It's Times Like This... :Ch 1

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IN this instillation of the Corpus Saga, we find ourselves with Corpus traveling across the landscape in a search for his dearest friend -and our favorite Princess- Luna.
IN this story we will all find out what truly makes this Sith Lord tick... We will delve into his past, How he gained his mutations... And some of his life back on Kesh and later Taris... The fall of his empire... and many more shall be revealed about him in this book.

We will also see the depths of corruption that hold onto the minds of the weak... And how a monster; one long thought dead and buried... Can be the reason behind all the chaos in this time of war...

If you have not Read "Luna's Dark Knight..." then I would strongly advise that you do... You will be utterly lost without the former's context as to what the hell's going on.

Chapter 1: It's times like these...

Corpus and Jazz were having a field day, Jazz was using some blades that he and Corpus had strapped to his wings while Corpus was actively hacking and slashing with two of his sabers.

Having healed his friend and comrade back at the cave before hand, Jazz was forced to use his remaining legs to get around, though it did not prove to be much of a hindrance as he was able to use his wings as a sort of crutch while fighting.

Around the two psychopathic fighters lay the dead and burnt bodies of several dozen Gryphons, many of which were missing limbs and other extremities. Jazz was sweating up a storm as he moved at blinding speeds, hooves impacting upon heads and chests as he danced his wings in and out of blocks and parries as he weaved in between defenses and struck at the unprotected midsections of his foes.

But, even for all his quick movements, Jazz was not unharmed, his chest was bleeding slightly from a lucky thrust, his sides were covered in cuts and spots of missing fur. His wings were missing feathers in many places, lucky for him none of the missing ones were flight disabling.

Corpus just blew right through them like so much flimsy! None of their weapons or armor were enchanted and proved to be of little challenge to the master swordsman as he carved his way through his enemies. But, even so, his body was covered in thousands of cuts and small gashes. Fighting twenty-five to one will still get you injured, even if you are a master swordsman. Thankfully, for Corpus, the force was able to stop the bleeding from more than enough of the wounds to keep him from keeling over from blood loss.

Across the city, hundreds of similar fights were taking place, but with much more even odds as Corpus' forces took everything inside by surprise.

Perspective Corpus

"Jazz, left!" I yelled as I latched onto his extended hoof and yanked him toward me, having dropped my saber in favor of saving his life as I lunged in his direction with my other saber. Lunging over his body I buried my blazing weapon in the offending gryphons chest, just as Jazz took out a gryphon that had been ready to pounce on me when I had moved Jazz.

His wing had slit the Schutta's neck. As our respective kills fell to the ground, we sighed, having cleared the area of all threats. We then looked at the small shed to our right, where we had ushered a few of the citizens of the town to in a hurry to hide them from the gryphons as we fought.

"Thou can come out now... They have been dealt with... Just shield thine youngling's eyes..." I asked as I tried to clear away as many of the bodies as I could, using the force to hasten my goal. There were a few kids with the two adults we had ushered in, and I did not want their innocence destroyed this badly...

"Thank you.. thank you so much..." The elder of the group said as he bowed to me several times, trying to be as polite as possible to the one that had just saved his families life. The old stallion then ushered his family out and they gathered around us. Jazz smiling as the kids coos and awes at his stunning appearance, being dressed like a rogue from an old holo-vid back home.

"Let us go! Jazz bring up the rear, everypony else... Keep between us, we shall protect thee with our lives!" I assured, leading us off toward a designated meeting point I had set up with Talon and the others of our group.

Ducati and the others were currently on the other side of town taking down a small group of stragglers. making sure they paid for their crimes here... For all the desolation they had wrought upon these innocent ponies and their families.

Ebba was also leading a group of infiltrators to the CO of this ragtag company. They had told me that they were going to take the head of the snake... Something that I thought was rather poetic in a sense, seeing as it was going to be done by those that they had once called comrade.
Now, hiding inside a building, Jazz, and I were keeping watch for any patrols. This was all because the Gryphon forces had noticed that some of their men were going missing... You pretty much know who was the cause of this. But what surprised us was how fast they had reacted to our presence here.

We were only in the town for an hour before they started beefing up security, sending our armored units and more heavily armed soldiers to contend with the unknown threat to their hold here.

"Friend Jazz, take the right... We shall move left, there are five of them getting ready to round that corner. Be on guard to deal with them when thou sees the signal." I calmly tell him has I thumb the case of my saber hilt in my hand. I was getting rather antsy to get out of here. The rain and the mud were beginning to dampen my mood severely.

"Aye Friend... I shall see what can be done... Take care my friend!" Jazz exclaimed as he clapped me over the shoulder with a hoof, wishing me luck as he took to the shadows across the street.

Motioning for our charges to hold here I went over to the door and began to walk out, timing my approach with theirs.
The instant I got to the center of the street, they had rounded the corner. Looking right at me, they were still registering my presence when I ignited my blade. I then pulled back and threw it, hurling it like a Frisbee as I used the force to guide it towards its first victim of this skirmish.
The red blade flashed quickly across the short expanse and embedded itself in the lead gryphons chest, killing him as the rest looked on in horror. Jazz then sprung from cover and bowled over the back two, flaying several areas of their bodies as he began to tear into them. I then captured the other two in the force and hurled them into piles of rubble, where they were skewered on many bits of wood and jagged rock.
As Jazz got up from his double kill, he was covered in arterial spray and a few bits of gore. He then tried to shake off some of the... Bloodier bits as he did not like wearing his kills.

"Thou hast a bit... Here..." I motioned to his neck, where a bit of flesh was sticking to him. His eyes went as wide as saucers as he began to shake like a dog trying to get it off.

"Thou hast relieved thy body of the gore Friend, now let us gather our charges and leave... Talon and Ducati are most like to be livid with our tardiness..."

"And we care why?" Jazz asked evenly.

"...Validation...?"

"...'"

"Yeah let us leave..." I said as I sweat dropped at his stare.

We had quickly gotten to the rendezvous point, meeting up with a slightly impatient Talon and a relieved Ducati. Ebba was also waiting there for us, though her forces had increased by half a dozen. Taking note of my stare, I motioned for her to explain.

"They are defectors Mi'lord. But I will leave their fate to thee." She said as she motioned them forward, bowing as she stepped out of my up to them I placed a hand on each of their heads, searching their feelings individually with the force as I did so.

The first one showed that he was earnest in his want to join us, his disgust at what his own people could do was a great sickness that he wanted to clear form his race. He also showed great admiration towards Ebba and Talon, having talked with them while waiting for me. He had also shown a great deal of interest in trying to talk with the ponies that had been present till now. Even though he could not, as of yet, understand their language.

The next was of the same mind, though he showed a slight disdain for talon and a few of the other gryphons here, all females. But he showed that he could push past his feelings on them to work towards clearing his race of its disease. Clearing him as well, but keeping an eye on him nonetheless, I turned to the next one.

Placing my hand on his head, he flinched. I then Gripped his head, not letting him pull away a second time. Delving into his feelings, all i could feel was unease, fear, and loathing rolling off him, along with a hint of deception. He hated almost everyone here, save for the first gryphon I had scanned... Which was interesting, feeling the bond of brothers that they shared... It made everything clear. so, seeing that he might betray us, save for only not wanting to betray his older brother, I placed a mental command in his head, one that would forever bind him to his brother and his ideals...

Shrugging off the slight exhaustion I felt from all the force i used recently. I then smiled at the three i had tested so far, a small shiver shooting down their spines at my predatory smile. I then moved onto the last two, both shivering slightly at the fact that I was getting closer to them.
The instant I placed my hand on the next one, his comrade leaped up and tried to gore me with his claws across my face... He never made it as I unleashed my distaste upon him, making him burst into flames with nothing but the force and my overwhelming hatred for such deceptions. The other one crowed in fear as he tried to get away, all his and his fellows planes coming to light as I then deftly snapped his neck.

Everyone around me were slightly terrified by my easy dispatch of the two threats, save for Ducati and those like him that knew me. Ebba had to suppress a shiver as she saw me incinerate one and then break another of her kind across what was becoming a staple for my ending traitors lives.

"Let it be known, We dost despise traitors with a passion... We have had to many good friends and family killed by the weakness of those who hold life in such low capacities... Let this be a warning to the rest of YOU." I waved a hand across the gathered forces arrayed before me, everyone giving a hurried, and shaky, nod of affirmation as I began to lead us away from the town.

From what I could count around us, we had rescued over a hundred survivors from the town, which we had learned was called Matella. It had been a farming town before the gryphons had come and torched the fields and ransacked the town for its supplies and any spare materials. The town also used to have an outpost just five miles off the road... It must have been that large pile of smoldering wood we had come across as we headed into town.

"Commander... Which way are we going?" Ducati asked as he and Talon paced back and forth, both of whom had been arguing to me which way was better, unknowingly arguing for the same rout. But I was not going to hear it, I was too busy meditating on our next course of action to rally care what the two had to say. The force was our guide now, being as we were stuck in a very thick part of the forest. Our view of the surrounding area was limited to the immediate area around us... Which was only a good ten feet from the farthest person in the group.
Right now the force though was being rather uncooperative with me... Swirling about in a storm of choices... all of them not being the right one, save the one that the force believed would save us...AND THE KRIFFING THING WASN'T TELLING ME! It was damn kriffing annoying! I could tell how many life forms there were, what they were doing, who was where, and what the current speed of a swallow carrying a coconut was while flying... Where did that come from? Never mind, but this was what I was having to deal with... Not exactly the best of meditations so far...

"WOULD THOU ALL SHUT THE KRIFF UP THY BUNCH OF INCONSIDERATE IMBECILES!"I screamed at them, making them blanch at my sudden outburst. Huffing up a storm I tried to calm my already frayed nerves, having been through all this bullshit for the last few weeks was finally catching up with me... and having not slept for the last four days was also taking its tole...

"Sorry Corpus..."

"Sorry Mi'lord..."

The two of them muttered together as they tried to show they meant their apologizes.

"Tis fine... Just think of thy actions first..." I nodded to them, keeping my voice even as I spoke to them. Both Talon and Ducati went and sat down for the time being.

huffing in slight exasperation, I went and got back to my meditating, trying to feel out what the force had in store for us was not an easy task. The swirling energy around me was basically telling me that all was here... Which was strange seeing as we needed to get away from here soon if we were to go unseen for much longer...

"Ebba... What dost thou wish to ask us... Thou seems... Shaken?" I asked the, now slightly stunned, Griff that had found her way to my side. She looked at me with an even expression as she tried to compose her words to me.

"I am just trying to figure thy person out Corpus... Thou art an enigma to the mind..."Ebba said as I begrudgingly ended my meditation. Tuning to her I Just stared at her for a moment as I gathered my thoughts on her words.

"Hmm... If thou art afraid that we should turn on thee, then fear not, for thou hast been a friend to us in trying times. Those that wish to harm thee and our other fellows in this camp art the ones that should fear us Ebba, for we dost naught take kindly to interlopers and the such." I said as I leaned laid back on the soggy earth, letting the rain fall across my face... It helped to still my whirling mind. With everything that had happened... It was a miracle that we had all made it out alive... But here we all were, me, laying on the round... Talking with one of the ones we had helped escape, a griff no less.

Sighing, Ebba shook her head in feigned annoyance as she came and sat down next to me. Her feathered and furred body resting up against my side as she lay there. Her head, resting upon my shoulder as her wing stretched across my upper chest, shielding me from some of the rain as it pelted her water resistant feathers. Adjusting myself to her presence with me on the ground, I began to think of my one and only true friend... Luna... As she was now most likely thinking that we had all gone and died on her...

'What a surprise it is going to be when I show up and pronounce myself alive... Then again... I do have this force forsaken tail wrapped around my waist... and this damned tongue... Though the tongue stays, I always liked the tongue...' I mused to myself as I stared up at the grey clouds that rolled across the sky.

'Wonder how she would treat the rest of the gryphons with us though... Granted it wasn't her or Celestia's fault that Aurora was hurt... Eh, I'm sure she will be fine, maybe...' I chuckled silently as I moved my hand to behind my head, using them as a cushion.
Laying there, thinking of wall that could, would, and had happen, I did not notice until it was too late that there were life signs approaching us. And by the force were they a sight for sore eyes...

Leaping up from my position on the ground, cradling Ebba in my arms, I stared wide eyed at the seven armored ponies standing before me. Each one begot the heraldry of the 3rd... Grace's battalion... Seeing me there, and almost instantly recognizing me, three of them knelt before me.

"Lord Corpus!" They shouted as they prostrated themselves before me.

"Rise! Rise our friends! Rise and come hither!" I shouted with glee as I gently set Ebba on the ground. The three quickly came forward as I knelt down to their level and quickly embraced them.

"Knight-liege! We had thought we had lost thee and the rest... How dost the Commander fair mi'lord!? Is she well? And what of the others!?" Their questions came in rapid succession, leaving only moments for me to even understand them before I could even get a word out.
"Calm, calm thyselves... The commander is not well my fellows... She is traumatized by what some of her captors had done... The rest of us are here... But not many even made it out. We lost about seven of our group in the dungeons there... But we dost have good news for thee." They all, minus Ebba, were shocked at such after hearing all that had befallen us. "Aye, if thou hast seen the smoke to the south, then thou shalt know that it was once a city... WE destroyed the enemy there, and brought with us survivors of the populace there!" I screamed with abject joy, bear hugging the three gobsmacked little ponies as they squealed with fright and ecstasy.

"Knight-liege... Thou art saying... That thou hast rescued those that were trapped in Matella?" One of the other scouts blurted out as they came closer.

"Aye! Twas nothing but a slow trek through town as we did away with the pests there in. Our allies and friends alike were of great help though, having ended the Commanders life there with a successful assassination attempt." I stated proudly. Letting go of my comrades I went over and placed a comforting hand on Ebba's head, directing their undivided attention to my acquaintance.

"Sir!" The other four of the group, the ones not originally of my battalion, rushed forward, meeting us halfway. Meanwhile, the first three just stood and waited for me to handle the situation, and their hyperactive comrades. They had seen me handle gryhpons before, and knew I was in no danger if I was being so friendly with this one. "get behind us sire! We shalt deal with this interloper!" The lead pony remarked, his eyes flashing in fear as he looked at the -larger than he- gryphon.

"Nay Soldier, there is naught a thing we should fear from this one, her name is Ebba, and she was once a prisoner like us, we rescued her, and many others, when we left. She tis also the one that led the assassination team on the enemy leader, infiltrating his ranks and getting close enough to slit his throat, along with his retinue!" I barked out a proud laugh as I looked down at the obviously blushing Griff.

"Thou dost over state our skills Friend Corpus! Tis what was just, that twas all I did!" She cawed at me, embarrassment evident in her voice to even the newcomers in front of us. after a few moments the silence that followed became almost awkward.
"Soldiers..." I suddenly asked, snapping them out of their trance.

"Aye Mi'lord?"

"We dost have pregnant and wounded with us... Dost thou know where the closest camps art? For some art read to birth their young any day now... Even if they are eggs." In saying this, we tried to alert the men that we would be taking care of very fragile little packages should we have to stop for too long, thankfully they understood this predicament when their eyes grew to the size of saucers and the four began to panic, while the other three schooled their expressions and came forward.

"Corpus, there is a camp nearby... and it contains a surprise for thee when we get there... Tis only but a couple days trek from here... Though, we must ask, how many art with thee now?"

"Hmm... We would have to estimate somewhere in the low hundreds... lets see... Us, grace, Ducati, Jazz, Lone, Rose, Roid, Grace's reduced retinue -four stallions and a mare-, twenty Griffs; seven of whom art pregnant, seven gryphs and then there art the five dozen civilians we hast with us now... Soooo, around a hundred or so being art with us now..." Letting my sentence trail off I smiled at their awestruck expressions as I chuckled at their antics.

"That is truly impressive Mi'lord! If thou would find it agreeable, would thou show us to thy camp? It hast been long since we saw the Sergeant..." The lead pony, a mare with a tan coat and brown mane, asked as her blue eyes sparkled with hope.
"Aye, we can do that for thee, tis naught but a trivial thing, so please! Come!" I gestured behind me, smiling as I heard the excited whispering of all the ponies behind me.

"I hope thou know what thou art doing Corpus... Lest a fight be on our claws..." Ebba groaned out as she walked beside me.

"Ducati! We hast visitors! Talon! We hast visitors!" I yelled, walking into camp as everyone fallowed behind. Ducati and Talon quickly came forward, both stopping a few yards away as they saw the new guests before them.

"Ducati, we dost believe this mare is an... Acquaintance of thou's... Please, treat her kindly and show her the camp... Talon, gather everyone else once they return... There tis news they shall all want to hear..." Ducati quickly grabbed the mare and pulled her off towards the others, shouting many thanks and apologies my way as he left. Talon on the other hand nodded and went back to what he was doing, which so happened to be tending to his mate/sister/friend/whatever the hell she was... Didn't know didn't care.

Sitting down I drew the others over with me, including Ebba; there we began to talk of what had transpired recently, like the fighting in Matella ... the prison... and what happened to grace. Matella was easy, having told them parts of it already. So, instead of boring them with the facts, I went into the bits of action that had happened, like Jazz's use of hiding in shadows to get the job done. How Ducati and his ragamuffin band of soldiers had taken on a large platoon, and only having his group suffer a single broken rib when one of the sorry sods got sloppy and flew into a post...

As the stories were told, our group grew... Soon there was most the camp sitting around us, I was busy translating what some of the ponies were saying into Aviast with the force, and then doing the reverse when it was the gryphons that talked. all and all, it went rather smoothly. Ebba was rather reluctant at first about how she had taken out the gryphon Commander and his retinue, but after a little coaxing from one of the newer ponies, that being the scouts, she retold the story. She was also blushing up a storm the whole time by how the pony had gotten her to loosen up, I had to give him props... Gutsy little shit! HAHA!

I might as well explain... Alright, Ebba was just sitting there, looking her usual downcast self, that is until this blue and Grey colt trots up to her and plops his flank down right next to her... No 'Hi', no what'up... no NOTHING! HAHA just sits down and keeps a straight face for the next several minutes, though he was paying VERY close attention to her I must say... His eyes kept roaming over her something fierce as she threw in her two cents on certain events.

Then, all of a sudden, he bumps her, almost making her shoot out of her seat on the ground; which I must add was nowhere near as damp as the rest of the area outside the forest... Thank the force for canopies! As I was saying! He bumps her, and she shoots him a look of utter astonishment as he gives her a big old smile! I mean one of those old megawatt smiles that you would think could light up a room... And she BLUSHES! Right on the spot! It was adorable!

So, being the benevolent ass-hat that I am, I use the force to forge a small, temporary language translator for the two, just between their minds nothing more. So, I explain that to them real quick and the colt beams up at me, almost blinding me with his pearly whites!

So, after a few minutes the two of them are blushing up a storm over there, and Ebba, for reasons I shalt never know, began to tell her own accounting of what happened to the Commander-in-charge of the gryphon forces... And it was damned embarrassing too! I had to stop myself several times from laughing... even though it was degrading as a Hutt's compliment... It as still damn hilarious!

So, after that we all just started telling old jokes and the odd story about back home... They all laughed when I told them about the time I ran into a Krate Dragon... Damned beast decided it was mating season and that I was going to be HER mate for the day... I will never look at a lizard the same again...

"Well, sir, it seems I won't need to gather everypony as ya said... They all seems to be here now!" Ducati said as he and the mare from earlier, along with the rest of the pregnant griffs and city folk, came walking over, having heard all our boisterous laughter.

"Aye, Ducati... But we art just trying to get the me to shut up about the whole dragon bit now... Damned Krate, even in another galaxy the kriffer haunts me..." I muttered to myself as I pouted. all in good nature though, everyone needed a laugh every now and then, I just happened to be the subject of said laughter today.

"Aye Sir... Should we be going then? The Gryphons here are acting very impatient... I could have almost swore I understood one say they were going to be laying soon if we did not hasten our movements..." Ducati said as he gave a certain griff in his group a look of slight fear.

"Aye, tis time our friend!" I then stood, drawing myself up to my full height, "Everyone! It is time to depart... Let us begone from this dank and dreary place!" I then began moving, all the ponies saw it as the signal to move, which was good seeing as Ducati and Jazz were busy kicking everyone else into gear.

Everyone whooped in joy as we started the long journey to our salvation... And a new beginning...

Three days later

Perspective: Corpus

After a three day trek, we now stood before a large wall, one that I knew surrounded a sizable city... The scouts were more than a little excited to be bringing us back. The rain having come back to taunt us with its stinging cold all the while. Jazz, Roid, and I were towards the back, talking about all our plans for the future, like what I was going to do with Grace and Luna. (seeing as my small group of friends knew of my involvement, or want of involvement, with the Lunar diarch)

We talked about how I was going to explain my new appearance to her, like my tail, the wounds along my back from from removing my spines, my tongue, and my face... Seeing as it had changed slightly, going from the normal rounded flat of a humans to the slightly elongated structure of a barabels... It was going to be a long night when I finally saw her... And then there was explaining Grace to her... And how I had formed an attachment to the young mare...

Ugh... So many things, so little time...

"Corpus! We art here!" Ducati shouted as he and his friend came trotting up to us, a massive grin plastered on their faces.
"And here is?" I asked, slightly confused as I stared at the massive stone wall behind them.

"FletStone city, the operations base for this part of the war... and the last stronghold before getting to close for comfort for the capital..." The mare stated, her smile waning ever so slightly as she explain the situation... which I was just about ready to face palm over.

"Thank thee... Hmm, it, ah, seems we have not been introduced yet... Though thou dost know our name, we dost not know yours..."

"It's Delilah Flower, my liege..."

"And my marefriend as well, mi'lord, and a very dedicated one at that!" Ducati boasted with pure delight as he scooted over to her and planted a smooch on her cheek, making the mare chuckle. letting my joy shine through for the first time in weeks, I smiled, showing them that I more than approved of their relationship. Though it was abnormal, from what I had seen... A pegasus with an earth-pony... Who would have thought they could get over their racial differences... Eh, a conversation for another time.

"Well... When, and we dost mean this ducati, when thou dost propose to this fine Mare, we would be pleased as peach to attend." I bluntly said to my Sargent, making him and his companion blush ten fold as they looked at each other and then at me.

"How...?" Was all he asked as he stared at me.

"Ah ah ah! Spoilers! Now, get along you, and spend this reprieve peaceably!" I urged them as I smiled deviously at Ducati and his soon to be fiancee.

"Now... Let us go and find Luna, we art sure she misses us." I declared as I quickly moved to the fron of our group to lead everyone into the city proper.

3rd person

As corpus led his band of misfits into the city, Ducati and Jazz at his side with the scouts, they could hear the commotion stirring behind the gates of the wall. Corpus, his small entourage, and his hand picked representatives, were the first to be seen by the throngs of ponies on the other side lining the streets. The throng of ponies all gasped when they saw the battered and beaten form of their commander and his fellows as they began to walk through the opening gates. Yet, they all fell silent when they caught a glimpse of the other species that walked with them.

Silent murmurs tread lightly through the masses as Corpus led if group of Pony and gryphon alike into the city. And he noted, with silent approval, that all that could see the gryphons began to take them in a different light when they saw that many were pregnant and covered in bald spots and many other indicators of abuse.

Words of concern and rage began to circle through the ranks of the ponies around them, Words like; 'My goddess... What happened to them...' 'Did our ponies do that! Bucking shits!' 'Somepony, get them a towel! Medic, get them a medic!'. All words meant to either reach out and comfort them, or to avenge them in what had been thrust upon them.

All of it brought a sad smile to our heroes face as he led his men and allies into the city.

When the ponies caught sight of all the mares and children with them, they grew confused, until a stallion came rushing out of the crowd and embraced a mare and her colt. That was when it clicked for everypony that these were the ponies from the town, the one set aflame.

As the procession fully entered the city, everyone was then embraced by a throng of thousands of caring forelimbs, many washing over the Griffs with careful hooves and eyes as they began to try and care for them. All of the compassion of the soldiery here also through all the gryphons into a shock like state as they were being dragged off towards a medical tent.

Corpus shouted to them not to fear as he heard their squawks of danger and help as they tried to get away from the medical staff. Hearing his words of reason, they had calmed and were taken away, the staff looking to him in thanks as they ushered them into the tent.

Suddenly, Corpus stopped the procession, making everyone else back away as he began to kneel, his towering form shrinking down to the size of a large stallion as he did so. Everyone else, as well, began to kneel as they saw what he was doing and more importantly, who for.

Perspective: Corpus

I was there, kneeling in the streets of FletStone City... When the most awe inspiring being I had ever known came walking towards me, her presence like that of the very air around me, her beauty beheld the stars in its majesty... I could feel my heart race as she came ever closer to my spot in the street, my eyes releasing tears of joy at finally being in her presence again after being taken from her... It was stronger than anything I could have ever felt for Grace... And her very BEING brought peace to my very soul...

As the low clip-clop of hooves got closer, I slowly raised my head, letting my gaze slowly glance over her legs as it drifted up towards her chest and neck.

"C-cor-pus? Is... Is that truly thou that prostrates themselves before us...?" She asked as her hoof falls ended, only a few feet from me. Silence now reigning supreme as the two of us took in each others presence.

"Aye... Dearest Luna... Tis us, Corpus... Thy..." I let my words trail off as she suddenly wrapped me in her forelegs and her wings, cocooning me in her legs and wings as she cried into my shoulder. I instantly wrapped her in my own arms, hugging her close to my chest as I whispered sweet nothings into her ears to calm her down.

"We...we were... so worried..." She quietly murmured into my ears, Tightening my embrace, she sighed out in relief, having me in her grasp was something that took a great burden from her shoulders.

"Luna... My dearest Luna..." I cried, letting my own tears finally fall... all my pain, all my suffering, all the feelings I had locked up within my aching mind... I let go. As tears of water slowly turned to tears of blood... I stopped, not wanting her to be stained with the blood of a killer... Smiling at hearing her name, she nuzzled up against my cheek. After another moment of our hidden break, she let go, the same time I did, and she turned to the rest of the ponies gathered behind me , and around us.

"Our Little Ponies... This day we welcome back... Knight Corpus! And Amazing grace, Commander of the 3rd! Please, all we ask is that they are treated with care, now be safe!" She bellowed, making everyone hear her words as they beamed with happiness at mine and Grace's return... It was heart warming to hear them all cheer...

"Dearest Luna..." I called as the throngs of ponies died down.

"Aye Dearest Corpus?" She asked, looking to me with such unbarred emotion. Her blazing smile almost hurt to look at.

"We art loath to ask... but dost thou have a bed we could use... We dost seem... Lighthead~" Those were my last words as I fell forward, smashing into the ground... Luna and everyone looked upon my fallen form with petrified expressions... That is before a massive snore tore through the silent, rainy, air. Pulling everyone from their stupor Jazz was the only one to burst out laughing.

3rd Person

"gods dammit Corpus! Buwahahaha!" Jazz shouted as he couldn't contain himself.

"Private! What tis the meaning of this, why dost thou laugh when thy commander dost fall face first in the street!" Luna barked as she glared daggers at the soldier.

"There tis naught need to worry mine Princess! He is just tired... That happens when one dost not sleep for almost a two weeks..." Luna and most others, save for the few that had been with Corpus, looked between the two (that being Jazz and Corpus) as they tried to comprehend what all he just said.

"Th-thou must be joking! It is deadly for -SNORE- ...Or not... -Snore-" Luna looked at Corpus' snoring form with about a hundred different layers of concern as she thought on what Jazz Heartstrings had just said.

"Aye... Just find us a bed and we will toss him in..." Jazz said as Lone Sentinel and Amber rose came trotting up with him, each getting on either side of Corpus to help lift him up onto Jazz's back.

"Um... Aye, Sargent Dark Shadow!" Suddenly there was a black Pegasus standing before Luna, saluting and beaming with pride. "Take these three, and Corpus, to our tent... They are to have full reign over the bed there in... Thank you, Dismissed..." Breaking form, Dark Shadow trotted over to the others and began to lead them on towards Luna's bed... ...On the other Kriffing side of the encampment...

As they walked away, Luna could hear the soft grumblings of Jazz, he was saying something about cream and hot water... a weird combination in the Princess's view but she did not care.

Perspective: Corpus

Seventeen hours later

'Ah shit... My head...'

Sucks to be you right now don't it!

'fek you too buddy... We share the same body brain... And matter of fact, why aren't you in worse shape?'

...

'...You have a splitting migraine don't you...'

NnnnOooo Idea...

'I'll leave you alone then...'

Thanks...

"Gosh damn this hurts..." I moan out as I sat up, the covers pooling at my waist as i sat there. Rubbing my head with the palms of my hands I slowly laid back down, trying to gather my whits about me as I looked over the dark room around me. 'i don't remember falling asleep here... Frankly I don't remember falling asleep at all...' I thought to myself offhandedly as I soon saw that there was a crest hanging on the far wall.

A crescent moon, with a sword and ponies head (whited out) were present on either side of the crescent, in the top left and bottom right corners of the massive crest.

Seeing this I was instantly aware of where I was, when it was, and how I had most likely gotten here.

"Thanks Luna... We preferred not sleeping out in the rain..." I muttered to myself as I got up, noting for the first time since waking that I was without my earlier cloths. 'shit...' "Alright... If we were Luna... Where the fek would We put cloths..." I asked myself as I wrapped the white sheet around us, slinging part of it over our shoulders to act like a toga... If the need truly arose I would use the damned bed sheet as a form of clothing for now.

Looking around the room, I saw an armoire sitting there in a corner, just a few feet away. It was built with five drawers going up its full height, around four feet, and was stained a dark blue almost black color. On top of it was a doily, a kind of lace like piece of fabric used to cover the tops of tables and such. It was rather ornate and looked to be rather aged.

Walking over to the dresser I pulled out the first drawer. Kneeling down so I could have a better look I found a rather large assortment of... Socks? And a few body sized tube like pieces... Hmm Alright then. After rummaging through it real quick, but not letting it look like anything had been moved, I went on to the next one. This one had a few bits of... Wow... Is that lace?... And are those... Oh my...

Reaching into the drawer, I lifted up a few thick magazines... ...Each one had a very good Dra... -Scratch that- Picture of a mare in risque lingerie on the front, with the words 'PlayColt' and 'Ninth Edition' scrawled across the top and bottom... Keeping a level head, I quickly thumbed through the first magazine, which happened to be about an eighth inch thick.

Inside I found over several dozen photos of Mares in seductive poses, each wearing socks and tube warmers like the one I found in the top drawer... In the middle of the magazine/book I found a fold out section... And it was... striking to say the least. There was a mare with a golden sun-kissed mane, light tan fur... and her body in the most adorably sexy pose I had ever seen...

Her forelegs were curled up to her barrel, while her legs were spread eagle and curled at the end like a felines paws... and her eyes were the most striking color of blue I had ever seen! And right between her legs was a perfectly shaped and colored pink flower... with two nimble teats poking up out of her fur just a few inches above it...

{To clarify something to all of you... If I was not straight before ladies and gentlemen... I was now... Cuz that shit was hotter than the hottest day on Tatooin!}

"I'm just going to put that back and... Get my toga..." I muttered heatedly to myself as I quickly, nay, gently placed the two magazines back in the drawer, hoping to whatever deity there was in this place that Luna wouldn't come walking in right then. Thankfully she didn't as I quickly tied the toga around my body, using a few long pins to hold the top half down to the bottom.

Walking out of the tent, my blush still fairly well evident on my face, I searched through the force to find my dearest friend... Blinking in surprise, I head off towards the front of the city, my bare feet plodding across the damp soil as I went, my tail swaying slightly behind me as it hung under the toga by a good fair bit.

Stopping for a moment I rolled my shoulders and curled my back, popping all the tense joints that had built up over the last few months. Smiling at my slightly more relaxed body, I resumed my trek for my friend... Also trying to think of what I was going to say to her when I finally found her...

With so many thoughts going through my head, I did not notice the looks all the ponies were giving me... Seeing as I had a massive smile on my face and a blush to match the sun... But I was just to busy to notice.

Perspective: Luna

Sitting across from me were three... very different ponies... If one could even call them that. One was a deep, almost emerald, green with a Sea-foam green mane, golden eyes and a mouth that traveled a mile a second... In contrast though were his two squad mates... The first was a mare with a strawberry-blonde mane and tail, with a khaki coat, and the other was a stallion with a white coat and brown mane and tail. They were both silent and only really paid half a mind to their exuberant companion.

The mare had bright, almost fluorescent, eyes. They were filled with love and kindness. The stallion next to her had deep Ultramarine eyes, they too were filled with love and kindness, but also an edge that could not be mistaken for one that had not seen war.

"So... Would thou be willing to tell us about thyselves? For all of thee seem to know our name... But not the reverse..."

"Oh! I'll go first if you would deem it so Princess!" The green Stallion said as he almost vibrated in his seat.

"Um, very well then... Thou may begin the introductions." I said as I used a hoof to motion him to continue.

"Alright Then! Well, my name is Jazz heartstrings! Private in the 1st division's 3rd battalion. I am a pegasus, as can be plainly seen!" He said as he tried to give me a winning grin... One that did all much of nothing for me. "And I have been under Commander Corpus' for almost... two months now? Counting our imprisonment." The green pegasus, the one I now knew as Jazz Heartstrings, said as he gave me a happy-go-lucky smile.

'Hmm... He seems a bit too jovial about all this... I shalt keep an eye on him for now...' Filing that away for later thought I looked at the mare next to him, and gave her a look that broached that she continue the introductions.

"Ah, well Mi'lady, I am Amber Rose, Marefriend of Lone Sentinel..." She motioned to her left, almost smacking the stallion in the barrel with her gesture. "And I am also a private under the 1st division 3rd battalions banner. Also, I have served with the Commander for almost two months as well... Though I dost naught knew him as well as Jazz here dost..." She gave me a slightly sad smile as she looked at Jazz, though I did not know why at the time.

"Aye, and I am Lone Sentinel, like my dear here already stated, I have also served with Mi'lord for almost two months as well... And I believe I can speak for most of us present... That he is a commander worthy of the name. I would say that the stallion would charge straight into Tartarus if it meant he could rescue somepony... Or gryhpon... He is a beacon to our forces like none other I must say..." Lone said as he gave off a low cough, making both Jazz and Amber look on at him with a slightly frightful complexion.

"Tis wonderful to hear that thou dost think highly of our friend... But we were asking about thyselves... Not thy commander... And we thought that Amazing grace was thy commander? Did something happen to her?" I asked, slightly curious to hear about this now.

"Nay, Mi'lady... She be fine, just under the weather right now... She... Went through some traumatic things back at that place... She had collapsed in Corpus' arms on the eave of our leave there... Falling into a slight coma that she has yet to awake from..." Lone Sentinel stated as he stared at the floor.

"Aye, but even before then, this whole mission was somewhat taken under all of Corpus' advisement... the skirmish in Boe... That was a route waiting to happen!" Jazz barked out a laugh, the other two joining in in his mirth at remembering an old battle.

"How so Sir Jazz?" I asked, giving him a slight look of interest to see if he would continue the tale.

"Oh! Twas a great battle!. We, and i dost mean ALL of us... Were out numbered about five to one..." at that I knew my eyes bulged slightly, five to one were terrible odds! Now I truly wanted to know how they had survived... And kept most of their battalion alive!

"Aye! But Corpus... dang that Guy... He found their champion... I mean a TRUE champion... The Gryphon was named Dark Claw... The two of them got into a massive duel! Butting heads and breaking armor off the other as they fought, they were growling all kinds of things at each other! and the strangest thing about the whole incident? THEY WERE LAUGHING!" Amber nodded as Sentinel just shook his head at the memory, I on the other hand was flabbergasted, but let him continue. "The whole time that they had been fighting, they had been complimenting each other... In the strangest of ways too! But by the end of it all... And thanks to Corpus' catching most of their forces attention, we had been able to beat them back... Corpus having taken on more than half their forces by himself..." Jazz sighed as he came closer to the end of his tale, smacking his parched looking lips. I then gently floated a large glass of water over to him, to which he readily accepted and drank gleefully of the large pitcher.

"Alright now... After a moments respite, we had surrounded the last remaining thousand some-odd gryphons... our meager force of hundreds only being reduced by a only a score or so. But by then, corpus had marched his way through the bodies that surrounded the gryphons... and he talked to them. Brokered a truce between us, temporary a it was... On the grounds that they give him back his... What did he calm them? Sabers?" Jazz asked, looking to Lone and Rose for support.

"Aye Jazz, sabers... Now finish it!" Lone growled, having gotten rather irritated.

"Alright then, Kriffer..." Jazz ducked as a small rock went flying at his head, courtesy of a scowling Lone Sentinel. "As I was saying, He talked to them, after a few minutes they agreed that we would let them go, in exchange for his swords... After Dark Claw had his two subordinates give corpus the weapons and they began to leave... Several of the ponies around Corpus began to charge the retreating gryphons." He sighed, and I could tell where this was going... I think.

"He instantly caught them up in that magical grasp of his... and made am example out of them. Telling everypony else around him, and gryphon, that he would not be tolerant of traitors... Even if they were of the other side." He then shuddered. "It was rather traumatic seeing it the first time... But after having seen him take down droves of Gryphons as if it were foals play... I can see that he was being rather lenient with them!" Jazz laughed slightly.

"We, ahem, We thank thee Jazz, Lone, and Rose, for telling us this story, but we art reticent to say that we must bring this little meeting to a close, there art many things we need to prepare for before the day is out." I stated as I got up from the pillow, stretching my back and legs slightly as I graciously looked around the gazebo.

"Twas a joy to talk with thee Princess!" Jazz exclaimed as he bowed ostentatiously, making me giggle slightly at his antics.
"Aye, twas fun while it lasted Mi'lady... Till next time..." Sentinel asked, a rather curvaceous brow arched in my general direction. I rose my own brow in return, making him chuckle softly as he wrapped a wing over his mare, bringing her close to his side.

"Mi'lady, tis been a pleasure, I'm sure that we shalt speak again... And hopefully under better circumstances." The mare smiled gently at me, though she soon nuzzled into the crook of her Colts neck and blushed, for whatever reason.

"A pleasure, one that we hope to have with you all wen a better time comes for frivolous talks and merriment to be grand!" I stated, smiling pleasantly as they left the Gazebo.

Perspective: Corpus

"UNCLE CORPUS!" A young boyish sounding voice called out as I was walking down one of the many boulevards. Hearing my name I turned around, right as a white and blond blob came flying at me, smashing into my chest and knocking me off my feet and on my as. looking down I could see a small nob of a horn sticking out of the foals head... And that's when it hit me.

"Magnus?!" I cried out in surprise, though it didn't last long as I embraced him in a firm hug, making him cry out in joy. "My dear Magnus! is it truly thee?!" I asked as I cradled the young colt in my arms, his blond hair tussled and mused as he looked up at me with his big golden eyes.
"Yes Uncle!" He cheered as he cried into my chest, trying to wrap his forelegs around me as best he could.

"There there, little Magnus, we art here... There is naught a need to spill tears now... Shhhh... Shhhh... Little Magnus, all is fine now..." I said a I held him close to my chest, a few tear racing down my own cheeks as I embraced the small colt.

"Hmmm -hic- hmm... -hic-..."

Gently bringing him up to my face I nuzzled his head, which let him tuck himself up under my chin and calm down some... Though not much as he kept crying silently... My poor Magnus... I was to shocked and happy to really think of a way to comfort him, save for what I was already doing... though it seemed to be working, for now.

"Mah'nus! 'h're Art 'hou?!" A slightly breathy voice called out, sounding slightly raspy, yet with a twinkle to it... One that I hadn't heard in...
"AURORA!" I shouted in surprise when I saw said griff come flying around a corner, her body still dressed up in a few spots with bandages and the like. Her tail was completely wrapped in gauze and tape. A few spots there were tinted with a light watery pink, but nothing that suggested any heavy injury. Her sides were also bandaged, though only around her barrel and her right front leg, only down to the elbow though.

"Cor-t-us?! Is t-hat t-hou?!" She shouted in surprise as she stared at me. I could understand what she had said, even though her Basic was... Very broken...

"Yes Aurora... Tis us... Thou art a sight for sore eyes, that tis for sure..." I smiled at her as she resisted that it was really me. She then began to walk towards us, at first her steps were... erratic, making her almost trip on herself many times, but as she got closer... Here steps became strides, and then a full on sprint as she then flew up and wrapped her feathered legs around both of us, surprising me and Magnus with the warm gesture.

"Cor-t-us! it t-rruly is t-hou! p-y the goddess, t-hou looks horrid!" She screeched, her broken basic and raspy voice sounding rather fearful of what had happened to me.

"Shhhh, we art fine Aurora... But we dost feel intrigued at how thou hast gained the knowledge to speak in Equestrian..." Calling Equestrian was easier, and less question inducing than calling it basic, but still, it was surprising. I did wrap an arm an arm around her though, and pulled her into a firm hug alongside Magnus, her sight squeal of surprise making me chuckle.

"It t-rruly is t-hou... T-hy hearr-t 'eats s-t-rrong in t-hine ches-t... 'ut.. what ha-tt-en ta thee... I can see t-hine injurries..." She mumbled lowly as she looked over the visible parts of my body, seeing the large scabs and glowing scars that covered my upper chest. Her eyes watered at the thought of what I might have gone through. For even though she did not know me as Luna or my other comrades did, she still worried and cared for me... Seeing as I had saved her life more than a few times in the short time we had known each other.

"We art fine Aurora... Just some... minor troubles with a prison escape... Naught but a bad scrape if thou art truly worried!" I said with a nervous smile, my eyes scrunched up slightly for the same reason.

"I... See Cor-t-us... 'ut 'hat art thou here for... I had las-t hearrd t-hat t-hou 'as on a 'ission to t-he east... Not t'he sou-t-h..." Her brow creased as she tried to find the right words. I could tell that she hadn't been speaking Basic for more than a few days at least... Her native coming through in quite a few of her words...

"Well, dearest Friend Aurora... we had been trekking eastward... Till we ran into a rather large force of Gryphons, the part was led by a Gryph named Dark Claw, a rather extraordinary duelist if we say so ourselves though! But we had been detoured by several other battle later on... Having later been captured with a select few of our own men in the process... Hence how we ended up in a prison and escaping several weeks later... After that, we came here, having run into a group of scouts..." I told her the abbreviated story of what had happened, not wanting to get too involved with a story right now. She gave me wide eyes for a moment before struggling out of my grasp, trying to get to the floor.

"D-did t-hou say... Dark Cla'?! T-he Dark Cla'?! Dearr gods above... D-dos t-hou kno' who t-hat is?!" She screeched, making me AND Magnus look at her in confusion.

"Um... No?"

"..."

"He is 'ine 'ather! He t-aught 'e esery-t-hing t-hat I kno' a'out 'ighting!" She screeched, making me go look at her in a new light. I then smiled brightly at her and laughed softly, which made her fume even more.

"All is fine dearest friend Aurora! He dost still live, he was on even ground with us when we fought... Seeing as we didst not use the force to aid our skills... To much." I sent her a winning smile as I set Magnus down on the ground, much to his chagrin, seeing as he was now pouting up at me with his big gold eyes. Aurora on the other hand just gave me a really... odd look... It was kind of disturbing. It was like she was looking at me... But also though me... Or even beyond me, like she was looking at the future or something.

"S-so he li’es? T-hou didst not kill hi'? ...T-hat is t-he 'orste t-hing t-hou could hase done! T-hey 'ill kill hi'! Dearr gods..." She then fell back on her haunches and began to weep... All because I showed him mercy... OH shit... Fuck you logic...

Yeah, forgot that most cultures in many parts of the galaxy kill any of their generals or soldiers if they were ever beaten, and showed mercy... Fuck my life for trying to be simple... "SithSpit!" I cursed, making both Magnus and Aurora look at me in confusion.

"'hat?" She asked, her tear streaked face looking right at me.

"We had forgotten about that Aurora... But we can say this to thee... More along the lines of a promise really... If we we find him, alive or dead, we shalt bring him here... We will not let an honorable gryph like him be put to death on the grounds of fighting a superior force and loosing." I stated with a sort of confidence I had thought lost when I had seen my entire kingdom fall before me... My family... But it was back, and with a vengeance.

"T-...t-hank t-hee... Cor-t-us... I... Just... T-hank t-hee..." She began cry tears of joy, her beak turning up in a slight grimace of a smile. I just smiled back and bent down, pulling her into an embrace as I took ehr into my arms and carried her, off again to look for Luna. I even levitated Magnus up onto my head, so he could get a ride as well.

"Now then... We art off to find Dearest Luna... Tis that agreeable with thee?" I asked my two passengers.

"Y-yes Cor-t-us, 'e 'ere looking 'or herr to 'egin with..." Aurora said, looking a little flushed as she said this.

"Ah... Then all is good, right Magnus?" I asked of the colt on my head, his head shaking up and down rapidly as he smiled brightly.

"On to auntie! To bring Hugs and smiles!" He shouted imperiously, his hoof jetting out in the direction of where I was going in the first place.

"Haha! Fair game Magnus... We wilt have to see who gets to here first our little nephew... Speaking of which, when did we become thy nephew Magnus?" I asked as I shot a brow up in his general direction. This made Aurora give off a small hiccup like giggle as she looked at the hilarious situation i was in... having a colt lay on your head with his legs splayed all over is not exactly the most intimidating of sights...

"Weeell... It kind of happened while thou were away uncle Corpus... I just started calling Auntie Luna, auntie one day... and I guess... You two are my only family now... But... if you don't want me..." He said as his voice dropped steadily in tone and volume.

"We dost think otherwise there young Magnus! Thou art to precious to get rid of THAT easily!" I said as I floated him down to face level, making him look at me hopefully.

"But there art a few things I dost wish to speak with Luna about... that do concern thou of course..." I said as I gave him a wink and a smile, setting him back on my head. He smiled as he then settled back on top of my head, his tail hanging down the back of my head while his legs draped over the sides.

"On to our dearest Luna then!" I exclaimed as I picked up the pace, making both of them smile at my chipper mood.

A good ten minutes later found us walking up a somewhat long ramp to one of the larger battlements, it seemed that the thing was also a makeshift barracks down at the ground floor, having been hollowed out and reinforced to keep up structural integrity. Along the sides of it were several banners, each with the crest I had seen earlier in Luna's tent. Three of them were different though, having three separate insignia's on them.

The first was of a large tree, layered over a large crescent moon. The numeral for eight was stitched in large golden thread along the both the top right and bottom left corners of the flag. The next one, with a numeral for six stitched into the same corners, had a large setting sun in the center of it, with a dozen ponies being superimposed shadows in front of it. The last, and most ornate, was adorned with the numeral for three... and it had a yin-yang sun and moon stitched into it. There was also a rose bush down at the bottom of the flag that had vines reaching all the way up and around the moon/sun combo. Turning it into a wreath of red flowers and thorns.

'Hmm... So the 3rd, 6th, and 8th are here... That's a lot of ponies..." I thought as I remembered how many used to be in my own battalion of the 3rd... I just didn't know what the size was now...

As I came to the crest of the steps, I could just make out Luna's hind end as she propped herself up on a table, her body covered in a series of interlocking metal plates. The suit reminded me of an old Jedi's armor set from several decades ago... Strange man... Though very honorable.
"Hail, Dearest Luna... Thy form is a sight for sore eyes..." I said as I stepped onto the dais, not ten feet away. Hearing my voice she deftly flipped around and stared right into my eyes with her own Cerulean eyes looking into mine almost pleadingly as I stared back at her with my Blue ones. I could see that as she looked at me, her body began to shake, and her lips tremble... So, I set Aurora and Magnus down and awaited her, kneeling down so that she could be eye to eye with me, though I did have to make sure my tail stayed behind me... I didn't want to interrupt her moment with that kind of surprise.

She slowly trotted over, trembling all the while, to my spot... Her ears forced against her scalp as she may fear i was going to leave... Her eyes trembling and her breathing ragged as she tried to catch a breath to speak...

"Oh Corpus... It twas thee..." She gasped as she flung herself bodily at me, wrapping her arms around my neck and wings around both of us, her massive wingspan able to completely encompass us both. Her small, tinkling, voice cried out in my ears as hot tears flowed down her fur covered cheeks, staining her perfect midnight blue coat an ugly purple...

"All is right now... Dearest Luna... I purred into her ears, hugging her closer as she began to cry even harder.

"Um... Uncle Corpus? Is Auntie all right? Why is she crying?" His innocent words... So innocent... Stung greater than any accusation I had ever had the pleasure of having thrown my way... It hurt more than a lightsaber burn... it was more painful than having my mind torn asunder... And it was an innocent question.

"It is because, my young Magnus... We hast been missing for little over seven weeks now... and tis only thanks to the force that we were able to come back to thee and thy aunt whole again..." I said, pain... so much pain in my voice, it caused everyone there, young and old, to flinch at how miserable I had sounded right then. "But... Now that we art back... Everything will be better... Even if We have to overturn the very earth around us... We shalt promise that nothing shalt happen again... Not like that..." I spoke with such conviction, such ferocity, that Luna had stopped her sobbing, though tears still flew from her eyes, and she looked at me.

"we... We believe thee Corpus..." Luna said as she fell into my embrace once again, finding herself purring this time in happiness as she found the warmth welcoming.

"Luna... When thou dost have the ability to spare us a moment of thy time... We dost have somethings to share with thee and Magnus... Aurora may join as well..." I whispered into her ears, my warm breath caressing her cheeks as I nuzzled her forehead with mine. Her breath caught at the attention, her whole body giving off a shiver of delight as she giggled out a sob.

"We will be done shortly Corpus... Please, have a seat... Rest thy... Hooves? And make thyself comfortable." She tried to find the right word, but fail and just gave me a warm smile... Which still broke my heart as I saw all the tears that had run down her face... All of them looking like wounds on a perfect canvas...

Looking around I found a small cushion in the far right corner of the gazebo, there was already a half drunken pitcher of water sitting there, rivulets of condensation running down its sides. It sat on a low mahogany table... Something I still wasn't used to was all the damned wood objects... Sitting around the table were five high backed cushion chairs, they sit low to the ground and look like carved eggs.

Taking the one in the corner, I saw that Aurora and Magnus had also taken a seat, the ones to my fore and my right respectively. Magnus was busy bouncing up and down, having to much fun in the springy cushion chair. Aurora on the other hand, er claw, was giving me a look of confusion, one that I had an inkling as to what she was thinking about.

"What troubles thee Aurora?"

"It is just... 'hy 'ere t-hou 'owing to 'istrress Luna? I hast not seen 'any t-hat hast done so... 'ut t-hose t-hat do art o' lo'err s-t-atus 'ere t-hey naught? So... our question t-o t-hee... 'hy dost t-hou 'ow?" She asked, her face a mask of curiosity, though it was also hiding a hidden anger. Hmm... Sounds like I might have to teach some foals some manners... Though later.

"Well, Dearest Friend Aurora... We dost bow to her, to show difference. Even though we art older than her by several years," not exactly a lie... "We art her subordinate now... That, and the fact that we dost owe her a life debt... Seeing as she hast saved our life when none other would have even given us the time of day... We had lain broken... Literally broken, on the floor of a forest... Our body destroyed beyond most beings abilities to sustain life... But through her generosity and kindness, we prevailed over death... And she then gave us a place to stay, her own chambers... a place of solitude for her... She gave selflessly to us in a time of need..." Ending my explanation with a smile, one directed at her and the very same mare that just so happened to be looking my way. The look of abject happiness on Luna's face just about lit up the whole countryside... Something that I was rather glad to see after all the crying she had done the past few minutes.

"Uncle Corpus... Is that true? Did Auntie Luna save thy life?" Magnus asked, his innocent face quirked up into a look of confusion and interest.
"Aye, that she did Little Magnus. She did that, and so much more than she will ever know..." I said just loud enough for Luna to hear, making her blush when she saw my face. Displaying a heartfelt smile and a look of utter love for her... It made her smile meekly back as a blush the density of Kashyyyk's forests gracing her cheeks, turning them a deep, vibrant, color.

"We art finished here Corpus... We can go talk in our chambers... Everyone... Follow us!" Luna suddenly exclaimed, her voice fairly loud as her cheeks burned with her immense blush. I was smiling so badly right then, I KNEW that i had to have been grinning ear to ear!

"Then lead the way Princess, and we shall follow..." I growled out mirthfully. Luna then shot me a mock glare and stuck her tongue out and gave me a raspberry... 'It. Is. ON!'

Trailing behind Luna, I had noticed that Magnus and Aurora were keeping their distance, letting me and Luna have our moment together. Luna paid them no mind as she continued to lead us along a boulevard of FletStone, I forget the name but it was lined with all sorts of shops and grocery outlets... I was rather pleased to see the soldiers taking care to go about their lives normally here, making the citizens more at ease than what would be normal for recent events.

Looking over at Luna, I noticed that she was swaying her hips a little too much for just a normal walk... That and the fact that she kept switching her tail in my direction was also an indicator of her... thoughts... 'Son uv'a bitch! She's hitting on me! IN broad daylight too!'

Brian here, what seems to be the problem boss?

'We need a clarification...'

On whether or not the mare in front of us, whom is still swaying her curvaceously luscious hips and flicking her overly enticing tail at us, is in fact, hitting on us? ...Then yes, you're right... She is... What's wrong with this?

'I just thought it would be... well... the other way around is all...

=YOU FOOLS!=

What?

'What?'

-What?-

=Of COURSE IT WOULD BE HER! YOU ARE TO FUCKING DENSE YOU FORCE DAMNED SHAB! GETT YOUR HEAD OUT YOUR SHAB AND TALK TO

HER BEFORE I GIVE US A HEART ATTACK!=

'He scares me...'

You have no idea...

-I like pussy...-

=Shut up useless organ that dangles between legs... you don't have a say here yet!=

-Yes sir... (,_,)-

=NOW TALK!=

"Dearest Luna... If we may be so bold to speak with thee... We dost have a question..." I asked, my face a bright crimson color thanks to my inner turmoil...

"Yes Corpus, what dost thou wish to ask of us..." Her voice purred out, making mini me want to bust a nut at such a Seductive and alluring voice... and the only thing stopping said nutasorous from busting out was my willpower to NOT take her here on the street... Damn the Vong to the deepest blackest hole in the universe! May their worthless hides be torn asunder for this insanity they have wrought upon my body! 'I've only been back a few hours and she wants to tease me! May the force bring retribution upon her!'

Rubbing the back of my head, I looked at her and smiled sheepishly. "What hast thou been doing all this time? Having naught but our charges for company... It seems that thou hast done well..."

Blinking at me, she giggles, her cheeks reddening slightly as well. "Yes... But it is nothing compared to being around thee once again... Tis that not true, Dearest Corpus?" She then winked at me and continued on walking... Flicking her tail ever so slightly to flash a small bit of pink at me...

'Damn mare is going to get me killed one day...' I thought to myself as I looked up toward the stark blue sky, naught a cloud in the air and it was beautiful.

'Well, I can say one thing about being back... Luna seems to have gotten over my absence quite well, er... for now...' Gulping I made to look away from her ever more enticing hips... But all was for naught when she suddenly came to a stop. She then jiggled her rump, and took off into the air, circling around and then landed up on top of battlement there... Though I'm not entirely sure she had meant... Never mind we are talking about Luna here... She always means what she does...

Looking down to me from her perch on high, she motioned me to join her. So, being the whipped man gentleman that I am, I jumped up, easily flying through the air, landing beside her without so much as a mote of dust out of place. Looking behind me I could see the massive circular layout of the city below. The houses were laid out in a horseshoe fashion, making up several bands of the city infrastructure on the outside. After that were the merchant and business quarters that made up the next two and a quarter rings. Next were the three major parks, A name for each of the directions save north; Austellus for the south, Exortus for the east, and Vesper for the west.

And after that was the town hall and the local barracks, along with a few other smaller administrative buildings. There were so many beautifully crafted building in this town... I felt pity that this might all be gone by the end of the war.

Turning around she led me towards her tent. It was the size of a small circus tent, one that they might have Nexu and other smaller animals perform in. I had not noticed how extravagant the tent was when I had first walked out... Or how large it was. The tent was striped with blue and silver, going around just like its anagram. There were several celestial emblems decorated around it, each one having been embroidered into the very fabric.

Seconds after I began to follow Luna, Aurora landed, having held Magnus in her claws while doing so. The two of them shot me a smile as I glanced at them, smiling myself when I saw them.

"Shall we?" I asked, directing their views towards the tent, and to where Luna was looking at me with a raised brow. Her lips were quirked up in a small smile as she saw me quickly scoop up Magnus in my arms and hold him like I would my own son. Aurora just shot me a bemused smile and trailed behind me.

"Luna..."

"Corpus..."

"Shall we?" I smiled and raised a brow at her, my eyes twinkling as I looked into her own. The sight of her deep loving eyes were almost enough to make my heart break, having known what being captured had done to her.

"Yes, lets..." She trailed off, turning and walking into the tent, leaving me there with a confused Aurora.

"T-he T'o o' t-hee 'er'lex 'e sso 'uch... 'ust Kiss and Get it o'er 'ith..." Aurora bluntly stated, shaking her head as she walked past me. (Translation: The two of thee perplex me so much... Just kiss and get it over with!)

"We dost know..." I then followed after her, smirking all the while as Magnus kept looking from Aurora to me, trying to figure out what we had just talked about... And what she had meant.

Walking into the tent, I saw that Luna was now laying on her bed, clear across the way form the entrance. Aurora sitting beside the bed on a pillow, her legs and tail curled up into her stomach for comfort. Her head held high as she looked over to Magnus and I, the two of us giving them both deadpan looks.

Moving Magnus into my right hand, I cocked it back and aimed him at Luna, making him grin as his little mind comprehended what I was going to do. He shot his legs out in front and back of himself and let me chuck him at a very surprised Luna.

Flying through the air he crashed into her side, tackling her into the bed. A surprised 'EEP' followed his sudden crash, along with a bemused gravelly laugh from Aurora.

Walking over I sat down on the bed, making it bounce with the extra weight being added it its strain. This also made Luna and Magnus bounce up as well, the two of them yelping in surprise as they crashed back down on the bed.

With everyone now laughing I was able to relax, seeing as the slightly tense atmosphere had been erased by my actions.

"So... What dost thou want to explain to us Corpus... Thou had said that there were many a revelation to be had..." Luna Exasperatedly let out as she levitated Magnus off her back, setting him down on my head, himself letting his body land on me with all the articulation of a rag-doll.
"Well... First, we must ask thee all an important question..." I huffed out, moving Magnus' forelegs out of my eyes as he giggled at my predicament.

"Ask a'ay Cor-t-us... 'e shalt t-ry and ans'er t-rut-h'ully..." Aurora nodded in my direction, smiling warmly as she did.

"Aye Corpus, ask us, and we shalt answer thee in full." Luna said smiling as well, her wings shifting slightly as she got back into a better position on the bed.

"Well... We must first say that... We art no longer as thou once knew us..." Looking them both in the eye I continued, seeing their questions being held in place by their own restraint. "We hast gone through a plethora of changes since having last saw any of thee... Our form, our body, hast changed... Been affected by a decades old incident we had with a race of beings known as the Yuuzhan Vong..."

"And who were they Corpus... This... Race thou hast mentioned, for we remember thou saying something many moons ago about them..." Luna murmured as she looked to me with slight understanding, her eyes showing no end of concern for me. I was now standing in the middle of the room, pacing back and forth, having placed Magnus on the bed along with Luna.

"The Yuuzhan Vong, or Vong for short, were a race of warrior tyrants... They numbered in the thousands of billions... They possessed a type of technology that surpassed our own in many ways, while also being inferior in a few others, like stealth and travel... But they were better armed, better prepared, and better trained than many of our own elite soldiers of the time..." I sighed out, looking up at the ceiling to gather my thoughts for a moment.

Looking back at my audience I continued, skipping over the more traumatizing parts for Magnus' sake. "The Vong invaded our Galaxy... Cutting a swath through the outer rim, into the mid-rim, and straight to the Core... To our galaxies governmental Center... They reformed entire planets, changing them into their own perspective of beauty and livability... It was a very... Trying time for most the galaxy... Many were lost, but we prevailed. The war lasted several years, with the toll reaching into the hundreds of billions by its end."

Looking into Luna's eyes directly, I stared into them as I told her the next part.

"One of the many things the Vong did during their time there... Was hunt the Jedi, our galaxies greatest warriors, all of whom could even give us a challenge should they be properly prepared... And that there is where OUR story prevails..." Luna and Aurora were now looking at me with slightly widened eyes as they understood what I meant.

"During one of our cooperative excursions with one Luke Skywalker... We were captured... Along with several other Knights and Padawans, the Jedi version of an apprentice... The lot of us, totaling around seventeen, were taken to a world ship... WorldShips are what the Vong used to travel across the great expanse, the space between galaxies, to get to our own... There they placed us in cells... taking our weapons and garments away, leaving us with naught but small rags to cover our shame with... It was the most degrading thing most of the Jedi there had ever dealt with during their short lives." Sighing I pulled a chair from one of the other secluded rooms and sat it down in the middle of the bedroom, facing my trio of listeners.

"Uncle... Why would they try to capture thee? Wouldn't they want to fight thee?" Magnus asked, his head tilted to the side, he didn't understand... which was a good thing.

"Well, our dear little Magnus, they did want to fight us... But, they wanted to break us as well... To turn us into one of their Jedi hunters as well... And as thou can see, they failed... Miserably!" I chuckled out, smiling at the young colt as he beamed up at me.

"Thou may continue Dearest Corpus... We would like to hear the rest of thy tale." Luna gently suggested, her face a mask of indifference as she looked up at me. Even though she wore a mask, I could still feel her emotions in the force, the torrent of hurt and sorrow, mixed with great care and love as she looked at me. Her presence in the force was comforting to me as I smiled at her and nodded, taking a slight breather before continuing.

"As we were saying... They tried to break us, giving us to 'The Embrace of Pain' A type of torture device... But they had never dealt with one such as us before... A Sith... A master of his pain, hate, fear, anger, and body itself... Though they left me in its embrace for weeks on end, We escaped, taking out as many of them as there were that had been there... But the embrace was not their only tool in turning us..." I stopped as I saw a questioning look cross Aurora's face, her eyes lighting up with understanding.

"T-hou 'as 'eing... Did t-hose t-here at t-he 'rrison also t-ry t-o 'reak t-hee as 'ell? 'as t-hat 'hat t-hou had 'eant 'hen t-hou had said t-hee had 'een ca-t-ured?" Aurora asked rather bluntly.

"Aye, but that tis a story for another time..." Aurora nodded at me and let me get back to my telling. Clearing my throat I continued. "The Vong, they are a race of beings that use bio-enginering... Creating massive weapons and buildings from nothing but a small grub to a large animal... All their buildings and weapons were made of living creature... They were masters at rearranging the genome of any species they were able to study... With this knowledge they went about changing those of us that they had captured... many did not make the journey through... Having ended up nothing more than a lump of meat on a table by the end of the process... We, on the other hand, were resilient in these tests... Our body holding together in a more stable and superior fashion than the others... By the end of their meddling, they had changed what we had once looked like."

"What dost thou mean corpus, we hast naught the vocabulary to understand these words thou art using to tell us... Please, make this easier for us to understand..." Luna suddenly cut in, making me flush with embarrassment as she looked at me with such annoyance in her eyes.
"That is a fair request dearest Luna... To explain what we hast said... They changed us, manipulated our body on the basest of levels... And turned us into a monster... Quite literally too." I spread my arms and legs, holding my hands out at shoulder length as I turned my palms to face them. "This is but part of what they did to us that day..." I then concentrated on the form my limbs had taken... letting the toxins in my body reforge my arms and legs in their 'perfect' image...

My fingers became fatter, long steel like claws slowly, and painfully, making their way out of my fingers. The sound of tearing skin and breaking bone could be heard subtly as my hands changed into their nightmarish forms, the same with my legs.
I did not need to worry about my spines regrowing, seeing as I had already dealt with them in the prison. I then let my tail swish out from under my toga's trim, the long extremity pooling around my body a few times as it pulsed with the beat of my heart along its ten foot six inch diameter self.

My face though stayed the same, seeing as Luna and Aurora had already seen the slight difference in my jawline and facial structure, and said nothing.

"W-what... Is... is this what..." Luna stammered, she was looking upon my form with an almost unrestrained rage, her heart almost breaking when she first laid eyes upon my changed form... Her fear was almost nonexistent now, and what was left was not directed at me... but was made for me. A fear of what else could possibly be done to me...

"Yes... This is what the Vong did to us... What they tried to do to the Jedi... We art the only one like this in all of the universe... And it is a blessing in disquise... Seeing as it was this form that allowed us to free our friends and defeat those of both the Vong WorldShip and the Gryphon Prison..." Looking to Aurora, I could see that she was shocked, but she was not fearful of us, yet anyway. Magnus on the other hand was the most shocking of all... Even enough so that he was able to shock me!

"THAT IS SO COOL! Uncle corpus! That was amazing! Thou hast the power to turn into THAT! That's the most incredible thing I hast ever seen!" He gushed as he bounded off the bed and traipsed around me, looking me up and down as he took in my new form. His unrestrained awe was something to behold as he awed and cooed over my intriguing appearance.

"Aye, our little Magnus, it dose have its own little saving graces, that is a guarantee!" I grinned as my tale wrapped around his waist suddenly, stopping his little run about, and I lifted him up to my face. "We also can do this... Seeing as this tale of ours is even more dextrous than our own arms!" I said smiling as I gently tossed him up in the air, only to catch him again in my tales grasp.

Playing with my nephew, in all but law, I could feel Luna's distress fill the force, her love and sadness radiating out... All of it directed at me... I was humbled by her devotion to me, her love of what I am spiritually, mentally, and not of what I was physically.

Looking me in the eye, Luna asked me a question as a few tears streamed down her face, staining her cheeks, "D...Dost it hurt... Dearest Corpus..." her voice hitching in the process.

"Nay... It no longer causes us pain our Dearest Luna..." I smiled, telling her the truth about how it no longer pained us, even though that only meant now after being transformed back.

Aurora, having taken it rather well, looked at me with a slight air of understanding, and an even greater respect than before. She is smileing at me, her eyes showing a deep understanding for how I would be myself after all this, and that reason having been wrapped in my tail and sitting across from me right then.

"Cor-t-us... 'e dost kno' t-hat t-hou is 'orthy... 'e 'ust go 'agnus, Cor-t-us has t-hings he 'ust do here... Good Day Cor-t-us, 'istress Luna..." Aurora Quickly gathered Magnus and left, leaving both Luna and I rather confused and flabbergasted.

"Didst thou..?"

"Nay Luna... She did that of her own volition..."

"Ah..."

"Hehehehe!" I began to laugh suddenly, having all the strain in my body, all the tension, just snap and release itself in the most comfortable way possible. So I laughed, and laughed, making Luna just stare at me in wonderment and concern. Soon my laughs turned to sobs, and I fell to my knees, crying my eyes out... My heart finally unable to carry on with holding all the pent up sadness and sorrow contained within... All my fear, all my loss, all my emotion... It poured down my face as I buried it in my clawed hands.

Within a handful of moments I felt the downy embrace of Luna's wings wrapping around me, comforting me. She sat on her haunches and wrapped her forelegs around me, embracing me tightly as she cooed sweet nothings into my ears to try and calm my aching heart.

"All is well Corpus... Everything shalt be calm and the storms weathered... No more lives shalt be lost this day... thou canst place thine hope in that with us leading the day into night..." She murmured, easing my heart just enough for me to be able to speak... broken as it was.

"Thank you... Thank you... Thank you... …Luna... Our Dearest... Luna..." Words tumbled from my mouth, my mind not even bothering to keep any of it coherent.

"Thou art welcome, Our Dearest Corpus..." She said, nuzzling my head as I wrapped my own arms around her and cried into her chest.

Laying on Luna's side, seeing as we both now occupied the surface of her bed, I contemplated what all had happened today as I played with a bit of her hair. It was soft between my fingers, feeling like the softest of silks or velvets as I turned it about between the fingers of my left hand. My other hand was also just as busy, running my fingers through her scalp as she talked of a creature named discord.

It was a peaceful spot for the two of us right then, nothing from the outside could even dampen the mood we had cultivated. Being immortals, and friends at that, had allowed us to grow closer together as we had talked of our pasts. Both of us letting old wounds finally close as we conversed of how they came about.

After a while our conversation moved onto what had happened to those that had gone with me... So I told her of Grace and Jazz, of Lone and Amber, of Roid and Ducati... and how each of them were now what I would consider a part of a family, with me being their brother in all but blood. She asked of what they were like before and after the prison. Telling me that she had talked to Jazz and a few others while I was asleep.
I told her of how Jazz used to be the funniest pony she would have ever met, and was now partially sadistic and cold... But still retained a fair bit of his happiness and comedic ability, even if it was somewhat deranged at times. I told her that it was also his way of coping with what he had been put through down there, and that should she want to know more, that it would be best to ask him herself.

But as I lay there, I could not drive my thoughts away from the one being that I knew was in need of my healing powers...

Grace, the mare that had claimed my affections for the next few years... Was laying in the hospital here in town in a coma... Having heard this information from Luna herself.

"Corpus, if thou dost wish it, we could take thee to her... We can see that thou dost hold a deep sense of loyalty to this mare, for reasons we dost not know of..." She smiled demurely at me as she hid her feelings in the force. Her face betrayed no emotion of hurt or fear, just a smooth look of acceptance and grace that bequeathed her image as a ruler and sister... and a dear friend.

In the force though, she was a storm of hurt, fear, and unrequited love... Her heart was breaking on the inside as she let her emotions stir within her, the force expressing them with all the bluntness of an Imperial StarDestroyer smacking me in the face. I was almost physically moved when her emotions swirled about her, though she did rein them in within moments as she looked upon me with her most caring gaze.

"Thank thee Luna... And if thou would, we dost wish that thou could stay with us while we look after her for now..." I asked, leaving out everything else I wished to tell her, yet I knew that it would not be best until she stood in the presence of my Grace.

Darkness Rising...

by Praeco Nigrum

It's Times Like This... :Ch 1