//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 
// Story: After Discord 
// by Faindragon 
//------------------------------//

I arrived at my room in time, Honey had not been there yet. I looked out of the window from my room, and I saw Honey trotting in the street towards The Black Stable. I quickly laid down in the bed, pretending to sleep. She would be very disappointed if she did not get the opportunity to wake me, and I had disappointed her enough today. 

As I laid there, waiting and looking into the wall, did I rethink the events that had taken place during this morning. My mind was not clear, I could not solve the puzzle. Instead, I just laid there, wondering how it would go, how I should proceed with this. How I should proceed with the cleansing of Trotholm. I felt surprisingly awake, as if I had been asleep during that nightmare. My mind was not clear, but my body was awake.

My thoughts was interrupted by the sound of the door slowly opening. I laid still, slowed my beating heart, slowed my breathing. I heard the sound of small hooves hitting the floor, only seconds before I was hit by them myself.

“Wake up daddy, the sun has reached its peak.” Honey said as she jumped on me. “Get up lazy daddy!”

I rolled over. Caught my daughter between my hooves.
“I am awake, Honey. Take it easy before you break the bed.” I smiled at her. “So, where do you want to go? You decide!”

Honey jumped down from me, and the bed, onto the floor.
“I... I... I don’t know daddy.”

She sat down, a grump expression on her face.
“Its not fair, I thought you would choose as always! I wasn’t prepared for this.” she said, glaring sourly at me.

I laughed as I got up from the bed.
“Are you sure you don’t know anywhere you want to go, Honey? We have the docks, the market, the castle square. Anywhere you want to go today. I will let you decide, so take away that grumpy face.” 

Honey shone up, her smile shinning as Celestia’s celestial eye.
“I want to see the gardens!” Honey said, the smile still wide on her muzzle.

Of course she would say the gardens, the only place where there would be more guards than towns people. I smiled towards her.
“I said you would decide where we would go today, but are you sure about the gardens? Are you really interested in that, is the market not funnier?”

She looked at me, smiling.
“You told me I would be the one to decide, and I decide the gardens!” she said as she jumped up at my back, snuggling herself down at my neck. “Let us go daddy, I want to see the gardens.”

I sighed.
“The gardens it is my little filly.”

I felt her hoof hitting the back of my head lightly.
“I’m not a filly! I’m a big pony!”

I smiled as I started to walk, picking up the saddlebags on the way.
“Nah, you are not that big of a pony yet, you are still my filly.”


*^*


The gardens of Trotholm was positioned nearly in the middle of the city. It were beautiful gardens with flower arrangements, rippling water and big trees that threw it shadows over it all. For a lot of ponies was it relaxing to slowly trot around in these gardens.

For me was it a living hell. 

Guards trotted the gardens, looking at everypony they passed with hard looks. In here they where in control, at least eight other guards were always in shouting range. 

For Honey, however, was this the best time in her life. She trotted in full speed from flower arrangement to flower arrangement. Blue flowers, yellow flowers, pink flowers... she smelled every flower at least once. It was a hard time for me to walk in those gardens but I tried to not show anything outwards, I walked there with a smile on my muzzle and eyes on Honey. 

She looked so happy and full of life where she stood with her muzzle in a flower arrangement, smelling a flower as pale yellow as her self.

I genuinely smiled. This might not have been as bad idea as I had thought from the start.

Honey trotted away again, trotting towards one of the water passages. She looked down in the crystal clear water that rippled as it flowed through the garden. I smiled at her as I trotted towards her. A couple of guards passed me, I greeted them happily. They greeted me in return before they kept going down the way in the gardens.

‘This day might end up as a really good day’ I thought to myself as I continued trotting towards Honey. 

The water was clear and threw its twisted reflection of me and Honey, as well as the trees behind us and the sky above us. Celestia’s eye shone down upon us, warmed us with its grace. It was a beautiful time this late Celestial hour. And most importantly, I spent it with my daughter, with my little filly. 

I turned my head slightly, looked at her as she slowly reached down a hoof towards the water. She quickly withdrew the hoof from the cold water.
“Its so cold...” she said, her eyes still fixed at the water.

“Is it, sweetie?” I asked as I lowered my hoof into the water. It was really cold.

“Yes it really is,” she said as she turned towards her.

I acted swiftly, drew up the hoof and with it a cascade of water, all of it hitting Honey. She looked at me, here eyes wide in shock. It only took a second before she regained her composure. Her hoof was quickly down in the water.
“IT... IS...ON” she nearly yelled as she brought up her hoof from the water, splashing me with ice cold water.


*^* 


An hour later had we made our way out of the gardens, the water from our little water fight had dried under the grace from Celestia’s eye. Honey jumped around my legs, she was happy.

And if she is happy then I’m happy.


*^*


We sat at the biggest of the seven piers in the port of Trotholm. I was happy that I had spent the day with Honey, who now lay asleep on my back, worn out after today’s fun. I smiled gently as I trotted back through Trotholm, making my way back towards The Black Stable; Honey’s body warmth warming my back.


*^*


I entered The Black Stable. Some patrons had found their way here this evening, a few of them greeting me as I walked in. I nodded towards them, still smiling. 

Carrotrose, a grey earth pony with pale amber eyes,  greeted me from behind the bar counter. 
“Good afternoon,” her eyes went to the sleepy Honey. “Aww, is the little sweetie asleep? Do you want me to take her to the room? I think you are about to be late for whatever you do at night.” 

I smiled at Carrotrose.
“If you don’t mind Carrotrose,” I looked out of the window, I still had enough time to get to tonight’s meditation. “I might not return tonight, if she wakes up tell her that it is a long time at work would you?”

She smiled at me as she trotted around the counter, gently placing Honey on her own back.
“Of course I will tell her that. And take care, I heard the guards have started to arrest people who are walking the streets after the night has come.”

I turned around, trotting out of the common room.
“Thank you Carrotrose, I will remember to be careful.”

I emerged from The Black Stable, the chilling wind of the late Celestia hour rushing through my coat and mane. I smiled, wondering how tonight’s events would play out. I knew that no matter what happened to me, Honey would be in good hooves.

I slowly started to walk towards the guard tower, my mind was sharper than it had been in a long time, my body more relaxed than it had been for weeks. It was as if I had slept the entire day instead of spending it with my daughter.


*^*


I smiled lightly as I got closer to the guard towers. The guards had been changed, this time was it four pegasi that stood guard. They seemed to have gotten the knowledge that I would arrive since they moved out of the way directly as I walked towards them.

Lightheart smiled at me as I entered the guard tower.
“Welcome back friend. I will need you to stay for a minute or two after today’s meditation if you do not mind.”

I nodded towards him, he had after all let me pass for the last years every night, no matter what the blockade was or on who’s order the blockade had come from. I owed him as much for letting me pass every day.

Celestia’s grace shone down on me as I made my way toward the top of the tower. Today had been one of the best days in a long time.