• Published 21st Mar 2013
  • 2,049 Views, 388 Comments

Synthesis of the Atheist - BlackRoseRaven



Luna and Scrivener become the targets of a malicious, narcissistic psychopath. 8th story in the 99 Worlds Saga/Blooming Moon Chronicles.

  • ...
34
 388
 2,049

PreviousChapters Next
Tidings Of Joy And Sorrow

Chapter Forty Four: Tidings Of Joy And Sorrow
~BlackRoseRaven

They stayed one last night at Canterlot Castle, most of which was spent at a party in one of the ballrooms, hastily put together by Pinkie Pie. Not that anypony could tell it had been thrown together in roughly an hour: somehow she'd gotten a band together, prepared food and drinks in plenty, and set up decorations in that short space of time... not to mention all the guests she managed to wrangle up by whatever semi-supernatural methods that the bright pink pony had at her disposal.

Sleipnir had delighted in the festivities, striding cheerfully around and making merry, while Pinkamena sat moodily in a corner, sipping punch and watching him like a hawk. Antares tried his best to follow his uncle's example, but he ended up feeling more like his aunt by the end of the night, feeling sore and tired and... well, anxious as all hell.

They were going home, and Antares didn't know how he felt about that. They would be sending up a flare of magic and a distinct pulse that would resonate with the anchor placed here, and that would get Kvasir's attention and let them know both their location and that they were ready to leave. Then it was just a matter of waiting for the portal to activate, and running through it.

And then what? Antares knew that by now, his parents were likely home, and he would be walking up to them... without his wings. And Aunt Tia, Cowlick, Fluttershy, so many others... oh hell, Rosewood's going to kill me. I mean, she really literally might kill me.

No matter how much Meadowlark or anyone else reassured him that no one was going to look down on him or punish him on top of how much he had already been hurt, or reminded him of his accomplishments instead of his failings, he still felt this creeping, unnatural terror of facing his parents. And more and more, he felt not just ashamed of himself, but... like he was less than what he had been before. Facing his fears hadn't brought his wings back, after all: all they had done was help him understand all the clearer... they were gone. They were gone, and that was that.

He didn't sleep, only curled up with Meadowlark, holding her close the entire night: she slept fitfully, like Antares' anxieties had slipped their way into her mind and poisoned her dreams. And the goodbye in the early morning that followed as they departed from Canterlot was tinged with sadness more than anything else: Little Luna hurt to see them go, and Twilight Sparkle looked like she wanted to say so much more, and like she had regrets about all the questions not asked, and the answers not given.

Princess Celestia was kind enough to turn the pieces of the salvaged portal over to them at least, and Sleipnir and Morning Glory had divided this between themselves to carry. They were on the road now, Canterlot falling into the distance behind them, and Antares was letting his worries run rampant through his mind, not concentrating on anything or anyone apart from himself and barely hearing the conversation running around him.

Finally, Avalon flew down and dropped firmly onto his back, and Antares squawked and flinched in pain: his back was still tender as hell. He glared over his shoulder at her, but the tiny Pegasus only glowered back before the stallion did a double take as he asked stupidly: “You're still wearing those?”

Avalon grumbled and flitted back up into the air, adjusting her hat as she muttered: “And that is like the perfect way for me to make my point without even having to say a freaking word. Yeah, I'm still wearing these.” She tugged at the goggles around her neck, then flew down and said quietly: “Dude, you've been quiet. Scary quiet. You barely even said a word when we were saying goodbye and you got that look on your face like you're freaking out about something. So what the hell is going on?”

Antares only shifted uneasily, and Meadowlark hesitated only a moment before adding quietly: “And you didn't sleep last night. I can tell. Antares, we're your friends... we're all here for you. You can tell us what's going on.”

The glossy-black unicorn tried to glance in the other direction, and found Aphrodisia already there, leaning in and saying quietly: “Come on, big brother. You're my best friend, and I'm yours. Avalon is like second closest and I guess since Meadowlark's your marefriend she gets special privileges too. You gotta let us know what's going on.”

Antares mumbled and looked ahead, before Tender Trust spoke up quietly behind him: “When we hurt, Antares, you always tell us to come to you. And we do: we have entrusted you with our secrets, and our pain... do you not trust us with yours?”

The stallion groaned at this, and then he sighed in relief as Morning Glory called from behind them: “This field will be fine!”

Antares turned a little too quickly, but Avalon dropped into his path, and he instead ran headfirst into her: in spite of the fact he was wearing his coronet, he was still the one rattled by their heads banging together, the stallion stumbling stupidly as Avalon only shook herself briskly once, then crossed her forelegs as she hovered at eye level with him and glared balefully. “Listen, dumbass. You're not going anywhere until we get an answer out of you.”

“Guys, stop it. Please stop it.” Antares said pleadingly, and then he tried to slip past, but Aphrodisia scrambled around him before the stallion gritted his teeth and tried to spread his wings... and once again felt that they weren't there as he cursed mentally and shifted uncomfortably instead. “We're not kids anymore!”

“No, we're not.” Meadowlark said softly, reaching a hoof up to touch his shoulder, and Antares slumped and sighed quietly, dropping his head forwards as he flushed a little.

He nodded after a moment, then looked up to watch Sleipnir, Pinkamena, and Morning Glory striding into the empty, grassy field to their right. The adults, he couldn't help but think of them as, because in a lot of ways even now he really did feel like... just a kid. He shook his head out after a moment, laughing faintly before giving a soft sigh and simply saying: “I'm scared of what my Mom and Dad and... everyone else is going to think. And I don't know what I'm more scared of... them being angry, or them pitying me.”

The others looked at him softly, and then Avalon suddenly huffed and glared before punching him in the shoulder, making him wince as she said flatly: “That's stupid. Don't be stupid, Mir, got it?”

Antares stared at her for a moment, as Meadowlark gaped, Tender Trust tilted her head, and Aphrodisia only nodded encouragingly. There was silence as Avalon leaned forwards challengingly, and then the stallion simply sighed and smiled as he looked at her, saying quietly: “Sometimes you really do know just what to say.”

He reached a hoof up, and Avalon slapped her own against his before they punched their hooves firmly together, the tiny Pegasus grinning down at him. “There, that's more like it! I'm a lot more than a pretty face, you know.”

“That's because you're not very pretty at all.” Aphrodisia chirped, and Avalon shot her a baleful look. But before they could argue, Morning Glory flicked her horn firmly upwards, and a bright sphere of light was launched towards the sky before erupting in a marvelous shockwave of neon, multicolored energy, all eyes drawn to this as Aphrodisia's sparkled. “That's pretty!”

“You're... pretty stupid.” Avalon mumbled, but she was staring up with amazement as well as Antares sighed and rolled his eyes, before the tiny Pegasus turned around and sped off towards the others, asking: “So if that's the flare, then like... where's the portal? Don't we gotta run fast for it?”

“Cool down, punk. If you were paying any attention whatsoever instead of napping, you'd know that we need to wait for someone to first see that, then turn the portal ring on for us. Don't be an idiot.” Pinkamena replied dryly, and Avalon glared at her but didn't quite dare make a response, before the gray-pink mare asked moodily: “How many days has it been anyway? Seven, eight?”

“Eight.” Morning Glory confirmed, sitting calmly down and closing her eyes as she shrugged the portal pieces over her back into a comfortable position. Avalon glanced at her, and without looking up, the behemoth said mildly: “Even come near me, little kitten, and I'll give you a tour of the sky.”

“Hey, I already know the sky like the back of my hoof.” Avalon replied sharply, shooting up in front of Morning Glory fearlessly and glaring up at her, and the demon sourly opened one eye before Avalon poked her metallic breast a few times. “And come on. You don't even feel it when I hit you. You're the perfect training dummy, and you're so damn solid I don't think I could knock you over unless I slammed into you full-throttle.”

“I don't think you could so much as budge me an inch even then, hummingbird.” Morning Glory retorted moodily, and Avalon glared and shot up in front of demon's face, opening her mouth... before squeaking instead when one of the Destroyer's chains snapped up and wrapped tightly around her, almost crushing her as the metallic behemoth leaned slowly forwards and said distastefully: “Have a pleasant flight.”

With that, Morning Glory's chain lashed upwards and flung Avalon into the sky, the tiny Pegasus yelling as she rapidly flew out of sight, and Pinkamena sniffed loudly before saying moodily: “You know, I should probably ask you not to do that. It's hilarious and all, but I don't want to deal with Dash whining and crying to me if his baby pumpkin comes back all bruised.”

Morning Glory only grunted meditatively as the others approached, Antares glancing up curiously to see if he could spot Avalon anywhere in the cloudy blue sky. Sleipnir, meanwhile, had tossed the tied-together set of portal parts aside, and was simply laying on his back and cloudgazing with a smile. Aphrodisia pranced over to her father to flop down beside him with a giggle, then a bright look to Tender Trust when the Phooka came over and sat beside them, looking up and asking curiously: “What are we searching for?”

“Gods and spirits, signs of Heaven above and whatever stories nature has whispered to the air, that now carry through the sky in the form of clouds.” Sleipnir said gently, and then he laughed and pointed at one fluffy white nimbus. “Look, there! 'Tis Kǫttr, Aphrodisia, is it not? See how he comes to watch us even now, even in another world?”

Aphrodisia nodded, hugging her father's foreleg and smiling warmly up at the cloud, and Antares and Meadowlark gazed up and smiled a little, as Sleipnir continued: “Aye, 'tis true. We are never truly without our loved ones, nor they without us. For if death were truly the end, then so much life would not spring from one single body when it returns to nature's embrace.”

Antares smiled at this as Tender Trust nodded in agreement, and there was silence for a moment... before the glossy black stallion frowned, ears pricking up as he looked back and forth before asking curiously: “Does anyone else hear that whistling?”

Pinkamena grunted from where she was carving the details into a wooden pony head, while Sleipnir looked up inquisitively... and then Antares blinked in surprise as Morning Glory's facemask suddenly formed over her features, a moment before Avalon slammed into the back of the behemoth demon's neck in a golden blur and bounced off her with a squawk.

The tiny Pegasus hit the ground and rolled several times, looking disbelieving, while Morning Glory moodily looked up as the metal plates over her features clicked and slid apart, dissolving back into her collar. She rolled her head on her shoulders, then grimaced as a single dent popped out on the back of her neck, while Avalon simply wheezed loudly on the ground, still looking dazed.

The Destroyer turned calmly around and strode over to Avalon, resting one enormous hoof on the tiny pony... and then Antares winced as she stepped firmly down, and Avalon yelled in indignation and pain as she was crushed into the ground, flailing one hoof uselessly at the air and left half-buried in the soft soil. Morning Glory smiled at this, then turned away as she said mildly: “You are very fortunate that I respect your bravery, hummingbird. Otherwise I would not be so gentle.”

“I could take you!” Avalon shouted from where she was stuck in the ground, and Morning Glory rolled her eyes and looked sourly over her shoulder.

“There's a fine line between bravery and stupidity. But you, I fear, often travel from the depths of one into the vast reaches of the other.” Morning Glory replied sourly as she strode a few feet away, then sat down and closed her eyes again, resuming silent meditation as Avalon grumbled and tried to pry herself up.

Antares and Meadowlark traded a look, then awkwardly walked over to help the mare up, but she only growled and flailed violently at them, determined to get herself out of the hole she had been jammed into. After almost half an hour, she managed to do so, cursing the entire time as she began to shake dirt out of her mane and feathers and armor, glaring daggers at the behemoth the whole time as Pinkamena only commented: “You think you'd have learned by now. If not from all the times you pissed me off, then all the times Cowlick's shot you.”

“I... Aunt Cowlick isn't... shut up.” Avalon mumbled finally, shrinking her head a bit, and Pinkamena only grinned over at the tiny Pegasus, as she scuffed at her armor and mumbled: “Mom's going to kill me. She always gets really mad when I come back with my armor all beaten to hell. Not to mention the fact somepony broke my helm...”

Antares only smiled lamely, but Sleipnir simply chuckled, remarking kindly: “Aye, but think of how proud thy parents shall be of thee! Of all of us, as a matter of fact, for everything we have accomplished here... and 'tis no better sign than a little dirt that thou hast been working hard and attending with full heart to thy duty.”

Avalon nodded a few times, huffing and brushing at her armor. “Well yeah, I know that. Mom says the same thing after all, never nothin' wrong with a little dirt. But that ain't the problem, the problem is this is a lot of dirt and-”

But before she could finish, there was a rumble, and then a surge of energy sparked through the air nearby, all eyes turning towards this before reality visibly rippled, then shattered violently, the edges of the hole in thin air sparking before forming into a circular portal. For a moment, all the ponies could do was stare at the rippling portal, amazed that it had opened after so short a time before a blurry figure approached the translucent hole in reality.

Cowlick's head shoved through the portal like it was a curtain, the engineer wincing a bit before she snapped: “Hey, idjits! Get your flanks in gear, we don't got all goddamn day!”

All eyes stared at her for a moment, before Cowlick yelped and the portal sparked as she was yanked backwards by someone, and then Morning Glory climbed to her hooves and strode forwards, saying moodily: “Obnoxious, but perhaps the creature has a point all the same.”

The enormous demon passed through the portal, making it spark and ripple before Sleipnir laughed and leapt to his own hooves, slinging the pieces of portal ring over his back as he called cheerfully: “Come, family! Let us return home with glory!”

The titanic stallion charged forwards, and Aphrodisia laughed and bounced after her as Pinkamena rolled her eyes, sweeping up her things and hurrying after her family. Antares laughed, then he and Meadowlark traded looks before Avalon shot past them, almost knocking Tender Trust off her hooves in mid-run towards the portal, the tiny mare calling: “Come on, come on, let's get home and see everyone!”

Antares and Meadowlark ran forwards last, following Tender Trust into the portal and vanishing through it, feeling a spark of pain and electricity sizzle through his body, his muscles flexing and his whole frame shuddering before he tore through the curtain of energy to stagger out the other side and into the familiarity of Cowlick's engineering lab.

He looked up with a warm smile, and he saw them: Scrivener Blooms and Twilight Sparkle and Luna Brynhild, his mother gazing at him with a proud, warm grin... and all the others were here, too! There was so much warmth and happiness as friends and family greeted and welcomed back friends and family, and Antares strode towards his mother as she opened her mouth...

And faltered, as he saw her eyes widen, her features tense and pale, as both Scrivener and Twilight reacted at the same time, his father's mouth falling open, and the Lich rearing back as a tremble ran through her body. Antares stumbled in midstep, his own happiness curdling in his stomach as behind him, there was a spark and a crackle and a flash as the portal became unstable before whirling closed, but over that sound, like a gunshot breaking still air, Luna whispered: “Thy wings.”

Antares felt all eyes turn to him, swallowing thickly as he staggered to a halt in the center of testing hall, dropping his head forwards and half-hiding behind his short bangs as he simply nodded once... and then he shrugged a little before whispering: “Yeah.”

Luna almost tackled him, hugging him tightly up against her body, staring in disbelief as Scrivener and Twilight both ran forwards. They embraced, and Antares clenched his eyes shut, trembling and feeling like a child again, but this time welcoming the sensation. Welcoming the way they drowned everything out even as they stood here in the center of the testing hall, under the eyes of all these ponies...

Soon enough, though, they were in the library. Morning Glory sat to one side calmly with Burning Desire, the fiery stallion looking silently at Antares as Celestia carefully went over the scars on Antares' back, while he told the story of what had happened as calmly as he could. His voice trembled only a little as he talked, but a single trail of tears rolled down one cheek as he went over everything that had happened in the layer, drawing it out as long as he could until he reached the subject he could no longer avoid.

And that, unlike everything else, he summarized in hurried, uneven tones: “We fought. She cut off my wings. I drove her back.”

He looked slowly up, trembling a little... but Luna was only gazing at him silently, and he stared in surprise at the sight of the tears flowing down his mother's cheeks. Scrivener was beside her, a foreleg tightly wrapped around her shoulders, and Twilight was sitting back beside Scarlet Sage and Apple Bloom. He had barely even realized his big sister and her partner were here, but he was glad for their presence, even if he couldn't help but wonder, but feel, but say: “I'm sorry I failed.”

Luna stepped forwards and slapped Antares with the back of one hoof, and the stallion winced to the side, blinking once, his mouth working in shock before the mare grasped the stallion by the face and jerked his head up, glaring into his eyes. “Do not ever say that. Thou art no longer a foal, Antares, and I shan't indulge this nor let thou speak like this. Look at thou, my child, so awfully hurt, and thou insists upon heaping blame upon thyself, acts like... a chastened child who has done an awful thing, when thou art... oh, my son, look upon thee...”

The sapphire mare trembled, then leaned forwards and hugged him fiercely around the neck, and Antares closed his eyes as he hugged her tightly back, burying his face against her neck and flushing silently in shame that at least this time made a little more sense. Luna held him close, her eyes closed, as Scrivener closed his eyes and bowed his head forwards, before Celestia finally said quietly: “They... at least did a very good job with your surgery, Antares. Clean, precise, cauterized with magic. I know it's not much consolation but... you may no longer feel regular pain in your back anymore once these are healed.”

Antares laughed faintly, and there was silence for a moment before Luna leaned back and shook her head slowly, murmuring: “Look at thee. Oh, I pray that this does not run in the family, Antares... 'tis bad enough that thy father is riddled with the signs of battle, I do not wish for every stallion in this family to end up... so hurt...”

She shivered once, her own wings trembling reflexively before the sapphire mare sighed quietly, smiling faintly into her son's eyes. “I feel so... awful for thee, Antares. This is my fault... I had hoped to send thee off to enjoy a good, easy journey in a layer that was meant to be friendly... the idea that such evil had taken root, that... that there would be such dangers, such a foe... it never crossed my mind. Oh, Antares, I am so sorry...”

“It's okay Mom. It's okay. I'm okay.” Antares laughed faintly again, looking down and swallowing a bit before he glanced around at the others, then swallowed once before adding hesitantly: “We... we still manage to complete the-”

“I do not care about the mission or the Clockwork Ponies or any of that! I care about thee!” Luna said forcefully, glaring up at the stallion, and he winced an flushed as he dropped his head before the sapphire mare sighed quietly, smiling faintly over at him. “Damn thee, Antares, my child. What made thee into such a... I do not even know. But look at thee, trying to reassure us that thou still completed the mission to the best of thy ability... aye, 'tis to be honored and I am thankful. But curses to the mission and the journey. Thou and thy friends are much more important than finding information... even if I am... I am so proud of thee, even as I hurt for thee.”

“We all are.” Scrivener said quietly, and Antares trembled a little as he bowed his head and nodded once, closing his eyes with the faintest of smiles. It washed away the last of his worries and his fears as he shifted uneasily, and then the stallion asked softly: “Now come on, kiddo. You're no slave. Why would you think that Luna and I, or Twilight, or even Celestia, are going to punish you?”

“Because he can be really stupid sometimes.” Scarlet Sage said quietly, shaking her head before she walked forwards and embraced him tightly, and Antares only laughed faintly in response, returning the hug after a moment as the siblings rested together, before she sighed and drew back, looking down into his eyes quietly.

He looked back up and nodded to her a bit, and there was silence for a few moments before Antares began to open his mouth, but then winced when Scarlet shoved a hoof against his lips, saying firmly: “No. Nothing more about missions or jobs or work or anything. You... you got really badly hurt, Antares. You need to rest and recover.”

“Psukhikos... got into my head, I'm sorry. I think among everything else she must have stirred up... old thoughts, and... I just keep focusing on...” The stallion shook his head slowly, then he looked around the room and rolled his shoulders quietly as Celestia gently touched his back. “I'm okay. I'm okay, I'm gonna be okay. They were extra, anyway, and... I lost my wings, not my soul.”

He looked down thoughtfully at these words, echoed from a pony he trusted and cared for, before smiling a bit as he glanced up, and Luna sighed but seemed to relax a little as she reached up and rubbed at her eyes, muttering: “Damnation. But... very well, Antares. Only know that every step of the way, we shall be here for thee... and whether thou likes it or not I am going to coddle and cuddle thee until thy back is healed, and then beyond. Then we shall see about... other things.”

She paused, then glanced over at Morning Glory, but the Destroyer remained silent at one side of the library as Burning Desire shifted a little and tossed a nervous look at his sibling. But after a moment, Luna only grunted and returned her eyes to her son, muttering: “I will kill Sleipnir later, though. Right Celestia?”

“You and I both know that Sleipnir will have done his very best. But yes, all the same... we can at least ask him a few questions about... what happened.” Celestia replied quietly, and then she sighed softly as she looked towards Antares, studying the young pony as he shifted uneasily. “How are you feeling now?”

“Okay, I think. I was just... worried you were going to be mad. That I had let everyone down.” Antares said quietly, and when Luna glared at him, he winced backwards a bit as Scrivener sighed, Twilight winced, and Scarlet Sage only glowered in agreement with her mother even as Apple Bloom stepped forwards to soothingly rub a hoof along her partner's back. “I'm sorry!”

“Damnation, that just makes me desire to hit thee again all the more!” Luna grumbled, but then she sighed and slumped instead, mumbling: “But I shan't, for 'twill do nothing. Instead, well... there is much we have discovered ourselves, Antares. Much we have to discuss...”

“Yeah, all of us...” Scarlet Sage murmured, and Antares looked with a curious frown towards his sister, before the silvery Pegasus blushed and quickly shook her head. “But no... maybe now's not the time... I mean...”

“No, no. I'm... I'm okay. I'm really okay and I feel a lot more comfortable even now and just... knowing, seeing you all here...” Antares looked back and forth with a small smile, and his eyes lingered on Twilight for a moment, studying her as he wondered why she was being so quiet, keeping herself visibly a little apart. But he let it go as she gave him a soft look: in it, he saw not just her affection and concern for him, but also a request not to read into her right now. He honored that with a nod, but all the same couldn't help but wonder...

He shook his head a bit, then glanced around and smiled faintly as he realized Meadowlark wasn't here, asking quietly: “Where'd Meadow go? I... she hasn't been gone this whole time, has she?”

“She wanted to give us some privacy, that's all. She'll be back tonight though, Antares, don't worry. I think she just wanted to make sure...” Twilight Sparkle smiled a little, gazing across at him softly. “Well, she knows you better than you think. And that you still try and keep up a strong face for her, even when you don't have to.”

“I... I don't all the time. It's just...” Antares looked lamely away, and then he shook his head before breathing slowly and glancing towards Luna, asking finally: “So what about you guys? It looks like... some things have... changed.”

Antares drew his eyes quietly along his father's foreleg, to where Scrivener was standing on a bandaged hoof, and the charcoal earth pony gave a small smile as Luna looked over her shoulder with a soft sigh, before Twilight quietly strode forwards and sat down in front of Antares. She reached up and hugged him close, and the young stallion hugged her tightly back: he trusted her and loved her as a mother, and her touch, her embrace, helped calm him down even as he felt like he should brace himself for whatever was coming next.

They drew apart, and she reached up and took his shoulders, gazing down into his eyes before she said softly: “Antares, I... I want you to take a breath and listen. I love you, and your Mom and Dad love you, and we always will. And I have good news, even if it's a little scary and the timing's not the best, but...” She stopped, then smiled faintly, and Antares' eyes widened as he understood what she was going to say even before she said it, but the words themselves turned his mind into a blank buzz: “I'm pregnant.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Antares blinked slowly before he asked in disbelief: “You're... you're pregnant, Mom? But... t-that means...”

“It means you're going to have a younger brother or sister, and our family's going to get a little bigger. It means that I'll have to be a little more careful for a while, and I'm going to need the help of the whole family.” Twilight said softly, reaching up and touching Antares' face gently, before the violet mare added soothingly: “Nothing's going to change, okay? You're always going to be my son, and I love you more than I can say. This is a blessing, though, even if it's... it's scary.”

Antares was reeling, blinking slowly as he looked around: Morning Glory was impassive, while Burning Desire was smiling even if he was also clearly envious, and Luna and Scrivener were looking on with pride. Celestia sat back, gazing softly down at Antares, while Scarlet Sage and Apple Bloom...

He stared at these last two: the way they were holding hooves, had drawn back a little, the tender expressions on their faces. The way they weren't just reflecting Twilight's happiness, but had some other inner trigger touched by it, and his mouth went dry before he blurted: “You too?”

Scarlet blushed deep red, and Apple Bloom looked up in dumb surprise before she spluttered: “H-How did you... I mean, not yet, but we were... we were looking into ways to...”

Antares grabbed at his face, wincing as he stared back and forth, while Twilight looked up with a blush and Luna and Scrivener both stared over at their daughter, who smiled through her own embarrassment even as she nodded a few times and gazed at Apple Bloom. “We... we've been talking about it on and off the last two years and... we decided it's time that we... well, we're going to adopt or... have help from a donor...”

“By the gods, thou art going to hire a prostitute to sow one of thee and bear his foal as thine own?” Luna asked incredulously, and Scarlet Sage stared in horror at her mother as Apple Bloom's mouth worked slowly, but thankfully the sapphire mare was cut off from making any further remarks by Scrivener Blooms grabbing her around the face with a wince.

“What your mom means is we're very happy for you, it's just uh... quite a surprise and uh... coincidence and uh... well...” Scrivener fumbled for words, but Twilight was only smiling brightly across at the mare couple, even as Apple Bloom half-tried to hide her face and Scarlet Sage looked torn between happiness and exasperation.

“Oh my god.” Antares muttered finally, grabbing at his face before he turned and strode quickly towards the back stairs, and all eyes turned to follow him with surprise as the stallion strode hurriedly up them to let himself into the guest room, stumbling towards the bed and half-dropping over it to breathe slowly, mind reeling.

Twilight was pregnant. Scarlet Sage and Apple Bloom wanted a baby of their own. Everything was suddenly moving so fast and he didn't even know what to think. He was still just trying to process the fact that he was home, and that his wings were never coming back. He had been holding on to some faint hope, he realized, that either his Aunt Tia or his mother would know something, have some miracle up their sleeve to share with him and make everything better, and instead now he only felt... he only felt...

Jealousy? Bitterness? Anger? Maybe there was a little of all three in there, as well as dumb surprise and confusion and... other childish emotions that he wasn't exactly dealing with very well. He shivered a little, clenching his eyes shut and shaking his head slowly as he breathed hard in and out. No, he was twenty-three years old and an adult and he was going to handle this responsibly and it was a good thing and...

He groaned and slammed his head down into the bed, then winced and looked over his shoulder at the creak of the stairs, before looking up in surprise as he saw Scarlet Sage, the mare smiling faintly at him as she strode forwards and reached up to silently rub a hoof along his spine. She was careful, not even brushing against the scars, and Antares clenched his eyes shut before he whispered: “Shouldn't I be happy? I... I mean, I am happy. I am happy for you and Mom, I just-”

“It's okay to be a little upset right now, Antares. I was a little upset too.” Scarlet Sage said softly, and Antares looked up in surprise before the Pegasus shook her head slowly, laughing quietly as she gazed at him silently. “And when I was young... when Mom and Dad first told me about you... it hit me hard, too. I was happy, but I was scared you were going to be so much better than me and replace me... and maybe you are better than me in some ways, but you never replaced me. And there's plenty of ways that you're more of an idiot than I expected, too.”

Antares laughed a little despite himself, then he smiled faintly up at his big sister as she shook her head slowly. “And look at you. You're going through a rough patch. Of course you're scared-”

“I'm not scared.” Antares protested, but then Scarlet reached up and bopped his nose with a hoof, and he winced a bit as his sister looked down at him pointedly, before he slumped a little as he realized: “Horses of Heaven, I'm not scared. I'm terrified. Twilight's going to have her own child... with Dad. It's hard to wrap my head around that I'll have a... a half-sister or half-brother-”

“No, it's not half, Antares. I mean, okay, biologically, yes, but you don't think of Twilight as a stepmom, do you?” Scarlet said pointedly, and Antares nodded a little after a moment before the Pegasus softened and continued: “Look, this... surprised me, too, and I mean...we're both supposed to be grown-ups, yeah? And now, they're having a new baby? Do you know how much attention babies need, how much time they'll have to spend with it, and how obsessive and protective they're all going to be, over Twilight first, then the child when it's born?”

“Wow you're... you're doing a great job of helping me feel better Scarlet Sage.” Antares mumbled, and the mare sighed before smiling faintly at him as he closed his eyes and slumped. “Maybe I should move into Meadowlark's...”

The mare nudged him gently, then continued as if he hadn't spoken: “Babies need a lot of work. But Antares... you're going to be able to bond with Mom and Dad and... Mom over that. You're going to be able to be there with them, to help and to show that you love and accept this new baby into the family and.... it's going to be a good thing, I promise. It's not going to replace you, even if... yeah, the new sibling will probably be a lot smarter than you are.”

“Oh I hate you.” Antares shoved at Scarlet lightly, but he was smiling a little as he straightened and nodded, looking over at her silently. “So... I... I should be okay with this, is what you're saying? It's not going to... they're not going to...”

“I think you know you should. That you know it's going to be okay.” Scarlet Sage said quietly, and then she softened before reaching up and taking Antares' face gently in her hooves. “And Antares... I love you, little brother. And when Apple Bloom and I... find a way to have our own foal, I want you to be there for him or her. It's gonna be your niece or nephew, after all, and... you'd make a wonderful uncle. Not like Sleipnir, maybe, but.. still, pretty good, I think.”

“I don't know if I'd want to be an uncle like Sleipnir.” Antares said reflectively, but then he smiled a little and nodded after a few moments, gazing quietly over at his sister. “I feel a lot better just hearing you say that though, Scar. I... you and Apple Bloom took care of me a lot. You deserve it, I'm just... selfish, and don't want to be forgotten about.”

“It might surprise you, but I feel the same way sometimes. You get to go off on journeys and live a more active life than I do, after all... you're...” Scarlet Sage shook her head slowly, giving a quiet laugh. “You're closer to our parents than I am, and it's partly my own fault. But it's okay. We're all still family. We all still take care of each other, and we're good to each other. That's all that matters, right? And I trust you, and know that if I need your help with something, you're going to be there for me. Just like with our parents.”

Scarlet Sage quieted, then she added softly: “Look. Family life is hard, and weird sometimes. Especially for us. It was really hard for me to wrap my head around Twilight being... part of the family like she is, and I know you know the only reason it comes so naturally to you is because that's what you grew up with. So I know what it's like to see additions to the family: Twilight, and you, and so now this new baby coming in doesn't phase me as much. Although it's awkward to think about the fact that.. my own baby's uncle or aunt might end up being the same age as it. That makes me think about how weird our family is all over again.”

“Well, Twilight might be mature, but she's... ageless now, I guess, and Luna and Scrivener are... kids.” Antares laughed after a moment, reaching up to touch his own chest before he hesitated as he looked up at Scarlet Sage. “I'm... I'm going to be like them one day, aren't I? And what about you, Scarlet? You're a Blood Seer, so does that mean...”

“I don't know.” Scarlet looked down quietly at her own hoof, smiling faintly before she glanced up at Antares. “Honestly? I think one lifetime might be enough for me, too. I'm not as strong as you guys are, and I don't know if I could stand... living for so many years. I just want this life with Apple Bloom, that's all. I'd be happy enough with that.”

There was quiet for a moment, and then she reached out and nudged him gently. “Come on, little brother. Go back downstairs. You don't have to apologize, but...”

“I know. I know what I should do.” Antares picked himself up, breathing slowly, and then he smiled a little as he turned and embraced Scarlet Sage tightly, and she hugged him back, closing her eyes with a smile. “Thanks, sis. You always know when to be there for me. When to push me. And you're probably the only one who ever does it, too. I... I really appreciate it.”

“It's what big sisters do.” Scarlet Sage murmured softly, and then they slipped apart before the stallion nodded firmly once, then turned and headed for the stairs, striding quietly down them, and the Pegasus followed after a few moments.

Antares returned to the main room of the library, then cleared his throat awkwardly as all eyes glanced up before he strode quickly towards Twilight and reached up to simply hug her tightly. The Lich hugged him fiercely back, and the sense of relief was almost palpable as they hung on to one-another for a moment before pulling slowly apart, Antares looking up and asking quietly: “What can I do to help, Mom? I... I want to help as much as possible.”

“Just being here is wonderful, Antares. That's all I could ever ask for.” Twilight replied with a soft smile, her eyes warm as she reached up and touched his face gently. “I'm so sorry we sprung it on you... I knew we probably should have waited...”

“No, no. It's fine, it's... it's good. I just guess... all the stress and everything got to me.” Antares replied with a faint smile, and then he shook his head slowly before asking apprehensively: “But... I mean, since you're a Lich and all...”

“I've made bodies last for longer than nine months before. I'll just have to be careful.” Twilight replied confidently, nodding once before she glanced over at Luna and Celestia, who were both gazing at her with smiles. “Everyone's promised to help out, though. And I appreciate it, a lot...”

“Hey now, Twilight, it's the least we can do. Everyone was real thrilled to hear it, after all... you deserve this.” Apple Bloom said softly as Scarlet Sage rejoined her, and then the engineer earth pony smiled amusedly over at her partner. “Not that it's gonna stop Cowlick and plenty of others from having a little fun with things now and again though, right?”

“I don't even want to think about that.” Twilight muttered, and Burning Desire chuckled quietly before wincing when Morning Glory smacked him lightly, and the Lich glanced at the two demons after a moment, hesitating before asking finally: “Do either of you know anything about... well... this kind of thing? Celestia says it's so rare that... well...”

Burning Desire opened his mouth with a grin, and Morning Glory hammered a hoof on his head firmly again, making him yelp before the behemoth Destroyer said quietly: “I know only a little, but I've heard of it once before. Not as a natural consequence, though... as part of a ritual. A powerful undead conjuror found a suitor in a strong but controllable demon. She mated with him, using fertility rituals and charms to ensure she would become pregnant after replacing her womb with a... more-suitable one, taken from a still-living victim. The ritual worked and allowed her to give birth to a powerful half-demon child, and she rose that child for some years, then abandoned her shell and transferred her spirit into the child once it was old enough to take care of itself. It gave her power and immortality...”

Morning Glory grinned coldly, and Burning Desire shivered at his sister's expression before muttering: “What my large, terrifying sister is leaving out of that story, of course, is the fact that a child's body is still nothing more than a child's body. The father came for his child one day and snatched her up while she slept. They say her screams of agony could be heard for centuries throughout Helheim... not that I'd know anything about that, being gone as I was.”

“Yes, and I was on the torture racks myself, so the only times I noticed the screaming of others was while the Inquisitors took a rest.” Morning Glory added calmly, then she smiled over at Twilight Sparkle, studying her with interest. “I'm happy for you.”

Twilight blinked in surprise at this simple admission, and even Antares looked stupidly up before Luna asked wryly: “Is that the faintest thump of a maternal heart I hear beneath all the steel, Morning Glory?”

“Yes. Perhaps it is.” Morning Glory said softly, looking down silently, and now Luna shifted uneasily, looking a little ashamed of herself at her own jibe when it wasn't returned with a threat or insult. There was silence for a few moments, and then the Destroyer looked up and said softly: “You have my promise that I shall protect you and this child with my life. You are part of Luna's family after all... and I see clearly that she desires the very best to watch over you. I am the very best.”

“Aye, I agree. Celestia, does thou think we should withdraw into Subterra, or somewhere else, in case of the Replicants attacking? We shall have to play this time on our best defense... I do not know how many times Twilight will be able to run the Bifrost, after all, even if we brought her along in one of the armored carts. 'Twould be unnecessary risk.” Luna said quietly, and then she sighed and looked over at Antares, smiling faintly. “Damnation. Should something serious happen... I shall have to send thee with my siblings, Antares. I do not like being out of the fight.”

Antares blushed a bit, shifting self-consciously before Celestia opened her mouth, but they were surprisingly cut off by Twilight as she said firmly: “I want to stay here. In Ponyville, and in our home, Luna... I... I won't be chased out of our own home. I want our baby born in the safety and comfort of... friends, and family, and where I have so many of my happiest memories...”

She rubbed a hoof slowly over the hardwood floor, and Celestia and Luna traded soft looks and nods before Scrivener approached, limping only slightly before he wrapped a foreleg around the Lich and kissed her cheek quietly. “Anything you want, Twilight. We're here to help you. We're here to do that for you.”

“And we're going to have to talk about a few things, concerning your pregnancy, Twilight Sparkle... I think it's safe enough to say it's fairly high-risk, after all.” Celestia added softly, and the purple winged unicorn blushed and nodded a little before glancing up, and the ivory mare continued as she gazed around the room: “I'm going to need to ask all of you and others for help with this, and other things. We have a lot going on at once, but I'm hoping that we have the tools to start solving problems now, and not just find more questions...

“On that note, maybe we should go over with Antares what we found in the layer we visited. Share information, and move on with business as usual.” Celestia added calmly, and Luna grumbled but nodded as the others looked on attentively, and Antares smiled a bit: Celestia always knew when to push a subject, and when to turn their attention away to something else.

They talked for a good, long while: eventually, they were joined by Sleipnir and Pinkamena, and the enormous earth pony looked both envious and delighted at the fact Twilight was pregnant, hugging her almost tight enough to make the others worry for the violet mare before Pinkamena had grumbled her own congratulations and given a small nod. Meadowlark showed up a few minutes later, to repeat the whole process of awe, amazement, and a little embarrassment: the crimson Pegasus was quick to make her way over to Antares afterwards, however, and check that he was okay... but Antares thought he actually was. Little-by-little, he was adjusting to the idea that... he was going to have a little sibling.

That night, they began to go their separate ways, but Celestia gently called Antares back while his parents went ahead. Scarlet Sage was going home with them for the night: she wanted to make them dinner, and then take a look at her old room before starting the process of... cleaning it out. Something that made Antares hurt a little more than he'd expected it to, but he shook these thoughts away as he approached his aunt quietly.

She sat near the back of the library, gazing down at him softly, and he looked back up before the ivory winged unicorn said quietly: “It's okay to be a little upset, Antares. And I'm not talking about Twilight Sparkle... I'm talking about your wings. You're still trying to move them and flex them, I can see that... you're still giving looks now and then at your back. But what bothers me is that you're also still acting like... somehow, this is your fault.”

“Isn't it?” Antares looked up with a small smile, glancing silently over at the crescent scars to either side of his spine before he sighed softly. “I got in a fight with something much more powerful and a lot meaner than me. She cut my wings off. My wings that were a gift to me... they were from Nightmare Moon, sure, but Nightmare Moon is part of my mother, and I was... I was a unicorn with wings. Not a winged unicorn, but still, a unicorn gifted with wings. I loved to fly. They were a part of everyday life, even if they hurt... and I lost them, because I was paralyzed with fear and pain, and she cut them off like they were loose strings. If I hadn't panicked... hadn't let the pain get to me... I could have escaped, or maybe even saved my wings.”

“Psukhikos.” Celestia said softly, identifying the Clockwork Pony that Antares was trying to avoid the name of, and the stallion shivered as he looked away before the ivory mare nodded slowly and smiled faintly. “Oh, I see now. No... it's not just about your wings, is it? You were... you are... afraid of her. Antares, that's not a bad thing-”

“It is. It's shameful.” Antares muttered, looking away, and Celestia laughed quietly and shook her head slowly, and the stallion shifted uneasily before he clenched his eyes shut. “I was weak and stupid, and she... she hurt me. But even when we were strong, she hurt us all so bad... she can fight against an army or one-on-one and I have no idea how to beat her. She took away... she could take away everything from me. And yet at the same time she's just a coward... I... I don't understand...”

“Those in power... those who have the most authority and strength... what compels us to take up those positions and weapons is often fear. Fear of what others will do to us if we don't, fear of what others have done to us. And there's nothing wrong with being afraid, but... Psukhikos was clearly warped by that.” Celestia stopped, then closed her eyes and said softly: “All these Clockwork Replicants, these... cuckoos, as your father calls them. They're all broken souls, Antares. They're powerful, yes. They have hurt us badly, and they are going to hurt us more in the future. But they shouldn't be feared, Antares. They're the products of what fear does to a pony: fear of pain and suffering, fear of those more powerful than themselves, fear of not being complete.”

Antares was silent, looking up slowly, and their eyes met before Celestia said softly: “And none of us are going to send you in to fight against them alone, any more than any of us are going to hold it against you that you were hurt in combat with one so badly. I was seriously injured as well. I wouldn't be standing here right now if it weren't for Discombobulation. Now go home, spend some time with your family, and sleep. When you wake up tomorrow, you're going to feel a lot better.”

The glossy-black unicorn nodded hesitantly, and then he turned away and strode to the door of the library. He halted, then finally glanced back and asked almost impulsively: “What do you think of Twilight having a baby?”

“I'm very jealous, more than a little worried, and I'm going to be watching Luna and Scrivener like Frigg used to watch Odin for the next while, which already has my little sister trembling in her hooves.” Celestia smiled slightly, then she closed her eyes and added softly: “But I'm happy, too. Your mother loves them, and they love her. I think it's going to work out fine, selfishness aside.”

Antares nodded after a moment, then he smiled a little and murmured a goodbye before turning and pushing through the door. Celestia watched him go, and then she glanced to the side and said softly: “You can come out now. But you don't have to be ashamed... everything I said to him is true for you, too, Bob.”

“Oh, I'm not ashamed of myself in the slightest. I just don't want ponies crying all over me. You'd think when Twilight Sparkle saw me last I'd lost my other arm.” Discombobulation's voice remarked mildly, and then the Draconequus himself slipped out of the corridor, rubbing slowly at an old wooden prosthetic limb, grimacing a bit as he added moodily: “Although I have to admit I'm having second thoughts about that wonderful idea of mine that saved your life, Tia. Granted, I'd prefer to save you than a metal hand-”

“I'd imagine it would be more uncomfortable than what I could do for you, yes.” Celestia replied with a slight smile, glancing over at the chaos entity, and Discombobulation turned red as he cleared his throat and awkwardly made a tugging motion at an invisible collar. “Although you do tell me sometimes I have a very firm grip.”

“You're dirty. Dirty dirty dirty.” Discombobulation said dryly, and then he huffed a bit before biting his tongue in concentration, his wooden arm lethargically rising and the fingers splaying open so he could carefully push his palm against the mare's cheek. “But I have to admit that's probably true. Even if you also probably meant it in a very gross way. Weren't you a princess, and a baroness once?”

“I still am a baroness. In fact, I have to meet with the steward tomorrow, I believe... the council tells me I've been shirking my duties.” Celestia smiled slightly after a moment, adding softly as she pressed her face against his wooden palm: “It feels good.”

“How can hearing something feel good? Well, then again, sound is vibration. So words are like little vibrators going into your ears and tickling your eardrums. Aural sex: once you go black, you go deaf.” Discombobulation said mildly, and Celestia laughed and shook her head slowly before the Draconequus paused and glanced up thoughtfully. “How is it in some worlds people get millions for bad jokes like that, but in places like this all my cleverness just gets rocks thrown at me?”

“You earned more than rocks, Bob. You have me, too.” Celestia said softly, and Discombobulation blushed before the mare leaned up, and he leaned down, the two sharing a short, gentle kiss for a moment before parting, and Celestia hesitated... then smiled up at him quietly and said: “Come on. Help me put on tea.”

Discombobulation tilted his head curiously at this, then he grumbled at his slowly-moving wooden arm before grabbing it and yanking it down to his side, muttering: “I feel like I've gone from T3 back to 56K modem. On that note, let's stuff some fiber-optic cabling into my arm, I bet that would help. Then again, chaos likes to work only when it likes to work. Like printers.”

He paused, huffed as Celestia only smiled at him and strode down the corridor, and then he hurried after her and asked mildly: “And why precisely do both of us need to be there to make the tea? Isn't tea something easily made on its own? As a letter it stands on its own just fine.”

“I want to make sure you don't run off on me again, that's all. I know you're tempted to from time-to-time, but right now... I want to have a cup of tea with you, and just talk.” Celestia said softly, and Discombobulation shuffled a little, but he could barely repress a smile as the mare gazed over her shoulder at him fondly. “You mean a lot to me.”

“You know, those words are often used in all kinds of sitcoms. Then the FBI agent turns out to be working for the serial killer and shoots his fiancee's boss before she's forced to kill him. And then next season she's gone from nice naïve little girl to shooting every other suspect every other episode.” Discombobulation remarked, and then he paused and rubbed thoughtfully at the underside of his muzzle. “Of course, Tia, that's probably a little less than you'd shoot if you had a gun.”

“I'm no fan of guns and weapons of the modern age, Discombobulation... they seem to be used less as equalizers and more often to shoot the enemy in the back.” Celestia said softly, and she smiled over her shoulder as her horn glowed, easily moving the still-half-full kettle into position, opening a cupboard, and removing two mugs to drop on the counter all at once. “But I never liked bows for much the same reason.”

Discombobulation smiled slightly as he reached up into the open cupboard, pulling out a metal tin as he remarked: “But there's nothing wrong with the fact you can cast a Level 3 Apocalypse, and destroy everything around you in a hail of meteors and fire. That's perfectly fair.”

“Skill in magic is earned and comes from the strength of our spirit. Besides, I rarely do that, Discombobulation. I usually save my magic for opponents who require or deserve it. Tyrfing can get my point across well enough by itself.” Celestia said calmly, and Discombobulation chuckled at this and gave the mare an entertained look.

Teabags were tossed into the mugs, everything was set back in order, and then Celestia and Discombobulation only stood in front of the counter in the neat little kitchen. There was silence, but it was comfortable as the Draconequus rubbed every so often at his wooden arm, tossing almost shy looks at the mare as she gazed over at him fondly, not hiding her affection.

Finally, the kettle whistled, and Celestia poured the tea, and they stood to let it steep. Then Discombobulation cleared his throat as he turned towards her, shifting once before saying finally: “Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives.”

Celestia smiled a little at this, and the Draconequus rubbed slowly at his wooden arm and muttered: “Great. That went well, uh... wait, I'm thinking of another quote here, I've got something better, just give me a moment...”

The mare strode forwards, then stood up on her hind hooves: one front hoof gently settled on the counter, while the other pressed into the Draconequus' chest, and he looked up at her before she leaned forwards and kissed him slowly. He returned the kiss, silently reaching his hand up to stroke slowly through her flowing mane, before their lips parted and he looked dumbly into her amethyst eyes as she smiled at him softly. “Sometimes all you have to say, Bob... is that.”

“Uh... yup.” Bob said finally, and then he slowly looked over at the tea, saying awkwardly: “That's... Tia is steeped. I mean, the tea is steeped, the tea is steeped!”

Celestia only smiled slightly, then she leaned forwards and pushed against him again, and the Draconequus shortly found with ironic amusement that he had spoken true after all. And the tea was soon forgotten on the counter, but everything else that had been shared between the two was recalled in the moments that followed, as they shared once more what they hadn't for years, and renewed with it their trust in one another: not just physical, but the emotional and the mental, the promise that they would always be there... for each other.

Author's Note:

Chapter Theme:
the everpresent melancholy - Storybook Elegy

PreviousChapters Next