//------------------------------//
//  Brother's Heartbeat, Embracing Forgiveness, and Prelude to Republic Counterattack. 
// Story: Joy of hidden Love and the Wrath of Lust. 
// by FoxofRarity 
//------------------------------//

 
Joy of hidden Love and the Wrath of Lust.

By. FoxofRarity

Chapter. 49

Disclaimer- Arthur's note at end. My Little Pony Friendship is Magic belongs to Hasbro and Lauren Faust. 


The whole body of the stallion who came down from the sky shined brightly, the white light is whiter than snow and his eyes are glowing a beautiful grayish purple. 

Rarity gasped in awe, this is something she’ll read in books or hear in one of Rainbow Dash’s not so scary campfire stories. 

Twilight didn’t want to believe what she’s seeing. The second dream she had is coming true! So that means the other two dreams with Fluttershy and Princess Celestia will come true too, but Gold Sky hasn’t said the words he spoke in the dream. So unless he says those words than perhaps her dream is only true about his return. 
“You…! You can’t be, you just can’t be!” Twilight took a step back. 

The stallion stood up on his hind legs and his wings shot out glowing brighter than the rest of his body. A powerful whinny from the stallion echoed everywhere but then something majestic came forth when the stallion opened his mouth to speak words in a tongue that cannot be understood. 

“*Native tongue!*” His words made every ambient sound of nature go quiet. 

Twilight slowly picked up the loud rushing noise of wind tearing the leaves off the trees behind Rarity and an angelic Gold Sky. “Impossible…” The glowing eyes stared directly at her and she can feel the gaze. 

“*Native tongue!!*” The long flowing hair of the stallion flew all over his face as the wind blew past him. 

Twilight can see grass being ripped off the ground. The clarity became completely distorted while the rushing sound turned into the noise of a speeding locomotive. Gold Sky is attacking her with the Wind. Twilight now understands what Ponies of Wind mean.  

The immensely powerful gust of wind struck Twilight like a brick wall, she went through trees, boulders, and hills. Twilight quickly healed before another gust struck her again. “This is not possible! Gold Sky is a weakling! How can he suddenly have such pow…oh my Celestia! H-h-he just came down from the Other Side! He's truly alive! This isn’t just his spirit coming down to protect Rarity and then go back to the heavenly paradise, this is truly Gold Sky! *Gasp* The Razor! No, if he is the Razor he should be attacking me by now and trying to rip my horn off. I must get back home!” 
*Poof!* 
Twilight teleported before another gust of wind struck her with the force to pull a fully grown sequoia out of the ground. 
The stallion dropped down to all fours, he folded his wings back to his body. The brightness that shined brightly became dimmer until finally he stopped glowing with angelic majesty. 

Rarity grunted in pain as she tried to move. Whoever this stallion is he could be dangerous, she needs to get away from this stallion. 

Gold Sky turned around to look at Rarity while forcibly hoping her mind has not been erased but in his temporary glory he failed to recognize that Twilight is the pony who Rarity was fighting. Carefully with coldness running all over his resurrected body Gold Sky approached Rarity. 

“Please don’t hurt me! Please don’t hurt me!” Rarity backed away from the stallion that came down from the sky. 

The stallion reached out to her. “*Native tongue.*” 

Rarity couldn’t hear what the stallion is saying to her because all she wants is to do is get away from this stallion, however as she backpedaled she stepped on a silver horseshoe and tripped. “AHHH!!!” Her pain is great. 

Gold Sky continued approaching Rarity. “*Native tongue.*” 

“Please I’m begging you don’t…what…?” That voice. 

“*Native tongue.*” Gold Sky stands near Rarity. 

“W-what.” The voice of that stallion sounds so full of Love. 

“*Native Tongue.*” Gold Sky does not know he is speaking in his native tongue. 

“What? Ahhh.” Rarity covered her left side; a rib moved about in there causing her azure eyes to tear up.

“Rarity please don’t cry!” Gold Sky said in his mind so he stopped approaching her. 

“Mintankala.” He said softly. 

Rarity looked at the stallion, his voice sounds so familiar. “You sound, what?” Now that she listening to the stallion her heart is feeling warm with the possibility of the impossible happening.

“Mintankala sore wada mihi.” Gold Sky carefully got to his knees to reassure Rarity she has nothing to be afraid of because he’s here to protect and tell her it’s him in the flesh & bone. 

From the heavens a bright light shined brighter than the sun itself. Gold Sky looked up to the light while Rarity cannot see it. 

Lauren appeared hovering above the stallion. “Gold Sky, you are speaking to her in your native tongue, she does not understand what you are saying.”  With that said Lauren went back to the heavenly paradise. 

“Oh!” Gold Sky closed his eyes to take a deep breath. “Rarity, my sister, it’s me. Gold Sky.” 

Rarity’s eyes widened, that is his voice. “I-it can’t, y-y-you perished.” 

Hearing this did not stop him; he knew denial will be prevalent. How can Rarity just believe it’s him even after seeing him come down from the sky and protect her from the pony who wanted to hurt her. 

“Rarity it is me. I ran across the whole universe to protect you.” True words, but to say that will only induce thoughts in Rarity’s mind that this stallion is totally delusional. 

“Stay away from me whoever you are. You are not Gold Sky so stay away from me! Stay away!” Rarity’s horn glowed. 

Gold Sky stopped. No matter what he says Rarity will not believe him unless he finds the right words. Luckily he always stores loving moments in the core of his mind. 

“Rarity you’re beautiful. Who else is the fairest of them all…besides Octavia.” Gold Sky suddenly felt a shockwave run about his body after saying Octavia’s name. “Rarity first.” 

Instantly in Rarity’s mind she accepts that this stallion truly is her brother. “Gold Sky…come close.” 

Gold Sky obeyed. 

Rarity reached out to touch Gold Sky’s face. “It is you, AH!” Rarity fought back tears. 

“Are you hurt!?” Gold Sky gently placed a hoof on Rarity’s shoulder.

“Yes. I-I need to get home.” Rarity spoke through her gritting teeth. 

“Please stay still, I’ll get you home.” Gold Sky placed a wing over Rarity, in his mind he pictured Rarity’s room. “Jump.” 

*Poof*

Rarity and Gold Sky appeared in her room. Gold Sky’s horn glowed, carefully with intense concentration and sweat running heavily down his brows Gold Sky used his magic to pick up Rarity while making sure not to have any of her upper limbs move out of the risk for excruciating pain to stab her nerves.  It took Gold Sky thirty minutes to place Rarity on her bed. “There, a nice little landing, it would have been better if you were on my back, no?” 

Rarity giggled lightly until she noticed something sparkling coming out of Gold Sky’s nostrils. “Gold Sky! Your nose is bleeding!” 

“What?” Gold Sky wiped his nose with a hoof. Sparkling blood covered his hoof. “I just got home and already I’m shedding blood.” He figured this has to do with his magic usage, since he barley uses his magic his body is not used to heavy precise magical application like right now. 

“Don’t worry about me Rarity, right now we have to worry about you. Now do you have a first aid kit?” 

Rarity searched around in her mind while ignoring the pain. “Yes, I think there should be one in my work room above my desk.” 

Gold Sky ran to her work room, grabbed the first aid kit with his teeth, and just yanked it off the wall. “Uh oh! Uhhhh…I should have maybe a unpolished diamond or two to pay her for the damage.” Blood diamonds, given to him by the now long dead Chieftain of the United Zebra clans. 

Gold Sky came back to Rarity along with a glass of water. “Here drink.” Rarity’s magic took hold of the glass. He opened up the first aid kit to find what he’s looking for, which he did. 

“Oooh perfect, perfect, perfect!”  Gold Sky levitated a twenty CC syringe.  

Rarity dropped the glass at the sight of the syringe with a long needle. “G-G-G-Gold Sky wh-what are you doing with that!?” She nervously asked. 

Gold Sky tapped the vein on his neck a few times so it can bulge out. “My blood will heal you no matter how great the damage to your body is, plus you will get tissue regeneration which means your body will rapidly heal itself, and on a side note it also protects you from any disease. New, old, and yet to come. Heh that almost rhymes” The needle went inside his vein filling the syringe with his sparkling blood.  “This is four times the amount I gave to Twilight but still way less than the amount I gave to my dearest Octavia. I hope maybe I can see her even though she will not remember me but at least I can watch over her as she lives her life to the fullest.”

Rarity still looked at the syringe with really wide eyes. “Gold Sky I don’t know…” Gold Sky shushed her. 

“Rarity, do you trust me?” 

The azure looked down with guilt for questioning the stallion she trusts very, very much. Rarity nodded. 


“All right you’ll feel a little sting, but almost immediately the pain shall disappear.” Gold Sky injected his blood into his sister. 

Just like he said the pain went away and could practically feel her body being healed, ribs being fused back to the rib cage, her ruptured kidney healed, bruises gone, and a warm tingling traveling through her whole body. 

Gold Sky stepped back three yards. “Come to me Rarity.” After saying those words Gold Sky extended his arms.

Rarity first touched the left side of her lower chest and felt no pain. Step by step she got off her bed and walked into Gold Sky’s arms to be embraced. 

Gold Sky squeezed her a little too tight. “Rarity, sister, I’m sorry…I missed you!” 

Rarity cannot say anything because she can’t think of anything other than to ask him how did come back if he perished in Octavia’s arms. “Gold Sky why are you apologizing?” 

“I love you…” Already so soon he began to cry with real tears. “Where’s Gilda. Where’s Sweetie Belle? Where’s Rainbow Dash? Where’s Mother? Where’s Luna? Where’s Nurse Redheart? Where’s Big Macintosh? Where’s Derpy? Rarity please tell me nothing bad has happened to them while I was away in the heavenly paradise.”  Being away from all them had an effect on him, most of them know about his death but does dear little Sweetie Belle know? That is something he hopes didn’t occur, even though he does not believe in hope. But sometimes in rare cases he does have hope only if he can physically see an outcome that will fall in his favor. 

“Mother? Why will he say mother if his mother died? Also why will he ask about Gilda? She wasn’t very nice.” Rarity thought that before thinking that Gold Sky is asking her the wrong question before asking her all those questions. “How come he hasn’t asked me about Octavia? Something is wrong really wrong?” 

Rarity pulled back from Gold Sky to look into his loving teal eyes. Now that the pain is gone she can now focus on Gold Sky. At looking into his eyes she got the surprise of her life. “Gold Sky!” She gasped.

“What?” 

“Your e-eyes th-their different…!” Now she noticed his long flowing darker than night hair. “Oh my! Your hair is not brown anymore it’s black and long!!”  

Gold Sky quickly got up which caused Rarity to fall flat on the floor. “Oh! Little rude of you.”

He looked into the mirror to see his changed reflection; Gold Sky touched his long black hair. An image of his birth father, Silver Wind, appeared before his eyes. 
*Flashback to before Gold Sky was one year old.* 

“Daddy, why do you have such long hair? Were you a mare before?” 

Silver Wind smiled to that question. “My hair is long because that is who I am my son.”

The innocent mind of a child can’t always distinguish between the connections of seen physical appearance and imagination. “So you were a mare before you met mommy?” 

“Hehehe, no son I’m not a mare now and not a mare back then. You see my son my hair is long because I’m Chero. Everypony who is Chero has long long hair including the stallions like me, your daddy, it’s a characteristic that sets us apart from all the other ponies.” 

Gold Sky grabbed his daddy’s hair and then placed a hoof on his head. “Do I have hair like you daddy?” 

“No my little Gold Sky, you don’t have my hair. You got mommy’s hair.” Silver Wind pointed at Sylva. 

Gold Sky looked to his birth mommy. 
“Mommy!!” Gold Sky ran to give her a hug.  “Mommy, daddy says I got your hair.” 

Sylva hugged her son. “Of course you do Gold Sky.” A small mirror levitated in front of them. “Look at your hair Gold Sky, it’s brown like mine.”  

Gold Sky touched the mirror; his young mind slowly got the picture that his hair is not like daddy’s. Which means he won’t be a mare.  
A child has an innocent mind. 

“Mommy, I got your hair! I got your hair!” Gold Sky jumped up and down knowing that he has the hair of one of his parents. 

“Of course you do my son.” Sylva picked him up to shower him with kisses. 

*End of an age of innocence.*

“Black like my birth father’s hair.” Gold Sky said loudly. 

“Birth father?”  Rarity looked at Gold Sky with a tilt to her head. 

Gold Sky moved his head closer to the mirror to look at his no longer teal eyes. The pinkness from the tears disappeared. “My eyes, they’re like mother’s.”  An image of Princess Celestia flashed before him. In his mind right now, Celestia’s motherly voice is playing.  “I got mother’s magenta eyes.” 

“Gold Sky who are talking about by saying mother?” Rarity remembered when she first met Gold Sky, he showed her and Rainbow Dash the history of his parents by taking them into the galaxy of his mind.

“Celli…” 

Rarity stood up to process what Gold Sky just said. 

Gold Sky turned back around to lay his magenta eyes on Rarity. “I’m alive Rarity…I’m alive. Alive again, my heart is beating once more and yet I can’t find my pulse. I’m alive, I-I’m alive. Gold Sky took a few steps to hug Rarity again but began to stagger.

“Gold Sky?” Rarity said in a cautious tone. 

The Alicorn lost the perception of the reality going on around him, blackness surrounded him with a soft touch, while Rarity’s beyond beautiful voice echoed, and Octavia teleported in front of him. “Gold Sky my love. Everything will be alright, please don’t be afraid of what is yet to happen to you.” 

“Rarity I-I l-love yoooooooooo…” Gold Sky pasted out. 

“Oh dear.” Rarity picked up Gold Sky with her magic and placed him on her bed, after which she passed her hoof over his hair and then down to his face. “Gold Sky, you don’t know how happy I am to see you.” Rarity lovingly bent down and kissed him on the forehead. “I love you little brother.” 

Rarity scooted back to place a blanket on Gold Sky. “There you go Gold Sky.” Rarity placed her hoof on the left side of his chest to give him a pat or two… “Huh?” Rarity looked closely at his chest. 

She felt a long scar over his heart. “Where the spear came out.”  Her horn glowed to put Gold Sky on his side in order to get a good look at his back, her hoof felt his other scar. “Where the spear went in.” 

Rarity sat down by the bed watching Gold Sky breathe, she cannot understand why in world Gold Sky has not asked her about Octavia. She thought whether if at his death his mind got a clean slate but that possibility contradicts itself because Gold Sky came to protect her and knows her name or maybe coming back to life repressed some memories in Gold Sky’s mind so with the right stimuli he could regain the memories of Octavia. 

After a few minutes seeing his chest rise up and down, she gave in to curiosity. Rarity placed her ear over his heart. 

His heartbeat is soft, calm, slow, and yet very strong, a strong heartbeat that she can even feel it. The rhythmic heartbeat matches Octavia’s flawless musical beauty whenever she performs on stage or teaching children and sometimes adults how to play the cello, Rarity closed her eyes to sync every memory she has of her, Sweetie Belle, and Gold Sky to the strong heartbeat. 

“No matter what happens between the three of us, we will always be a family.”  Rarity allowed a tear to run down from her eye and land on Gold Sky’s scar. 

“New scars to your collection brother.”  Rarity kissed Gold Sky on the forehead again and fell asleep. 

In the same room, standing invisible to the magenta and azure eyes, stood Yahshua, he opened up his left hand where the three memories he took out of Gold Sky’s mind hovered in midair as a glowing black orb. “My son once I give you back these memories it is up to you to choose to give in to the instincts that separate you, an immortal from the mortals. You as an immortal never once thought of giving in to retribution but now you might consider it, still it is as I said your choice. So now my son now that you know what your purpose is in this world, go and let the truths you have held back for many years flow from your lips so your heart can love to its fullest duty. Oh and please stop being afraid of Cadance. You two are much closer than you realize.” 

Yahshua poured the memories back inside the core of Gold Sky’s mind. “My son may you choose to be what you are and ignore what you’re not.” Yahshura passed his hand over Gold Sky’s forehead and went back to the heavenly paradise. 

Gold Sky’s beating at the hooves of Applejack, his torture by Samier, and his rape by Augustus Vincent & Victorious Ayla will be scratching the chains that hold down the Razor.   

In his first night back alive on earth he’s having nightmares of Applejack’s cruelty, Samier’s sadistic torture, and being raped. He cannot remember who but can only remember the pain.  

***
Touched by the light of the moon the gray mare wiped away her last tear before succumbing to sleep, for past nights she has cried herself to sleep despite knowing that the day will come that she will completely become numb to Gold Sky. A mother must ignores the past to focus on the present. 

With eyes closed Octavia slept while the little beating heart of the developing child inside her womb glowed brightly with every heartbeat. 

The child’s heart glows for h** daddy.

***


Twilight called out for Spike only to be answered with silence either way his absence didn’t deter her from getting the books she needs.

“Uhhh I need to find those books, books on the Divine, Black Magic, Resurrection, the Chero, air manipulation , the Other side, Heavenly Paradise and Eternal damnation!” Twilight created a mess that Spike will have to clean up in the morning when he comes home.  

Twilight opened up the book about the Divine Trinity. “Ok so the Great Spirit created Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. While the Son created Cadance…hmm, I guess Celestia misspoke when she said that the Great Spirit created Cadance. But what about Gold Sky? He’s an Alicorn like them but it doesn’t say if he was created by the Great Spirit or the Son, AH! If only I had an updated version of this book!!” Twilight threw the book back in the shelf but it fell to the floor. “From the heavens he came down, given a second chance but for what? Resurrection is given for a purpose, hmmm, was saving Rarity his purpose. No it can’t because he’s already did that. Hmmm, or is it finally tapping into his powerful magic and be great like me? Ha! That’s something I know he won’t be coming back to life for. Think Twilight think, what will drive a beautiful weak creature like Gold Sky to leave the heavenly paradise and come back to the mess he’s in here on earth??” Twilight slouched back on her chair and looked at the book about the once great Chero, she skimped through each page reading a line here and a line there. “The Chero were once a glorious tribe with great power that rivaled the power of the Pure Alicorn Trinity but the tribe being one of complete Love & Peace never abused their power.  Love & Peace I guess that’s why Gold Sky is such a pacifist, anyway the tribe mostly consisted of Earth ponies and Pegasi, skipping that, hey what’s this? The Chero are called the Ponies of the Wind because they have the ability to control the wind even though they were only Earth Ponies and Pegasi, whoa, I didn’t know they can do that. The Chero always lived in peace but despite this they kept their guard up by creating a fighting style that cannot be practiced by outsiders because this unique fighting style is passed down genetically from generation to generation.” Twilight’s ears perked up. “Wait a minute than that means that I…oh, only those who have been born with pure Chero blood will know this unique fighting style. Ok blah, blah, blah skipping their cuisine, customs, language, ah this looks important. After living thousands of years in prosperity the Tribe slowly fell apart when they began to scatter all over Equestria and little by little forget their customs, identity, pure bloodlines and unity. All the elders died and with that came the end of the keepers of Chero history. There are very few Chero left and perhaps soon the complete extinction of the Chero will come. However the legacy of the Chero will never vanish from the earth because the Chero are one with the earth, so when they die their bodies do not rot away like the outsider ponies, instead their bodies & souls join the earth by becoming a part of the seasons, air, fire, water, and earth.” Twilight looked at the candle on her table before shrugging off a thought that she’s near a Chero. “Ok so Gold Sky became part of the earth but now he’s back with a purpose. How can figuring out the purpose of some weak Alicorn so hard when I was able to create cold fusion reactor by finding a use for the heavy water the leaks out of my faucet! UGH! Damn that nice looking weak Alicorn!” Truth be told Twilight finds Gold Sky’s kind of cute because of his humble nature and his sort of curvy body. Twilight flipped a few more pages. 

“Hey it talks about the Razor! Even though the Chero never had any enemies they advertently along with their unique fighting style harnessed the power of anger which will make the pony lose all form of emotion and restraint. Of course a Chero will become a Razor to protect the ponies he/she loves dearly, as the Razor that pony will be unstoppable and can only be stopped by a loved one he/she is protecting. Well Gold Sky became the Razor after he thought Octavia died, sad when he should have been the Razor when we fought. So since Gold Sky is filled with Love I guess love just initiated the process of becoming the Razor which once the Razor, anger took over. Back to the book, the Razor will not hesitate to use tremendous force nor will it shy away from spilling blood to prote…SON OF A FRAKKEN MARE!!!” (Good thing Princess Celestia is not standing next to Twilight right now.) 

Twilight finally figured out Gold Sky’s purpose.  

“Octavia! His wife and his unborn child!! HAHAHA! His purpose to come back from the Other Side, is to be with his wife and child! Being a father, I mean daddy! Don’t know why he doesn’t like the word father and much more prefers the affectionate name that young children will say. But back to topic, Gold Sky came back because of his love for Octavia!! Huuuuh, if that may be then I wonder why he came to protect Rarity first. Sure Celli told me that he will be mad if somepony hurts Rarity but still will not mean he’ll come back for her. Either way if he uses his telepathy and finds out what I did to my dear Rarity he might become the Razor again and come after…or much worse what if he finds out that it was I who made Octavia call out to him. Uh oh!” Twilight checked the book to see if there’s anything worse than the Razor but instead found a much more simplified explanation about the Razor. 

Just the like edge of the blade has no emotion when it cuts through anything the Razor becomes like the blade by losing emotion which will otherwise make others hold back. 

Twilight closed the book and let out a sigh. Now she has to worry about Gold Sky too. Two ponies she’ll have to take care of. Fluttershy and Gold Sky. 

Both of which she dreamt about.

“Well there’s one way I think will be effective against Gold Sky, I will need to shatter him. Not physically though but mentally. Erase the memories he has of Octavia and put me in there and oh boy that ought shatter him good like placing a hot glass cup on a cold counter. And for Fluttershy I will need to really need to dig deep into her rationale.” Twilight decided to ignore Spike for the time being. She’s got a bigger fish to fry so it will be wise to deal with Gold Sky or Fluttershy first. 

Twilight closed all the books on her table. Everything now hangs by a thread thanks to that Gold Sky who just came down when she was so close to accomplish her plans. 

Twilight will shatter Gold Sky. 	
To be with the mare she loves.

***
In the Griffon Republic. 

The single mother sat down on the bed where her only child, her only son used to sleep. Resting on her lap is her son’s favorite bed time story, Charlotte the Turtle, the mother read that book to her son every night even when her son entered adolescence. Nonetheless, he’ll still ask her to read him how Charlotte beat Felix Fox in a hundred yard race.
“Mommy, mommy, please read me Charlotte, please read me Charlotte! - Mom can you please read me Charlotte the turtle. - Mother may you please read me my favorite story.”  From a child, to adolescent, and to finally young adult, her son loved that story. 

The mother placed the book down and opened up the drawer of her son’s bedside table, she took out a pair of swimming goggles and a notebook where he loved to draw on. 
“When are we going to the pool!? I just can’t wait to dive in!” The mother remembered how her son enjoyed swimming, oh how many pairs of goggles she bought for him over the years. 

She opened up his notebook to look at his drawings that he’ll spend hours perfecting before showing them to her. Page by page, each one had a fragment of his mind. But one page stood out from the rest…his first drawing. It is of her with him. “Me and my mommy.” The mother read out loud. Her son drew her that picture for mother’s day. 

The mother returned the notebook and goggles back to the drawer. Her eyes started to tear up but she quickly blinked them away, not yet just not yet.

“He should have it in his closet.” The mother got off from the bed to open the closet door. She stood in front of the open closet to look at a plush pony on a shelf. 

Her son’s favorite toy until he reached adolescence. The plush pony is a white Unicorn with a purple mane, she gave it to him on his second birthday and instantly he loved it so much! The mother took hold of the plush Unicorn and turned around to lay her mourning eyes on a rug in front of her son’s bed. She can see him…not as a young adult but as her little boy playing with his favorite toy for hours and hours end. “Here we go mighty pony, it’s time for an adventure through the badlands of Yuka, uhhhh oh! Loki! Through the badlands of Yuka Loki!!”  A little smile formed in her lips at seeing this memory. “Oh my son how you loved playing with your favorite toy.” 

The mother turned her attention to his bed, unconsciously her mind made the light in the room turn into the soft darkness of the night. On the bed is her son falling asleep with his favorite toy in his arms, the mother is next him gently rubbing his head. “Good night my son.”  

“Night mommy.”   
The mother gave her son a goodnight kiss. “Sweet dreams” 

She hugged his plush Unicorn while fighting back more tears. “No…not yet.”

The mother had to leave her son’s room and she left the plush Unicorn on his bed. Once outside his room, her mind made her look at the dining room table for two. Maternal instinct created a living flashback of her little boy eating bowl after bowl of oatmeal while making a mess on his beak and face, while she will come with a napkin to clean him up and give him a kiss on the head as a reward for finishing his breakfast. 

The mother reached out for a napkin to clean her son’s beak but the living memory dissolved before she even had the chance to do so. More memories flooded her mind. “Is it time for suppie mommy! I want carrots and deer! Suppie was yummy, mommy! Mom can I please have some banana pancakes with some butter pecan syrup. Wow mother! You know how to cheer me up with that incredible potato soup you make.” 

“A mother always knows how to lift her son’s spirits.” The mother said loudly to the air as if she’s actually talking with her son.  “Oh…” 

It’s been one day ever since the messenger gave her that letter and her son’s dog tags. She could not sleep because how can she sleep when her son is in forever sleep? Through the tears and cries no one can provide her with comfort, not even her younger sister, favorite uncle, or godfather. They do not understand how it feels to lose an only child. 

The mother loses more than just her living heart, she loses her love, her will to see what the next day will bring, and reasons to get up from bed. She raised her boy all by herself because her good for nothing husband left her and got himself killed in a bar fight. Being a single mother did not stop her from raising her son in fact it empowered her in great lengths of her capability to Love. Especially when that day came when he showed her the document that said when his first day of training for the Griffon Republic Marine Corp will begin. 

In her mind her sadness made her feel guilty by allowing her son to enlist in the Marines but how in the world would she have known that this war will happen in his and her lifetime. Nevertheless, her son was everything to her…it is after all, Mother’s Love. A Love that is almost limitless and that limitless Love is what makes her heart free to be taken over by grief. 

And in that grief her memories played in her head.
The day her son hatched, February fourteenth at ten twenty three PM. 
Her son’s first words. 
Hearing Charlotte the Turtle for the first time.
His first flight.
Their first race to a cloud and she let him win by a nose. 
First day of school.
First drawing.
Having many friends. 
Meeting his girlfriend. 
And always loving his mother with all his heart. 

The mother remembered asking her son if he will get married before her hair starts getting gray. The son chuckled lightly and replied. “Be careful mother too much worry will make your hair gray sooner than expected.”  

The flashing of memories came to a halt on the last one…when she and her son spent their last minutes together. Her son stood in front of a large standing mirror putting on his armor along with checking every part of his protected body to make sure his armor is on properly. Meanwhile she stood by watching her son wipe his helmet with a cloth; she began to feel a little tense once her son was done donning his armor and carrying his shield. It is ten minutes before O’ Five hundred hours.

The son stood in front of his mother to remind her of how much he loves her. But the mother placed her hand on his cheek. “My son, I'm very proud of you to see in that armor however my son I love you very much and I want you to come back home as soon as this war is over. Please my son, promise me you will come home, safe and sound.” 

Her son took hold of her hand. “I promise mother. I promise you that I will come back and we can go visit the ponies in Equestria, I will propose to my girlfriend, get married, have children so you can have grandchildren, and hang my shield on the wall. I love you mother, I love you very, very much.”  He hugged his mother for the last time, kissed his mother for the last time, and looked at her for the last time before heading out the door and never coming back. 

The mother just fell to her knees, why her only son!? Why did her only son have to die when it could have been somebody else’s son! The mother slammed her fist on the floor, every emotion is set free and her heart is embraced with pain. 

The mother sobbed… “I love you m-my son…” 

In war one thing is true because one thing certain…

Mothers are always the first to weep for their sons. 
And nobody can console them.

***
In the palace kitchen and three minutes before Princess Celestia will wake up to raise the sun, Luna & Rainbow Dash made Celli a big cup of rich coffee with a touch of chocolate and with a secret ingredient. Oh boy oh boy oh boy, this little prank is sure to ruffle Celli’s feathers a bit. 

Quietly both mares sneaked into Celestia’s room to place the cup of smooth steaming coffee on Celesita’s bedside table. Luna blew at the steam so that its aroma will wake up Celli. 

Celestia smelled the coffee and stirred. 

*Poof* Princess Luna & Rainbow Dash teleported. 

The beautiful Princess of the Sun yawned before opening her magenta eyes. Celestia was having a wonderful dream one that is filled with nostalgia because a stallion she loved came back to give her a hug. 

“Oh that coffee smells good; I have to thank my maid for this coffee.” Celestia drank the coffee, once done she flew out into the night sky to raise her sun. 
Luna & Rainbow Dash held back their giggles while they waited for Celestia to land in front of them. 

“Good morning Luna.” Celestia greeted. 

“Good morning sister.” 

Celestia turned to Rainbow Dash. “Good morning Rainbow Dash.”  

Rainbow Dash bowed down low before Celestia. “Good morning your majesty.” 

Celestia smiled ear to ear. 

Rainbow Dash held her breath to prevent herself from laughing while Luna bit her tongue. 

Celli’s teeth are black. 

The secret ingredient is ink.

***

Octavia looked at the other side of her bed while she rubbed her belly. The guest room she is sleeping in is the same room where Celestia gave to Gold Sky to sleep in when he came back from his two hundred year journey and the same guest room Luna gave to her after she moved Luna with a performance she did that made her into a living musical legend. By accident Luna and Celestia placed both of them in same room where they slept in the same bed. 

Only to wake up in morning with incredible awkwardness. 

“Oh Gold Sky I remember how I laughed at you and thought you were an idiot when you asked me who Princess Luna is. But I couldn’t have known that just gotten back from your long journey and you only knew Princess Celestia. Say good morning to your daddy, little Gold Sky, he loves you very much.” Octavia got up from bed to prepare herself for the day. While in front in the mirror she saw herself with a horn and wings again. “Now my reflection tells me I’m a Alicorn.” Octavia lifted up her hoof to feel the horn on her head while her reflection did the same. She felt it, her horn is real. “Good bye oh changed reflection of mine.” Octavia lowered her hoof and closed her eyes. After an unknown amount of seconds she reopened her eyes to see her horn and wings gone. “Now I just need to wait until noon. I will forgive mother, Luna, and later on I will forgive Applejack.” 

Octavia sighed deeply, forgiving them will take some burden off her back but not the clinging burden around her heart. Until her son is born she will continue mourning for Gold Sky but as soon as her son breathes in his first breath, she will let go of Gold Sky to be the loving mother for her son. 

The gray mare walked out of her room to walk about in the palace, her pleasant hoofsteps rang in high within every corridor she entered while the golden armored Royal Guards stood up straight when she walked past them. 

One Pegasus guard, permanent Private Samier nearly gasped at seeing Octavia, still he managed to stand straight hoping she will not notice him. Octavia’s sharp hearing recognized his rising heartbeat causing her to stop in front of the Pegasus.

Slowly she turned to him so her grayish purple eyes can pierce his flesh and possibly his soul. This stare she is giving Samier is her way of telling him that he’s lucky he never experienced her deadly scorn. 

Octavia left the golden armored pegasus to continue her walk around the palace before going to see Princess Celestia to let her know of the forgiving intentions for Luna, Harmonic Breeze, and Applejack.

“Phew…” Samier’s heart rate is three hundred and seven beats per minute.

Princess Celestia looked at herself on a mirror in the corridor of mirrors while adjusting her crown so to can look just right behind her horn. One of Celestia’s ears twitched in a adorable way. 

The Princess saw Octavia’s reflection on the mirror. “Octavia goooood morning!” Celestia said warmly with a loving smile. 

“Goo…AH! Your Majesty, I-I mean Celli your teeth!!” Octavia exclaimed in alarm. 

“What about my pearly whites?” Celestia asked for she expected a good morning and not a AH! 

“Th-they’re black!” 

“What?” 

“They’re black like soot!” Octavia pointed at the mirror so Celestia can take a look. 

Celestia looked at her pearly whites in the mirror, they’re black just like her polka dot eyes. 
“Octavia.” Celestia said in forced calm. “Did you by any chance see Rainbow Dash & L-L-Luna while you were walking here.” 

Octavia shook her head. “Sorry Celli.” 

Celestia took a deep breath. “Well I think I will need to go somewhere, so if you’ll excuse me.” 

“Celli wait, can I please tell you something.” Octavia used her eyes to make Celestia stay.  

Celestia suppressed her rising emotions. “Of course Octavia.” She sat down next to Octavia and covered her with a wing.

“Today I am going to have lunch with Luna & Rainbow Dash at the same restaurant where my mother sings at.” It took a lot of nerve for Octavia to say to those words.

Celestia was about to ask if she can join in so she can give Luna & Rainbow Dash a piece of her mind but at realizing that Octavia is going to Harmonic Breeze it’s best not to ask that but instead ask why. “Octavia, why are going to that same restaurant where your mother sings at? Didn’t you get upset when you saw her?” 

Octavia nodded but looked up to make eye contact. “I’m going to tell her that I forgave her, then after that I will forgive Luna, and lastly Applejack. I can’t blame them forever; it’ll prevent me from being a loving mother to my son. Plus I must be a good example to my son of course.”

Celestia smiled lightly. “I am very proud of you Octavia. But will you tell your mother about your son?” 

“Yes.”

“I hope everything goes well. Please Octavia let her hug you, she loves you.” 

“Of course she loves me Celli…now that her career is over and no longer famous anymore.” Octavia said that calmly. 

Celestia just blinked. “Sadly you’re right about that. Tell me how it went when you come back.” Celestia looked at herself in the mirror again and used her magic remove the ink from her teeth.

Octavia got up to have some breakfast before waiting for noon to come. 

Every servant, maid, and chef in the palace has been told by Princess Celestia herself to serve every need Octavia may have. So at seeing Octavia enter the dining room a servant came by Octavia to ask what she desires to eat. 

“Can I please have some eggs, carrots, pears, oats, and some pulp free orange juice? Thank you.”  Octavia’s rising maternal instinct is what made her ask for foods that are high in protein, folic acid, and vitamins A and C. 

“I will bring your food shortly ma’am.” Said the servant. 

Octavia looked at her silverware, she placed her knife on her left and fork on her right. Today if today was normal then it will be her turn to cook breakfast. 

Rainbow Dash who’s in a terrible case of the giggles came in the dining room for a can of soda because she’s Rainbow Dash and she can drink soda whenever she wants no matter the time of day. “Oh Octavia, how you doing?” Rainbow asked while taking a seat across from Octavia. 

Rainbow Dash…a close friend to Gold Sky and very rough but still very kind to him. 
“I’m doing excellent Rainbow Dash and I take you’re doing well today.” 

“Oh yeah, you’re sure right about that.” Rainbow scootched back a bit to place her hind legs on the table. 

“Anyway, Rainbow Dash I wonder if you can please join me for lunch today at a nice restaurant.” 

“Hmm.” Rainbow thought. “Sure why not, I’ll me than happy to join you Octavia, oh and hey by the way can I call you Octy?”

“Octy?” The gray mare said loudly so she can hear it. “Well it’s better than Tavi.”   
“I don’t see why not but let’s just keep this between ourselves, you Pinkie Pie promise? 

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” A promise is a promise. 

Octavia gave Rainbow a smile. 

“Say Octy can I trouble you with another question?” Rainbow did not use her normal awesome vocabulary speech pattern instead she used Rarity’s speech vocabulary. Reason for this unnoticed but drastic change for Rainbow is that she will be carefully inquiring Octavia about Gilda. “Did Gold Sky ever tell her about G or even mention anything about her?”  

“Trouble me? Rainbow you can ask me anything you want.” 	
The servant came by with Octavia’s food and received a thank you from the gray mare. 

Rainbow’s ears perked up in delight. “Octavia at your wedding did you find it kind of out of the slight normality to see Gilda? Especially finding her in a lot of your wedding photos?” 

Octavia remembered Gilda always being close Gold Sky during the wedding, she sort of got along with all the other ponies and surprisingly Gilda was very, very polite to her. Mainly because it to do with her being Gold Sky’s wife. Also Gilda with some coaching from Gold Sky asked Pinkie Pie to forgive her. 

“No I didn’t find it out of the normality beside I do recall Gold Sky saying that both of them are close and Gilda is trying hard to change in order to see you again Rainbow Dash.” 

“She is…?” Well at least Rainbow found out about something extraordinary today. 

“Yup.” Octavia took a sip of her orange juice.  

“Anyway what do you think about Gilda? What if…uhhh, hypothetically speaking here but what if both you were closer than you think, like close, close, close kind of close.” Rainbow hoped a drop of sweat is not running down her brow. 

Octavia did not know why Rainbow is asking why she will be close to Gilda, of course she might be close through Gold Sky but not the super close as Rainbow is hypothetically implying. 
“I…guess I will welcome her with open arms and try my ultimate best to be more than a friend to her just like Gold Sky.” Octavia in slow motion waved her left hoof in the air. “But why do you ask.” 

Rainbow shrugged her shoulders and reverted back to her normal awesome vocabulary speech pattern.
“Eh, just curious.” 

Octavia tilted her head at hearing such a reply. “Sooooo, of all the things you can be curious about you were curious about me and Gilda being hypothetically close??” 

“Yeah.” Rainbow took a gulp of her zero calorie soda. 

Octavia’s jaw dropped a little bit. “Well everypony is curious about some things of course.”

Rainbow meanwhile sighed in relief. “So if Gold Sky was still alive right now and told Octy about G, then Octy welcome G in her life. Well too bad that will never happen and maybe I should try to spend some more time with Octy. Get to know her just like I got to know Gold Sky.” 

Octavia ate a few carrots to give her son folic acid and vitamin A, so he can have good eyesight and excellent development. 
“Rainbow you got to know Gold Sky the moment he arrived in Equestria ten years ago right?” 

“Mm-hmm.” 

“I know we kind of talked here and there but I never got to ask you this question mainly because I never made the time or attempt to do so. But why did you like teaching Gold Sky how to fly?” Octavia asked. 

Rainbow tilted her head and placed a hoof under her chin. “Welllllll, truth be told I liked to admire him, not admire him in the way you might confuse with checking him out but admire him for the fact he’s an Alicorn like Luna, Celestia, and Cadance along with being a stallion. You dig what I mean?” 

“I dig it so far.” Octavia replied.

*Squee!* “Still for a stallion his body is curvy with muscle tone I found that kind of weird at first but he’s a Alicorn so who cares as for his flight skills I thought he was below novice or even worse than Scootaloo, Ha, I bet that Pink Pegasus with blond bangs and hair could be his teacher judging from his flight technique. Ahem, anyway I felt something inside me tell me he’s just a lost puppy who likes to pointed in the right direction so I took it upon myself to teach him starting first with showing him how preen his wings, they sure were a mess like the library after Twilight studies. However, as I watched him preen his wings I saw at the base what looked to be a scar.” Rainbow stopped so Octavia can ask about the scar.

The only sound that can be heard is the crunch of carrots. 

“Well?” Rainbow said softly.

Octavia wiped her mouth. “Well what?” 

“ Aren't you going to ask me about his scars on the base of his wings? You know where the wings connect with the body.” Emphasized Rainbow Dash.

“No but you are still going to tell me anyway.” 

“Hey you know me already.”

“Who doesn’t.” Octavia got a pear slice. 

“He just told he tried making himself a Unicorn by cutting off his own wings which succeeded at first.” Rainbow shivered like she saw something yucky. “How can somepony cut off their own wings and be able to stand the pain. I wanted to yell at him for being so amazingly crazy or stupid but those thoughts went away when I began to wonder how the heck his wings grew back. Uhh what was it again? Oh, he said something about tissue regeneration and his wings grew back completely after three whole years. Starting with the bones. Damn! I wonder how he looked with only the hollow bones of the wings, must be pretty awesome. Then the nerves, tendons, smooth muscle, joint liquid, yada, yada, more bones perhaps, skin, and I think finally the feathers. Anyway that’s how his wings were created and I thought him how to fly!” Rainbow grinned ear to ear.

“You only told me about his wings and you didn’t elaborate why you liked giving him flying lessons.” Octavia pointed out in a nice way of course. 

“Oh…he is cute, right?”  Rainbow blurted out.
Really…? 

Octavia nodded. 

“Ok you got me, I liked to give him flying lessons so I can boss him around, not too much, just boss him to him to the point that I can cause him to reach his breaking point and just start flying good.” 

A little smirk on Octavia’s lips formed. “But you couldn’t. No matter how hard you tried to break him so you can make him be a better flyer you never succeeded, I know that for fact. He smiled a lot at you during the lessons did he?” 

Rainbow remembered Gold Sky’s kind persistent smile. How it drove her nuts and caused her say damn your kind persistent smile countless times. *Sigh* “That he did, I think he enjoyed being bossed around.” 

“Well you can’t break him if that was you were trying to do.” 

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. She didn’t like how Octavia knew almost every detail of how she failed teaching Gold Sky in a rough & tumble style. “And what, you know how to break him.” 

Octavia got smooth and flicked her hair to the side to create an atmosphere of experienced calm sophistication. “Yes.” 

Not what Rainbow wanted to hear. “So you broke him” 

Octavia chuckled. “Why will I break Gold Sky? He’s my…was my husband and with his vast determination it will be hard for anypony to break him. Besides I guess he took your roughness for affection which is why he always smiled at you when you got rough.” 

Ok that sounds almost creepy. “He’s creepy.” 

“But you liked him just admit it Rainbow. Nopony else will know.”  Octavia did the Pinkie Pie promise motions. 

“I liked him a bit but that’s only because one day when I was giving him a lesson a rough storm with enormous lightning came out of nowhere scaring the hell out of me. Of course being the all knowing awesome mare, I told Gold Sky we couldn’t take shelter under any trees, we couldn’t fly due to strong winds, super heavy rain that obstructed our field of vision, plus the scary thunder too. Next thing I knew the strong wind died down but the hard rain kept on pelting me like pebbles being flung from a sling shot…” Rainbow paused, her soft spot made her voice warm. “I lied belly down on the ground to wait out the storm while Gold Sky lied down next to me and sheltered me with his wing. The rain didn’t hit me anymore and his radiating body heat kept me warm, it was right there right there in that little moment that I felt a little ashamed…” Octavia interrupted. 

“A little ashamed?” 

“Okay, okay, I felt ashamed for being too rough with him. Any who back to story from which you rudely interrupted, from under his wing I looked up to Gold Sky who just brought me closer to him, he held his head high letting the hard rain strike his face,while  I made myself comfortable and fell asleep.” Rainbow smiled at remembering that touching moment she spent with Gold Sky. “I’m sorry Octavia. I’m sorry that Gold Sky died.” Rainbow blinked her eyes dry. 

Octavia got up from her seat and walked over to Rainbow Dash. “Don’t worry Rainbow Dash all that matters is the wonderful memories you have of him.” Octavia took Rainbow in a loving hug. 

Rainbow took a deep breath. “How can you get over his death so quickly?” 

“I’m going to be a mother so there’s no point in holding on to the sad feelings.” Octavia patted Rainbow a few times on the back. “He is my heart & my pulse. I will tell my son everything about his daddy and I will move on…is what Gold Sky will want. Oh and if my son is a Pegasus you promise not to be rough with him when you’re teaching him how to fly?” 

Rainbow giggled. “I promise and can I have a carrot?” 

“Of course.” Octavia let go of Rainbow Dash and sat next to her to share breakfast.

***
The soothing warm light of the morning sun touched the Alicorn freeing him from the nightmares of great pain. Gold Sky opened an eye, his magenta eye looked at the window from where the sun shined in. “Mother…I wonder if you will allow me to see you as a mother again. Thank you for helping Octavia move on by purging me from her mind.”

Pain from the nightmares ended but the flashbacks of Applejack, Samier, and violation echoed in his ears causing tears to flow out of his new eyes. Softly he trembled with feeling useless to everyone around him, worthless of even being allowed to be back here on earth. The physical pain is gone but the scarring change in his body has not healed in his mind. 

The soft trembling woke Rarity for her natural beauty sleep. 
“Gold Sky.” Rarity said softly to wake him up in a nice comforting way. 
After saying his name her ears began to hear his strong heartbeat getting louder with the passing seconds. Rarity lifted up her head to look at Gold Sky, she saw him with both eyes open, pink, and with tears flowing out. 
Rarity completely snapped out of her former drowsy state. “Gold Sky what’s wrong!?”

Gold Sky did not answer instead he rolled to his side to turn his back to Rarity. 

Rarity laid a hoof on his shoulder thinking that her touch will somehow open him up to her concern. Gold Sky flinched and whimpered at her touch. 

Rarity got even more worried, only once Rarity saw Gold Sky like this and that is when Octavia found out through her own eyes that Gold Sky is an Alicorn and has kept that truth from her and became hurt that he’d deceive her for so long. Leading her to sever all ties with Gold Sky…and that is before Octavia & Gold Sky got married.  
(Through Truth and Forgiveness.) 

“Gold Sky, please talk to me, say something please.” Rarity pleaded. 

The alicorn remained quiet.  

“Is he sad about something he left behind in the Other Side? Perhaps he’s just experiencing side effects of coming back or it must be the fact that he died in Octavia’s arms.” Rarity got onto the bed to be face to face with Gold Sky. “Gold Sky, please tell me what’s wrong? Let big sister help you.” She rubbed his cheek with her hoof knowing that affection always works to make him spill the beans. 

Gold Sky closed his eyes. “Rarity…I’m sorry.” 

Rarity felt her hope drain out of her horn. 
“What can you be sorry for Gold Sky?” 

Gold Sky opened his magenta eyes to look at Rarity, he told her that he is sorry for not coming to her when Applejack accused him of violated her. He should have came to Rarity to comfort her but that never entered the flow of his mind because of the illusion curse. 

Rarity brought Gold Sky close to hug him, she understood why he’ll say that. They are very close and Gold Sky in his mind failed to protect her. 

“Gold Sky don’t do this to yourself, what happened to me you should not take it and blame yourself  because it escaped your mind. Come here Gold Sky let me hug you.” Rarity felt Gold Sky smelling her hair as she brought him close. “It’s good to see you still have that habit to smell my hair, why do you like to smell my hair whenever we hug?” Rarity finally got around to ask him that question. 

“Rarity don’t you remember that I was blind.” Gold Sky said softly. 

“Well only for like two days before your eyes healed.” Rarity decided to smell Gold Sky’s jet black hair. “It smells so pure and heavenly.”


“But I was still blind Rarity, how else was I able to know Octavia came to see me when I couldn’t see her…it was good being blind. That is when she severed all ties with me after she saw me in my true form.” Gold Sky is thinking about the hurtful past that’s already been dealt with forgiveness.

“Well…you knew the risks when you took off your cloak to put on the silver armor to fight that magically created sentient Nightmare Moon. But Gold Sky please tell me why you are talking about that sad day for you when in the end you and Octavia made vows to one another at your wedding.” Rarity rubbed Gold Sky’s head while her voice had a soft coo to it. 

“I must come clean and just tell her of the terrible sins I committed…will she still hug me until then? And will she be by my side when I tell her about my, my violation.” Gold Sky has to start with telling the truth before he can forgive himself. 

“Rarity, before I learned how to live I knew how to kill. I kept secrets from Octavia and from you; terrible horrible secrets that will horrify you and you will decide to continue loving me as your brother or to cast me out with scorn.” Gold Sky wiggled out of Rarity’s arms. It will not be a good idea to be in her arms and get squeezed. 

Rarity covered Gold Sky’s mouth. “What can be so horrible that I will stop loving you but more importantly why were you crying minutes ago?” 

Gold Sky swallowed any saliva in his mouth, he does not remember who they were, just that they were two ponies and they left him for dead after having their way with him.
*Deep breath* “Rarity I was violat…” *Loud knocking*

The loud knocking from down below didn’t allow Rarity to hear the entire spoken sentence but she did hear the first three syllables of the last word and she understood. 

*Knocking*

Rarity stopped breathing; coldness wrapped itself around her body. Her own brother also went through a hellish nightmare. “G-Gold Sky...you….”

*Knocking*

“Yes…I-I.” His voice cracked and slowly his soft voice matured into calm cries. “I-I don’t know wh-who d-did it to me, all I-I remember is the pain, the agonizing pain. They left me for dead! T-t-there were two of them. Why!? I know I committed great sins but why that when I tried so many times to end my own life, why that! Why that!” 

*Knocking*

“What!?” A revelation is revealed and her mind connected the mental details of his scars. All are suicide attempts. Except for the ones in front and behind his heart. For ten years she thought she knew every detail about Gold Sky through his Love and bond. 

*Knocking*

Gold Sky covered his face with his hooves and broke down completely. 

*Knocking*

Rarity resumed breathing all while obeying to her sisterly impulse to comfort Gold Sky. “Gold Sky don’t cry it’s alright. You have nothing to fear anymore, you’re here with me now a-a-and we’re going to get through this together. All right.” She grabbed Gold Sky’s head to make him look at her. “Look at me Gold Sky. Look at me.”

Gold Sky lowered one hoof to look at her with one magenta eye. 

“We are going to get through this together.” Rarity did a smile that casts away any form of doubt. “You and me. Brother and Sister. We will get through this together, trust me Gold Sky we will get through this.” 

*Knocking* 

“Y-you promise you’ll always love me no matter what I’ll tell you later on?” Whispered Gold Sky.

Rarity got close to kiss Gold Sky on the cheek. 
“I promise Gold Sky, I will always love you just like you love me.” 

*Knocking*

“Please stay here.” Rarity got up from the bed, closed the door to her room, and went to see who it could be knocking at the door.

So at opening the door, she spotted two mares or one is a mare while the other is a filly.

“Rarity!!!” Sweetie Belle nearly shouted while bringing Rarity down with a hug. 

“Sweetie Belle, when did you get back from Cloudsdale?” 

“A few days ago.” Sweetie Belle replied. 

Rarity got up from the undignified floor. “Fluttershy, what brings you here at this pleasant morning?”

“Today is the day, Fluttershy, you will tell Rarity every detail of your bad plans you had for her.” The yellow Pegasus cleared her throat. “Rarity may I come in?” 

*Poof* Rarity appeared in front of Fluttershy to prevent her from entering the boutique, Rarity cannot let Fluttershy find out Gold Sky is here. 

“No Fluttershy it’s better if we chat outside, oh, Sweetie Belle please don’t go upstairs, uh I just painted theeeeee floor! I just painted the floor! So please stay downstairs.” 

“Okay!” Sweetie Belle dropped to her rump and became cute. 

“So darling, what can I help you with?” 

Fluttershy got behind her mane. “Rarity ca-ca-can you please come over to my cottage, I really want to have breakfast with you and talk to you about some things that I need to get off my chest.” Fluttershy’s voice contained the given divinity of Kindness and with the granted divinity even the sentient being of mischief (Discord) will obey any request to that voice. 

For Rarity her will obeyed Fluttershy’s request.
“I’ll be happy to join you Fluttershy let me just tell Sweetie Belle some things first.” 

“Of course.” Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief. 

Rarity called for Sweetie Belle to lay out some needed rules. 
“Sweetie Belle, I will not be here for maybe a couple of hours so there is something that you need to see.” She took Sweetie Belle upstairs to her room and opened the door. 

“Gold Sky!” Sweetie Belle squealed in loving affection. 

“Sweetie Belle wait.” Rarity’s horn glowed to keep Sweetie Belle still. 

“Sweetie Belle there some things that I need to tell you before I go. I need you to please stay here with Gold Sky and take care of him. He’s been through a, not bad, but uh, rough experience and is not feeling well. Please take care of him, hug him, rub his hair or brush it if you want but please don’t ask him why he feels down, I repeat do not ask him why he feels down. Also I will need you to not open the door to anypony who comes here, let nopony in.”

“Why Rarity?” 

“Because I say so. Look Sweetie Belle just see what I’m asking you to do as a moment to spend time with him, after all you do enjoy spending time with him don’t you.” 

Sweetie Belle smiled. “Of course I enjoy spending time with him.”

“Okay, do not let anypony in, and I mean nopony. That includes your friends too. Plus this is the most important part here. Do not, do not, do not tell anypony that Gold Sky is here. I mean it; don’t breathe a word about Gold Sky being here. Not even to Octavia.” Rarity remembered one pony who can be the only exception in all of this. “Except for Princess Celestia if she comes then let her in. Now those are all the rules, you promise err do you Pinkie Pie promise to follow all them?” 

Sweetie Belle did the Pinkie Pie motions with her right hoof. 

“Please Sweetie Belle we must keep this between the three of us. Like the family we are.” Rarity took one last glance at Gold Sky. “I’ll be right back Gold Sky.” 

“Fluttershy, we go!” Rarity looked back as she walked with the Element of Kindness. 
“He doesn’t want Octavia to know what happened to him.”  

In the boutique Sweetie Belle locked the two deadbolts on Rarity’s front door and for extra measure she placed a chair under the knob. Adorably Sweetie Belle cantered up the stairs to see Gold Sky.

Quietly the little filly sneaked in while making sure her hooves touch the floor softly so she won’t make too much noise. “Gold Sky.” The little filly called out gently only to get no answer but she did see one of Gold Sky’s ear twitch to her direction.

Taking this little body movement as a sign of acknowledgement, Sweetie Belle hoped up on the bed and fell down. Rarity’s bed is too high, so after falling back down seven more times Sweetie Belle managed to bite down on the sheets to pull herself up. “Now I see why Rarity has her bed so high, she doesn’t want me to get on it just in case I just got back from crusading fun.”   

Sweetie Belle laid her eyes on Gold Sky to see his rough experience face, in her young mind what she interprets as rough experience is simply bad luck, so for Gold Sky he must have had bad luck. Especially if his hair changed from a nice dark brown to jet shiny black but hey, on the flip side his hair is long enough for her to brush and perhaps if Gold Sky wants, she can braid his hair or put it in a pony tail. And get her cutie mark as a hair stylist. 

“Gold Sky, are you okay?”  

“Sweetie Belle.” Gold Sky reached out to her. Sweetie Belle grabbed his hoof and placed it over her so she can be under big brother’s arm. “I missed you so much.” He brought Sweetie Belle closer to him, he needs to hug her to get rid of the mortal feelings that reminded him at every minute of the day that when he thought death has eluded him for being immortal. Until death came to him through the stabbing of the most vital organ that serves as the birth place for his Love. The mortal instinct of clinging to the hurtful but now gone past will put Gold Sky to the test. At least for him one question is answered. He can die and if he died once then he can die again so if that may be, he firsts needs to forgive himself, find her, tell every secret he has kept, see his mother, and more importantly see Octavia live her new life with a cleansed mind.

“Sweetie Belle, I’m happy you’re here with me.” Gold Sky hugged her and as a sign of great love kissed her multiple times on the head. 

“Oooh Gold Sky you’re pecking me like a bird!” Sweetie Belle said through her giggles. 

Gold Sky stopped with the brotherly affection. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to get carried away like that. I’m just happy to see you that’s all.”

“Don’t worry Gold Sky, I’m happier than Scootaloo being taken under Rainbow Dash’s wing. So with that…hug time!” *Hug*

Gold Sky smiled lightly at receiving the loving hug, the power of Sweetie Belle’s hug suppressed the mortal feeling and allowed his infinite love to blossom all over the galaxy of his mind. 

Rarity and Sweetie Belle, he’s so lucky to have such caring sisters. 
“I love you Sweetie Belle…I love you very much.” Gold Sky tightened his hug and kissed her softly on the head. 

This moment with Sweetie Belle takes away some of the pain given by unexpected resurrection.

***
In a medium sized town house that has one acre large garden, the always cute June Bug woke up to such a pleasant morning in a sense that she does not need to do any gardening today and she will be having a guest for breakfast today. The cute young mare does not always have many guests; reasons being, she enjoys working on her garden and helping others with theirs and has a knack for growing beautiful wild flowers. So today this morning she will make sure that Spike will have an incredible breakfast. 
June Bug made her bed, went to the only bathroom in her house to brush her teeth, groom her hair, and for a not so necessary reason sprayed on some perfume for the sake of making a good impression for her guest.  

Spike is in the middle of a nice dream being displayed in his subconscious where his Spirit and the Shadow of the Beast enjoy the dream where both of them in spiritual unification take hold of Rarity’s hoof on the altar before Princess Celestia, Rarity says I do, Spike says I do. Both of them kiss to mark the beginning of a wondeful marriage.  “Rarity, I love you.” Good thing Spike already has in mind what kind of a ring to make for Rarity. 

June Bug donned on her apron to cook up a storm. 
“Yes siree got a big breakfast feast to prepare for my scale covered guest. This is going to be great.”  

Breakfast?? She did not get the memo that it’s already eleven o clock but breakfast is the best meal anyway. Better late than never.

***

In the library Twilight researched about Gold Sky’s death through her observations she has keep in her mind. The Elite Commando guard killed him by stabbing him in the heart with a spear. 

But is the heart the only way to kill him? Twilight thought about excessive blood loss and if that can kill him. 

*Sigh* Twilight stopped her mind from thinking up of anymore questions. Why does she want to kill Gold Sky if he has never done anything to her.  Twilight sees that she’s getting desperate. 

“No. I will not resort going that low, I-I can’t take him away from his child what kind of a pony does that? I will stick to my plan to shatter him and I will make sure that he still has some form of dignity left in him. Gold Sky gave me some of his own blood so I can heal even though we only know each other above the minimum level of a friendship. He expressed grave concern for me and only threatened me that he’ll tell Octavia on me the second time rather than the first time when I asked him to dance with me. Frak…and to think I wanted to have a mere crush on him a long time ago before finding out that he’s too romantic. Ugh!” Twilight likes the passive side of love rather than all that lovey dovey stuff. 

But Twilight has to be careful with dealing with Gold Sky…back when Twilight was a filly she saw the picture of Celestia with Gold Sky on Celestia’s night table when she was on a tour of the palace. 
“Celestia may have or still sees Gold Sky as a, err, as her son. I will have to tread lightly, especially when I take her maternal instinct into account. I cannot ignore the bond between mother and son, just like mom and Shining Armor.” Twilight knows Celestia cares for her very much but she can’t stop thinking about end the result if she harms Gold Sky to a high degree, because when Twilight thought about it she came to conclude that in a certain extend Gold Sky, metaphorically speaking, is Celestia’s first born. 

“Mama’s boy.” She sneered. “Why do mothers bond so much with their sons!?” Twilight already knew the answer to that question. “Well I got to think up of a gentle plan that still has a big stick in it just in case I strike a nerve in Gold Sky. I guess his greatest weakness is his dear Octavia, so by erasing his most precious memories of her or better yet placing my face in her place it will definitely shatter his will. His heart only stores the love for his Octavia while his mind stores the memories. So it will hurt him to feel his love for her but not see her in his mind. And at least he’ll have Celli to comfort him. Little mama’s boy.” Twilight sneered again. 

Twilight got her notebook to come up with her plans.
The big stick she is referring to is her mighty strength.  

Gold Sky as the Razor is unstoppable but she is stronger and will turn the unstoppable Razor into a defeated stallion begging for mercy.

***
Rainbow Dash knocked on Luna’s room. “Hey can I come in?” 

Luna’s magic opened the door. “Of course Rainbow.” 

Rainbow walked in, she found Luna in front of her bathroom mirror brushing her blue wavy hair. “Hey Luna why are you brushing your hair?” 

Luna stopping brushing her hair and passed her brush through Rainbow’s hair for fun. 
“We’re going to have lunch with Octavia, Rainbow.” 

“Wait a minute, Octavia asked me to join her for lunch today when did she ask you to lunch?” Rainbow ruffled up her hair but that made Luna curl her eyelashes.

“She asked me last night and I asked her if you can join us to which she said yes, so I guess she asked you just to make sure you’ll come along. Now stay still, I’m going to put some make up on you, not too much,  just enough that you will not notice.” Luna explained. 

Luna applied some foundation, some eye liner, and brushed her hair again. “There what do you think?” 

Rainbow looked at herself in the mirror which to her surprise she did not notice the makeup instead it made her glow a bit. “Wow, you acted like Rarity but you did a good job.” 

Luna did a huge smile. 
“And here’s a nuzzle for good luck. Now let’s go to lunch.” 

Octavia stood in front the dresser mirror looking at her bowtie as she held it in her hoof, she sighed at the thought of putting it on. Where is Gold Sky to help her put on the bowtie? “Well got to get over it.” She got her bowtie on; ignoring the urge to wait for Gold Sky to do is part. 

“Luna, mother, and Applejack, I will forgive you. I will forgive all of you.” Octavia left her room to meet up with Luna & Rainbow Dash.

Octavia passed by Celestia who gave her a nod for good luck. 

The gray mare met up with the Princess of the Moon & the Element of Loyalty, together all three of them cantered to that nice restaurant where live singers provide a serine environment. 
Along the way the ponies bowed down for Princess Luna while from a distance Captain Delta Scorch, Corporeal Iron Cloud, and Private Fluer-de-Lis watched Luna’s back while up ahead Sergeant Helo Fox and PrivateCrazy Mare made sure the path is clear. 

In the restaurant Luna stepped in front of Octavia and Rainbow Dash to ask for a table. The speechless hostess showed the trio to a table in the center of the restaurant, the hostess couldn’t say a single word while she gave them the menus. 

“Well it looks like the cat got her tongue.” Joked Luna. 

Octavia raised her hoof to make a waiter come to the table. 
“Excuse me; do you know when the Harmonic Breeze will be singing?”

“Uhhh I’ll be right back.” The wait went to ask his manager when Harmonic Breeze will be singing. 

Rainbow Dash decided she’ll be getting a Dutch pony chocolate rich ice cream cake. Hmmm, she’s already rubbing her belly while she drools like Maslow’s dog to the sound of the ringing bell. 

The waiter came back to the table. “She will be singing in one hour. Anyway will you care for some lasagna or a cup of our finest wine?” 

“I’m pregnant.” 

“Oh! I’m truly sorry ma’am.” 

Octavia smiled a small smile. “It’s alright but I’ll have some of that lasagna and a pitcher of fresh apple juice. Thank you.”  

The wait wrote down Octavia’s order. “Your Majesty, wh-what do you desire?” 

“Surprise me with some seasoned hay fries and cheese cake.” Said her majesty. 

“A-a-and to dri-drink?” 

“Loka-Rola Repsi and easy on the ice. Thank you.” 

“It’s my honor your majesty.” The waiter turned to give the orders to the chef. 

“Hey what about me!?” Rainbow exclaimed in displeasure. 

The waiter came back. “Sorry, sorry. Ahem, what will you like to order? “ 

“Give me a whole pony Dane chocolate ice cream cake and Nurse. Dew to drink, thanks.”

The waiter left with the orders. 

Octavia and Rainbow Dash turned to stare at Luna with raised eyebrows.  Four seconds passed until Luna felt the stares. “What?” 

“Seasoned hay fries. Seriously! Of all the things you can order in this Rarity fancy restaurant you ordered that!? C’mon, you have the word Princess before your name!” Rainbow ranted. 

“Heh, that’s rich on Rainbow’s part.” Thought Octavia. 


Luna shrugged her shoulders. “Hay fries are my little guilty pleasure if I eat them often then Celli will get on my case for not staying in the Royal figure if you get what I’m saying.” 

“Royal figure? What a load of horse radish. Why will you care about the royal figure? You’re beautiful the way you are and besides why do you care? It’s not like ponies are going to get mad at you for going out of the Royal figure.” 

“Celli and Cadance care about the Royal figure because the annoying social elite in Manehattain, Los Pegasus, and Fillydelphia persist that we as Princesses be a good example in health and fitness.” Said the coy Princess. 

Rainbow did a raspberry. “Oh you got to be kidding me. Have those spineless fools ever heard of willpower and self responsibility. Oh well, hey Luna what size do the hay fries come in?” 

“Extra large!” Luna licked her chops at the end of the sentence. 

“Oh yeah!” Rainbow pounded Luna’s hoof. 

Octavia couldn’t help but make a curious complement about what’s she seeing through Rainbow’s and Luna’s way of interaction, a nano size thought got created in her head but it somehow seems kind of well too presumptuous. But she will direct the complement to Rainbow Dash rather than Princess Luna.

“You two are acting like you’re a couple.” Octavia complemented to Rainbow Dash. 

Rainbow Dash & Luna shared that look two ponies have before revealing a loving truth. 
Luna cleared her throat. “Octavia, me and Rain…”

Octavia stopped Luna. “No don’t tell me, because both of you shared that look and both of you are a couple.” 

“Damn she’s good!” Rainbow gave Octavia a soft jab on the shoulder. 

“You always seem to surprise me over and over again Octavia. Rainbow and I are dating, Celli already knows of our relationship, Rarity too, and probably all of Rainbow’s friends too.” 

“So what does Celli think of your relationship?” Asked the gray mare. 

Rainbow answered that question. “She gave us her blessing and super tight hug!” 

“Oh well that’s wonderful, congratulations! I’m happy for both of you.” Octavia wanted to ask them when they are getting married but decided to ask at a later time. 

Luna went into the details of how she asked Rainbow Dash out which then blossomed into this nice relationship. 

For Octavia she might as well ask. “So who’s the better kisser?” 

“Luna.” Rainbow said without needing to think. “She’s the better kisser, don’t ask why and don’t ask how because she’s just the better kisser.” 

Luna shot Rainbow a wink. “You need some more practice. So we’ll practice tonight.” 

Rainbow growled seductively. “Ho, Ho. I’ll hold you to that Luna.” 

Octavia tilted her head; talk about a rough form to express affection. 

Suddenly through the thought of kissing, Rainbow remembered something and wanted to talk about it, but to talk about with Octavia given the certain circumstances didn’t seem like a good idea. However, she wants to feel close to Octavia. Rainbow Dash will just roll the dice. 
“Speaking of kissing. Octavia is it alright if I tell you something about Gold Sky.” 

Keeping his memory alive will help with moving on. “Sure go ahead.”  

“Octavia before you and Gold Sky got married or even went on a first date, he went to Rarity’s boutique to ask for advice because he wanted to ask you out on a date. If you were there you can see how nervous he was to even talk about it. Sadly for him Rarity was not there, so I decided to go down and see if I can lend a helping hoof. He told me everything, a nice suit or cloak he planned to wear, and asked me if I, yeah you heard, he asked me of all ponies if I can give him some advice for dating. So I thought why not, what’s the worse that happen?”  

Octavia almost fell out of her chair at hearing this. Gold Sky asked Rainbow Dash for dating advice! Now that explains why Gold Sky was so confident in their first date, she expected him to still be a little bashful but he wasn’t bashful one bit. 

“That’s why Gold Sky was so confident. You helped him I guess that’s why he likes to invite you to lunch a lot.” 

Luna joined in. 
“Rainbow my love just what did you say to Gold Sky that made him so confident around Octavia.” 

Rainbow had her pride face on with closed eyes. “I told him to stallion up by making him practice with me that I’m his date also whenever he stuttered I gave him a jab on his shoulder. I forced him to preen his feathers multiple times so they can look nice, also fixed his hair the best I could, and what else? I know I did something else, what was it, hmmmm?” While she thought about the what else thing, a think red line formed above her nose, Luna and Octavia noticed it causing them to look at each other with confused expressions. “Ah huh! After he successfully asked me out correctly on a date without stuttering one bit I patted him on the head. A funny thing happened, he asked me what to do if he or you want to have a kiss? Damn dude! Is what I told him in response to his question. I told him that there might be a kiss only if the date is awesomely successful. So out of curiosity I asked if he ever kissed anypony…Octy do you want me to continue?” 

The gray mare jerked back her head, she told Rainbow to go ahead and don’t pause ever again.

Rainbow did a fast deep breath. “Gold Sky said no then to make things funnier he asked what to do if the date went super awesome and she wants a kiss.” Rainbow drank some soda to moist her mouth. “Something got into me for doing what I did with him…I uhhh you know, you know, I basically told him to show me how he kisses.” Rainbow paused to look at Octavia’s face. 

Octavia is displaying obvious signs of holding in a lot of laughter. She really wants to hear this so she can tell it to her son tonight after she reads him a story. 

Luna’s ears perked forward with high anticipation.

*Sigh* “He blushed like crazy and asked me to clarify what I just said. So I just told him to kiss me and I’ll tell him if he’s good or not. He froze for a few minutes until he nodded at me, his body heat went up very much because I can feel it and his heartbeat got loud. Like this loud, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum!!! I closed my eyes to add to the realism and I think he did the same too. We kissed and I think his heart stopped for a couple of seconds…on a side note he has soft lips. Hehehehe.” Rainbow laughed nervously. “You know what I mean right…hehe, when we finished kissing he almost fainted, while I just blushed. Gold Sky said to me, I’m his first kiss.” Rainbow Dash finished with her story and she melted in her seat. “He kind of nailed it for a rookie.” 

“Awwww, that’s so cute of you Rainbow to do something like that.” Octavia doted. She is not offended by this; in fact she is rather happy because if it weren’t for Rainbow Dash then her first date would not have been so awesome. 

“Really Octy!? You’re not mad at me for being Gold Sky’s first kiss?” 

Octavia shook her head. “Rainbow is like you said in the beginning; Me and Gold Sky were not married or even dating and I still can’t believe that you’ll just do something like that. Really I just can’t comprehend the fact that you did that! It’s so uh, spontaneous! Of you.”

“I too agree with Octavia, Rainbow.” Said Luna. “You were instrumental in a successful first date between Octavia and Gold Sky. But do both of you still talk about that moment or is just something you two don’t ever bring up?”  

“We joke about it like once a month. He appreciates what I did very much and we celebrate that day every year by doing something fun together.” Rainbow picked up her glass. “He didn’t kiss you on the lips on the first try did he?” 

Luna noticed a look of bewilderment form on Octavia’s face. “Rainbow knows all right.”

“How did you know that!?” 

“Eh just a hunch.” 

Octavia placed a hoof on her left cheek as to point out to Rainbow where Gold Sky kissed her on the first attempt. 

“I thought so. He kissed you there to make it romantic…that's because I told him to do.” Rainbow that sly mare. 

The gray mare felt touched for Rainbow Dash behind the scenes help, she owes Rainbow for being the lynch key to her relationship with Gold Sky. “Rainbow how can I ever pay you back for all you’ve done for me and Gold Sky if it weren’t for you, I-I don’t know what could have happen between me and Gold Sky.” 

Rainbow waved a hoof in the air to discourage such a request. 
“Octavia don’t start with those sappy sentimental things, I’m happy that I helped you two. Buuuuuuut, I hope we can spend some more time together though.” 

Octavia placed a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder. “Thank you Rainbow Dash and we will spend some more time together.” 

Luna smiled at both mares; she’s relishing this heartwarming bonding between the two.

Few tables down from the trio all of Lakota squad chatted, laughed, and took hold of their drinks. 
“Before anything else I will like to thank Iron Cloud for changing his mind and staying on Lakota squad, I couldn’t bear the thought of having two more replacements when we already got two here.” 

“Heeeey don’t be like that Cap.” Fluer and Crazy Mare said happily. 

Helo Fox laughed some more. “Hey but at least Crazy Mare and Fluer are two good replacements. To us Lakota squad.”  Helo held his cup high to do a toast. 

“To Lakota squad!” Delta Scorch, Iron Cloud, Fluer-de-Lis, and Crazy Mare repeated before downing their drinks in good spirits.  

Back to Luna's, Rainbow Dash's, and Octavia's table
Between the storytelling and bonding the waiter bought their food a long time ago and an old mare that is the same color of Octavia’s coat but a shade lighter got up on stage to sing. 

Harmonic Breeze began to sing.

Octavia stopped talking, the happiness on her face disappeared completely, and she sat still to listen to that voice who once long ago asked her to abandon father. 

Rainbow got taken back by the sudden departure of happiness in Octavia. 
“Yo Octy, are you okay?” 

Luna waved a hoof in front of Octavia’s face but Octavia didn’t even blink to the memorizing physical motion. 

From the palace Celestia connected with Luna’s mind. 

“Sister I’ll tell you why Octavia is in that trance.” Celestia telepathy said in her default nurturing voice. 

“Well what is it Celli?” 

“Look at the stage sister and connect the singing mare to Octavia through physical appearance. Oh and do it now while Octavia is perfectly still.” 

Luna looked at the singing mare then to Octavia, gray coats, same hair color, not the same eye color, but same form of elegance. “Is that mare Octavia’s mother?”  

“Yes she is. Now since you’re there tell the manager you want her to join you which he will comply without question. Whatever that is set to conspire between Octavia and her mother do not interfere. Octavia is going to do the right thing. Also shame on you for eating hay fries.” 

Luna smirked. “I will do as you say Celli except for feeling shame for eating some delicious hay fries. Yum!” 

Octavia snapped out of her trance to look at Luna with soft eyes. “Luna, I know a lesser pony will hold a fury like mine against you forever if they were in my position. For a moment I was like that until through some wise words from Rarity I came to realize that I can’t be like that and live everyday like I deserve to resent you because of the choice you made. You did what you perceived as right, you were just afraid of something horrible returning, I-I understand, wish I didn’t but I understand. Luna I may not talk to you or look at you but I want you know that I…forgive you. I forgive you Luna. As years pass I may start talking you more often and looking at you. I just wish you know that I’m being sincere.” Octavia bowed her head before Luna to the feeling of a weight being taken off her chest. 
Forgiveness grants freedom. 

Luna became near lightheaded to this sincere expression of emotion, as an Divinely created immortal and one of the Pure Alicorn trinity it’s near impossible to surprise her. However feeling a great resentment towards her only to then to see it being erased in such a unnerving way is what she’ll call a act through divine intervention. Forgiven by the wife of her best friend now she wonders if the child will share in the same feeling of the mother but putting that matter aside, Luna is at peace. Peace given by Octavia. 
“Th-th-th-thank y-you Octavia.” Luna used her telepathy to create an illusion around her eyes so Octavia and Rainbow Dash can’t see the tears forming her in eyes before running down her face. Luna doesn’t like others to see her like this. 

Rainbow brought Octavia close to thank her for being a strong mare. 

Luna on the other hoof waved at the waiter to make him come to her table. 

“Your majesty how can I be a service.” 

“Can you tell me the name of that singer on stage?” 

“Yes your majesty, her name is Harmonic Breeze.” 

Luna did a nod of approval. “I wonder, do you think she can join me and my two guests at this table?” 

The waiter nodded his head up and down like a young child who’s being offered candy.
“Let me just inform my manager and Harmonic Breeze.” The waiter left to fulfill Luna’s request. 

“Octavia, she will be coming in a few minutes.” 

“Who’s coming?” Rainbow asked. 

“My mother. My mother who forsook me and my father to bask in fame.” Octavia said quietly. 

“Oh heck that sounds terrible, I’m really sorry Octavia.” 

Octavia turned to look into Rainbow’s rose colored eyes. “Rainbow please don’t apologize it is very unnecessary and I won’t mind at all if you speak your mind at my mother.” 

Harmonic Breeze came to table with an eagerness to see Princess Luna! She thought probably the Princess heard about her once great career and wants to compliment about her singing. So when the old mare turned her focus away from Princess Luna and to the two guests her heart gave out a hard beat. “Oc-Oc-Octavia, is…is…that you?” 

“Yes it’s me mother. Please sit down and we shall have a little talk.” This is the second time Octavia makes contact. 

Harmonic Breeze sat down on the empty chair, her eyes studied Octavia who looked at her with grayish purple emotionless eyes. 

Rainbow Dash doesn’t like tense silences so she extended her hoof to the old mare. “Hello I’m Rainbow Dash.” 

Harmonic Breeze shook Rainbow’s hoof. “Are you a friend of Octavia?” 

“I sure am.” 

Harmonic Breeze relaxed. “Well she’s something isn’t she…” 

Octavia pounded the table to stop Harmonic Breeze in mid sentence. “Don’t you dare act like you know me because you don’t!” 

The old mare got alarmed. “I-I’m sorry Octavia I didn’t mean to…” 

“Mean what!” Octavia injected. “You didn’t mean to be absent for about ninety seven percent of my life, you didn’t mean to ignore me, and you didn’t mean to have the audacity to ask me to join you after I saw what you did! Answer me! What didn’t you mean!!?” Octavia growled in years of stored anger.   

“What did you see Octy?” Rainbow couldn’t control herself. 

“Rainbow! Be quiet!” Hissed Luna. 

“No, no, it’s alright Luna, Rainbow asked a good question. So I’ll tell her, I saw my mother who’s in front of me having sex with another stallion on a couch before her performance when I was just a filly. Isn’t that right mother.” Octavia asked. 

Rainbow gasped at hearing such a thing.

Harmonic Breeze frowned in searing embarrassment not before Luna & Rainbow Dash but before her daughter. “I did.” 

“Why! Ow!” Rainbow felt Luna elbow her. 

Harmonic Breeze looked up to Rainbow Dash, if she did not answer the question then Octavia will dig deep with well deserved scorn. “Because I wanted some pleasure and since I had money I bought it for myself.”  

“Oh my…!” Rainbow gasped. 

Octavia continued. “Me and my father walked in…in the act.” Octavia did a heartless laugh that mocks Harmonic Breeze. “My father ran away broken hearted but the worst thing is what she asked me. She asked me to stay with her and have the good life. She didn’t care that she harmed my father and I didn’t care disowning her. From that minute I cut off every form of communication with her.” Octavia moved her plate away. “Until a few days ago when I came here with Celli.” 

Rainbow showed signs of asking a question but Luna with her magic kept Rainbow’s mouth shut.  

“But we’ll forget about that and talk something else. So mother got any questions you wish to ask your daughter?” 

Harmonic Breeze automatically asked a question regarding a very important stallion in Octavia’s life. “How is Allegro Note?” 

Wrong question. 

Luna using the superficial ability of her telepathy saw Octavia’s anger going off the charts. 

“Mother.” Stabbed Octavia. “Don’t you ever say that name again. You have no right to say that name after what you did to him and by how’s he doing? Well father never got to walk me down the aisle or even attend my wedding. You broke his spirit mother, made his body frail, and he got cancer. He died two days before my wedding just two days before the best day of my life, father…died.” Octavia sighed while looking all over the place to prevent tears from forming in her eyes. 

Harmonic Breeze’s chest went cold. Hearing about Allegro Note’s death along with being the slow cause behind it made her feel guilty. “I…” Octavia stopped her.

“Don’t apologize mother.”

Luna’s magic sealed Rainbow’s mouth even tighter. 

“You’re married?” Is what Harmonic Breeze managed to asked. 

“Yes and I’m pregnant.” Octavia saw Rainbow’s ears drop like she didn’t want Octavia to tell Harmonic Breeze of the developing child. 

The old mare’s jaw dropped, her daughter is pregnant! A feeling of awe slowly spilled into her mind thus creating imaginations of a grandchild running to her arms. Holding a new generation before passing on is what makes being old worth looking forward to. 

“Y-y-you are!” 
A smile appeared on the old mare’s face, a feature that hasn’t been for quite a long time. 
“Oh my goodness, I can’t think of anything more wonderful than that! Is a child a filly or a colt!?” 

Seeing her mother smile like that made Octavia more open to the thought of little by little allow her mother back into her life, it may not be or not easy at all but deep down it is the right thing to do. Harmonic Breeze is her mother so why not give her another chance by allowing Harmonic Breeze to at least be some form of a mare figure to her son. 

“It’s a colt mother, a son for me and…a grandson for you.” Octavia drank some apple juice and turned to smile at Rainbow Dash. 

“And how’s your husband! Is he excited that he’s going to have a son!” Harmonic Breeze desires to hear about the stallion her daughter married. 

The radiating smile that bathed Rainbow Dash got eclipsed with sadness. 

“Do not say anything Luna.” Celestia ordered. 

Harmonic Breeze happily waited for Octavia’s happy story of the lucky stallion. 

Rainbow placed a hoof on Octavia’s shoulder. 

Octavia took the kind gesture and transformed it into encouragement. 
“He’s gone.” Sorrow flowed in the waves of her voice.

Harmonic Breeze’s happy smile went away. “What?”

Octavia said so again with more sorrow in the waves. “He’s gone.” 

The old mare got tense at this, causing her to thoughtlessly gave in to the unneeded impulse to speak her mind to her daughter. 
“So that pathetic no good scum excuse of a husband left you and your son! That son of a wretch!” 

Rainbow’s eyes widened. “Oooh frak!!” Rainbow does not want to see where this will lead.

Octavia’s anger came back with a vengeance. She turned to Luna. “Invisible please!” 

“Uhh…” Luna cannot interfere. 

“You’re interfering if you are talking and you’re not interfering if you just make the four of you invisible to everypony so nopony will stare at you.” Celestia explained.

Luna nodded and used her telepathy to make the four of them invisible to everybody’s hearing and eyesight. “All four of us are invisible.” 

Octavia slammed her hoof on the table out of grieving anger that her own mother will dare to say such terrible things about Gold Sky. “Shut…your…damn…mouth!” Snarled the gray mare. 

Harmonic Breeze’s jaw dropped. 

Unbeknownst to the four of them Lauren came down to close the ears of Octavia’s developing child in order to prevent the child from hearing mother’s fury.

“Just for once shut your damn mouth!! If you’ve never opened your mouth in the first place, you will have never forsaken me and father for your career, I’ll still be calling you mommy, and father will still be alive today. But no you chose to open your mouth and speak when you shouldn’t speak in the first place. My husband is not scum, h-he is not pathetic; my husband is my heart & my pulse. He is the Love of my life! You stupid mare! Who the hell are you to say such things! Huh! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO TALK ABOUT MY HUSBAND LIKE THAT WHEN YOU YOURSELF ARE SCUM BY HARMING ME AND FATHER! WHO ARE YOU!!!!?”  
Octavia snorted a strong breath from her nostrils.
“You don’t know who I am and you don’t know why my husband is gone! I will tell you...” Octavia pointed her hoof at Princess Luna. “She’s the reason he’s gone, she took away my husband and I don’t blame her at all…”Octavia sniffled. “My dear Gold Sky my Gold Sky I thought both of us will live forever together, now all I have is just my immortality and my son. My Gold Sky was suppose to learn how to play the cello like me.” Octavia started to stare forward, fighting back tears, pain, and anger.

For some unexplained reason Rainbow got a cue to fill in Harmonic Breeze about Gold Sky. 
“Gold Sky is the name of her husband. He’s an Alicorn like Princess Luna, Celestia, and Cadance. He was a good friend to me, he left behind two sisters, good friends, and a son. Octavia and Gold Sky have been married for ten years and he loved her will all his heart that he died protecting her.” Rainbow Dash stopped there. 

Harmonic Breeze looked away from Octavia. “I just bring her pain…while she came to talk to me.”

Octavia returned to occurring perception while she took out her anger and cast it out of her mind. “I want to show you something mother.” Octavia reached within her bowtie to take out the photo she had taped to the inside of her cello case and Gold Sky’s wedding band, both objects got laid in front of Harmonic Breeze. 

Harmonic Breeze looked the photo first. She can see her daughter under the wing of the Alicorn who had eyes full of love and a smile that cannot be interpreted but one can only guess that it’s a smile of love. “Gold Sky is the name of your husband?” 

Octavia nodded. 

“You married an Alicorn, is he royalty?”

The gray mare scoffed. “Oh wouldn’t you like that, but no, he’s not royalty even though Princess Celestia adopted him and raised him. We first met on a hill outside of Ponyville or he found me practicing on top a hill and sat there to listen to me practice. He adored me every minute of the day, he loves it when I nuzzle him, carried me on his back when he flew, and so many things that I can’t list right now. H-he d-d-died in my arms telling me in his last words how much he loved me, if you met him mother you will really take a liking in him but what he will do to me is convince me to forgive you. Such a loving idealist my Gold Sky was.” 

Harmonic Breeze set the photo down and moved her eyes to look at the shiny wedding band. Judging from the residue on the inner part of the band she can only ask about one thing to conform that judgment.

“He never took it off.”

“The one time he took off his wedding band is when he breathed his last breath.” Octavia got the photo along with the wedding band and placed it back in her bowtie. 

Harmonic Breeze turned to look at Princess Luna but Octavia prevented her. 

“Look at me, don’t look at her. I don’t blame Princess Luna for Gold Sky’s death. She was only afraid and when afraid we do things that have grave effects in the long run.” 

“Oh thanks a lot Octavia.” Luna fumed in her mind. 

"Ah she's just using you as an example, sister." Celestia assured.

“And as for you mother. I forgave you a long time ago before father died, everything father taught me through his morals and values it helped come here to tell you I forgive so you can be free of my young anger you witnessed on that day. I want there to be a clean slate between us.” 

Harmonic Breeze, felt humbled at this. Being offered a second chance to start over despite opening her mouth at the wrong time will be a gift to grasp with all her strength. 

All of a sudden Octavia got up. “Good bye mother I might visit you here again and before you get your hopes up I will not let you hold my son while he’s a baby.” Octavia said that because she remembered Nurse Redheart’s ability to know of a mare’s maternal instinct. 

Octavia left the table. 
She walked outside leaving behind a hope that will grow to become a bonding idea between Daughter and Mother. 

Because sometimes Ideas are born through forgiveness. 

***

On the massive zeppelin landing craft a spotter for the 101st Airborne caught sight of a force of fascist pawns carrying out a grave intention to outflank Lt. Col. Oliver by going through his left by a far distance, regrouping, and attacking from behind to spread fear throughout the Grand Army of the Republic with the prospect of being sandwiched which will give the fascists victory.

The spotter quickly alerted the commander of the 101st. 
Commander Hamilton ordered a strike package for the pawns.
“Strike package for Foxtrot, six, niner, one, one, seven, three, eight. Say again strike package for Foxtrot, six, niner, one, one, seven, three, eight.” 

“Receiving strike package coordinates is this by chance a danger close strike?” Asked Captain Malusi who will be leading the Airborne as they deliver this package. 

“Negative Captain, package is not danger close.”

Captain Malusi got his oxygen tank and air mask on. “Roger, dropping charges on Foxtrot, six, niner, one, one, seven, three, eight!” 

Five hundred Griffons flew from the massive zeppelin landing craft carrying high explosive charges to drop on the fascist pawns to stop from outflanking LT. Col Oliver by the left. 
Oliver slammed his shield in the head of a pawn before slashing another pawn in the face with his sword. He looked up to see the five hundred griffons heading to the left. “Ah! Thank you 101st Airborne.” 

The 101st dropped their charges on the fascists before flying back to the landing craft to get more charges to drop on the fascists. 

Down below in the battle, one archer didn’t follow Oliver’s battle plan by going to the back after firing the sixth volley instead he charged with the soldiers to engage the enemy. The name of this archer is Hsin the twin brother of Connor. Both of them hatched from the same egg something that is very rare and considered a miracle. Hsin declared vengeance on the fascists for killing his brother, he vowed to kill as many as he can or die doing so and meet his brother in the heavenly paradise. 

As Oliver was busy looking up a pawn was heading towards him only to be stopped by an arrow from Hsin. Oliver got back to fighting. 

Hsin ducked and swung his bow the pawn slicing the throat; quickly he reached to his quiver for an arrow and threw at the face of another pawn. Hsin used his bow to stop a sword causing him to reach for his curved dagger to stab the pawn in the head and took out another pawn coming to his right. Hsin placed his dagger back in its sheath and went into the archer minute by firing arrows in rapid succession at the enemy. 

Oliver blocked a spear but the spear through his shield stopping only millimeters from his left eye. “Whoa!” Oliver tried to cut the spear off but the pawn kicked him in the chest sending him to the ground.  Oliver tried to swing his sword at the pawn but the pawn kicked the sword out of his grip. 

Then with fast motion the pawn sliced off the handles of Oliver’s shield and pointed his sword at LT. Col Oliver. “Your end comes through me you republic trash.” 

Oliver calmly closed his eyes. “Good bye Valerie.” 

*TSSH!!* 

Oliver opened one eye, an arrow to the heart stopped the pawn from killing him. 

“Sir are you alright!?” Hsin extended his hand so Oliver can take hold it and help himself up. 

Oliver breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, I’m alright thank you. My shield, I need a new one.” 

Hsin pointed to a shield lying nearby and fired an arrow at a pawn to save a comrade. 

Oliver reached for the shield but at putting on the shield he saw something taped in the inside. A photo of griffon holding his two sons made Oliver sigh but he had to shift his focus back to the battle.

Hsin with his custom made titanium bow that has the edges sharpened continued avenging his brother’s death while Oliver went on fighting valiantly. 

Captain Malusi dropped charges filled with Hellenes fire to create a barrier along with giving the pawns a slow death. 

Trumpets blared loudly…the fascists retreated to the hills. 

The Grand Army of the Republic let out a cheer that shook the ground beneath them. 
Oliver fell to his rump to absorb what’s happening right now. “Valerie I’m alive…I-I’m alive. Valerie can you hear me? I’m alive.” Oliver took off his helmet to rub his hair. 

Hsin stood over a wounded fascist pawn; he grabbed an arrow from his quiver and aimed it at the pawn. “Die you damn fascist.” 

Oliver sprung to his feet. “No stop!! What are you doing!?” 

“Avenging my brother’s death sir.” Hsin pulled back the arrow.

“Stop right now and take that fascist prisoner now.” Oliver commanded. 

“Sir?” Hsin didn’t want to believe what he just heard. “Sir with all due respect were you struck very hard on the head?” 

Oliver unfolded his wings. “Obey the order the soldier.” 

Hsin unwillingly obeyed and took the fascist prisoner.

Oliver oversaw the collection of prisoners. Now that he is fully relaxed he can now count his fallen brothers and find the soldier from whom he borrowed this shield. 

The fascists have been defeated by they will return and Oliver prays his letter has been sent to wife. “Thank you oh Great Spirit, thank you.” Oliver took a deep breath to control his emotions.  
In the end the enemy is just like him…a Griffon. 

***
Away from the Grand Army of the Republic and The Griffon Republic Marine Corp, fronts. Citizens from the town of Houston are en route to the capital for safety from the fascists, of course the citizens are not are traveling alone which will make them easy targets for a terrible massacre, the citizens are under the watchful eye of Major Mendeleev of the Rangers. 

For extra precaution since the both the entire 501st Marine Corp and Army are out fighting, President Ronald Madison called for the creation of a home guard to protect the Capital and evacuating citizens coming to the capital for protection. So the Secretary of Defense created the Rangers a force composed of soldiers from the Marines, Army, and Airborne. 

Major Mendeleev leaned on his spear while looking at the citizens march on. “The Marines and Colonel Gilda protected them while they evacuated now it’s my turn to protect them. I hope the fascists are too busy getting killed by Gilda and Oliver to even bother attacking the citizens.”  

Mendeleev felt a uneasy feeling. “You two, are both of you from the 101st Airborne?” 

“Yes sir.” Answered the Airborne soldier. 

“Good and do you know how to use a bow?” 

“Uhh, oh, yes sir.” Answered the second Airborne Soldier. 

“Good, I need both you to scout ahead and Great Spirit forbids if there’s any sign of trouble I want you to fire this special flare arrow. All you need to do is pull the fuse right here and shoot it up. Understood?” He gave both scouts a bow and the special arrow. 

“Yes sir. Come on.” Both scouts saluted before departing. 

“Jenkins tag along but from a far distance, since you’re our best archer.” Major Mendeleev ordered. 

“Yes sir.”  Jenkins followed the scouts. 

Meanwhile as the citizens continued moving, two griffons are on top of a cloud reading their set of orders given to them by General Mao. 
The orders read-Distract the Rangers, perform a raid and capture many females, return back to camp with the valuables.

One of two griffons signaled other griffons on the cloud to follow him and then signaled the pawns down below to attack the Rangers in order to distract them. 
“It’s time to earn our pay.” The assassin jumped off the cloud and his brethren flew close by. The assassins are easily identified by their crimson red capes. 

The two Republic scouts scanned the land. “Well it looks likes the path is clear, at this rate we should be getting home in maybe the next three hours. What do you think?” 

“I don’t know why I'm here watching the citizens when I could be with the Marines right now fighting alongside Colonel Gilda.” 

The first scout rolled his eyes. “Pffft. Man I don’t know what General Sherman was thinking by making her Colonel.”

“What are you talking about dude?” 

“Well let’s see the most obvious flaw. Hmmm, oh yeah she’s a female! Sherman made a female, leader of the Marines. How insulting is that to all the Marines. C’mon literally.”

“Well I heard that she killed many fascists and she isn’t moody if that is what you’re going to say next. But hey I won’t mind taking orders from her.” 

“Yeah you won’t mind after she bats her eyelashes at you.” 

“Oh shut up. I won’t mind taking orders from her because she leads the Marines into battle by being first to engage the enemy. If that doesn’t show bravery then I don’t know what does. Anyway I know what can make you stop acting like a dog that got their jewels cut off.” The second scout reached into his bag to take out a can of ravioli. “We've been alive long enough.” 

The first scout gasped in delight. “A can of Cook Linguini ravioli! You’re a life saver!” The scout reached out for the can. 

“Uh uh! If you promise to stop being mean to Colonel Gilda I will give you the can. You promise?” 

*Long annoyed sigh* “I promise.” He took the can with a wide smile. 

The second scout smiled at cheering up his fellow soldier. “Huh?” He grabbed his binoculars to look ahead.  “Uh oh I think I spoke too soon. Hey get that arrow ready.” 

“What?” The first guard asked with a mouth full of ravioli.

“I said get that flair arrow ready now!” 

“Why!?” 

“The fascists are coming!” 
Both scouts fired the flair arrow. 

Some of the citizens spotted the flair arrows. They know what those arrows mean and like a virus in a crowd, fear began to spread among them. Major Mendeleev quickly ordered the Rangers to rally up just in time to see both scouts arrive. 

“Major there are hundreds of fascists heading towards us sir!” 

Mendeleev turned to the Rangers. “I need ten of you to stay with the citizens and get them to move double time! Rest of the Rangers, follow me to victory!” 

“Victory!?” One of the Rangers yelled. “Did you not hear what the scout just said! There are hundreds of fascists heading towards us and there are only two hundred of us!” 
Pretty soon the rest of the Rangers began to join in by expressing doubts. 

Mendeleev banged his shield with his spear to silence the lot of them. 
“What does Ranger mean?” Mendeleev shouted. 

“Sir?” 

“I said what does the word Ranger mean! Do any of you know what it means!?” 

All of the Rangers got quiet. 

“Ranger means brave. We are brave Griffons because we all knew what we were getting ourselves into the minute we signed up to be in the Marines, Army, or Airborne. We are not cowards, we’re here putting our lives on the line for these citizens, our families, freedom, and the Republic. None of us are cowards because I’ll tell you what a coward is. A coward is one who denounces war; That coward refuses to fight for his nation because it does not care for it and will happily side with enemy or even give up its family so it can live its puny undeserving life under the fist of the enemy. A coward is one who declares war; they preach about glory and victory while they themselves sit behind a desk and take all the credit while the brave are out there dying for their families, nation, and freedom and getting very little recognition for it. Those are what true cowards are, they run away, they make others fight their own wars, they betray their nation, they take the true glory from the brave…one thing is true Rangers. Cowards denounce war…Cowards declare war…in the end the Brave fight the wars. We are the brave. I don’t know about you but even if we are outnumbered I will have my glory in the battlefield. So who’s with me.” Major Mendeleev declared. 

Mendeleev’s speech inspired the Rangers.
“We are sir!!” The Rangers chanted. 

Major Mendeleev smiled. “What are we!?” 

“Rangers!” 

“What are we!?”

“RANGERS!!”

“No really what did I just finish talking about, what are we!?” 

“OH! BRAVE! BRAVE!” 

“For the Republic, families, freedom and for Colonel Shaw and the brave eighty!”  Major Mendeleev flew up and headed towards the direction the enemy is coming, all the Rangers with the exception of the ten told to protect the citizens flew behind along Major Mendeleev. 

Jenkins fired at the coming fascists pecking off many while they’re still far in the distance his ears picked up the flapping of the Rangers behind him. He was about to join them until Major Mendeleev ordered him to stay with the citizens and get them to the capital. 

High in the sky. 
“Perfect the Rangers took the bait! Time to collect out prizes!” The assassins starting banking to the right before diving down to the citizens. Each assassin had in mind what they want. 

Major Mendeleev spotted the fascists up ahead. With a great show of gallantry he pointed his spear at the enemy. 

The enemy pointed his sword at the Rangers. 
Both sides yelled as they clashed. 
This is Major Mendeleev’s time of glory.  

Jenkins looked up to the see the red caped assassins descending down upon him. “Frak! The fascist pawns were only bait! Protect the citizens.” Jenkins fired an arrow at the assassin. 

The assassin dodged the arrow.

“Damn first time I miss!” Jenkins dropped his bow to get his dagger to block the sword of the assassin. 

While some of the assassins engaged the Rangers the others started taking the females.

***

Colonel Gilda, Jun-Park and the rest of the battalion arrived back to the western front, Gilda is quite relieved to see the Marines are all in good shape.  

One of the Marines noticed Colonel Gilda, stood up and saluted. “Sir! How wonderful it is to see you sir!” 

Gilda saluted back. “Thank you staff sergeant Ramirez.”

So while Gilda walked around her ears slowly began to hear the sound of music being played, out of curiosity she went to see what song is being played. 

Sitting next to a bon fire are some Marines playing instruments. One had a banjo, another had a guitar, fiddle, and flute. The little makeshift band played a catchy song. 

Most of the Marines taped their feet to the rhythm, others snapped their fingers, some danced around, and few bobbed their heads. 

“Hey what are the lyrics to this song?” Gilda asked loudly. 

The Marine playing the banjo started to sing the lyrics of the song. 
“…Died for the griffon who broke her heart, look away, look away, look away…” The Marines enjoying the song booed. 

“Boo. It sounds better as an instrumental!” Hearing this, the Marine stopped singing and resumed playing the banjo. 

After enjoying the sight of this fun activity Gilda got back to work. “Staff Sergeant Ramirez I need to be filled in the details now.” 

Ramirez came by to stand in front of Gilda and Jun-Park. “While you away the enemy came to attack in seven waves. We repelled each wave but, ooooh, we took losses. The enemy’s archers fired at us before attacking but even then we still repelled them and had the artillery bust them up with cluster bombs. Hehehe, sure killed a lot of those little frakers.” 

Gilda exhaled sharply. “H-h-how many Marines d-did we lose?” 

Ramirez reached behind him to get a cloth sack. “I don’t know sir but if you want to know I suggest you start counting.” He threw her the sack which made a loud jingling noise the instant Gilda caught it.

“It’s heavy.” Gilda originally meant to say that in her mind but she said it too loud. 

“We did take losses sir.” Ramirez clarified again. 

Colonel Gilda eyed Ramirez seriously and thanked him. 

Gilda went to a nearby tent and sat down on a chair. She opened the sack to pour out its contents. The heavy metallic ringing as the dog tags hit the table made Gilda shiver with despair, she can’t bear to count the dog tags nor will she bear to think of the family of the Marine if she accidently reads a name of one of the dog tags. “Why am I letting my feelings get the best of me! I’m basically letting the typical stereotypical flaw affect me right now!! UGH!!”   

Suddenly a hand touched her on the shoulder startling her. “Huh!” 

Gilda looked up to see Jun-Park with a calm expression. “Sir perhaps I should count the dog tags.” He understands Gilda’s worry. 

Colonel Gilda got up from the chair so Jun can sit down and count the dog tags. Right before Jun had the opportunity to count the first dog tag Gilda gently grasped his shoulder. “Thank you Jun…thank you.” Sincere and true thankfulness is present in Gilda’s voice. 

“Of course sir.” Jun began to count the dog tags. 

Gilda went out of the tent to check on the Marines and try help some them with words encouragement. 

“Sir.” Saluted a Marine. 

Gilda went into the mess tent to have an apple or two. 

“Sir.” Greeted a Marine with a salute. 
Gilda proceeded by getting in line. 

“Colonel, what can I serve you?” Asked the cook.

“An apple please.” 

“Here you go sir.” 

“Thank you.” Gilda left the mess tent and just walked about getting salutes, smiles, and other forms of respected recognition from every Marine including the ones who have been in the Corp much longer than she has. She expected the older Marines to have a hard time accepting her as Colonel or even as a Marine because she’s female. But she reasoned that by being in combat, carrying her own required weight like everybody else and not letting emotion get the best of her she has gain their respect and their trust in her. General Sherman told her that every Marine looks up to her. She may be a female but perhaps after seeing her fight maybe all the Marines are wondering if she’s a male born with a female’s body. She can’t blame them for thinking like that. “I think I’m one of those rare females but I still have a lot of emotions.” 

Before eating the apple Colonel Gilda went to check on the wounded in the medical tent. Upon entering she heard the soft groaning, smelling the smell of exposed flesh, and the sound of water being poured in a bottle. Gilda went to each wounded Marine took their hand and thanked them. Each smiled or tried smiling at her but she knows that all of them are happy to see her, one of the Marines asked if he made the right choice of being a Marine. She replied. “The choice you made is the choice you knew you can handle no matter the consequence, Marine. And I’m honored to be your leader.” Gilda replied. 

The wounded Marine got relaxed in his bed. “Thank you sir.” 
A surgeon came to Gilda to tell her that she has to go because he will be starting surgeries soon.

The Colonel left the medical tent. Outside, Gilda took a bite of the apple, its softness combined with the sweet juices made some emotions leak out of her mind. “Control yourself damn it! If  you start bawling like the typical expected female than I might hurt the morale.” Gilda forced her rapid shallow breathing to slow down, her eyelids blinked many times to dry her eyes oh how the simple act of eating an apple can make her feel every act she has committed to the enemy and the acts the enemy committed against her. 

War…an event that change her for the good or for the bad. “So many mothers, wives, daughters, and sons. Oh my goodness, if only I can prevent more Marines from dying…!”  Gilda passed a hand down her face. 

Out of desperation or fear that she will let her emotions get the best of her, Gilda reached within her armor to take out the two photos she has. Rainbow Dash and her in Junior Speedsters camp and the picture of her with Gold Sky. 

Something in her heart made her yearn for Gold Sky’s company. 
She wants to hear his loving warm voice tell her everything is going to be fine because he’s here for her. “Gold Sky I wish you were here to get me by with your home style kindness.”  

“Colonel Gilda?” A voice said softly behind her. 

Gilda turned around to see who it is. “Oh Jun did you finish counting the dog tags?” 

“Yes and I filed the report for it. Anyway changing subject for your sake are those photos of your friends?” 

Gilda nodded happily at him and give him the photo of Rainbow Dash. “She’s an old friend of mine, her name is Rainbow Dash. We both went to Junior Speedsters camp.” 

Jun looked at Rainbow Dash he did not know that ponies are capable of having a natural multicolored mane. “You two still talk?” 

Gilda sighed. “Well not much because of my pride.” Gilda took back the photo and gave Jun the one of Gold Sky. 

“Who’s he?” Jun asked. 

“Please sit first.” 

Jun sat down. 

Gilda finished eating her apple. “His name is Gold Sky, he’s a good, good friend of mine. I don’t remember the exact details but I will always remember that he met me.” 

“How?” Jun asked. 

“I carelessly broke my right wing when I spun too much in the air, got dizzy, and couldn’t tell up from down. So I crashed into a tree and heard the loud crack!! Of my wing bones breaking. Damn, to make matters worse I had a hard landing too, I just roared in pain!! Next thing I knew I just looked up to see Gold Sky standing right there in front of me. He just stood right there like he was waiting for me.”

“Damn that’s weird.” Jun exclaimed. 

“Heh, you can say that again.”

“Damn that’s weird.” Jun exclaimed once more. 

“Actually I said frak bu-but anyway, Gold Sky got down to knees and starting to talk real soft to me. His voice calmed me down, I don’t  know why the hell it did but his soft loving voice just reassured me that everything is going to be alright. I let him patch up my wing…throughout the process he kept talking to me with that loving voice.” 

Jun got a bit of wonder in him. “Like in what way will you describe his voice?” 

Gilda rubbed the back of her head. “Fatherly.”

Jun tilted his head. “Fatherly? Why will you say that?” 

Gilda only told one pony about her family and that’s Rainbow Dash. “I have no father only my mother…adoptive mother. I-I always thought she was my true real mother but when she told me that she adopted me it sort of hit me but hey she loves me and that’s all that matter between the both us. However, when I asked her the name of the Griffon of whom she adopted me from, she couldn’t remember, try as she may she just couldn’t remember one bit.” 

Jun spun his left hand a few times in the air. “So you sort of theoretically speaking saw him as a father figure because of his loving voice, touch, and being without a father. Am I correct in any of those?”  

“Yeah you’re correct in all them. I felt so drawn to him, instinctively drawn to him. When night came I became afraid because since I couldn’t fly. I was stuck in the ground. So after seeing my wing all bandaged up I asked Gold Sky if I can sleep close to him. I expected him to look at me weird but he didn’t instead he smiled at me and said yes to me. I also cried a lot too…”

“Why?” 

“Stupid of me to move my still bandaged wing, it feels like you’re being stabbed inside the wing and also where the wing connects to the body. Freaken hurts! Gold Sky got on his knees again before me, thought he was going to laugh at me or tell me to stop being such a lameo. Instead he wiped away my tears. Who does that, seriously who does that? To me, a not so nice griffon who’s been mean to some really kind ponies and next thing I know I meet like maybe the kindest of all an-and he take cares of me! I never understood that?” 

“That he took care while you were hurt?” 

“Yeah, oh no, ok maybe some of that. But me. Me of all things, he chooses to take care of me.” 

Jun scratched his head. “Guess you really did see him as a father figure. So what did Gold Sky do after he wiped away your tears?” 

Gilda took the picture of Gold Sky to look at it again with a light smile on her face. “He starting telling me…uh let me show you, come here.” Gilda motioned for Jun-Park to get close.

“Sir? Are you sure about this?” Jun asked not because he’s uncomfortable but worried that during the demonstration Gilda might remember something and cause her to get sad since she saw Gold Sky as a father figure.

“C’mon Jun, oh it’s an order.” Gilda had to use that card. 

Jun chuckled. “Ok fine.” Jun got close as ordered. 

“This is what Gold Sky said to me.” Gild placed a hand under Jun-Park’s chin. “Ssssh, it’s okay to cry Gilda. I’m not going anywhere, I’m here for you no matter what, I’m always here until you stop crying and until your wing heals, so don’t worry Gilda. I’m here.” Gilda did her best to imitate Gold Sky’s loving voice. 

“Wow. He really cared for you.” 

Gilda got some distance from Jun and placed both photos back within her armor. “I can so use his company right now; I miss his loving touch if you understand. I almost called him…I almost, just almost called him, dad, after my wing healed we hugged before going on our separate ways. I didn’t want to let him go nor did he want to let me go. I was so drawn to him and I-I just couldn’t understand…I could hear more of your suggestions Jun.” 

“Uhhhhh, ah! It’s like both of you have somewhere been very close but uh different lifetime?? Something like that or it’s a sign of redemption for you?” Jun tried his best to help Gilda understand her closeness feelings to Gold Sky but he in only smile in the end. “Are you still drawn to him?” 

“I guess since I want his company very badly, huh?” Gilda noticed a single tear running down her cheek. “Frak, frak, frak!” Gilda wiped away the tear and got her helmet on so the dark shady blanket can cover her eyes while she blinked them dry hoping that the Marines didn’t spot this sign of emotion. 

“Sir if you feel like crying for missing Gold Sky then I think you should. But! But! That’s only my opinion.” Jun had to cover himself in some way. 

Gilda got up to turn to him with expression of alarm. “You do realize the entire Marine Corp look up to me and you do realize I am a female. If show one bit of your typical run of the mill female emotion then all the Marines will lose their confidence in me, they will starting seeing me as your normal female who can’t handle the sight of blood. Morale will go down, Marines will not fight very effectively, we will take heavy losses, the fascists will break through kill the all the Army, kill the Rangers, do whatever they want to me before killing me, and the Republic falls. What will they do to Lyca, to the innocent children and to our history. I cannot show emotion…if I do, you die, your fiancé suffers, and the great Republic of the griffons, by griffons, for the griffons shall perish from the earth. I am a Marine but I am also a female, I have limits in what is normally or is considered a male’s arena. I must be cautious.” 

“I understand sir.” Jun saluted. “But one more question.” 

“Of course Jun.” 

“If you were to see Gold Sky right now would you call him dad?” 

Gilda looked up into the sky and then place a hand on Jun’s shoulder. 
“Perhaps, I might call him dad. Perhaps. Anyway let’s go check on Lieutenant Colonel Oliver.” 

“Yes sir good idea.” Jun got his helmet on. 

“Staff Sergeant Ramirez, Corporal Bashier, and Private Rienne. You three will accompany me and Lieutenant Jun-Park fourteen klicks to the Army front. C’mon.” 

“Yes sir!” Said the three Marines. 

In the Army front. 

“Sit down you fascist basterd!” Hsin kicked the fascist prisoner to the ground. “Can you believe this!? Colonel Oliver wants to take prisoners while I hear that Colonel Gilda does not.” 

A fellow archer scratched his back with an arrow while being all ears to Hsin’s grievance. “Well at least she’s more male than Oliver.” 

Both archers laughed. 

“This stupid order of his is completely fubar.” Hsin kicked other fascist prisoner to the ground. 

“You got that right.” 

A nearby soldier heard what they said. “Hey what does fubar mean?” 

“Oh it’s a zebra word.” Hsin replied. 

“Ok.” The soldier went to retrieve something from his pack.

“Anyway, how am I supposed to avenge my brother’s death if I can’t kill these fascists.”

“Look Hsin, I’m sorry for what happened to Connor. But we have our orders, we must follow them or risk getting court marshaled. I hear the punishment is flogging.” The archer shook in thinking of that punishment. 

“Thank you. But I wouldn’t want to follow the orders of some big hearted coward! Sure he has a big heart that’s nice but that’s make him a complete little coward.” Hsin looked to his fellow archer who had his eyes super wide along with a look of utter horror.

“Colonel Oliver is behind me isn't he?” 

The fellow archer nodded. 

Hsin sighed. “Sir to what do I pay the honor for your visit.”  

“Cut the load of bullocks Hsin, I hear you don’t like my orders.” 

“Not one bit sir.” Hsin threw down his bow and quiver. 

“Well sadly I don’t care Hsin, what I do care about is defeating the enemy and treating the prisoners with honor.” Oliver explained casually.

Hsin got close to Oliver. “Honor sir? You think these damn fascists give a frakken damn about honor! It they had honor then we will not be saying Remember Colonel Shaw, we’ll just be saying remember the Brave seventy nine! Honor will make the enemy take Shaw prisoner and you know that full & well! Showing the enemy mercy is what they expect of us sir! They have no honor!! They just want to kill us, can’t believe you’re too damn blind to see this…sir.” 

“Shut your mouth Hsin! I give orders and follow them! Is that clear soldier!?” Oliver is inches away from Hsin’s face. 

Hsin just looked at Oliver with a serious face. 

“Answer me Hsin!” Oliver demanded.

“Like hell…” Hsin caught sight of Colonel Gilda coming in. “Oh look, here comes a true leader.” He pointed at Gilda. 

Oliver turned around to see Colonel Gilda land after which he focused back on Hsin. “We’re not done with this.” 

“I think we are.” Hsin answered and snorted his breath at his superior before leaving.

“Colonel Gilda ma’am.” Saluted Oliver. 

Gilda saluted back. “Lieutenant Colonel Oliver. And please call me sir; my Marines call me that because they find calling me ma’am weird. So if you’ll be so kind.”  

“Yes sir I will.” 

Gilda smiled at Oliver. “Anyway it’s good to see you’re alright Oliver. Also please fill me in the details of the enemy attack.” 

“Well after I had the troops positioned for battle I ordered the artillery to stop firing so I can engage the enemy, the enemy quickly popped out of their holes and the Army fought them well and hard along with some help of the Airborne to prevent them from flanking us. Overall we defeated them in this battle. I guess you can say it was an offense that went fubar.”

“Fubar.” Gilda said to herself in acknowledgement.

“Fubar.” Jun-Park said. 

“Fubar.” Staff Sergeant Ramirez said to Corporal Bashier. 

“Hahe Fubar alright.” Private  Rienne giggled. 

The soldier who asked what fubar means stood next to Jun-Park with a book in his hand. “Hey I looked up fubar in the zebra dictionary and there’s no fubar in there.” 

“Oh it’s not zebra it’s a fancy language word.” Colonel Gilda said. 

“Ugh great. I don’t think I got that dictionary. Thank you Colonel Gilda.” The soldier saluted and left. 

“And how about you Oliver are you alright? Did you any scratches or cuts.” Gilda asked again just to make sure he's alright.

“No sir I’m good but I did find this picture. I will have to send it with the dog tags later on.” Oliver was going to show Gilda the picture. 

“No that’s unnecessary.” 

From out of nowhere a yell startled both Gilda and Oliver. 

A fascist prisoner tried to attack a Republic soldier only to be beaten to submission. 

Jun-Park noticed Gilda’s face got extremely serious.

“Oliver will you kindly explain to me why there’s a fascist prisoner!?” Gilda maintained her voice in a calm dignified matter to prevent the soldiers of the Grand Army of the Republic from seeing her in a hard to accept light. She has the complete trust of the Marines but she still has to gain the complete trust of the Army. 

“Sir it’s prisoners, I gave orders to take wounded fascists prisoner.” 

“Why will you do that lieutenant?” 

“Because they can’t fight anymore sir that’s why.”

Gilda stayed quiet for a couple of seconds, her intuition told her that Oliver is a by the book leader, has a big heart, and is kind of shaken up about something. But in her mind she only has one rule for the enemy and that’s no prisoners.

“Staff Sergeant Ramirez please come here.”  

“Sir.” Replied the Staff Sergeant. 

“Oliver where are the prisoners being held?” 

“In that big tent sir, why do you ask?” 

“Because Oliver, I don’t take prisoners and you shouldn't let that big heart of yours cloud your judgment. Staff Sergeant Ramirez take your spear and kill the prisoners.” 

“Yes sir.” 

Oliver nearly gasped but reacted quickly. “Stop right there soldier.” 

Ramirez stopped in his tracks. 

“Ramirez carry on with your orders.” Gilda said again. 

“Belay that order Staff Sergeant.” Oliver ordered. 

Ramirez looked at both Gilda and Oliver. “Uh I’ll just wait till you two clear things up first.”

Gilda turned to Oliver. “What is your problem Oliver. Why do want to protect the enemy?” 

“Because it’s the right thing to do Colonel Gilda, they can’t fight anymore so why are they threat?” Oliver said to his superior. 

“Oh you want to talk about doing the right thing! Perfect! I’m glad you brought that up. I do the right thing by killing the enemy, wounded or not, you want to know why Oliver. It only takes one fascist to spread his ideology and recruit griffons to his cause of a totalitarian government. It just takes one, so look at that fascist prisoner! He tried to attack that soldier and yet you still want to keep him prisoner.” Gilda noticed Oliver’s wedding band on his left hand. “Your children Oliver, do you want your sons to be fighting this war again because you let your big heart keep this cycle with the fascists going. What kind of a father passes down a war to his sons? Plus I understand your good intentions of treating the enemy with honor,  but do you think that the enemy will share in your beliefs if they were to capture some of our soldiers. The enemy wants to kill us all, they will take your wife and do terrible things to her. If you have any children the fascists will kill them too. I thought you were a husband first and a Lieutenant Colonel second. Shameful really. Ramirez kill the prisoners. You will understand later Oliver that sometimes it’s not good to always listen to your heart.” 

Ramirez pointed at Oliver. “I’m still on hold Colonel Gilda.” 

Hsin got his bow and quiver. *TSSH!* He fired an arrow at the fascist prisoner that tried to kill the Republic soldier. 

Oliver freaked out! “Hsin what the hell!!! How dare you disobey my orders! You’re going to be court marshaled for this!” 

Hsin grinned smartly. “You know Col, err, I mean Lieutenant Colonel Oliver, Gilda is your superior and I will happily obey her orders because she out ranks you!” Hsin got another arrow from his quiver and shot it at a fascist that’s being carried by a Republic soldier.  

Oliver turned to Gilda who looked at him with lukewarm expression. “Colonel I disapprove of this! Please the enemy can’t fight! I beg you to please let the prisoners live!” 

Jun-Park sensed Gilda’s empathy for Oliver’s sympathy for the enemy, but deep down he knows the fascists do not have a single ounce of honor which in the end Oliver’s kindness will be in vain. 

Gilda placed a hand on Oliver’s shoulder…She sees Oliver as the innocent soldier who believes in the purity of war. Sadly in this war the enemy does not have honor so there is no point to have honor  because no matter how much kindness he’s show to the enemy they will return that kindness with a knife to the back. “Oliver you are a one of a kind soldier who truly believes that everyone is good at heart, I admire you for that. No really I truly admire you for having that strong belief. Sadly I have to rain on your party but not a single fascist is good at heart, didn’t you just see that now dead fascist attacking that soldier even though he’s injured! What I’m doing will be for your good and for every soldier’s future generation. You see this war as a new war, in reality this is a continuation of the previous war fifty seven years ago. It’s a cycle, so I intend to end it here in this war once and for all. So what if you think I’m brutal I don’t care…” Gilda paused. Just a bit she will express her feelings. “Do you know how I feel whenever I finf out that a Marine died. A wife without her husband, a mother without her son! A son with no father and a daughter with no father! I think about that when I shouldn't. You heard! I THINK ABOUT THAT!! The command you ordered spits on their faces! I-I can’t even bear to count the dog tags…I’m Gilda. Adopted and with no father, even though I saw a pony as a father figure because he took care of me with I broke a wing.” Gilda turned to look at the soldiers of the Grand Army of the Republic and took off her helmet. “All of you LOOK AT ME! I am a female, yeah let me remind you I am a female fighting in a male arena when all of you think I shouldn’t. Maybe you’re right, I shouldn’t be here because right now all of you think that I’m your typical female. But you know what, I got nothing! Nothing to lose, sure I got my mother but that’s only my mother if I die she might cry for a few days before moving on. So what do I have to fight for? Nothing. I have nothing to fight for but yet here I am. Leading the Marines into battle, killing the enemy with no mercy, and breaking a barrier…but in the end I will be different; all of us will be different. Horrors and Glory is what war gives us. But I can’t I-I just can’t let the enemy have another opportunity to wage war again! So that’s why I fight fire with fire. So no more mothers will cry, no more wives will turn into widows, no more sons will lose their fathers, and no more daughters will lose their fathers.” Gilda chuckled quietly for no reason. “You know ever since this war started I asked myself if my father knew that I’m a Marine will he do anything to keep me from going into battle?”  Gilda finished. Almost. *Sigh* “As your superior and higher rank I override any order you plan to give regarding the prisoners. I’m sorry Oliver for having to do this but I want to end this cycle. Ramirez kill them. All of them.” 

Oliver frowned. 

Ramirez gave Colonel Gilda a nod. “Yes sir.” So he joined Hsin in killing the prisoners, soon other soldiers of the Republic joined them. 

“You are a good griffon Oliver, I will tell General Sherman of your victory and bravery. Please forgive me.” Gilda tapped Oliver on the chest where his heart is. “Never lose this Oliver, don’t lose it. It’s very rare to find this in a war so I ask you to stay who are so once this war is over you will go back home and be same griffon your wife married.” Gilda paused, she felt something. 

“I need to go good luck Oliver.” Gilda was about to call Jun and the rest of her Marines until Oliver stopped her.

“Gilda can I ask you a question?” 

“Of course.” 

“When you said that you saw a pony as a father figure did you mean that?” Oliver asked. 

“Yes. He treated me like his daughter and I wanted to him call him dad.” With that Gilda left. 

Oliver turned to the soldiers, he saw Hsin stab the last pawn with an arrow. 
“Soldiers just burn the bodies when you’re done.” He said in a heavy voice. 

“Yes sir.” Hsin decided to pile up the bodies all by himself for Oliver’s sake. 
***
“Oooh my head. Awwwwwwwwh oooow.” Jenkins picked himself up from the ground. *Gasp* “The citizens!!!” 

“Don’t worry they’re safe, well at least half of them are safe.” Major Mendeleev sadly assured. 

“Half!!! W-w-what happened!?” Jenkins asked. 

“The pawns were only a distraction for us while you got attacked by some griffon assassins, knocked you out, and made off with many females. Oh dear Great Spirit how can I be so stupid!” Major Mendeleev stomped the ground “Who knows what the fascists are doing to them!” 

Jenkins got his bow and continued making his way to the capital. “It’s because I missed.”


In the Fascist camp. 

General Mao sat smugly behind his desk reading the report of the number of females captured, so many which will provide his troops with pleasure.
Isao came in to fill Mao in with the details from the assassins. “General Mao, do you wish to hear my report?”

Mao slouched back on his chair while drinking some wine taken from the citizens. 
“Fill me in Isao.” 

The leader of the Griffon assassins unrolled a scroll. “Well General it says that during the skirmish with some of the Rangers protecting the citizens, the assassins managed to knock them all out and capture many females as you requested plus gold and other precious valuables.”

Within the report something did not sound right to Mao. “Isao read the report again but much slower this time.” 

So Isao read the report again. 

Now Mao’s ear caught the part that didn’t sound right. “The assassins only knocked out the Rangers but didn’t kill any of them. Those stupid idiots!! Didn’t I tell them to kill the Rangers and capture the females! Why am I paying those fools if they can’t do what they’re ordered!” Mao yelled.   

Isao took out another scroll that contains Mao’s orders. “Sir your orders specifically said to distract the Rangers, perform a raid and capture many females, return back to camp with the valuables. Nowhere does it say to kill Rangers.” 
Mao’s jaw dropped. 
“Are you kidding me!!? Do I have to be very specific with your stupid assassins!!” 

“Yes.” Isao answered. 

“Fine, next time I give an order to your assassins I will include the word kill in there! Such idiots, anyway go the tent of sin and make sure everything is in order. I don’t want any of our troops fighting over the valuables.” Mao commanded. 

Isao pulled his head back in disgust. “Sir you can’t be serious! The troops will be doing things in there and I don’t want to look at or hear any of that!” 

“Here use these.” Mao threw some earplugs at Isao. “You won’t hear them but you’ll just see them. Look just make sure to clarify that everyone only has ten minutes before it’s the next griffons turn then you can leave. Say by the way do you want your own female? I could have them bring you the most beautiful griffon and she’ll be all yours.” 

Isao scoffed. “No I’m married remember.” 

“Oh, well in that case I’ll take one for my own. I guess you’re still the only assassin to practice that code of honor that the first assassin created.” Mao complemented. 

“Whatever sir, enjoy your ugly sin.” Isao placed one earplug in his ear.

“Oh I will thank you very much Isao.” Mao went to his room to relish in his sin.

“Disgusting.” Isao does not want his hands dirty in the treatment of the capture females nor does he approve of it. 

Isao went inside the tent of sin to make sure everything is orderly. “I’ll be damned if one of these innocent Republic citizens look at me. Oh great she looked me.”

None of regulars commenced in their sin but some already made their picks, so quickly before he gets damned by hearing the screams Isao clarified everybody only has ten minutes. Isao was about to put on his second earplug until he heard the screams of a child. 

Isao quickly turned to the source of the screams. It’s a little griffon grasping his mother’s arms while being surrounded by regulars. 

“Mommy don’t go!” Yelled the boy. 

“Hurry get the brat away from her.” A regular said angrily. 

“NO MY SON!!” The mother yelled while doing all she can to hold on to her dear son. 

“Screw this, I’ll just kill the brat!” The regular took out his sword. “AHH!” 

Isao threw a knife at the regular to stop him from killing the boy. 

The other regular near the mother backed away from her and kneeled before Isao. 

“Now what is going on here.” Isao stepped on the knife that’s stabbed the regular in the hand making the regular groan in agony.

The regular kneeling before Isao spoke up. “This female has a bra, err, ch-child and I think we should get rid of the child.” 

Isao bent down to take the knife out of the hand. “There’s seems to be a misunderstanding here. She’s not a female she’s a mother. There’s a difference between the two, General Mao promised all of you females but he did not promise you mothers.  Do you all understand.” Isao picked up the regular. “And to make sure all of you understand precisely what I mean I’ll put it like this. If any of you touch the boy or his mother I will skin you.” Isao plunged the knife into the regular in the center of his belly and began to move the knife up to loosen up the skin. “Slice off your loins and sirloins.” Isao removed chucks of flesh from the regular. “And feed you to the birds of the air.” Isao threw the regular outside so the vultures can eat him. “Is that clear.”

Every regular nodded and passed the word to the other regulars waiting outside. 

But Isao still didn’t trust them despite his bloody warning. “I’ll take them.” Isao got in front of the mother and told her to follow him. 

The mother had no other choice but to comply for the well being of her son.

Isao took the mother and son to his tent closing the flap behind him. He moved to lay his eyes on the two griffons along with pointing at his bed. “You and your son will be safe here. I will not lay a hand on you.” Isao took hold of his knife. “Here take my knife as a sign that I mean what I say.” 

The mother took the knife. 

“Please rest, both of you can use some sleep. For your own safety do not leave the tent, I’ll bring both of you some food. But as of right now both of you are safe.”

“Than…” Isao raised a hand to stop the mother. 

“Don’t thank me…I’m still a terrible griffon.” Isao handed the mother a blanket for her son. 

As Isao walked slowly to the entrance of his tent he can hear the mother speaking to her son in soft coos so he can sleep. 

“I love you my son.” Said the mother before kissing him on the head. 

Isao sighed deeply, if the mother or boy dies their blood will on his hands.

***
Mao got up from his bed to write a new set of orders for the assassins, these orders will have the word kill included in them. He’ll have three assassins accompany a regiment of regulars that will attack the Marines. Also Isao will be overlooking the battle to find any weakness within the defenses of the Marines.

Colonel Gilda, lieutenant Jun-Park, Staff Sergeant Ramirez, Corporal Bashier, and Private Rienne arrived back to the western front. 

“Corporal Bashier order all the medics to be on standby. Private Rienne alert the Marines to be battle ready. Staff Sergeant Ramirez signal the artillery to be ready so they can fire at will.” 

“Yes sir!” All three replied. 

“And what about me sir?” Jun-Park asked

“Hmmm, just stay close. I have a feeling that the enemy is coming. Say Jun do you think it was a right move that I opened up a bit to Oliver and the Grand Army of the Republic?”

Jun is honored for the fact that Colonel Gilda wants to hear his opinion. “I think what you said proved them that you a rare type of female who can handle what the war throws at you.”

“Thanks Jun.” 

“Sir the enemy is coming! The enemy is coming!!” Screamed a lookout. 

Gilda turned to the direction of the artillery who are four klicks behind the Marine’s lines. 

The spotter shouted out the coordinates.

“FIRE!!!”
“FIRE!!!”
“FIRE!!!”
“FIRE!!!”

Fragmentation shells exploded all around the pawns thinning out their numbers. 

Gilda threw a spear to Jun and got her shield. “Lookout, I need a rough estimate on the enemy’s numbers!” 

“The enemy does not look so numerous.” Reported the lookout. 

“Not all the Marines are fully prepared but there are not a lot of pawns.” Gilda thought. 

“MARINES!” Roared Colonel Gilda. “CHARGE!!” All the Marines who were battle ready charged forward with Gilda. 

Gilda chopped off the head of a pawn on the ground while Jun in the air killed a pawn by stabbing the heart. The Marines fought hard against the fascist pawns each adding new tallies to their shields and spears. 

From a distance Isao watched the battle rage on while behind him waited three assassins for his order to join the battle. “Please I hope my assassin brethren can take on that female Marine because if they can’t then I’m no match for her.” 

“Well sir we’re waiting.” An assassin piped up. 

“You go the rest wait until I say so.” Isao ordered. 

The red caped assassin flew from the cloud. 

Jun took out three more pawns. “Dang this is a little too easy, something is not right here.” He thought to himself. “The pawns always attack in great numbers…”  Jun’s train of thought got cut short at seeing a pawn flying at full speed towards Gilda from behind. “I got you!” Jun threw his spear at the pawn. 

“Oof!” The dead pawn flew into Gilda.  “Ugh filthy dead body.” Automatically Gilda looked up, she knew Jun saved her skin again. She found him hovering in the air with a smile on his face. “Thanks Jun.” Gilda gave him a salute of thanks. 

Jun saluted back oblivious to the red caped assassin coming in from behind. 

Gilda’s eyes widened when her vision picked up the red caped griffon.
“JUN LOOK OUT!!!!!” 

Jun turned around to see the assassin plunge a sword into his stomach, Jun cried a sharp groan. 

“NO!!” Gilda yelled. She unfolded her wings to fly to Jun’s aid but a pawn tackled her and stabbed her in the shoulder.

Jun with complete disbelief looked down at the sword, blood sprinkled into his mouth.

The assassin let go of the sword. “You die, I get paid.” He grabbed his stiletto knife and plunged it into Jun’s chest where the heart is. But intentionally missed because the heart is not what he’s aiming for, he is aiming for the aorta. The assassin twisted the knife completely severing the artery from the heart.

“FRAK OFF YOU BASTERD!!” Gilda grabbed her MK II knife and stabbed the pawn many times in the face. 

“Jun don’t worry, I will have all the preparations ready for the wedding.”  Lyca’s voice resonated in Jun’s mind. 

“Lyca…” Jun with every last piece of his strength grabbed the assassin by the neck and with his dagger stabbed the assassin in the forehead for it’s the last act he’ll commit. “You come with me.” 

Gilda jumped to her feet…Jun and the assassin both fell to the ground.
“Jun!!” Gilda quickly went to his side. “C’mon stay with me!” 

Jun’s left hand is shaking violently and his right hand clung to his locket. 

“MEDIC!!!” Gilda yelled. 

“G-G-Gil-Gilda I c-c-can’t feel…” Jun couldn’t speak because of the blood in his mouth.

Gilda took hold of Jun’s left hand and tore off a huge chunk of feather down from her chest to cover his stomach wound. “Don’t worry Jun you gonna make it. Y-you getting a one way trip to the hospital, getting a purple heart while you r-recover, and then get married.” Gilda paused very quick. 
“MEDIC!!”

“H-h-he got me in the stomach! He got m-me, me in t-the stomach!! P-please, please, please…” Jun coughed up more blood and gargled too.

Gilda anxiously comforted Jun. “Jun listen to me you’re going to make it. You’re going to have two or three kids, you know like two sons and one daughter or two daughters and one son or maybe all boys or girls! Jun listen to me! You’re going to make it!!!” 

“MEDIC!!!” 

Jun’s skin is turning pale due to blood loss. “I-I wa-wan-want to go home! Tshhhhhh , ahhhh! I want to go home! Home! Home ! It’s hur-hurts!!” Tears are flowing out from his eyes. 

Gilda felt her heart going cold with pain. “Jun please don’t cry you’re gonna make it!!” Quickly but gently Gilda wiped away the tears. 

“MEDIC!!” 

Jun whimpered to the images of his dearest Lyca flashing before his eyes.

The medic finally arrived. 

“Hurry do something!!!” Gilda yelled at the medic. 

The medic took out bandages to cover up the stomach wound but when he saw the knife in the chest the medic stopped. 

“What are you doing!? Save him!!” 

Jun moved his head so he can look at Gilda. 
Gilda grasped Jun’s hand tighter. “Stay with me Jun, please stay with me!” 

“I can’t do anything!” The medic said quickly. 

Gilda gasped. “You have to! You’re a damn medic!” 

“Look at the knife! He has internal bleeding because the knife sliced through his aorta a major artery! I-I can’t do anything it’s too late…he bled too much!” 

Gilda felt her world collapsing at hearing this; everything is coming apart around her.

Jun tightened his grasp around his locket. “G-Gilda please h-h-home. Ly-Lyca!”

Gilda felt tears forming in her eyes. “What can you do!?” She asked the medic. 

“Just this.” The medic took out a packet of morphine and injected it into Jun's left arm. 

Gilda stroked Jun’s face to ease the feeling of painlessness rush throughout his body. 
Jun-Park’s left hand began to shake less and less. His shallow breathing slowed down drastically while his eyes struggled to stay open. 
“Lyca, Ly-Lyca, my love…I Lyca my love. Lyca, I-I l-love you…”Suddenly his whimpers got louder. “I don’t want to die!  I-I don’t want to die!! Lyca, Lyca, Lyca, Lyca please I love, don’t want to die!!!” Accepting his reality. “I wa-want to go home! Lyca…Lyca! G-Gilda save m-me…Lyca…Lyca…Ly…” Jun saw Lyca’s and Gilda’s faces disappear to the bright white light.               

His eyes closed and his lungs gave their last breath. 

“Jun.” Gilda called out. “Jun.” She shook his hand. “Jun, wake up, please wake up.” 

The medic frowned. 

“Jun…I order you to wake up.” Gilda shook her head in pure denial. “Jun wake up for Lyca. Please wake up for Lyca. Wake up, wake up! Jun please! Please Jun c’mon! Jun…wake up." 

"Damn fool! Took too long with his kill that it ended up killing him. You two move in." Isao ordered. 

The medic opened his mouth to speak "Sir I, AGAAGA!" Gilda seized him by the neck. 

"Next time I call you, you come! When I call you, you come!!" Gilda growled while she squeezed his neck. 

The medic tried to answer but couldn't because he can't breathe. 

"Oh damn!" Corporal Bashier was about to go tell Colonel Gilda that she's chocking the medic but Staff Sergeant Ramirez stopped while telling him it's not wise to stop Colonel Gilda while she's infuriated. 

"Because next time I will kill you!" Gilda threw the medic to the ground. 

The medic gasped for air. 

Gilda reached down to Jun and took off his engagement ring, locket, and dog tags. 

The medic got back up to tell Gilda about the knife in her shoulder. 

Gilda just got the knife and yanked it out of her shoulder without showing any sign of pain.

The medic witnessed the wound heal before his eyes. "Sir you can heal!" 

"Shut up." Gilda retorted. 

Suddenly the medic saw two red caped griffons heading their way. "Sir assassins! We need to go!" 

Gilda passed her hand over Jun's face before getting up on all fours to see these so called assassins. 
"Go? You're staying with him." 

Gilda started to flap her wings. 

"Sir those assassins are very deadly!" 

Gilda looked back at the medic. "They're not assassins. They're dead!" Without her shield and with only her MK II battle knifes Gilda flew towards the assassins. 

Isao dropped his spyglass... "NO! She killed them!! She's unstoppable!!" Engulfed with fear Isao ran away. 

Gilda came by and softly picked up Jun-Park's body. The Marines bear witness to her wounds healing before their eyes. Gilda entered the surgeon's tent, with the same softness she used to pick up Jun she placed him on a operating table. 
"Please take care of him, clean his wounds...he's a friend."  

"Yes sir, I'm really sorry about your loss." 

Just before exiting the tent, Gilda took one last look at Jun's body. "Good bye Jun." The colonel went inside her tent, placed Jun's possessions inside an envelope, and started to write a letter for Lyca.

Private Rienne occupied himself by searching one the assassin's bodies for anything valuable or of use to the Marines. At putting his hand inside a side pocket he found a folded up map. "Hmmm I wonder where it leads." So Rienne unfolded the map. "Sweet speared roast pork with some lamb! This is a map to the enemy's camp I mean camps!!" Quickly he went to Colonel Gilda's tent but did not dare to go inside. 

"Colonel Gilda I found something!" 

"Not now Private please leave me alone." 

"But sir I found a map to the enemy's camps! Along with hidden paths the enemy uses to mount their attacks." Rienne exclaimed. 

At hearing this Gilda picked up her head. "Come in!" 

Rienne went inside and handed the map to Gilda. 

Gilda looked at the map. "Incredible! The fascists have split up their forces to fight me and Oliver! Right there looks like a good spot to place some artillery and rain down hell on those basterds." Without knowing a strong emotion manifested inside Gilda's mind. 

"Rienne go fetch General Sherman and I promote you to Sergeant. Now get!!!" 

Sergeant Rienne smiled wide and saluted at Colonel Gilda. 

Gilda looked back at the map and stabbed the nearest camp with one of her battle knifes. She intends...deeply desires to attack the enemy camp. Her rationale began to come up with a battle plan.

No...not plan. A plan will not satisfy this growing emotion in her mind...

Vengeance. 

---

Chapter. 50- Fluttershy's confession, bittersweet Vengeance...(Still working on title.)

For the part regarding Octavia & Gold Sky waking up in the same bed you should read this chapter from Octavia and the Alicorn's peace. Waking up to a surprise and being forgiven.  It should clear some things up. 

Private Rienne is a reference to a great film, so watch this scene and you will understand. Scene.