The sun light pierced through the blinds of the still bedroom, blazing into Orion's left eye. "God-fucking-damnit. Celestia, if you actually control the sun, go sit on a cactus without underwear. Bounce a couple of times for good measure."

Shifting to avoid the sun, he noticed a weight on his chest, and left arm. And his left leg as well. "Please tell me she didn't violate the rules." Cracking open his right eye, since his left was being cooked to extra crispy status, he peered at his chest with a quickly forming glare. There Rarity lay, all the fuck over him. Goddamnit. One night. Not even one fucking night.

Looking around for something to bludgeon her to death with he noticed the broken lamp on the floor. "Now how did that... awww shit." He must have knocked it over, thus waking her up. She must have come in here to comfort him and ended up staying. Fucking nightmares. They screwed him again.

Judging how comfortable his left arm was looking wrapped around her waist it seemed, at least to him, he hadn't fought her off but embraced her. "Now all I need is for her-"

The door banged open and there stood the absolutely angriest man he had ever seen. "Aw shit." He was big. Really big. Like how in the hell did he fit in the door big. Oh look, his horn is lighting up. Fuck.

A long ass explanation from Rarity and the almost complete turn around of attitude from her father, Hondo Flanks, things seemed to have reached a tense peace. Having yourself tossed through glass, wood and into a tree is not an alarm clock anyone would want. He was positive there was a branch wedged somewhere in his ass. The glaring father in the room kept him from trying to pry it out.

"I, apologize Mr Falls." He wasn't sorry. "I had not realized my daughter was attempting to comfort you in one of your nightmares, and had fallen asleep there. But you have to understand what it looked like to me." That was not a question.

Hondo was a big man. Must be something in Ponyville's water supply. Where Orion had dwarfed a few, but matched up with many of the stallions of Canterlot. It seemed every single man in this town was massive and on roids. What in the hell were they eating here.

His fur was white as his daughters, but he seemed to just have an unkempt mop of brown mane on his head. The simple clothes he wore reminded him of Applejack's dad of all things. A button up yellow flannel shirt coupled with jeans gave him the suburban dad look, coupled with a farm hand.

The most bizarre thing was he had a mustache. It fit and didn't. He couldn't figure it out. It was beginning to drive him a little crazy.

"Listen Mr Flanks, I didn't even intend to sleep here last night. Your daughter wasn't taking no for an answer. Plus it was nearing eight and I didn't know whether or not the hotel was still going to be open that late on a Saturday. So I took her invitation." Digging into his coin purse he brought out fifty bits and placed them on the coffee table between them. "Here. That's is for the lamp I broke in the night."

A raised eyebrow from the man across from him. "And my window?"

Orion glared back. "Okay, fuck you. You broke that on your own using me. I had nothing to do with your sudden remodeling spree."

Hondo sat back and blinked a few times. The chatter in the kitchen between Rarity, her mother, and her mother's herd sister had stopped.

"What did you just say to me?" The stallion's voice had a dangerous edge.

"I did not stutter big man. That is on you. I'm awake now, if you want to continue where you left off. But I can promise that if I don't take you out. You won't be walking away either." Orion hadn't moved. But he was tense. His mouth was trying to get him killed yet again it seemed.

"Huh, the first colt Rarity has brought home and not balked at me. When can I expect you to being forming your own herd with my daughter?" He said with a grin.

"WHAT?!"

More calmly then he felt, "I'm sorry. I think I still have a stick lodged in my ear. Did you just ask when we were getting hitched?"

Hondo grinned back at him. "Why yes I did son. A colt like you that has the stones to stand up for what he thinks is right is hard to come by these days. I would be a fool to allow one like you slip away."

It was Orion's turn to blink. "Nope. Nu uh. Not getting roped into this." He snatched his bag up from in front of his hooves. "Rarity I'll see you at the station!" He just bewilderingly stared at the grinning stallion. Choosing to just teleport out.

Laughter filled the three story home. Rarity was sitting on a stool in the kitchen blushing with embarrassment.

"Daddy! How could you say that to him!?" She was nearing a panic attack. "Oh what he must think of me now! How can I look him in the eye now?!" She wailed.

Her father just chuckled at her, "You'll see him again. And you better not let this one go. The last one you brought home made me want to beat the seven shades of tartarus into him. The nerve of the brat." The turning of the subject caused him to scowl darkly.

Patting her husband's shoulder soothingly, Cookie Crumble just smiled placatingly. "Honey, the way you tossed that colt off the porch was likely the limit of what you could legally do to him." Hondo just grumbled as he dug into the fridge for something to drink.

Turning back to her daughter, she smiled mischievously. "But to come home and find you cuddling such a fine example of a young stallion was a surprise. Where did you find that one?" She chose to ignore the noise of disgruntlement from her husband.

Rapid Comet grimaced. "Did you see the scar on his face? Obviously our daughter has been drawn to the bad boy type." She was far more judgmental then Cookie, who seemed to find the good in everypony. She pushed her raven black mane from her eyes. "I mean don't get me wrong, I see the appeal and he is handsome enough. But he obviously is not up to any good. I'd advise you all to watch him, if and when he comes back around here."

Rarity chose to speak up in the lull of conversation.

"He's actually a perfect gentlestallion. Though a bit crude in his manner of speech he has gone out of his way to both help me and Applejack. The scar....he earned it. Here in Ponyville."

That got her fathers attention again. "Did you say, earned it? Here? I didn't think he we had street toughs in our town. When did this happen?"

Rarity looked to her family, sighed, then began to tell about the day Orion had come to Ponyville. Before too long she found herself in tears. Finding him like that had been a shock.

"Celestia preserve us. He's only fourteen?" Cookie had just put Sweetie Belle into her crib. Tears dotting her eyes and she looked at her daughter incredulously.

Rapid's wings ruffled in shock. "He fought and killed all those wolves...." No pony doubted the veracity of their daughters claims. She may be prone to some exaggeration. But she prided on herself of telling the truth as much as possible. She was not Applejack, but she still maintained her own honesty.

Hondo was the only one among them with a smile on his face. He had dreams of being a front line solider in the guard. But due to him being a stallion he was denied that status. A denial that still irked him to this day. "I say its amazing! A colt his age being able to do what a platoon of guards mares can't. And to walk to a hospital under his own strength is remarkable."

"No it wasn't daddy." She sniffled blowing her nose politely. "He was so beat up. He looked like he was dying...."

He grew solemn. "I'm sorry sweetie. I forgot about the end result." He pulled his daughter into a hug. "But he is okay now."

She teared up, "No....no he's not. Daddy he has been having terrible nightmares." She began to sob.

Cookie embraced her daughter along with Hondo. "It's okay dear, he will be okay. I would be surprised if he came out of that without any bad dreams at all. He will likely need therapy but he will be okay darling. Now, dry those tears. Wouldn't want him to see you with puffy eyes after all, do you?"

Rarity shook her head as she dabbed her eyes slowly bringing herself under control. Rapid was lost in her own thoughts. Pushing away from the counter she came around stroked her fingers through her herd daughter's mane.

"He does have anger issues. None of you can deny that. Now I remember where I've heard his name before. Hondo, don't tell me you've forgotten what was in the Manehatten Free Press a month ago right?"

The stallion thought back a bit. "About that article on the front page? First off there is no way anypony would attempt to correct the Princess in her judgement. It must have been an error in printing." He chuckled a bit. The idea was absurd to him.

"The article named him, honey. He is the very same colt. Which would explain why he was even here with a null ring on in the first place. He was serving out his suspension here. Which means he did talk back to Celestia herself. He had the brass to attempt to correct the Princess herself. Does that not scream danger?"

Cookie thought for a minute but her husband spoke up. "But in that very same article she admitted him to be correct. So not only does he have a fortitude beyond his age but he has the wisdom to couple with it." Hondo's head was a whirl with ideas of what an intelligent young stallion like Orion could do in his business.

"Is no one listening to me? He's Dangerous." She slowly pronounced the word. "He is prone to rash choices. I mean he baited and killed a bunch of timber wolves just for some twisted idea of revenge! He nearly killed himself! Why am I the only one that sees him as a danger to our daughter? Is it really a stretch to think he might pull Rarity into something that could possibly get her hurt? Or worse, killed?"

"I won't disagree with you that the colt is a bit of a troublemaker. But from what our daughter has told us and what we have seen I don't believe he would put anypony in danger like you fear. If anything he seems more like the go it alone type." Cookie was standing up for him, which put a smile on the face of her oldest.

"Mama Rapid, I know he can come off as...well, crude, selfish, a vagrant at the best of times. But I watched him in class. He listened to every foal in there. Inspired them to look beyond just basic education. Helped me pass out clothes for the children in the orphanage and helped over at the Apple's near every weekend he was here. He has a kind heart. Even if he tries to hide it. Please don't judge him to harshly from appearances."

"He's not a bad pony. Just an odd one that doesn't seem to want to follow the norms. But given where he came from, I can see why." That brought the whole group to a sober silence. The revelation that he is an orphan hit a little hard for the family.

Clapping his hands together, Hondo stood to his hooves. "Well. I think we have talked about him enough for now. I'm hungry. Lets go out to eat I hear there is a new pub and grill in town since last we were in." The family all smiled, even Rapid Comet.

"I think that would be a lovely idea dear." Cookie replied going to pick up her still sleeping foal from her crib.

Orion did not head immediately to the station. He had teleported outside the purple home of Rarity's and began walking toward Sweet Apple Acres. There was one thing he had yet to do.

Trudging alone on the familiar dirt road he stopped before the gate into the farmstead. He could see Granny on the porch. He knew she could see him. He did not approach, just looked at her. Willed what he wanted to her with his eyes. She looked West, towards a massive oak tree. No crops or any such farm fare seemed to be near it. Several graves could be seen surrounding the old tree.

With her unspoken permission he made the climb to the hill of the small cemetery. There was only ten or so graves under the boughs of that old tree. Off to the right was Bright Mac and his wife, Pear Butter, graves. The seemed to have a pretty good spot to greet the sun every morning. Tears came unbidden to his eyes. "Fuck. Shit God damnit I only knew them for a few weeks, why the fuck do I feel this way!" He collapsed to his knees. The not so fresh tilled dirt cushioning his fall.

He wailed. He cursed. He raged against his own soul for getting attached and his mind for not better preparing him for this eventuality. He poured out his heart onto the earth, and collapsed from his own exhaustion.

Applejack was getting herself ready to go to the train station to see off Orion for what likely will be a very long time.

Last night she had pleaded with Granny to let him come back to the farm, but the old mare was firm in her decision. to keep him out.

"He made his choice when I told him not ta. I'm not gonna allow such a reckless colt do as he pleases and not suffer the consequences fer it. If he comes here I will allow him ta visit your ma and pa. But that's it."

Granny had tears in her eyes saying that. They all wanted him to be able to come back. But what was an Apple if not without there word, their honesty.

She had donned her best dress. Her momma had made it for her just last year. It was meant for the cold winters so it was a thick flannel. Red after the family's favorite color. It was starting to get to small for her. It hurt that this was likely the last year she could wear this dress. Maybe she could get Rarity to alter it so she could keep it for another year. She barely stopped herself from crying. "Momma"

She calmly walked down the stairs. She didn't want to rush. Soon he would be gone. She wanted him to stay. He stood by her family and did something few could. Orion had given her closure. Not the kind she thought she was going to get. But it was satisfying to burn the wooden corpses with the soldiers.

Big Mac was again out in the field. Quieter then before. But he too smiled when she caught him looking to that barren field. Another good thing was his return to work. He was just as fast as before and he carried the weight of the farm with him.

Her right ear twitched toward a sound. Somepony was crying. Stepping out on the porch she looked about trying to find its source. Granny was there, sitting her chair her eyes watering. She was looking to where her parents were laid to rest. The weeping was originating there.

A last look at Granny, the old mare had buried her face in her hands. She was no closer to getting over her parents passing then the rest of the family. Yesterday, Applebloom had said momma. She had said it to Applejack. She had broke down that day.

She slowly trod up the hill, each hoof step felt leaded. There he was. Weeping and laying on her parents graves. His fingers had dug shallow furrows into the earth. She heard him then.

"Why.....why why whywhywhy!" He just kept repeating that mantra. Pounding a fist into her father's grave.

She didn't know what to do. Standing there, awkwardly watching as Orion vented and wept openly.

Applejack shook herself and laid down beside him, wrapping her arms around him and added her own tears to his. The tears from both disappearing into the earth.

They stayed like that for a long time. Much longer then either planned to. AJ was the first to move. Picking herself up to a sitting position on the frozen ground. Her hand had gone to his mane to slowly brush through it. It was course and thick. He had not been washing it properly. He stayed where he was, no longer crying but without the energy to move.

She began to softly sing. No words, just the sound of the song her mother would often sing to her when she had had a terrible day. Her tears kept coming but they were slower now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b8_89vlkaI

As she was beginning to come to a stop, he rose and embraced her.

"I'm s-so sorry. I-I should have come sooner. We were off the whole fucking month. I-I c-could have stopped this from ever ha-ppening." He was blaming himself. She smiled, he couldn't have known. Nopony could have. She embraced him back making a soft cooing noise.

"It's alright sugarcube. You couldn't have known this was gunna happen. We have ta accept this. I don't wanna either but we have ta let 'em go." She chuckled to herself. "They really liked ya, ya know? Pa said that despite ya being a unicorn ya was alright in his eyes. Ma....ma was trying to convince me ta..ta ask if ya was looking fer a herd."

He was shaking. No he was laughing softly. "Yeah she would, wouldn't she. Heh she was dropping hints like an anvil on a coyote the day I left.....Aj I miss them. I don't understand. I miss them so much. Never even really got to know them really." His eyes were so blood shot. She pulled a pair of hankies out and handed him one. He smiled and his horn lit up. The only thing to remain on both of them was their strained eyes.

"That's cheating."

"I spared you having to clean snot and tears off them, shut up." They both laughed. His eyes drifted back to the graves in front of them. "I need you to turn around. To not look at what I am about to do."

"Now that's my parents home, ya not gunna desecrate that now are ya?" She was tense. What was he going to do?

"No, no! I would never do that. It will be, my contribution since I couldn't be here to lay them to rest. But you can't see what I'm about to do. Okay? Trust me. And promise me AJ, don't look for what I am about to do afterwards. Please?"

His eyes held an intensity she didn't understand. But she trusted him. "Alright Orion, I trust ya." She slowly turned around getting comfortable. There was a sound like coins clinking together, he was mumbling something as he moved away from her. The crunch of snow indicated that he was going to the big old oak. What was he planning to do?

At first nothing, something that sounded like wood being carved into, then a bright flash. A wave of warmth washed over her. She had never felt such a peace envelope her as she had right this moment. It was if her mother had embraced her from behind. She almost turned around, but she made a promise to him. Whatever he was doing, it was something good. Something right.

The snow rapidly melted. Evaporated as if it was never there. In the snow's place bloomed flowers, hundred of them. All kinds. The grass looked greener then it had in spring. Life just seemed to explode around her. She held fast and didn't turn around.

"You can turn around now." She was just as slow to turn around as she was before. She gasped.

The graveyard was filled with flowers in full bloom. The snow had all melted away in a rough circle around the tree itself. The area itself felt like an early spring had come. There was no sign he had ever done anything to the tree. But the old oak too was in full color. The greens seeming to have been there for weeks. Her parent's graves, were surrounded with Hosta. Bracketing the tombstones was Coral Bell flowers in full bloom. Come up, behind then over were Daylilies. Were the earth had been dug up were purple irises covering the whole site.

"It will last forever. Or near enough. No snow will ever settle here again. I set the spell to twenty meters. You know....room for more one day." She had hardly heard him. Her parents final home bloomed like new spring.

Standing up, she absently brushed off her skirt and full body tackled Orion back into the ground. She knew she was babbling her thank yous and hugging him, but she couldn't stop. She couldn't figure out how to thank him with words, so she did the only thing she could think of. Grabbing his head she kissed him, and in kissing him she injected everything her heart felt in that moment into him.

On instinct alone he kissed back. Not really knowing what or why. Her lips were soft, softer then he actually thought possible. The feeling coming from her seemed to fill him up to bursting. She was thanking him and telling him her feelings all at once. They laid there for a time. Neither one breaking the kiss till she herself came up for air. She was flushed, her ears were a deep crimson, her breath was slightly ragged.

"I...uh-"

Her finger was pressed against his lips.

"Don't sugarcube. I just wanted ta thank ya." He southern drawl was strained. "I didn't know what else ta do, and this seemed to be the best way now that I think on it. Don't ya say anything. Thank ya Orion. Thank ya kindly." She got off him then, dusting herself off and leaning down with a hand to help him up.

He stared at her. How could this girl act so mature about all this when he, the actual adult, was at a loss for what to say and do.

He grabbed her hand and she hoisted him up. He resolved not to say anything about it for the time being. His mind a whirl with confused emotions and thoughts.

"Now let's get a move on. Ya got a train to catch and you shouldn't miss it." She seemed to be resolved to not mention it either. He grabbed his bag, not wanting to say anything stupid he just nodded to her and followed her down the hill. Away from the tree and cemetery.

"Huh, my first kiss in this world." He touched his lips, and smiled.

Granny had waited on the porch. He tears had long since dried. She had wanted to rush up there and comfort the poor colt herself, but AJ seemed to have a similar mind and went herself. She wanted to toss away what she had said. She wanted to welcome him back in with open arms. But she stood by her word.

Her husband often told her before he passed that she was too stubborn. She was beginning to think he was correct.

"What is taking those two foals so long?" It had been well over an hour. She was fixing to go up there and find out what was going on herself. A dark golden light burst forth from the tree just as she was standing up. The wave of warmth washed over her, knocking her back into the chair. Not hard, but enough to firmly plant her in the seat. Looking back to the hill her mouth fell open. The old oak tree had exploded in green, where barren winter branches had been were now verdant green boughs hanging heavy with foliage.

"What in tarnation?" The snow around the hill was gone, replaced with lush green grass and flowers. So many flowers. She slowly got to her hooves, shuffling off the porch and towards the hill. Orion was tailing behind Applejack as they were coming back down. His fingers were touching his lips. A small smile on his face.

Granny knew that look. Bright Mac had the same look on his face when she caught Pear giving him a kiss. Every stallion is the same. She wanted to be angry, but she couldn't help the slight smile that graced her old lips.

"Atta filly. 'Bout time ya done did something about all that."

Out loud she spoke, "Sure took yer time up there AJ, any longer and I might have thought yas was up to something." The filly blushed. Orion didn't even react. Always a hard one to read. Then his ear tips turned a soft pink. "Granny you still got it." She crowed to herself.

They walked on by and out the gate without a word, too embarrassed to say anything. He nodded respectfully to her, she returned in kind. The mystery of what happened to the cemetery drew her from thoughts on the two foals. Every time she made this trip it seemed to her she took longer and longer.

Getting to the top she stared about. The whole hill was in full bloom. She wandered through the fresh grass and flowers. Wondering how this had happened. The graves carried a sort of, wild, arrangement about them. Flowers that seemed to bloom in complimentary colors with others. She smiled it was all so beautiful.

She made her way to the tree. the source of the light she had seen. The dirt at the base behind it was disturbed. Digging a little she found something that confused her, it looked like gold lines of swirling and dancing patterns adorned in the center with a purple gem. Strange writing seemed to have been carved into the gold. Orion had given the family a gift. A great one, but by hiding the evidence meant he did not want it to be found. She smiled as she covered it back up.

Walking to the edge she spotted them both, slowly making their way along the old road towards town. She smiled. He was welcome to her home at anytime.

The walk back to Ponyville was filled with awkward silence. Neither of them were looking at each other. Though they were walking side by side. Orion was still smiling to himself. He felt like a kid again. He knew why but nothing could come of this. He was an adult after all even if he didn't look like it.

AJ just kept brushing her skirt. As if she was seeing dirt that only appeared to her. Her gaze would flick from her skirt to the road and occasionally him. He smiled.

"Heh you were the one to kiss me now you're the one acting all bashful and shit." He would smirk at her causing her to look away again any time he caught her eye.

Before either noticed they were approaching the train station. Rarity was there in a dress, that Orion was sure, beautiful red number. He didn't know he wasn't a fashion expert. Jeans and a shirt were good enough for him. With her was her family. Oh joy round two, Hondo-boogaloo.

He shared a nod with the stallion. Not wanting to cause further awkwardness he looked to the fashionista, who was staring hard at AJ. "What the hell is this about?"

The cow girl had a look of shame on her face. Orion couldn't really figure out what was being left unspoken as they came together.

"Hey Rares, nice dress. You know you didn't have to get all dolled up just to see me off, perfectly comfortable seeing you in the usual." She blushed and smiled shyly.

"Why thank you darling, and this old thing? I thought I would get one last use out of it before I retire it from my wardrobe." She was giving out her best dazzling smile. But when her eyes shifted quickly to Applejack and back at him there was only a little warmth in them.

The wheels in his head finally synced up properly. "Oh, she figured out that pretty friggin' quick. Shit."

Two royal guards stepped out from the eves of the station, saving him from ever trying to salvage this fuck up. They both looked exactly the same. Blue furred and decked out in gold armor with white accents. The only thing to separated them from each other was the one on the left and the one had a green mane, the one on the right an orange mane. Both were unicorns. That wasn't a good sign.

"Orion Falls?" He grimaced, this wasn't looking good, especially when they use his full name. He nodded to them without speaking. "We have been tasked to bring you to the castle. Your ticket will be refunded and you will compensated for the loss of coin for it. Please make your goodbyes to your friends and come with us."

Warning sirens of the nuclear kind were blaring in his brain. This was definitely not a good thing. He thought about bolting. But wasn't sure where to go. Damn, despite everything he had yet to think of a plan for survival if the need arose that he had to go on the run.

"Uh, yeah....sure thing." He turned slowly to the two girls in front of him. "Well. Uh, yeah looks like this is it. Sorry I won't likely see you for awhile." Straightening his face out and mustering up a grin, "Don't you two be getting into no fights now."

Both fillies blushed, Rarity's father chuckled.

He was stuffed into a carriage with an open top. Two pegasus stallions were hooked up to the pull gear, wings fully extended going through a number of stretches. They were going to fly. The unspoken fear.

He hated flying. The idea of suddenly falling to his death in a metal coffin terrified him. He had memorized the various failures a seven-forty-seven could experience to cause an aircraft to fail. For these pegasus, it screamed muscle exhaustion.

Oh sure he understood that they flew everyday all day. But the primal brain in his head said that today was the day they would cramp up. Plummeting him to his death.

"Can we just, walk to Canterlot?" He got stares from all four soldiers. "I'm just worried about them lugging my heavy ass across the sky." He tried to smile. It was sickly and he knew it. Looking about he saw AJ and Rarity giggling to themselves. "Oh yes just laugh it up at my expense. Not like you're the ones that are gonna die."

"Mr Falls it will be alright-"

"-you'll be perfectly fine, the flight is relatively quick."

"The fuck?! They are finishing each other's sentences? What is The Shinning?" He gripped the sides of the cart. A hand gently laid over his left. AJ smiled at him.

"It'll be alright sugarcube. This here is one of tha safest ways ta travel."

"My hooves say they could make it safer just walking." His grip tightened. There was a groan from the gold his hand was wrapped around."

"Really darling, you'll be fine. These fine gentlestallions are trained professionals." The stallion on the left, grape colored with a blond mane, smiled appreciatively at her as he looked her over. Hondo's cough made him gulp and stare straight ahead.

"Yeah, just gonna have disagree with you there anyways Rares. Can we just get on with this."

Burst Cloud was laughing as they unhooked from their harnesses and began to stow the carriage away.

"I can't believe you were checking out a little filly like that Stone! Her dad, oh Celestia her dad was going to skin you had you been alone!" He howled in laughter, barely putting the flight tack up on the hook.

Stone Flight just grumbled to himself.

"Oh come on! With that much makeup and that dress? Tell me you didn't sneak a couple of glances, besides she had to be at least 16." He was busying himself with removing the pull kit from the carriage.

"Oh I did, and she is gonna be a stunner I wouldn't mind chasing, in a few more years. I just wasn't so obvious about it. Besides. Both those fillies were there for the weirdo."

Just mentioning the colt dampened the mood. He had not made a peep the entire flight, but the constant soothing noises coming from both Trip Wire and her sister, Moon Song, seemed to do nothing but pull their attention from the two stallions. Usually during flights with those two couriers there would be heavy flirting between the two pairs. That bucking foal shut that down the entire flight.

Burst knew he was so close to getting in Moon's panties.

He was brought out of his darkening thoughts by Stone.

"Um, dude? Look at this." He was pointing at the left rail of the cart. Upon further inspection he realized what he was looking at.

The hand rail was warped and melted. Looking to the right one that two was in a similar state.

"Let's, never piss that colt off. That is not natural."

Burst could only nod in agreement. He was dumbfounded.

That flight was a new kind of hell.

He had sat stock still the entire flight. Muscles tense, head locked forward. He had never even let go of the death grip. His mind tried to tell him he was okay. His heart had told his mind to go piss up a rope and light itself on fire. They were going to die. Catch fire themselves and die.

Death, had thankfully never came. His heart only said it was a matter of time. Instead of crashing themselves, a carriage would likely crush him instead. Stupid fucking irrational fears.

The twins, who couldn't have more different names, were flanking him on both sides. They had been nice the entire flight. But he couldn't help but feel like he cock blocked the two pegasus giving them a lift. The glares he was receiving seemed to say that with a loud speaker.

So lost in thought, he had not realized they had arrived at their destination. Two guards stood on both sides of the door. A nod from Moon had the one on the left knock on the door, stick his head in. A few words passed between him and the occupant of the room. Turning back he nodded.

"This is where we must-"

"-part Orion Falls. Be safe and-"

"-well."

He just nodded dumbly, the entire time they were attempting to comfort him on the flight they had done that weird bullshit half sentence between them. It had brought him no comfort, in fact in seemed to increase his terror. Stephen King would be so proud.

He walked past the pair and the guards and into the room. The door closed behind him with a soft click.

The room was familiar, though a rug was missing. He wanted to smile but kept the mask up. Celestia was here after all. He was surprised she wasn't alone. A blue maned mare with white fur dressed in an officer uniform was standing at attention besides her chair. The wings were perfectly still. There was also a unicorn mare in a blue business suit. Her blonde mane done up in a bun. The yellow fur immaculately brushed.

"Should I have a lawyer present? I feel like I need one. May I obtain legal counsel before, whatever this is, happens?"

The officer stiffened, which was impressive since she already looked like she had been cast molded into that position. The business mare only chuckled.

"Princess you weren't lying about his wit." She smiled kindly looking at him. "Mr Falls, my name is Fair Heart. I'm a Psychiatrist attached to 405th special combat regiment. I have reviewed the events of the night of your, well, one pony war with the denizens of the Everfree. I also have been granted access to your private files."

Orion was only half listening, trying not to be obvious about it but he was watching Celestia out of the corner of his eye. She had not made any attempt to greet him. No. She sat there, her own mask on as she watched his face. "Ohhhh I am on thin ice here."

"Oh where are my manners. The mare to my left is First Lieutenant Cross Cloud. She is second in charge for the 405th currently." She just glared at him. He had no idea what her deal was. But he wanted to slap the shit out of her. The itch was strong.

"Okay, well under the limited information I am a presented its nice to meet you. That is subject to change depending on what I am about to be ambushed by. I hope you understand." He had decided to play the same game he played with the psychiatrists back in Manehatten. Switching to the same speaking patterns they displayed.

"Oh my, I suppose that's fair." She smiled openly. The look in her eyes held nothing but mirth. Shit, she knows this game. "Now, I won't delve into the distant past right now. I am more concerned about this past week. Your reckless behavior in engaging multiple packs of timber wolves over the course of seven hours, and the subsequent nightmares reported during your stay have me far more interested."

She had been pulling out a note pad an inkwell and quill. She had dipped the tip and looked at him expectantly.

"Okay and?" He had decided to make her work for it. Since she wasn't going to be thrown off by the professional talk let her drag it out of him.

She smiled again, "I see you're not going to be that forth coming as I had hoped" He smiled. " Well, My first question has to be why you did it. So, why? Why go through all that for so little reward."

A valid question. "I wasn't really wanting, nor cared for a reward. It need to be done. Two people died because of them. The family lost parents and placed the pressure of raising three kids on an old mare. I actually have a question." He looked directly at Cross. "How come the 405th, which has a detachment based in Ponyville, never sought to cut the timber wolf population down? Had they bothered to do their jobs I would not have had to go seek justice for a bereaved family."

The Lieutenant glared at him. "It is no business of yours how the-"

"Answer the fucking question." He had cut her off. "You are not going to hide behind that bullshit from me. Your command is responsible for the safety of Ponyville and the outlying farms. I killed well over a hundred that night. Regular patrols and a culling would have drastically reduced the chance of an attack. Yet here we sit, talking about the what but not the why. Answer the question First Lieutenant."

Through his small speech Celestia's eye brows had rose. "Oh don't tell me you didn't even ask. This shit is common sense when your living near a dangerous area." He shouldn't be asking questions, he should be playing it safe. But he was still pissed off and heartbroken over Bright and Pear.

"I-we...who..." She was spluttering. She shut her eyes, breathed deep. Opening them she stared at him. "There was no apparent reason to go patrol the forest outskirts. There had not been an attack in over 220 years on record."

"You didn't patrol, or do your job, because there hadn't been any attacks? Are you kidding me? Thats like saying, 'Oh I'm gonna run down this alleyway into the Rot, there hasn't been a murder in 20 days so I'm not worried.' And your surprised when you get stabbed. Are you fucking mental!?"

The lieutenant could not even respond, she stood there mouth hanging.

"If we can please get back to the subject of you Mr Falls. I understand there was failure on the guards part, but we are not here to discuss that failure. We are here to discuss your actions and the consequences of those actions." Fair Heart was trying to calm the situation.

"You know what no. I'm not going to answer any questions about what I was thinking, why I did it. I'm not going to bother telling anyone here about my dreams. You all get nothing." He sat down and glared. He was being irrational and he did not care. This was all bullshit anyway.

Celestia chose now to speak up in her usual motherly tone. "Orion, we just want to help you. You have put yourself through something traumatic. Surely you can understand the need to address this. Your nightmares may have eased but they are still there. Please, let us help you?"

Last minute he chose to be diplomatic. "Princess, no offense but no. I will deal with this in my own way. If you asked me if I'd do it all again I can flatly tell you, yes. One hundred percent. My mind is my own and neither you nor this shrink are welcome to it. I am well aware you can likely worm your way inside my head. But the damage done will likely leave me damn near a vegetable. This isn't worth the time or effort only to get a no. So please, lets drop it."

The flat refusal of help felt like a slap to the face for her, she had gone through the effort to have Cross Cloud here to apologize for her neglect in keeping him and those of Ponyville safe. Fair Heart had been brought in to evaluate his mental state.

Her first instinct was to get angry at him again. She had been wracking her mind with how to help with his nightmares and he was refusing. If Luna had been here it would have been easy for her to just slip into his dreams. She felt that loss keenly in times like this. The good her sister could do was immense. To fall to that demon, it broke her heart.

She breathed evenly and examined this from his perspective. He was angry. Angry to be put into this situation to be forced to respond to her intentions. He was not acting like her usual ponies who would be grateful for any help from their princess. His refusal to listen or desire help was alien to her.

Here was a colt that did everything for himself. If he wanted something that he could not obtain on his own he would only then ask for assistance. He would only ask, when he determined that he could not get it himself. Or understand. Celestia wanted to smack herself. She had gone about this all wrong. She should have waited till he showed signs of wanting help. Instead she went on ahead and tried to force him through therapy.

He may be a colt. But most colts were submissive when it came to fillies and mares taking the lead. He could be called a lot of things, but submissive was not a trait to describe him.

"Listen, I'm sorry Princess. I think the stress of the past few weeks has gotten to me and I am being to harsh. While I do appreciate the attempt to help me, I really didn't ask for it. So can we just...pretend this didn't happen. I can go home, unpack, sleep for six months?" It seemed he was at least understanding of her efforts.

"I suppose I may have jumped the hill before you were ready to talk about all this. You have gone through something extraordinarily violent. My first instinct when I see something like this is to immediately get my little ponies help. I forget where you have come from, what you have been through. You are most certainly not like my subjects." She sighed and leaned back in her chair, she really needed to consider getting a bigger one if she was going keep using this sitting room.

"Just promise me, that you will seek help if the pressure gets too much. I do not know how you'll handle this. The nightmares that were reported, the first one especially, sounded terrifying. This is not something you can handle for long. So please. Don't wait."

"I make no promises. Just let me get through the next week. I should be alright by then." He smiled and picked his bag back up. "Well your highness. If there is nothing else, I should be getting home."

"There is but it can be discussed later at a better time. Have a good afternoon, Orion."

He sketched a very bad bow. "You too, don't let the politics make you crazy." He grinned and shut the door behind him.

The room was silent for ten seconds.

"Princess! How could you yet him leave like that!? The sheer disrespect he had for you and your station is impossible to ignore! Please your Highness, let me go and throw him in the stockade for awhile!" Cross Cloud was understandably upset but she was being hyperbolic.

"First Lieutenant, while I am grateful that you have my upmost interests in mind I have to point out that Orion and I have had far less pleasant conversation in the past. And while he may never have shown me the deference that many others do, but he wasn't disrespectful of me or my station. He is allowed to hold his opinion. Secondly, the likelihood of throwing him into the stockade might do nothing more then anger him. He actually cares nothing for what the public opinion may think of him."

Cross Cloud slumped her shoulders. "Is there nothing that can be done to reign him in Princess? You've heard some of the rumors by now. The nobles are calling for his arrest, the citizens seem to think he is some kinda joke. And the guards are taking betting odds on how soon before you smite him down. None of this is good for the public image of the throne."

"Actually, I believe it may turn out good in the end." Mrs Heart had finally chosen to speak up. "His closeness with her Highness might make her ponies view her as one of them." She saw the confusion in the Lieutenant's eyes, and chuckled. "Think of it like this: most ponies see Princess Celestia as an untouchable monolith. If they see pleasant interactions outside the court, in public view, this could swing many ponies who look at her as unfriendly."

Celestia was actually giving this some serious thought. On the one hand, she liked the fact that the petitioners over the last few decades had been waning. It gave her more time for her own projects. Not to mention many of their requests were annoying to say the least. Asking for a good harvest blessing. Requesting her to officiate for a wedding. It went on and on. There were government officials. The nobles that controlled those same petitioner's towns, cities, and farmsteads were meant to handle those tasks.

Want a good harvest? Ask the weather ponies to work with you in a schedule to water the crops properly. Want somepony to officiate a wedding? Ask the members of the church of Sol. Want to settle a land rights dispute? Go to the local lord. Really she didn't work this hard to end up having to handle everything anyways. Government bureaucracy was invented for a reason.

On the other hoof, getting public support for projects was difficult. If the common pony saw her as more then a ruler, she could use those that public adoration of her to place pressure on the local ruling lords to back her projects. She could have used this to her advantage when she decided to expand the railway line to Applelosa. The same tactic would have kept the same nobles from complaining about the need for increased taxes.

She could put up with more simpering requests that could be handled by the local government if it meant finally getting her way. She could finally pull the military out of the mire of ineptitude that seemed to claim the majority of the guard.

"You actually bring up a salient point Mrs Heart. You have to admit Lieutenant, if this works out as well as I hope it does, we can finally get the funding to revitalize our military might. For to long has my ponies's forces been stagnant. With public support the nobles will have to bend to the nations needs." Then she thought. "MY needs."

"But what about that colt your Highness? He is largely disrespectful of you." Cross Cloud seemed to be trying anything to get at Orion.

"If you want my professional opinion..." Fair Heart had paused, getting a nod she continued, "Orion's casualness with the Princess can go far in helping her public image. I am no PR agent, but I do believe they would say the same. His attitude in treating her like she is one of the ponies and her seeming acceptance of that would go far in pushing the fact that she is more then a ruler. That she is a mare just like any other."

Celestia nodded herself. Yes this could work out in her favor very well.