Helo Thunder Chapter 8

>You sat on top of a mountain, looking down at the city you had assaulted almost four years ago with the changelings.
>You made a promise all those years ago, one you hadn’t kept.
>Biting off another piece of jerky, you had to wonder if you wanted to anymore.
>You were a hero up in Gryphonia.
>Gilda and you were the best of friends, and you had to wonder how she was taking this.
>Probably not well, seeing as you didn’t even get to say goodbye.
>She had taken off that morning, to tend to the market stall in the city.
>Buying and selling various meats, she always brought some home to you at the end of the day.
>Usually stuff that wasn’t going to keep over night, when they ran out of room in the smokehouse.
>The two of you would cook the meanest, spiciest stews together.
>”The best in Gryphonia” you both joked.
>You left her the key to the house you had built, as payment to you for the extra few years of service.
>And a note, telling her you had gone back to Canterlot.
>You still weren’t sure if this was going to be a short visit, or perhaps a permanent one.
>Guess that depended on what Celestia said.
>Tearing off another piece of jerky, you closed the bag and put it back in your satchel Gilda had made for you after a hunting trip.
>It wasn’t really your style, but it was better than nothing.
>No doubt it would creep a few ponies out, seeing a hide of an animal used as a building material.
>You climbed back in your bird and fired up the engines for your final descent into Canterlot and into the castle.
>As you passed over the city, you could feel the thousands of eyes watch your helicopter as it flew.
>Perhaps they had forgotten about what had happened the first time you had seen this flying death machine.
>Maybe, they were just curious.
>You passed over the walls unchallenged, not that they could if they wanted to, and slowly came to a halt about thirty meters above the courtyard.
>Still moving slowly, you gently set the bird down and powered down the engines.
>Several guards had already surrounded you, spears at the ready.
>You couldn’t help but smirk at their efforts.
>If you wanted them dead, then you would have made them so, and not landed at all.
>The side effects of Chrysalis’s spell had not worn off, giving you unlimited range and ammo still, making this Apache the angel of death in machine form.
>You had taken the time in Gryphonia to make it so, painting every inch of it black. White teeth were painted toward the front, similar to many A-10s you had seen.
>A pair of angry red eyes were painted on above the mouth, and the extra armor you had welded on gave it a beefier, meaner look.
>That extra armor came in handy too, when a lucky cannon ball struck the underside of your bird during your engagement with their navy.
>The plate had a large dent in it, and had it not been there, the cannon ball may have gone through the fuselage.
>”Stop right there!” demanded a guard as you climbed out, your mind being pulled from the sight of your chopper.
“I mean you no harm. If I did, we would not be having this conversation.”
>”Are you threatening a member of the royal guard, ape?”
“Merely making a statement, horse.”
>You rested your hand on your pistol, just in case these guards decided to get a little rough.
>This was one reason you almost didn’t come back.
>Where these ponies looked down at you as a violent beast, the griffons saw you as a powerful ally.
>Perhaps you were a violent beast to both, but the griffons liked you at least.
>Why again, did you come here? Nothing made you, just an annoying voice in the back of your head.
>”There is no need to be hostile, good captain. This is an old friend of mine.”
>There was one reason you came back.
>Celestia silently strolled up behind the guards, her pastel hair covering half of her face in the most beautiful way possible.
>Without a word, the guards backed away, raising their spears.
“Celestia, it’s good to see you again.”
>You lowered your hand from the pistol, and approached the white princess.
>She had the biggest grin you had ever seen on her face, as she took a few more steps forward to meet you.
>She rested her head on your shoulder, placing a leg around you in some form of a hug.
>You returned it, wrapping both arms around her neck.
>”It is good to see you too, Chief.”
“You don’t have to address me by rank, Celestia.”
>”It rolls off the tongue a bit easier, but if you do not wish for me to call you that-“
“Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
>Celestia only smiled as she stared into your eyes for a few moments.
>You shifted uncomfortably, scratching your head as you broke eye contact.
>”You look a bit… ragged. No offense of course. It just does not seem to suit you.”
>You rubbed the beard that had grown on your chin, feeling the prickliness of each hair.
“Yeah, the griffons didn’t have much in terms of barbers. Guess I could go for a shave and a haircut.”
>”How about you get that, and meet me in my study, for lunch? It has been far too long.”
>You nodded with the slightest of smiles, and walked alongside Celestia into the castle.
“We have quite a bit to catch up on don’t we?”
>”We sure do, but it can wait an hour. Get cleaned up dear. You do remember where my study is, right?”
“I believe so; I’ll ask a guard or a servant if I get lost.”
>Once again Celestia nodded, only this time you two actually parted ways, leaving you in front of the castles barbershop/ hair salon.
>At the desk, a white unicorn looked up at you curiously.
>”Right this way please…” She squeaked out, leading you to a large mirror.
>As you sat down Indian style on the tile floor, the unicorn sat back, staring at you.
“Is something wrong?”
>She shook her head.
>”I just don’t know how to cut this. You don’t have that much of a mane.”
>You chuckled.
>She was right, in a way. Ponies had a lot more up top than you.
“Just take it all off. I’ll make it easy on you. Do you have any razors?”
>She nodded, pulling a straight razor out of a drawer.
“Could I buy that off of you? No offense, I just don’t trust people around my neck with sharp objects.”
>She nodded once more, placing it in a box and setting it aside before pulling out a set of clippers.
>A few minutes later, your head was freshly buzzed, the cool air bouncing off of your scalp felt refreshing.
>You did the shave yourself, being very careful with the razor.
>You had never used one before, and as any new user, you gave yourself a few nicks before the job was done.
>”Are you alright, sir?”
“Hmm? Oh, yeah. Just a few nicks. Nothing too bad. How much?”
>”8 bits is the usual charge for guards or guests.”
“Here, keep the rest as a tip.”
>You reached into the satchel, pulling out ten gold pieces you had received from the griffons for your service.
>The unicorn’s eyes widened as you set them on the desk, and only then did you remember the exchange rate between gold and bits.
“The extra is for the razor as well. Have a nice day ma’am.”
>”You too!”
>You pocketed the razor and headed out into the main corridor of the castle.
>Now that you thought of it, you never really had unrestricted access to the castle before.
>You always had one princess next to you when you went anywhere, so you were always sort of under escort.
>After all, it took Celestia to bring you down that first day, after countless guards had tried; it made sense that the most powerful beings would escort you.
>You walked through the halls, taking in the sights the castle had to offer once more.
>Suits of golden armor, tapestries, pottery, stained glass windows.
>Ponies definitely lived more extravagant than griffons.
>It was like comparing a resort to a hunting cabin in the woods.
>Eventually, you found yourself at the bottom of a spiral staircase that wound up a tower.
>This was it, at least you hoped.
>As you climbed the stairway, you suddenly wished you had something nicer than the old flight suit.
>Still, Celestia was one of the nicest ponies, griffons, or humans you had ever met.
>She didn’t mind.
>You found it odd that there were no guards at her door, and even more so that the lights were out when you entered.
>Checking your watch, you realized you were about half an hour early.
>In the bed across the room, you could make out a large lump curled up under the blankets.
>How cute, she must have been taking a nap before you came over.
>Dare you surprise her, or should you sit around until she woke up?
>The latter seemed a bit creepy in your mind, so you very quietly snuck up to her bedside.
>Slipping under the covers, you snuggled up to her and placed an arm around her.
>Immediately she jumped a bit, awoken from her sleep.
“Hey sleepy head. Sorry if I’m a bit early, I-“
>You were cut off as light flooded the room and you found a pair of turquoise eyes glaring at you.
“Oh shi-“
>A blue aura formed around you, pinning you to the wall.
>”What in the tartarian wastes do thou thinks they are performing?”
“I swear I got lost, I thought you were Cel-“
>”Silence!”
>Luna shouted, pulling you from the wall and out to the balcony and flinging you into the air.
“Shit shit shit SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT”
>You landed on your back with a thud maybe fifty meters away on the balcony of an opposing tower.
>”Keep thy dirty self away from our presence!” Luna yelled, before disappearing inside her tower.
>”What is with all this racket?”
>Behind you, a glass door slid open, and Celestia stepped out, looking down at you.
>”Chief? How did you get out here?”
“I made a wrong turn. Your sister showed me the right way.”
>”I see.” Celestia said, putting a hoof to her mouth to stifle a giggle.
>A white aura formed around you, lifting you to your feet.
>”Are you hurt?”
“No, no I think I’m ok. Thank you.”
>”Well, you are early, but I have some tea we could share in the meantime.”
“That sounds nice, sorry to drop in so early.”
>Again, Celestia giggled, as she disappeared inside to get her tea, bringing out an entire tea set a moment later.
>The two of you sat down on some cushions, looking out over the land of Equestria.
>”Sugar?”
“Yes, thank you.”
>Celestia passed over a small pot of sugar, ensuring you had gripped it before letting go with her magic.
>”I have to ask, where have you been? All this time, it’s been years.”
“Gryphonia. They were having trouble in a war, so I flew up to assist them.”
>”Why?”
>You shrugged.
“They offered me a house, and a bit of gold. Besides, when I heard the stories of children being killed, it reminded me of home. I guess I thought I could make a difference this time.”
>”Did you?”
“I think so, yeah. They won the war.”
>”I suppose that’s good. I just wish you hadn’t been gone so long.”
“Sorry. When the war ended, I just felt at home with them. A warrior culture, that ate meat. I was a hero to them you know?”
>”You don’t feel the same way here, do you?”
>You shook your head, switching your gaze back and forth between the landscape and Celestia.
>She frowned, placing a wing around you.
“You and Cadence are about the only friends I have around here. Everyone else here hates me it seems.”
>”I’m sure others don’t hate you.”
“They should.”
>”Don’t talk like that.”
>Celestia nudged you, her frown widening.
“Sorry. I guess I’m just thankful I have you and Cadence as a friend. How is she anyways?”
>”I think you should go visit her and see for yourself. I know she misses you.”
“Alight, I’ll go see her later.”
>”May I ask something?”
“Of course.”
>”Why now? What brought you back after so long?”
>You paused, sipping your tea as you thought of the question yourself.
“To be honest, I don’t know. I guess I just had a little voice inside my head telling me I needed to come back.”
>”I like this little voice.”
>Celestia tightened her grip around you as she turned her head toward yours, nuzzling the side of it.
“You really missed me didn’t you?”
>”Mhmm.”
>You reached around, stroking the far side of her neck.
>”That tickles.”
“Do you want me to stop?”
>”No, not really. It’s also relaxing.”
“Your job keep you all tensed up?”
>”Somewhat, a lot of it is a bit routine, and a little annoying at times. I usually just have a few cups of tea and read a good book. This is much nicer though, just having company.”
>Celestia pushed her lips onto your cheek, giving you a quick kiss.
>As she did, your face flushed red, recalling the times Cadence did the same thing before you left.
>It bothered you then, but now it just seemed… different.
>”Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I just wasn’t expecting that. Especially from you.”
>”What, a sixteen hundred year old demi-goddess can’t have a little fun once in a while?”
“No, she can’t.”
>You playfully stuck your tongue out at the princess, who mimicked you.
>You both shared a laugh, before locking eyes with each other.
>Slowly, you noticed your heads were closing distance, inch by inch.
>You hesitated, she hesitated, you moved closer, she moved closer, and you would hesitate again.
>Even after all the time spent with the griffons, your mind still refused to comprehend the thought of being with another species.
>You and Gilda had grown close, to the point of sleeping in the same bed, and you had cuddled on more than one occasion.
>You remembered her purring as she fell asleep in your arms.
>But that’s as far as it had ever gone.
>And now, here was Celestia.
>Inching her way forward, and despite your doubt, so were you.
>By now, you could feel the breath from her nostrils, each breath seemingly more rapid than the last.
>Her mouth parted slightly, and her eyes closed.
>You were at a fork in the road, and you didn’t know which way to go.
>Before you could make the decision yourself, the glass door behind you slid open, drawing yours and hers attention from each other.
>A pony pushing a cart came out onto the balcony, placing a silver tray on the table.
>“Your lunch, as requested, your highness.”
>”Thank you, you’re dismissed.”
>The p0ny disappeared back into the room, leaving the two of you in an awkward silence.
“Let’s uh, see what’s for lunch.”
>”Right…”
>You uncovered the tray, finding a sandwich with extremely bright flowers, and a bowl of melted cheese and chunks of potatoes.
>”I can get you something other than the soup, if it’s not something you would like. I ordered ahead so we would not have to wait.”
>Her voice had gone from its normal, authoritive and wise sound, to timid, and shy.
“No, this is great. Really. We have a soup a lot like this back home.”
>Pulling a few bits of jerky from your bag, you sprinkled a few chunks of meat into the bowl.
>”What is that?”
“You may lose your appetite if I tell you. Let’s just say it’s some food I brought from Gryphonia.”
>”I see… I won’t judge you for eating meat. We’re all different in our own ways. I can’t ask you to change.”
“You’re too kind Celestia.”
>”I’m just happy you’re back. How long will you stay?”
“I don’t know. Until I feel like I should leave. But that could be years from now.”
>”Oh…”
“I could just stay here, and make this my home.”
>”I wouldn’t mind that, and I could make some arrangements for you to stay here, in the castle.”
“Do you even have room? Last time I stayed in the diplomatic suite. I know I can’t stay there for good.”
>”I’ll make room.”
>You didn’t have a good response for that, leaving you to occupy your mouth with the soup.
>The bear jerky gave it a nice extra bit of flavor, though it would have been delicious with out it.
>”Until then, you are welcome to use that same room, unless there’s another room you’d like?”
>You just knew what she was hinting at, and yet you still had no idea what your response was.
>Was she always like this? You couldn’t remember.
>Maybe being away for so long, she developed the feelings over time, and realized she liked you.
>Then again, maybe you were both just lonely.
>No doubt she was lonely, being as old as she was.
>No doubt you were lonely as well, seeing as you hadn’t had a relationship in nearly 5 years now.
>Maybe this was what you both needed.
>Holding your bowl in your hands, you looked down at it as if it was a magic 8 ball, and held the answer to this little thing in your mind.
>Celestia looked over at you, noticing your gaze had turned to your food.
>”Is something wrong?”
“Not with the food, no.”
>”But there is something?”
“Just something on my mind. I’d like some time to think about it, if that’s ok.”
>”Of course Anonymous. Take all the time you need.”
>Setting your bowl aside, you stood up and straightened your flight suit.
“Hopefully I won’t take too much time. Have a good day Celestia, hopefully I’ll see you again tonight.”
“You as well, Chief.”
>You paused once more, before bending down and planting a kiss on Celestia’s forehead, just above her horn.
>With her face in a state of minor shock, you left the tower, and went to your chopper to gather your things.
>You would be staying a while, that was for sure.

>Needless to say, you did your best to keep a little bit of distance between the two of you.
>Needless to say, Cadence did her best to keep to your side
>”Here we are. Do you want some help settling in?”
“I didn’t bring that many bags, as you can see. I think I’ll just hop in the shower and get some rest.”
>”Well, alright then. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
>Cadence slowly made her way outside, and you finally let out a breath you had been unconsciously holding for some time now.
>That mare was crazy.
>Sweet, loving, and crazy.
>With another sigh you resigned yourself to the bed, while millions of thoughts poured through your brain.
>It was pretty clear you would have to make a choice at some point or another.
>Now with Celestia in the mix, it made your decision even harder.
>With no way back, you were stuck in this strange world for life.
>Destined to die alone.
>Even after all the time you had spent here, it was just now hitting you.
>Maybe if you went on a few dates, things wouldn’t be so bad.
>You just had to decide who.