To Earn One’s Wings
Chapter 10: Night Troubles
“You still up?”
Thunderbolt looked up. Magnum was standing in the door to the living room. He was rubbing his eyes while trying to suppress a yawn.
“Yeah, just…” Thunderbolt suppressed a yawn of his own. “Just having some trouble sleeping.”
Magnum entered the room and closed the door behind him. “Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“Fine.” Magnum crossed the room and opened the door of the liquor cabinet. “Want something to drink instead?”
“Yeah. Thanks, Mags.”
“No problem. In the mood for anything specific?”
“Nah. You choose.”
Thunderbolt heard the clinking of bottles before Magnum placed a bottle of amber liquid on the table in front of him.
“What is this?”
Magnum put two glasses on the table. “Some sort of apple brandy the Apple family’s been experimenting with. I think it’s supposed to be Calvados, but because of some sort of legal issue they can’t actually call it that.”
“I see.”
Silence filled the room as Magnum poured the alcohol into the glasses. Thunderbolt licked his lips. He started tapping a hoof against his seat. He bit his lip.
“It’s just.” Thunderbolt sighed. “It’s just… I feel like if I’d done something different I could have saved them.”
Magnum sat down next to Thunderbolt. “Saved who?”
“The squad. My squad. The one that went on that mission right before I left the service. The one where your wife… where your wife...” Thunderbolt trailed off, the words getting caught in his throat. It was like acid coming up from his stomach. He took a swig of the brandy to wash it down. The alcohol burned as it went down. An aftertaste of apples lingered on his tongue.
“Where my wife died?”
“Yeah. That one.”
“Look, my wife’s dead. You can’t change that. Neither of us can. Don’t… don’t beat yourself up about it.”
“Still, I can’t help but feel that I got her killed.”
“Stop beating yourself up over it. You can’t change anything now and even if you could… you don’t know how it would change things.”
“Doesn’t change how I feel.”
Magnum sighed. “You know that mare with the blackboard around her neck?”
“Yeah. Her name’s Snowflake, right?”
Magnum nodded. “I found her a couple of months after the Guard told me about my wife’s death. After you dropped off the face of the earth. Back then I was still being deployed. There was a hostage situation with some terrorists from Griffonstone. They were hiding out in an abandoned building complex near the border. We deployed as fast as we could, but it still took us a week to get to them. Negotiations broke down almost immediately. We went in, captured six of the terrorists and killed three. In a backroom, we found… we found the hostages. It seems like they captured a class of foals who were out on a field trip. Snowflake was their teacher. Thank God the foals where unharmed, but Snowflake… they cut out her tongue and…” Magnum took a swig of brandy. “God only knows what they did to her.”
“What happened to the terrorists?”
“Celestia made some sort of deal with Griffonstone’s council of Elders. The surviving terrorists were handed over to the Elders. They voted on a punishment. The terrorists were executed. The griffons made it a public event. I attended. I think I wanted to make sure to confirm that they're dead.”
“I see.” Thunderbolt was quiet for a moment. “Why are you telling me this story?”
“Because after everything I couldn’t help but think that if we were faster, we could have prevented all of the shit that Snowflake went through. I kept thinking that if we had identified those pieces of shit that did all of this earlier, we could have prevented the whole mess from happening. I just kept thinking that if I had done something differently something would change and all of that could have been prevented.”
“How did you deal with that feeling?”
“It just took time, I suppose. And prayer.” Magnum drained his glass of Brandy. “Lots of prayer.”
“Prayer huh? I haven’t been good with that in a while.”
“It’s not always easy and I can’t guarantee that you’ll always feel better, but it helps.”
“Maybe. Some part of me just keeps wondering why God would allow it.”
“To preserve our free will maybe? Without the option to be evil, we can’t actually be good, can we?”
“That’s not… That’s not a satisfying answer. It doesn’t solve the problem, does it?”
“I don’t have a better answer for you Sparks. Not sure that there is a satisfying answer.”
“Me neither.”
The room got quiet. Thunderbolt nursed the glass of brandy between his hooves.
“Hey, Sparks.”
“Yeah.”
“Think you could tell me about Flare’s last mission?”
Thunderbolt squeezed his eyes shut and groaned. “You have access to the After Action Reports. Can’t you read it there?”
“I don’t want to read some dry military report. They just seem so impersonal. That’s why I’m asking you.”
“I don’t like remembering it.”
“I just want some closure. Maybe it’ll help you too.”
Thunderbolt licked his lips. Maybe it’ll help you too. He drained his glass and put it on the table. “Fine. I’ll tell the story, but only if you fill that glass back up.”
Magnum smiled. “I can definitely do that.”
“We were sent out to scout a cave where some bandits were reportedly hiding out. People had been going missing in the area. Captain Flare found fresh blood near the cave entrance. She sent Firefly back to the main force with a message and told us to prepare for combat.”
Chitin was awoken by a series of murmurs and groans. She rubbed her eyes and yawned as she scanned the room for the sound. She saw the closet on the far side of the room. Next to it was the door. It creaked as it swung slightly ajar. Next Chitin’s eyes drifted onto other bed in the room. It was on the opposite end of the window that hung over the beds. On it was the shadowy bulge if a sleeping pony. The moonlight spilling in from the window illuminated the golden face and auburn mane of the bed’s occupant. The mare’s name was Aurum if Chitin remembered correctly. Chitin narrowed her eyes at her. Aurum’s eyes were squeezed shut. Her snout twitched as she murmured something. Chitin could’ve sworn that she had heard the word ‘daddy’, but that would be impossible. What sort of grown mare dreams about her father? Chitin slid out of the bed while keeping an eye on Aurum. It was like an inky black cloud of fear had formed around the sleeping pony. Chitin slinked over to the bed and nudged Aurum in the shoulder. All she earned was a soft groan. Chitin nudged again, a bit harder this time. Still no response. She lifted her hooves and prepared to start shaking Aurum when another murmur slipped from her lips.
“No… Daddy…please…”
It sounded pleading, almost desperate. Chitin grabbed Aurum’s shoulders and started shaking her like a foal shaking a can of soft drink.
“Come on, come on,” she muttered. “Wake up.”
Aurum’s eyes snapped open. The violet orbs darted around their sockets like a squirrel in a saucepan and a distracted “wha” drifted from her mouth. Chitin gave a relieved sigh and sat down on the bed.
“You looked like you were having a bad dream. What was it about?”
“It was about my dad.” Aurum squeezed her pillow like it was a stuffed bear. “About the day he died.”
“What happened to him?”
“They said it was a mining accident.” Aurum didn’t make eye contact. She just stared into space.
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks, but it happened a long time ago. I was just a foal when it happened.”
“What was he like?”
“Who? My dad? He was strong. And he always had a smile on his face, but he never let us get away with anything. I remember this one time when my brother got into the neighbour’s apple orchard…”
As Aurum talked a rosy glow seemed to appear around her and a soft satisfied smile grew on Chitin’s lips.
Celestia breathed a sigh of relief as she closed the door to her bedroom. She cocked her head side to side in an attempt to work the kinks out of her neck.
“Long day?” a gravelly voice asked. It belonged to a black-coated Unicorn stallion laying on the modest four-poster bed with a thick book in his hooves.
“Very,” Celestia answered as she shuffled to the bed. “But it was our little girl that made me so tired. Who knew she would need that many lullabies to fall asleep,” she sighed as she fell face-first onto the bed, wings and mane splayed around her. She looked up at the stallion. “And your day, dear?”
“Same old, same old,” he answered with a distracted hoof wave. “Guard duty, drills, nothing out of the ordinary.”
Celestia narrowed her eyes at the stallion. “Is something wrong dear?” she asked gently. “You seem a bit distracted.”
“What?” the stallion asked in confusion. “No, I’m fine. What makes you say that?”
“I can see the tension in your neck, dear,” she answered flippantly. “And you’ve pulled a random book from the library to distract you from whatever is distracting you from everything else.” She squinted at the book’s spine. “I didn’t think that you liked the 50 Bales of Hay.” Celestia giggled. “Honestly, dear, we’ve been married for 10 years. I would be a horrible wife if I didn’t notice if something was bothering you.”
“Well, you have had a lot of practice,” the stallion said snidely. He regretted the words before they properly left his mouth. Celestia frowned in anger. It was like a surly raincloud had been put in front of the sun. “I’m sorry,” the stallion started to apologize. “I didn’t mean it like-”
“No, no, you’re right.” Celestia cut him off, her voice low and threatening. “I’ve had other husbands. And not all of them were good,” She lifted herself off of the bed, revealing a long thin scar on her chest that was usually hidden beneath her golden regalia. “I have had a lot of practice being a wife. And it is because of that practice that I’m going to ask you again,” she breathed deeply. “Platemail, dear, please tell me what’s bothering you?”
“It’s noth-” Platemail started to evade the question.
“If you tell me that it is nothing you will be spending the night in the barracks with your fellow guards,” Celestia threatened. Platemail could see by the look in her eyes that she was not making an idle threat.
“Fine,” he snorted. “I’ll tell you, but it really is stupid. A couple of days ago some stallion came to the guard post. He was bandaged head to hoof and wore a black cloak. Gave me a really uneasy feeling,” he shuddered. “So he started mouthing off about you and how you just married me to, how did he put it, ‘scratch an itch’,” Celestia raised an eyebrow. “See what I told you. It’s stupid. Naturally, I had him thrown out, but the possibility of it being true just kept niggling at the back of my head and-” he was silenced by a kiss from Celestia.
“Dear,” she laughed. “If I just wanted to ‘scratch an itch’ there are easier ways than to marry a stallion and raising a child with him.”
“Yeah,” Platemail chuckled. “You could just reply to one of those letters propositioning you.”
Celestia grimaced. “How many today?”
“142, according to Kibitz,” Platemail answered, pointing to the small desk in the bedroom. On it was a small pile of letters. “Those are the important letters. Honestly, I don’t know how that stallion does it. He makes your schedules, does most of the administration and sorts your mail. If he weren’t here the country would fall apart.”
Celestia nodded glumly, her ears drooping. With a sigh, she stood up and dragged herself over to the desk. “How important do you think those letters are?” she complained. “Nothing to it, but to do it, I suppose. You can go to sleep dear, I just need to sort through the mail.”
Most of the mail turned out to be things that she could deal with in the morning. There was one trade proposal that needed to be redirected to the Royal Negotiators and a proposal from some prince in Saddle Arabia that slipped past Kibitz’s keen eye. Celestia glared at the letter as if she could simply will it, and its sender, out of existence. She sighed because reality decided that she was not able to do that, and tossed the letter into the fireplace. Celestia lit her horn and with a magical spark and ignited the contents of the fireplace. With the fireplace now merrily crackling away Celestia turned to the last letter on her desk.
The letter was bright blue and looked more like a brochure than anything else. The page was littered with pictures of hot springs in between text promising relaxation and healing for her soul. Celestia raised an eyebrow before allowing a coy smile to grow on her lips.
“Dear,” she said in a seductive whisper. Platemail looked up from his book and raised an eyebrow of his own. “You remember how we were planning a diplomatic visit to Neighpon?”
“You mentioned something like that, yes…” Platemail said cautiously.
“We have received an invitation for the opening of a new bathhouse. Apparently it has the Emperor’s approval.”
“Sounds fun,” he said with a smile. “I’m sure Solar Ray will love it too.”
“Our little sunshine,” Celestia said, trotting toward her husband with swaying hips. “Will be spending the week with her grandmother. It will be you alone in the land of the rising sun with the mare who raises the sun.”
“Don’t you have things to do here?” Platemail asked with a smirk, already predicting Celestia’s answer.
“Oh, I’m sure Kibitz and Luna will figure something out,” she whispered into his ear, her breath hot on his ear. “Now, how about a preview of what Neighpon holds?”
“When I got to the mouth of the cave, there was a platoon of getting ready to head into the cave. At least I assume that they were. I collapsed right as I saw them.” Thunderbolt took a sip of liquor. “I woke up about a week later in an army clinic the next town over. Firefly was next to the bed. She told me… she told me that the brass seemed hesitant to send troops to support us.” He chuckled. “She actually accused them of stalling. They kept hiding behind arguments of ignorance, saying that they couldn’t move in without more information. That’s why we get sent in right? To gather that information and if we don’t return, you send a recovery force, right?” Thunderbolt waved a hoof dismissively. “Whatever, after about a week Firefly convinced some of the officers that enough was enough and that we needed a rescue. They were about to head into the cave when I collapsed half-dead at their feet.”
“She say anything else? She say anything about Flare? What happened to my wife, Sparks?”
“Firefly said that they found The Captain’s body just inside the entrance, right after the cave started widening into a large cavern. She said that the Captain’s throat was punctured by something and that the wound was fresh, but they couldn’t save her.”
“And you? Firefly said that the wounds were fresh. Did you see Flare during your escape?”
“I don’t know. There was a fight. The details are hazy. Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. I just… don’t remember. Sorry Mags.”
Magnum lifted his glass in Thunderbolt’s direction. “Don’t worry about it. I just wish we could have gotten the body back.”
“Wait, you didn’t get the body?”
“Nah. Some of the brass insist that they still need it for research or something. They’re really vague about it.”
Thunderbolt raised his eyebrows. “Huh...”
Magnum waved his hoof dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. It’s my problem. I’ll deal with it. Now there’s just one more thing that I want to know about.” A wicked grin grew on his face and he threw a sly glance at Thunderbolt. “What’s the deal with that mare you’re travelling with?”
Thunderbolt choked on his drink. “Rosie? What about her?”
“Ignoring the nickname; how’s she involved in all this? Where does she fit in?”
“I told you. Celestia wants us to keep her safe.”
“Really? A pretty mare like her? She hasn’t caught your eye at all?”
“What do you want me to say? I find her attractive? Yeah, but right now I have a job to do. If by some fucking miracle we survive, yeah, I might ask her out for a coffee or something, but right now… I don’t think it’s the right time.”
Magnum shrugged. “Your choice. I wouldn’t sit on my hooves for too long though. Like my dad used to say if there’s a chance to get close to a pretty mare a stallion should seize the opportunity.”
“Like you did with that mare that popped in unannounced? What was her name? Chitin?”
“Oh, go soak your head. A child needs a mother. And an empty bed is a horrible thing to get used to. So I got back into the dating game. We met at the bowling alley and get along pretty well. I just didn’t want her to meet Eclipse before I had a clear idea that the relationship was going somewhere. And I’ve told her that her mother is gone.”
“You haven’t told her that Flare’s dead yet?”
“Yeah. I was never quite sure how to broach the subject. She thinks that Flare’s on an assignment far away.” Magnum looked at Thunderbolt with a conspiratorial smile. “Don’t let her find out you worked with Flare. She’s going to bombard you with questions you might not know the answers to.”
Thunderbolt chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He put his glass to his lips and drained the last of the amber liquid inside. “Now let’s get some shut-eye. We have a long day ahead tomorrow.”
“Roger that.” Magnum lifted his glass in a salute, downed the contents and slammed the glass onto the table.