[Author's note: Everyone, it's been brought to my attention that many of you didn't quite understand my earlier request from you, the readers. By "Gag Chapter" I meant a chapter that is meant to be funny. A Joke chapter! I'm moving up the deadline for ideas, and apologize for the confusion!
By the way, this chapter is going to be extra-long because it's the last chapter of "Brothers!" (Not counting the special joke chapter) Don't cry, and don't be sad! Nothing good can last...
Just kidding! Of course it can, in the sequel! I'm going back and forth between titles, but I'm thinking "Daughter of Chaos..."
IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK! No little fillies of draconequui in this sequel... It's totally different from that! More adventure than this story, more action, and a new character that will knock you all back on your plots! I can't give any more information than to say that Eclipse has one more skeleton in his closet. One that could change the lives of the princesses forever...
No more spoilers!
Happy Adventuring!
-Pennington Inkwell]
For the most part, Celestia had been right: her typical working day WAS boring. Throughout the course of the day, Eclipse had the opportunity to practice paddle-ball, solitaire (with a deck of only 51 cards), juggling, and even a bit of writing and art on some of Celestia's spare scratch paper. All in all, though, Eclipse was bored. Very bored.
Until the National Security Meeting with the Equestria Electorate. As Celestia and Luna both took their seats at the head of a very large room filled with ponies in expensive-looking suits and dresses, Eclipse did his best to really and truly go unnoticed, staying in the darkest part of the farthest corner of the room. Celestia had told him that he could only come if he swore an oath of confidence of what he heard in that room and if he stayed absolutely quiet during the proceedings. It sounded even more boring, but in a room filled with some very tense-looking ponies at official-looking desks with official-looking name plates, Eclipse was hardly wanting to argue. Surprisingly, Shining Armor was also there, sitting at the front of the room with Celestia and Luna.
"Order! Order!" Celestia called, slamming down a gavel on her podium. As silence fell, she cleared her throat. "We all know why we are gathered here today! To discuss and hopefully resolve the issue of another possible attack or retaliation by the changeling swarm! I would like to call upon our Senior Security Officer, Shining Armor, to remind us of the progress and main points of our previous meeting!"
"Thank you, your highness." Shining Armor rose from his seat at his own podium to Celestia's left. "As you all know, the Changelings attacked us here, in Canterlot, via a combination of espionage and sheer force of numbers. This attack and the ensuing repelling of our enemy leaves us wondering not if, but when they will attempt to attack again. In our previous meeting, we discussed the possibility of increasing security near Equestria's borders, but also proved that there would not be a way to do so due to lack of horsepower. Our goal today is to either find a solution to this problem, or to devise another way to protect Equestria." His job complete, Shining Armor sat down again.
Princess Celestia rose to her feet. "The floor is now open to the electorate for discussion of our dilemma!" She slammed the gavel three times and sat down again as the floor erupted into a chorus of hushed whispers and debates.
Eclipse began to listen, pondering the question of what should be done himself. He could hear the whispers of some ponies suggesting that separate areas ought to guard themselves. Other suggested a kind of magical fence to hold out the intruders, like Shining Armor's protection spell, but on a massive scale. Eclipse heard many different discussions of many different problems, and he did his best to factor them all in from his perspective in the corner of the room. An idea began to form, hazy at first, but quickly growing in clarity. As the sheer brilliance of his idea took hold, his excitement and enthusiasm grew. Unfortunately, he could feel the tension growing in the air as many discussions became arguments, and ponies were becoming more and more frustrated. He looked up at Celestia, trying to find a way to convey the fact that he had an idea, but her eyes were closed in what was obviously an attempt to ignore the growing chaos of the ponies arguing below.
I have a great idea, maybe even a solution! But I can't get it known without telling everypony... I don't want them to be mad at me for interrupting, though. He looked around at the chaos of constant arguing. I'm just supposed to be watching... But I know I can help! He felt his throat become dry with nervousness as he sat on the fence between inaction and action. Well, if I can help, I can't just sit here! I need to do something... I guess it's like jumping off of the deep end, you just have to jump! With a snap of his fingers, Eclipse did something that he was pretty sure would get attention: he conjured up a gigantic neon sign displaying the word "IDEA" in large, red letters. It took only a few seconds for the room to become as silent as the grave. With everypony staring at him, Eclipse felt as if he would be needing that grave soon.
"Umm, well..." Luna, who was sitting to the right of her sister hesitantly spoke up. "The Electorate would like to recognize Mr. Eclipse Tumult." Her statement sounded more like a question.
"Motion seconded!" Shining Armor seemed equally confused, but willing to listen.
The glare that Celestia was giving Eclipse could have melted the face right off of the skull of a normal pony, but she didn't speak any kind of objection.
With all of the eyes of the room on him, Eclipse wished away the sign that had drawn so much more attention than he ever wanted. "Mares and Gentlecolts of the Electorate, I know that I am a stranger in your eyes..." He cleared his throat, trying to think of a good way to pitch his idea. "I can assure you, though, I have seen stranger things than changelings in my time. I've been listening to as much as I can of this problem, and in my naivety, I would like to think that I have a solution!" Now that he had begun to talk, Eclipse was walking down the aisles towards the front of the room, and he was growing more confident as he tried to focus more on the stained glass windows than those he was speaking to. "The need for increased national security is obvious, and a defensive role is usually the best one to take in a fight, especially when the need to fight is not assured. There aren't enough ponies that can serve the role of border guards in a reliable fashion, however. Thus, we must turn to a new species of guard! Where a security camera may be fooled by a disguise, and a pony may not be ever-vigilant 24 hours a day, the solution that I would propose would be immune to hunger, tiredness, and weather, yet still be able to sense the small traces of magic used in a changeling disguise! To fight the parasites... You need parasprites!"
"This is ridiculous!" One particularly irate stallion shouted. "Parasprites have proven themselves to be a pest beyond control, fit only for eradication! They nearly leveled Fillydelphia and Ponyville, and consumed and multiplied exponentially beyond control! Not only is Mr. Tumult NOT an elected member of this representative body, or likely even a legal citizen of Equestria at ALL, but what he proposes is preposterous!"
Eclipse spun around to face his accuser, then vanished in a puff of smoke. When he reappeared, he was leaning on he boisterous pony's desk, looking him in the eye. "I have lived in Equestria for over a thousand years! I was here before Celestia raised the sun and before Luna brought out the moon! If you do not think that to live in a country for over 200 times the time you've spent alive can qualify for citizenship, then heaven help your immigration program!" He snapped his fingers, reappearing in the front of the court.
"The incidents in Fillydelphia and Ponyville involved parasprites that were taken away from where they were supposed to be fulfilling their appointed tasks! I should know, I gave them those tasks! The parasprites were originally created to be a food source for myself, because many of the foods here in Equestria are not healthy for a draconequus! Instead, they proved themselves to be capable of any task assigned to them! They will carry out their duties without question and without failure, and I have been perfecting them for the past 1,000 years as my own personal bodyguards! They have proven to be able to do anything from finding intruders and raising an alarm to holding back blasts of energy and forming solid objects with their combined bodies! The tasks of the parasprites in Ponyville and Fillydelphia were to consume and multiply so that I could eat. They were removed from the Everfree forest, and could not receive instructions on when to stop. I can create parasprites specifically designed to guard the borders of Equestria. Parasprites that will answer not to me, but to Shining Armor, or another pony designated to lead them! You would have nothing to fear, fillies and gentlecolts, but the idea of never having to fight for your freedom again!" By now, there were not more arguments, but only more whispered discussions.
His part seemingly finished, Eclipse looked up at Celestia, Luna, and Shining Armor for instructions. Celestia was obviously pretending to be lost in thought, still angry. Luna scribbled a quick note, then dropped it down from her higher viewpoint. Eclipse caught it out of the air and quickly read the contents.
Good job, now get going. We'll handle the rest. Eclipse looked back up at Luna, who winked and nodded her head towards the door. He gave her a quick nod and once again teleported, this time back to his room. When he was finally away, the magnitude of what he had just said and done began to sink in, and his knees seemed to lose any and all solidity. He flopped onto his bed and tried not to think about the look on Celestia's face when he had begun to speak. If looks could kill... She would have nuked the city! Well, at least I have dinner tonight with Shining Armor and Cadence...
It wasn't until about two hours later that Eclipse heard anything from anypony. With a knock on the door, Shining Armor pushed it open. "Do you mind if I come in?" The question was more of a formality, seeing as he had already walked into the room. Eclipse sat up, then jumped out of his bed.
"Shining! No, I don't mind at all! I'm so sorry for that, I don't know what I was thinking to get up in front of everypony and speak out of place like that!"
"Eclipse, you ended the debate!" The stallion laughed as he took a seat on the side of Eclipse's bed. "There are going to be a few inquiries into parasprites and how they can be managed without losing control, but after the princesses testified to having seen them in action, almost the entire vote turned in your favor!"
Eclipse's jaw dropped straight to the floor. "What?"
"You're most likely going to be placed in charge of production and quality control! Eclipse, you just became our national guard!" Shining Armor laughed at his friend's shock. "Princess Celestia also said that she has a special announcement that she'd like to make at dinner, tonight!"
Just as Eclipse had gathered up most of his mouth and put his jaw back into place, it hit the ground again. "What?"
"Well, she asked if Cadence and I would mind hosting both of you tonight, and I said 'yes'." Shining Armor laughed a little nervously, now. "I'm sorry about not asking you if you would mind, but she is the princess... And my aunt, now..."
Eclipse tried not to panic. "Are you kidding me? The look she was giving me in there could have melted a snowball on the shady side of an iceberg at the North Pole!" Eclipse brushed a set of icicles off of his shoulder. "I was more scared of her than of everypony else combined!"
Shining Armor couldn't help but laugh earnestly, now. "Don't worry, Eclipse. She's more than calmed down, I think that she's relieved to finally have this all over with! Trust me, she's going to thank you!"
Eclipse rolled his eyes and sat next to his friend. "I can only hope so... If she doesn't, is there any chance that you could seal me inside one of those magical bubble thingies that you're so good at making?"
"It's not going to matter..." The two of them laughed and joked for the next hour, both releasing their stress and pent-up energy. As the sun began to lower in the sky and the clouds lit up into a spectacular show of crimson and violet, Shining Armor finally stood up again, stretching and yawning. "Well, we better get back to my house, Cadence said that dinner would be ready when the sun set... You go ahead and get into that nice emerald suit that you wore at the party, I'll be waiting outside!"
Eclipse smiled as he went to the closet to get the suit, but couldn't help but sigh. "She's going to kill me... I just know it!"
"Oh, would you relax? For pony's sake, Eclipse, Tia's coming along so that she can thank you!" Luna's voice echoed through the room, and Eclipse rolled his eyes.
"Luna, are you sure that you're not eavesdropping on me? I could have sworn I turned the communicator off this time!"
"Not eavesdropping, just making sure everything's okay!" He heard her chuckle. "Just thought you should know, Tia's not mad! Now get going, you don't want to keep her waiting! It's been a long time since I saw her get dressed up for dinner!"
"Wait, what do you mean 'dressed up?' You mean, she's not just going around... like she usually does?" Eclipse's questions were supposed to be met with silence, but her could hear Luna trying to hold back her giggles on the other end. Eclipse finished getting dressed and quickly went outside to meet up with Shining Armor. When he left his room, however, it wasn't just Shining Armor waiting for him.
Celestia's mane was pulled back in a ponytail that draped over her neck and was held in place by a golden clasp. Her normal crown had been replaced with a halo-like laurel wreath of autumn leaves that draped over and behind her ears. Her normal bejeweled necklace had been expounded upon and grown into a coat-of-arms that extended several bands back to a glimmering golden saddle with two holes for her wings. Her gown was made from an exquisite translucent material that looked like spun gold, wrapping down around her legs in front, with a separate section stemming from the saddle and creating most of the dress part, finally coming to and end around her ankles. All in all, complimenting her sparkling white coat, the ensemble didn't overuse gold to the point of being flashy, but simply elegant and calm, just like its owner.
Eclipse managed to catch his jaw before it clattered to the floor, but couldn't hide his wings flying out straight from his body at ninety degree angles with a light "pomf!" sound.
Celestia winked at him with a coy smile. "After your help with the security issue today, which has been a problem for many weeks now, I felt like going to someplace nice for dinner and celebrating... Surprisingly, I found out that you were going to see my niece, and I thought I'd tag along!"
Eclipse quickly got his wings under control and cleared his throat. "Yes, well, as long as you're not still mad at me, I don't mind, do you, Shining Armor?" He looked down at his friend trying to divert attention away from himself.
"Oh, no! I don't mind at all! Cadence said that you're always welcome in our home, your highness, and we both meant that!" Shining Armor tried not to laugh at Eclipse's embarrassment. "You didn't have to get dressed up, princess."
"Well, like I said, I feel like celebrating!" She laughed and looked back up at Eclipse. "You know, I never got to see how that suit looked on you, Eclipse. Rarity did a fantastic job, as usual."
Eclipse's face was becoming redder and redder. "Thank you, Celestia... I'm not used to wearing it."
"Well, I believe there's a carriage waiting for us downstairs at the castle entrance, if you're both ready..." Shining Armor began walking towards the exit.
It took several minutes for them to make their way down to the entrance, and Eclipse tried not to stare at Celestia while they were walking. Every few seconds, though, his eyes would wander back to her, and he would once again be awestruck at her appearance. Finally, trying not to seem strange for staring, he struck up a conversation.
"So... The security issue has been a lingering problem?"
"Yes, we've been trying to find a solution for the past two months!" Celestia let out a long sigh of relief. "First, we were wondering whether or not to do something about it, then there was the issue of whether or not to go for an offensive or defensive strategy... After we chose to defend and hope that the changelings didn't want any more quarrel with Equestria, we needed a way to protect the border that would work efficiently against shapeshifters... And that's where you came in. In ten minutes, you ended a debate and national security issue that had been plaguing the electorate for months!" She gave Eclipse as big a smile as he had ever seen.
"So... The fact that you were staring daggers at me the entire time meant nothing? Because I was starting to feel a bit like Swiss cheese up there..." Eclipse laughed a little, hoping that reminding her of her previous anger wouldn't initiate a return of that anger.
"Well, you explicitly went against my instructions..." She pretended to eye him angrily, but it was easy to see that she was joking. "In the end, the good that you did far outweighed that! Besides, I think that you saved me from having to attend more of those meetings!"
Eclipse smiled, more than a bit relieved as they finally reached the doors to the castle. Shining Armor pushed them open, and a carriage was waiting for them. He jumped up into the driver's seat, taking hold of the reigns. "Hop in, we'll be there in no time!"
Eclipse moved forward and, remembering his manners, held the door open for Celestia. after she climbed in, he looked up at Shining Armor, who only winked and motioned for him to get in as well. Eclipse wasn't exactly sure what the wink was for, but he quickly climbed inside, ducking his head down and moving in next to Celestia. It was a bit cramped, and the two of them had to sit close. He was a little cramped, due to the fact that the carriage was obviously not built for ponies his height, but did his best to make do.
"You know, Eclipse, I'm really proud of you..." Celestia whispered. "Even I hate speaking in front of the Electorate, and you got up and not only delivered an impromptu speech with no script, but completely destroyed a heckler! You've come a long way from teleporting the moment somepony laid eyes on you..." In the limited space of the carriage, she moved a bit closer and leaned on Eclipse's shoulder, closing her eyes.
"Heh... Well, I- ummm..." Eclipse snatched a cotton candy cloud that was beginning to form and stuffed it into his mouth. "I'm really glad that I'm living past your expectations, your highness..." He was completely lost as to what to do, and decided to simply stay still, not making her move back again.
"You know, I wouldn't mind if you called me 'Tia.' It's not just a name for Luna to use." Celestia sat up straight again. "You're just as close as any brother I could have had."
Eclipse relaxed a bit when she moved off of his shoulder. "Thanks... Tia. I'll remember that."
"We're here!" Shining Armor's voice shouted from outside. "I told you that it wouldn't take long for us to get here!"
Eclipse stepped out of the carriage, bending his neck back into an upright position with a series of loud snapping noises. He held the door once again, watching Celestia step out into the moonlight with a mix of awe and admiration. As both her coat and dress shimmered in the opalescent light, Eclipse felt extremely underwhelming in his simple suit.
Shining Armor walked up next to Eclipse as Celestia walked past them and into the house. "You know," he whispered, "I married a princess, and seeing things like that... It's only the beginning." He winked once again.
"Wait, wait, wait! Are you insinuating that- No! Never! I'm a draconequus, she's an alicorn! Besides, we're polar opposites: order and chaos!" Eclipse quickly scrambled for the list of reasons that Shining Armor's insinuation was completely ridiculous.
"Well, opposites attract... I'm just saying!" He laughed as not only his face, but Eclipse's whole body turned a bright red. "Now, go ahead and calm down. Red body, green suit, you look like a Hearth's Warming Eve decoration!" He laughed and turned towards the house. "Just forget about what I said and come in for some dinner, okay?" The two friends walked up to the door, Eclipse being a bit more hesitant as he returned to his normal colors, with the exception of his face remaining a bit flushed. As they went inside, Celestia and Cadence were talking together in the hall, but when Shining Armor walked in, she ran over and hugged him.
"Honey! Why didn't you tell me Aunt Tia was coming? I would have set an extra place at the table!" She laughed and moved on, giving Eclipse a quick hug, too. "Eclipse, it's great to see you again!"
"Cadence, thank you for having me! If you need help setting a place for Celestia, I'm sure that I can hel-"
"No, you're our guest!" Cadence shook her head. "Just give me a couple minutes, it's an easy fix!" Cadence ran out of the room.
"Don't expect to do any kind of helping, Eclipse. Cadence really hates it when our guests do anything for themselves..." Shining Armor laughed. "I had better go help her." With that, he trotted out of the room, leaving Eclipse and Celestia once again alone.
"Eclipse? Can I talk to you for a moment?" Celestia pulled a chair away from the wall and sat down, then motioned to Eclipse to sit next to her.
"Of course, Tia." Eclipse grabbed his own chair, sitting so that the two of them were facing each other. "I'm always ready to talk."
Celestia looked to the side, becoming obviously nervous. "The entire time that I've known you, you've always had a perspective that was completely unique. Often, you've changed MY perspective for the better... That's a quality that I don't think should go unused. I trust you just as much as I would trust Luna or Cadence, like family." She finally brought herself to look Eclipse in the eyes, locking them into place. "I told Shining Armor and Cadence that I would be making an announcement tonight, but I need to make sure that you would be okay with it."
Eclipse didn't move, staring straight back into her violet eyes. "Well, I'm glad that I can help you with my perspective, but what would you need my permission for?"
"I'd like to make you the Royal Adviser. You'd confer with Luna or I on any matter that we feel we need a second opinion on, and you will be responsible for helping us make decisions with a clear view of the matter." She smiled. "Not too demanding, but something I've recently thought will be necessary as times change. With your parasprites taking over the national security, you're going to be a big name in Equestria, and chaos is going to begin to cooperate with harmony..."
Eclipse thought for a moment. "That's a big responsibility, Tia..."
"Well, it means that you'll be doing a lot of work with Luna and I. I think that you proved today that you're ready for some responsibility..." She smiled, leaning in a bit closer. "So what I need is an answer. I can cover for you if you say no, just claim that the announcement was about resolving our security... Or I can announce your new position. I'm afraid that we don't have long. I didn't talk to you about it in the carriage because I didn't want to spoil the surprise for Shining Armor."
Eclipse bit his lower lip in thought, trying to weigh all of the options, costs and benefits as fast as he could.
"Not to mention, it would really mean a lot to Luna and I to finally be able to include you in what we do for Equestria. Together..."
Eclipse closed his eyes. "Well, if I'm going to have to constantly deal with you two to do my job right. If I'm going to have to step out into the limelight and work with the only two ponies capable of annoying me into doing whatever they want... Then that just seals the deal, doesn't it? Of course I'll accept, Celestia! As long as we have each other, we don't have to worry, right?"
"Okay, everything's set!" Cadence called from the door to the dining room. "I hope that you two like lasagna!"
"I love it!" Eclipse laughed, putting the chair that he was sitting in back up against the wall.
"You know that I love your cooking, Cadence!" Celesta did the same with her chair. "Just because you know how impatient I am about surprises, what's going to be for dessert?"
"Well, considering the fact that Eclipse is a very unique guest, I decided to try a very unique recipe! Luna gave it to me a few years ago, but I haven't tried it until now: zap apple pie!"
Celestia quickly looked over at Eclipse, expecting him to panic and disappear in another puff of smoke. Instead, he laughed.
"You'll have to forgive me if I pass on dessert, Cadence. I'm afraid that I'm quite allergic..." He gave a quick glance over to Celestia. "What were you expecting me to do, Tia?"
As Cadence began to panic and try to decide what to do for dessert, Celestia and Eclipse simply laughed together, enjoying the fact that they had both come so far since the fateful day in the Royal Labyrinth. The day Celestia took a day off.
It looks like Eclipse finally got his own ending... A very happy one. But this is just the beginning, too.
[Well, that's the end of "Brothers," everypony! I hope that you enjoyed it, and I'm going to be submitting the sequel for approval right away! Please send me your ideas for the joke chapter right away, time is running short before I close the cover on this story for good!
And while you're waiting for "Daughter of Chaos" to come out, please feel free to check out my other story, "My Little Ponybots!" This story couldn't have happened without every one of you supporting me every step of the way!
Happy Adventuring!
-Pennington Inkwell