In the quiet of the morning, Crystal walked out of our bedroom, wrapped in her fuzzy pink robe. She looked over at me with tired eyes. “How long have you been up?” she asked.
“Just before the sun. It was early enough that it seemed silly to go back to bed. I’ve just been working on my stretches.”
She nodded and started rummaging around the kitchen with her magic.
I rose from my spot on the floor and trotted over to nuzzle her. She returned it, though there was still timidity there. Not that I blamed her. It had only been about a week since she’d lived being Dread Knight. “How did you sleep?”
“Better. A lot of the details are starting to get fuzzy. I mean… not fuzzy enough, but it is something. Are you mentally prepared for today?”
“Not particularly, no.” All returning veterans from the war were required to complete a mandatory month of reintegration before even being considered for duty. My time was coming up soon and I’d be finding out today whether I had progressed enough. The most likely outcome was that I had not.
Crystal set a hoof softly on my shoulder. “It is just a milestone, not a final judgment. Are you sure you don’t want me to be there?”
“I do want you to be there, but I’ll be fine. I know you’ll be here tonight. Go to your appointments and we’ll talk all about our days this evening.” I lifted a hoof to touch hers but she flinched away.
“Sorry,” she whispered.
“It’s okay. I understand.”
“I still get mixed up with them being your hooves and my hooves and all that they did. Just…” She leaned in and kissed me softly. “I know your lips are wholly innocent.”
We shared another soft kiss and then she went back to her rummaging. “I need tea. Strong tea,” she muttered as she went about making it.
“You could consider going easier on your responsibilities now that you have a husband home and underhoof.”
Crystal laughed and shook her head. “No, no, I can’t. I can’t shirk them now. Not when we’re about to truly be tested. Perhaps you should shirk yours and come with me? We could use an advisor like you.”
“I’ll think about it,” I said before starting back into my stretches. My wing had initially improved quite steadily under Winterspear’s care… then the progress leveled out. She wasn’t saying it, but I suspected this was as good as it was going to get.
It didn’t take long before our small condo was filled with the pungent scent of some kind of horrifying tea. If it had been any stronger, I would have questioned why the paint had not yet fled the walls.
Still, despite the odor, I was thrilled. One of the things I enjoyed most since arriving home was just watching my wife go through her morning routine. She had her own habits that she followed now. We were still reintegrating as a married couple. When I left, she’d still been a filly in some respects. Now she was all mare.
There was a knock at the door. Crystal called, “Come in, Winterspear, it isn’t locked.”
“Good morning, Crystal, Silent,” Winterspear said as she pushed the door open. Her nose wrinkled at the smell. “Oh, or maybe not. Is it an anise hyssop tea morning?”
Crystal waved a hoof at her. “Just nervous. It is a big day for you and Silent, plus Wallflower and I have our meeting with the general. Then I have Sunset Coffee… Why don’t ponies schedule these things on different days?”
My ear flicked curiously. I was still getting accustomed to my wife’s doings and there were a ton of doings going on. She met with General Winddancer and the elite of Canterlot somewhat regularly.
Parallel to that, her career had truly taken off. Far more than just having a successful couple of niche romance books. One interesting outcome from that was the fact we were apparently wealthy now. Not ‘doing well’ or ‘married to the daughter of a rich pony,’ either.
No, Crystal had made some very savvy business decisions while I was gone and most of them had paid off. Not that I really cared about bits, but it was at least one less worry in our lives.
Winterspear laughed and trotted over to nuzzle Crystal. “Why won’t you listen to Iridescence and hire an assistant? If you had a Raven or Willow—”
I snorted at the name. Both mares turned, glared at me, and then Winterspear went on, “As I was saying, if you had a Raven you could avoid days like this.”
Crystal shook her head. “I’m not a princess. It feels so pretentious.”
“So hire Dot, then it’s just working with family.”
My wife laughed and looked at Winterspear. “Hire Dot, really? She can’t even manage her own schedule.”
“Okay… yeah… point taken. We’re lucky if we can ever get her away from the Memorial Garden or the co-op. You know what I’m saying.” She stabbed a hoof at me. “Hire him.”
Crystal tapped her lip with a hoof. “Yes… yes… That would be great. He’d have to do what I tell him. Respect the chain of command!”
I laid out on my belly. “I refuse. I already answer to enough mares in my life. The mares in this house are under my domain.”
Winterspear’s ear flicked. “Since when?”
“Since I got back.”
“Riiight… alright, smelly, get up, shower, and put your uniform on. We’re going to meet Orchid early and go over your statement.”
My statement? “What?”
“Your statement about what happened with Mindful Soul.”
“I already gave a statement.”
“Yes, now you’ll have to give it orally and… look, just do as you’re told, okay? This will go a lot smoother. Shower, dress, and hurry up. I’ll help Crystal get her dress on in the meantime.”
Crystal tapped Winterspear on the nose. “I’d hire you, but you’re too bossy.”
Winterspear huffed. “I am the oldest; I have domain over all ponies in this house. Let’s get you dressed, too.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Crystal said, levitating her mug behind her as she trotted back into the bedroom.
My nose wrinkled at that. I was a major. They should all listen to me. I pulled myself up and headed to the guest shower. Smelly… She was smelly!
☾
Radiant Orchid and Winterspear stood next to me, smoothing out my mane and making sure my uniform looked perfect. It already did, of course, but for some reason they seemed nervous.
I was, too. This was not where I imagined a medical review would be. We were in a military courtroom. Orchid had said it was just because it was rarely in use so it had been repurposed for this.
That didn’t change the fact that there was a three-pony panel sitting behind the judge’s bench, royal guards at each door, and two tables. Everything was set up just as if this were a court case.
Mindful Soul was sitting at one of the tables, flipping through a file. She had a few more stacked beside her.
A royal guard that looked like a foal to me came over and said, “Major Knight, they’re ready for you.”
Orchid nodded and we made our way to the table opposite Mindful’s. Winterspear stood a bit further back behind us.
The three ponies behind the podium were in uniforms. Uniforms that looked like they’d never seen strife. They represented each of the branches of service: the Royal Guard, the Army, and the Navy.
I looked at the placards that sat in front of them and didn’t recognize a single name. Two colonels and a naval captain, and I didn’t know a single one of them.
The one in the middle, the red-grape-coated Army colonel behind the Merlot placard, looked down at me. “Major Knight, thank you for coming today. As you know, it is a requirement of all returning veterans to complete the designed recovery program, as outlined, before being reintegrated into our services.
“We’ve reviewed your case and feel that your recovery has not progressed to a point where we can recommend you for duty at this time.”
That was no surprise. Orchid had warned me that this outcome was the most likely by far. She’d said to take it gracefully and accept the new plan, which would just be another month in the program. I was fine with that, although I was getting tired of the rigid daily schedule.
“I understand, sir,” I replied, keeping it simple.
The colonel nodded and continued, “In light of your recent extreme failure to comply with your recovery plan and previous indiscretion with following orders outside of military command, we also have concerns that we’ll be unable to ensure your success in our standard plan.”
My ear flicked ever so slightly. They had access to my medical records, which meant they were aware of what happened with Captain Alastair. Of course, those records had been doctored slightly to include an order from the princess, but everything else was there in all its horrid detail.
That fact didn’t sit right with me, though. That incident had nothing to do with my recovery from the war. Who are these ponies to judge me on one mistake? To call back to something when I've changed since then?
Orchid cleared her throat. “Colonel, Major Knight has had an exemplary career since that misstep. His service in the war is without question. There is no evidence of non-compliance other than this one case and I think we can all agree it was an extremely emotional situation far outside of what anypony would consider normal.”
“Be that as it may, he failed to comply. He disobeyed his counselor and used his relationship with his sister to get the outcome he wanted, violating her position—”
Anger flared in my breast. Liar!
Keep your mouth shut, Silent!
“All due respect, sir, he did nothing of the sort,” Winterspear interrupted from behind us. “I am capable of making my own decisions and Dr. Soul’s statement fully supports that I was the one that chose to disobey her orders, not Major Knight. If anything, he was complicit in my actions.”
“I’ve read Dr. Soul’s notes and I’ll remind you of your place, Warrant Officer. You being here is a courtesy. You’re not his case worker. Speak when you’re spoken to. Major Knight clearly has several issues, including one with following orders. If he is to be restored to duty and represent the Equestrian military here at home, we must be certain he will do so based on our criteria.”
Their criteria? What did that mean? What did this fool think we’re going to do? What did he know of soldiers and soldiering?
“As such, Major Knight, it is the decision of this board that you be placed on indefinite medical leave until such a time where your new reintegration team feels you’re suitable for command once again… if such a thing ever occurs.
“Should you fail to comply again, even once, you will receive an immediate medical discharge. Do you understand? Have I made myself clear?”
What was going on? Indefinite leave? Orchid had never even said this was an option. I looked over at her. The shock was clear on her face.
This was an ambush, and we knew how to deal with an ambush. The heat within me surged to the boiling point.
“Major Knight, answer me.”
My nose wrinkled and I took a step towards the panel. “I understand, sir.”
“Good, I wan—”
“I understand that while I and thousands of other ponies were at war, officers like you sat here in your comfortable little chairs and made cute little plans on what to do with ponies like us.”
“Silent…” Orchid whispered.
“Major! You are out of line. You—”
“Hush!” I ordered harshly and the colonel did so, sitting back as I approached him.
“I am glad you’ve had success with your little reintegration plan. At least I assume you have if our fine military keeps letting you do it, but let me make something clear to you, all three of you.”
I set my hooves on the judicial bench they were using to separate themselves from me and rose to my full height. They actually trembled under my stare. Some officers they were. Nothing but a bunch of cowards that dared to sit in judgment of a real warrior.
“You don’t know a thing about suffering and pain. You don’t know anything about reintegration or what it is like to come home injured. Your success is based on nothing.
“You’ve dealt with a trickle of soldiers coming back. How many at a time? Twenty, fifty, a hundred tops? Wonderful. You can take a hoofful of ponies that left the war early and help them get back to their lives if they jump through your hoops.
“Do you realize what is coming, though? I don’t think you do. This war is almost over and you’re going to be dealing with thousands of me. Thousands, all at once. Ponies that were there the whole time. Ponies that have seen horrors you can’t even imagine.
“Are you going to put them all on indefinite leave if they make one mistake? Are you going to discharge the troublemakers? What then? Discharge them all into the populace? You sit here all high and mighty, but you’ve got one major flaw in your strategy, Colonel. Do you understand?” I slammed my hoof on the bench. “Answer me!”
Colonel Merlot’s lip quivered and he stammered, “And what is that?”
I plucked the major pin off my uniform and tossed it into his lap. “I am, at this moment, failing to comply. By your own words, even a minor infraction would lead to an immediate medical discharge.
“I welcome that immediate medical discharge. Congratulations, you now have zero authority over me. I’m not going to see my new reintegration team, I’m not going to wait on them to decide I’m able to represent our proud military in the way you want.
“You’ve just put a combat veteran with serious issues outside of your reach. Well done. Wait until it’s one thousand or two thousand. Perhaps a whole brigade? Good luck, Merlot, you’re going to need it.”
I turned around and found Orchid and Winterspear staring at me in horror. No surprise there. It was time to leave, so I headed towards the door.
“Major Knight! Stop immediately!”
I kept walking.
“Stop! Halt! That’s an order.”
We didn’t have to take orders anymore. Certainly not from pathetic officers like them. As I got near the door, the two guards briefly made eye contact with me.
“Do not let him leave.”
I tensed up, preparing to fight. Nopony was going to stop me from leaving this mockery.
To my relief, the two guards both looked the other way, clearly unwilling to challenge us. We pushed the doors open and walked out into the street.
“Silent! Silent, wait!” Winterspear called as she galloped out behind me. “You can’t do this.”
“Already did,” I replied as my hooves started me in the direction of central Canterlot. Where were we going?
“Orchid is trying to smooth this over, but you can’t just talk to them like that. They’re colonels.”
“Sure I can. They stayed here while I fought, and they presume to judge me and ponies like me. I’m not going to go through their hoops anymore.”
My sister flapped her wings and flew around in front of me. She set a hoof on my chest. “Silent! STOP! You can’t… I mean… you… you need help.”
I nodded. “I do, desperately. I agree completely. They can’t help me, though. They’re a bunch of cowards. Where were they when I was with the Harmony? Where were they when I was at Dreyri River?”
Winterspear just stared, her mouth hanging open.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ve had enough of this. What was I trying to get back to, anyway? I was a guard and they forced me into the army.”
I casually pulled my uniform jacket off and tossed it over her back. “See you later. Tell Orchid not to bother fighting for me. If the military wants me, they can send an officer worthy of my respect to ask. See you at home.”
Without waiting for her reply, I trotted around her and continued on my way. The hair of my coat was still bristling. Impulsive decisions weren’t really my style, but those ponies were wrong. They should be trying to help ponies, not pushing them around like bullies. Tin soldiers with a tiny bit of authority.
Winterspear let me go. I think the shock was proving too much for her. I’m sure the ramifications of what I’d done would hit me hard when the anger passed, but for now, I felt righteous and free.
It was over. My career, my commission, and everything I knew best. Not that it really mattered. I had Crystal Wishes and my family. That was all that counted now. Let those officers twist in the wind when my brothers and sisters in arms returned.
My initially aimless trek eventually led me to a place I’d never visited but had heard much about since my return. It wasn’t far from the palace and to most ponies, it would not be a site to intrude upon lightly. It was a place for ponies like me: the Harmony Memorial Garden.
It was a quiet, unassuming place. A solemn place that had not been designed with Canterlot flair or a goal to impress. The ponies that had been on the committee to plan and maintain it were the spouses and family members of soldiers lost when the Harmony went down.
They had taken the sacred charge most seriously. The whole garden had been laid out in six different beds, each shaped like the petal of a flower. In each individual bed, all the flowers shared a similar color. One bed was purple, another orange, and so on through the spectrum.
The focal point was in the middle. A white marble monolith that stood proudly above the beds, reaching for the heavens. Its square base bore the names of the ponies killed the day the Harmony was destroyed, inscribed forever.
Over time, more names had been added below the originals as others were killed in the war. Eventually, there were too many names for the first base to handle. The monolith had been raised and a second, wider base had been placed below it… then another… and another… Hopefully that would be the last.
I settled onto the ground in front of the monument. If I didn’t belong in the military, then where did I belong? My gaze fell on the monolith, looking through the names. Eventually, I found the one I was searching for: Russet Rook.
“Well, Russet, I doubt you ever imagined ponies like us would end up like me. What now, buddy?”
He didn’t answer. There was nothing but the gentle sound that flowers made when being swayed by the wind. This was an excellent place for a garden. Peaceful, calm, and just the right location to catch some of the breeze.
The whole thing was a tasteful marvel. Had I fallen in battle, I would be proud to have my name here. Fortunately, I hadn’t, but unfortunately, it was starting to seem that it is sometimes harder to survive. Where was the monument for the survivors?
My gaze took in the whole garden as I contemplated that idea. As I did so, my eyes were drawn to an orange, three-story building that stood just beyond the short white fence marking the memorial perimeter. Orange in Canterlot? The elites must have loved that.
It was an intriguing sight. What was a building like this doing in Canterlot and why was it here of all places? An investigation was in order and I’d found no answers here, anyway. My hooves took me closer and a smile crossed my face. “Of course,” I said softly as I read the sign over the door.
I went through the double glass doors of the building and found myself in a comfortable lobby. The walls were painted a soothing light blue, the couches were an inoffensive off-white, and the floor was a rich, dark hardwood.
A round reception desk stood in the center of the room where a young mare stared at me with a surprised look on her face.
I walked over to her. “Hi, I’ve heard you help veterans and their families here.”
She nodded, a little dumb founded. “Y… Yes, sir, Major Knight, sir.”
“Mr. Knight is fine. I’m a veteran, do you think you could help me?”
The mare eagerly nodded. “If we can’t, nopony can, but we can because we never give up. Ever.”
She reached over and picked up a clipboard before setting it in front of me with some paperwork.
“Could you fill this out please, sir? I mean… I know you are you, but, procedure. I’m sure you understand.”
“Of course,” I replied before starting to fill it all out. She just stared at me as I did it. Once I was done, I pushed it back to her.
She smiled. “Welcome to the Flower Foundation, Mr. Knight.”
“Thank you, glad to be here.”