Title:           Ch. 5: Beautiful Emotions and the Joys of Pain
Author:          Kewcee
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/J2yU6Pbn
First Edit:      Sunday 16th of October 2016 02:05:04 AM CDT
Last Edit:       Last edit on: Thursday 20th of October 2016 11:51:23 AM CDT

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!"
 
>A scream breaks the silence of your dreamless sleep.
>You're in more pain now then you've ever known.
>It needs to stop.
>Somepony needs to stop the pain.
 
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"
 
>It takes you a moment to realize that the screams are coming from you.
>But you don't care.
>You'll scream yourself hoarse until the pain goes away.
>You hear somepony trying to speak, trying to talk to you.
>But you don't care to hear what they have to say.
>If they aren't making your pain go away, you won't waste your time listening.
>Tears steam down your face and your voice does just what you swore you'd scream until it did.
>The concept of time is lost to you in this moment, and you don't know how long you've been screaming.
>But it was long enough for your throat to give out.
 
>"Are you quite done? Good."
 
>You can't crane your neck to see who it is.
>But you recognize the voice as Lenna Ton'berri, the mare who had healed you before.
>That must mean you're in the infirmary.
 
>"A bunch of idiots, that's what you Golden Suns are. Can't listen to simple instruction."
 
>She walks around to your side, within your line of sight.
>She's clearly unhappy.
>But you don't care; you just want her to HEAL YOU.
 
>"You just had to keep calm for a day or two, but in typical fashion, you jumped straight into some of the most advanced basic training, I've ever witnessed."
 
>She turns her head elsewhere.
 
>"And you Captain Lily. Gungnir? Aeglos? Why not bring out the Gae Bulg while you're at it, get yourselves killed? Weapons of war are not appropriate for sparring!"
 
>She gets no response.
>She returns her attention to you.
 
>"Since I can't trust either of you to do as I ask, neither of you will be allowed to leave your beds after I heal you."
>"I'll be administering a numbing agent to ensure neither of you can disobey me. Is that clear?"
 
>Your voice is almost too hoarse to speak.
>But with some effort, you manage to squeak a couple sentences out.
 
"Y-yes, ma'am."
"H-heal me, p-please."
 
>"Good. Now, if you're wondering what broke during your fall, the simple answer is everything."
>"You're going to feel some burning as I make my way up your skeletal structure. That's perfectly normal."
>"There's a fair chance some organs may have been punctured or ruptured as well. If you feel any internal itching, that's me patching up whatever tears I might find."
>"Are you ready?"
 
"Y-yes."
 
>"Good. I'd ask you to hold still, but you don't really have much say in that matter."
 
>You feel a burning sensation, just as Ton'berri described. It's nothing in comparison to the pain you've been in though.
>It's almost soothing.
>The burning is quickly followed by a numb sensation.
>You can't feel your legs anymore, but you don't have anywhere urgent to go any way.
>You're perfectly fine with bed rest.
 
>The numbing sensation is not repeated, nut the burning continues up the rest of your body, stopping at your neck.
>Not once did you feel any itching.
>The whole process takes roughly ten minutes.
 
>"You're a lucky one, young soldier. Not a single punctured or torn organ. Mostly clean breaks too. With a few days rest you'll be able to get right back up and break everything again."
>"I'm joking, of course. Do anything like this again, and I'll leave you both to a life of disability, royal status be damned."
 
>With that, Ton'berri leaves.
>You can move your neck now.
>Looking to your side, you see the Captain, lying in the bed to your right.
>She's staring straight up at the ceiling.
>You remember how she didn't acknowledge Lenna.
>You wonder if she'll speak with you.
 
"Lily? I mean, Captain? Are you all right?"
 
>She doesn't respond.
>She just keeps staring at the ceiling.
 
"Captain? Are you alive?"
 
>She stirs, but keeps looking at the ceiling.
 
>"I hurt. So I must be. It's a good pain though. Do you know what it's like, Ghost Scribe?"
 
"What what's like?"
 
>"Do you know the joys of pain?"
 
 
"I know that pain is supposed to make you stronger. But I'm... not sure I understand."
 
>"There are countless ways to hurt. Countless ways to experience pain. The pain brought upon by a cut from a blades cold steel. The pain of a broken heart. The pain you gain from overthinking a simple issue."
"All different pains, all with different emotions attached. But each pain reminds you, in a bittersweet manner, that you live."
"Would you like to know my favorite type of pain, Ghost Scribe?"
 
 
>You're not sure if you really do.
>But let's just see where this goes.
 
"Yes?"
 
>"My favorite pain... is the pain of healing. It's a warm pain.
>"A soft, throbbing hurt. A pain that let's you know that you survived."
>"It let's you know that you're getting better. That you've been given the opportunity to get stronger."
>"It's a pain I've always been partial to. Though the pain of a broken heart comes close."
 
>"... Would you like to hear a story, Ghost Scribe?"
 
"Um... sure."
 
>"Alright then."
>"There was once a little unicorn filly. She was a princess and lived in a grand castle with her father, brother, and grandmare."
>"Her father was a kind and just King. His subjects revered him and he was beloved by all that knew him."
>"Her brother was much the same. He sought to be just like their father, though he lacked most of their fathers inherent charisma."
>"The princess herself was quite shy and meek in her personality. An attitude befitting a princess, most thought"
>"But the princess did not like being the way she was. The members of the royal court all looked down on her."
>"She would never be Queen, so there was no reason to truly respect her. And though the common ponies would never dare openly mock her, their children had no such qualms."
>"Walking through the streets of her beloved home, they would call names at her, shout hurtful words."
>"And she could do nothing. Her father was too busy to help her, and her brother too proud."
>"In her pain and sorrow, only one presence calmed her aching heart: her grandmare."
>"Her grandmare had once been Queen of their home."
>But she had done many bad things to many ponies. Some had deserved it, but many had not."
>"So they did not allow her to rule any more. Many still saw her as cruel and unjust, but to the princess, she was kind and caring."
>"A more doting grandmare there never was."
>"But she was also very quick to anger."
>" "Why do you let them treat you so poorly?" She would ask. But the princess had no answer."
>" "Why don't you tell them to stop?" she would ask. But still, the princess had no answer.
>" "Why don't you fight back?" she would ask. And at this the princess had a question of her own."
>" "Why would I fight them? Are they not my subjects. Shouldn't I treat them the same way I would my own children?" "
>"The grandmare responded, "But all children must be disciplined. They have acted out. Now you must punish them." "
>" "But how, grandmare." the princess asked. The grandmare said, "Make them know pain. Pain is an excellent teacher. It shows you what is wrong. It let's you know what must be done and what must be left alone." "
>" "Make them know pain, and they will give you the respect you deserve." "
"So the princess took her grandmare's advice to heart."
>"The next day, while out for her usual stroll, she was accosted by the same fillies and colts."
>"They called her the same names, shouted the same obscenities."
>"But she would not have it this time. So she pulled back her hoof and punched the closest pony, a merchant's son."
>"The colt was shocked, but angered. He and his friends retaliated in kind."
>"The princess was left bloody and bruised by the end of it, forced to crawl home in humiliation."
>"No guards had witnessed the event, and she intended to tell nopony."
>"But her grandmare knew better."
>"She asked what had happened, and the princess relayed everything."
>" "Well then you'll just have to try harder next time. Let pain run it's course until they learn." "
>" "But grandmare," the princess responded. "You said pain let's you know what must be done and what must be left alone. That hurt really bad! I don't want to do it again."
>" "The tricky part my child, is figuring out what the pain is trying to tell you. Those foals out there are are strong of body but weak of spirit. One good beating and they'll never bother you again."
>" "You, my child, are strong of spirit but weak of body. Make your strength match your spirit. Become stronger through this pain. There will be nothing you can't do."
>"So day after day, the princess tried her best, standing up to her aggressors as best she could."
>"But her best was never good enough."
>"Day in and day out, she was beaten back."
>"Her only comforts were her grandmare's healing magics and the tidings of their court jester."
>"She came to enjoy the nights she spent, cradled in her grandmares lap, the throbbing of the days wounds slowly disappearing."
>"She almost came to accept that she would never truly be respected."
>"But her grandmare made something clear to her"
>" "Everyday, you come home with fewer marks, fewer bruises. You're getting stronger my child. But even the strongest warrior will fall when faced with ten weaker warriors." "
>"This was all she said, but the princess knew what she meant."
>"So the next day, she returned to the usual spot, where the merchants son and his friends congregated."
>"They spouted their bullshit. But this time she fired back."
>"She called them cowards, for having to fight her all at once. She taunted them, saying they could never take her in a fair fight."
>"Enraged, they accepted her challenge. And one by one, they all fell to the floor, as bloody and bruised as she had been that first day."
>"They never insulted her again, and most of them avoided her entirely."
>"The princess was finally happy. She had found her strength, her means of gaining respect."
>"But there was still much for her to learn and gain. Much pain, still in her future."
 
>"Now I hope you don't mind if I rest awhile, Ghost Scribe. There's much more to this story, but telling it always tires me."
>"I'll tell you more when next I wake."
 
"Good night, Captain."
 
>The Captains eyes shut, and she is soon snoring, deep into her sleep.
>You don't know why she's telling you all this all of a sudden, but you're glad she is.
 
>Now that she's asleep though, there's not much to do.
>You're bag's on the floor beside the bed, so reading perhaps?
>And where in the world is Golet?
 
 
>You push Golet out of your mind for now.
>She can take care of herself, and as far as you know, Lieutenant Alcum is the only one who can see her.
>So you decide to find comfort in the thing you love most: writing.
>It's your special talent after all, your life's purpose.
>Your name is Ghost Scribe for crying out loud!
>So you reach down and pull your journal from your bag.
>You grab an inkwell and quill.
>Quill meets ink meets paper.
>For a brief moment, everything is right.
>The troubles of the past few days melt away as you translate them to text.
>You haven't felt this good in a while.
>In fact... you feel good enough... to....
>You fall asleep.
>For the first time in days, you dream peacefully.
 
XXX
 
>You wake in the middle of the night. your journal sits on your stomach.
>The inkwell has fallen and spilled to the floor.
>Unfortunate, but not a big deal.
>What is a big deal is that you can feel somepony breathing down your neck.
>Looking to your side, you see.. Captain Lily?
>She's hanging over the side of your bed, sleeping.
>She dragged herself from her bed, numb legs and all, and laid her head on yours...
>Sleep walking maybe?
>Should you wake her, or leave her as is and sleep til morning?
 
>You decide to let her rest.
>No need to wake her.
>You've both had a long difficult day and Captain Lily is clearly wrestling with some... powerful emotions.
>You stop to think on the princesses story.
 
>You're reminded of your younger days.
>You wonder how you would have turned out, had Starswirl not been there, to help you with your bullies.
>Not so well, you think.
>But you did have him.
>And the princess had her grandmare.
>But the Captain said there was more to the story.
>You wonder what that something is as you drift back to sleep...
 
XXX
 
>You're awakened by a tap at your shoulder.
>You open your eyes to see Lenna Ton'berri.
>She seems upset.
>She motions towards the Captain.
 
>"How did this happen?"
 
>You shrug.
 
>"Well would you like me to move her?"
 
"She's fine. I don't mind."
 
>Miss Ton'berri sighs.
 
>"Well, then I won't bother. I'll just leave your breakfasts on this tray here."
 
>She points at the tray, resting on the side table dresser next to your bed.
>Walking out the door, you hear her muttering something about stupidity shining bright.
 
>"...Is she gone?"
 
>The Captain is awake.
>She must have been awake the whole time.
 
"Yeah, she's gone, Captain."
 
>"Good. Grab that tray and let's eat. I'm famished."
 
>You grab the tray.
>There are two plates on, one filled with assorted berries, the other with pancakes.
>There's a note attached to the pancake plate.
 
>I wasn't sure what you liked so I made a universal favorite. Enjoy. Signed, Lenna Ton'berri.
 
>You hand the Captain the plate of berries.
 
>"Feh... that mare knows how much I hate strawberries. I swear, it's like she does it on purpose."
 
"Captain, if you don't mind my asking, why are you in my bed?"
 
>"It was cold. You were warm. I couldn't pull my dead half up onto your bed though, so I took what I could get."
 
"O-oh."
 
>You're not sure what kind of answer you were expecting.
>But that sounds reasonable enough.
 
>You dig into your pancakes and watch as the Captain eats around her strawberries.
>Once all her other berries are gone, she makes i a point to impale every single strawberry on the plate.
>She then tosses the fork, strawberries and all, out the door.
>It's an act childish in its defiance, but she seems satisfied.
 
>She takes to staring at you while you eat your pancakes.
>It makes you uncomfortable but you're on your last one anyway.
>Taking your last swallow, you replace the plates on the tray and return the tray to the side table dresser.
 
>"So are you ready?"
 
"Ready for what?"
 
"The rest of my story."
 
>You nod.
 
"Yes, Captain. Would you like me to, uh, make you more comfortable?"
 
>She laughs softly.
 
>"Why, Private Scribe, are you offering to share you're bed with me? How scandalous."
 
"Y-Yeah, w-well, I-"
 
>"No need to get all flustered, Ghost Scribe. I know you're just looking out for me."
 
>She reaches her hooves out to you.
 
>"Pull me up."
 
>You grab onto her, and with a deal of effort, she's up on your bed.
>It's a bit crowded but the two of you make due.
 
>"Thank you, Ghost Scribe. I'm sorry if that comment of mine made you uncomfortable."
>"Now, on with the story."
 
>"Now if I recall correctly, we had left off on our princess finding her strength."
>"Now, after conquering her aggressors, she had the confidence to take on anything and everything that came her way."
>"There were always others ready to try and knock her down, but always she brought them to their knees."
>"Throughout her home, she was feared, and she was respected."
>"Her personal reign of terror extended into her teenage years, when her father decided that her attitude was unfit for a princess."
>"If you are going to act as a colt, you will train as a colt. Such was his reasoning."
>"For the princess, all this meant was that she had a chance to grow stronger."
>"And so on her sixteenth birthday, the princess was a princess no more. She was now a soldier in her father's army."
>"At first, she intended to seize control through her typical means, and show her father just what a fool he was."
>"But she had failed to account for one thing: that there was somepony stronger than her. Somepony who had experienced far more pain than her."
 
>"On her first day in her father's army, the princess was headstrong, determined to establish herself as a dominant force among her peers."
>"Those that already knew her reputation were wary, and she was happy to see the fear in their eyes as she passed them by."
>"But one stallion refused to bow to her. His name was Orich Alcum. Her commanding officer, a man who had fought many long and arduous battles, who had seen the death of friend and foe alike."
>"He had known pains she could never understand, but at the time, she cared little for the pain of others."
>"All she cared for, was to see him bow before her."
>"Day in, day out, they butted heads. She would disobey orders, pick fights with her fellow soldiers, and every chance she got, she would challenge Captain Alcum personally."
>"He was always eager to accept her challenges, if only to knock her down a peg. But she was never knocked down, no matter how many losses she experienced."
>"Her grandmare's words would always come back to her. Her spirit was strong and her body was strong. But she could be stronger. She would surpass him, if it killed her."
>"One time, it very nearly did kill her"
 
>"The princess, out on a mission with her squadron, headed by Captain Alcum, saw a chance to prove her superiority."
>"They had been tasked with hunting down and eliminating a dragon, who had wandered too far from his den and was causing trouble in various Earth pony farming villages."
>"Surely if she could destroy this dragon herself, she could show Captain Alcum just how much greater she was than him."
>"Can you imagine? Kill a dragon by herself... the princess would soon realize her folly."
>"While riding out in the fields, they came across the dragon, sleeping, clearly full from a recent meal."
>"All of her comrades were wary of approaching the beast. But the princess knew no such fear."
>"With little regard for her comrades safety or her own, she charged the great beast, as large as fifteen ponies in length."
>"She plunged her spear into it's neck. It dug deep, but remained stuck in the tensile neck muscles of the dragon."
>"It woke in a fury, breathing fire and wiping out half the princesses squadron in one fell swoop."
>"Her remaining comrades were split down the middle, some standing their ground, others cowering in fear."
>"Whatever their reactions, the princess simply desired that they not interfere."
>"She believed, from her position, high on the dragons neck, that she could truly fell the beast."
>"But she was terribly wrong."
>"The beast grabbed her swiftly from it's neck and gripped her in its claws."
>"It squeezed, firm and tight, crushing every single bone in her body."
>"Pain overtook her, a new pain, unpleasant and unfamiliar. A pain that made her want to give in."
>"Her spirit was made weak. Her body was no longer strong. She had no more desire to live,so intense was the pain."
 
>"And she was almost granted her wish, when the dragon swallowed her whole."
>"Within the dragons throat, the decent was slow and filled with suspense."
>"It's saliva was hot and sticky."
>"The princess resigned herself to death. But death was not ready for her."
>"As she slid down the dragons throat, she was stopped by an obstruction. It did not come from within the dragon. It had come from outside, piercing its way through the beasts throat."
>"Blood was now mixed in with saliva, burning and metallic smelling. She was caught, slumped over the obstruction."
>"She could hear the beast scream, or at least attempt to. It was in pain now. But was this dragon a beast of weak spirit? Or strong?
>"This was the only question in her mind as she tried desperately to forget her suffering."
>"The princess was held firmly in place by the dragons contracting throat, as it engaged in combat with her comrades."
>"She lost all track of time. Everything lost meaning."
>"Until eventually, she felt the dragons movements cease. It's throat loosened up, and she was regurgitated out."
>"Covered in the creatures bile, she was still prepared to release her soul to the aether."
>"But Captain Alcum would not allow her."
 
>" "Never yield!" he shouted at her. "Never give in! Death is never an option!" "
>"These words truly baffled the princess. Did not Captain Alcum despise her?"
>"She wondered this the whole way back to her home, Captain Alcum shouting these words at her the whole way back."
>"Once they arrived, she was brought to a healer, and placed in intensive care."
>"Everyday until she was better, the surviving members of her squadron came to visit her."
>"She wished they wouldn't."
>"Their presence served to remind her of her bittersweet victory."
>"She had been responsible for the dragons death, but also for the death of her fellow soldiers."
>"They had died, because of her selfish desires. For the first time the princess knew guilt, and it disturbed her."
>"She knew she would not be punished, and this only exacerbated her guilt."
>"This brought about a pain new and strange. Emotional pain. Something that couldn't be healed by magic. It never truly healed."
>"Captain Alcum acknowledged that without the princesses rash decision and near death experience, they'd have likely been killed by the dragon."
>"She had killed the dragon by herself, yes, but not through skill. And luck could only get her so far. So she agreed to follow the Captain, until he felt she no longer needed to follow."
>"He taught her what it meant to fight for others, and not just herself."
>"What it meant to grow strong to protect and not to harm."
>"Concepts such as honor, and camaraderie and brotherhood."
>"He taught and she learned and for a while, all was good."
 
>"But Captain Alcum was an old stallion."
>"An old, broken stallion, who had long overstayed his welcome on the battle field."
>"His body was brittle, though he wouldn't show it, and carrying the princess back from their previous excursion had taken it's tole."
>"He died in his sleep a week before her seventeenth birthday."
>"And on her birthday, her only present was more unfortunate news: her grandmare and father had both been found dead in their chambers, poisoned by some unknown assailant.
>"Her brother was king now, and his first order of business was to ensure she stayed out of his hair."
>"So, inexperienced as she was, she was made captain of Alcums former regiment. She was hated at first, felt to be undeserving of the position. She couldn't say she disagreed."
>"But she wouldn't allow any dissent among her ranks."
>"With a mixture of teachings from her grandmare and Captain Alcum, the princess was an absolute terror as a commanding officer."
>"She often encountered the same issue she had as a filly: that nopony took her seriously. Nopony showed her any respect. And every time they called her legitimacy into question, she could only remember the screams of her comrades as they burned alive."
>"But she would not let them know that. All they knew was that any doubt, any disrespect, was met with swift punishment."
>"Loyalty and confidence were their own reward. In the end, respectful or not, the pain brought to each of her soldiers was enough to bring her their loyalty. Some gave it out of genuine admiration, others out of fear."
>"The end result was the same though, and the princess was pleased."
>"Ten years passed in this fashion. Her brother took a wife, and had a daughter. The jester from so long ago had since returned to his own family."
>"And while the princess was surrounded by many, and wrapped in the brotherhood and unity she had created among her soldiers, she could not help but feel alone."
 
>"She continued to train with her soldiers, day in, day out, the routines a bore."
>"The hole in her heart once filled with desire for strength, sat empty."
>"Until one day, she was provided something. A soldier to train, none other than the son of the jester that had once brought her so much joy."
>"She was fully prepared to break him, as she had broken so many others."
>"But unlike so many others, he had no malice to offer, no attitude, no disrespect."
>"She beat him within an inch of his life, and he worried for her safety."
>"She broke his jaw and pounded him into the dirt. And he did not hold it against her."
>"In a fit of rage, she did something stupid that almost killed them both. And still he forgave her."
>"And now...
 
>Captain Lily hesitates.
 
>"And now the princess sits here, sharing her pain with him, wondering if she's said too much."
 
>Silently, Gilded Lily begins to cry.
>You're a bit floored by everything she just told you.
>Now what?
 
>Reaching out to the Captain, you wrap your legs around her.
>She flinches at your touch, but quickly wraps her legs around you.
>She's sobbing into your shoulder now.
 
"You've said just the right amount. I needed to understand, and now I do."
"You've focused on pain for a long time. Since it works to keep the troops in line, I wouldn't ask you to change."
"Your secrets are safe with me, and I hold nothing you've said against you."
"In fact, I'm very happy to finally know the real you."
 
>Her tears keep rolling down her face, but she manages to work a smile out for you.
 
>"You have such beautiful emotions, Ghost Scribe. Such a kind spirit, and so forgiving."
>"You have no place in this guard, innocent little cinnamon bun that you are."
>"And yet, here you are. All so that you could be close to your brother."
>"I could never see myself doing the same for Aurum."
 
"Well, Starswirl and I..., well, it's like I said earlier. We've taken quite a few beatings together."
 
>"And that's what makes you two so close? Being beaten together?"
 
>You see her cheeks flush red, an eager look in her eye.
>Beyond her tears, you can see how she's excited by the potential parallels of pain in your lives.
>Maybe you should be clearer about what you meant
 
"Well, brought closer by pain, yes. We've faced many trials, but it's unfair to say that pain alone has driven us together."
"We've been through hard times together before, but its not true to say that's the only reason we're close."
"We share common interests, we see eye to eye on many things, part of the reason we are so close is because we never really met anypony else like us."
"Allow me to explain."
 
>You recount the tales of your youth to the Captain.
>How Starswirl had tormented you with his magical abilities.
>How he had mocked your purpose in life, claiming superiority as the unicorn that would become court wizard.
>How he would claim mental superiority whenever your father sent gifts from Aurus.
 
"Father would always send me exotic quills and inks of varying color.'
"Starswirl would always receive books. Magical theory, historical texts and the like."
"His special talent was learning and knowledge retention, you see, and he liked to remind me how ignorant I was."
 
>You told her about your night terrors.
>How you'd had to move in to a shed converted to a bedroom.
>How the other fillies and foals had mocked you and how Starswirl had joined them.
 
>"This doesn't sound like you two were close at all."
 
"There was a difference between the insults he spoke at home, and the indults he spoke with the crowd."
"The hate they flung at me seemed to make him uncomfortable. I could see it in his eyes."
"It all came to a head the day of the fight."
 
>"The fight?
 
"One morning, I heard a commotion from outside my room. I was too scared to investigate at the time."
"Once the noise died down, I went inside for breakfast, to find Starswirl, beaten and bruised."
"His lip was fat, and his right eye was swollen shut. He wouldn't tell me how he got that way, but I had my guesses."
 
"A similar commotion occurred the next day. This time, I worked up the courage to see what it was."
"What I saw shocked me. Starswirl was standing up to the very same bullies he had insulted me along side."
"Only now they were insulting him. Shouting obscenities far more hurtful than anything they could have said to me. And I was enraged."
 
"How dare they hurt MY brother?"
 
"How dare they insult MY family?"
 
"I don't remember who I swung at first, but I know that the next few minutes was a flurry of hooves."
"The fight had to be broken up by the local school marm."
"She left my brother and I off with a warning and then left us in the dirt."
"We didn't need to speak, our actions had spoken volumes.
"I could feel the apology for his past actions in every labored breath."
"And I'm sure he felt my forgiveness."
 
"My night terrors mostly stopped. I stayed in my room though. It had become too cozy and comfortable to leave"
"Starswirl even began to visit me there. He would bring his books, and read from them to me.
"And while I couldn't really understand most of the complex magical theories or seemingly inconsequential discoveries he relayed, I appreciated his desire to share."
 
"I tried to share with him as well, though not everypony can appreciate the finer points of quill collecting. But still, he tried to enjoy my interests."
"Soon we began to share everything with one another, exchanging opinions, discussing worldviews... we became inseparable."
"So much so that when it came time for him to leave for Aurus, I offered to accompany him as his personal scribe, documenting his rise to greatness"
"And...well, now I'm here, I suppose."
 
>"Quite touching... I can see why you'd follow him here."
>"And hearing all that, I suppose it's quite convenient that you ended up in the guard."
 
>You smile and shrug.
 
"Well, we were always close. This just brought us closer."
"And even if I could leave him, I've nowhere else to go."
 
>"That may be true, but I said that for a different reason."
>"I recall you encouraging your brother earlier by saying he had access to the greatest library in the kingdom."
>"That was only half true."
 
"What do you mean?"
 
>"Aurus does contain the kingdoms greatest library, that much is true. Filled with centuries of magical and historical knowledge."
>"But Starswirl will never see any of it. He has no way to access this library."
 
"What? But why? I know given the opportunity, Starswirl could prove to be an outstanding wizard! You told me yourself that he was free to pursue his studies in his free time!"
 
>"Aye, I did say that. But it's just not possible for him to enter the royal library."
>"Only a select few have access to the library: the royal bloodline themselves, certified maguses, and guards."
>"I take it you understand where I'm going with this, Private?"
 
"Ah. Then, as a member of the Guard, perchance I could support him in his studies by providing borrowed materials for him to peruse?"
 
>The Captain smiles at you.
 
>"As smart as you are kind."
 
"Excellent! When can I go?"
 
>"As soon as your basic training's finished and you've been placed in the rotation."
>"I might be able to ensure that you're first assignment places you within the royal library."
>"From there, it's all up to you."
 
>You don't know how best to thank the Captain.
>So you just wrap her in another hug.
>She quivers at your touch.
>Without letting go, you speak.
 
"Just two days, right Captain."
 
>"Two days. Then we can return to your proper training. Free of my outbursts, I promise."
>"But for now, let's just enjoy the time we have to rest."
 
>Your legs still wrapped around her, the Captain throws herself down on the bed.
>You can't move your legs now, as they're pinned under her.
>She's pretending to be asleep.
>You don't mind though.
>So you pretend to be asleep to.
>As you close your eyes, you see smile creep across the Captains face.
>She seems content.
>And you don't know why, but that makes you happy.