Chapter Seven "Return to the Gala, Part II"
A couple of hours had passed, and the Gala was still underway. While some of the guests had left, many remained. Pinkie had taken over, having the musicians change from their slow, methodical pace to something much more upbeat and energetic. Ponies and changelings were in pairs, dancing all the while. The entire group of Element bearers, princesses, and the Parker/Sparkle family stood around the dance floor, watching the spectacle at the center. Mayday shook her head in dismay as Twilight and Peter danced together, with the stallion performing capoeira movements while the mare awkwardly flailed her hooves about in a robotic motion.
Taking hold of her hoof, Peter pulled Twilight against his chest before leading her into a dance. Many laughed as the the young alicorn princess whooped cheerfully. Sonata danced at the corner of the floor, swaying her hips as she neared the couple obliviously. Pinkie Pie bounced in place, sharing a smile with the mare before Aria intervened, dragging her friend off of the dance floor with a bemused glare. Cadance and Shining Armor never lost eye contact with each other as they danced together.
Twilight slowed to a halt, managing an exhausted smile. "Okay, Peter. Time out. I… need to catch my breath." The mare hunched over, allowing the stallion to gently lead her to the nearest table. Peter offered Twilight a glass of water as she took a seat next to Trixie. The alicorn took a sip before grinning. "I just don't have your stamina, honey."
"Maybe you should do more cardio?" Peter chuckled, playfully wincing as the mare punched his shoulder.
Trixie smugly grinned. "It's a wonder you haven't collapsed yet during your morning workouts with Peter. Then again, youarea librarian at heart. Physical action isn't your strong point."
Twilight used her telekinesis to wipe a hoofkerchief over her sweaty forehead. "You all don't understand." Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Trixie offered the mare coy smirks. Twilight exhaled, placing a hoof over her husband's shoulder. "Peter can lift well over a dozen tons, scale skyscrapers without breaking a sweat, run at nearly three-hundred miles per hour, and has virtually inexhaustible stamina. You'd be exhausted too if he was your partner."
"It's because I eat my vitamins and drink plenty of juice," Peter chuckled, leaning behind the mare as he massaged her shoulders. "Somepony's gotta keep you in shape, dear."
Twilight shook her head, exhaling. She attempted to stand, only to fall back into her chair as the muscles in her forelegs tightened. "Well, it can't be me." Twilight turned to the surrounding group, holding a look of pleading in her puppy dog eyes. "Will somepony please dance with him? I don't need Peter at full energy when we get home."
Chrysalis slid a hoof around the stallion's waist from behind, pulling him away before he could react. "Allow me the pleasure," she whispered, earning a content nod from Twilight. The changeling queen wore a simple blue dress with olive-green highlights. Once at the center of the dance floor, Chrysalis lowered her body, allowing Peter to take hold of her hoof before dancing. The stallion spun in place, holding the mare close before relinquishing his hold. Chrysalis maintained her balance with ease, smirking as she managed to gracefully keep pace with Peter's fluid, yet quick movements.
Her emerald irises were locked on his hazel gaze in spite of their height differences, and her smile seemed permanent. "You're not so bad at this after all, Peter." Energy sparked at the tip of the changeling's horn, prompting her body to glow before the magic dissipated. Chrysalis sighed contentedly and shivered involuntarily, holding a fanged grin as Peter retook a gentle hold of her hoof. In spite of their size differences, the stallion handled the mare's momentum gently, yet firmly, as if she was smaller than him. "These movements are quite invigorating! What is the name of this dance of yours, darling?"
Peter took a step back, performing a handstand before backflipping several times in place into a standing position. "I call it the Spider-Trot."
"Start being original, Daddy!" Mayday shouted, before facehoofing with a groan.
Chrysalis grinned, pacing her breath as she struggled to match Peter's agility. "I call it sensational. Twilight truly has her hooves full with you."
Peter smirked, holding Chrysalis's hoof as his legs swayed to the music's rhythm. "Thanks. You're pretty good yourself!" He stole a glance at his surroundings, specifically the changelings that moved in sync with each other and their respective dance partners, and the music before returning his warm gaze to Chrysalis. "Who knew changelings were such awesome dancers?"
"We're of one mind," Chrysalis whispered, leaning closer until her body rubbed against Peter's. "It makes synchronization easier, especially with our partners."
Peter chuckled nervously, feeling his throat grow dry as the surrounding temperature rose. "Well, don't tell my wife, but you could really give her some dance lessons. I love her more than life itself, but she could use some help in that sense."
"I'll take it into consideration," Chrysalis laughed, winking at the stallion as the music faded into a more mellow tempo. "Let's dance together again soon." She brushed a hoof against his cheek affectionately. "You've given me quite the delicious feast. Thank you."
Peter waved his hoof dismissively, forcing a laugh. "N-No problem, Chrysi."
Twilight held a soft gaze at her husband as he took a seat next to her. "Have fun?"
Peter weakly nodded, leaning his head against the mare's shoulder. "Yeah. It was… something. Chrysi's still aggressively flirty, but that's nothing new from the queen of a race that quite literally eats love for breakfast."
Twilight's hoof snaked around Peter's neck as her lips curled into an evil smile. "So... am I reallythat badof a dancer?"
Peter's eyes widened at the mare's question, his complexion paling as the mare's expression quickly faded into an unamused frown. "Haha. H-how did you hear that?"
Trixie smirked, chuckling into her glass as she took a sip. "It's anypony's guess."
Before Peter could hope to escape his impending doom, Twilight tightened her grip, locking the stallion's head in submission. "I could use somehelp, huh?" she growled, twisting her hooves.
For all of his great strength, Peter Parker was powerless to escape the librarian's submission hold. "Just... a little…" he managed to strain out, causing Mayday to explode into laughter at her father's expense.
Chrysalis watched the ponies from a few hoof-lengths away with a stern gaze, pausing as Princess Celestia joined her side. Aunt May cradled Ben in her hooves, straightening the earmuffs on his head while Spike and Trixie joined Mayday in her laughter. The changeling queen's eyes softened. A warmth exuded from Peter's entire family, emitting an enchanting aura that Chrysalis eagerly inhaled. This was love in one of its purest forms, and she couldn't get enough of it.
"They're so close," Chrysalis whispered, shuddering as a sensation traveled through her spine. Traces of magic spiraled into her body before she glanced at Celestia from the corner of her eye. "I've almost never seen anything like it."
Celestia smiled warmly. "They're a family. These feelings you're experiencing are perfectly normal. I would move the heavens for my sister. Peter and Twilight would face all odds if it meant protecting their children. Cadance and Shining Armor cherish their son. The same could be said about you, Chrysalis. You went through extreme measures to save your changelings." Her smile widened. "That's love. In the end, we're not that different after all."
"Indeed," Chrysalis nodded, sharing a smile with Celestia. Memories surfaced as she stared deeply at Peter, of the time when she had lost faith in Equestria. There was a persistent stallion determined to meet with her. Sobering, Chrysalis glanced off to the side. "There was a time I thought we were too different." She warmly smiled at Peter, her cheeks flushing. "I'm just grateful that somepony gave us a chance."
-u-
Deep within the reaches of a damp cave, Chrysalis sat with a bleak stare. Surrounding the queen were her changelings, the entire hive. Chrysalis winced, feeling each of their thoughts spiral around her cranium. They were starving, not having had a proper meal since their failed invasion attempt against Canterlot. Time was precious, and the changelings were losing it. They would soon be extinct due to her incompetence.
Chrysalis let out a somber sigh before burying her face in her hooves. At this rate, she may have to take even more drastic measures to ensure the survival of her race. However, before she could ponder on the subject further, every changeling's head rose simultaneously, each turning their blank gaze to the cave entrance. Thoughts from the scouts outside relayed information to the rest of the hive, and unease quickly settled in, with some pacing in place while others shivered out of trepidation alone.
The changeling queen shot to a standing position, and she could only shake her head. It had happened again. Some idiotic pony had located their cave and tried to gain entrance, only to be chased off by over a dozen changelings. This was the sixth time it had happened this week. Ponies were usually wise enough to take a hint after a failed attempt, but this one was unusually persistent, begging for an audience. Chrysalis exhaled, rubbing the aches out of her forehead with a hoof.
What made the entire situation troublesome was the identity of the recurring intruder. It was Peter Parker, a powerful knight of Equestria and the spouse of Twilight Sparkle, a mare that had played an important role in the hive's current downfall. Chrysalis frowned, longing to understand that stallion's motives. Her cynical heart assumed the worst, that he was sent to exterminate the changelings from the face of the world. Rationality set in, pointing out the flaw in that supposition.
Based off the scouts' information, Peter Parker had come alone each day. Considering the stallion's physical feats, it certainly would have been easy to crush his attackers had he considered it. However, he never did, not even out of self-defense. It felt as if Peter Parker was proving a point, that he earnestly wanted to talk.
Chrysalis growled under her breath as frustration bored into her mind. This entire matter only raised questions when she sought answers. Cries from the younger changelings reached her ears, their hunger only growing worse. Chrysalis released a rough growl before directing her hardened gaze to the cave's entrance. The hive's anxiety would only further their decline. Chrysalis made a solemn vow. Should the knight come back tomorrow, she would grant him an audience.
"Perhaps there is some importance in what he has to say," Chrysalis whispered cynically before sighing.
-u-
The hours were growing late as midnight neared. What was once a robust party had dissolved into a quiet gathering. Most of the gala attendants had departed, and those that remained prepared to do the same. Peter escorted the members of his family to their carriage. Mayday slept soundly on her father's back, a trail of drool leaking out of the corner of her mouth while Ben rested in Twilight's magical hold. Aunt May was the first to enter the carriage, followed by Trixie and Spike. Twilight took a step in, but she paused, turning as Peter averted his gaze back to the castle.
"What's wrong?" she questioned, her voice barely above the hint of a whisper.
Peter inhaled deeply before sighing. "There's someone I need to talk with. You should all head home without me." The stallion eased into the carriage, lowering the filly across the seat. "Aunt May, would you mind tucking her in?"
May simply nodded, smiling sweetly as she brushed a hoof through the filly's mane. "Sure thing, dear."
Before Twilight could question the stallion, he gently lifted Ben into his hooves and turned to face Trixie. "Be a good Auntie and hold onto our son until we get back."
Twilight arched a brow as Trixie pulled Ben into her hooves. "We? I'm going with you?"
Peter nodded, smiling weakly. "It'd be great if you do." His eyes softened. "I'll explain in a few."
Twilight was slow to respond, managing a nod after a brief delay. "Trixie, you know where Ben's bottles are?"
With a defeated shrug, Trixie took hold of the baby unicorn. "They're under the third cabinet in the refrigerator. I know. I've been doing this for a while now, remember?" The mare waited for both ponies to close the carriage's door from the outside, groaning lightly. "Please return before your son wakes up."
Once the carriage was a safe distance away, Twilight tilted her head to the side at the stallion. "Where are we going?"
"To the garden," Peter replied, his voice distant. "We're going to talk with two of the sirens."
Twilight craned her neck back in surprised. "Wait. What!?Here?! In Canterlot Castle?!"
Peter smiled wryly. "They've actually been here all night, attending the gala."
The librarian furrowed her brow. "You knew this, and you didn't tell me?!" She shot the stallion a heavy glare. "Peter, our children were with us! As well as many other innocent ponies! What if something happened? What if it was a trap?"
Peter lifted a hoof in defense, waving dismissively. "Look. Relax. They didn't mean any harm. Besides, I didn't invite them. They were actually already here for whatever reason," the stallion lightly assured, scratching the back of his neck. "I just didn't want anypony to panic or worry needlessly. Sonata and Aria aren't bad ponies. Er, sirens."
Twilight let out an exasperated sigh. "I still think you should've at least warned me. Even if they do seem nice enough, you can't forget that theyareworking for Discord." The mare held a stern glare as she stepped forward, their faces inches from each other. "Look, I want to help them as much as you do, Peter, but we need to be very careful with how we approach them. Who knows what they could be thinking, or even planning?"
"I wouldn't have asked them to talk, let alone remain in the gala, if I didn't think that they could be at least trusting to have a conversation," Peter rested a hoof on his wife's shoulder, smiling reassuringly. "Besides, Aria seemed just as concerned that my request to speak with them was a trap. Heck, they might not even show up."
"You're such an idiot," Twilight grumbled, avoiding the stallion's gaze before nodding. "Oh, well. What's done is done. Where are we meeting them?" she asked, gesturing for the stallion to lead the way.
"In the garden at midnight. Mind doing the honors?" Peter grinned, tapping the tip of Twilight's horn with a hoof.
Twilight smirked. "You made plans behind my back. You owe me for this."
Peter blinked. "Oh? What'd you have in mind?"
Twilight closed the gap, smiling sweetly before abruptly punching the stallion in the shoulder. "You are cleaning the library by yourself for the next week."
"As long as I don't have to dress up as a maid again, fine," Peter chuckled, pausing as his eyes wandered. Twilight's body was doing unnatural, godly things in her blue dress. Considering that ponies rarely wore clothing, the current mystery surrounding what lied underneath left much to the imagination, and Peter's face grew red as a result. Ten years later, and shestilltook his breath away. "Somehow, you find a way to grow more beautiful every time I see you."
Twilight inhaled sharply, unable to contain her smile as her own features flushed. "Flattery will get you nowhere… but that's very sweet of you." That same second, Peter's hooves cupped the sides of the mare's face before he guided her mouth to his. Everything grew hazy, fading in a sea of bliss. Even now, Peter drove her mad, and Twilight couldn't want him more. They soon parted, both in need of air. Twilight nodded, leaning towards the stallion with a sultry smile as her blush intensified. "I want you to do that to me again. Later."
Peter's smile only widened, his own eagerness apparent. "You got it!"
Twilight's horn glowed before the young couple vanished in a flash of light, materializing out of existence.
Aria paced across the garden, analyzing her surroundings with each step. Her heart quickened, threatening to burst out of her chest. "This might've been a bad idea after all," she whispered, releasing a deep breath. "What if he's setting a trap?" The mare paused, reflecting on her past interactions with the stallion. Her eyes softened. "Would he even do that? I barely know him, but Ifeellike I can trust him." Aria unleashed an exasperated groan. "I don't know what to do! This is so frustrating!"
Sonata traced a hoof through the water of the fountain, grinning. "It'll be fine, Aria! Peter's our friend. He wouldn't do anything to hurt us."
Adagio sat in secret mere hoof-lengths away, concealed within a bush. She growled under her breath with a scowl. "I can't believe those two idiots agreed to something so reckless like this, but Discord made it sound like it'll be interesting."
A burst of light flashed in the middle of the vicinity, earning the collective gazes of all three sirens. The energy dissipated, revealing Peter and Twilight. Sonata's expression brightened as she shared a smile with the stallion, but Aria was slow to respond, holding a wary gaze on the alicorn. Adagio gritted her teeth, stifling the urge to leap out of her hiding place to pounce on the princess.
"I'm glad you showed up," Peter lightly declared, his words seeming to ease Aria somewhat. He stepped to the side, holding his hoof to the mare next to him while holding eye contact with the sirens. "I hope you don't mind that I brought my wife. She knows who you are."
Sonata eagerly nodded, waving. "Hi, Twilight!"
Twilight furrowed her brow at the bubbly mare. "I don't believe we've met."
Sonata raised her hoof matter-of-factly. "Sure we did! Well, we did, but we didn't. Then we did again. It's kinda weird, actually."
Before anypony could question that statement, Aria hesitantly alternated her gaze between Peter and Twilight. "I thought you were coming here alone."
Peter chuckled sheepishly, raising his hooves defensively. "Don't worry. Twilight won't bite." Sobering, the stallion's expression eased into a humorless smile. "I brought Twilight because she's better at explaining things than me." Peter slowly approached Aria, causing the mare to eye him cautiously, but he softly placed a hoof over her shoulder, nodding. "I gave you my word as a knight. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."
Sonata eased between both ponies, leaning against the stallion while gazing at Aria. "Don't be so stuffy. Peter's our friend. Why would he do something mean to us now? He had plenty of better opportunities, if you think about it."
Aria exhaled. "Okay. I get it. Whatever. I trust you. It's always bad when you actually make sense." Peter and Sonata grinned, causing the mare to roll her eyes. "You two arewaytoo much alike. It's almost frightening." The stallion rejoined his wife's side, sharing a nod before facing the sirens. Aria eased into a sitting position, being careful as to not wrinkle her dress. "All right. What was so important that you wanted to talk to us in private over?"
Peter held up a hoof. "First, if I may ask, just whyareyou three here in Equestria? You were banished, right?"
Sonata quickly spoke up, blurting out an answer. "Because we wanted to come back home! Duh!"
Aria shook her head with a groan. "Just shut up, Sonata. Let me handle this." She looked back to the stallion with a stern gaze. "It's like she said. However, we were offered a way to come back here." She paused for a moment before glancing to Twilight briefly. "Discord said he could return us here if we would help him with something."
Away from the four in hiding, Adagio facehoofed hard. 'That idiot! Don't just go spilling the beans like it's no big deal!'
Twilight furrowed her brow. "What does he want? You should know that no good comes from working with him."
Aria shrugged dismissively. "We're back home, aren't we? I'm not one to break a deal just because we were given what we wanted ahead of time." She raised a hoof as Twilight opened her mouth to protest. "Don't bother asking about Discord's plan. I'm not saying anything else about it." Aria huffed. "We've shared plenty. Now, how about you start telling us why exactly it is you wanted us to come here? Clearly, you already knew that we're working with Discord."
Peter folded his hooves. "We just wanted to get the facts straight first."
Sonata's eyes softened. "Um, are we still friends?"
The stallion smiled earnestly. "Of course, Sonata."
Sonata mirrored his actions with a content smile, holding a hoof against her chest. "Thanks."
Adagio watched the stallion with an uncertain gaze, pursing her lips. 'Is he for real?'
Peter tapped his hooves together as he turned his back to the sirens. His mind struggled to piece the words together he wanted to form, but no form of subtlety could dissolve the magnitude of what he had to say. Twilight watched with a softened gaze, placing a hoof over her husband's shoulder. Peter forced a weak smile, knowing his wife's support was a bridge vital to his life's success. He had to be strong for the sake of others, but at least, he wasn't alone in doing so. With a small nod, Peter turned to face Aria and Sonata, who had remained patient and silent.
After a painful amount of time, Peter let out a desolate sigh. "Aria. Sonata. I'm so sorry. I had a feeling Discord didn't tell you this, but…" he trailed off, shaking his head before frowning. "The sirens are extinct. You two and your friend… are the only ones left."
Silence filled the air with only a breeze to compliment the stallion's words. Aria blinked, her mind slowly registering what she had just heard before letting out an uneasy laugh. "Very funny. Now seriously."
Sonata laughed walking up to the stallion and giving him a small shove. "Yeah. Don't scare us like that. That wasn't very nice, Peter."
Peter offered no verbal response, all humor having left his face minutes ago. He closed his eyes and lowered his head.
Aria's eyes widened at the stallion's melancholic response. "Wait. Youarebeing serious... aren't you?" She stared intently at Peter for what felt like eons, almost begging for this to be false, but the stallion's continued lack of a response spoke volumes, confirming the siren's worst fears. Aria clutched at her chest, wincing as she could almost feel her heart breaking.
Sonata futilely shook her head. "No, you're wrong. That can't be true. All of my friends are still out at sea. I'm going to tell them how cool that other world was." Her eyes swelled, and tears streamed down her cheeks. Sniffling, Sonata brushed a hoof over her eyes. "Theycan'tbe gone! There must be some kind of mistake! I just… can't believe it." Sonata's demeanor finally fell apart, and the siren surrendered to her emotions, sobbing uncontrollably.
Twilight's eyes softened. "I'm really sorry for your loss. Records show that it's been over three hundred years since a siren has been spotted. Research teams had even gone looking for them for confirmation, and they found nothing outside of… numerous remains."
Peter carefully knelt down by Sonata's side before placing a hoof behind her shoulder affectionately. "I just found out about this after we talked. If I'd known then what I know now, I would've told you."
Aria choked back a building sob before slamming her eyes shut. "How did it happen?"
"I think I can answer that for you," a stern yet gentle voice stated from behind. Everypony turned their collective gazes, spotting Princess Celestia walking towards them with Luna by her side. Distraught, Sonata couldn't cease her crying, but Aria managed to calm herself, giving the alicorn a wary look. Celestia returned her gaze with gentle assertion. "We finally meet."
"Why isshehere?" Aria almost snapped, turning back to Peter for an explanation.
Celestia's eyes softened at the pair of sirens. "Allow me to explain," she answered for the stallion's visible lack of response. "I've been keeping an eye on you three since your arrival here in Canterlot." She glanced off to the side towards the bush. "You can come out now. I wish to speak to all three of you."
Confused looks crossed all but Sonata, who seemed presently oblivious to the outside world, lost in her grief. However, Adagio soon walked out into the open, bringing clarity to the alicorn's words. The mare's eyes were red and puffy as she bore a scowl, joining the others. An intense glare shot to Peter caused the stallion to involuntarily take a few steps away from the group.
Turning her attention to Celestia, Adagio scowled. "What happened to them?"
Celestia's ears fell back after a short pause. "Starvation, I assume," she replied with a sigh. "Most sirens retreated to the sea following your exile, but some remained near cities and villages, spreading animosity and disdain within the inhabitants. Your kind were trying to feed off of negative emotions, but I only saw needless chaos spreading. I studied Starswirl's research and created a spell that generated barriers specifically to repel sirens away from populated areas."
Peter's eyes widened and mouth fell agape. "You cut them off from society."
Luna glanced at her sister with a bewildered expression. "That was an extreme measure you took during my exile."
Adagio nearly lost her balance from the shock of the alicorn princess' words. "I was afraid of what might've happened to the other sirens with our banishment... but this?" The mare stood in place with a stoic expression for a moment before her face slowly twisted into pure anger. "You went so far as todoomour entire species?! Why did you do this?!"
Celestia lowered her head. "Sirens preyed on innocent ponies because they were easy targets. I feared what would happen if I left things as is. Sirens would come to eventually harm ponies more than they did, and I would have to answer for it. My negligence caused me to lose my sister. I was only trying to defend Equestria. I didn't want to fail them as I did my only family."
"We were sirens, not murderers!" Adagio quickly retorted, standing defiantly against the alicorn in spite of their height differences. "They only preyed on ponies because theyhadto. We had no other choice. It took a lot of magic to feed our large forms, and ponies had by far the greatest latent abundance to tap into. Their emotions were just so powerful due to a pony's magical nature that they were simply what had worked for eons for us." She pointed a hoof directly at the alicorn princess. "You did this! Our friends and families are dead because of you!"
Princess Celestia's brow lowered as sadness filled her eyes. "I can only ask for your forgiveness, but—"
Adagio scoffed. "Shut up! The three of us are only alive because our new forms only needed a small fraction of what we required before!" She forced a laugh, taking a seat and folding her forelegs. "Your negligence did this!"
Princess Celestia was slow to respond, as if she took the siren's words to heart before nodding weakly. "Yes. What you sayistrue. I shut off my heart, and I allowed my fear to guide my actions. I am truly sorry. I cannot change what happened, but I can at least try to make amends for the past. This is why we wanted to talk. Peter has united Equestria with the changelings and devised a means for us to coexist in peace. The results have been wonderful, and we implore you to give it a chance."
Adagio snorted, snapping her glare towards the stallion. "Oh, yeah. I've heard about the Equestrian-Changeling Peace Accord. You think because you helped them that you can do the same for us? Answer me this,hero. It's easy to convert a race that feeds off of love, but how exactly can you do the same for a species that needs negative emotions to survive?"
Peter deemed no immediate response, his ears lowering shamefully. "I've been thinking about that. I don't know right now, but if you give me time, I can figure something out."
Adagio growled under her breath. "Typical. You offer sweet words, but give nothing. I'm not going to stand by and let you have your way." She pointed a hoof at the ponies around her, glaring intently. "A storm is coming, and there's nothing any of you can do to stop it! Just wait. You will all pay dearly for this, starting with you, Parker!" Turning sharply on her hoof, Adagio pulled Aria and Sonata away. "Let's go, girls. We're done here."
However, before they could depart, a magical barrier materialized into existence around the garden, glowing brightly as countless guards rushed into the vicinity. Each armor-clad stallion surrounded the sirens from every conceivable angle, cutting off any possible escape route. Adagio scowled while Aria and Sonata watched with teary gazes. Shining Armor entered the fray, his horn emitting magic, and he stopped in front of the trio, shaking his head.
"I've heard reports of a suspicious figure roaming the gardens. After what happened the last time, I wasn't about to take any chances. It seems I was right," Shining declared, sharing a glance with the guards before motioning a hoof. "I cannot allow you to leave after what you've said, and what you have threatened to do. Guards. Take them away."
Peter stood among the crowd. "All of you stand down!" Although Peter was the least imposing stallion in the vicinity, his voice reached the very core of the guards, and they all lowered their defenses, stepping away from the sirens. Peter let out a small sigh, turning his hardened gaze to his brother-in-law. "Shining. Lower the barrier and let them go."
Shining frowned, looking down to the shorter stallion. "You know I can't do that, Peter."
Peter stepped right up to the other stallion, pressing his chest against him. "Lower the barrier. I gave them my word as aknightthat no harm would come to them, and I am not going to break that oath. They are allowed to leave peacefully." A dangerous look entered the stallion's eyes. "I intend to keep that promise."
Shining paused, staring back at the stallion for several moments before the barrier surrounding the garden dissipated. "Everypony, stand down."
A lieutenant of the guard beside him gave Shining a look of confusion. "Sir, are you sure it's a good idea to let them go?"
Shining Armor glanced to the guard and let out a laugh. "Of course it's not, but..." he looked back to Peter with a proud smile. "A true knightneverforsakes his honor. What knight would I be if I were to dishonor the word of another? I could never call myself a captain, let alone a prince." Taking a step back, he looked to the sirens. "You're free to leave whenever you like. Guards. Dismissed."
Turning and exiting the vicinity, Shining gestured a wave back to Peter before disappearing into the confines of the garden. Shortly after, the surrounding guards also began to disperse, returning to their assigned posts. Peter let out a relieved sigh, sharing a glance with Twilight while Celestia nodded her approval. Adagio merely scoffed a response before taking a step forward and vanishing with a small flash of light. Aria turned, holding a saddened gaze on the stallion, but she soon offered a small, appreciative nod before fading from existence in a burst of energy.
Sonata weakly stood to her hooves, rubbing her eyes with a few sniffles. Turning to Peter, she walked up to him, hesitating for a moment before capturing the stallion into a hug. "I'm so sorry for lying to you, but this is just how it has to be. I-I'm... I'm not sure I can forgive Celestia for all those important to me having passed on like they did."
Peter returned her hug in earnest. "I'm sorry too. This could have gone better, but I understand." The stallion tightened his hold, whispering into the mare's ear. "I promise I'll find a way to help you."
Sonata parted from the stallion. She took a step back before managing a faint smile. "I'm gonna hold you to that," she said before vanishing in a flash of light.
The night sky seemed lonelier than usual, the stars offering solace for their aching hearts. Twilight placed a hoof over Peter's own before the mare brushed the top of her head against the underside of the stallion's chin affectionately. Luna reached out to Celestia, but the older alicorn only walked away in silent shame, her gaze never rising from the ground. The past had resurfaced to haunt her, however, and they could only look to the future now. Dark skies were in fact coming, a raging storm that she feared may be worse than what she had yet to see.
With heavy hearts, those remaining departed the garden. They could only hope for the best at this point.