Night Patrol 2 chapter 74
The battle was over. The combined Nippon and Evernight forces cheered as the last Alicorn was put down, and they waited for the return of their leaders, Luna, and Sixes. They waited. And waited.
Yet, the two did not return from the dark pit.
Then strange lights flew across the sky, restoring the destroyed land to a pristine green pasture. They took that as a good sign and hoped for their leader’s safe return. In the meantime, they began rescue efforts. Looking for civilians and tending to the wounded.
It was what Luna and Sixes would want.
Day’s past. And then days became weeks.
They began to worry if perhaps Luna and Sixes died in the battle, never to return. To keep order, Essex was made Leader of Night Patrol and custodian of Evernight. As she was Sixes’s sister and entitled to the throne with no apparent heirs.
Essex, to keep herself busy, accepted. Burying herself in her work to not think of the loss of her husband, Lucky Shamrock.
Three weeks after the battle, she would discover she was pregnant. The joyous event was soured by the fact the child’s father was already gone.
Essex reclused herself from the others for the day, foisting her responsibilities onto Gloves and Fleetfoot to ponder her future at Lucky’s grave. He was one of the few that got their own graves. Any pony they didn’t find a body for was written up on a wall.
Not the Night Patrol memorial wall, but the Canterlot wall. It was located about a mile from the hole that was once Mount Canterlot. The entire area is a grassy valley. In lu of making millions of graves, they made a memorial wall instead.
What choice did they have?
They never found a single residence of Canterlot. Not even after a month.
Enough of other ponies’ problems. Essex has been dealing with those enough. Now she needed to focus on herself.
“Hi… Lucky,” Essex awkwardly said to the stone that bore her husband’s name. “It’s me, again. But I’m a day early, a few days actually.” Essex laughed pitifully. She usually visited every seven days. “So… I’m gonna cut to the chase. We have a child! Yay… but they won’t have a father, Uncle, or Aunt. We still haven’t found Sixes and Luna. We’re still looking, but… well… nothing changed since last week.”
The stone remained silent, but Essex imagined, perhaps a sign of her slipping sanity. What his reply would be. Something like, don’t worry, they’ll be fine! Something like that. And then he’d take a swig of ale and laugh.
“So, you’re probably wondering why I am here. Well, don’t be mad, but I’m considering. Only Considering! Getting remarried. There won’t be another pony like you anywhere, but our child will need a father. Or some sort of father figure. For a time, I hoped Sixes could have been a substitute as an uncle, but… well… I’ll come out and say it, Highlander offered to fill that role. He didn’t offer to marry me, but I thought it wasn’t fair to offer so much without anything in return. I don’t know. Maybe I’m foolish?”
Once more, the stone was quiet, and she couldn’t imagine his voice because she had no idea what Lucky would say.
“I’m… just… so alone. Your gone, Sixes is gone, Luna is gone. Oh, Oberon is dead too. I just found out from Obara not long ago. I guess Clydesdale is a mess right now. So, I can’t even go there to getaway. I’m tired of being Lady Essex already.”
Sighing, Essex poured some ale onto the headstone, gave a prayer to whatever gods were left, and departed. Her heart troubled, but her mind calm. She had time to think, nothing needed to be decided today.
“Oh, right,” she said, turning around, her smile strained. “We never got to talk about this in length, but I’m thinking of naming our child, Sinead if it’s a filly, or Fergus if it’s a colt. What do you think?”
She laughed as if hearing a joke before crying.
“I guess that’s a good one too….”
“Hey, Jazz, you ok there?” Applejack hollered from the ground floor of the barn. “You don’t need to strain yourself.”
“I’m fine!” Jazz replied, kicking down five bales of straw. “This is nothin’ ya know?”
Jazz drove her point home by gliding down with her metal wings. “See? Easy peasy!”
“Alright, if ya say so.”
Jazz felt her stomach sour at her cousin’s babying. Both her and Applejack were possessed by Gaia, yet she was being treated like a porcelain doll.
Retiring from Night Patrol put a strange thought in her family’s mind that something was wrong with her. Like she was injured beyond repair. Physically she was fine, but mentally something was wrong. It wasn’t hard to see.
Of course, Jazz knew what was wrong. It was easy to figure out. She lost too many friends. Seeing all the graves and the names added to the Wall. She remembered seeing it happen when she was a filly, but many of the ponies added at the time were ones she didn’t know. Or know well.
It was different when Topaz, Jockey, Octane, Smokey, and many others were up there. To not hear their voices in the halls, to see their rooms empty, was too hard.
She tried to go on as if nothing was wrong, but that only got her through the first few weeks. When Essex found her crying alone in her room, the black rinin used her supreme authority to order Jazz to take some leave time.
Ironic considering all Essex was going through, but Jazz had no way of rebuking her. It was too important to have a stable figure, and for better or worse, Essex was that figure. No pony wanted to step up, so she had to bear the burden.
Jazz readily agreed to the leave to not cause Essex any more trouble.
So, she came out to the farm.
It was awkward living here at first, but once she got into the daily routine of chores, picking apples, and teaching Applebloom some things behind AJ’s back. Such as fighting. She found herself at peace. After a month of peaceful country living with her family, Jazz sent in her resignation form. Something Essex had slipped into her luggage, perhaps hoping she would do just that.
Things were so peaceful.
Until Big Macintosh announced, he’d be getting married and moving out. That caused a stir, but Jazz chose to keep her distance on the matter. Having been from a time where males moving out wasn’t only the standard, it was expected.
From her point of view, Mac should have five mares and a slew of kids. But that way of thinking was a thousand years outdated. So, she kept them to herself.
That said, it did bring up the idea of what she should be doing with her life. She could stay and help with the farm until Applejack or Applebloom marry or travel around a bit. Honestly, seeing the world like Nightingale seemed appealing.
She’d have to think about it more. For now, her place was here.
Trifecta was sweating bullets between the two mares on either side of him. His wife Wiess, the exiled Noble from Germane, and Twilight Sparkle, his other wife. Legally they weren’t married yet. They were waiting on some pending paperwork.
Today they were in Ponyville concerning the matter.
How had he managed to get two mares where herding was on the outs in this day and age? Well, it was less about love and more like a responsibility.
He’d promised Wiess’s brother to take care of his sister. Even with things settling down, Weiss still wasn’t welcomed back home in Germane. And might never be. Her homeland was in a state of upheaval because of the war, then the worldwide monster invasion, and then the cherry on top.
Kaiser Hades died.
In a stroke of diplomatic luck, he died in front of his daughter, Titania, and her trusted aid, Zeppelin. He apparently expired after performing some sort of alchemy on Sixes and Luna. The process sapping his life energy. Or so the official report said.
Trifecta would have thought the Germanians wouldn’t be accepting of that explanation. Still, the words of Titania, followed by her quick ascension to Kaiserin was enough to keep the nation together.
Still, things weren’t stable, and when there was uncertainly and a fresh new leader, there are usually power grabs. Which are generally followed by political purges. So Wiess was safer here with him.
A letter from her brother even encouraged her to stay and just forget about her homeland. Not the most encouraging message, but Wiess accepted it.
Trifecta was more surprised he had a mailing address.
So that was Wiess’s situation, and she seemed happy enough to go through with the marriage, and he agreed out of attraction and obligation.
And then there was Twilight.
Things were complicated between them. She was racked with guilt over killing Jockey and scarred from their battle. Platinum fashioned the unicorn a prosthetic leg and helped her through physical therapy.
There were still more treatments, but Twilight was able to walk outside of the hospital now. So that was positive. Her only positive since the end of the battle.
Besides her disfigurement, Twilight received the worst news possible when she woke up four days after the end of the battle.
Her entire family was declared missing and then later pronounced dead like every other Canterlot residence. The whole city was just gone! There was nothing to look for, even though they did look. Some were lucky to have been out of town, like Thrice’s family.
Trifecta had never been so happy that most of Thrice’s family left Canterlot for Evernight. Seeing little Thrice coming out of the Evernight Academy bunker had brought him to tears.
So that was some sunshine for him, but the rain kept pouring for Twilight.
Not only were her parents declared dead, but so was her brother, Princess Cadence, and then to really hammer the despair, Celestia was officially declared dead. Luna was still listed as missing, but the point was, Twilight was in a tough spot.
Making things very awkward when he introduced Wiess to her and tried explaining her situation. He was set on not breaking her heart on top of everything, not like they had officially been dating, but they were close. So, he wanted to be honest with her and not string her along.
And then Wiess said Twilight should stay with them! Not that he was opposed to the idea. Twilight was all but on suicide watch or had been, but the offer just took Trifecta by surprise. He really questioned if the two could get along.
After a few weeks of living together, he and Wiess officially got engaged, and then Wiess suggested that Twilight form a herd with them. She made a compelling argument. Telling Twilight that she shouldn’t be alone and that they could start a new family even if hers was gone.
Once more, Trifecta was taken aback. Not sure it would work or be appropriate. Given the situation, Twilight only said she’d think about it and then agreed only a few days ago.
That’s why they were in Ponyville today, two months since that fateful battle. Twilight had two conditions before she’d join his herd. One was he had to get all her Ponyville friends’ blessings. They were the only family she had left, really, but he also thought she was using it as a convenient reason to reconnect with them.
Not that was a bad thing. Twilight’s friends were happy to see her again and glad she found a pony to be with from their reactions. Apparently, this was a considerable concern behind the scenes for a while, especially after seeing her scars.
Trifecta could understand this. It took a real pony, like Bulwark, to accept a scarred mare. It was a rare breed to get past superficial things like that. He wanted to be like that, so he promised to do his best to each of them.
The second condition was they had to go visit the Canterlot Memorial wall with her. That was the other reason they were in Ponyville. The train wasn’t fixed, but Platinum retrofitted some train cars with offroad wheels so a tank could pull them across the grassy plains.
After purchasing their tickets, the three of them were on their way out to what had been Mount Canterlot, home of the Alicorns, now Canterlot Valley, the resting place of the Alicorns.
Many wondered how the valley was made, and the public was told it was a scar from the battle.
Trifecta and few others knew the truth, though he wasn’t sure how it was found out, but Kira apparently made the trench and destroyed Canterlot. For the sake of their diplomatic relations with Nippon, it was a secret that would never be made public.
He wasn’t even allowed to tell Twilight. Trifecta vowed that it would be the only secret he’d keep from her.
“Attention Passengers, we are ten minutes from the Wall. Please consult your dictionary to find out where your loved ones are posted.” The Driver announced over the intercom.
Trifecta tuned out the announcement, already having the names he wanted to find written down. So, he chose to stare out the window at the tall grass covering the plains between Canterlot Valley and Ponyville.
The grass was almost as tall as the windows, which sat about six feet off the ground. It was a literal sea of green that could swallow a pony into a natural labyrinth. Only the path of the tank offered any hope of navigating the green sea as it was called.
From what he heard, it was terrific the land recovered so fast. From the reports, ash-covered the ground like snow, there had been little, if any, hope of recovery. A strange green patch was created by some Alirin, but that was only a few acres.
And then a rainbow light shot across the sky and restored the land. This apparently happened all over the world. Deserts became prairies, wastelands became forests, rivers were cleaned of filth, etc., miracles like that happened everywhere.
Trifecta wondered what caused the environment to shift when they stopped.
“Now disembarking, please leave the cars in an orderly fashion, and allow returning passengers to board. The transport will be back in three hours, so please keep an eye on the time. As a public service announcement, please do not attempt to get home on foot. The Green Sea is not safe. Have a nice day!”
Together he and the two mares exited with everypony else onto the platform. Once again, the wonders of using magic for physical labor were put on display before them. What was more impressive was how they managed to find so much marble for the Memorial Wall.
Shuffling through the crowd, Trifecta left Wiess and Twilight at a bench to read the directory. Sure, enough those with a family name under S were located a mile or more north.
The specific layout for the Canterlot Memorial Wall was in alphabetical order. With the service center and visitor depo located in the middle. No motor, magic, or other self-propelled vehicles were allowed to keep the facility serene beyond the gates.
For the disabled, there was a cart service. Lucky for the pony’s pulling, everything was flat and ground level. No stairs or hills, so it was an easy pull.
The sight was free to visit, with a free-will donation box located at the entrance. After double-checking the location of Twilight’s family, Trifecta dropped a hefty thirty bits into the box.
“Let’s get going. It’s a bit of a walk.” He said to the two mares. Twilight nodded quietly while Wiess patted the younger mare on the back. Trifecta wasn’t sure if they were bonding or not, but Twilight clung close to Wiess. Who was being incredibly supportive?
“Hey.” He whispered into the Germane mare’s ear. “What did you talk about?”
“Mare talk, don’t worry about it.”
Trifecta cocked a brow but let the matter go, taking the lead to show them the way as quickly as possible.
As they walked, they all marveled at the artistry of the Wall; it was more than just names written on stone. There were ornate carvings of a pony of valor, regular citizens, and of course, Celestia. To not overcrowd the Wall with the sun princess, the artists were encouraged to depict a famous pony sharing the first letter of their name of each section.
The Wall was still in early development, so there were plenty of blank spots to fill.
Awkwardly, when they passed the M section, they saw a half-finished carving of Cadence. Since her full name was Mi Amore Cadenza, she got placed in M. He wondered if that was her last name or first but kept quiet. It wasn’t essential to know. He patted Twilight on the shoulder as they passed the image of her Sister-in-law and moved on, Twilight stealing a look back at the immortal visage of Cadence.
The artist depicted Cadence with a fierce expression. Trifecta thought it was suitable, but Twilight’s face said otherwise.
“Don’t like it?”
“No… I just… don’t think that’s what Cadence would have wanted. It seems too… angry. I guess it just doesn’t say Alicorn of Love to me.”
He really didn’t know what to say to that, so he only patted her again and got an annoyed look from Wiess. Was she telling him to say more? What? What should he say? What could he say?
“You know the truth. That’s enough,” Trifecta was spitballing, but he got a smile from Twilight, so he called that a win.
They continued in silence, reaching the S section. And wouldn’t you know it? Shining Armor was being carved for this one. Twilight stood staring at her brother’s carved face, her eyes glossed over.
“Twilight, Dear?” Wiess shook the lavender unicorn with concern. “Let’s keep going.”
“Yeah,” Twilight mumbled, clearly holding back tears. “Let’s.”
Trifecta trailed behind the two feeling bad, for not feeling any strong emotions. It’s not that he felt nothing, but losing so many friends made him numb to death. He couldn’t get overly worked up over his closest friend’s passing, let alone ponies he hardly knew. Yes, he’s met Twilight’s family and mourned their tragic end but couldn’t feel the genuine loss like she did. He wasn’t that close with them.
“Here we are,” Wiess announced, shaking him from his miserable musings. There carved neatly on the clean white marble was Twilight’s family. Twilight Velvet, her mother, Night Light her father, Shining Armor her brother, and Cadence, her sister-in-law.
As far as Trifecta knew, Twilight didn’t have any aunts or uncles or cousins. Making her the last of her family.
He and Wiess stood back, letting Twilight process her thoughts and emotions. It didn’t matter if the transport left in three hours. They’d camp here for days if they needed to.
“Hi… mom… dad… Big Brother… Cadence…” Twilight said, her voice cracking. In the corner of her tear-filled eyes, she saw Trifecta and Wiess step away to give her space. A gesture she appreciated. “I wish you had your own headstones. I want to get you some, but they’re expensive, and the demand is high. I’m sure you know why. I’m thinking of making them myself. Trifecta… has a plot of land squared away for his retirement, so I can put you there, then I can visit every day.”
Twilight tried to smile, but it was strained, and her tears hid any genuine happiness. Not that she had any right now. “I know… you’re probably worried about me. Especially you, mom, dad. I was never a catch, especially now. Too into books, and then too distant to even keep ties with my friends after joining Night Patrol. I thought I had a higher calling, like I had to do something. I wanted to be useful to Princess Celestia… but I was used against her instead.”
She took a long pause as if she was breaking the news to them. “Princess Celestia is dead. I’m sure… you all knew that before I did. I’m the last living member of our family. And I’m not sure what I should do with the rest of my life. I’m thinking of retiring from Night Patrol. I guess I should tell you that Trifecta is engaged, and his fiancé invited me to be part of their herd. I’m not sure how I feel about it or how you would. I’m strongly considering it, but I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do.”
Twilight took a deep breath, fiercely wiping away her tears. “I wanted to tell you, even that your gone, I’m not alone. Trifecta and Wiess are looking out for me, and they helped me reconnect with my friends. I kinda forced them too. I was too afraid to do it myself, but baby steps. I guess what I’m trying to say is, you don’t have to worry, I know you will, but know I… I’ll be alright. I promise I won’t see you until I’m an old nag.”
Twilight walked over to Trifecta and Wiess, taking the Rinin’s left flank while Wiess took his right. She gave a half-smile to the other mare, who smiled broadly back.
“We can bring you here anytime, dear.”
“Thanks… Wiess…”
“You can call me sister… if you want.”
Twilight smiled, “I’ll think about it….”
Together the trio walked towards an uncertain but hopefully peaceful future. Passing by many others walking similar paths.
“Is that Trifecta?” Hazel asked Ruby as the red rinin pushed her along the marble platform.
“I think it is…with two mares. Want to go talk to them?”
Hazel shook her head, “Nah, he’s doing his thing. We’re doing ours.”
Today the two were visiting the Wall. Not that they had any pony listed here. Commander Topaz, Smokey Haze, Jockey, and High Octane were all recorded and memorialized in the Night Patrol cemetery. So, they had little reason to come all the way out here other than to see the endless green sea of grass that claimed the battlefield after the war.
Ruby came out with some scars, but they were nothing compared to her fellow monster pony, Hazel Thunder. Confined to a wheelchair until her body healed enough to endure the prosthetic surgery. It irked Hazel that ponies like Twilight got their new metal limbs so quickly. Apparently, having four of her six legs taken from her made the surgery much more dangerous, and the demand was high. A lot of ponies lost legs and more in the battle. At least Hazel still had her middle legs, not that she could walk with them.
It fucking sucked!
That’s why Ruby took her out here, to give her some fresh air away from the castle, where she all but planted herself at Platinum’s door.
Besides the wave of ponies needing metal legs skyrocketing after the war, there was one more reason it was taking so long. Platinum was nursing her newborn and enduring all the hardships that come with a new foal.
Luckily, she still had her loving lug of a husband, Bulwark, to help. Though Bulwark was immobile himself. Ibaraki hacked off his left foreleg and right hindleg. If not for his generous heart of wanting others to get their prosthetics first. Platinum would be busy trying to engineer limbs strong enough to support the behemoth.
“It’s a nice view, but this grass is so tall. Think about all the bodies still hiding in it.”
“I’d rather not,” Hazel replied sourly. “I’m glad they recovered Commander Topaz. I know every pony deserves a fitting send-off, but….”
“It’s alright,” Ruby assured her. “We all have our bias. So where do you want to go next?”
“Platinum said it would be a month,” Hazel sighed, staring longly at the sky. “So why not head south to Appaloosa? I hear they’re having a big festival down there. Lots of food and music. It sounds like a fun time.”
“There’s an upcoming singer down there too, Some Apple’s wife. She’s purple in color, I think, but she apparently sings really good.” Ruby nodded, “Yeah, let’s go.”
Spitfire mindlessly sat at Fury’s desk sorting his paperwork, or maybe it was hers now? Did she get promoted? There wasn’t a big presentation if she did. Essex just took her aside, told her to sort through Fury’s stuff, and she’s been here since.
So maybe she did get promoted.
Well, even if she did, she wasn’t going to make a fuss about it. There was enough stuff going on. Her demanding a Commander’s emblem so soon was unnecessary. It’s not like she really wanted to be sitting here, swamped with paperwork, again!
“Maybe I should make a little fuss….” She mumbled, scribbling her signature across another document. Spitfire doubted she could stand being desk-bound again. Then again, Fury hardly stayed at his desk, so she’ll see how things played out from here. Given enough time, she’ll probably get the job by default.
“You sure left a mess!” She scolded the picture of Fury she kept on her desk. “You had a filing cabinet! But it was empty! WHY! There are months of mission backlogs in the trash that were never sent in! How did this get past the audit!”
Screaming at her dead lover’s profile did little to relieve her work stress, but even pretending to talk to Fury helped. It was all she had. Unlike every other mare, she didn’t get impregnated before her mate’s passing.
As far as she knew, but there haven’t been any signs, so far, Spitfire was expecting.
“Need some coffee, Spit?”
“Thanks, Fleetfoot,” Spitfire all but pushed over her desk to get the offered cup of jo. Tentatively sipping the peppermint cream mixed mud. Yes, she put in cream now. No longer did she take it black. Why?
Life was bitter enough.
“How are things with you? Gloves take that promotion, or is he retiring too?”
Fleetfoot adjusted the sling around her body, so her baby Gauntlet was on her other shoulder. The baby proceeded to swat at his mother’s long braid.
“Oh, he’s going back and forth. He’s still in bad shape from the battle and going through rehab. But Essex really wants him to take up a Commander role. At least until things settle down.
Spitfire nodded between sips, observing her long-time friend and how things have changed. Or not changed regarding herself. Fleetfoot was the picture of a mother, baby in a harness, with a well-maintained mane. She was even wearing makeup.
Meanwhile, she was over here, still sporting a military cut, single, childless, and probably going to stay that way. And she was ok with that. She loved Fury. Enough that she didn’t want to find another lover.
So, she’d make the sacrifice, so her friend could live a happier life.
“If Gloves isn’t up for it, not saying he can’t do it, there’s Goodnight, but I would be willing to make a recommendation. I’m sure after everything… you all want to be together more.”
Fleetfoot blushed, “Yes, he’s been so affectionate that we might have another foal before this one’s even two. But you don’t need to do that, Spitfire. Other ponies can fill the role. Like Goodnight, Bulwark, or even Ruby Blaze. You should go live your life too.”
Spitfire smiled, setting her cup down on the desk, and picked up her officer’s cap. “Thank you, but I’m doing what I want already. You can head home early. I’ll wrap things up here for the night and come help watch the kids, so you and Gloves can have some peace.”
“Spitfire…” Fleetfoot closed her eyes, smiling graciously. “Thank you. Tonight we’re having steamed potatoes.”
“I’ll be there. Your cooking is so good now!”
“Implying it wasn’t good before?”
“Fleetfoot, you used to order nothing but take out from the bar.”
“So did you!”
Spitfire chuckled, patting her fuming friend on the head, “Yeah, and now I get to eat your homemade wife cooking without even buying a ring. I say I won.”
“If that’s the way you feel, we could always form a herd.”
“Nah, I’m good being a godparent for Goodnight and Sweet Dreams’…. which one was it again?”
“Good Morning. Next month is his birthday.”
“Right, I’ll remember a present this time, I promise.”
“Just don’t give him a wing-blade like last time. Save it for when he’s fourteen. He’s turning six, by the way.”
“Right,” Spitfire saluted while kicking a box with the said object under her desk. “I’ll see you at supper.”
“Bye, Spits.”
“Bye…” Spitfire waved, the door closing with a lonely squeak. Seeing her friend mothering and being happy gave her the recharge she needed to keep working. Supper wasn’t for another two hours; she could get another pile done by then!
“I’m going to work hard, Fury, for all their sakes.”
Kiri stood on the balcony staring at Kira’s old castle. Well, that’s what he thought he was looking at. He wasn’t completely blinded by Hassan’s attack, but he might as well be. His vision was so blurry, it only served to remind him of what he’s lost.
He’s tried every remedy. Dipping his face in the healing springs, corrective lens, magic glasses, and surgery. It seems he wasn’t merely cut but cursed. The curse was so powerful and ancient that no Miko or healer could remove it.
Currently, his family was contacting Saddle Arabia to try and find some means to heal him, but he’s kept his hopes in check. Rather than bear with the blurry world, he chose to cover his eyes completely. The darkness was a strange comfort.
It was in this darkness; he discovered another means to see. He was embarrassed to admit he hadn’t thought of it. It was something he used all too often.
His electrical aura.
Using his magic, he could extend his senses using an altered version of his electrical mist to see a rough outline of the world. It wasn’t perfect, but better than a blurry mess of colors. He’s become so adept at using his aura to see, he soon noticed the differences in the pony closest to him.
Or rather, he finally admitted what he already knew.
His ‘wife’ wasn’t his wife. She sounded like Kaki, felt like Kaki, and even acted like her, but Kiri noticed the differences over time. The way she talked, how she drank her tea, and how she played in bed. All the little things added up.
The big giveaway was her heartbeat. It was slightly different than before, but the big thing was his ‘wife’ was constantly lying.
“Sakura,” He said, causing a stir from the bed behind him. He could hear the startled tone in her gasp and the increase in her heart’s rhythm. He could also hear the second beat inside her belly. “We should visit her grave.”
‘Kaki’ sighed without knowing, but perhaps she already suspected he knew. One day, they would have to either acknowledge the truth or keep going until the lie was the truth. Kiri didn’t know which he preferred. Wanting to keep the lie going. To pretend the pony in his bed was really his wife.
Kaki got up and stood at his side, their claws intertwine. She kissed his cheek. He wasn’t revolted by the gesture or angry. He just squeezed her claw tighter, “I love you.” He told her.
It wasn’t a lie.
“I… love you too.” She replied.
That also wasn’t a lie.
Essex yawned loudly, not caring if any pony heard her. There was no pony else around anyway. Not on Sixes and Luna’s floor of the castle. It was a little lonely having the whole place to herself, for now.
She ate in their kitchen, slept in the guest room, and lounged around as if it was her own home. It might as well be her place now, but she wasn’t going to impose on their private bedroom until she knew for sure they were dead. A weird principle, but really, she just didn’t want to touch their most personal items.
So here she was, laying on the elegant sofa with a bowl of crisp fries and watching the gem projector play a book for her. It was like watching a movie, but better because the book is always better.
Tonight, she was watching something called the Legend of the Goblin Slayer, a tale of a heroic pony who made it his life’s mission to slay all goblins. Where he slew many, many goblins and somehow accidentally formed a herd?
This was volume 11.
Anyway, after being the pony in charge all day, Essex just wanted to relax and take her mind off everything. Work, the fact her husband was dead, and she had a child on the way. For one hour, she just wanted to not deal with any of it, for just an hour.
Pausing the projector, Essex went to get some chocolate mint ice cream and a bottle of ketchup. Back on the couch, her frozen treat in claw, she slathered an insane amount of ketchup as a topping.
She always thought this kind of thing was a trope, but here she was.
A third of the way through her Projected Book, Essex fell asleep, her bowl half-eaten on the coffee table, her body sprawled across the couch.
At one thirty-five in the morning, she stirred awake, dehydrated from her snack bender. When she sat up, a blanket fell off her to the floor. Confused, she picked up the comforter looking around the room for any pony.
The front door was still locked, and there were anti-teleportation runes in the walls with alarms on the balcony doors. This was a Royal Suite, so there were layers upon layers of defenses.
Only two ponies had the knowledge to disarm them all.
Essex suddenly bolted to her feet, spotting a faint blue light from under the door to Sixes and Luna’s room. She ran full sprint, nearly flinging the heavy oak from its hinges!
“Sixes, Luna!” She cried out with tears of joy, but all she saw was the last spiral of a vortex fade into the full-length mirror.
Did she dare to hope? Or was she simply dreaming and not realize it yet? To disprove the latter, she tugged hard on her cheek and felt the pain. So, this was real. At least she hoped it was.
Standing before the lifeless mirror, Essex looked down to see a note. Picking it up, she read it, and her tears fell harder, but she smiled genuinely.
Relief and joy flooding her body, Essex laid down on the master bed with the letter close to her heart and fell into a deep and restful slumber.