//------------------------------//
// Chaining of the Juggernaut and Akiciktuŋja mihi mitawa Cúŋkši. 
// Story: Joy of hidden Love and the Wrath of Lust. 
// by FoxofRarity 
//------------------------------//

 

Joy of hidden Love and the Wrath of Lust. 

By. FoxofRarity	

Chapter. 53

Disclaimer- Commentary at the end. My Little Pony Friendship is Magic belongs to Hasbro and Lauren Faust. 



**Years ago**
“Daddy, will they live?” 

“Yes they’re live, as dodos but they’re live. I had to make those griffons flightless to teach them a lesson for trying to hurt you Gilda.” Gold Sky wiped some blood off of little Gilda’s face. 

“And their angry mothers and fathers?” Gilda asked before wincing to the sting given by an alcohol pad. 

“They’re just a flock of angry hens and roosters. Flightless.” Gold Sky placed a bandage of Gilda’s forehead and then kissed her little cut so it can heal. “There sweetheart, you’re all good.” Gold Sky lovingly passed a hoof down her cheek to comfort her.

“But daddy, aren’t you afraid that they might come to hurt you because you made them flightless?” Gilda asked while she grasps daddy’s hoof. 

“No I am not afraid.” Gold Sky’s horn dimly glowed. “If they come for me it will be the last thing they’re ever do. Trust me you have nothing to fear Gilda, I had to put those mean bullies in their place for hurting you and I had to put those ignorant parents in their place too for defending the actions of their bullying offspring.” 

Gilda frowned and closed her eyes. 
“Sweetheart what is it?” Gold Sky got slightly alarmed at the sudden shift in his daughter’s behavior. 

The young griffon quickly shook her head. 
“Sweetheart what is it?”Gold Sky asked again. 

“Mh-mhm! Mh-mhm!” Gilda continued shaking her head.
“Sweetheart.” Gold Sky said in a soft serious tone. “Tell me what’s wrong.” 

Gilda sniffled. “They don’t like you daddy!” She wrapped her arms around daddy’s neck and starting crying on his shoulder. “They don’t like you and that’s why they threw rocks at me! They also said that I am a weak pony griffon because of you!” 

Gold Sky wrapped his arms around his daughter. “There, there my dearest Gilda, it’s alright. I don’t care if they don’t like me, in fact why should you care too? All that matters to me is the fact that you love me and I love you, that’s all that matters to me sweetheart and I will protect you like I did today but you must know Gilda that I will not always be there to protect you.” “Daddy I don’t know what you mean?” Gilda asked while she wipes her nose on Gold Sky’s shoulder.  

Gold Sky held Gilda in front of him so she can see him and he also wiped away her tears. “Gilda, you must learn how to defend yourself.” 

“What do you mean by that daddy?” 

“I mean that you should learn how to fight sweetheart.” Gold Sky fixed Gilda’s hair. 

“What? You are going to teach me how to fight daddy? Like in pow to the face and pow in the stomach?” The young griffon made a fist with her right hand.

Gold Sky nodded. “I will teach you how to fight, how to defend yourself and to know that it doesn’t matter how many times along with how hard you hit can somebody but what matters is  how hard you can get hit.”  He raised Gilda’s arms. “Always keep your arms up Gilda; it will help you block your adversary’s attack but at the same time you can’t always completely block an attack so you will get hit but it’s better to block eighty percent of the attack and get hit by a softened hit then to be hit by a full powered blow.” Gold Sky lowered Gilda’s arms and nuzzled her on the head. “I will start teaching you tomorrow sweetheart.” 

Gilda smiled at Gold Sky. “Yay daddy!” 

“Let’s go for chocolate sundaes plus you can get a peach flavored milkshake too then we can go to the clouds or you want to go to the meadows instead?”  

“Meadows!” Gilda loves going to the meadows with her daddy.

Gold Sky placed his daughter on his back and trotted to the ice cream shop to enjoy a nice sundae with Gilda. 

*Years Later* 
“AAGH!” Gilda almost fell face down on the padded floor after getting struck by a powerful right hook. 

The hand to hand combat instructor laughed at Gilda while she shakes lightly on the floor. 
“This is pathetic! I am basically committing domestic violence here because this female can’t fight worth of squat! C’mon girl! Did you actually think you can join the 501st and become a Marine. Huh! Answer me! Do you think that just because you’re a female we will get all soft on you!” 

Nearby, General Sherman leans his head so he can talk to Colonel Shaw. “I don’t think it was a good idea to let that female into the 501st Marine Corp. She can’t fight but she can take a hit though but still Shaw I don’t see any form of good happening here.” 

Shaw rubbed his chin. “Just keep on looking Sherman; I see something in her that tells me she can be an excellent soldier.”  
Gilda got back up only to be punched back down by the instructor. She opened her mouth to allow a large amount of saliva mixed with blood to come out and fall on the padded floor. “Oh Great Spirit…oooooooh.” 

Though with her memories of Gold Sky being her father are suppressed, his teachings cannot be suppressed. Gilda’s rationale instinctively played the teaching that has been imprinted in her years ago.  “It doesn’t matter how many times along with how hard you hit somebody but what matters is how hard you can get hit.”  Gilda closed her eyes for a few seconds. 
“Get up!” She growled to herself. 

Gilda spat out any leftover blood in her mouth and got back up with her arms raised ready to fight.  
The instructor attacked with another tough right hook, Gilda blocked it taking away eighty percent of its power and got hit with twenty percent. She quickly strafed to the side to a avoid a straight jab, using the few milliseconds before the instructor retracts his left arm Gilda grabbed the arm with her right arm, moved her right foot forward in order to help her lean onward to give her left hook more momentum in which she struck the instructor. 
The instructor staggered back taking in what just happened, he rubbed his right cheek. “Humph, lucky hit!” 
Gilda kept her arms up waiting for the instructor to start a new offense. The instructor came up again. Gilda blocked both left and right offenses from the instructor; she flung her arms outward getting the instructor off balance, so she gave him a right hook, left jab, and finally a strong right uppercut to the stomach. The force of the uppercut made the instructor bend forward giving Gilda a green light to end with a left hook knocking the daylights out of the instructor. 

Sherman’s eyebrows went up at seeing this and Shaw grinned at Sherman. “I guess you really saw something in this female. Still…she is your responsibility and don’t come to me if she can’t handle the training regiment, that’s your problem. She has to adjust to the 501st because the 501st will not in any way adjust to her just because she’s a female.” 

Gilda fell to her rump finally feeling the pain on her face. “Can somebody give me a icepack please. Ow!” Somebody threw a bag full of ice at her face. “Thanks.” She placed the bag of ice on her swollen cheek. 

Shaw patted Sherman on the shoulder and made his way to Gilda. 

*Gasp* Gilda quickly got up to salute Colonel Shaw. “Sir!” 
“I see you can take quite a bit of punishment Gilda and that fills me with some confidence in you but don’t take my words for granted. I will not show you any form of special treatment and if you can’t handle it then tough, you can walk away and show the world you’re not worthy of the 501st Marine Corp. Is that clear.” 

Gilda nodded. “Sir yes sir!” 

Shaw ordered Gilda to get her bag of ice and place it on her cheek. After seeing her do as she was ordered he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Welcome to the 501st Marine Corp Gilda. I pray you make your father proud.” With those words Shaw left. 

“What father?” Gilda whispered to herself. 

**Present Reality**
In the palace Cadance slipped away from the table thanks to the fact she created a holographic figure of herself to prevent anypony from knowing that she is not there. “Ever since losing that picture to Luna, I’ve been nursing an immense curiosity to what else can be in that book. If he hid a photo in there then he must have something else hidden there.” Cadance went inside Octavia’s room to get the book. “Found it. This time I’ll skim through every page.” Cadance’s magic flipped every page ignoring the advice in every page that provides steps for a better marriage. Over going past the two hundredth page she found what she may be looking for. “A folded up piece of paper, old like the picture but still in good condition.” She unfolded the paper. It’s the drawing a young Gilda drew for Gold Sky that once warmed his heart before stabbing him every time he looks at it. “This griffon is Gold Sky’s daughter! He raised her, which explains why he never talked about having children with Octavia!” When Cadance’s telepathy entered Octavia’s mind she went inside deeper than Octavia thought. “Gold Sky never feared having a son! He feared being a father because he did something that must have separated him from this griffon.” Cadance touched the drawn picture. “Father and daughter.” Her wisdom created the reasons for Gold Sky being so quiet to Octavia. “He made a vow to never have children with Octavia. If only Gold Sky was here in Equestria and not in who knows where since my telepathy can’t find him. Where is he!?”

“In the Griffon Republic my dearest daughter.” Yahshua answered. 

Cadance smiled at hearing the voice of her loving father. “What is he doing in the Griffon Republic father?” 

“He’s atoning for leaving behind Gilda, I suggest you let him reconcile with his daughter and wait for him to return.”

“Will Gilda return with him?” 

“A warm or cold feeling in your chest will provide you with the answer you seek my dearest daughter. Do you want me to help you by talking to him in making him get over his fear of you?” Yahshua asked. 

Cadance thought about this help from father. “The last time I spoke to him was ten years ago at his wedding. Ten years since I last spoke to him father and in those ten years I forgot of his existence in certain periods in that decade. But father I want to meet him, speak to him, and no longer be his fear. If it’s alright with you father I want to see if I can get rid of his fear of me.” 

“Very well then my dearest daughter; if you need any of my help please call out to me.” 

“Yes father, thank you.” Cadance focused her attention back to the drawing; she has the intention to show it to one pony that she knows can keep a secret along with a keeping closed mind so no telepathy can see the secret and extract it but the more she thought about showing this picture the more she came to see it will ruin her opportunities to be close to Gold Sky because she is basically breaching his privacy if she shows to the picture to Tia. “Just have to wait.”  

Cadance went back to her place in the table; her horn glowed causing the holographic doppelganger to disappear. 

***

In the Sugarcube Corner. 
Bon Bon sat quietly next to Big McIntosh eating some candy while he chats with Pinkie Pie who sits across from him. In her prospective it has been ages that Big Macintosh may have ever been very happy in this degree that he is displaying right now. Plus what can be more humorous is Big Macintosh’s ability to keep up with every topic Pinkie throws out into the blue and throwing in his topics into the blue too. 
Suddenly Bon Bon wondered what if she tried using that love potion the Cutie Mark Crusaders used on Big Macintosh and Pinkie Pie? The results will be lovely to her point of view that is but the levels of love shared between the two will actually be in sweetie-weetie pony pie or cutie-patootie lovey-dovey honey-bunny. Levels of love that make Princess Cadance blush in excitement. Still she doesn’t have that book and she does not feel like going through all of that exhausting trouble to make the potion so why not just sit back and watch natural love transpire before her while she munches on delectable candy.  

“Hmmm, I forgot that I might get bored from listening to them chat on and on. Maybe I can go back to the farm while Big Macintosh connects with Pinkie Pie.” Bon Bon thought. Luckily her eyes caught sight Lyra Heartstrings through the large storefront window walking about with a distraught look on her face. “On second thought, I think I’ll stay here and watch these two lovebirds.” 

At least for Bon Bon she can tell through the expressive facial expressions on Pinkie’s face that she is very intrigued with Big Macintosh. “A future for this two looks very possible but yet very ummm pessimistic…or that could just be me.” Bon Bon shrugged to the thought in her mind and threw a candy in her mouth. 

***
In Fluttershy’s cottage. 

The Element of Kindness lied on her couch weeping for what she sees as the loss of her best friend, Rarity. Discord…somehow slithered in before Twilight can get inside, so he can soft stroke Fluttershy’s pink mane while he flicks Angel away and trap the bunny in cage made of five inch thick carrots. 
Twilight stopped a few paces from Fluttershy looking sad on the outside but rather joyful in the inside. “This could be a major turning point in my getting rid of this major obstacle that will keep me from getting Rarity’s heart. Fluttershy will never see me as her love anymore, she will just see me as her friend and I can place a chain around her very powerful mind to keep her down.”  

“Fluttershy.” Discord said in his softest tone of voice. “There is somepony here who wants to see you.” 

“I-is it Rarity?” Fluttershy tearfully asked. 

Discord passed his hand through her hair again. “No my dear Fluttershy it’s not Rarity it’s your super smart friend Twilight Sparkle.”

Fluttershy felt a warm soft light shine down on her body to hear Twilight’s name. “Twilight?” She can use the caring touch of the love of her life in this hard moment right now not knowing that she made her usually strong mind open to telepathic manipulation from a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“Yes Fluttershy it’s Twilight.” Discord conformed to his friend and then flicked his head at Twilight informing the Unicorn to do her part in comforting Fluttershy.

Twilight took an ultra confident deep breath. “Fluttershy it’s me Twilight your friend.” 

“Oh Twilight, I’m glad you’re here.” Fluttershy passed her hoof over her eyes to wipe the tears away. 

“Oh great.” Twilight felt touched at hearing Fluttershy’s sad, sad voice but the Black Rose blocked that touched feeling from Twilight’s mind. “Of course don’t get distracted but it won’t hurt to ask her why she’s so sad.” The black rose agreed with Twilight in that. 
“Me too Fluttershy.” Twilight said in a false reassuring voice. “Please sit up so I can sit next to you.” 

“Ok.” Fluttershy squeaked. “Twilight, can you please hug me?” 

“Yes hug her Twilight.” Discord suggested in tune with Fluttershy’s request. 

“Discord can you please leave me and Twilight? I think you should go and see if the all of the animals are doing ok.” Fluttershy asked. 

Discord nodded and went to check on the animals.  “Hope Twilight can fix Fluttershy up.” It’s sad to see that Discord has no faith in himself to help Fluttershy; sure he may have been the master of utter slapstick chaos but being given a second chance and thus so far thanks to Fluttershy’s kind nurture he changed into somebody of great affection. He didn’t have to get Twilight to help Fluttershy…basically due to his faithlessness he just gave Fluttershy to Twilight in a silver platter. 

Fluttershy laid her head on Twilight’s shoulder closing her eyes to relish this. “Twilight, what have I done to be like this?” 

“Done what Fluttershy?” 

“I have lost myself to be with you.” Revealed the shy Pegasus. 

“You’re not with me now and you will never be with me ever, you dumb fool!” Twilight screamed mercilessly.  

“In what ways can you lose yourself Fluttershy? You are known to be the kindest pony in all of Equestria!” Twilight forced herself to nuzzle Fluttershy to keep up this caring guise.

Fluttershy hid behind her pretty mane. “I let myself be taken over by jealously because I thought Rarity was trying to get your heart from me and I came up with dire plans to harm Rarity in ways that only exclusive to her emotions. I saw that I became lost, so I told Rarity everything I planned for her.”  Fluttershy got much closer to Twilight, making the Unicorn get tense to this. 

“For the sake of my plan, picture Rarity, picture Rarity, picture Rarity!” Twilight took a deep breath the way Cadance taught her. 
“What did Rarity do when you told her everything?” 

Fluttershy began to shake uncontrollably. “She became hurt…I hurt her!” 

Twilight again forced herself to show affection to Fluttershy while in her visual perception sees Rarity.  

“I-I lost my closest friend! My friend who never forsaken me whenever I needed her help anytime of the day or night. She taken me into her arms more times than I can remember, her words provided me with ease along with showing me her wisdom…” Fluttershy paused to let out a whimper. “I love her very much and now I don’t if she’ll be my friend anymore! I…I casted out a piece of my heart! Ahhhhhhh!” Fluttershy broke down and sobbed. 

Twilight feeling no form of emotion for the sad mare simply stroked Fluttershy’s face. “I think she has an unlimited amount of tears in her tear ducts.” Twilight thought. “Scan now!”  Her telepathy gently went over Fluttershy’s mind. “Great! It’s still strong like Gold Sky’s except without the telepathic blocks!” Twilight hates the fact that there are two minds she can’t manipulate with her telepathy even though Fluttershy’s mind is not immune to thought implication. “Think, what can I do that will lower her guard and make her mind open to my telepathy!”  
The mind of this juggernaut can be hard to chain down but Twilight will think of something like she always does. 

*Ting* Idea. 
  “FRAK!”  
But she doesn’t like it one bit. 

Twilight got both hooves on Fluttershy’s shoulders making the Pegasus stop crying and turn to look at her. Slowly Twilight moved closer to Fluttershy to have the mind focus clearly on her and her alone. “Ssssssssh.” Twilight whispered seductively. “Let me help you Fluttershy, let me comfort you with my soft lips.” 

“Huh?” Fluttershy’s ears didn’t believe what she just heard. 
Twilight closed her eyes while her lips moved closer to Fluttershy. Of course Fluttershy will be thrilled for this to be happening to her but in her sad state it’s taking her some time to absorb this. 

“PICTURE RARITY, PICTURE RARITY, PICTURE RARITY!!” Twilight thought as her lips make dreaded contact with Fluttershy’s lips. 

“Hmmm.” Fluttershy moaned.

 “I HATE THIS!”  Twilight felt Fluttershy rubbing her flank and the kind tongue sharing its kindness. Fluttershy moved on top of Twilight to enhance this dear kiss with the love of her life. Soon before Fluttershy can realize her lust began to get loose causing her to get violent in her affection, the kind kiss turned aggressive as did Fluttershy who pinned down Twilight.  “No! She’s going crazy!” Twilight tried to end the kiss but Fluttershy prevented her from doing so, Twilight began to feel something worse is coming. “Fluttershy might give in into her lust and do terrible things to me! Concentrate!” Twilight’s telepathy to enter Fluttershy’s mind in order to see if the juggernaut’s mind can be chained down. “There’s an opening! Must wait for mor OH!!”  Twilight felt Fluttershy’s hoof moving down her flank and heading towards her sacred body part. “Must hurry! I see an opening but I must wait a few more seconds!” Fluttershy’s hoof kept on moving down getting closer by the milliseconds. “Almost! C’MON!!” Getting closer, now it isn’t inches away it’s centimeters. Huge beads of sweat ran down her brow, while bit by bit the juggernaut’s mind becomes weaker. *Gasp* “NOW!”  Twilight’s telepathy went inside Fluttershy’s mind causing the Pegasus to freeze. 
“Get off of me!” Twilight pushed Fluttershy off of her. *Thud* She didn’t care if Fluttershy hit the floor quite hard. “Now Fluttershy I want you to look at me.” 

Fluttershy’s eyes moved to look at Twilight. 
“You’re in love with me Fluttershy and I know you’re very hard to control but easy to break when you’re sad.” Twilight snorted her breath on Fluttershy’s face. “I am in love with Rarity and I will never be in love with you! Rarity doesn’t deserve to be your friend; in fact you are unworthy of her! She deserves a better friend, like uh.” Twilight will use Rainbow Dash and some other ponies Rarity as met. “Like Rainbow Dash, Fleur-de-Lis, Octavia, and uh Fancy Pants, and Prince Blueblood. You don’t deserve to be her friend ever! Now it’s time to get rid of your foul love for me! I finally defeat you Fluttershy, all thanks to your puny mind that’s weak when racked with guilt and my telepathy of course.” Twilight wondered of what thoughts she’ll implement into Fluttershy’s mind of course there is the option of wiping Fluttershy’s mind of every memory she has in there but that’s too soft, maybe she can make Fluttershy fall in love with Lightning Dust but no. “You know what Fluttershy despite your recent actions you are very useful and I will do you the favor of only chaining down your love for me. You see me and have feelings for me but you can’t act upon them, think of it like this. You push a heavy boulder all the way to the top of a steep hill only then to see the boulder roll back down so you have to do it again and again. Torture Fluttershy, nice kind torture for you Fluttershy.” Twilight’s telepathy did its work in the mind of the Element of Kindness. Mental chains wrapped themselves around the love for Twilight binding it down and chaining down the thought to use the stare too. The juggernaut whom Twilight used to be submissive to is now tamed almost to the point of a frontal lobotomized pony. “Fluttershy you will no longer be a threat to me anymore and at my wedding when I marry Rarity you shall be my best mare so you can have the best seat to see me the love of your life get married to the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria who also has the biggest heart.” Twilight did a long glorious laugh so Fluttershy can get the picture. 

“I will be setting you free from my telepathy and going home so I can wait for Rarity to come. Bye, bye Fluttershy.” Twilight teleported away. 

Fluttershy got up from the floor moving her legs to see if she’s completely free. “Twilight?” Fluttershy moaned to see if her mind makes any kind of stimulus, emotional or loving. “Twilight?” Fluttershy said again but nothing happened in her mind. “Twilight, I lo lew oooh oooof…NO!” She can’t I love you after saying Twilight’s name and she cannot do anything to act on her love for Twilight too. “Nooooooo!” Fluttershy slammed the floor with her hooves. 

Twilight defeated Fluttershy once and for all, getting rid of one deterrent. Now she must wait for the weak immortal to return. 

***
Twilight arrived in the library to find it in a normal spick and span condition. “Oh Spike, you organized the place to make up for mailing me to Celestia.” All knowingly she found him sleeping in his basket. “I know he’s dreaming about Rarity, the mare of his dreams and heart. Spike I took care of Fluttershy and now after I take care of that weak Alicorn I will take care of you my dearest brother. Who has always been my guiding light when I find myself lost in my set mind.”  She bent down and kissed him softly. “Oh after a wonderful victory I think I can skip my studying and get myself a twelve hour sleep.” 

***
In the palace Redheart came with some papers in her mouth, she only has a minutes to give Octavia her diet plan along with some prenatal advice. The white mare completely forgot about a surgery she is scheduled to perform today and it involves the reconstruction of damaged nerves on the thoracic and lumbar area of the spine. She plans to use stem cells in the reconstruction to see if that works in healing her Pegasus patient because she has done years of research regarding the use of stem cells, along with harvesting them from the placentas and umbilical cord that are discarded after a mare gives birth. She remembers Gold Sky giving her some of his blood and saw it’s amazing potent abilities, she knows his blood is full of idle but very powerful stem cells that somehow provide tissue regeneration when it’s taken out of his body. Sure she knows Love has something to with it but it is still a little mystery to her. Sadly the worst part about this surgery…it’s a long one. 
After some twists and turn through the palace she found Octavia playing a game of chess with Rainbow Dash who only has five pieces left on the board four of which are pawns. “Octavia! There you are.” 

Octavia looked up from the board. “Redheart, you’re here to give me another check up!” She happily tapped her hooves in eagerness so she can hear Redheart’s admirable advice. 

“Sorry I can’t Octavia. I completely forgot about a surgery I’m scheduled to perform today and I got forty minutes before I must start prepping. So this has to be quick. Right here is your diet plan plus some advice to ensure healthy development for your baby Octavia.” 

“What kind of surgery are you performing Doc?” Rainbow Dash asked after moving her king out of Octavia’s rook’s path of destruction. 

“It’s Nurse Rainbow Dash not Doctor. I may have the most experience in the medical field and I’m doing researching in new medical advances but I will always be a Nurse for here and hereafter. Providing patients with peace, reassurance, and love is something I will always be doing something a doctor cannot provide.” Redheart explained to Rainbow Dash. “Anyway I will testing out a new form of procedure I researched by using stem cells to reconstruct the thoracic nerves T1through T12 and lumbar nerves  L1 through L5 in a Pegasus who got severely injured when she landed hard on her back when a twist of trade and westerly winds struck her while she flew.” 

“Another question!” Rainbow piped up. 

Redheart waited for Rainbow Dash to ask about stem cells, oh how she’ll enjoy explaining that to the Pegasus. Octavia on the other hand or hoof is busy reading the advice on the papers. 

“What in the world are the thoracic and lumbar areas of the spine?” 

Redheart’s ears dropped and slouched her shoulders in hearing the question she didn’t want to hear. “The thoracic area is the middle of the spine and the lumbar region is the area above the pelvis. Any other questions Rainbow Dash?” 

“No I’m good thanks Nurse Redheart.” Rainbow went back to the chess board. 

“Octavia.” Redheart got Octavia’s attention to say good bye. “Bye Octavia.” After giving the gray mare a quick hug she left the palace and sprinted to the hospital. 

Rainbow moved her king behind a pawn making a trap for Octy’s rook, bishops, and knights. “Ha! Try getting my king without risking a valuable piece.” 

Octy smiled at Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow you seem to forget my little pawn that I’m about to make queen the moment it I move it to your side.” 

Rainbow’s eyebrows went up at seeing the pawn turning into a queen. “Uh oh.” 

Octy adorably giggled at seeing Rainbow get nervous. “Now Rainbow as you can see how my other pieces are positioned, you can’t move your king without putting him in danger sooooo, I say checkmate!” 

Rainbow connected the paths of each piece, after seeing that Octy is right Rainbow crossed her arms in frustration. “Oh I don’t like this game!” 

Octavia fell down on her back laughing with joyous harmony. Nearby Celestia chats with Shining Armor, Cadance is reading the how to fireproof your marriage book because of her curiosity and Luna stands out on a balcony enjoying the fresh wind until she spotted one her Commandos of Lakota squad sitting down on the ground. 

“Fleur?”  Luna flew down from the balcony. “Private Fleur?”

The armored mare who had her eyes closed opened her eyes to look at the Princess of the Moon. “Your Majesty.” She bowed down before Luna. 

“What are you doing Private Fleur?” Luna asked. 
“Well your majesty I am just sitting down here so I can hear the voices of the Chero that talk to me. Iron Cloud said I can hear them here too so I decided to sit down, clear my mind and listen to a tongue that is beyond any form of beauty.” Fleur-de-Lis explained. 

“It’s Corporal Iron Cloud Private Fleur, remember his rank and remember yours.” Corrected Luna. “Going back to the wind, are you very curious about the Chero?” 

Fleur nodded while smiling at Luna. “I am very curious about the Chero but your majesty can I…with your permission can I speak my mind.”

Luna sensed Fleur will be talking about Gold Sky, she figured Iron Cloud told Fleur about his kin and that is why Fleur asked her permission first. “Yes you have my permission Private Fleur.” 

“I met Gold Sky in the party Princess Celestia hosted. I accidently called him young but he kindly corrected me.” Fleur sighed. “I wanted to establish a friendship between me and him. Now ever since hearing Corporal Iron Cloud chant his sadness to Gold Sky his kin, my yearning to meet Gold Sky grew even more but well that yearning will be persistent until I can put it down.” Suddenly Fleur laughed giving Luna a little spook. “Even though he spoke few words to me I know his voice is so full of Love so that allowed me to find his voice in the wind…but now I don’t hear him anymore.”

Luna suddenly very attentive to this. “You can’t hear his voice anymore in the wind? Did you tell Corporal Iron Cloud about that?” 

“No I haven’t your majesty.” Fleur answered. 

“Well do you know the significance of that? Like do you know what it means if you can’t hear his voice in the wind anymore?” Luna asked again since she does not have much knowledge about the Chero like Celli does. 

“I’m sorry your majesty I don’t know.” 

Luna exhaled sharply. “Thank you for your honesty Private Fleur and keep on enjoying the wind please.” After getting a low bow from the armored elegant mare Luna flew back up to the rest of the group. 

“Celli, I’m going to the library so I’ll be right back.” 

“Huh, oh well enjoy yourself sister.” Celli went back to chatting with Shining Armor. But Cadance stopped reading the book when she saw Luna beginning to make mental connections.

“I must prevent Luna from figuring out that Gold Sky is alive or I will never have a chance to bond with him and his daughter Gilda!” Cadance placed the book down also she won’t mind leaving the book there since she took the picture out. 
“Shining Armor, I think I’ll be accompanying Luna.” Cadance left without waiting for her husband’s reply. 

“Sure my love, have fun.” Shining Armor said before getting back to his conversation with Celestia. 

“So what do you say Octy you want to try out my favorite board game? I tell you now I’m an expert at winning in this game.” 

“Winning?” 

“Yup, winning!” Rainbow beamed. “Ok let me set up the game for both of us.” 

“Sure.” Octavia moved some hair out of her face to see if Rainbow really wins or just wins most of the games. 

***
In the Griffon Republic. 

*01:12 AM or 1:12 am*

Gold Sky wake up in the middle of the night feeling Gilda press herself against his chest so she can listen to his strong heartbeat “What makes me Gilda’s father, if I left her behind because I was a weak and pathetic to forgive myself and let go of the children that I and the Razor killed.”  Gold Sky felt her move a bit but Gilda still stayed close to his heart. “I raised her since her birth, every moral and value I have in my mind I gave it to her so she can be a loving and virtuous. But what I did by suppressing every memory she has of me gave her a prideful nature that I whole heartily detest. It's my fault for that happening. I need to think of the right time to tell Gilda everything. Once I do I will see if she will forgive me for what I’ve done to her. Won’t blame her if she forgives me but casts me out of her life forever and warns me to never come back to the Griffon Republic.”  A terrible father like him deserves that even though for being a terrible father he did love Gilda with all of his heart but that still does not make up for leaving her behind because of his weakness. 

“My dearest Gilda I ask that you forgive me for leaving you in a period of your life in which I as your father needed to be there to provide you with my love and guidance. Leaving you behind was the hardest thing I ever committed, oh how much I cried at looking under my wing and not finding you there. And I vowed to never be father again because I failed you…I married a beautiful mare which gave me peace except when she talked about starting a family. Please forgive me, forgive me Gilda, and please forgive me for being a terrible father.” Gold Sky smelled Gilda’s hair. “Oh Gilda, it’s been ten years since I last smelled your scent. Oh what I have I done! What have I done!!?”  Tears ran down Gold Sky’s magenta eyes. “There’s no use in crying for an act I committed years ago. I pray mother will raise the sun soon.”  He tightened his hold around Gilda and went back to sleep. 


**
As morning came to the Griffon Republic evening came to Equestria.
***

“Is that the advice Redheart promised she’ll give you but in written form rather than then in spoken form?” Celestia asked.

“Yes. She had a long surgery to perform today which I hope went well for her and the patient.” 

Celestia’s horn began to glow. “How about we go see the end results.”  

Octavia nodded allowing Celestia sync minds and travel through the use of telepathy to see the end result through Redheart’s eyes. 

“Dr. WholookslikeCarameleventhoughhe’saUnicorn, please focus your x-ray magic on nerve T11 and then go down to nerve L5 to see if reconstruction worked on the nerves.” Redheart asked. 

The doctor moved his magic down the exposed spine of the sedated pegasus mare. “Nurse Redheart, it looks like the stem cells have regenerated the nerves! Incredible! Your research has provided magnificent results!” Dr. WholookslikeCarameleventhoughhe’saUnicorn complimented.

Redheart looked at the doctor, surgeons, and nurses. “We all did a good job here; this mare can now move her wings and lower body plus I also developed a topical cream of stem cells that we can use instead of stitching skin back when we close the incision, leaving behind no scars. After this lets all open a bottle of champagne to celebrate.”  
All of the operating medical staff did a light cheer and then got back at the task at hoof. 

Celestia disconnected from Redheart’s mind. “Isn’t Redheart amazing!” 

“She sure is, I bet she can create something to grow back lost limbs! Now that will be ultra extraordinary!” Octavia delightfully exclaimed. 

Rainbow Dash came by yawning loudly like she always does. “Hey I think I’ll be hitting the hay now, say your majesty is Luna still at the library with Cadance?” 

“Yes she’s still at the library with Cadance; I think she’ll back late in the night Rainbow.” Celestia patted Rainbow on the head as to tell good night before leaving. 

“Night Octy and I told you I’m always winning in that board game. Now come here and give me a hug.” Rainbow extended her happy so Octavia can come and oblige her. 

“Oh you Rainbow.” Octy cooed. “Here is your hug.” 

“Good night Octy.” Rainbow went into Luna’s room, climbed into bed and instantly fell asleep. 

The gray mare went to her room, lied down on bed, she rubbed her belly a few times, and thought a story she remembered Gold Sky telling Pound and Pumpkin Cake ten years ago when the Cakes asked him to babysit when Pinkie sadly was not present. Out of fear for the fact that he’s stallion and not a mare he asked Octavia to please help him babysit but not actually help him but be there as insurance even though the Cakes trusted him after they bore witness to his flawless skill with children when he soothed Pumpkin Cake in a matter of seconds and fed Pound Cake all of his food.
Octavia smiled when the memory of that day passed through her mind. 
“Gold Sky, my dearest son have you ever wondered why turkeys always run away from ponies?” Octavia waited for her son’s reply. “Well let me tell you the story about Turkey mare…” 

Word from word Octavia told her son the story she heard ten years ago in the Sugarcube Corner. 

In the Grand Palace Library that can make Twilight swoon like she’s meeting Mr. Darcy in real life. 

Luna’s blue eyes looked at the book that kept records of Chero numbers for over two thousand years and it’s written by Princess Celestia. “Okay let’s see here, Gold Sky has to be here along with his ancestors. Quiet Gale son of Walking Sparrow and Soaring Dove, hmm these are pretty nice names.” Luna became distracted by reading all of the names. “Peaceful River, Cirrus Nimbus , Strong Wind, Silent Wolf, Starving Bear, Peter, wait was that Chero named Peter or Petyr? Huh something out of the norm, ha! Platinum Beetle, Fierce Eagle, Silver Wind, Gold Sky, Iron Cloud, Black Ray…oh! Found him. Okay let’s see Silver Wind son of Light Stream and Blue Rose and then down from his branch is Gold Sky son of Silver Wind and what? He’s Chero but only though his father hmm ok now that I established his bloodline now I must read about their connection to the wind.” Luna said to herself. 
Next to Luna is Cadance who is busy to keep Luna in the dark about Gold Sky. “Luna, don’t you think this is boring?” 

Luna flipped a page of another book that talks about the Chero unique ability of air manipulation. “Cadance, I’m busy trying to figure something very important here so can you please stop being such a distraction.”   

Cadance prodded some more. “Well maybe if you tell me what you’re looking for then I can help you Luna.” Cadance placed her hoof on the book Luna is looking at. “So please let me in on the details.”

Luna saw nothing wrong with filling in Cadance in the details. “It’s said that when a Chero dies their voice can be heard in the wind if one chooses to listen so when Fleur told me that she can no longer hear Gold Sky’s voice in the wind then that should mean something.” 

Cadance nodded while her sly mind came up with good words. “Well maybe Fleur chose not to hear Gold Sky’s voice and that’s why she didn’t hear it.” 

Luna picked up her head and made a face that shows she’s suddenly thinking. “Why didn’t I think about that?” 

“Perfect!” Cadance felt a ray of hope shine down upon her.

“That’s one possibility and I will be like you for once by double checking everything.” Luna went back to the book looking for the section that explains about the hereafter for the Chero. 

“Ow.” The light bulb that shined hope down on Cadance cracked on her head. Luckily for Cadance and adding Gold Sky too of course, if hope in sly words couldn’t help then there’s the reassurance in an act that will make Twilight gasp in utter horror, it’s only a matter of seconds in that act to be put to use. 

“Strange?” Luna stopped at the end of the last sentence of page eleven hundred thirty eight. “It doesn’t make sense?” 

“What doesn’t make sense? That you can’t understand the Chero hereafter and that the Chero are awesome like Rainbow Dash.” 

Luna stuck her tongue out at Cadance. “On this page it talks about the bodies of the Chero turning into silver dust so the earth can get her children back but it just ends there.” She flipped the pages back and forth. “I think there are some pages missing! But I can’t do anything about it!” 

“Why?” Cadance asked. 

“Because this is the only book there is about the Chero! Arugh! Great now I can’t find the answers I’m looking for!” Luna slammed the book shut and threw it back into the shelf. “Maybe I should ask Iron Cloud.” 

“Or maybe you can accept the answer I gave you earlier! Because it said in the book that if one chooses to listen then they shall hear. You know like in that old proverb, she who has ears let her hear.” Nothing like an old proverb to put an end to a lingering question. 

Luna did a raspberry at Cadance; she reluctantly accepted the answer and brought an end to her little quest. “You’re right Cadance, I’m going to bed.” 

“Phew.” Cadance wiped the sweat off her forehead. “I saved Gold Sky for the time being but I must try what I can when he comes back home. Plus I must form a protective barrier around Tia’s mind to prevent Luna from finding out of Gold Sky’s return if he visits Tia. Knowing him he will want to see Tia.”  The Princess of Love went to her room to sleep her last night here in Canterlot before she returns to the Crystal Empire, at arriving to her room she went inside the bathroom. 

“I dislike this part.” Cadance took a few breaths before she started to gag. After some tough pushing she regurgitated pieces of paper. “Ooooooooooooh I feel so bad and weird at the same time, but good thing I ripped out these pages when I got the book for Luna.” Suddenly Cadance laughed at herself. “Imagine if my stomach digested these pages, heh, good source of fiber at least. Now let me take a looksie, ugh! Oh my goodness it stinks…breathe through my mouth.”  
Magic held the pages to her eyelevel. “With the soul and body in the earth and the voice in the wind the spirit has no vessel to live in, therefore going to the heavenly paradise or eternal damnation. All right let’s see the other pages, but if and if the spirit returns, the wind gives the voice back to the spirit and depending on the will of the earth. She’ll give back the body and soul to the spirit.” Cadance blinked. “This seems very real that anypony will believe it but these pages were in the mythical section of the book but Luna will have still believed these words through her reason to uphold her duty in the strictest of strictest ways.” Cadance crumbled up the pages. “Good bye pages.” Magical blue fire burned the pages to nothing. “It’s funny how I’m protecting Gold Sky when he fears me will all of his heart. Still if everything goes well, I have the endless years to create a bond between us. My brother whose name I forget and discovering he’s the physical manifestation of Love.” 

Cadance brushed her teeth and went to bed, alone that is because Tia teleported Shining Armor back to the Crystal Empire. 
No Kingdom can go long without one of its Loving Rulers.

***
The warm light of the morning sun awoke Valerie, her focusing eyes looked for her husband but he is nowhere to be found. “Oliver?” She called out. “Oh.” She got up from bed knowing where to find her husband.
She found Oliver sitting by his son. “Oliver I found you.” 

“Valerie, I almost passed down a war to our son and I lost many brothers…” Oliver’s breathing increased to near hyperventilation. 

Valerie wrapped her arms around Oliver. “I’m here, ssh, ssh, Oliver please calm down, listen to my voice, listen to my voice.” 

Oliver closed his eyes to the sound of his wife’s voice. “Please leave me alone with my son, I want to spend time my son first before I go for treatment.” 

Valerie understands her husband’s desire; he’s been through unimaginable tribulation, went against his big heart, and took many lives. She cannot be very demanding of Oliver or she risks another attack of what may be PTSD or severe anxiety. “I love you Oliver.” 

“I love you too my lovely Valerie.” Oliver turned his attention to his son who is starting to wake up. 

Within a minute Oliver’s son woke up to see his daddy smiling warmly. “Daddy.” Said the son. 

“My son, you don’t know how much I missed you and thought of you and your mother.” Oliver bent down to take his son into his arms. “I missed you so much.” 

“I missed you too daddy.” The son wrapped his arms around his daddy’s neck “I love you daddy!” 
“And I too my son.” 
Oliver closed his eyes and hugged his son. The war is over and now Oliver is no longer Soldier, Father, and Husband. 

He is now Father and Husband.

***
Rienne tightly embraced his pillow while he looks at the sun through his window, he slowly blinked while in his ears he hears the clash of metal, tearing of flesh, and the many death rattle that go about at night. Rienne’s father knocked before coming. 

“Rise and shine, son. Your mother has cooked you up a hearty breakfast of egg, hash brown, bacon, sausage, toast, pancakes, and ham.” He waited for Rienne to get up. “Please get up son or Sergeant.” He waited again but decided to uncover his son. 

At removing the blanket he sees that Rienne has wet the bed and noticed a large puddle on the floor. The father became alarmed. “My son are you alright!?”  

Rienne didn’t say anything.

The father got tear-eyed. “Oh my son! What has this war done you…what has it done to you!” He placed his hand on Rienne’s shoulder. “Rienne, if you want I can bring you your breakfast here so you can eat in bed while I and your mother clean your sheets.” 
Rienne grasped his father’s hand. “Don’t leave me dad, please don’t go.” 

The father sat down on the edge of Rienne’s bed while Rienne still grasps his hand. “I won’t leave you my son, I’m here with you.”

Rienne’s mother came to the room to see what’s holding up Rienne. At seeing her husband sitting by Rienne her maternal instinct knew what’s going on, a mother knows when her son is in turmoil. She was about to comfort her son but knocks on the door stopped her from doing so. 

Outside waits a psychologist who has been ordered by President Ronald Madison to pay house visits to soldiers who have been assigned to him. “Sergeant Rienne of the 501st Marine Corp, he sounds like a strong fellow. Anyway I hope he doesn’t have deep degree of PTSD, because the poor soul still isn’t married yet.” 

Rienne’s mother opened the door. “Hello can I help you?” 

“Hello ma’am, I am a psychologist sent by the government to evaluate your son and see if he needs any form of treatment.” 

“Uhh why did the government send you?” Rienne’s mother asked. 

“Okay the government didn’t send me here but President Ronald Madison convinced me to come and treat soldiers so they can get back to the normal lives they had before they went to fight, so if it’s alright with you may I come in and see your son?” 

“Sure, sure of course.” The mother completely opened the door. “Will you like a cup of coffee?” 

“Yes please, with a lot of sugar too thank you.” The psychologist got pointed to Rienne’s room and knocked on the door to get the attention of Rienne’s father. “Hello I am Dr. Isaiah and I’m as part of President Madison’s treatment plan for all of the soldiers of the Republic.” 

“You’re a shrink?” Rienne’s father asked. 

Dr. Isaiah almost rolled his eyes; he doesn’t like being called a shrink because it makes him sound like a griffon that’s in a run of the mill profession. “I guess you can call me that but I’m a psychologist. So I see you have found a sign on your son.” 

“A sign?” Asked Rienne’s mother. 
Isaiah pointed at the densely yellow liquid on the floor. 
“Oh.” 

“Rienne, I am here to see you. Now talk me, what is on your mind.” Isaiah sat on a chair next to Rienne’s bed. 

“I-I don’t kn-know what to say, I can’t stop seeing their faces. Th-th-their frozen faces stare a-at me and I feel so sorry for them.” Rienne spoke in a low whisper and he squeezes his father’s hand as he lies on his side. 

Rienne’s father bolted his mouth shut so he won’t yelp in pain. 

“Who’s faces Rienne?” Isaiah asked to get information so he can process the subjective data and diagnose Rienne’s condition.

“The enemy’s faces the enemy’s faces. They're so…scared. I mean in the end they’re like you and me…griffon.” Rienne paused to take a breath. “I have no regrets fighting but I just can’t stop remembering their faces. Oh my spirit…!” He began to cry quietly.

“I see Rienne.” Isaiah turned to look at Rienne’s parents. “Please come with me.” 

“But I must be here with my son.” 

Isaiah took off his eyeglasses. “Then reassure him and I will be waiting for you in the hallway outside.” 

“Rienne, my son, I’ll be hallway. I won’t be far away.” He went into the hallway to join his wife and Isaiah after getting his hand free of Rienne’s grip. 

“Your son has a case of psychological nocturnal enuresis. Bedwetting. Now did anybody in either your families have a history of bedwetting?”  Isaiah asked the mother and father.

“She used to wet the bed a lot, giving me a lot of freak outs in the night.” Rienne’s father elbowed his wife. 

“Hey don’t tell him that!” 

“He asked and besides you don’t wet the bed anymore.” 

Isaiah almost laughed. “Ahem, as I was saying. Rienne has psychological nocturnal enuresis that is induced when he experiences objective trauma also I deduce that he was raised in a moralistic environment which will tells us why he is feeling bad for seeing the frozen faces of the enemy and before you start asking me, he does not feel ashamed for stopping the enemy but he feels ashamed for killing a fellow griffon. Because in the end the enemy bleeds the same color of blood and breathes the same air. Look killing is easy to do but remembering is the hardest thing not to do.” 

“So what can you do for him?” Rienne’s mother asked. 

Isaiah scratched his head. “Well not I per se but so far from seeing what is displayed. I can say that Rienne should talk about what he went through...with one of you. Of course be slow to in your actions to make him open up because if you go too fast it will prolong his suffering and on the long run have a negative impact.” 

Rienne’s mother nodded her head with an expression of determination. “I will go and comfort him.” 

“Ho, ho not so fast my dear.” Isaiah blocked the mother with a wing. “Maternal comfort is something that could provide more bad than good.” 

“What do you mean?”

“If you go comfort him with your nurturing love he will start feeling ashamed for his condition because you as his mother taught him many things and also are one of the most important female figures in his life. Therefore causing him to seclude away from any treatment, plus I think he knows about your former bed wetting so that could also be an obstacle. Also you may not fully understand what he has been through along with the emotional toll when taking a life. So the father must be the one to comfort him. Through the father and son relationship a bridge can be built in the mutual understanding of doing what needs to be done when doing means well the undoable in normal circumstances. Besides when a male is going through something like this he feels more comfortable talking to another male about it.”

Rienne’s mother crossed her arms and scoffed in dissatisfaction. 

Isaiah looked at Rienne’s father. “Use your paternal instinct when you are comforting him, get Rienne to talk what he has been through and let him recover. From the looks of it, I can go out on a limb here and say that Rienne’s treatment will be quite simple from my point of view. So whatever you think know about emotions throw it out the window because the both of you do not know what your son has been through in the battlefield. So you think you help your son?” 

“Yes I can.” Rienne’s father declared to Isaiah who took his response with a tiny grain of salt out of the consideration that Rienne’s father looks like the type to will be too vague in the comfort he’ll provide.

Isaiah decided to give more subjective treatment to the parents. “If all goes well then Rienne’s nocturnal enuresis will go away and he will take steps to getting back to his normal live and then you can help him find a wife.” He quietly chuckled. “Your son needs all the space but all the love both of you can provide, now I must be going.” 

“Where are you going?” Asked Rienne’s father.

“I got to treat other soldiers to make sure they don’t fall prey to the blackness of reality and become lost in this fabric of a peaceful and dark world. So I must go, grab their hand to prevent them from entering that blackness. Once they enter it will only be the light of their own will and the candle I provide to lead them out. Good day to the both of you and good day to you Rienne, thank you for protecting your parents from the enemy.” Isaiah said the last sentence to start a reaction in Rienne’s mind. 

To which it did. 

After Dr. Isaiah left, Rienne’s father went inside his son’s room. “My son after you eat do you wish to take a short fly to the woods like we always to do?” 

Rienne’s mind showed him of the nice short flies he always enjoyed with his father. “Yes that sounds nice.” 

“Go get the food please.” The father said to the mother. She went to get the food on a tray and placed it on her son’s bed after which passed her hand over his cheek before leaving.  

“I love you my son.” The mother gave the father a fast nod as she walked passed her. 

The father sat by his son softly assuring him to eat. 

***
Gilda felt the heat of the rising sun cue her to wake up to see the pony who has her in his arms, shielding her from the scars that attacked her when she began to enter the rapid eye movement stage of her sleep. The griffon smiled at Gold Sky who is still asleep, so peacefully though, she knows he will not be waking up anytime soon but knows that he can be asleep for so long because she is in his arms. “You’re here with me, fought by my side in battle but I regretted that when I saw how brutal you became. From the loving pony who took care of me when I broke my wing plus arm to a skilled killer who fights with grace like the wind. Still I hope you will let me see you as a dad but I think you won’t mind though.”  Gilda moved her head up so she can feel Gold Sky’s chin. “I want to spend time with you Gold Sky just you and me, we can fly together in the sky, hop from cloud to cloud, see you freak out when I secretly make you eat some meat, and maybe we can go to the meadows and just relax together.” 

In the second guest room Rarity woke up and lied still on her bed thinking about her dear Spike, how she wishes she can be with him right now when unification is being so occurring all around her. “Spike, I know you can hear me when I tell you these true words from my heart…I love you.”

*
“I love you too Rarity.” Spike whispered in his sleep causing a suddenly awakened Twilight to snort her breath out of her nostrils in a state of anger but controlled herself in order to save the best for last. 

The Wolf savors the glory of having a third hunt before she can have the ultimate mate. 
*
Rarity imaged Spike sleeping by her, under her arm and happy of course. 
“Spike I hope…” She paused out of instinct after the word hope left her lips. “Dear, I say the word hope and I pause as if Gold Sky is near me.” Rarity quietly cleared her throat.  “Spike I hope all of this is over and Twilight pays for what she has done to me and Gold Sky we can be together, you and me. Husband and Wife. Oooooooh.” She moaned happily to that thought. “Well I should go check on Gilda before on Gold Sky, I need to make sure she’s well so I don’t end up stabbing Gold Sky in the heart and give the citizens of the Republic something to rejoice in.”  
The white mare got out of her room and went to Gilda’s room. “Oh.” Rarity smiled to the sight before her azure eyes. “Gold Sky, some ponies are born to be intelligent, some are born to be awesome, some are born to be strong, and some are born to be kind, but you are born to be a father. I want you to be connected with your daughter Gold Sky.”  Rarity left Gold Sky and Gilda alone. 

Lauren stood next to the father and daughter. “Gold Sky.” The Archangel cooed softly. “It’s time for you to wake up.” She stroked his face before waking him up.

Gold Sky groaned, a sign that tells Gilda he’ll be waking up anytime now marking a beginning for the plans she has in store for the both of them. 
Gilda got in front of Gold Sky’s still closed eyes. For when they open she will be the first thing he’ll see in a new day.  The eyes of the pony opened making contact with the golden eyes of his daughter. 

“His eyes are different. Pink err I mean magenta; still, his eyes look at me the same they did years ago. He is the Gold Sky I knew then and he is the Gold Sky I know now. Dad.”

Gold Sky blinked once so his vision can adjust to the close proximity to Gilda. “Good morning Gilda.” 

“Good morning Gold Sky.”

For a few seconds the both of them looked at each other, no thought passed through their minds and none of them made a single move out an invisible consideration that it will ruin whatever is being in motion between them. Gold Sky broke this motion by moving in and softly very, very softly kissed Gilda on her forehead. 
The same way he always had done when Gilda used to sleep under his wing. 

Gilda instantly smiled to this loving gesture so without much thinking in her rationale wrapped her arms around his neck giving the pony a big hug. “Can I call you dad Gold Sky?” She asked him out of emotional impulse for the need of a paternal figure.

 “Don’t cry Gold Sky.” Lauren telepathically whispered. “Don’t do it, you are better than that and you will disrespect your mother if you do.” 

Gold Sky nuzzled Gilda. “Yes you can me dad for as long as you want.” 

Gilda pulled back to look at Gold Sky with an ear to ear smile. Oh how this moment will is just the first step to a wonderful day to transpire for her and Gold Sky. 

Both of them hugged again. Gold Sky sees that his telepathy has the power to suppress her memories but even with the untold power of his ability, instincts created by Love cannot be held down no matter how masterful he is with telepathy. Gilda does not remember that he is her father, but she knows that there is a connection, her heart knows this, but her mind does not know what to think after all logic will always be liner in thought and pattern which the mind always specializes in. The heart is free of that; of course emotion is a double edge sword that is not guided by a liner thought process nevertheless Love is above logic when it comes to a daughter being drawn to somebody she sees as a father. 
“I’m hungry.” 

“Tell me something I don’t know Gilda.” Gold Sky nuzzled Gilda on the forehead before teleporting the both of them to the kitchen. “Please sit; I’ll cook up something for you, me, and Rarity.” 

“Hey why is Rarity with you Gold Sky?” Gilda asked while she hears what sounds like water running in the bathroom.  “I remember seeing her when I was in Ponyville and I wonder if both of you are uh something?” 

The Alicorn chuckled as he heads to the refrigerator to get some food. “Yes we’re something Gilda.” 
“Oh, as what?” 

“Brother and Sister.” 

Gilda tilted her head. “You two look barely alike.” 

Gold Sky rolled his eyes. “Yes I know that but we are brother and sister by blood and by the way do you have any stag in here?” 

“Yeah it should be on the door compartment.” 

Rarity came back from the bathroom and without saying a word took her place at the table, she smiled at Gilda when the griffon turned to look at her. Gilda smiled back at Rarity not knowing why but just did so to return the kind gesture from the pony who now that she has to think about it…is her aunt. “Well Rarity is very kind to me, just like dad. Oh dad I want to hug you forever and Rarity, I want to tell you how I lucky I am to have kind aunt like you.”  What Gilda is thinking is through the true griffon Gold Sky raised and through her instinct of being drawn to Gold Sky is her true loving self is breaking through the telepathic suppression however that is only for the instinct and not for the memories.  

“Hmmmm, stag, it’s been a long time since I ate that delicious meat and I always hate going to Fluttershy’s cottage with Rarity because that cute Pegasus has a big full grown stag in her backyard and I can’t eat it.”Gold Sky levitated eggs, potatoes, and stag. “I don’t think Rarity will like stag but it won’t hurt in asking.” 

“Rarity will you like some stag with your breakfast?” Gold Sky asked. 

“What’s stag?”  Rarity asked. 

“Never mind, I’ll just make you some potato and egg. Gilda my dear will like stag?” 

“Yes thank you dad.” 

Gold Sky smiled at Gilda as he took the ingredients to the stove when his face can no longer be seen by his daughter his smile went away to be replaced with a face of guilt. He has to wait for the right time to tell Gilda the truth. He peeled the potatoes before cutting them up into little cubes then he seasoned the stag meat, poured some canola oil on the pan and began cooking Gilda’s favorite breakfast. She loves medium well cooked stag with sunny side up eggs with a slice of a pear on the side. “I know she will love this and Rarity will like potato and egg. Not very fancy to her taste but still I know she will like it. Maybe.” 

Gold Sky finished cooking and set the food before Gilda and Rarity. “All right lets us eat but first let me get Rarity her apple juice.” 

“Thank you Gold Sky.” 

The three of them began to eat; Gilda of course saw that Gold Sky made her favorite breakfast something of which she thought as a stroke of luck; Rarity with her elegant manners ate her breakfast and took small sips of her apple juice that’s in a teacup. Gold Sky meanwhile relished the taste of the stag meat, it’s been years since he ate it but now its sooo wonderful eat it once more even through it isn’t as good the first time he ate stag when he ate it raw. Gilda looked at Gold Sky’s plate.

“What!? Dad is eating stag! He likes it, aw man I thought he didn’t eat meat since he’s a pony and all but I’m quite freaking out now. A herbivore eating a herbivore, what are the odds of witnessing this?” Gilda gobbled up the slice of pear. 

Rarity wiped her mouth. “Gold Sky, I asked you what stag was and you didn’t answer me? So I ask you again, what is stag?” 

Gilda opened her mouth but Gold Sky motioned her that he will be answering the question. His fork picked up a piece of stag and held it in front of Rarity. “Do you want know what stag is Rarity?” 

“Yes.” 

“Alright.” Gold Sky ate the meat first before getting another piece. “Stag is meat Rarity.” 

*Cling* Rarity’s magic stopped holding the fork. She slowly swallowed whatever she had in her mouth before taking a nervous deep breath. “Di-di-did you say meat??”

“Yes, I’m eating meat Rarity and it has been a long time.” Gold Sky ate the piece on his fork and chewed slowly so Rarity can see with her eyes that he truly eating the cooked flesh of a stag. 
Rarity couldn’t believe that her own brother, a pony, a herbivore that is eating meat. Something completely unnatural in the laws of nature. “How can you be eating meat but what is stag!!” 

“Stag is a fancy name for deer Rarity.” Gilda answered. 

Rarity’s ears slowly dropped and her face flushed to seeing the meat on her brother’s plate, she still can’t believe Gold Sky eats meat like he’s eating carrots. “How did you end up eating s-stag?” 


“Ooooooh!” Gilda so wants to hear how Gold Sky started to eat meat. 

Gold Sky drank some of his water before clearing his throat. “I’ll just be brief.” 

“No don’t be brief!” Gilda wants to hear every detail of how a pony ends meats and is totally cool with it.

“Yes.” Gold Sky said affirmatively with a causal nod of his head.   

“No!”

“Yes.” 

“No as in no!” 

“They act like true father and daughter.” Rarity thought happily at first at seeing this cute bickering. “But he did not tell Gilda the truth yet, and once he does I think things will be much different…I wonder when Gold Sky will tell Gilda. I wonder how Gilda will take it.” 
“No.” Gold Sky tried that switch-a-woo trick which works most of the time. 

“Yes.” Gilda blurted out.

“Okay I’ll be brief since you say so Gilda.”

Gilda crossed her arms while having a smirk on her face. It took a few seconds for her to realize what just happened and why she should not be feeling all happy in the first place. “Hey wait a minute you tricked me!” 

“Ha! Got ya! So sit back and just listen. I ate my first stag many years ago before you were born Gilda, I was on journey and I haven’t eaten anything for years and I mean years. So coming across a forest I thought maybe I can find some berries or fruit to eat because when my stomach growled it growled with intensity. I then came across a stag eating some grass, for no reason that stag looked very, very enticing and my mouth began to drool. I didn’t care if I’ll be eating meat; I only cared for putting food in my stomach. Next thing I know, I’m ripping up the stag to pieces, threw a piece at a cute curious Red Fox and just ate it raw with no intention to even cook it.” Gold Sky licked his chops. “I got a taste for stag now, its flesh may not always be tender but its taste is sooo hmmmmm.” Gold Sky’s magic levitated a piece to his mouth. “I don’t think you will like a piece would you?” He asked Rarity. 

“No, no, I’m alright.” Rarity quickly responded. 

Gilda joined by giving the white mare a soft pat on the back. “Oh c’mon I’m sure you’ll like it.” 

“Gilda please, if Rarity does not want to try a piece of stag then we should not be trying to make her.” Gold Sky calmly persuaded Gilda to drop the subject and just finish eating so he can wash the dishes. 

“Thanks Gold Sky, I still can’t believe you eat stag and…” Rarity remembered something. “Did you ever have the cravings whenever I asked you to come with me to Fluttershy’s cottage?” 

“Yes, I wanted to eat the stag at Fluttershy’s cottage but refrained myself because I’m more than sure Fluttershy will not like it.” Gold Sky finished his breakfast, he took Gilda’s and Rarity’s plates to wash them up. 

Now that breakfast is done, Rarity asked Gilda if there are any clothes venues around so she can look at the fashion of the Griffon Republic so she can have some ideas to add to her mental list also she somehow knows that Gold Sky will take needed time to gather up the courage to tell Gilda the truth. Of course seeing that the mind of this stallion sort of confuses her a bit, for one part Gold Sky did not have any sort of hesitations to kill many of the fascist griffons but has a deep hesitation to tell Gilda the truth about being the stallion who raised her since she hatched all alone in the destroyed headquarters of the fascist rebels. However, she took into account his guilt and his immense powerful pain for killing the innocent children of the Rouge Clan but she can’t also decide if Gold Sky chooses to not be a father because he killed the children or because he failed Gilda. Two great reasons…one through death and the other through disappearing in the life of his daughter. “Gold Sky, may be smiling at Gilda but I know deep down that he is cold with eternal guilt. The world’s most loving, affectionate, and nurturing father is before his daughter who he had to leave behind to protect her by getting the Razor away from her.” 


Gilda said that there are some clothes venues in the Capital but should not go alone. 

“Are there some griffons who want to hurt me because I’m a pony??” Rarity asked as she eyes the body armor that has the knife and tomahawk. 

“No!” Gilda amazingly came and placed a hand on Rarity’s shoulder. “None of the griffons here will hurt you but rather admire your flawless beauty.” 

“Hmmmmmm.” Rarity’s imagination created a scene where all of the griffons male ones that is, swoon at the sight of her and some give her bows while she walks by them. Her magic picks up fine fabrics and transforms them into suits so the griffons who give her rewarding admiration can be testaments to her generosity. Rarity began to smile to her little imaginary show.

Gilda asked Gold Sky why Rarity is smiling like a dreamy pony. 

“She’s having one of her imaginative day dreams, it’s normal of her and I find it quite cute when she smiles like that, makes me want to pinch her cheeks.” Gold Sky looked at Gilda. “Like so.” He adorably pinched her cheek. 

Gilda blushed and jerked her head away so she won’t end up laughing. 

Rarity got a hold of herself. “No Rarity, don’t give in to the fanciness of the Griffon Republic. You’re only here to give Gold Sky the courage he needs. Ooooh! Maybe I can get something for my Spikey-Wikey at least. Yes that does sound like a most excellent idea.” 
“On second thought maybe I’ll skip looking at the clothes venues here and just spend the day with you two.”

“Agaga!” Gold Sky started to choke on something when he clearly heard what Rarity just said to him. 

“Gold Sky are you okay!” Gilda asked.

“Yes I’m okay, just can’t believe what Rarity just said but she said what she said and we should not question it. So what do you want to do Gilda?” 

Gilda thought for a bit, she wants to spend some time with Gold Sky first before mother gets back from whatever hospital she’s in also she wants to see if Rarity can keep her word when they pass by clothes venues. “Let’s and to the business district so we can look around, I want both of you to see the beauty of the Republic and then we can go to the meadows.” 

Gold Sky knew this is part of Gilda’s instinct speaking, when he was raising her, she loved going to the meadows with him. He never figured out why she loved going there but maybe it had to do to the fact that we she goes there she goes with daddy. So Gilda wants to go to the meadows now because Gold Sky is here and she can spend time with her father figure. 
“Let me get my cloak.” He magic levitated his cloak. 

“Do you have to wear that cloak Gold Sky?” Gilda took the cloak so she can feel the material.

Rarity loudly cleared her throat. “It’s not just any cloak Gilda, it’s a silk cloak moi made.” 

“Wow…” At first Gilda wanted to be sarcastic but at seeing how Rarity is treating her with such respect like Gold Sky, she decided to be nice. “It’s really nice and I think you didn’t make it for battles didn’t you?” 

Rarity’s tilted her head up. “No I did not, but at least it’s durable and it has my cutie mark right there!” She giggled happily. 

“Heh, not bad, anyway. Gold Sky, do you need to wear that cloak?” 

Gold Sky looked at his cloak. “You know what maybe you’re right; I’ll be leaving it here with the armor.” The white cloak fell down over the silver armor. 

Gilda softly nudged Gold Sky while she got next to him. “Let’s go.” Gilda, Gold Sky, and Rarity left the house in exactly that order. 

The three of them made it to the business district attracting all kinds of attention, some looked at Gold Sky with dark emotion, most looked at the beautiful Rarity with predicted admiration, and the rest looked at Gilda with respect but question that she’s with that pony who spared Mao’s life. 

As the trio passed by a stand, the griffon there waved for their attention. “Hello my dear pony.” He’s speaking to Rarity. “I will be most honored if you will accept this scarf made of the finest silk.” 

“Oh my.” Rarity wanted to forgo all of the attention she imagined but the attention is coming to her. “Thank you.” She levitated a shiny bit but the merchant refused to take the money.

“No, no! It’s an honor for me to give to you with the good well of my heart!” The merchant smiled his best smile for the Element of Generosity. 

Rarity wrapped the silk scarf around her neck and to her taste this scarf is extremely elegant and just something she never seen before. Gold Sky and Gilda shot smiles at her when she held her head up high. Meanwhile Gilda and only Gilda saw an all too familiar griffon with a young boy on his back and female griffon next him. The all too familiar griffon must have sensed her because he too saw her. 

“Isao.” Gilda mouthed at him. 

“Colonel Gilda.” Isao mouthed back. 

“He’s walking down the new path he said he’ll walk, may you receive whatever you want to receive in this path you’re walking Isao, good luck.” She sent him a small smile and a nod. 

Isao did the same before resuming his new life with Esther and Percival. “Thank you Colonel.” Isao mouthed before leaving her line of sight. 

Gilda smiled to herself and looked at Gold Sky while making sure he looks at her. 

“Yes Gilda?” Gold Sky asked even though she didn’t say anything to him but he asked because of the facial expression on her nice face. 

“Nothing dad.” She nudged him on the shoulder. “Just happy you’re with me that’s all. 

“Me too Gilda.” Gold Sky nudged her back. 

Rarity smiled some more as she got more attention from the griffons, a lot of female griffons came up to her to tell how beautiful she is and wish to desire if she can tell them about herself. Rarity turned to Gold Sky and Gilda with an expression that asks them for their permission. 

Both of them nodded at her while Gold Sky knew that Rarity will end up showering the griffons with her generosity plus making dresses and suits for all of them. 

Rarity went with the happy griffons. 

“Will they do anything to her?” Gold Sky whispered to Gilda. 

“Yes.” Gilda answered roughly. 

“What!” A stream of magic caused his eyes to change from magenta to Nightmare Moon’s eyes for a quick second.

“They will just give her all of their attention whether she wants it or not plus I bet the vice president will be there too because I remember seeing a magazine that talked about Rarity on her desk.”Gilda nudged Gold Sky with her tail.  

Gold Sky sighed in relief and telepathically told Rarity to have fun while telling her to find them in the meadows. 

“So Gold Sky if I recall if you don’t mind me recalling, I remember your hair being brown like my feathers also it wasn’t as long. Hey can I touch your hair?” 

“Of course.” He sat down on bench so Gilda touch his hair. “Yes my hair was brown and short but it changed to jet black and long when I came back.” Gold Sky will not talk about his death just yet. 

At the coming back part Gilda felt a cold feeling run across her chest the same cold feeling she felt time ago before the war started. 

At some distance LT. Col. Oliver, Valerie, and their son came to the business district so Oliver can get a firsthand look of the normality he had before boarding the massive zeppelin landing craft. Suddenly their son gasped that gasp that only children can have when they see something they really, really like. 

“See something you like my son?” Oliver asked. 

“Look a pony, a pony!!” The son pointed at Gold Sky. 

Oliver looked at the direction his pointed at. “Oh it’s Gold Sky with Colonel Gilda.” 

“Mommy can I go see the pony!!” The son asked his mother first because she has read him many stories about the pony of the Sun and Moon therefore causing her son to have a deep yearning curiosity for ponies. So at seeing Gold Sky he wants to see him up close. 

Valerie who was there when Gold Sky said what he did does not want her son to be near that pony. “I don’t think you can my son.” 

The joyous smile on her son’s face turned upside down. “But mommy I want to see the pony!” 

Oliver who stayed quiet when the multitude demanded Gold Sky’s blood did not have anything against Gold Sky, sure the pony saved his life but he also took out Mao and protecting Colonel Gilda. To Oliver when one takes responsibility for a grave error one commits then the one who committed that error is forgiven, a philosophical proverb General Sherman taught him and it also has to do with his will to see everyone is good at heart. 
“Come my son, let’s go see the pony.” Oliver with his wing nudged his son to get him walking to Gold Sky. 

“Oliver!” Valerie snapped sharply. “I said he can’t!” 

“But I say he can.” Oliver gave his wife a serious expression causing her to be quiet. “Let’s go my son.” 

“All right, thank you daddy!” The innocent son has no knowledge that Gold Sky let Mao live fifty seven years ago but he’s only a child who just wants to see a pony like in the stories.

Gilda grabbed some of Gold Sky’s hair and brought it to her nose so she can smell it. “This scent…it’s so familiar but yet I have never smelled it before? I feel weird, very weird?” She has inherited a trait from Gold Sky that she too identifies anyone by their scents. 

 “Gilda has inherited my trait to know someone by their scents, it can’t be. How can she have my most identifying trait if I suppressed every memory of me in her mind? Is my telepathy powerless against my dear Gilda?”  Gold Sky wants to tell her the truth right now but just not yet because they are in the public eye of other griffons. 

“Pony!” Oliver’s son yelled as he got near them.

Gilda and Gold Sky turned to the happy little griffon coming their way along with the father too. 
“He looks just like Oliver fifty seven years ago when I found him as the sole survivor of his village when I finally regained my sanity.” To Gold Sky this is a fitting description of the son becomes the father and the father the son, in appearance and maybe smile. 

Oliver’s son gasped in awe at being three feet away from the pony with wings and a horn. “Are you the pony of the sun or moon!?” He asked that question because the pictures of Celestia and Luna were in black and white. 
Oliver softly laughed at his son’s question. “Now my son let’s give Gold Sky an opportunity to speak.” 

The Alicorn got off from the bench and got down to the young griffon’s eye level. “I am not the pony of the sun or moon. But I’m the son of the pony of the sun if that answer will satisfy you.” 

“You are!” Oliver’s son didn’t say that, Gilda did.

Oliver’s son took the answer but placed his hands on Gold Sky’s face so he can feel the pony’s face. “My son don’t get too touchy on Gold Sky…” 

“No, no it’s alright Oliver, he’s only a curious child and I don’t mind if he touches my face.” Gold Sky gently patted Oliver’s son’s head. 

Oliver smiled at seeing his son having fun with Gold Sky. Gilda too smiled at seeing her dad let this child have fun. 
Valerie stood near Oliver; she is still suspicious of Gold Sky and now at seeing Gilda being close to that pony she is also developing suspicious for her too. Still she has to respect her husband’s wishes and allow her son to be near Gold Sky. 

“You want to get on my back?” Gold Sky asked the young griffon. 

“Yes, yes!! Daddy can I get on his back!” 
“Of course my son.” Oliver placed him Gold Sky’s back. 

Gold Sky trotted with the young griffon on his back with Gilda, Oliver, and Valerie following closely behind. The son wrapped his arms around Gold Sky’s neck giving Gold Sky a happy hug, right now he’s having a dream come true and to make the dream even more real he with played Gold Sky’s mane. 

In Gold Sky’s mind. “At least this young griffon embraces me with a kind heart.”
Children will always be innocent in Gold Sky’s eyes because it took witnessing the deaths of innocent children in the hands of the fascist rebels for him to regain his sanity and when he killed those rebels he found a young Oliver clinging to him out of fear and reassurance but mostly for protection…that is when he regained his sanity and joined the Republic to help them fight against the fascists but first with his telepathy he erased every memory in Oliver’s mind so the young griffon can have a new beginning with a clean slate. Because no child deserves to have the memory of their mother and father being murdered in front of them. 

***
Rienne’s father took two javelins with him as he flew with his son; he decided to have a nice father and son hunt thinking maybe that can help. “So Rienne to you feel like eating stag for lunch?” 

“I guess that sounds like a good idea father.” Rienne didn’t look at his father as he spoke instead he looked at ground seeing that he fought for that black soil that provides food for the stag that wonders these woods, he fought and he’s alive, but what about his brothers who have fallen in the battlefield. He’s somehow remembers most of their but cannot remember their faces in fact before engaging the enemy in final charge he thought of his mother and father and saw that he cannot  remember their faces! In the end though, he’s back home with mother and father whose faces are now permanently engraved in his mind. 

Rienne banked down with his father to land upon the ground to find a nice stag to hunt. 
“Here Rienne, take your javelin and keep a sharp eye for any stag.” 

The father and son trekked through the woods, the soft wind gliding around them made the leaves rustle softly creating a pleasing sound to their ears. Rienne didn’t try much to be stealthy but it didn’t matter much though, to his father he must enjoying this time with him. 

“Look!” Rienne’s father loudly whispered. “Right there is the perfect stag Rienne. Hurry get it!” 

Rienne raised his javelin at the grass eating oblivious stag with majestic antlers; he took a deep breath so he can aim at the heart of the creature. Rienne hesitated to throw the javelin; if he throws it he will kill the creature who has done nothing to him. It did not take long for him to start trembling to the thought of killing once more, the hurting memories of the war came back to haunt his rationale, and his breathing increased. “I-I-I can’t.” 

“What my son?” Rienne’s father didn’t catch that. 

Rienne dropped his javelin. “I can’t do it father! I-I don’t want to kill anymore ! I want to go home, I want to go home! I killed too much father, I-I can’t kill no more. Can’t, can’t, can’t! I want to go home!” Rienne fell to his knees and broke down, alerting the stag to his presence. 

The father came and wrapped his arms around his son. “It’s okay I’m here, your father, I’m here my dear son. It’s okay to cry, you have done things that I can never do, endured acts that I can never endure ever in my life, and you are stronger than me my son. Let me help you Rienne so you can be the Rienne that hugged me and your mother before you flew into battle.” 

Rienne buried his face into his father’s shoulder. “What about the stag father?” 

The father rubbed the back of Rienne’s head. “Don’t worry about the stag, I’m sure all of the stags love you now because you won’t hunt them anymore…wha…” He spotted the same stag drop a note and then dash away. 

The note read- Rienne, thank you for being a friend of the stags. We love you.

“Okay…weird.”  Thought Rienne’s father. 

Rienne continued crying on his father’s shoulder until he felt most of the pain go away.
“Thank you father, I love you father.” He hugged his father tightly and did not want to let go. 

Both griffons went home when Rienne felt better and now the father knows what to do. 

“How is he?” Rienne’s mother asked.

“He needs time my dear, Rienne has been through things that you and I will never understand, he needs the comfort I can provide for him and then and I mean only then will Rienne be the loving son we raised or more importantly be the loving mama’s boy you cherish.” 

The mother and father looked at their son hang his shield on the wall perhaps this is a sign of a good ending or it could just be an act of marking an end to his duty. Still it will cautionary to have extra sheets ready and to move a cot into Rienne’s room so the father will there for his son in a minute’s notice. 

Night or Day.

***
“Stay still so I can get your proper body measurements Mrs. Martinez.” Rarity adjusted her glasses that somehow appeared despite that she never took them with her. “I think that emerald green is your color and it will match with the feminine colors around your eyes and I think a ruby necklace will add more pop to your first glance.” 

The vice president stood very still so the measuring tape can get her body measurements, Kate heard from a messenger that great fashion designer Rarity is here in the Griffon Republic so she went out of her way to meet this legendary pony that has a clothesline here in the Republic. “Ms Rarity.” Who would have knew that the vice president will be so modest. “I can’t tell you how honored I am to have you design something for me.” 

Rarity took a pause from her work to smile at the griffon. “I am very pleased that you love my fashion designs Mrs. Martinez and I will be happy to design a suit for your husband too if he doesn’t mind.” 

Kate smiled some more to Rarity’s generous offer. “You will do that!?” 

“Of course darling, I enjoy providing happiness to anyone and I already made plenty of dresses and suits for all of the griffons of the Republic and I got plenty of time to make some more!” Rarity’s magic combined many fabrics together to create a fine dress for the vice president. “There right here is your dress.” 

“Wow!” Kate eyed the dress floating in front of her. “It looks so sublime! I don’t know how to thank you, Ms. Rarity!” 

Rarity waved her hoof at the griffon. “Oh it’s alright; just seeing you smile is worth a thousand bits and I can’t wait to make a suit for your husband Kate.” 

Kate got off of the podium with her dress. “Say Ms. Rarity how did you get here in the Griffon Republic?” 

“I came with my brother who ran all the way from Equestria.” 

A small shiver traveled down Kate’s spine, taking her attention away from the dress. “Your brother…is he that other pony?” 

“Yes but why do you ask?” 

“I am worried for him Ms. Rarity.” Kate voiced quietly. 

Rarity kind smile went away to get replaced with worried facial expression. In her mind the feeling of protecting Gold Sky resurfaced. “In what way Kate?” 

Kate got in the dress so that while her eyes admire the dress now adding beauty to herself she can use that and convert to some needed courage to talk to Ms. Rarity about this topic. “There might be some griffons who want to carry out some kind of vengeance against him and I am also afraid Gilda will cross the line that separates her from the normality of protecting and the duty of killing.” 

“My brother is her father Kate, so I don’t think you should be worried about Gilda protected him. But if she does protect him and if she does kill the griffons who want to hurt him what will happen to her?” 

“She will be seen as a traitor for protecting him.” 
“Well in that case I have a feeling that will be the least of her problems. Any who going back to the fashions designs what color will your husband like for his suit?”

“Gray.” Kate dropped the subject. She wants to have good quality time with this mare she admires and not think about Gilda being with the pony father figure.

***
In a malt shop Oliver’s son happily sat next to Gold Sky while he pats the neck of the pony. “Mr. Pony, why do you have a scar across your tummy?” 

Gilda injected herself. “Now little one, Mr. Pony has a name and it’s Gold Sky.” 

“Oh. Gold Sky, why do you have a scar over your tummy?” 

Valerie picked her head to see the scar with her left eyebrow inching up a bit. 

“I had an operation to remove an inflamed appendix that for a long time gave me a lot of pain.” Gold Sky softly patted Oliver’s son’s head again while from the corner of his right eye sees Valerie look at him like she’s trying to intimidate him but the scorn of a female does not intimidate Gold Sky one bit, but there is one female or more specifically a mare who can intimidate Gold Sky to the very core of his spirit. It’s not Octavia, Celestia, or Luna but Cadance.  

“Well Gold Sky that must have a big surgery if your scar is that big, also I couldn’t help but wonder about your armor. Where did you get forged?” Oliver asked.

“It’s my father’s armor Oliver, he was an Elite Commando Guard and he forged it himself also Princess Luna placed a charm on the armor so it can fit me and whoever dons it. Ah.” Gold Sky turned his attention to the waitress coming with the milkshakes. 

“Here you go.” She handed each milkshake to her patrons but as she handed Gold Sky his vanilla milkshake she purposely spilled it on his lap. “Oh I am very sorry.” 

Of course Gold Sky being Gold Sky smiled at the waitress. “It’s alright we all make mistakes.” 
The waitress took the glass but did not clean up the mess. 

Within a blink of an eye Gilda seized the waitress by the neck with her right hand. Without bothering to look at the waitress Gilda spoke. “You did that on purpose.” She placed the tips of her claws on the spine. “I don’t like that; if you ever do that again I will hurt you now go get him another one.” Gilda released the waitress from her grip. 

Oliver and Valerie stayed quiet but Gold Sky did not approve of Gilda’s aggressiveness in this. 

“Was that necessary Gilda?” Gold Sky asked seriously. 

“Yes it was. She disrespected you and I will not tolerate that. You have done nothing to her so or to anyone in the Republic so I will see that anybody who mistreats you gets put in their place.” Now Gilda looked at the waitress as she comes with another milkshake and this time does not spill it. 

“Such aggressiveness will get you nowhere Gilda.” Gold Sky said. 

“I do what I do; just you did what you did by ripping Mao apart.” Gilda tried not to be disrespectful in any way. 

“You are correct in that, but what I did was something that was necessary, what you did is something unnecessary and should not be repeated again, is that clear.” Gold Sky realized he’s saying these words through his paternal instinct and should not be doing so but what is said is already said. 

Oliver is surprised to see this fatherly discipline come from Gold Sky.  

Gilda experienced this sort of discipline for what seems to her the first time ever. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to act like that. I won’t do it again.” 

Gold Sky reached out to touch Gilda’s hand. “Thank you.” 

“Acting like the father figure Gilda sees in him.”  Oliver thought in his mind. 

Valerie decided to ask Gold Sky questions she wants to ask while still keeping an eye on her son who is hugging Gold Sky again…who knew her son will love ponies so much. “Gold Sky, can I ask you a question?” 

“Of course anything you want.” 

“What were you thinking when you spared Mao’s life? Were you stupid, merciful, or just too gullible?” 

“Valerie!! How dare you!” Oliver exclaimed. 

Gold Sky raised his hoof to tell Oliver that he will be answering the question but first. “Oliver she asked me a question so please don’t get mad and same goes to you Gilda. Let me tell you something about myself first Valerie. I am indirectly created by the Son of the Great Spirit; I was created as an egg and planted into my birthmother’s womb but more importantly to answer your question Valerie I am the physical manifestation of Love. I am the emotion. I am Love through flesh and bone.” 

“You are Love? How can you be the emotion and how can that make you spare Mao?” Valerie asked as she leans forward to look into Gold Sky’s magenta eyes. 

“I cannot or I don’t know why but to take away a father away from his child is something that I can’t do. When Mao said he had a son I-I couldn’t kill him…I just couldn’t do it. I am a immortal living the life of a mortal.” Gold Sky pointed to the scar over his heart. 

“I knew it! I knew you were immortal and I knew you can heal!” Lucky Oliver caught his milkshake before it tipped over. 

“If you are Love then how can you kill Mao and his troops?” 

“Like I said Valerie, I am an Immortal living the life of a Mortal. True Immortals are immune to mortal instincts, like hate and vengeance I am absent of hate but not vengeance. I do not hate my enemies instead I love them all but I came back to kill Mao because I made a mistake. But more importantly I came back to help Gilda and to be with her.” 

“Be with her in what way? You’re a pony and she’s a griffon.” Valerie is applying that card. 

Oliver’s and Valerie’s son moved his head around like he’s hearing something but can’t find where the noise is coming from. “Do you hear that?” 

“Hear what?” Gold Sky asked. 

“I hear what sounds like an electric guitar playing with a heavy metal touch?” 

Gold Sky knows what that means, Gilda is furious but she is keeping her calm composure because he told her to. 
“Valerie, I am a pony and she is a Griffon. She sees me as a father figure and that is what I am to her, a father figure. She needs the loving comfort a father can provide because she has fought in a war and sooner or later the emotional scars will surface and I plan to be there and comfort her. So please do not imply what you implied earlier.” Gold Sky’s ears dropped when he decided to add something. “I am married to the mare who is the Love of my life and I nursed Gilda back to full health when she broke her wing and arm, she needs me just as I need her and Valerie, I took full responsibility for what I did and paid with my blood. Is that more than enough for you? Because if isn’t then you can have more of my blood.” Gold Sky, with his left hoof pointed windpipe so Valerie can know where she can get the most of his blood. “But more importantly I’m sure your son won’t like it.” 

Valerie swallowed her saliva. “Colonel Gilda sees you as a father figure?” 

“Yes she does and please just see me with a decent light and not negative one. You don’t have to like me but just give me the benefit of the doubt of making me think that you have some kind of a respect for me when you really don’t.”  Gold Sky tilted his head so the son who is totally oblivious to what’s being said can touch his ear. 

“Hehehe, I got your ear!” The young griffon is just enjoying himself. 

Valerie sighed at seeing she just haplessly experienced the wisdom of an immortal. Not something she had in mind at questioning Gold Sky but at least on her motherly side she’s kind of happy to see her son have fun with a pony even she though wished her son met the white pony instead of Gold Sky who is a painted or pinto pony. 

“Gold Sky.” Oliver said his name softly to separate himself from the words Valerie has spoken. 

“Yes, Oliver?” 

“How did you really get here? And why are you still here if you know that almost every griffon no longer welcomes you?” 

Gold Sky drank up the last of his milkshake. “Well it took me getting a second chance but I can run faster than the speed of sound. So what took days or weeks only took hours.”

Valerie, Oliver, and Gilda wanted to laugh quietly while the son somehow got on top of Gold Sky’s head. 

“I knew the three of you wouldn’t beli…he’s asleep on my head isn’t he.” 

Valerie nodded. 

“Anyway, I knew the three of you wouldn’t believe me so I will use my telepathy to show you.” Gold Sky’s telepathy entered Oliver’s and Valerie’s mind but carefully entered Gilda’s mind. He showed them everything they needed to see and of course seeing is believing.

The three griffons now believe Gold Sky. Oliver looked at his sleeping son. “I think we should call it a day, he’s sound asleep.” 
Gold Sky heavily applied his magic so he can carefully pick up the young griffon. 

Gilda’s eyes suddenly widened. “Dad why is your nose bleeding!!?” Sadly the loud words woke up the son. 

The Alicorn wiped away his blood. “Don’t worry about it. Just a side effect from using my magic.”

Oliver, Valerie, their son, Gilda, and Gold Sky left the malt shop. The young griffon wrapped his arms around Gold Sky’s neck again. 

“We’re home.” Valerie took her son off of Gold Sky’s back. “Now my son say good bye to the nice pony.”

“Bye Gold Sky!” He waited for Gold Sky to kneel down so he can hug Gold Sky once more. 

“Good bye little one.” 
Valerie took the young griffon inside. Oliver came by to give Gold Sky a proper farewell. “Gold Sky, I said it once but I will be happy to say it again, thank you for saving me and I want you to know that I don’t hate you for sparing Mao’s life in fact I respect you even more for saying the truth in front of everyone when it was supposed to be your time to shine before the Republic. Also if it’s not very weird but for some reason I feel like I met you before.” 

Gold Sky on purpose tilted his head like he’s surprised too. 

Oliver took the bait of this gesture. “I know right. I feel like I met you even though I know we never did.” 

A few seconds of silence passed. “Gilda please give me and Oliver some privacy.” 

“Okay.” She gave them some distance. 

“Oliver have you ever experienced something but can’t tell if you want to remember it through will or through the capacity of not having the memory you want to remember?” Gold Sky asked. 

Oliver looked down. “Yes.” 

“Let me show you why you feel like we have met before because truth be told we have met fifty seven years but in the most unsuitable circumstances that I had to erase your memories of that event and all of the memories before that.” 
“M-my memories?” 

Gold Sky nodded. “Yes your memories, haven’t you ever wondered why your memories start at a later stage in life instead of the point in your life where your mind finally develops the ability to turn short term memory into long term memory.” 

“Uhh you mean like why my first memory is the one where I have my first flight with my father?” 

“Yes. That is what I mean Oliver. Do you wish to know why?” 

“Why?” 

“I have kept the memories I erased from your mind for safe keeping, I somehow knew that I will meet you again and now I will show you what you don’t remember. But before I do are your parents still alive?” 

The griffon just nodded. 

“And do you love them very much?”

“With all of my heart.” 
Gold Sky smiled at Oliver. “Good, now let me show you the event that gave you a new beginning and gave me back my sanity.” 
*Fifty Seven years ago*


A twenty nine year old Oliver or twelve, or, eleven, or thirteen years old in pony years held the hands of his mother and father who were murdered before his young eyes. “Mom, dad! Mom, dad, please don’t go! Mom, dad, noooooooooooo!” He began to cry while all around him innocent griffons and children are being slaughtered by fascist rebels. 

Three fascists slowly approached young Oliver with dire eagerness to kill another child of the Republic. 

Oliver with tearful eyes looked up at the three griffons. “Wh-why did you kill my mom and dad! Why!” 

“They’re just animals that need to be eliminated for the coming glory of fascist rule!” The middle griffon reached for his sword and took it out while making sure Oliver can hear the screeching vibrancy of the metal. “Now little republic filth any last words.” 

Oliver trembled as the tip of the sword touches his forehead. “P-p-please!” 

The three fascists scoffed. “Heh, they always say please, why do they always say please.” The other two fascists agreed. “There’s goes your last word, time to kill you.” He raised his sword. 
Oliver’s eyes widened. 

“Good bye.” The instant his arms began with the neurological stimulus to swing down he suddenly got swung around and got face to face with a pony with wings and a horn. The horn of the pony glowed, picking him up while the pony got up on his hind legs. The pony with a dagger in his right hoof plunged it into the belly of the fascist, ripping him open and causing the intestines to spill out. The other fascists froze with bewilderment allowing the pony to stab one in the forehead and the last one to rip the head out of the body with the spine still connected. 

Oliver gasped at this bloody sight. 

The pony walked over to him and got down low to be eye to eye with Oliver. 
“You have nothing to fear young griffon, I will not hurt you, I will protect you.” 

Oliver calmed down the kind voice of the pony before him. “Y-you won’t hur-hur-hurt me??” 

The pony shook his head. “I will not hurt young one. I won’t hurt you.” 

Upon these true words entering his ears Oliver sniffled. He has nobody no, family, no place to call home, but more importantly no one to love him. It did not take long for pain to take him into the pit of sadness. 

The left part of the pony’s chest glowed brightly. “Come here young one.” The pony extended his arms. 

Oliver didn’t think, he just ran into the pony’s arms and embraced him and began sobbing on the pony’s shoulder.  

“Young griffon I know you are sad and I know you are wondering where you can live now. But I will tell you this young griffon; you will always have the heart to see everyone with a good heart. I do not know why you have that deeply moralistic quality in you but I guess you are who you through what you choose to be and what your parents have passed down to you. You shall have a new home, a new family, and…A New Beginning.”  The pony softly stroked the back of the griffon’s head. 

“Wha-what do you mean a new beginning?” Oliver asked through his sobs. 

“A young child like you does not deserve to have the memory of seeing their parents killed before their eyes. I will help you by taking away what you saw and take away the memories of your dear parents so you can move on in order for you to live a life of love and prosperity.” 

“M-my parents…” 

“In order for you to move on, you must forget the past and go into the new.” The pony’s telepathy went into the mind of the young griffon.
Oliver tightened his hug around the pony’s neck. “You saved me.” 

The eyes of the pony watered up. “I did and I promise you I will avenge your parents by killing the griffons who not only harmed you but also harmed others…I give you a new beginning…where hope will not give you sadness.” 

The pony’s telepathy erased the past to make way for a new beginning.
*Present*
Oliver gasped, one tear ran down from his right eye to seeing every one of his past memories flash before his eyes. Mother, Father, childhood, all of which he once had in its truest form. The green eyes of his birthmother and the brown eyes of his birthfather to which they collide with the golden eyes of his living mother and the blue eyes of his living father. The mother and father who he loves with all of his heart are not his real parents and he is not their real son. The love he has for his birth parents is fighting with the love for his living parents. 
“Why did you erase my memories and why did you save me?” 

“Oliver I saved you because you were only a innocent child and I erased your memories so you can live on and not sulk about the past like I have for many years. That is why before showing you these memories I asked you if you love your parents. You must let go of your birthparents and your past.” 

“Why are you doing this to me!” 

“Because I’m here and so you can be whole. I had to let go of my birthparents Oliver…*sigh* The truth is always blunt, your birthparents don’t remember you anymore now that they are in the heavenly paradise. Believe me Oliver, I was in the heavenly paradise and I met my parents. I wanted to cry tears of joy when I hugged them but instead they asked me who I was and why I’m hugging them. They didn’t know me anymore, so I let go of them completely and I rarely think of them. This is your choice Oliver forget the past and live the present.” 

Oliver wiped away the tear. “You mean that in the heavenly paradise everyone is given a clean slate?” 

“Yes Oliver, the memories one had rots with the body and soul as the spirit goes to the heavenly paradise. So please make your decision and if you or your son wish to see me, then send me a letter and I shall teleport here. Good bye Oliver.” 

“No! Come here!”  Oliver wrapped his arms around Gold Sky’s neck. “I can’t thank you enough for saving me and for giving me back my memories.” 

Gold Sky does not feel threatened by Oliver hugging him, he saved him and he knows Oliver always kept that belief.  

“My adoptive parents and my birthparents and why did you go to the heavenly paradise? Did you teleport there by accident?” 

“No Oliver, I died and I came back from the other side. That’s when I learned about the clean slate.” 

After a few minutes, Oliver let go of Gold Sky, smiled at him, and wished him farewell. He went inside to think. “Val, will you mind if I go visit my parents right now?” 

“No I won’t mind and I don’t think you paid them visit ever since the war ended so go ahead.” 

Oliver gave his wife a hug and left to see his parents and begin the process of letting go and feel whole now that the empty gap is gone. 

“What was that about?” Gilda asked. 

“Just a simple understanding.” 

“What kind of understanding?” Gilda tilted her head with a sly smirk on her face.  

“A basic one.”  

“Please tell me, please.” 

Gold Sky smiled at Gilda. “A understanding shared between fathers.” 

Gilda stopped in her tracks to look at Gold Sky. An understanding between fathers fueled Gilda’s drive to be even closer to Gold Sky; she can’t believe that Gold Sky allows her to call him dad something is kind of odd in that, a stallion just takes up the mantle of being a father though he did not raise her nor was part in her biological development. Still nonetheless, she’s more than happy to have Gold Sky with her. He is as she sees him, loving nurturer, source of guidance, protector, all knowing in knowledge, and her most favorite, Father. 
“So if I call you dad and see you as dad. Will you call me daughter and see me as your daughter?” 

Gold Sky felt his heart go cold, he waited for Lauren to whisper in his ear to not allow himself to be taken over by sadness but Lauren didn’t whisper in his ear. He saw that he must control himself and wait for the right moment. With an act to show his answer without having to speak words, Gold Sky placed a wing over her and brought her close to him as he basks her with a fatherly smile. 

Gilda took Gold Sky’s physical but yet wordless reply as a yes. “Let’s go to the meadows.” 

“You want to fly or walk there?” 

Gilda rubbed his shoulder with the side of her head. “Walk please.” 

The father and daughter walked through the business district of the Republic again, getting respect for Gilda and deep disrespect for Gold Sky. 
What the both do not know is that nearby is one griffon who has two swords slung on his back and in his mind is the desire for retribution which is basically a friendly dance to the death with the pony. 

***
In a café, Rarity’s magic levitated a cup of fine griffon tea to her flawless pursed lips. The soft loving touch of the tea made Rarity smile lightly to the warm feeling spreading across the chest as the liquid traveled down to her stomach. “I just love the tea of the Griffon Republic, how do you grow such wonderful tea?”  She asked Kate Martinez.

“Well I really don’t know, but the tea we grow is part of the Republic’s pride plus Equestria is our biggest buyer.” Kate giggled. “But still here in the Republic we make sure the soil is always fertile, spread silver iodide in clouds so it can rain, and move the clouds out of the way for needed sunlight.” 

“My, that sounds like a lot of hard work. But in the end it pays off with what may be the best tasting tea in the entire world!” Rarity took a sip of her tea.  

Kate tipped her cup at the mare and drank the brownish with hues of purplish streaks tea.

Then with respect a messenger sent by Sec Def landed next to the Element of Generosity and Vice President. “Madame Vice President and hello Pony Guest, you are called to an important meeting discussing decisive topics.” 

Kate left a tip on the table. “Rarity, will like to see a prime example of governing, politics, and random cheap funny shots being tossed about?” 

Rarity’s magic let go of the tea cup too early causing the cup to fall down hard on the saucer making a crack. “You want me to be your guest in this important meeting? Will the President be there?” 

Kate nodded. 

“Oh…” Rarity thought about Gold Sky and Gilda and that she should decline in going with Kate but her big heart reminded her that it will not be a good idea to spoil the time being spent between the two. “I’ll be more than happy to join you.” 

“Perfect!” Kate flapped her wings a few times to get the blood flowing. 

Rarity picked up her hoof to tell Kate something. “I can’t fly.”

Kate folding back her wings back to her body, she asked the messenger if he’ll be kind enough to carry Rarity on his back. The messenger rolled his eyes at the request but still at the request of Madame Vice President he kneeled down so Rarity can get on his back. Obviously he expected Rarity to be heavy but to his amazement Rarity is really light causing him to voice his assessment. 

Rarity tipped her nose up. “Well a lady always keeps herself in proper shape.” 
The vice president, messenger, and Rarity all flew to the presidential chamber where of course is Ronald Madison, General Sherman because he doesn’t like to be called by his first name so basically general became his new first name, Nathaniel Lafayette, and lastly the oldest member of Congress handpicked by the congress to attend the meeting and report to them everything that is discussed because the rest of congress left to spend the day with their families now that the war is over. Rarity came in with Kate. 

Ronald stopped talking to look at Kate and the pony next to her. “You brought the pony who came with Gold Sky to be your guest in this meeting.” 

“Yes.” Kate replied. 

Ronald exhaled his breath. “I guess we can allow her to stay. I’m sure she didn’t have anything to do with Gold Sky sparing Mao, did you?” He looked at Rarity at the end of the sentence.

“I was not even born yet when he made that decision.” Truth be told, Rarity has no absolute clue when Gold Sky spared Mao nor does she intend to find out.

Ronald took her answer with a fair mind. A pony as innocent plus beautiful looking can’t be capable of being in conjunction of that decision and being a pony…ah, too adorable to be ignored. 

“She is Gold Sky’s sister Ronald.” General Sherman in his intention said to ease what he thinks is dire tension rising through the implication in Ronald’s rationale that Rarity is Gold Sky’s spouse. 

“Is she now?”Ronald got off from his chair to in front of the beautiful mare. “Sister of the Republic’s greatest ally…” 

“Guardian Angel, Ronald.” Sherman injected by interrupting. 

Ronald is one who is not very believing of any sign of the Divine just coming down and helping the mortals, he does not see the reasonable purpose of that nor does he have a core belief of the Divine. Nevertheless, Ronald believes that the Divine created everything but that’s about it and maybe only where he believes. *Scoff* “He’s no Angel Sherman.” 

“He’s immortal and didn’t die even after getting stabbed in the heart so that means.” 

“So you’re saying that he’s divine?” Ronald sarcastically asked. 

Sherman almost scoffed. “Are you calling him a deity because that will be kind of weird.” 

“Weird? Well you’re the one who’s implying that he’s an Angel, Sherman and I’m implying that you’re implying he’s divine.” Ronald has a knack with words.

*Sigh* “He may be divine or divinely created so far that is what I know.” Sherman shifted in his chair. 

Ronald saw this as the perfect opportunity to say a somewhat vulgar cheeky comment. “Yeah well I’m the deity of teats and wine!” 

Rarity fell down laughing at hearing that while the griffons still took time to process what was said. 

“Oh forget it. Let’s just get back to the topic being discussed.” Sherman shook his head. 

“All right let’s get back but first I will like to welcome this pony.” Ronald waited for Rarity to recompose herself. “I’m happy to meet the mare Kate will never shut up about.” He then took her left hoof and kissed it. “Please sit, make yourself comfortable and just listen to stuff.” 

Rarity lightly blushed to this very chivalrous behavior. “Thank President Ronald Madison.” 

Rarity sat down next to Kate, perked her ears so she can hear whatever happens in the government of a Republic.

However, what she and Ronald do not know is a top secret created by Congress, Lafayette, and Kate. A plan that Sherman will want to strangle to death and Ronald will not stand for…A plan for the Republic to commence a conquest of punishing the city states and other places that supplied Mao with the griffons that were part of his seven digit horde, after all, those little sovereign states must pay for giving troops to Mao and killing many Sons of the Republic. 
***

Gilda has a face of a child who’s happy to be with a parent. Gold Sky, felt Gilda gently nudge his side while speeding up her gait so the two of them can get to the meadows. 

Nearby Percival, Esther, and Isao are browsing around. Isao once again sees Colonel Gilda with the pony father figure. “I guess she really meant it when she said the pony father figure.” Isao with his photographic memory sees the same fatherly eyes he always seen whenever his target is being protected by a father. “And he sees her with Love. Hmmmm, one in a billion perhaps to which fate or a parallel reality that has sent her a father to comfort her in this time of peace shadowed by a mental nightmare. I read too much physics and relativity.” 

The griffon with the two swords slung on his back who’s watching the pony down below dived down and landed in front of Gilda and Gold Sky causing the two to stop. 
Gold Sky instinctively nudged Gilda to get behind him.

The griffon stood up on his hind legs, he looked directly into the pony’s pink eyes. Oh how this griffon wanted to insult this pony for having such a feminine eye color but he decided not to say an insult first instead he’ll say a declaration. “You! Pony who is the reason my two best friends died in the battlefield! And you!” He pointed to Gilda. “You walk with this murderer of the Republic’s sons! You are a Colonel and you led our troops, how can you spit on them by being with him!” 

All around the Citizens stopped to see what’s happening. Esther led Isao and Percival away in order to help Isao separate himself from violence. 

Gilda stayed behind Gold Sky but her voice stepped in front of the Alicorn. “He is not the enemy! He helped the Republic!” 

The griffon spat at Gilda but his spit got intercepted by Gold Sky’s wing. “He is my enemy, now I will have not only his blood but his heart, head, and male hood!”

Gilda and the citizens gasped to the last part! But Gold Sky didn’t react at all. “Good luck with the last part.” 

Gilda flared her breath out of her nostrils. 

“Well are you going to say anything pony!” The griffon demanded. 

Gold Sky turned around and made Gilda do the same. “You are not my enemy; I have nothing against you so why will I fight you. I’m sorry for the loss of your friends but please do not challenge me because I will not fight you no matter how much you insult or threaten me.” He used his wing to give Gilda a light push. “Come let’s go.” 

The griffon got angry. “Come back here you coward!” 

“No. I know the laws of the Griffon Republic, you cannot fight me if I don’t accept your challenge. So good luck, pray you have the patience of an immortal.” Gold Sky continued walking away with Gilda. 

An old timer griffon came up and placed a hand on the challenging griffon’s shoulder. “The war is over son, let’s just go home and forget this ever this ever happened.”

“Shut up!” The griffon pushed the old timer away, whipped out his left sword, and stabbed the old timer in the forehead. 
The wife of the old timer screamed as her husband fell down to the ground convulsing because his nervous system is just scrambling about in its final seconds. 

Gold Sky looked back and gasped. “No! Jump!”  He teleported to the side of the now completely still old timer.

Gilda froze to the sight of hearing the wife cry, her pain from the war returned and she became lost in her perception to the world. 

Gold Sky placed a hoof on the lifeless old timer, next to him the wife cries. Gold Sky looked up at the griffon with sad eyes. 

The griffon heartlessly smiled at Gold Sky. 
One thing about Gold Sky that even Celestia marvels is that he will stand for what’s right even though it was used against him by the Chieftain, he turned to the wife in order to get her attention. “I will avenge him.” He looked back at the griffon and snorted out his breath. 

The griffon smiled even more. 

The Alicorn got in front of the griffon with the two swords. “You shall get what you want. But know this, I will end you and the wind will carry your stench so the birds of the air will come down to feast on your flesh and the maggots will crawl out of your eyes leaving your bones behind to be crushed!” 

Gold Sky flapped his wings and just hovered in the air; his horn glowed but did nothing more. 

The griffon got his other sword and stood ready to fight the hovering pony. 

From out of nowhere Gold Sky’s silver armor and white cloak came flying to him covering every part of his body. 

The griffon grunted. “I have no armor you coward!” 

So Gold Sky threw off his body armor, dropped his helmet and got up on his hind legs while flapping his wings like the way Scootaloo does. He pulled his hood down. “I want you to see my face as you die.” 

“Humph, you are one dumb son of a wretch.” The griffon spun his both his swords. 

The gathered Citizens held their breaths to the sight of the pony who gave them his blood for this is something they did not expect to happen but expected to be amusing to all of them. 

The griffon charged forward at Gold Sky with his swords coming down, Gold Sky extended his horseshoe blades to stop both swords, with a quick double circular motion he got his blades on top of both swords allowing him to push them down a nonlethal stance and give the griffon a strong head butt. “I could have disoriented him but want this to be a fight in which I will get the blindness of the Citizens of this Republic so I can leave unnoticed.” 

The griffon quickly recovered as Gold Sky expected and pulled back his swords. He swung his right sword at a vertical down angle but Gold Sky leaned his body back. The griffon with his left sword did a forward thrust only to see Gold Sky lean to the side to avoid the attack. 
With the reflexes Gold Sky has inherited from his birthfather strived to right, ducked downward, leapt to the left, and quickly did a back flip to avoid both swords. Upon landing Gold Sky lunged forward using his left hoof blade to get the swords which can turn from an offensive to a defensive trait, which now at seeing the swords are out of the way Gold Sky quick retracted his right horseshoe to give the griffon a strong punch.  
The Griffon got sent to the ground, luckily for him which is through the luck Gold Sky gave him. He caught eye of Gold Sky coming down upon him, the Griffon rolled out of the way getting back up on his feet resuming his offense. 
*CLANG!* The loud metallic noise of the blade stopping the left sword made many pairs of ears ring including Gilda’s snapping her out of her frozen predicament. 

 “Should give him the chance to have his hope rise and then have it shattered.”  Gold Sky lowered both hooves as to show the Griffons he’s using this to gain needed momentum while he mentally forces his tissue regeneration to heal at his command. 

The griffon blindly took advantage of this by slashing Gold Sky’s throat. 

Gilda fell to her knees at seeing her dad get his throat slit. 

The Griffon ruthlessly smiled at seeing the sparkling blood sprinkle the ground. 

 “Stand still to make his heart go cold with realism.” With every heartbeat his blood squirted out of his slit throat. 

Gilda for no reason smiled at seeing her dad still standing. Real hope in her heart. 

The Griffon waited for the pony to fall down while the seconds pass by, but seeing the pony look at him with a cold stare he felt something inside of him say that the pony is the Republic’s Guardian Angel. 

“Heal.” And faster than the twinkle of an eye the slit throat healed.

“What is the matter Griffon? Haven’t you even seen tissue regeneration before?” Gold Sky asked. 

The Griffon shook his head to clear his mind of doubt. 

Gold Sky lunged forward to end this confrontation when the mind is turmoil therefore causing a disturbance in the flow between the brain and body. 
The Griffon try as he may barely blocked every and dodged Gold Sky’s blades. The swords and blades got stuck within each other. 
“Look at me.” Gold Sky growled at the Griffon. “Do you feel your fear rising inside of your heart? I will make sure your fear stays in your heart as it rots away to the maggots crawling about inside of it. Jump.”  Gold Sky teleported a few feet from the Griffon. 

The Griffon’s breathing rate sky rocketed to thirty seven respirations a minute. 

“It ends now.” Gold Sky swung his left blade with the strength to shatter both swords to millions of pieces because the Griffon thoughtlessly crossed both swords to stop the one blade. “Good Bye.” 
Faster than light Gold Sky swung his right blade in a downward vertical motion. 
The Griffon froze with only the handles of his swords left in both his hands. Gold Sky retracted both blades and began to walk away from the frozen standing griffon, once a few feet away from the Griffon Gold Sky stomped the ground.

*PLISSSH!!* The blood of the Griffon gushed out like the water from a sprinkler. 

All of the gathered Citizens looked at each other with some sort of awe at seeing how the pony sliced open this Griffon. Every gathered Citizen can see functioning anatomy in the frozen standing Griffon and the pony they guessed is waiting for the blood to stop gushing out. 

The blood stopped gushing out of the Griffon allowing Gold Sky come back to the Griffon and gave a light tap making the Griffon fall down while he breathes his last moments. “I’ll say it again, look at me. Look upon the face of the pony who ends your life in such a spectacular note of display. Sad for you to see me smile down and be embraced by the light of the heavenly paradise or the torture of eternal damnation either way wherever you go you will know that I, a murderer, coward, weakling, sinner, and a suicide brought you to your end. Táte.”  The wind carried the stench to the sky alerting the birds in the air of a fresh meal and the flies where to lay their eggs. 

The Griffon will still be alive for at least two to four minutes. 

“Do you see the birds circling above?” Vultures are waiting. “And do you feel the flies crawling all over your face and walking inside your body.” A fly landed on the Griffon’s left lung, its bacteria infested mouth touched the now no longer sterile environment and licked up some of the visceral pleura. 

The Griffon with some help of Gold Sky’s magic picked up his head so he can see the flies. 

“I have grown tired of killing but this you provoked it and added another number to my list. So now Griffon see my face for it’s the last thing you’ll see. Farewell and let your pain be great.” Gold Sky left the dying Griffon’s side. 

The vultures came down and all of them gathered around their meal. 
“Noooo AHHHHHHHH!!” The Griffon yelled as the vultures ripped him apart. 

“Don’t be afraid of dad!” Gilda said to herself as Gold Sky approaches with his complete silver armor back on and hood covering his voice.

“Let’s goes to the meadows now.” Gold Sky spoke the words in a voice that is tired of being pushed to the edge of the breaking point that the Razor wants. 

The Citizens got out of Gilda’s and Gold Sky’s path. “He’s a fallen Angel!” Whispered one of the Citizens. 

 “I am no Angel; I am just a pony who has killed too much.” Gold Sky used his telepathy to tell every Citizen he isn’t what they think he is. 

One of the Citizens turned his attention back to dead Griffon. “Look! There’s nothing but bones left behind!”  The Citizens gasped in astonishment and decided to throw the bones into the nearest trashcan. Other Citizens picked up the old timer and took him to the nearest funeral home so preparations can be made for his burial sadly however; his wife is now a widow. There were so close to die together in old age. 

“Gilda don’t think about what you have seen. I know you’re afraid of me but please don’t. Your world is cracking around the fatherly traits you connected me to, oh we’re here at the meadows!” How convenient. 
Gold Sky took off his armor and his silver horseshoes but his cloak he laid it out on the ground so Gilda can lie down on it and relish in its softness. 
“It’s been awhile since I done this, well not actually long since I rolled about in the great cloud plains of the heavenly paradise.” Without warning he dropped down on his back and rolled about in the soft grass of the meadows and in front of Gilda who can’t decide if she should be afraid of him or just be amazed in this change from direly serious to just…silly. 

“Oooh yeah that feels so good! Anyway.” The Alicorn sat down on his cloak. “Please join me Gilda.” 

She joined him on the cloak still feeling a bit afraid of him, of course her instinct draws her to him and the feelings of the scars resurging due to the cries of the wife is just more reason to ignore the fear. 

Gold Sky covered Gilda with his left wing, in his fatherly experience he knows that affection will make Gilda open up to anything. “Swee…err, Gilda I’m here for you.” It’s just a matter of seconds. 
Gilda sniffled. 

“Ssh, ssh, ssh, ssh, it’s okay Gilda.” The father brought his daughter close to him so she can feel his love that only a father and a father alone can possess inside.  
Gilda cried. Jun-Park and every Marine that has died under her command stung her mind. Her head pressed against Gold Sky’s chest while Gold Sky placed his head over hers. 

“The moment is near.” 

***

“Frak you! Frak you! And uh frak you too Kate! Frak you all of you!!” Ronald screamed. “Sorry you have to hear such bad words Rarity.” 

Rarity raised both her arms. “It’s alright I guess. I never knew politics works like this.” 

“Ronald, you must know that all of Congress will support this plan one hundred percent.” The oldest member of Congress said as he pours himself a glass of fine wine. 

Ronald tilted his head. “Where the hell did you get that wine?” 

“Whenever I want a glass of wine I will get a glass of wine. Anybody want some?” The old member of congress passed the bottle around. 

Kate got elbowed by Sec Def. “Oh yes, Ronald you must understand that if we don’t punish these city states and villages they might think that Republic is ripe for the taking, do you want us to be on the defensive once again instead of showing a display of our might so that we may never go through another war again.”

“The might of the Republic is our troops and they are recovering from this war! You think that they can be treated in week or month! No, it could take months or years perhaps…” Ronald stopped, upon realizing that his words will get him nowhere he came to accept the inevitable coming future. “You know what, frak you, all of you. You want to carry this conquest then fine go ahead but you will not be using any of the Republic’s sons! We won the war and through victory is pride but through the dark side of victory is overconfidence, so how about you use that overconfidence to enlist more troops instead of using the troops who just fought in this war. Oh and frak all of you again!” It’s not every day that Ronald is provoked to shout curses but being a President who wants the best for the troops then it may be well may be a tiny bit understandable.

Lafayette figured that there may be only one way to appease Ronald and he’s right in the dark side of victory aspect. “I suppose you won’t be very pleased if we start recruiting more griffons for the Grand Army of the Republic, 501st Marine Corp, 101st Airborne, and Rangers. Also we need to build another massive zeppelin landing craft but at least none of the troops who fought in this war will be used in the planned conquest. Still, if I think about it, what if some of the recovering troops fully recovers and want part of the conquest?” 

*Sigh* “Then it’s their decision.”  
Rarity marveled in Ronald’s integrity to let the conquest be carried out. “Can I?” 

Ronald nodded at the beautiful pony. 

“What will you do during the conquest?” Rarity asked quietly.

“I will just oversee the treatment of the recovering troops and serve my last year in office before I can live the rest of my days wondering if peace or peace given by war will last.” Ronald reached for the bottle of wine so he can have a cup to calm his nerves. “Huh? It’s finished?” 

The old member of congress handed Ronald a fresh bottle of wine. “Here you go.” 

“Seriously where do you get the wine?” 

“Whenever I want some I get some.” 

Ronald took his drink and focused on something more important. “General have you picked your heir when you retire.” 

Sherman looked at everyone first because he’s been such a good asset throughout the years and sometimes a voice of a pacifist despite his position. “Yes I have already selected my heir.”
Kate got amused to this. “I bet I know who it is!” 

General Sherman took a deep breath because he felt like taking two pain killers but he drank some wine so he’ll have to wait three hours tops until he can take his prescribed medication. “I know all of you are thinking that Colonel Gilda is my heir and I understand. She’s very skilled in combat, fierce, never backed down in the face of fear, leads her troops with amazing valor, and conceals her emotions very well. But she has one flaw that can turn victory into a doorway for a war virus.” 

Kate rolled her eyes. “It’s because she’s a female isn’t she. Ow!” She felt Sherman swat her in the back of the head. 

“No you doofus! That’s not her flaw; her flaw is the lack of a heart. Think about it, a leader who defeats its enemies knows when to stop fighting because the hope has been sucked out and the enemy will never rise up again. But a leader that continues killing the enemy even when victory is already had. Seeds of hope for revenge are planted and the enemy will rise up. A leader with a heart puts the enemy in its place but provides a tiny bit of kindness so the enemy will not think of rising up. Power with a heart is the greatest weapon in the entire world, and Lieutenant Colonel Oliver has that heart. He showed mercy to some fascists prisoners of war but had to kill them, I know he didn’t like it but who can deny the power of a heart when we punish the griffons of the city states and villages.” 

Kate had to be devil’s advocate. “Ok that sounds nice but what if the enemy abuses his big heart?”

“Then Oliver will use his talent with the spear and put the enemy back in its place again and shows them some kindness. Now any questions?” 

The griffons discussed and agreed. There will be the recruitment of new troops for all four branches of the Republic’s military. Construction of a new massive zeppelin landing craft will commence. Oliver will be made General. Scouts will be sent out to recon the city states and villages. Finally when the Republic has enough fresh troops the tactic of shock and awe will be put to successful use.

Rarity walked with the Vice President and the President down the hall. Ronald thanked Rarity for coming and being very courteous during the, ahem, civilized meeting. Kate had Rarity take some photos with her and said that Rarity will always be welcome to the Republic, Ronald backed that up and gave the mare a nice hug. 

“Good bye Ronald and Kate and I think you should visit Equestria.” Rarity hugged the both of them and began making her way to the meadows. 

***

In another part of the Capital a female griffon walks into the barracks. She has been inspired by Colonel Gilda and she wishes to follow in the footsteps of a strong female and she knows there will be hardship if she is accepted into the military. 
A young clerk looked up from a copy of pride and prejudice. “Oh hello ma’am are you here to see somebody?”  The clerk reached for his nearsighted glasses in order to get a better clarity of the female griffon.  “Whoa!” 

The female griffon is one of those ultra few females that are the exception to the male arena of war. Bigger than the average griffon, more muscle mass, and pretty strong. 
“I’m here to enlist in the Grand Army of the Republic.” 

“Su-sure of, of course let me get you a form.” The clerk searched for a pen so he can write the name of the female. “Your name please.” 

The female griffon smiled for she is happy to be asked her name that will give her a future in the military and where the hardships will begin for she will be one female like Gilda and has much to prove to her male peers. Doubt is in her but so is Hope. Only one emotion can live on. 

“Deborah. Deborah Sampson.” 
The clerk wrote down her name on the enlistment form. 
***


Gilda finished crying, she used Gold Sky’s wing to dry her eyes and to blow her nose. “Gold Sky, why do let me cry on your shoulder?”

“Because you can Gilda.” Gold Sky got up. “Gilda look around you, what do you see?” 

“Tall grass, tall grass, and more tall grass.” Gilda answered. 

“Exactly, but what draws your complete attention.” 

“You.” 

Gold Sky got close to Gilda. “So why did you cry on my shoulder?” 

“Because I’m drawn to you that’s why. But that’s the question! I see you as a father and thought about you for a long time but when the war started I started to think the world of you. I remember your loving kindness when you took care of me and your wedding especially in that dance where you talked me into dancing with you and I noticed you looked at me like I’m your flesh and blood.” Gilda’s senses serve her well. 

Gold Sky touched Gilda’s face. “Have you ever felt a really cold feeling in your chest?” 

Gilda laid a hand over her heart where weeks ago she felt a searing cold feeling and she thought of Gold Sky. “I thinks so…” 

Gold Sky stopped Gilda to ask her his question. “You think so or you know so? Because there is only one answer.” 

Gilda looked away from the serious way Gold Sky asked the question. “I did.” 
Gold Sky slowly covered his mouth, this is going to be hard to tell Gilda about his death and even harder to show her everything he has seen in the heavenly paradise. “I-I died Gilda.” 

Gilda undoubtedly scoffed at that notion. “Dad you didn’t die because you’re front of me right now. I can touch and feel you.” She gently grabbed his ear. “Look I got your cute little ear.” 

Gold Sky’s magic took Gilda’s hand away from his ear and placed it on the scar over his heart. “This is where the spear came out and…” Gilda stopped him. 

“No, I don’t believe you. You’re the Republic’s Guardian Angel and angels can’t die! You couldn’t have died!” Denial is playing major role in Gilda’s reasoning.  

“I did die…in my wife’s arms. I got taken to the heavenly paradise by the Archangel…Gilda please sit down because I know it’s hard for you to understand.” Gold Sky sat back down on the cloak. “Please sit.”

Gilda sat down. 

“I died when I tried to protect Octavia, you remember her don’t you?” 

“Yes I remember being at your wedding and being Octavia’s bridesmaid but why were you killed for protecting her!?” Gilda is still in denial but wants details. 

“I thought she died so with no reason to have restraint I became the Razor and harmed many Royal guards, eventually I also fought Elite Commando guards and defeated all of them. I was about to kill their leader until Octavia’s voice stopped me, I didn’t the leader instead I became happy that Octavia did not die, in her arms I became distracted allowing the leader to stab me in the heart.” Gold Sky got Gilda’s hand and softly made sure it’s touching the scar over his chest. “An immortal like me can die if stabbed in the heart and through the heart will death come.”

Gilda felt the scar and felt her denial. “No, no. That couldn’t have been you behind that cold feeling! No, you couldn’t have died!” 

“Accept it. For I died and now I’m alive through resurrection with a purpose I never knew I had before.” 

Gilda accepted it. 

“I’m to tell you something that will change your world forever, huh?” Gold Sky’s nose picked up a scent. “Rarity is here.” The courage he needs to tell Gilda everything is standing behind him. 

The griffon ignored the Rarity part. “So you got resurrected.” Gilda moved her hand away from the scar. “I’m glad you’re here.” She rested her head on Gold Sky’s shoulder. “Just you being here already changed my world.”

“Ooooh.” Rarity placed her hoof over her heart; to hear such words come out of Gilda’s mouth is like having Queen Chrysalis being the guest of honor to Shining Armor’s and Cadance’s wedding. Still to make that kind of comparison will be kind of unfair since Chrysalis is practically evil and Gilda was mean due to Gold Sky being absent in her adolescence stage of life. A period in life where a father is greatly needed.    

Gold Sky knows where Gilda is going with this.

“I don’t know why but since you took care of me when I broke my wing I just felt drawn to you. Like a bee drawn to a flower sort of way but I want to close to you Gold Sky, I want to always see you as dad…” Gold Sky stopped Gilda. 

“Gilda I can’t hear anymore. I want to tell you something that will change the very essence of your perceived changed world. We’ve have always been close…you, right now, is not the real you. This is not who are Gilda. Who you are right now is an identity formed through a mental cessation of your growth starting from infancy to mid-adolescence.” 

“He’s going to do it; he’ll tell he failed her.” Rarity passed a hoof down Gold Sky’s hair because through an act of sisterly affection it will give him more courage. 

Gilda shifted her eyes up at Gold Sky. “I don’t understand what you are saying Gold Sky? You sound like you’re lying but it also sounds so truthful.” 

“I am being truthful Gilda. The real you is loving, caring, affectionate…” The list is long so it’s best to simply by saying a strong sentence of ten words. “The daughter becomes the father and the father the daughter.” 

Gilda froze. 

“You are me. The real you. Everything you see as uncharacteristic to yourself is what you are. Underneath this developed identity that has given you a life of fast contentment but chronic discontentment is an identity that I and I mean I have seen develop before my eyes. Gilda do you wish to know why you are so drawn to me?” 

“Tell me.” Everything is getting so confusing now. Identities, growth, development, but the feeling that gets Gilda the most is the feeling of what she thinks of Gold Sky being more then what she sees but more of something that she can feel in her instincts. 

“First let’s go home. Jump.” Gilda, Rarity, and Gold Sky teleported back home. *Sniff sniff* Gold Sky recognizes this present scent. 

“Mother!” Gilda sees her mother sitting on a chair reading what seems like a pamphlet given to her by a doctor.

The griffon looks up at the voice of her daughter. “G-Gilda how nice of you to be ba…you!” She sees Gold Sky. “You got well!” 
Gold Sky does not have time for this. “And you will go to sleep.”

Gilda’s mother fell flat on the couch and went into deep sleep. 
“Huh!?” Gilda went over to check. “First time she nodded off like that.” 

Gold Sky took a long deep breath. The moment to confess his greatest sin has finally come and forgiveness will decide the fate of Gold Sky getting his daughter back into his life or losing his heart living outside of his body. “Gilda, please look at me. This is it.” Gold Sky’s magic made Gilda face him. “Rarity are you here?” 

“Yes I’m here Gold Sky.” She answered.  

“Thank you for being here with me. Gilda I need to clear your mind first… You have guilt in your heart and I know this through what I have seen in you last night. Its displaced guilt that comes when you take a life.” Gold Sky said softly to Gilda. 

“Displaced guilt? Why will the guilt I feel for taking lives be displaced?” Gilda feels some discomfort for the questioning of feeling this guilt but only to the question.

“Because Gilda even though you took their lives you did it for reason.” Gold Sky turned to look at Gilda with his fatherly eyes. “To protect what is right. And do you know what you used to drive you?”

Gilda shook her head. 

“Convection, which is what drove you to do what’s right despite the guilt in a moral mind. But Gilda I’ve seen you kill enemies and you saw me kill too along with ripping Mao apart. I do not feel guilt for taking the enemies lives.”    

“What?” 

“Gilda remember when I said later, well now is later. When I said I killed innocent children I did kill innocent children. I was forced to do so but I killed the first at my own will to protect Ruby. The rest of the children were killed by the Razor a different part of me that do so with ease. After that atrocity I and Ruby left the United Zebra clans…a dragon killed her and once again I became the Razor in order kill the dragon. But little did I know that same dragon was a mama dragon whose eggs just hatched. The three little dragons saw me and thought of me as their mother but the Razor is no mother, I killed the little dragons not out of vengeance but out of mercy since their mother is dead making them prime targets for predators.” *Sigh* “This scar over my belly is not from an operation but from my many suicide attempts to rid myself of the blood of the innocent children I killed. I thought if I kill myself the pain will leave me and I can look forward to the afterlife in the flames of eternal damnation or the light of the heavenly paradise. Speak Gilda, for the pony you see as a father figure tried to take the easy way out even though you see him as somepony strong.” 

Gilda shook her head. “I have nothing to say but can I touch your scar?” 
“Go ahead and feel it. Your guilt that you feel through killing is something that I will never ooohahaha!” Gold Sky’s stopped Gilda. “You’re tickling me. I will never feel the guilt of killing anymore, between you and me Gilda I will kill without question, reason, and inhabitation.” 

“But you’re loving! How can you kill the enemy with extreme prejudice and be so loving to me!” 

“Gilda, when you take the most innocent of lives you become completely immune from any emotions that will otherwise stop you from taking lives. For you and others with morals, to kill, it takes dire ambition or not to kill is relieving apathy but to me is just a simple yes or no decision that I have made many times by killing fascist rebels, pony criminals that tried to harm Octavia, and fascists once again, I am a killer Gilda. Why!? Well I don’t know…you are thinking that taking the lives of innocent children is the worst thing I’ve committed?” 

Gilda nodded. 

Gold Sky blinked slowly. “It isn’t.” Another slow blink. “Gilda, I am reason you are drawn to me. No, please don’t speak. I found you just minutes after you hatched in the destroyed headquarters of the fascist rebels. You were alone, crying, and innocent, I took you into my arms to soothe your cries. I…no more wasting time. Gilda I raised you, with my love and my paternal instinct. You are my daughter and I am your father. Your single father.” 

A weight fell on Gilda’s spirit; her wings went limp just like her jaw dropped. “You can’t, mother raised me, you didn’t find me I was adopted and, and.”

“What you say is partially true but what I said is completely true. Gilda you are loving griffon who loved to be by my side every minute of the day, you loved my affection, you always slept under my wing, and you just and I mean just loved going to the meadows. Gilda I am you true father. Your only father. I know you can’t decide to believe me or not, but tell me this. How did I know you liked sunny side eggs with medium well stag. Last night how did I know when to walk in and comfort you in the right moment. The milkshake, how did I know you like strawberry mango. The affection, I gave it to you in all of the right moments…more important my heartbeat when you moved your head close to my chest did my heartbeat sooth you. Gilda, I love you and during your growth I instilled you with all of my morals and values.” Gold Sky suddenly stopped so Gilda can voice her doubts and her disconcertment. 

“I, you, I can’t, no I don’t know what you’re trying you say Gold Sky! Something inside of me is telling me what you’re saying is true but it can’t because I don’t remember ever having you in my childhood!” Gilda’s right hand covered her head as she tried to connect Gold Sky to the core of her mind. 

“Do you even remember your childhood?” 	

Gilda concentrated to file through each memory of her childhood. 

While Gilda zoned out, Rarity cleared her throat to get Gold Sky’s attention. At getting Gold Sky’s attention she pointed to her forehead in order to communicate telepathically. “Gold Sky when you said that you found Gilda did you mean that or did you say that to cover up the event that you mated with a griffon?”

Gold Sky’s hair shot up and eyes widened. “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!!!? First Rainbow Dash and now you! I DID NOT MATE WITH A GRIFFON!! I DID NOT MATE WITH A GRIFFON! Seriously now you got me thinking that I’m going to be asked that question from now on when I tell anybody that Gilda is my daughter! You of all ponies will ask me that! ” 

Rarity nervously scratched the back of her head and shyly smiled. “I’m sorry Gold Sky, I-I-I-I didn’t mean to assume su-such a thing! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” 

Gold Sky sighed. “It’s okay Rarity, there’s no need to apologize.”

Gilda loudly gasped when her mind couldn’t find anything about her childhood. “I can’t remember my childhood!” She turned to Gold Sky out of a need for calm provisions of information he may have. He is to her a source of guidance like what a father is to his children.  “Tell me why! You must know Gold Sky!” 

Gold Sky flapped his wings to give Gilda a soft cool breeze. “I know you can’t remember me holding you in my arms for the first time. You don’t remember my complete fear when you got sick for the first time and before I found out that my blood can heal, I fearfully rocked you back and forth in my arms praying that you will get well. You don’t remember climbing on top of my chest so you can hear my nice heartbeat every night, I will always be awakened every night when you do that. You don’t remember crying like crazy when a lady griffon picked you up so she can look at you and you reached out for me so I can take you in my arms and you can be safe with daddy.”

“Tell me about that memory, tell me please!” 

“I went to the business district to buy some more stag and you were with me sitting happily on my back while you had your arms wrapped around my neck. A lady saw you and came up me asking if she can hold you because you were so cute, so I gave her permission prompting her to carefully hold you. But the instant she took you began to squirm; she talked to you in some weird baby talk but that didn’t help much you began to cry and reach out for me like you telling me the lady griffon is going to take you away from me. The lady griffon quickly handed you back to me, I took you into my arms to sooth you which of course worked in a matter of seconds, you could never be away from me no matter what.” Gold Sky stopped smiling when he finished telling Gilda the memory. 

Gilda strained herself to find that memory. “I just can’t remember!” 

“Don’t try Gilda because you won’t remember. Of course you don’t remember me slowly going into the crystal clear lake with you on my back sort of like a mama duck carrying her young, you didn’t like the water much so when we went into the water you will stay on my back and just glide you hand over the calm smoothness. More importantly came the period when you enter adolescence…I couldn’t believe that you grew up and I knew you will need me the most.” Gold Sky stopped to hyperventilate for a few seconds. “I remember you sitting on a cloud taking in the passage into this new enlightened era of life. You wandered how life with transverse now that you’re able to see the good and the bad in everything around you. Gilda on the that day you began to show the traits of one leaving behind the traits of a developing griffon and accept the ones of an adult griffon. I wondered if you will be a loose cannon who desires the free will to do anything you wish while shrugging off responsibility in fact I unfairly thought that while I sat next to you on the cloud, I already had my little lectures ready in case you got into trouble but you surprised me. You asked me what you will you do in this new perceptive. I told you that whatever choice you make or plan to do, it can only be done by you and whatever you become in life either be it good or not you can look to me to always be there for you. Because I can be a son and a husband but in the end I am meant to be your father who always love you no matter what. Protect you, guide you, and lift you up…but I failed you Gilda.” Gold Sky’s right hoof covered his heart. The pain he’s experiencing is not exclusive to him alone because he forgot about his connection to Gilda. 

“Ah!” Gilda’s accidently sank her claws into her chest as she grasped her heart. 

“Gilda are you hurt!” Gold Sky’s paternal instinct took over. “Answer me! Oh! Do you have a syringe!? I can give you more of my blood so you can be healed of whatever is hurting you.” 

“Uh Gold Sky.” Rarity had to intervene in Gold Sky’s misunderstanding of the situation. “I don’t think she’s hurt physically but I think the pain you’re experiencing in your heart is the same pain she’s experiencing too but unlike you she is not used to it.” 

Gold Sky calmed his worry down and took Gilda into his arms prompting Gilda to question herself again.  

The Alicorn continued. “As your father or daddy as you loved calling me that, I failed you. On that last day, I made sure we had the best time together, I-I ma-made sure to tell you I love you so many times, I looked you seeing how you grew since the minute you hatched to the last minute you made yourself comfortable under my wing before sleeping. But the thing that gave me the most pain is hearing you tell me that you had the best day of your life and you wished the day never ended…” He let go of her. “I left you behind! I, your weak cowardly father left you behind! Because he couldn’t forgive himself for taking the lives of the innocent children of the rouge clan. I’ve seen visions of their faces while I’m awake! Heard their screams while you slept under my wing. I almost harmed you…I almost harmed you when the visions became too much for me to handle and the Razor wanted to be free. So I had one choice, suppress your memories of me ever being your father, give you a new where you will be taken care of by a this lady griffon and ju-ju-just watch over you with my telepathy and come to you in the most dire of situations.”

Gilda blinked away some forming tears to that confession, if what Gold Sky says is true then he did fail her by leaving her behind however, at the same time how can he make such a decision if she sees how loving he is. “If what you say is true in that you found me minutes after I hatched…then are the griffons who created me?” 

Gold Sky gasped like he’s being hit with a revelation. “Incredible.” He moaned. 

“What?” Gilda asked loudly.

“Even in you new identity, you don’t see you think of your biological parents as being a part you, it’s quite understandable since they were killed while you were still an egg. Gilda I know you are going to resent me for leaving you behind because I couldn’t live with myself if I were to harm you, which I almost did once. Gilda you don’t me believe but with your real mind you will understand everything that will be shown to you. All I ask you now is to forgive me and please just remember all the things we have done over the years of your growth and see the good of things before you get to that last memory." Gold Sky frowned and breathed out a hollow breath through his mouth. 

Gilda can not take anymore of this. She wants to know everything, she wants to feel her real identity that is everything Gold Sky say it is. "Tell me everything...! TELL ME!! TELL ME!!" Gilda ended with the roar of the mighty lion part of herself. 

"Forgive me Gilda, for I have failed you and I am unworthy to have you and love you as my daughter. And even though what others will say, I love you as my flesh and blood." Gold Sky looked up. 

"Somewhere beyond the sea, Somewhere waiting for me, my lover stands on golden sands, and watches the ships that go sailin. Somewhere beyond the sea, She's there watching for me, If I could fly like birds on high, Then straight to her arms, I'd go sailin. It's far beyond the stars, I know beyond a doubt, My heart will lead me there soon..." Gold Sky sings the song that will end the telepathic suppression in Gilda's mind. 

*GASP* Gilda grasped her head as every suppressed memory flashes before her eyes. Everything...from Love, guidance, affection, and the paternal reassurance. 

In a dark void of her mind she lays on the ground while a single ray of light shines down upon her, Gilda looks around at the pitch blackness. There is nothing be seen and the light that is shining down upon her is the only thing to be animate in this dark void. Suddenly she feels something flying pass her, she begins to feel scared to this thing dark being flying around her. "No!" The wind coming from the wings of the dark figure pushes to the ground. Gilda looks up to see the dark figure into the light, the dark figure is no one else but Gold Sky who kindly looks at her and extends his arms so she can see that he is here to love and protect her. 

The dark void of her mind dissolved to the Alicorn before her who continues singing the song she remembered him singing to her when she had a bad dream. 

"Gold Sky..." Gilda moaned with tears in her golden eyes. 
Protector, nurturer, guidance, light...
"Da-da-da...daddy..." 

Gilda reached out to touch the face of her loving father.

The memories and her true nature have been returned to her. 

---

Chapter 54- The Eye of Jupiter.  

Translation for two words only!  Akiciktuŋja- Forgive me. Cúŋkši- Daughter. 

My dearest readers, I apologize for the long wait. But my work schedule got, well, reworked with some extra hours causing me to go two weeks with out writing this chapter! This chapter is supposed to be longer but work kept me from making it, it's original length as I wanted it to be. So due to my new work schedule the next chapter will be shorter, much, much shorter. Most likely 4k to 5k words in length so you will not be kept waiting much like this chapter. Again I apologize for making you wait and thank you for your patience. 

Also Nightmare Moon had some input in this chapter, she wrote the paragraph where Kate takes Rarity to the meeting and Ronald says his little vulgar outburst plus she picked the song that is linked during scene where Gold Sky fights the Griffon and she found this video to visualize the zeppelin explosion in the previous chapter.


The reasons behind the names of the griffons. 

Going by order of appearance. 
Colonel Shaw- Picked this name after Robert Gould Shaw a young brave Colonel who served in the American Civil War and bravely commanded the 54th Regiment Massachusetts infantry regiment.

Conner- Picked this name after Seldon Connor a soldier who reached the rank of Brigadier General in the American Civil War. 

Geoghegan- Named after John Lance "Jack" Geoghegan a soldier who served in the Vietnam War and served under the rank of Lieutenant.

General Sherman- Name after General William Tecumseh Sherman who fought and commanded in the American Civil War and is known to be the first modern general. 

LT. Jun-Park - Named after a close friend of Nightmare Moon. 

Lyca- Nightmare Moon picked that name. 

LT. Colonel Oliver- Wanted a strong character with a...cute name... my first choice was Marty but that sounded too cute and very unconvincing. 

Commander Hamilton- Named after Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury plus founding father.

Staff Sgt. Ramirez - Named after a friend of mine .

Sgt. Rienne - A reference to Saving Private Ryan. 

Cpl. Bashier- Nightmare Moon picked that name. 

Hsin- It means connected to one and being Connor's twin brother just fitted him well. 

Captain Malusi- Nightmare Moon picked that name.

Ronald Madison- The first name is of Ronald Reagan and the last name is of James Madison. ( A founding father and fourth president.)

Kate Martinez - Has the first name the senator Kate Hutchinson  and last name of a governor who's first name escaped me. Nightmare Moon picked this name.    

Major Mendeleev- Name after Dmitri Mendeleev, a Russian chemist who made the first periodic table. 

Jenkins- I thought Jenkins was the name of the sniper from Saving Private Ryan. 

Nathaniel Lafayette- First name is of Nathaniel Greene a general who served in the American Revolution and the last name is of Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette a French general who served under George Washington in the American Revolution. 

Abraham Washington- It's obvious who's these two names belong to. 

Valerie- I picked that name because I like it. 

Mao- Nothing sounds more antagonistic than that name. 

Isao- It's means Honor that went well with a troubled character. 

Dominic- Nightmare Moon picked that name after one of the characters from the fast and furious franchise. 

Esther- Picked that name after because it belonged to a brave Persian queen.  

Percival- Picked that name from Sir Percival, a knight of King Arthur. 

Enouch- Nightmare Moon picked that name.

Keyshawn- Nightmare Moon picked that name.

Hans- Nightmare Moon picked that name.  

The white feather if some of you did not understand was a cruel act perpetrated by heartless women in England during World War 1 (WW1) who gave men who were not fighting white feathers which basically called them cowards. Many of the men who received the feathers were on leave, wounded, shell-shocked, too young, or just afraid to be away from their families.