Chapter Thirty Nine: Hearts Beat Hard
~BlackRoseRaven
Hecate and Freya glared at each other over the mechanical mare's desk, the Valkyrie grinding her teeth together as Hecate only scowled. And finally, after minutes of this, Freya groaned loudly before she slammed her front hooves down on Hecate's desk, yet her voice was almost pleading as she asked: “And what precisely would you have had me do, then?”
“You were reckless. You put Team 0-0's lives in jeopardy. You brought a mare, contaminated with an unknown biological agent, back to Decretum, by Bifrost instead of registered portal.” Hecate said icily, her neon eyes locked on Freya, who only rolled her own and waved a hoof dismissively. “Need I remind you that you had very specific protocol to obey, and-”
“I am not your little toy soldier, Hecate. So don't treat me like you would one of your stupid pawns.” Freya retorted, glowering at the mechanical empress. “Perhaps if you're so worried about your little boys and girls, you should just keep them safe at home in this great stupid playpen you've built. You wouldn't want anyone getting a splinter now, would you?”
“Downplay this all you want, Freya. But we had an agreement, and you have failed to live up to your end of our contract.” Hecate replied sharply, and Freya snorted, beginning to open her mouth before Hecate leaned forwards and said coldly: “Go ahead. Make up all the excuses you want. But you and I both know what you agreed to, and you and I both know that liars-”
“Oh, enough!” Freya rolled her eyes, sighing and shaking her head in distaste. “You made your point. I think it's absolute twaddle, but you've made your point all the same. I might be eons old and wise as the trees, but of course, what do I know? Nothing good, that's for certain.”
“I've always found it cute how you consider yourself a goddess of war, but your first instinct when you don't get your way seems to be to whine and whimper.” Hecate said distastefully, and Freya narrowed her eye at the mechanical mare before she suddenly smiled thinly and sat back.
There was silence for a moment, and then a flash of light. But Hecate was just as fast, catching Tyrfing as it slashed towards her before her horn glowed, freezing Freya's other swords in arcs of electricity as quickly as they appeared around her.
The Valkyrie gritted her teeth, and Hecate smiled thinly before she leaned slowly down into Freya's face, saying quietly: “Like I said. Whining.”
Freya snarled as she tore her weapons free with a flare of golden energy, and then she snorted before spitting to the side, her swords vanishing as she said coolly: “And you hide behind your desk, primping like the queen you are. But if you truly need to hear it, fine. I'm sorry I did not do precisely what I said, and got your little poppets hurt.”
“You know that isn't what I take issue with, even if Moonflower has returned missing a wing, and Sombra will be down for several weeks due to illness.” Hecate shook her head slowly, then she created a holographic screen, and Freya shifted slightly to the side, her eyes flicking away as Hecate said quietly: “That is not what you promised me you were after.”
Freya only grunted, although she refused to look at the screen, which showed Atavus pacing nervously back and forth inside a holding cell. “That is what I found.”
“The others might not know better, but I do. I don't need an analysis to know that you encountered other creatures like him, as well. Not simply Incarnates, but Primordials.” Hecate sat back in her chair, her eyes locked on Freya as she asked quietly: “When were you planning on informing me of this, Freya? How long have you known about them?”
Freya shrugged calmly, looking evenly back at Hecate as she replied almost airily: “Well, I couldn't be sure until I finally had a chance to see for myself, now could I?”
“You are testing my patience.” Hecate said in a soft, dangerous voice, and Freya shifted ever so slightly before the mechanical goddess gestured towards the screen, continuing: “Unless you start telling me what's going on, Freya, I will pry my answers out of Atavus. And he will not like my methods of interrogation.”
The two looked at each other for a few moments, testing each other, measuring each other, and then Freya finally grimaced before she said shortly: “You're not so good at being the hero, are you?”
“I'm no hero. I'm the same as I ever was: the person who will put this universe in its proper order, whether it wants to be or not.” Hecate replied callously, shaking her head before she looked back at the screen, continuing in a quiet voice: “But I cannot do my job if you are hiding information from me, disrupting my operations, and sneaking around behind my back. Furthermore, I expect better from you, Freya.”
“Don't talk down to me like I'm some wench and you're my mother.” Freya growled, but Hecate only smiled thinly.
“It wouldn't bother you so much, Freya, if you didn't understand that you deserve it, and if you didn't have respect for me, whether you'll admit that or not.” Hecate replied, then she shook her head and continued: “All I expect is that you exercise that respect for me. Or at least recognize that the more problems you cause me, the more problems you cause us as a whole.”
Freya rolled her eye, but then she sighed before saying moodily: “And what would you have said if I'd told you I suspected there were other things, freed from Ginnungagap?”
Hecate snorted, retorting: “So you were afraid of the nasty words I might say to you instead of what action I would actually take? You sound exactly like-”
“A pony, yes, aye, I get it. You don't have to rub it in.” Freya sighed and rolled her eyes, looking mildly at the mechanical mare before she nodded slowly and murmured: “But yes. I don't know if this is Thokk's doing or not... I'm sure she has something to do with it, though, if only because of... a lack of diligence and control.”
“Primordials are the last thing we need to deal with.” Hecate muttered, shaking her head slowly: as if she didn't have enough to deal with on her plate as it was.
Primordials: elemental beings that were said to have been spawned from the origin of all things, at the birth of the universe. True Primordials were beyond the reckoning of gods and perhaps even reality, with powers that likely vast exceeded anything Hecate had to throw at them, capable of rivaling the Jötnar with their raw, immense strength.
What Freya had encountered were only fragments of true Primordials that had likely been created in Ginnungagap, but they had all the same characteristics of their elders: a dual nature that shifted between serenity and raw destruction. They were like nature: helpful, even loving at times, but capable of shifting without warning to rage and hatred and fury.
The Primordials had been one of many enemies fought by the gods in the great, far-flung past: they were all thought to have been destroyed, or exiled to Ginnungagap, where their powers could be contained, but where they had also fragmented into lesser Primordials who had mutated and evolved as they were infused with the energies of chaos.
“I need him back when you're done poking him.” Freya said blandly, and Hecate looked moodily at the Valkyrie as she was drawn out of her thoughts. “He's harmless. And they say that the Draconequus are nothing but fragments of the Primordials themselves, you know. I need his help.”
“They say that the Draconequus are the patchwork of everything that's been thrown into Ginnungagap over all the countless years the gods have been using it as a garbage dump.” Hecate said moodily, and Freya scowled a bit before the mechanical empress sat back, asking quietly: “What did the others think?”
“They thought they were just combinations of chaos and destruction. I think Danzsöngr had some suspicion, but... none of them really understood what they were faced with.” Freya replied after a few moments, shaking her head before she gave a slight smile at the scowl Hecate favored her with. “What? You don't like me referring to your precious Swan by name?”
“That is my other problem with you, Freya. You promised me you would mentor her and teach her to the control the Swan. If anything, she seems worse now than she was before.” Hecate replied, and the Valkyrie snorted, but she was cut off before she could make any quips or remarks by the mechanical goddess continuing: “Don't waste my time telling me she has to figure it out for herself, either. You and I both know that's not entirely true. You certainly didn't figure out everything by yourself, Freya.”
“As if you're one to talk.” Freya said grouchily, and then she rolled her eye before saying grumpily: “What would you have me do? Rip out part of her soul? Order the Swan to get along with her? Give her some deep moral lesson?”
“Teach her to focus her magic into her body. She already has an instinctive grasp of it: I'm sure you've seen the way she focuses her energy through her wings instead of her horn, for example.” Hecate replied, and Freya started to frown before the mechanical goddess said quietly: “Teach her to focus her magic inside herself, and you will teach her to look inside herself. And she will see the Swan.”
There was silence for a few moments, and then Freya clicked her tongue before she muttered: “Not a terrible idea.”
Hecate smiled thinly, and there was silence for a few moments before Freya said abruptly: “I heard that Thorn ran into trouble in Looking Glass World.”
“Seneschal can never keep his mouth shut, can he?” Hecate rolled her eyes, but then she nodded after a moment with a tired sigh. “But that is correct, yes. He handled the situation adequately, and one Voidborn was eradicated. But...”
Hecate halted, then she shook her head quickly before saying shortly: “But I will not be distracted. I still need to know what you plan to do with the Primordial, and if you're certain that you can contain him.”
“He's not like the others, as I'm sure you can see for yourself. The others were like natural disasters: even when they meant no harm, pain is all they brought. This one is more like the gentler side of nature.” Freya smiled slightly. “Oh, I'm certainly that if we riled him up, he'd do some damage, but he is... naive, and childish, and easy to manipulate. But I have no need to manipulate him, really.”
“Not that you didn't try.” Hecate countered, and Freya grumbled again.
“Do you want me to reassure you or do you just want to continue to tell me how stupid and reckless I am?” Freya asked waspishly, and Hecate glared at her for a moment before she grunted and gestured for the Valkyrie to go on. “Besides, your precious Swan Maiden didn't behave herself entirely, either. She was all too eager to kill, and she put us all at risk by tossing aside her protection to blast that firebeast.”
“I don't care. We're talking about Atavus right now, and you.” Hecate redirected, and Freya muttered a few choice words under her breath before she sighed and nodded moodily.
There was silence for a few moments, and then Freya finally said: “It's simply all the more reason for you to let me go about my business. The sooner you let me leave with him, the sooner you can forget about him.”
“I have some tests of my own to run before I let you leave.” Hecate said calmly, meeting Freya's gaze. “If you want to avoid any further delays, then I suggest you ensure you live up to your end of our bargain in the meantime.”
Freya sighed tiredly, and then she said wryly: “You're worse than Frigg ever was, you know that? Perhaps I should start calling you All Mother.”
“Just get your job done, Freya.” Hecate said shortly, and the Valkyrie smiled wryly. There was silence for a few moments as the two studied each other, and finally, Hecate waved a hand. “You are dismissed. I'll have a room set up for you.”
“Generous.” Freya said drolly, and she rolled her eye before reaching up and absently rubbing at the patch covering the crystal in her socket, muttering: “But I suppose it could be worse, considering you and your idea of 'fair play.' Worse than the devil when it comes to contracts.”
“I suppose you would know all about devils and contracts.” Hecate said dryly, and Freya glared at the mechanical goddess before she gave a crooked grin.
“I suppose I would. But I'm getting tired of throwing words back and forth, Hecate. If you want to do any more talking, I'd prefer it to be done with blades.” Freya said evenly, and the mechanical goddess gave a thin smile as the Valkyrie stood up and said mildly: “I'll be waiting. If you're anything like me, I know you'll come to settle our differences before I go.”
“I'm not like you, Freya. I don't have time to play.” Hecate retorted, and then she glanced back at the holographic screen, adding quietly: “I've given you the security clearance you'll need to visit your friend. Make sure that you do. Somehow I feel that betrayal might be one of his buttons, and the last thing I need is a rampaging Primordial.”
“Good of you to think of others, Hecate.” the Valkyrie said ironically, and then she climbed up out of her seat before turning and heading to the door, pushing her way out of the office. She smiled slightly as she noted Thorn waiting patiently on the other side, studying the stallion for a few moments before she said pleasantly: “Nice to see you, nephew. You're looking a little under the weather, though.”
Thorn absently reached up and touched his bruised face before he replied mildly: “I'm at full operating efficiency, thank you.”
“Aye, I see.” Freya said ironically, her mouth quirking in a slight smile before she shook her head and called over her shoulder to Hecate, who was glowering out the open door from behind her desk: “My nephew is here to see you! Treat him kindly, will you?”
Hecate only responded with a growl, and Thorn politely nodded to Freya before simply walking past her, the Valkyrie snorting before she suddenly asked loudly: “What would your mother do in this situation, Thorn?”
Thorn turned around and looked at Freya for a moment before he simply reached up and pressed the button to seal the office door shut, and Freya blinked before she scowled horribly at the door, rolling her eye and muttering: “I suppose I can't argue with that.”
Inside the office, Hecate gave a brief smile to her son's back, before her expression turned serious again as he turned to face her, the mare asking calmly: “What is it?”
Thorn bowed his head to her politely, and then he answered calmly: “I received the personnel reports from Cadence and I've finished debriefing Team 0-0.”
Hecate was quiet for a moment, and then she asked softly: “How's your leg?”
Thorn smiled even as he shifted almost embarrassedly, absently grasping at his repaired prosthetic as he responded: “It's working efficiently.”
“That's not what I asked.” Hecate replied dryly, although she seemed satisfied by the response all the same. “How is Team 0-0 holding up?”
Thorn hesitated for a moment, and then he shrugged a bit before saying finally: “All things considered, I think they're doing well. They still need treatment for their injuries, but they seem as coherent as ever. I... am worried about Moonflower. He had the most contact with Aster and he...”
Thorn quieted, and there was silence for a few moments before Hecate said softly: “Family is the most important thing, Thorn. Your friends are a close second, though. You should spend time with him.”
The sapphire stallion smiled briefly, and then he gave a quick nod. Hecate smiled back, lighting up her features for a moment, making them kind and radiant before she became suddenly professional again, asking: “What is Aster's condition?”
“Stable. She's in quarantine for now, following standard infectious agent protocol. It seems to be a magic-based affliction, however, with no possibility of accidental transference. And while we still have to complete an assessment of her, Team 0-0 all vouch for her.” Thorn hesitated, then said finally: “I would recommend moving her to a private civilian room after a holding period of three to five days. We can keep her under surveillance for a few days and limit her interaction with the populous while we finish assessing her.”
Hecate nodded slowly, tenting her fingers in front of herself before she asked quietly: “She was infected by the blood of a Hellbound, correct?”
“Yes. And all our results so far show the same conclusion. But there's no sign of spiritual possession.” Thorn shifted a bit, then added almost hesitantly: “There is some... arguable evidence for emotional disturbance, however, and I'm not entirely sure how her mentality has been affected...”
“Which none of Team 0-0 can testify to, as they haven't known her long enough to tell, either.” Hecate stated to preempt any of Thorn's possible arguments, and then she paused for a moment before she said after a moment of consideration: “But your idea is still the most practical and the most efficient.”
Thorn nodded, then suggested: “We can also cross-reference data from what we know about other Hellbound to establish a profile. It shouldn't be too difficult to detect patterns of behavior that way, particularly with the data we have.”
Hecate nodded back, and there was silence for a few moments before the sapphire stallion bit his lip, then asked hesitantly: “Do you want to talk about Thesis?”
Hecate scowled at Thorn, and then she tapped a finger slowly against the desk before her expression gradually changed, her eyes closing, her lips tensing. Finally, she gave a soft sigh, then murmured: “No. I want to talk about you.”
Thorn frowned a bit, tilting his head slightly, and Hecate looked up before she asked bluntly: “What do you want in life, Thorn Blackfeather?”
Thorn was quietly at this, lowering his head and hesitating, and Hecate smiled a bit before she said quietly: “I know. It's not a fair question. And while you are an adult... you're still my subordinate and you're also at that stage where... you know enough about the world to make your own decisions, and if you weren't so smart, you would be brash enough to think that you have control of the world around you. That you don't need advice and assistance. Most ponies stumble through life that way, never understanding how fortunate they are that they are able to. That with one wrong step, their entire lives could come crumbling down. That... we are never too old or too strong to never require help.”
Hecate looked down for a moment as Thorn bowed his head to her in silent respect, and there was quiet before she said softly: “Team 0-0 is out of commission. Moonflower is badly injured, La Croix has been stripped of his relics and artifacts and will need time to make his repairs, Sombra is ill and requires treatment. Only Cadence will be at operative status within the next few days, but the world won't wait around while the others recover. We have work to do.
“You want to be like your parents, to follow in their hoofsteps, protecting the world. You've had some first-hoof experience now in the battlefield and understand what we are up against.” Hecate said, and Thorn straightened and nodded, becoming professional once more. “As you know, we've located the Ten Moons facility and completed an initial assessment. Hostiles may still be present, but they can be flushed by the security systems if we can rejoin the superstation's link to Decretum.
“I will be sending you, Cadence, and I suppose Necrophage and Muse as well, since you seem to operate so smoothly with them.” Hecate said almost distastefully, and Thorn nodded and saluted sharply. “The four of you should be able to move in through the toxic disposal site and use the service corridors to avoid any detection by the enemy. Once you reach the core, it will simply be a matter of establishing the uplink and defending it while Seneschal enslaves the local processes.”
Thorn nodded again, and then he smiled a bit before saying quietly: “Thank you for trusting me. With this, and with... being capable of...”
“Shut up, Thorn.” Hecate said moodily, but Thorn only smiled wider before the mare shook her head slowly, scowling slightly as she muttered: “I wouldn't have to do this in the first place if Valthrudnir had been smart enough to properly secure his own projects. But he was always too convinced of his own power and superiority... and was always stupid enough to simply drop all his old toys when he was done with them instead of destroying them.”
Thorn remained silent, and Hecate stood up before walking slowly around her desk. She paused for a moment to look back at the holographic screen, studying the creature on it quietly, and Thorn glanced towards the hologram as well before he asked: “Should I arrange an announcement?”
“No. No. No one has to know about the Primordials yet. We have enough to deal with as it is, and I've already dispatched a team to take over the furnace facility Cadence located.” Hecate muttered, shaking her head briefly as she stepped in front of Thorn. “After the facility is ours Seneschal can run an assessment. If we locate more Primordials in that world, then we can consider further steps.”
He looked up at her, and she gazed back down at him before she sighed softly and reached up to silently drop a claw on his shoulder, the stallion smiling at her even as his eyes became more worried.
She didn't say anything for a few moments, then she simply shook her head again and turned back towards the stallion, flicking her other claw backwards to make the screen vanish. The two looked at each other in silence, and then Hecate slowly lowered herself to a kneel before she reached carefully up to gently grasp Thorn's prosthetic leg.
She tilted it up, sliding her steel fingers along the metal of the limb, studying the masterwork silently: she had built it in only hours, yet it was almost a perfect replica of his previous prosthetic: 'almost,' she thought, because she had reduced the weight and the amount of material slightly while improving the overall structure. That was her favorite thing about machinery, she thought: you could always improve it, always make it better, not just repair it but enhance it, every time it was broken.
Hecate looked silently up into her son's eyes, and Thorn smiled faintly back at her. And, after a few long moments, the mare shook her head slowly before she murmured: “Have you thought about my proposal?”
“I have, Mom. And this... it doesn't bother me anymore.” Thorn replied quietly, silently flexing his mechanical leg before he reached up and gently cupped his mother's cheek, smiling at her as he said softly: “I don't blame you. I never have, and I never will, either. I understand that you did everything you could for me and what happened was my fault. It's... hard some days, sure, but I don't want...”
He quieted, and Hecate sighed softly before she closed her eyes, resting her face against his steel hoof: gentle, somehow. Was that her programming, the intelligence of the circuitry, or just the compassion and care of her son? “Alright.”
She stopped, then hesitated before asking quietly, as strange as the question was for her, and hard as it was to ask: “Do you... disapprove of Ithavoll?”
Thorn shifted hesitantly, then he glanced away and mumbled: “I don't think it's really my place to judge, especially as-”
“Do you disapprove or not, Thorn? It's a simple question.” Hecate said in a sharper voice, and Thorn winced a bit before he sighed as he lowered his hoof from her face, and Hecate straightened a little, but stayed in a kneel so she could better gaze into his eyes.
Thorn looked at her, as she looked back, and he gave a brief smile before he hesitantly nodded and murmured: “Not all of it. And I understand your reasoning behind most of it. But Stage Three seems... it seems like what we've been fighting to stop.”
“In a way, I suppose it is.” Hecate murmured, lowering her head and nodding briefly. “But Stage Three is also the only thing that will keep Hel and many of our other so-called 'backers' at bay. To ensure safety and success...”
“I know.” Thorn murmured, closing his eyes. “Which is why that even if I disapprove, I agree with you, and I'll stand beside you. No matter what that means.”
“When Hel fully realizes what I intend to do, she may send your parents after us, Thorn.” Hecate smiled a little, glancing over at the stallion and studying him quietly: what kind of a mother was she, to even risk pitting her adopted son against his blood family, knowing that it was the only thing that would slow them down.
But Thorn smiled faintly, shaking his head before he said softly: “Except I know that you won't risk that. Not unless it became absolutely necessary for some reason... and like I said, I trust you. I love you, and I trust you. I just wish that... we could make everyone understand without having to resort to... this.”
“We all have the roles we must play, Thorn. That, unfortunately, is the difficult truth of life.” Hecate murmured, and then she straightened before saying quietly: “Even if I could convince your parents, Hel would learn the truth, and use them against us anyway. Or worse.”
Thorn nodded, and Hecate grimaced before she shook her head and gestured distastefully off to the side, muttering: “Enough talk. I have an empire to run, Thorn, I can't continue to waste my time with you, prattling away about secrets you shouldn't even be privy to. And you have a mission to begin preparation for and ponies to see. Go do your job.”
Thorn smiled a bit after a moment, and then he nodded quickly before saying softly: “Of course. Let me know if you need anything.”
Hecate only stood up and pointed at the door, looking moodily at the sapphire stallion, and Thorn smiled again at her before he turned and left the office, heading quickly out into the hall.
He closed his eyes as the door shut behind him, lowering his head for a moment as he gathered his thoughts and tried to shrug off that strange, uneasy feeling that always came over him whenever they discussed Ithavoll. Hecate had so much invested in the project, and it made him so uneasy when he thought about what it all could mean, everything that could happen in the worst case scenario.
But it was worth it, wasn't it? He thought it was: and more than that, he trusted his mother to make the right decision when it came down to it. Maybe it was childish and stupid, but he believed in her, perhaps more than he had ever believed in anyone or anything else.
Thorn nodded to himself, taking a slow breath before he strode quickly down the hall, creating a holographic screen beside him to begin assembling an itinerary. He would have to get more information about the mission from Hecate later, but for now he could at least begin filing equipment requests and see if Hecate had set up an overview for him to look at yet.
He glanced at the chart as he made his way through the halls, before grimacing in surprise when he was suddenly locked out of the system. He frowned and came to a halt in the middle of an intersection for a moment, before wincing and quickly stepping to one side to get out of the way of several Dogmatists.
As he pressed against a wall to allow several Worker Drones pulling cargo crates to pass, he tapped a short command over the screen, then flinched in both surprise and embarrassment when Seneschal's voice declared loudly, as the AI appeared on his holographic screen: “Due to security and privilege concerns, you have been temporarily locked out of the system, Thorn Blackfeather!”
“Seneschal, volume.” Thorn muttered, looking around with the faintest blush in his cheeks, but thankfully, there weren't any Orphans around, and Dogmatists and Drones weren't usually much for gossip and rumors.
Seneschal sniffed loudly, then said proudly: “I don't have to listen to you at all right now, Thorn! You may still be Regent, but you are currently locked out of all of the systems and delegated to menial physical tasks, such as sorting files, and cleaning. I fear I must admit I relish this opportunity and plan to make full use of it.”
“Seneschal, override code 231-Alpha. Modulate.” Thorn said calmly after a moment, and Seneschal blinked before he scowled horribly as he grabbed at his throat, no longer able to speak. “I still have my emergency access. And I'm sure we both recognize this is simply Empress Hecate's way of making me take time off work.”
Seneschal shrugged, then he dug a pen out of his pocket before swiftly writing a message across the holographic screen, making Thorn smile despite himself. “Yes, I know. I'll... relinquish my position for now. I suppose that administrative duties can wait, anyway. I have... other business to attend to.”
The AI nodded firmly, gesturing irritably at him, and Thorn sighed before he closed the screen with a flick of his hoof, glancing back in the direction of his mother's office before he murmured: “Thank you for reminding me, Mother. We both... have our flaws.”
Thorn shook his head, and then he turned and made his way through the halls, slipping past the remaining Worker Drones and their cargo. It only took him some fifteen minutes to navigate the busy halls, the stallion walking with maybe the faintest hint of nervousness in his step as he glanced around every so often, at all the people going about their business...
He truly did love it here. And he loved these people. They were all so diverse, so wonderful, so fascinating, and they had all united under one banner, thanks to consequence and perdition, to form one unified, common cause...
Thorn smiled a bit as he let himself into the medical center, before his smile widened as he saw Cadence emerging from one of the long halls, the bruised mare looking at him with surprise before she smiled a little and straightened as he approached. “Hey, uh... sir!”
“Just Thorn. I'm off duty.” Thorn said softly, and Cadence nodded awkwardly before the sapphire stallion asked: “How are you holding up?”
“I'm alright. My healing...” Cadence shifted uncomfortably, rubbing slowly at her neck before she shook her head slowly. “Don't know why that of all things freaks me out. I should be happy I heal so fast, right?”
“The only person who determines your happiness is you.” Thorn replied, and Cadence looked at him awkwardly as she slowly tilted her head before the sapphire stallion smiled a little “Sorry. I suppose that's a 'political response.' I mean... you can choose to be happy or unhappy about it, but it doesn't change the fact that it's a positive for you, especially right now. You have another mission coming up.”
Cadence winced at this, rubbing at her head and mumbling: “Oh great. I... not that I'm questioning my duty or anything, sir, but my... my team isn't going to be ready...”
“Your team will be given time to heal. You're being assigned to a different unit.” Thorn replied, and Cadence winced again before Thorn shook his head quickly. “But I'm not supposed to talk about that right now, not until the logistics are all worked out. I'm off duty, like I said. How is the rest of your team doing at the moment?”
“Daddy... I mean, uh, Sombra is having a nap right now, so I was just going to go get showered and stuff.” Cadence hesitated, then added softly: “Moonflower would probably like to see you. He's upset because... you know. But he's not... I don't know how to phrase it...”
“He's physically healthy, and even with the overuse of magic, his vital energies would have been protected by the sacrifice.” Thorn paused at the look on Cadence's face, and then he said softly: “Yes, I know not to say that to him. I'm just parsing it out.”
Cadence nodded awkwardly, looking uncomfortably back and forth before she finally looked back at the stallion and asked: “Are uh... you okay?”
Thorn absently reached up and touched his own bruised face, and then he said simply: “Yes.”
Cadence looked at him lamely, clearly wanting to know more, and Thorn shifted a bit and bit his lip before he said hesitantly: “I... ran into some difficulties in Looking Glass World. Voidborn. You're familiar with two of them: Sol Seraph and the Praetor.”
The mare's eyes widened in shock, before she leaned forward and blurted: “They didn't kill you?”
“No. They did not.” Thorn said dryly, and Cadence blushed in embarrassment, looking lamely away as she mumbled an apology. “It's alright. It's true, I would have died if it weren't for Antares and his... my family, helping me.”
Cadence smiled a bit at this, returning her eyes to Thorn before she said softly: “So you met them, huh? And it sounds like you got to know them pretty well, too.”
“Not as well as I would have liked. But yes. I got to spend... a lot more time with them than expected.” Thorn gave one of his small smiles in return, and then he shook his head before continuing in a low voice: “We also...”
He bit his lip, shifting a bit as Cadence tilted her head, before the stallion murmured: “Not long after we defeated the Voidborn, another came after me. His name was Thesis.”
“Thesis... why do I know that name?” Cadence murmured, frowning a bit before her eyes widened slightly as she remembered the picture on Hecate's desk, of Thorn, and... “You mean...”
“My brother. Hecate's other son.” Thorn said softly, nodding before he continued quietly: “He is vastly superior to the other Voidborn you fought. But he is not to be engaged or treated like an enemy. Hecate will be sending out a very strict warning about that when the time is appropriate for it.”
“Hasn't Hecate already sent out a warning about the Voidborn to all of Decretum?” Cadence asked uneasily, and Thorn shook his head.
“No. It would cause panic and disruption. We'll release more information as we get more confirmations: for now, there's enough rumors and gossip going around about Thokk and how she's using Decretum technology against us as it is.” Thorn replied with a shake of his head.
Cadence shifted a bit, not knowing if she really agreed with that or not, before she glanced up as Thorn continued in a softer voice: “I don't always know how I feel about it either, Cadence. But I can't let emotional reasoning get in the way of proven logic.”
The ivory mare shifted a little, but Thorn quickly changed the subject, asking: “Is Moonflower back there? I would like to go and see him.”
Cadence nodded, and then she smiled a little before saying after a moment: “You know, if he wasn't so... well... gay, then I'd think you'd have a bit of competition in Aster. Those two seemed to really hit it off, you know.”
“From what we can deduce, they're parallels, which are similar to alternate selves.” Thorn said with a nod, giving a brief smile. “Interesting to think that Moonflower would have a female counterpart somewhere on another world. But of course, parallels aren't precisely mirror reflections of ourselves, but rather...”
Thorn halted as he realized Cadence was simply staring at him uncomfortably, and he gave an awkward smile before saying finally: “Sorry. I don't mean to bore you. Apparently I have a bad habit of talking too much about things that other people don't find as interesting as I do.”
“No, no, oh no. Uh... not at all.” Cadence said awkwardly, looking lamely off to the side before she cleared her throat. “Well, uh... I have to go shower and... it sounds like I should maybe go see Hecate, too. Or at least maybe check my Mission Dive.”
“Yes. You should be carrying that around at all times, anyway, remember.” Thorn said mildly, and Cadence smiled a little before the sapphire stallion sighed and nodded, saying almost grudgingly: “Yes. Off duty.”
Thorn smiled awkwardly after a moment, and there was silence for a moment as Cadence fidgeted on the spot, until Thorn said dryly: “You can go, if that's what you're waiting for.”
“I know, Thorn, I just... I have a lot of questions and I don't really know what to ask, and I don't want to keep you, either.” Cadence said lamely, and Thorn shrugged a bit.
“I'm off duty, like I said, and I don't think I'll be doing much tonight, either.” Thorn hesitated for a moment, then he said finally: “I'm going to go see Moonflower. But why don't you stop by my room tonight, and we can... talk.”
Cadence smiled after a moment, and then she nodded and asked: “After dinner?”
“I'll see you then.” Thorn replied, and then he gave the mare a polite nod before turning and heading down the hall.
He paused as Cadence cleared her throat behind him, glancing over his shoulder before the mare said quickly: “Last room on the right, Hall B.”
“Thank you.” Thorn nodded again, then he turned his attention back ahead, striding quickly down the hall into the recovery wing. He felt Cadence watching him, but he didn't look back, smiling briefly to himself: they would have plenty of time to talk tonight. And he thought he was starting to like 'talking,' strange as that was.
He made his way down the hall to the room at the end, then he carefully stuck his head in through the open door. There were only two patients in this little room, one of whom was asleep, with his head wrapped in bandages, while the other was curled up on his side facing the wall, one side of his back thoroughly covered in medical patching.
Thorn approached quietly, standing for a few moments and simply studying Moonflower. He noted at the scar on the other side of his back was slowly starting to vanish: that was likely because in spite of how grievous his injuries had been, the wings had been nothing more than a permanent polymorph. And now that they had been removed, after who knew how many years, that polymorph was finally reverting.
Thorn studied the stallion silently, then he reached up and gently squeezed his shoulder, making the black unicorn flinch in surprise before he half-rolled over, then blushed deeply at the sight of Thorn, rubbing hurriedly across his teary eyes as he blurted: “You!”
Thorn smiled wryly, and Moonflower cleared his throat and looked awkwardly away, correcting lamely: “I mean... Thorn. Thorn, it's... it's good to see you, it's... I mean...”
The sapphire stallion squeezed Moonflower's shoulder, then he leaned down and kissed his forehead. Moonflower's eyes widened slightly at this, and then he trembled for a moment before clenching his eyes shut and leaning forwards, shaking a little as he pressed his head tightly to Thorn's breast as the stallion silently embraced him.
Moonflower slowly got himself back under control, clinging to the stallion as he closed his eyes tightly, his shivers gradually subsiding until he was able to take a slow breath and look up silently at Thorn, asking quietly: “What's special about me without my wings, Thorn? I'm just another unicorn. I was never any... true master of magic, or god of darkness. I was just... a unicorn who worked so hard to get to where I am today, and... and yet all of it feels like it was all for nothing...”
“It was never your wings that made you special. And it's not your magic, either, Moonflower.” Thorn said softly, shaking his head as he looked down at the stallion. “It's who you are. It's your compassion, your heart, and your resolve. But I'm not going to keep repeating that to you: you're just going to have to learn it on your own.”
Moonflower smiled briefly, lowering his head and nodding silently before he closed his eyes, simply relaxing in Thorn's grip. Thorn continued to hold him tight, looking down at him quietly for the longest time before he leaned down and gently kissed beside his horn, murmuring: “I care about you.”
The black unicorn blushed a bit, glancing almost shyly up at Thorn, and then he gave a small smile before he asked: “Do you think we have a future together?”
“I know that we'll be... friends, no matter what else happens. Anything else, I can't say.” Thorn replied with a bit of a shrug, and Moonflower chuckled softly as he nodded against the stallion, his eyes closed as he breathed softly in and out.
“One of my favorite things about you is how you talk, you know.” Moonflower murmured, smiling a bit as he rested silently against the sapphire unicorn. “You're so gentle, so kind. But you know how to be firm with me, too. And you do know I like a firm stallion.”
Thorn smiled a bit despite himself, shaking his head slowly before he said softly: “You never really learn, do you?”
Moonflower chuckled and and shrugged a little, and then he replied, as he gazed up at the sapphire stallion with warm eyes: “No. And I'm very glad I never did, because that's part of how I got to know you, now isn't it? After all, you know that they never really... liked me in the past, or the way I am. And yet these days, there seem to be plenty of us... lavender ponies, as La Croix puts it when he's in a delicate mood.”
Thorn smiled briefly, shrugging a bit. “I don't know if it's that, Moonflower, or if ponies are just less afraid to be themselves these days, and feel more free to express their affection for each other. Which I think is a good sign that our society as a whole is evolving.”
“I hope so. I like Decretum. I like being accepted. It's a funny feeling but a nice feeling, to belong somewhere, and to feel like...” Moonflower blushed a bit, then he shook his head lamely before mumbling: “Well, it's not. All that important, really...”
“I think it is. Don't be silly.” Thorn said softly, and Moonflower blushed and smiled again up at the stallion, nodding almost meekly before Thorn gently pulled away from the black unicorn, asking: “Do you want to go for a walk?”
Moonflower shifted lamely back and forth, and Thorn gave him a quietly-entertained look before he persuaded: “How about we walk to the Arts district and have coffee? I like coffee. We can call it a date, if you want.”
Moonflower blushed a bit at this, but then he bit his lip before shifting awkwardly, mumbling: “Well, I don't know if the doctors and nurses and all the other staff that's just been falling all over themselves to keep me stuck in bed here will let me...”
Thorn smiled despite himself, shaking his head before he shrugged a bit. “Well, if you don't want to, that's fine. I can always just go by myself.”
“No, no, no! Wait, no, I uh... I do not fear doctors or nurses, no one can keep me here!” Moonflower blurted, giving an awkward laugh before he cleared his throat and nodded hurriedly as he sat up with a lame smile, shrinking his head meekly between his shoulders. “I um. I would like to go with you.”
Thorn nodded, and then he stepped back and held his prosthetic hoof out to the stallion. “Let's go, then.”
Moonflower looked awkwardly at the sapphire stallion, and then he bit his lip before carefully rolling off the bed and shakily standing, taking a slow breath before he looked up at Thorn almost worriedly. Thorn only smiled reassuringly, however, and Moonflower bit his lip before he reached out and took Thorn's steel hoof.
Their hooves squeezed together, and then Thorn carefully tugged Moonflower forward before he released his hoof to gently tilt his head up, making the black stallion blush a little as he felt Thorn adjusting his mane and brushing down his scruffy coat. He began to mumble a protest, but Thorn quieted him by lightly tapping under his muzzle before he went back to neatening him out, saying softly: “We should clean you up a little more later. That's one of the few things we're missing here, a personal grooming area in the hospital. Sponge baths just aren't the same.”
“And quite honestly, they're a terrible idea to begin with.” Moonflower added, and Thorn smiled despite himself before his horn and prosthetic hoof both glowed as he gently brushed over Moonflower's face, cleansing magic tickling almost painfully over the stallion's features as he mumbled: “That stings.”
Thorn didn't respond as he finished up, and Moonflower smiled awkwardly when the stallion finished, lowering his head almost childishly towards the sapphire stallion. The two looked at each other for a few moments, and then Moonflower peeked back and forth before he almost tiptoed forward and nervously leaned up to kiss Thorn's lips.
The sapphire stallion met his mouth with a smile, returning the soft kiss, their lips barely parted, the affection almost chaste, but lasting a wonderful few moments before they parted. The two smiled at each other, Moonflower blushing and straightening a little before he nodded almost vehemently several times. “Let's go, my... friend!”
“Alright, friend.” Thorn replied mildly, smiling in amusement despite himself before he shook his head slowly and turned to lead the way out, reflecting that sometimes all anyone ever really needed was a little push.