemed completely fine.

“Goldwig Knifewing, once a famous gryphon performer,” Luna began to explain. “He was apparently a well renowned knife thrower before he decided to join a mercenaries guild almost a decade ago.”

“I-I’ve heard of that name before,” I mostly mumbled to myself. “Gilda was telling me about him and was apparently a fan.”

“We brought you here to see what happens to those who lose their soul,” Luna said, as I watched the gryphon. He looked to be deep in thought and aside from a twitch from his arm where an IV was, he was motionless.

“He will slowly die as his body shuts down,” Celestia added as she walked into the room.

“I don’t feel sorry for what I did,” I replied evenly. “He tried to kill me… almost succeeded too.”

“We’re not asking you too,” Celestia replied. “I just want you to see what you did and to simply ask that you do your best not to do it again.”

“I make no promises,” I replied evenly before looking back at the two ponies in the other beds. “What’s going to happen to them?”

“Once they are healed to an extent, they will stand trial,” Celestia replied. “Until then, they will remain here under guard.”

“And the group they work for?” I asked.

“Based in the Gryphon Empire,” Luna sighed. “All we can do is send a request for an investigation until we can get more information. Those two are apparently mute it would seem.”

“That sounds like a real hassle,” I replied as I heard a growl come from Celestia. “So, can we get going? Cause I’m pretty sure the Pegasus stopped breathing when I entered the room.”

“I really don’t think this is a good idea…” I mumbled, looking at the dark red stallion in front of me. “I-I mean… shouldn’t I be helping with the investigation or something?”

“We’ll talk about that while we work,” Vlad replied as he closed the door to the room we were in.

After the meeting in the hospital room, Celestia brought me straight to Vlad; dropping me before the stallion with nothing but an irritated sigh.

After that, Vlad led me deep into the castle and into a windowless room that was attached to the lower dungeons. The room was quite large and several crystals provided just barely enough light to see with.

“What I am about to show you is not to be revealed to anyone or anything,” Vlad said as he walked past me and into the middle of the room. “Not even my wife knows what your about to see.”

“Uh…” I mumbled, staring at the stallion as I began to take a few steps back towards the door.

“Now then,” Vlad spoke to himself before a sickening crack filled the air.

I could only watch in horror as the stallion’s body began to contort and shift as sickening cracks continued to fill the air.

“FUCK IT, I’M OUT!” I screamed before bolting towards the door and trying to ripe it open.

Trying, being the key term as the door wouldn’t budge.

“Fuck this!” I yelled, activating my magic and trying to break the door down.

When a familiar yellow magic barrier prevented my escape, I really started to panic.

“I’m too handsome to die!” I yelled, flinging a hand instinctively back at where Vlad had once stood.

“Calm yourself, Christopher,” Vlad’s voice echoed out as a hand reached out of a black mass and caught the magic knife I had thrown on instinct.

I watched as a human appeared out of the dark mass that had once been a dark red Pegasus stallion.

He had pale white skin and piercing red eyes. His dark black hair was neat and reached his shoulders while a thick beard filled his chin.

“It’s been a few decades since I changed like this,” the man before me spoke in Vlad’s voice as he rolled his shoulders, a simple set of clothing coving his large form. “Never thought I’d have too again.”

“W-wh-what the HELL!?” I blurted out as I looked at the man before me, something screaming at me to run for my life. “Y-you can turn into a human?!”

“I wasn’t a human when I came here to begin with,” Vlad replied as the knife I had thrown vanished into gray mist. “Changing my shape was something I could do even before I arrived to this world.”

“B-but… I-I… what…” I stuttered as her walked towards me in dark red armor. Questions flew through my head but were unable to make it to my lips.

I thought I had questions before, but now I realized just how wrong I was.

“For the rest of this week,” Vlad began as he stared at me, his eyes glowing slightly. “I will be training you in how to actually fight.”

I could only shake where I stood as the man reached me and clearly towered over me by a foot.

“I don’t need my daughter’s special someone unable to properly protect himself from a couple of two-bit mercenaries,” Vlad frowned.

“I can’t believe Mrs. Cake’s having the foals!” Pinkie Pie gushed as she and her friends waited outside the window to the nursery. “I have so many parties planned!”

“A-actually, Pinkie Pie,” Fluttershy interrupted, stopping the bouncing mare before she could rush off and do something. “I-I was reading some books, and you should probably wait a little whilr befor throwing them a party.”

“Awww, really?” Pinkie Pie asked with sad eyes.

“Just let the foals get settled first ‘for yah do anything, sugarcube,” Applejack replied with a compassionate smile, imagining the day when she would have one of her own.

“I kinda feel sorry for, Chris though,” Rainbow Dash commented as she tried to fly up to see into the room better. “He’s been stuck in Canterlot for a week now and I know he wanted to be here.”

“I had Spike send a letter to the Princess, so maybe the princess will let him come back soon,” Twilight told everyone with a slight look of hope.

“How is the dear doing by the way?” Rarity asked. “Word is, Canterlot is still in chaos with all the reporters digging up more information than normal.”

“Well, maybe if them fancy smancy ponies did some honest work, they wouldn’t have nothing ta worry about,” Applejack commented.

“I miss him,” Fluttershy sighed as she teared up a little.

“Oh, don’t worry darling, I’m sure he’ll be back in our hooves soon enough,” Rarity said as she gave the butterscotch mare a comforting hug.

“Yeah, knowing Chris, he’s prob-“ Rainbow Dash began to say before something inside the nursery drew her attention. “What the Buck?”

“Rainbow?!” Rarity chastised as she looked at what the mare was looking at. “We’re in a hospit… what in the name of Celestia is that?!”

Inside the nursery, a large creature had entered the room wearing an oversized lab coat and a white pillowcase over its head.

“Is that who I think it is?” Twilight groaned as the others stared into the room in varying degrees of shock.

“Where is be, Cake babies?” the hulking mass of white asked in a bad Stalingrad accent. “Uh… Ah mean… where be foals? We is make sure is healthy and cute and bubbly!”

“Oh no, there’s a monster with the foals!” Pinkie Pie shouted as she made to rush into the room.

“Let’s just let the nurses take care of it,” Fluttershy interrupted with a bland look, stepping on the pink mare’s tail so she couldn’t get away.

“But it could be too late by then!” Pinkie replied as she pressed her face against the glass and glared at the white creature. “Hey you, stay away from the cute and cuddly foals!”

“The pink one is being quiet!” the creature harshly whispered towards the window. “Foals is trying to sleep!”

“Why do you like him again?” Rainbow Dash asked her friends with an amused look.

“I’m beginning to question that myself,” Applejack replied as Fluttershy giggled a bit.

Just then, the nursery door opened once again as two new carts were pushed in by Nurse Red Heart and a haggard looking Mr. Cake.

“The foalses have arrived!” the white monster quietly cheered as it moved to hover over the carts.

“W-what the hay?!” Nurse Red Heart and Mr. Cake both questioned in shock and mild fear.

“I is seeing the foals?” the creature asked in an innocent tone, holding its hands out as if to pick one up.

“W-wha… how did…” Nurse Red Heart began to stutter as Mr. Cake just stared wide eyed. “Christopher?!”

“Oh, what gave it away?” I asked in my regular voice, keeping it quiet so as not to disturb the resting foals.

“You’re too tall for a pony and too small for a minitour,” Red Heart frowned as Mr. Cake gave a sigh of relief. “Who even let you in here?”

“I literary walked right in. You have horrible security,” I commented while shifting the pillow case over my head a bit so I could see the two new young additions to the room. “Oh my god they’re adorable.”

“Well, I need you to leave,” Red Heart said as she began to shove me out of the room. “Who knows what germs you might have dragged in here.”

“I’ll have you know, I had a nurse use a cleansing spell on me before coming in here,” I was able to say before being shoved out of the room. “I’m so clean, you could eat off me.”

“Just stay out here,” Red Heart groaned as she closed the door behind her.

“While it’s nice ta see ya sugarcube, ya’ll shouldn’t have done that,” Applejack’s voice cut in as I stared at the closed door with resentment.

“Christopher!” Fluttershy quietly cheered as shy flew into my side and gave me a tight hug.

“C-cant b-breath!” I wheezed out though my pillowcase as the mare continued to squeeze.

“I missed you so much!” Fluttershy softly sobbed into my side, releasing me enough to breath.

“Sorry,” I sighed, returning the hug finally.

“Weird entrance, but it’s awesome to see you dude,” Rainbow dash commented as she flew over with a curious glance. “But uh… what’s with the pillow case?”

“Fashion statement?” I offered with a shrug.

“Darling, the day that becomes a fashion statement is the day the princess becomes a stallion,” Rarity commented as her horn began to glow. A moment later, I felt a slight tug on my impromptu mask.

“It’s no use Rarity,” I commented as she struggled to remove it. “Celestia put it on me herself. Said I wasn’t aloud out of the castle without it.”

“Can’t you take it off yourself?” Pinkie Pie asked as she appeared from behind my shoulders. “I mean if she used magic to keep it on you, can’t you do your magic thing and drink it up or something?”

“I can drain magic Pinkie, I don’t drink it,” I chuckled back. “And her magic is one of the only kinds I can’t really drain away all that well. I think she has a way to counter it.

“She really doesn’t seem to like me.”

“Did Princess Celestia really make you wear that?” Twilight questioned with a look of uncertainty. “That doesn’t sound like her.”

“It was either this or several guards,” I replied as Rainbow Dash fell onto her back in laughter.

“SHHHHHHHHH!” Red Heart shushed from the nursery door, glaring at us all before disappearing back inside the room.

“Let’s take this outside,” I commented as I made my way out while carrying Fluttershy and using my magic to drag a chuckling Rainbow Dash.

“Does that mean you still have to go back?” Fluttershy asked as we all made it outside of the Ponyville hospital.

“Unfortunately,” I sighed as I set her down.

“Have they really not found out who did it?” Twilight asked.

“Not yet,” I replied. “I’ve been… occupied for the past week, so I don’t really know what’s going on.”

“What they hay could you be doing that makes it so you don’t know what’s going on?” Rainbow Dash asked as she looked at me.

While they all may see me covered in a large coat and pillowcase, underneath I was a pile of cuts and bruises.

For the past week, Vlad had been teaching me nonstop in a large assortment of fighting techniques for both self-defense and the tournament. He only stopped to let me eat, heal major wounds and get a few hours of sleep.

If I did well for the day, that meant I’d get a full four.

It was just a few hours ago that Vlad said he was done, which both surprised me and gave me relief.

Shortly after that, Celestia entered the room and told me the good news and gave me her ultimatum.

“So, how much longer till you get to come home?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I’ll be back by the end of next week either way,” I replied. “Celestia said that things should be under enough control by then for me to safely leave the castle and come back fully.”

“That’s good,” Fluttershy smiled up at me.

“Sorry I can’t stay longer, but I want to check on Gilda and the others before heading back to Canterlot,” I told the group. “Why don’t you stick around and see Mrs. Cake. Be sure to give her and her husband my regards too while you’re at it.”

“Okay!” they all replied in unison as I began to walk away.

“So, the princess teleported you down?” Gilda asked with a little giggle as I took a seat on my chair. She apparently thought the pillowcase thing was as funny as Rainbow Dash did.

“It’s warm?!” I immediately thought. “Am I gonna have to cut a bitch?!”

“Yeah… felt really weird too,” I nodded back while Geralt rushed over and gave me an affectionate greeting. “So, where’s our new house guest?”

“If you mean, Rachel, she’s at work,” Gilda replied as I looked at her in confusion. “Princess Luna came the other day and said she was innocent or something like that.”

“That’s… good?” I replied as I leaned away from Geralt. “So, she got a job?”

“Yeah, she helps at the school or something,” Gilda replied, before she looked like she remembered something important. “Also, she moved into the backyard.”

“Wait… what?!” I blurted as I quickly got out of my chair and rushed outside to check the backyard.

Off to one side was a small cave entrance that had not been there before. It wasn’t that large, but it obviously led into the ground and was formed of tough dirt and large stones.

“She can’t do that!” I shouted while grabbing my head in agitation, nearly ripping the pillowcase. “This place is basically a rental!”

“Calm down, Princess Luna said it was okay after Rachel asked,” Gilda chuckled as she came up behind me. “Kinda cool down there if I’m being honest.”

“I still would have liked to have been talked to about this beforehand,” I sighed while looking back at Gilda and finding her to have a slightly uncomfortable look.

“Is something wrong?” I asked as I gave her my full attention.

“It’s nothing really…” Gilda began as she looked up at me. “It’s just that… there’s been some stories passed around town. A lot of ponies have been calling you ‘Reaper’ lately.”

“Reaper?” I asked, having been cut off from a lot of information during my time with Vlad.

“It’s from a Daring Do book,” Gilda replied. “In her first book, there was a mention at the end about a creature that… ate the souls of its victims or something… and that it was called ‘Reaper’. I guess one of the local papers made mention of it, and it’s kinda gone on from there.”

“Huh… I can see where they are coming from at least,” I replied, deciding to take a look at the book for myself at one point.

“Aren’t you kind of worried about how ponies will see you?” Gilda asked, obviously surprised by my reaction.

“Well, the house isn’t being burnt to the ground,” I began. “And while I may have a disguise, it’s still pretty obvious who I am and nobody ran away in fear when I was walking to and from the hospital. Hell, a few ponies even gave me a friendly wave.”

“I guess your right…” Gida replied, still looking uncomfortable.

“What else is it?” I asked, noticing Gilda’s worry.

“Did you really kill Knifewing?” Gilda asked as she looked up at me, her eyes turning a little red as she fought against her own tears. “The papers said that you… took his soul.”

“So, the papers actually printed that,” I sighed to myself before addressing Gilda.

“Yes, I killed Knifewing and yes, I took his soul,” I told Gilda, having decided to be honest with my herd about what happened. “He and a group of mercenaries tried to kill me and I defended myself.”

“Darn it!” Gilda growled. “The guy used to be so cool and he had to go a screw it up and join a bunch of mercenaries.”

“I know you liked the guy Gilda, but he almost killed me,” I told her, wondering where this was going to lead.

“I’m not mad at you,” Gilda sighed. “I just wanted to see him perform one more time.

“My dad took me to see him when I was just a chick and… I kinda hoped…” Gilda began as tears began to fall.

“I’m sorry Gilda,” I said as I took a knee and pulled the gryphon into a hug. This was the first time I had heard anything about her family and decided to save the questions for a better time.

“It’s not your fault,” Gilda said after a few moments. “While I would have liked to see him perform again, I’m just glad to see you okay.”

“There’s the sappy gryphon I’ve come to know,” I chuckled as Gilda gave me a glare.

“I have to get ready to head back to Canterlot,” I continued. “But when I do get back, I hope you’d be willing to talk some more.”

“I-I guess we could,” Gilda huffed as her cheeks glowed slightly. “I gotta get back to work myself anyways. Rainbow Dash kinda left the whole place high and dry when she went to the hospital and my breaks almost over.”

“That sounds like her,” I chuckled while standing back up and making my way back into the house.

“So, they’re calling me Reaper now?” I asked as I walked into my living room and finding Celestia sitting on the couch, eating a piece of cake.

“It’s an unfortunate result of the event,” Celestia replied as she ate.

“Eh, I kinda like it actually,” I couldn’t help but say as I thought it over. “If ponies want to call me that, then let them. As long as my friends now who I am, I’m fine with it.”

“You are some kind of stupid, you know that,” Celestia basically stated as I gave a shrug. “Now, please prepare yourself, as I’m about to teleport us to the castle.”

“Wow, a warning? When did I-“

CRASH

BANG

THUD

THUD

“O-o-ouch…” I groaned after sliding across the throne room and into a wall.

“I told you to prepare yourself,” Celestia said as she stood in the middle of the room. “You’re lucky I had the guards leave for a little while or they would use that as an excuse to put you in chains.”

“Your guards just don’t like me,” I groaned as I painfully sat up and finally removed the pillowcase, revealing my bruised face to the world.

“Maybe if you stopped antagonizing them, they would trust you more,” Celestia replied as she got back into her seat. “Now then, before I allow ponies back in here, I have a question for you.”

“What do you want to know?” I asked as I shuffled to a small chair I saw by the wall.

“How cute were they?” Celestia suddenly gushed with a large smile as she looked at me with twinkling eyes.

“Heart attack inducing!” I replied with a smile of my own.

Captain Vlad had told me that Celestia LOVES foals and actually liked to sneak into the small daycare the castle has for some of the single working servants. If she’s not sneaking cake, she’s playing with foals.

“Okay, that should get me through the day,” Celestia smiled as she turned back forward and lit her horn.

In a flash of light, the room’s main doors opened and guards quickly moved into position, most giving me tense looks before continuing.

“Sorry about that everypony, there was a small situation, but it has been resolved,” Celestia told the crowd with her signature smile.

“Right…” I sighed while pulling out my phone from a pocket in my lab coat and staring at it with a bored expression.

“Is there anyone else?” I asked a nearby guard after an hour, trying not to interrupt whoever was talking to Celestia.

The guard just stared at me with a slightly annoyed look.

“How many times do we have to tell you to not interrupt the princess?!” the guard whispered into my ear as Celestia’s meeting continued.

“A few more times should do it,” I jokingly replied in a quiet voice, earning another glare as the pony Celestia was talking to finally left. “Now, is there anyone else? It’s getting kind of late.”

“I really hate you,” the guard sighed before heading towards the throne room entrance. A few minutes later, he returned with a peach coated young filly unicorn. “This is the last one.”

“Well, this is a surprise,” Celestia smiled as the pony she had been talking too left with a frown “Is there something I can help you with?”

“You’re the weird monkey thing that asked for info about the Gala incident right?” the filly asked innocently, a small pair of saddle bags bouncing slightly on her back as she ignored Celestia and looked right at me. “The one who’ll give an interview to the pony who helps solve who did the bad thing during the Gala?”

“Uh… yeah?” I replied as the guard that had escorted her gave a slight chuckle.

“Then here!” the filly proclaimed as her horn glowed slightly and a picture was pulled from one of her bags. She floated it up to me with a large smile that proclaimed that she did something amazing.

“What in the…” I began as I took the picture and gave it a look. After a few moments, I couldn’t help but smile and take a copy of it with my phone.

“I’m sorry to say!” I yelled out into the hall, drawing everyone’s attention as I stood up. “But court is over for the day!”

“Everypony aside from the guards already left,” Celestia sighed as she looked back at me with an obvious look of annoyance.

“Either way, take a look at this,” I smiled as I walked up the diesis and showed Celestia the picture. After staring at it for a few moments, she gave me a nod before addressing the room.

“Would you look at that, he’s correct,” Celestia mumbled mostly to herself.

“Uh… did I do a good job?” the filly asked from the floor with an adorable frown.

“Did you come here with a parent?” I asked her, receiving a nod in reply. “Then could you go bring them here?”

“Okay!” the filly smiled as she rushed off.

“To think a filly would be one of the ones to bring you some good evidence,” I chuckled while looking at the picture.

“Try the only piece of evidence,” Celestia sighed as she took the picture with her magic and looked it over with a frown of her own. “What do you plan to do now?”

“I apparently have an interview to do,” I replied as the filly re-entered the hall followed by an older mare.

“Very well,” Celestia chuckled before giving me a glare as she stood up. “Try to not antagonize the filly, will you? Contrary to what you think, you do need to improve what others think of you. And once you’re done, I need to speak to you.”

“Just go do your thing,” I replied as I stepped off the diesis and met the pair.

“Good Afternoon,” I nodded to the both, earning a big smile from the filly and a slightly scared look from the older mare.

“I-I’m sorry if my daughter upset either you or the princess,” the mare began to stutter. “S-she was just so excited when she…”

“It’s alright,” I interrupted with a chuckle while taking the pair over to the side of the hall and pocketing my phone. “She actually brought us exactly what we were looking for, so she’s defiantly not in trouble.”

“So, I win the interview?!” the filly almost shrieked in excitement as papers, quills and several ink bottles fell out of her bags.

“Yeah, you did,” I couldn’t help but chuckle as the filly began to collect her materials. It reminded me of Twilight and her study sessions.

“So… she’s not in trouble?” the mare asked for a reconfirmation, breathing a sigh of relief at my nod.

“So, I bet you got a lot of questions for me, huh?” I asked the filly as she sorted all her things in front of herself.

“Yep,” the filly chirped as she pulled out a roll of paper from her bag.

“M-my daughter, Short Press, is in a small newspaper club in her elementary school,” the mare said as she took a seat by her daughter.

“I hope you plan to only write the truth about me,” I smiled, standing in front of the two.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Short Press asked innocently.

“You’d be surprised,” I couldn’t help but say while staring off out a window for a moment. “Now, before we begin, can you tell me how you got the photo?”

“My mommy and daddy got tickets to the Gala this year and I took a picture for the paper,” Short Press said as she pulled out a large photo showing the mare and some random stallion in fancy outfits. In the corner though, was the same image as the one she had given me earlier.

“I thought it looked funny so I thought I’d try and I won!” Short Press proclaimed proudly.

“Good eye, kid,” I replied with a smile and a nod.

“But… I’m not a goat?” the filly replied as both her and her mother looked at me in confusion.

“Why don’t we start with those questions?” I offered, with a sigh.

What followed was an hour of questions from Short Press and a few from her mother, Perfect Edit.

I answered a good chunk of them truthfully. Mostly just things like who and what I am and a few things that weren’t really a secret.

But when they asked for things like where I lived, what kind of things I didn’t like and stuff like that, I would give them half-truths. It was a little unfair and dastardly of me, but it was mostly to things that they didn’t need to know.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Reaper,” Short Press called out as she and her mother left through the castle gates. It surprised me when she started calling me that and it was a little funny when her mother tried to apologize for it, but I let it go all the same.

“Well, at least that’s over with,” I sighed, giving them one final wave before walking back into the castle…

… and strait into Celestia.

“I see your finally done with your guests,” Celestia said as I shook the shock of running into the brick wall out of me. “You even missed the mid-mid-day meal.”

“Yeah… well, at least that’s over with,” I sighed as I began to walk with Celestia to where ever it was she was going. “How did it go on your end?”

“He’s currently off on vacation, but he’ll be back by the end of the week,” Celestia replied.

“If he was smart, he wouldn’t be,” I grumbled.

“Just let me take care of it,” Celestia replied as we walked into a large empty room. “He will return and he will be charged appropriately. That picture alone opened all the doors we needed to collect the appropriate evidence against him.”

“So, there’s no chance of me leaving before then?” I asked while looking around the unfamiliar room.

“For your safety, no,” Celestia replied as she magically summoned a large box out of nowhere. “Now I wanted to give you this before dinner.”

“Uh… What is it?” I asked while looking the box over. It wasn’t that tall, but it was a few feet long and had a small gem set in its side. “A box?”

“It’s your reward for protecting a Princess of Equestria,” Celestia replied. “If you were a citizen, I would have had to set up an entire ceremony for this, but since you’re not, I decided that you don’t need one.”

“Why not?!” I asked, a little hurt that I wouldn’t be getting something that would put me in a good light with ponies.

“This is for both yours and Luna’s own good,” Celestia replied as she looked at the box. “What you did would usually result in a knighthood, but in doing so, you would in a way, become a citizen of Equestria and it would be harder for me to protect you from the other nobles.”

“And Luna?” I asked, trying to figure out how to open the box.

“We don’t need ponies asking why they were trying to attack Luna,” Celestia said with a heavy sigh.

“Why were those mercenaries doing a suicide mission like that anyways?” I asked, thinking it over. “I just can’t figure it out and Vlad never told me. I mean, aren’t you two basically immortal?”

“It’s because Luna is still not at full strength,” Celestia replied with a heavy sigh. “It’s a closely guarded secret, but she is barely at a fraction of her real strength.”

“I guess that would make some sense,” I replied, thinking about a few things. “But she seems pretty strong already.”

“At full strength, Luna is more magically gifted than me,” Celestia stated, drawing a shocked look from me. “I may have more experience than her, but compared to her, it’s like paring a Unicorn foal against Twilight.”

“Damn…” I muttered with wide eyes.

“I expect you to keep this a secret as well,” Celestia stated as she lit her horn and the box suddenly opened, making a sound like that of a broken seal. “Now, please open the box.”

“Uh… okay,” I muttered as I lifted the lid up fully, showing that it was on hidden hinges.

The inside of the box was fixed with red velvet and a vast majority of it was a block with a sword and my gun properly fitted in special spaces. The rest of the box was a separate container filled with bullets.

“Is that… a Shashka?” I asked as I looked at the sword set in the box, deciding to ignore the countless bullets for a moment.

“I’m surprised that you know what type of blade it is,” Celestia commented with wide eyes.

“I learned about them when looking up swords as a kid,” I replied, hesitating to pick it up. “I could tell because some of the hilt is inside the scabbard. It’s one of the things it was known for because it allowed water into the scabbard, causing the blade to rust.”

“I can promise you, this blade wont rust,” Celestia stated as she looked at me with a raised brow. “Pick it up and pull it out slowly, and I’ll explain more.”

“Okay…” I replied as I reached in and grabbed the scabbard. The moment my hand made contact with it, a slightly painful shock rushed through my arm and into my body.

“W-what the hell was that?!” I asked as I pulled my hand away.

“A special spell,” Celestia giggled. “It was just to mark it as yours, so now, others can’t take hold or use it besides you. It’s something that has to be ingrained in it during forging.”

“You could have warned me,” I grumbled as I hesitantly reached back for the sword. When it didn’t shock me again, I picked it up and found that a gold coin was attached to the pummel of the sword by a thick black cord.

One side had an image of the sun and the other had a moon. I could also sense a small amount of magic in it.

“This is specially made just for you,” Celestia continued, as I drew the blade out. The dull edge shined a dull copper color while the cutting edge was a crystal blue. “Its design is from long ago, but we felt it would suit you better. It’s made of orichalcum and mithril, both highly acclaimed for their strength and defense against magic.”

“I read about this stuff,” I commented as I held the surprisingly light blade out by the handle. Unlike all the other pony blades I had encountered so far, this was a lot larger and had a handle only just long enough for me to hold it with one hand, not including the pummel. “This stuff is supposed to be really hard to get though, right?”

“We have our ways,” Celestia replied.

“Wow, this is awesome,” I said, looking the blade over. It had no hand guard, so it was bad for parrying, but it was straighter than a katana but had a larger curve compared to a saber.

“But… why give me something that I don’t know how to use properly?” I asked, remembering how the last sword I got kind of melted and broke in half.

“Because I will teach you,” Celestia replied. “The tournament is getting closer and the more you know, the better.”

“But how am I supposed to learn how to properly fight with a sword in such a short time?” I asked, sliding the blade back into its scabbard with a soft click.

“I have my ways,” Celestia replied as she used here magic to attach the scabbard to my waist in a way so that it wouldn’t incombered me. As she did this, I noticed a few sparks coming off the scabbard and heard a slight grunt of pain from Celestia.

“Captain Vlad also said that you’re a fast learner,” Celestia commented. “Me and Luna spent months going through what took you only a week to finish.”

“Magic really helped expedite the process,” I replied as I drew the sword out slightly and returned it back several times, remembering my sword manual back in the Marine Corps. “Less time spent on preparing my body and more just learning the techniques.”

“Yes, well, there is still something else for you in the box,” Celestia said as she pointed to it. “Just lift up where your sword sits.”

“Okay?” I replied as I took a knee and opened the box further. Under the cushioning for the sword and gun, I found my holster and several papers.

“Is this… the deed to my house?” I asked, while looking over some of the papers. “Your giving me the house?!”

“Yes, I am,” Celestia seemed to growl back. “All I ask is that you continue to keep a stock of cake and moon pies for me and my sister.”

“Sure!” I replied as I looked over the deed.

“I’m a home owner!” I thought with glee as my eyes went over to the other papers. “Uh… what the hell are these supposed to mean?”

Several papers held far more legal-jargon then I have ever seen and I felt that Celestia could at least explain it to me.

“That is, if you accept the position, the paperwork needed to appoint you as the Warden of Ponyville,” Celestia began.

“What does that mean?” I asked, finding it kind of cool but also feeling a slight sense of dread.

“Think of it like a special city guard,” Celestia explained. “In certain cases, you can uphold the law of Equestria on the spot and even overturn some judging’s under certain conditions.”

“Whose stupid idea was it to give me that kind of pull?!” I blurted out as I looked at the papers. “Besides, you said it yourself; I’m not even a citizen.”

“I’ll be sure to tell, Luna what you think of her gift,” Celestia smiled, obviously trying to hide the seething glare she was giving me. “And while you may not be an Equestrian citizen, you are still an Element of Harmony.”

“Just calling it like I see it,” I uncomfortably replied. “I didn’t mean to call Luna an idiot, just that the idea is kind of bad.”

“It’s defiantly a change fighting with a shashka then a regular short sword,” I commented to Celestia and Luna during dinner, or in Luna’s case, breakfast.

“It’s to be expected,” Luna replied as she looked at the weapon still strapped to my belt. It had been a few days since I had been given my reward, and Celestia had spent that time showing me several different stances that she wanted me to practice.

She apparently planned to show me her wooden training sword collection tomorrow.

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that I was going to be feeling a lot of pain soon.

“We never much liked using weapons when our hooves were more than enough,” Luna commented as she gave me a smirk and a wink. Amazingly enough, aside from a few hidden kisses here and there, me and Luna hadn’t done much with one another outside of training in the dreamscape.

“What’s this I hear about fighting?” a sweet voice asked, sending shivers down my spine.

“Ah, Cadence, how nice of you to join us,” Celestia replied as the princess of love entered the small dining room we were in. “I thought you would be with Shining Armor right about now.”

“Oh, Shining is busy with work,” the mare sweetly replied as she took a seat to my right and proceeded to move herself closer to me. “So, I thought I would join the three of you for dinner this evening.”

“I doubt that…” both me and Luna replied as I began to fight off Cadence’s tail while it was still under the table.

Turns out, Cadence and Shining Armor are a couple, but have a bit of a deal to each have a second mate due to their jobs and positions. Cadence made it sound like it was just another type of herd, but the thing that made me uncomfortable was that she apparently had eyes on me to be her second.

But when I had told her no because I was already in a herd and she was with someone, she took that as a challenge. Now, whenever she’s around me, she would rub up against me, make very lewd comments and has showed up at the worst times possible, most of which when I was naked or she was in something inappropriate.

Shining Armor obviously didn’t approve because I was already in a herd with his sister and he didn’t trust me. Luna found it annoying and was usually the one to rescue me from her while Celestia literally ignored everything about it.

Although, I did feel a little sorry for Cadence since Shining already had a second.

She was a bat pony mare called Swift Eyes that they knew when they were in school together, who worked serving drinks at a bar just outside the castle. Shining introduced me to her once when he took me out to both apologize for the Gala incident, warn me away from Cadence and then thank me for looking after his sister.

Honestly, I just wanted her to leave me alone already.

“So, how was your day today, Reaper,” Cadence asked as she brushed herself up against my arm with half laden eyes.

She also like calling me by my new nickname… which was becoming a common occurrence from just about everyone.

“Sorry, can’t say,” I replied, forcing my chair away and earning a pout from Cadence.

“I heard you finally got the evidence you need to charge you know who,” Cadence replied as she continued to pout.

“Not again with this conversation…”

“Ah, yes, a young filly actually brought it,” Celestia replied as she summoned the photo in her magic and held it up for all to see.

On it, was a zoomed in shot that showed a noble by the name of Count Dew Point, talking with one of the gryphon mercenaries just outside the palace gates. It would have been impossible to make out who it was if it hadn’t been for a firework going off at just the right moment.

“He was a top suspect to begin with anyways,” I replied for the umpteenth time as I sat back in my seat. “At least it wasn’t your brother Blue Blood, as surprising as that may be.”

Sparing the mare a glance, I couldn’t help but remember how I was told that Cadence was actually an orphan and got adopted by Blue Blood’s family when she was still a foal.

No one would tell me if she was an alicorn at the time though.

“Even if he didn’t do it, he can rot in the dungeon for all I care,” Cadence replied as she forced her seat closer to mine once again. “I honestly hate the stallion.”

“As do we, young Cadence,” Luna replied, using her magic to separate Cadence from my side. “In our day, nobles were at least noble.”

“Whatever you do, I’d recommend not keeping it a secret afterword’s,” I added. “If the truth got out and ponies think you went easy on this Count because of his rank, you’d just be inciting more unrest between the nobles and commoners.”

“I’ve been at this for a while, Christopher,” Celestia replied to me with a frown. “I know what I’m doing.”

“I just got a bad feeling is all,” I muttered.

“And that should be good for today,” Celestia said as she finished healing a few small cuts I had.

“That’s good,” I sighed while falling onto my back, my sword held in my right hand. “Sorry about breaking the halberd, though.”

“It was old to begin with,” Celestia replied as she took a seat beside me. I couldn’t help but notice how close her ass was. “And if you keep looking at my flank, I will break your nose.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” I grumbled as I stared up at the ceiling. “Bedside’s, it’s kinda hard not…”

“You finish that sentence and I will throw you out of a window,” Celestia interrupted as she glared down at me.

“Spoilsport,” I grumbled while sitting up. “So, I was thinking of going into town today to get some gifts for everyone since this, Dew Point should be back tonight.”

“Is this your way of asking me for permission to leave the castle?” Celestia asked as she looked at me with a calculating eye.

“Kinda,” I shrugged before standing up. “I was thinking of heading out after breakfast to see some shops. I mean, I’ve been here for a while on several occasions and I’ve barely seen anything Canterlot has to offer.”

“I guess I can allow it,” Celestia lamented as she stood up. “I can have a few guards escort you around to a few shops that I know will have some trinkets the others would like.”

“I don’t need no lousy escorts,” I replied. “Besides, enough ponies should at least know about me enough that I won’t be messed with.”

“I’m still assigning a guard as an escort,” Celesta replied as she led the way out of the practice room and towards a small shower area. “Now clean yourself off, you reek of sweat.”

“And you smell like a horse,” I replied, earning a glare from Celestia and the guards that had been posted outside of the room.

That’s the moment I found myself falling into the castle mote.

“And that’s how you escape the castle without an escort,” I chuckled after swimming to the surface. Sheathing my sword, I swam to the side and climbed out of the water and onto the shore beside the castle entrance.

Author's Notes:

HELLO EVERYONE!!!!!
First and foremost, Quote the title. I ask for it every time and I will continue to do so.

Now then, I do find shashka's quite interesting. I came across it while looking up somthing between a saber and a katana and this is what I ended up with. I originally thought of making the new weapon a katana, but I think that kind of sword is overused these days.

Also, Obvious Foreshadowing, I know you all must have seen it, and big things happening next chapter.

See you all next time ^.=.^