75: I was lost until you came.
I was lost until you came.
Chapter published 19th January 2015
***********************
Royal City of Canterlot - Public Horticultural Park and Gardens
April 1226AC
While spring was very much in bloom, the city air still had a definite chill to it as Lero made his way along a thin path bordered by vibrant, and aromatic, rose bushes. Hands pushed deep into the pockets of his beloved - and by now rather old - olive-green greatcoat, he stopped to smell one of the closest blooms.
Leaning forwards, his battered old satchel hanging from his body, he took the time to move from a bright pink rose, to a nearby vanilla yellow bloom and then onto a peach coloured flower just beyond. Moving slowly from flower to flower, inhaling deeply at each one, he was reminded of a particular perfume that Rarity(1) liked to use on special occasions, though usually mixed with a subtle undercurrent of strawberries and cream.
As he came close to one of the Royal Horticultural Society’s newest creations - a fragrant, dark purple rose recently designated as Rosa Selenicus - he was caught unawares by a single honeybee that buzzed its way out from between the flower’s soft petals, bouncing harmlessly off of the human’s nose before wending its way across the park and off into the city beyond.
Watching the tiny bee fly until he could spy it no more, Lero noticed a group of young fillies and colts - almost all about eight or nine years of age except for a pair of older fillies who must have been somewhere in their early teens - gathered out on the grass. Most of them were clustered around a pile of saddlebags that had been haphazardly thrown in a pile, their collective attention focused on a trio of blank-flanked fillies who were trying - and failing miserably - to put up a large tent. Lero could almost imagine the three of them in matching red capes, declaring their desire for a cutie-mark in camping, whatever that may look like.
“BELLEROPHON!”
Turning at the sound of his name, Lero was just in time to dodge out of the way of a fast moving pegasus colt flapping away furiously at roughly human chest height. While Lero had managed to take himself well out of the danger zone, the frantically fleeing foal had unfortunately not been so sure of the large human’s ability for swiftness and had taken last-minute evasive action... directly into a rose bush.
As Lero reached into the foliage to try to extract the both the young lad and his overstuffed saddlebags - before the youngster either scratched himself to pieces or ended up eating his way out - a pale yellow pegasus mare came running to his side.
“Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry, Sir. He didn’t hit you, did he?”
“No, no. We’re good. He’s just bit scratched up. Here you go. You all good there, kid?”
Placing the colt on the floor by his feet, Lero had to stifle a grin as the mare - obviously the lad’s mother - gave him a good once over, despite the boy’s desperate pleas that he was absolutely fine and that his friends might be able to see and ohhh, Mom, please don't embarrass me.
“Now, Bellerophon, what have I told you?”
“*Mumblemumble*should look where I’m going.”
“Yes, you should always look where you're going. You almost bumped into this nice stallion. Now, say you're sorry.”
“*Mumblemumble*sorry.”
“Not to me... to him.”
“I’m sorry, Mister.”
“Not a problem. No harm done.”
“Very good. Now, do you have everything? Good, off you go then. I’ll see you Sunday night... ahahah, where do you think you're going. Come on, give me a kiss before you go.”
“Mommmm.”
“Don’t you ‘Mommmm’ me. Come on- before I walk you all the way to your friends. And don’t think I won’t, young stallion, I can see them from here.”
**kiss**
Duty dutifully done, the young colt took to the air and shot off towards the group of foals Lero had earlier observed gathered out on the park’s lawn. As he reached his friends every colt in the group, and at least two of the filles, dogpiled the lad into the ground before he’d even had a chance to remove his luggage.
“Again, I’m sorry about that, Sir.”
“Really, wasn’t a problem. Kids will be kids, eh?”
“Yes, I guess they will.”
“Nice kid. Yours, I take it?”
“Yes, yes he is. Um, thank you, Sir.”
“You’re welcome. I’m Lero, by the way. Bellerophon Michaelides.”
“Yes, Sir, I know, Sir.”
“Hey, less of the ‘sir’. Just Lero’s fine.”
Crouching down on his haunches, Lero put himself closer to the young mare’s eye-level. Even with more than a decade in Equestria under his belt he still had a tricky time with ponies’ ages. This mare, she had to be somewhere in her twenties, somewhere around the higher end maybe but definitely younger than each of his wives. She was well exercised though, nowhere near as sleek as Rainbow but lacking most of Fluttershy’s curves. Her mane and tail were cut on the shorter side - giving her a functional, no-nonsense air - and her wings were both well maintained and well-used. This was a mare that worked hard for a living.
“So, whom do I have the pleasure of making the acquaintance of today?”
“Oh, yes. Sorry, Sir. I’m Dandelion, Sir. Dandelion Daydream.”
“Come on, what did I tell you about the ‘Sir’ thing?”
“Yes, Sir... oh nuts!. I mean, err, yes, Master Lero... Sir.”
The human couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Oh well, it was close enough. One of these days he’d get Luna to stop using that darn title in public... the Royal Guard as well... and the Wonderbolts... and any ponies he bumped into at the university... and only god knew who else.
“Seriously, just Lero’s fine. So, your son... odd name for a pony. Got any more like that at home?”
“Oh, err, no, si- Mister Lero. Just him, he’s an only child. I really lucked out with a colt right off the bat. He’s a good lad. Strong too, and fast, like really fast. Just needs to look where he’s going a bit more.”
“Fast, eh? Reckon you might have a junior Wonderbolt on your hooves, then?”
“Quite likely, Sir- oh darnit.“
“Ha. I’ll tell the wife to keep an eye out for him in a few years. He must be quite a handful, especially being a pegasus, flying all over the place. I got two myself, kids that is.”
“Really?”
“Oh yeah. Both unicorns though, not pegasi. Two girls. Oh, they’re quite enough as is, even without wings. One’s almost two years old, but she thinks she’s closer to twelve. Wants to know the hows and whys of everything. Give Twi half a chance and she’d have the poor girl’s entire university career planned out already.”
“And the other one?”
“Oh, she’s still just a little tiddler, just turned six months and already flaring like crazy. Last week she made the entire dining table disappear- we still have no idea where it is. But you should see her- she’s so cute I swear she can give out cuteness proximity heart-attacks at like twenty paces or something. She has to wear these little knitted onesies because she's cold all the time and it’s just so adorable that... ermm. ahem, yeah. Sorry, got a bit carried away.”
“Sounds nice.”
“Yeah. Yeah, it is. So, your boy, how old?”
“He just turned nine last month. He was a plagurrr... he was a surprise baby(2).”
“Oh? Oh. I’m sorry.”
“Oh? No, please, don’t be. He’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I was so lost before he came along. I look back now and it’s like part of me was frozen inside, right here. Now, I don’t know what I’d ever have done without him. He... he just makes my day, every single day.”
**sigh**
“Glad to hear it. Kids are great like that, aren’t they? I never saw myself as being a dad, but now it’d seem odd not to be one. The ultimate life changer.”
“Very true... Sir.”
“Ha, stop that.”
“Of course, Sir.”
“Ha. So, must have kept you on your toes, especially being a surprise and all. How’d your herd take it?”
“Don’t have one.”
“Oh... Sorry.”
“No, it’s all good, just me and him. I was never really what you’d call a pony-person- never very good at getting along or opening up. Never really got into the whole ‘herd’ thing either. To be honest I rarely thought much about anypony but myself until he came along. Having a kid made me grow up, even it it was still me doing most of the kicking and screaming the whole way. Ha. By Luna’s teats, I was such a brat. It wasn’t easy at times, I won’t deny it- but I’ve got him and he’s got me, what else would we need? Oh I know that in another decade or so some pretty little fillies are going to catch his eye and he’ll move on with his life, but I’m ready for it, or at least I’m trying to be. Hey, maybe I’ll be a grand-dam by the time I’m forty. That’d be nice. ”
“Yeah, sounds like fun. So, err, if it’s not too personal a question, do you know who his sire is?(3)”
“No, not really.”
“Not really?”
“At the time, when I first found out I was... I just didn’t want to know. Didn’t want to know much of anything really. The FPS know who he is; they said he was a good stallion- herd and foals of his own. They also said it was just an ‘accident’ and that the guy had no memory of... it happening. Once they came to the conclusion that neither side had taken advantage(4) they left it at that."
“So, has he - your son, I mean - has he ever asked about him?”
“No, never. He might when he’s older, I guess, and if he does then I’m not going to stop him. he’s just never seemed bothered by it. It’s not like he’s ever been left wanting for affection. All my parents adore him and helped out whenever they could, especially both of my dads, so he’s always had plenty of male role models around. The girls at the station adore him, most of them spoil him something rotten when they think I’m not looking. Ha, even our old duty sergeant used to stop being uptight whenever he was around. She used to let him wear her hat and sit next to her at roll call.”
“I’m guessing you're a City Guardsmare, then?“
“Yes, Sir. Auxiliary Support Servicemare, First Class, Community Policing, Canterlot Twelfth Division, Sir”
A yellow forehoof snapped to salute as a pair of rear ankles came together.
“At ease, Miss Daydream.”
“Thank you, Sir. Good return there, very crisp movement.”
“Thanks. I get plenty of practice. You wouldn’t believe the amount of Wonderbolts or Royal Guards that still insist on saluting me whenever we meet.”
“I don’t doubt it, Sir”
“Hey, cut that out. You're doing it on purpose now.”
“No idea what you mean, Sir.”
“Okay, you win. So, the twelfth? Where’s your patch?”
“We’re up on the highest levels, covering everything from the air-cargo docks to Little Griffonia.
“The air docks? **whistles** Tough crowd.”
“That’s true. But, we’re working on it. Give it another year or so and you won't even recognise it.”
“I look forward to it. You know, I take Sweetie, that’s my oldest, up there sometimes, especially when Dashie’s out on tour. I think watching the airships come floating in or the griffons returning to their aeries helps remind her that her mom’s never gone for too long and that she’ll fly herself back home soon enough. It’d be nice if more people got to go up there. Though they think I don’t notice them, there’s always a guard keeping an eye on us up there, just in case.”
“Don’t worry, Sir. We’ll have that place safe as houses soon enough. You can count on us.”
Out on the lawn, the kids had finally managed to get all of their tents pitched and their bags stowed away and now one of the teenagers was trying her best to whip the younger campers into some kind of order. She might as well have been trying to herd cats instead for all the success she was having. After a few minutes the exasperated filly decide to give up on appealing to the kids’ non-existent sense of order, hopped straight over the idea of negotiating, and tried bribery instead. It was super effective.
“You know, I remember you. We met before, years ago.”
“Really, where was that?”
“Holding paddock twenty seven, Sir. It was one of the outdoor corrals set up in the palace gardens. Big canopy over one end, tasty grass underhoof... You’re one of the few things I can remember, from towards the end, once the fog started to fade. You used to come and stand by the fence sometimes, like you were watching over us, like a shepherd with a flock of sheep. You’d have just needed one of those curly stick things and the picture would have been complete. I think you were looking for your wives. You always looked so sad, and a bit lost maybe? I’ll always remember the day you came to collect Captain Dash- it was the first time I’d ever seen you happy. That was the day I started to have actual, proper thoughts again, the day I realised that I was a person, and not just a grass eating machine. Even now, it’s still odd to think about that day. According to the guards, the first thing I did after you took her away was come and ask them who you were... apparently it took me a full hour to actually get the words out. After all that, your name’s the first thing I remember anypony saying to me, the first thing that managed to cut through the cream. For months it just kept on bouncing around my head, through all the good and all the bad that happened later. When my son was born, I knew it was the right name for him. So, thank you for that... thank you for giving my boy a name.”
“I, err. No, thank you for giving it to him. It’s kinda weird, knowing there’s some pony out there named after me... a good weird though. Makes me feel a bit... special.”
“But you are! Special, I mean. I heard about what you did for us during the plague, everypony did. And what you did with the seaponies-”
“-well, that was more of a group effort. I think Miss Doo did more than me really-”
“-and how you got an entire hive of changelings to surrender-”
“-well, no, that was down to Rainbow and the Shadowerrr... err, I mean, they surrendered on their own, it wasn’t me.”
“Either way, lots of ponies look up to you, Master Lero, the girls on the force sure do. Hay, I’ve even heard some of the Griffons in our district speak well of you, which is a surprise as they hardly like anypony.
“That’s... nice?”
“**stage whispers** Sir, word around the guards has it that you managed to stop Princess Luna from laying down a right royal flank-whooping on the Changeling Queen with nothing but a few choice words and only one of your hands. Is that... I mean, is that true?”
“I... errr.. no comment?”
“Of course, Sir. Your secret is safe with me.”
“Oh, I, yes. Hang on a sec, I’ve just thought of something.”
Pulling a pen and one of Rainbow’s autograph photos(5) from beneath all the containers in his satchel, the human scrawled a word onto the back of it, then took the time to ever-so-carefully write a second word underneath that.
Bellerophon
Βελλεροφῶν
Once he was done he handed it over to Dandelion, who accepted it in much the same way that an ancient human named Moses might have accepted some big slabs of rock... very carefully and with their mouth hanging open.
“It’s from Greece, the name, I mean. That’s a country back on my homeworld- my dad was born there. See the bottom one there? That’s how it’s spelt in its original alphabet. This bit at the start- it means, err, dart, arrow, projectile, something that moves really fast through the air in a straight line. This second bit- it means to slauaa... err, to defeat, or prevail, or win, I guess is close enough. Back home it was the name of an ancient hero of myth and legend. He was a human, like me, and he did a lot of heroic things. The thing he was best known for though was... um, befriending a powerful and free-spirited pegasus. Then they fought together, defeated bad guys, had adventures, got turned into a constellation- all that kind of stuff.”
“Really? Wow. Was it a romance story? Did they live happily ever after.”
“Well, they were both guys, but yeah, I figure you could say that it had a happy ending.”
“So romantic. Two bold, brave, masculine warriors- facing the heat of battle together. Sounds kinda hot.“
“Ha, yeah, okay, well... that’s one way of putting it. Oh nuts, look at the time. I better get going. I said I’d meet my wife for lunch. She’s been getting so wrapped up in her work lately that she keeps forgetting to eat. Plus, the university canteen’s okay but nothing beats a big bag full of home cooked food.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to have kept you. Thank you, for your time, and for this- I’m sure Bellerophon will love it.”
“It’s been a pleasure. And if you ever want me to tell him more about where his name comes from, just let me know. The palace guards always seem to know where to find me so just drop a note off with them, it’ll get to me in the end.”
“Okay, I will. But, before you go, could I... would you mind... can I give you a hug?”
“Of course. I’m always up for hugs.”
Rearing up on her hind legs, Dandelion put her forehooves on the human’s shoulders and leaned in for a hug. Despite the lack of fur, he was nice and warm, and the hug made her feel quite... content. Squeezing him tightly, her head against this strange stallion’s neck, she rocked from side to side, just a little, before letting him go and stepping away.
Right before her eyes, the human unfolded himself, legs straightening and pushing him upwards. In less than a second he was towering over her. It made her feel so small, yet reassured at the same time, that he was so big.
Giving her one last smile, and a small wave, Bellerophon Michaelides bid her farewell before turning and walking back out of her life for the second time.
As she watched him turn a corner and disappear from view, she could hear the sound of children playing in the park behind her, the chatter of the birds in the trees, the myriad of distant background noises that gave the fine city of Canterlot its life.
Today was turning out to be a really good day.
1) And by extension any other mare within spraying range. Rainbow Dash had started buying her own fragrances for formal occasions just so that the fashionista would stop ‘marking’ her. Rarity considered this to be a success.
2) ‘Surprise babies’ - or less politely ‘Plague babies’ - was a colloquialism used to describe any unplanned births that occurred roughly eleven months after the blank plague swept through Equestria. While the plague itself suppressed more than 99% of the nation’s reproductive cycle and associated sexual drives, a small number of mares who were on the cusp of entering their heat stage when the affliction hit were still both as fertile and as pheromonal as normal even during their own period of infection. Although the plague was extremely effective at quashing both the intellect and most of the baser instincts of its victims, some instincts are more deeply ingrained than others.
3) While plague recovery paddocks had been segregated to keep males and females separate - especially once it had been noticed that some mares were still fertile - in many cases the damage had already been done by the time an infected mare was brought in for processing. Also, try keeping a pegasus mare who’s in heat - or any downwind pegasus stallion for that matter- trapped in a paddock using only wither-height wooden-fencing and see how effective that is. Nature always finds a way.
4) The Foal Protection Services (FPS) enlisted the services of the best Scryers and Forensic Chronologists that Equestria had to offer to not only identify the sire of each unborn foal, but also to ascertain whether there had been any ‘foul play’, ‘distasteful intentions’ or ‘advantage taking’ involved in each instance of conception. In all but three instances the unions had been categorised as ‘no-fault accidents’ and the details kept in sealed files until such a time as either dam, foal, or sire, requested access to them. The remaining three cases were passed directly to the crown and any ponies found to be at fault were immediately pulled in, questioned and cautioned(4.1).
4.1) By Princess Luna herself, who made it quite plain, and in no uncertain terms,(4.2) that not only were the perpetrators’ actions both deplorable and reprehensible (and that all three mares were extremely lucky that each of the stallions involved had decided not to press charges) but all three should thank every single star in the heavens that it was the Princess of the Night that was handling their cases and not her sister, who would not have been so lenient.
4.2) One of these three mares reported suffering from night terrors for an entire six months after Princess Luna was done ‘talking’ to her. Of the three, she was the lucky one.
5) These were of course so that Rainbow could pass them out to any fans that approached her in the street and not at all carried in her stallion’s satchel for vanity reasons- not even her ego was that big(5.1).
5.1) Most of the time.
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Plauge babies, now that is an interesting implication.
And Derpy gets her shoo bee doo on? Most interesting.
Another great chapter. There is a reason Xeno is one of my top 5 fav series.
An interesting result indeed! Primal instincts don't need much in the way of higher thought, after all...
I came alr- I see what you did there. Stop it.
Repercussions are always interesting to see after the deed is done. At least in this case.
Indeed, nature always finds a way, no matter how anyone tries to go against it.
Funny how Lero had to change the origin story of his name just a tiny bit to not be offensive.
Sounds to me that Dandelion is into Yaoi fic!
5524646 Not be all shameless but...I got a story somewhat like that... The coincidence tickles
Very nice. Lero learning how he's left even more of a legacy than he realized, and sharing the story of the first to hold his name... with a little tweaking for the audience. Also, that allusion to Ditzy as sea pony liaison both delights and intrigues me.
Now that was something, I didn't think this chapter would be a post plague story until Dandelion mentioned the fence. It was a strange chapter though, like it was a normal conversation between two adults who simple meet each other on the street randomly.
5527731 "Naruto-kun!" "Sasuke-teme!" *rampant, lusty hate sex*
What the Hell why did I write this for fuck's sake