MLP FIM Fan-Fiction: Starting from Scratch

Chapter 14

Aaron felt two pairs of eyes constantly watching him. One of them was Shining Armor, and Aaron couldn't make out why he was so paranoid. The other was the rogue Changeling, Thorax. Both he and Aaron were cautious about each other; while both of them knew why Aaron was cautious about Thorax, Aaron couldn't quite get the whole picture about why Thorax was here.

The visitors, Shining Armor, Thorax, Princess Cadence, and the unicorn with her, Sunburst, made their way to a meeting room, in which everypony took a seat, but Aaron remained standing, as the chairs wouldn't support his weight.

"Twilight, I heard from Princess Celestia that after an experiment of yours went wrong, Aaron was summoned through a mirror?" Shining Armor queried.

"That's right," Twilight replied, "Ever since the events in the Canterlot hospital, Aaron Deltian has not only become able to wield his magic effectively, but has also restored the vision for his left eye, has battled Trixie and won without either side taking injuries, made unique items for use around Ponyville, and even removed a large pack of Timber Wolves from the Everfree Forest."

"Well," Princess Cadence marveled, turning to Aaron, "You've certainly been busy, Aaron."

"You honor me, Princess Cadence," Aaron replied, dipping his head, "I do have a few questions about the circumstances that are occurring here, if I may ask them."

Princess Cadence looked puzzled, "I don't see why not. After all, You and I are going to need to understand one another if we're going to proceed with Princess Celestia's plans."

"Very well," Aaron replied, "I will warn you now; some of these questions will seem out of place, given that it's my first time here."

Shining Armor frowned, "Well, let's here them then."

"Out of everyone here at the meeting, I find that an undisguised Changeling among us is very unusual; What exactly is going on with... Thorax?" Aaron started off.

"Chrysalis has abandoned Thorax for attempting to go against the mindset that she has put in place," Princess Cadence stated, "His presence has actually been quite a pleasant experience for us all."

Sunburst added a piece of noteworthy information, "He's also been a huge help in ratting out Changeling spies. With the Changeling activity on the rise in the Crystal Empire, we're grateful to have him around."

"Dutifully noted," Aaron acknowledged, "As for my next concern, I do have a need for a larger resting quarters while I'm here. Being a sentient being who likes to create, I would like to know if there is a place where I can safely work on my projects."

"I'll have one of my best men attend to that immediately," Shining Armor jumped at the opportunity to excuse himself from the room.

Shining Armor gave Aaron one final glare before leaving the room. "Sorry about all that," Princess Cadence apologized, "We've all been on edge ever since we heard about the Changeling issues."

"Princess Cadence?" Thorax spoke up, "I've been observing Shining Armor's behavior, and though he has not been replaced, I have noticed a difference ever since our guests arrived here."

"Which brings me to my last query," Aaron finished after Thorax concluded his observational report, "Your husband seems to be quite ... passively aggressive towards me. From historical archive passages, he's usually known to be rather casual and friendly. Have I done anything wrong?"

While Princess Cadence, Sunburst, Starlight, and Thorax were thinking about what Aaron had brought up, Discord noticed that Twilight was staring off into the distance. "Equestria to Twilight Sparkle!" Discord called, "You're staring off into space."

Twilight shook her head, as if clearing her mind from a daze. "I'm sorry; I've had quite a lot of information to go through over the past few days."

Aaron had lived in Twilight's castle long enough to understand her expressions to a degree. She's not lying directly, but she's not telling the whole truth, he observed, That statement was too generalized for a basic explanation for her. She's being bothered by something.

* * *

In the evening once the fuss had settled down, Aaron was in a room with basic furnishings, but they worked effectively for him. He was reading a historical archive on some of the more significant events when a knocking hoof at the door startled him.

A quick Infra-red scan showed Twilight was standing in front of his room's door. "Come on in, Miss Sparkle," he called, setting the book down.

Twilight opened the door, and left it open. "Aaron, You mentioned that you'd be there for me if I needed something," she started, "You still mean it, right?"

"Yes, of course; why do you ask?" Aaron affirmed, activating his Infra-red filter and noticed her face was surprisingly warm.

Twilight got up onto the foot of the bed, her front legs moving in a similar manner like how Aaron would move his arms in a awkward situation. "Well, I've got two things on my mind," she admitted, "One is about what you mentioned at the meeting with Cadence. I saw the glares my brother was giving you."

"I can understand his skepticism about me, but he seems to have more of a hostile attitude towards me," Aaron noted.

"Cadence and I were catching up after dinner, and she mentioned something in the letter Princess Celestia sent her," Twilight replied, "It mentioned that you're in my castle because I wanted you there along with your structural circumstances. I won't deny that what she wrote wasn't wrong, but I didn't want to talk about that without your input on the matter."

"Honestly, when you wrote that note that morning before AppleJack's harvesting, I felt ... I felt like I could've grown wings and taken to the sky right then and there," Aaron explained, his visor retracting, "I don't know why, but I just feel the need to keep you and your friends out of danger."

Like during the attack from the pack of Timberwolves?" Twilight asked, pulling an example up. Aaron nodded in agreement. "Well, I think that we all appreciate you feeling that way," Twilight thanked, "The other thing on my mind is something that AppleJack told me; you and her spoke about something during AppleBuck Season, right?"