Strong Copper

It's good to see you! I hope you enjoy your time here.

By gods you're right! It's glorious even!

I know! It's upsetting!

There is only one flaw in this plan. People are posting about how sad and depressing it's gotten. The fiends are ruining everything with their feelings!

John

That was my plan. If I made it depressing enough, people would stop posting and I would be the victor.

You can rush art with enough money.

You get a sad good sir and or ma'am.

My real self is very lonely and just wants someone to snuggle damn it!

Well, about as much as you can be when I have no idea who you are.

Oh joy. It's good to see you return Bastian. You have been missed.

I really should question who you are and how you got into my house but... right now I'm in the mood for snuggles.

Strong Copper blinked a little, clearly having paid very close attention to a tale that... well, he was honestly surprised wasn't as well known considering the importance behind it. "I... honestly didn't know what I was expecting to hear. I'm even more surprised that few ponies have ever asked you about your origins. I mean you're literally one of the two demi-god rulers of Equestria and have been as such for at least a thousand years, so you would think that more ponies would be interested in exactly where you both came from and the series of events that led us to the current day." "Then again..." Copper paused for a moment, debating with himself briefly if saying what he was about to say was a good idea before just deciding to go 'buck it' "Considering the clear time and effort that you and your sister put into your almost unworldly pristine appearances, I wouldn't be at all surprised to discover that you both went to great lengths to hide just how old you both really are out of some small, petty quirk of vanity. Sitting here and talking with you, if I didn't know that you've been ruling for over a thousand years and likely doing other things before then, I wouldn't know what age to consider you; You have an mature, ageless beauty that seems to transcend such things... I have a hard time accepting the fact that you're been around for over a century, let alone a thousand years. " Did he... just flirt with Celestia? Strong Copper felt the skin under his coat heat up as he decided that now was a good time to shove an apple fritter in his mouth before he continued to say more stupid things.

As Strong Copper took the time to catch his breath after telling his story and listened to Princess Celestia's high praise of not just the work that he personally did, but of him as a pony for doing so...he honestly didn't know how to respond to it at first. A shy, nervous grin grew on his blushing face as he had to start stamping one of his lower legs with an upper hoof in order to try and stop himself from giggling like an awkward teenager. Kind of wishing that he could eat one of the apple treats so that he would have an excuse not to say anything until he had collected himself but unable to justify it to himself because he worried that such a move would be rude, he floundered for words for a few moments while tripping over his tongue as his brain fired to many sentences to say at once... until he stopped to take a couple of deep breaths and actually took the time to try and sort out what he was thinking. "Th-thank you. I just... It would have been a shame if it had been killed just because it had been annoying. I'm going to have to offer my deepest thanks to Luna at some point tonight for stepping in when she did. As for if it is still alive out there somewhere... If it is, good on it for making the most of the situation. If not..." He shrugged, clearly not bothered by the idea of it dying in the wild as other nature lovers might have been. "It had a greater chance then if it had stayed in Appleloosa. Not much more anypony could have done for it." Starting to unwind again, he smiled as he decided to change the subject a little to sate his own curiosity. "Well, since you asked me the story behind my mark, I feel it is only fair that I can ask you how you gained yours. I mean, I doubt you earned it by staring at the sun for three hours and not going blind." He chuckled softly, abandoning all pretense of her being royalty as he asked "How long did it take Luna to make a joke about how you believed the sun shone out of your flank?"

Strong Copper watched the interaction between Celestia and one of her numerous servants (whom he was assuming was named Silver, unless she had gotten their name wrong at some point and they simply never corrected her... which, now that he thought about and took into considering who she was, it was a legit possibility and... kind of sad), he seemed to perk up a little in his seat; Not just at her compliment, but also because a rather delicious smelling tray of apple products had been presented to both of them. "Story of how I got my cutie mark... alright." Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself to tell a story he had told before but never minded sharing again. "Well as I'm sure you know, Canterlot doesn't really have many dangerous animals that don't live in the zoo or make their homes in the sewers and underground chambers where the alchemist run offs end up, so I was somewhat late when it came to earning my cutie mark. I was actually visiting a cousin in Appleloosa when the town fell under siege. At the time no pony knew what it was because no one had ever seen it directly, but during the night the town was filled with unearthly howls, bone chilling roars, what sounded like the screams of ponies in terrible pain and other noises that I honestly cannot describe." "Ponies weren't able to sleep, attempts to locate the source of the noise failed and everypony had the sense that something was watching them... waiting for them to be alone somewhere that nopony else could see or help them before striking; So you can imagine that everypony was on edge and paranoid." Pausing for dramatic effect, Copper couldn't help but bashfully smile. "Now, even back then I had always loved researching animals, myths and the supernatural but watching what was happening caused something to tug at the back of my mind... as if I had read about something like this before. I had brought a couple of my books with me for some late night and train reading so I sat down and starting looking through them until I found what I was looking for. What I was seeing matched the hunting habits or a Taraxippus." For a moment Copper paused as he gazed at Celestia, the look on his face debating if he should explain what such a creature was or if she already knew and doing so would be an insult to her intelligence. After his moment, he seemed to come to a conclusion that since she was the ruler of a nation, she likely had plenty of things that needed her attention and knowledge of a rare creature like a Taraxippus didn't have to come up much. "A Taraxippus is a rare solitary hunter that feeds on the emotions of fear and terror and thus works to maximize those emotions in a given location. There is a sub species of them informally called 'horror movie monsters' that also eat meat and will add killing and eating ponies. Not because it actually gives them much in the way of substance, but to instill greater levels of terror in their remaining prey." Despite the horrible nature of this sub-species, Copper didn't seem that bothered by it. In fact, he seemed to hold some respect for what seemed to be a logical decision for a predator that fed on fear to take. "Thankfully, the one in Appleloosa was just a normal member of the species. Nopony was dying, just scared out of their wits end. After figuring out what we were dealing with, I started talking with my cousin and between the two of us, we managed to come up with a plan that was solid enough to convince everypony else to get on board with. A taraxippus is a stealthy creature because... well, few things are more frightening then an unknown threat. So our plan was to use a series of bright lights and co-ordinate patrols to slowly box it in; Subtly guiding the path it was taking at first, but in the end managing to pin it down in the middle of town. We managed to capture it and display it for everypony to see for themselves and while I was explaining to them what it was and why they shouldn't be afraid of it anymore, my mark appeared." Smiling at the memory, Copper paused for a moment as something occurred to him. "I... actually don't know what happened to it afterwards. After everyone had gotten a good look at it, the mayor of Appleloosa and a couple of ponies said they would take care of it and I never saw it again after they took it away. Didn't really think about it at the time because... well, just earned my cutie mark and I had been running on little sleep so I was just glad to finally fall into bed and get some well deserved shut eye. Do you know what ended up happening with it?"

Finding himself relaxing a little despite the location... and the company... and honestly the whole situation in general, Strong Copper couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Well, I figure part of it is because that I don't really gain anything from trying to mislead you. I'm neither a politician, lobbying you for anything or some noble trying to improve me social standing. Worse case, even if you didn't like me personally, it seems like you respect the work I do enough that you wouldn't allow yourself to effect your professionalism... Which if I'm going to be honest is rather refreshing." Her question about himself caught him... somewhat off guard. Not because he had anything to hide or anything, but as he quickly asked "When you say 'describe yourself', what do you mean? How do I describe the things that I do? How I've come to be the pony I am?" Clearly, having a jumping off point would help him tremendously.

"I'm not saying that your guards wouldn't have noticed some of the things that I did. But there was the risk that they might have missed something so..." Trailing off a little, Strong Copper actually blushed a little as he glanced sideways, his tail flicking himself him as he felt... well, rather overwhelmed by the fact that somepony as important and famous as Celestia could appreciate the work he did and why he did it. Taking a deep breath, he smiled a little as he made himself look back up at her. "Thank you for the compliment." While his smile had started off honest and heartfelt, it quickly changed into something... awkward as he tapped a hoof on the table as he fidgeted. "I would go into how much I respect you and the work you do but... let's be honest, I'm pretty sure you've heard such things from so many over the years that it must all just be white noise in the background by now, huh?" A small part of him had felt like he had committed a social sin by saying such a thing to one of the Princesses of Equestria... but having crossed that line he felt strangely... liberated in turn. "For what it's worth, I do feel horrible about interrupting your quiet moment like this. Having grown up in Canterlot, I would like to think that I have a feint idea of just what kind of false friends, sucks ups and leeches much strive for your attention every moment of every day... But I know I couldn't know the half of it. I have never been in a position that they would bother to try and suck up to me for anything and I don't risk making headline news or risk a political incident if I tell somepony to go buck themselves. So if you want to tell me to get lost so you can go back to enjoying your quiet moment and cake, I promise you now that it would just be between the two of us." The last part was said with a friendly smile again; The smile of someone who knew how annoying ponies could be and wouldn't hold it against her if she wanted to vent a little towards someone who wouldn't use it against her.

As Strong Copper rose out of his bow, he fought to contain a wince while trying to resist reaching for his tender side to rub it. Mentally he told himself over and over again that the pain, like everything else, would pass as he accepted the offer of his ruler and accepted the seat opposite her without ceremony. "I thank you for the kind words, but I confess that I don't do what I do out of a desire to protect ponies. I do what I do because if I didn't, frightened, angry and selfish beings would try and handle the situation their way and all that path leads to is needless death and strife as either they successfully kill a creature that just wants to survive like they do or they discover that they lack the tools and knowledge to accomplish their ambitions and ponies die. No one wins in that situation." While there was clearly a somberness in his voice, he closed his eyes for a moment before shaking the feeling out of his head... or trying to as he tried to change the subject. "I'm sure that you're guards have made you aware of a pick pocket that they apprehended earlier who put up a fight. I don't know who he is or what you've been told, but that pony is not a pick pocket." As he spoke, his words were deathly serious as he gazed upon his monarch. "I don't know what he is, but he is dangerous. That fight with the guards was a calculated move on his part for some grander scheme and I don't what it is. A diversion maybe?" He quickly suggested, unable to think of what other possible benefit such a fight could bring as he fell silent to see how Celestia responded to his dire warning.

As his minutes long search finally came to an end, Strong Copper slowed his hoot steps as he gazed upon one of the highest ranked and most important ponies in Equestrian history. Knock on wood, if the Princess of the Sun was to die in that very second the legacy of her rule that had lasted for more than a thousand years would endure... even if Equestria itself was to fall apart, her rule would turn from history into myth and legend, the three intermingling with each other so much that those who come after would have to spend decades and possibly lifetimes trying to unravel the mystery of which is fact or fiction. And right now, Copper was going to walk up to her and interrupt a quiet moment she had to herself. He knew how annoying that could be, but he also knew that he might not ever get the chance to catch her without the various crowd of suck ups, hangers on, toadies, spineless yes ponies, associates, guards or friends again. He had only wanted to find her in order to show his appreciation for the invitation anyway... Maybe if he just went up, said thank you and waited to see her response before politely excusing himself and letting her enjoy her cake? If she wanted him to stay and chat, she could always ask him to. Taking a deep breath, he walked up to the table that his monarch was seated at before offering her a polite, if unpracticed bow. "I am sorry to interrupt this quiet moment Princess Celestia, but I wanted to take this chance to thank you for deeming me worthy of personally inviting me to this wonderful event."

"I would join the toast but I don't have a glass with me right..." Strong Copper started... before he was somewhat rudely interrupted by the a brawl that had started up between the earth pony he had seen earlier (whom had seemed to have been proven to be a pick pocket) and several of the guard. The whole process seemed... off somehow. Copper would have been the first to admit that he wasn't an expert on the thought processes of others, but as he watched the scene unfold he couldn't help but feel that there was a great deal of wrongness to what he was witnessing. For starters, the fact that a fight had happened at all; The few times he had seen a pick pocket get caught in the act (which was less then the number of hooves he owned), said pick pocket either ran if they could or surrendered peacefully if escape wasn't an option. Steal a wallet and get caught, if you submit peacefully you might just get a fine and a slap on the hoof; Break a jaw and you were going to jail. The fact that the ponies assaulted were royal guards only added to the strangeness of the whole thing. It clearly hadn't been an action taken in a moment of panic either, since the earth pony had been quiet cool and calculated in both his strikes and intent. For Celestia's sake, one of his leg bones had been broken and he didn't even cry out in pain! That just... that wasn't something that living beings could do on their own without some kind of magic, serious pain killers or some kind of serious marital training to the extent that a broken bone doesn't even phase you. Which raised the question as to why some seemingly random earth pony pick pocket would have access to any of those three. As Survivor excused himself to go hang out with his... squirrel friend, Copper turned to Blue as he politely said "I should get going. If nothing else, I have a princess I need to thank for inviting me and it would be rude if I put that off any longer. Enjoy your evening." With a respectful bow of his hand and placing his empty glass back on the bar, he turned to stroll off to look around and see if he could find the hostess that had mysteriously invited him to her party.

When Survivor mentioned the idea that what he did was valorous, Strong Copper couldn't help but chuckle as if he had been told an amusing joke. "Oh, it isn't as glim and glamorous as some ponies believe. It's actually incredibly rare that a creature proves hostile enough to warrant such... 'glorious' measures." The word glorious was spat with some degree of disgust. He had seen death, pain and suffering before but he had never once laid his eyes on glory or felt the thrill that big game hunters boasted about. "The few times the situation got to that point, the creature involved either had already gained a taste for the blood and flesh of the local inhabitants of the settlement and was thus too dangerous to try and relocate somewhere else out of concerns that it would actively hunt for a new town or busy road for food, or has been driven completely rabid by illness and is generally so far gone by that point that putting it down is a mercy." Was it instinct or a phantom pain that caused Strong Copper to reach up and gently rub his side with a small wince on his face? Truthfully he wasn't sure. "I'm sure you would have already figured this out on your own, but I feel like I should mention it anyway. Pay attention to signs of contagious plagues in the area when dealing with animals. I rather recently got called out to a town because there was a rabies outbreak and several pets who were suspected to have had the illness had disappeared, assumed to have run off into the wilderness nearby and some ponies wanted their pets recaptured before it was to late to try and treat them, or at the very least put down as quickly and painlessly as possible if not. As I later found out shortly after arriving, at least one of them ran afoul of a manticore that had been living out in the wilds that the ponies knew about and wisely stayed away from." Strong Copper shuddered, bad memories flashing anew in his mind as he got lost in his story, telling it without really paying attention to those nearby to see just how many were listening in. "I'm not sure how much you know about rabies, but it is a nasty thing. By its nature to makes those infected with it super aggressive, but it also drives them insane with fear, pain and rage while having the side effect of numbing the victims body. It effectively turns an animal that just wants to survive comfortably into a rabid machine of death and destruction that will lash out at everything that crosses its path until it dies. It's bad enough when an animal like a dog gets infected but I honestly hope that I will never bare witness to an infected manticore ever again... or that anyone else has to face that either."

"The bartender did warn me that it had weird effects on magic users. All in all, could have been a lot worse." Strong Copper answered back with a small shrug. The mint leaf was politely accepted and floated onto his plate of goodies, resting on some of the cream in order to give it just a little bit more flavor to enjoy. As he continued to listen to Survivor explain himself, Copper continued to listen intently, but it was somewhat clear from the way that he held himself that his interest appeared to be professional rather then that of a fan boy. "See, you and I work in a similar field. However, my field expertise comes more in handy in situations were the wild and more urban meet and mingle..." As he continued, Copper rose his front right hoof off the floor to make a somewhat offering gesture "For example, if a group of ponies set up a settlement within the territory of a creature or if a creature moves into an area where it can pose a threat to the local inhabitants. Understanding what you're dealing with, what its motivations for doing the things it's doing are and its capabilities can prove invulnerable in a potentially dangerous situation." As his hoof returned to the floor, the smile on Copper's face faded from his expression into a somewhat more... neutral look. His tone lacked joy as well, but instead had been replaced with a steely determination of a task that wasn't enjoyable, but sometimes had to be done none the less "And if the situation calls for it, the knowledge of how to harm it, drive it away or kill it can save a lot of lives."

"My shoes are to tight. But that doesn't matter, for I have forgotten how to dance..." Strong Copper trailed off again, his gaze unfocused once more as he spoke with a... strange melancholy and mournful tone to his voice that would have seemed more at home to a pony much, much older then him. The moment passed through, his head shaking again as he refocused on the here and now with... a great deal of confusion in his eyes that echoed through his body; As if he had just been introduced to an idea that he didn't understand or have the context for. Waving off the bartender with a small smile at his concern, he turned his attention towards the pony with the surprisingly strange tail that he was kicking himself for not noticing sooner and the new brown pony that had arrived to join them. As he listened to their conversation, he suddenly perked up as he joined the conversation at last. "The Everfree Expedition? I remember reading that in an attempt to get some new insight on some of the creatures that lived in the Everfree Forest and seeing how they differed from their counterparts from elsewhere. While I've never had the benefit of being on such friendly terms with animals, you clearly know your stuff well enough that I was able to gleam a few useful tidbits here and there." Offering the stallion a hoof to be bumped, he smiled as he introduced himself as "Strong Copper. Nice to meet you."

For a moment, Strong Copper simply stood very still after swallowing down his shot glass of the pink liquid. His gaze grew somewhat unfocused as they started to light up with an unnatural glow, his mouth opening and closing for a moment as he muttered with a forlorn voice "There comes a time when you look into the mirror and what you see is all you will ever see. And you accept it, or your kill yourself. Or you stop looking in mirrors." before he suddenly jerked his head, shaking it side to side as the glow faded and he seemed to be perfectly normal again. "Buck me, that had a serious kick to it..." Turning to look between the tender and the blue stallion, he blinked in confusion as he asked "Sorry, I kind of faded out there for a moment. What did you say?" before he felt the urge to magic a slice of apple into his mouth. He didn't know why, but he felt strangely hungry... and sad about something he didn't quiet understand anymore and he really needed something to eat to try and fill the void.

Strong Copper took a deep breath as he stared at the small shot glass of the pink, clearly magical liquid that was apparently created by the Alicorn sisters for the Alicorn sisters. To say that the beverage had a daunting origin and a possibly even more terrifying hangover would have been an understatement... but it was only a small amount right? It wasn't like he was going to jump into the deep end and swig the whole frigging bottle by himself (He kind of suspected that was a surprisingly high class method of suicide, but suicide none the less). A nervous gulp escaped him as his magic took hold of the glass and lifting it up as he made a mock toast with the blue stallion that seemed to have joined him in this foolery. "May we not live to regret this decision, whatever form that may take." With his possibly final words uttered, he downed his glass and swallowed quickly. He didn't know what flavor this was going to be or how strong it was, but hopefully it would go down without a hitch.