//------------------------------// // Chapter two: Birth of Many Mistakes (4/24/23 Rewrite) // Story: A Vengeful Return // by Never-After-All-Readings //------------------------------// Chapter two: Birth of failure   Many generations later  On this day, the last Alicorn, the last of the original old gods, died, taking with them the hopes of a bygone generation. With his passing, the hope of returning to godhood died, as most of the new generation had never experienced what the old rambled about. While their power is great, time and age still get the best of all mortals.  The only thing the new generation cared for was the end of the war so that they may finally know an era of peace, only it would have to come at a cost few genuinely wish to pay. Some would make that sacrifice, throwing themselves into the endless battle with the pride of knowing they could make a difference in victory or defeat. Yet many, many others had no choice in the sacrifice they made, endlessly born to be thrown to the fire without care of death or life; all that mattered was the result that came from the battle they slaved their lives away for. New lands were taken, old grounds lost, a battle won, and " freedom " spread further. While some plans failed, battles were lost, chaos taking the day and spreading its poison. It was sheer numbers alone that kept the draconequus army at bay. While a single pony was weak, the herd tactic of many vs. one was more than effective on the confident chaos users. However, it was an unstable system, and the second plan that the Council of Old thought would never be used quickly became the only thing the new Council believed would save them. The vote was close, but in the end, the war's end was deemed above the morals of the damned fools that started it. The plan was put into motion, and the candidates were chosen. The foal to be born from such experiments was sure to be at the level they would need, and for the sake of all pony kind, they hoped it would be. 13 months later  "This can't be right," a deep male voice spoke as he eyed the medical paper hanging in the air by his magic. He lowered it to look at a silver-eyed, green-coated unicorn mare. The unicorn stared back without emotion, her body still as a statue, waiting for an order. The male Alicorn sighed, "Are you sure that these are right" a look of determination spreading across his face as he asked. The unicorn nodded once as she responded in an unemotional response, "Yes, sir, councilor Iron Shield, those numbers are correct; Nurse Heart said that she checked and rechecked" The unicorn seemed to fade back into the background when she finished speaking, waiting to be called on once more. Iron Shield levitated down the paper to his desk next to him as he turned to look out his room window, trying to relax his raging mind. 'two times, two times as powerful as we Predicted,' Iron Shield thought to himself, 'If the council is correct, this new alicorn could win the war itself.' The sound of an opening door drew him from his thoughts as he turned to face the new guest. A female Alicorn; had a light Blue coat with a red mane, a nurse cap on her head, and two bags on her side with red crosses. "nurse Heart," Shield greeted as she walked towards his desk with a light frown. Nurse Heart stopped in the center of the room, giving a slight bow as she observed Iron Shield in front of her. She had never seen a council member so close before. He stood tall, Even for an Alicorn of his age. He had a Black mane with small silver streaks running through it. His eyes were ice blue, and he had a stare that could get a brick wall to move out of the way if he tried hard enough. His coat, at least what you could see past the heavy full plate armor he wore, was a light sunset orange, Nurse Heart's eyes looked at the large Alicorn stallion up and down as she waited for him to Speak still in her bow. Iron Will cleared his throat and gave a hoof wave for the mare to stand; giving her a small smile, he spoke, "Nurse Heart, it is nice to make your acquaintance" He put his hoof out to gesture to a large sitting Pillow in front of the desk as he sat in the one behind His. Nurse Heart sat on the pillow, slowly getting comfortable as she spoke to Iron Shield, "Thank you, Sir, But if I may ask, what is it that you called me up here for." Iron Shield had just sat down as the nurse asked her question, to which he raised a hoof as if to push it aside for a moment. At that moment, he turned the unicorn standing off in the corner. "Hazel, could you be a dear and fetch us some tea, please" The unicorn bowed her head as she walked off and out of the room. After the unicorn mare left, he lowered his hoof and faced a somewhat quizzical Heart. "Hazel," she asked, raising an eyebrow at the council member. "When did we start naming them? They are just mindless drones, are they not." Iron Shield forced a simile as he nodded his head. "They are, but it is not as if they are not alive, be it with or without a mind. They still deserve a name." Nurse Heart blushed with embarrassment at her question. "I apologize, sir. It's sometimes hard to see them that way from how they act; it makes them seem unlife-like. "It is fine. No offense was meant, and none was taken," Iron Shield said, waving a hoof as he spoke. Hazel reentered the room at this, stopping the conversation; two cups of hot tea floated in her magic as she arranged the cup before the two alicorns bowing her head as She did. "Will that be all, sir?" she asked emotionlessly. Iron Shield nodded as he took a Sip of tea before speaking, "Yes, that will be all; take an hour to freshen up Hazel, then find Celly and Lulu. I am sure they are causing trouble somewhere." "As you wish, Sir," Hazel replied before exiting the room again. As soon as the door closed, Iron Shield turned to nurse heart, giving her a stern glare. "Now it's on to more serious matters" His voice was deep as he spoke; long gone was the peacefulness that had a place. "How is the child, and where is he now." Nurse Heart almost wanted to run from the cold blue eyes dug into her as the question was asked, instead she hid behind the teacup in her magic as she responded, "The child is fine, while the birth could have gone better for both. It was by no means a bad one" she stopped to take a sip of her tea. Trying to get a feel for what the council member was thinking. When she got no response, she continued, "The mother had it a little worse but is in stable condition." Iron Shield let out a small sigh, a frown forming as he took a large sip of tea. "That's what I was afraid of," He said, putting his teacup down as his eyes and mind drifted. "indulge me for a moment if you would, Nurse Heart, But do have a mate by chance" The question was sudden but didn't go answered by the alicorn mare. "I do, Sir, Sargent. Silver Lining," she replied carefully but truthfully to the question, an eyebrow raised as she did Iron Shield nodded in approval. "Yes, I have heard of him, a fine, young promising lad" He let a genuine smile escape from his professional mask before pulling it back in. "tell me, where is he stationed now." "The front lines of the dragon Kingdom, sir," replied the nurse "That's quite the dangerous position, fighting off the dragons, and very far from our peaceful capital" Iron Shield moved his tea Cup aside as he put his hooves down on his desk. "Sounds to me like it must be tough on the both of you." Nurse Heart looked at the floor solemnly, trying to push back against the sadness that crept up in her at those words and for anger to grace her for only a second as she spoke, "If you don't mind my asking, Sir, what does this have to do with anything." Iron Shield let the mare finish speaking before putting on a forced smile. "Well, as it so happens, I need some help with a project'' He stopped for a moment to let the mare drink in what he said, "and the payment for the help could be very beneficial for the both of you." Iron Shield leaned back as he tapped a hoof to his chin. "Say a transfer to the council guard and a glowing promotion to the head nurse of the councilors' medical wing in the capital." He watched as Heart's face went through a rainbow of emotions, surprise, fear, surprise again, happiness, then lastly, determination. She eyed him slightly as she aired the following question carefully, forcing herself into a calm state. "What... what is it that needs to be done." The answer to her question was opening a desk drawer and removing a crystal no larger than a golf ball. Iron Shield placed it on the desk between them, eyeing it just like the mare across from him was. He looked closely, watching as the insides went from multi-colored plaid to a rainbow of colors not even visible to any living being. Somehow, the interiors grew larger than the container, warping the space around it. The mare recoiled away, trying to find her words, "Is.... is that a..." She was cut off as Iron Sheild spoke over her Panicked voice. "It is," he said, his face displeased at looking at it. "A small yield Chaos magic bomb not big or strong enough to kill a fully powered alicorn, But say a mother weakened by birthing and caring for a foal, this would be a death sentence." Iron Shield eyed the nurse as he spoke, trying his damndest to give the message, lucky for him, the nurse was no idiot. Her mind caught on to his words, thinking carefully, "Why, if I may ask, and what of the child." Iron Sheild eyed her respectfully as he responded, "Sadly, she must die for Council plans to move along, and to answer your second question, we need the child alive. The only problem is that he must be there for his mother's death. He will be in her embrace; she WILL protect him over herself." He stopped talking momentarily to gesture at the medical document from earlier. "And as you and I both know, he has the power to Survive unaffected, traumatized, but physically unaffected." Iron Shield set the hook and cast it; now he needed only wait, and he didn't have to wait long as nurse heart took the orb. "All I have to do is kill her, and I get to have my Silver back," She asks in an almost giddy tone. Iron nodded as he stood and helped direct the mare to leave and do the task she was called to do. "Yes, now go. Time is of the essence." Nurse Heart nodded in agreement as she took the Chaos bomb and quickly walked out the door. Only a second later did Iron call upon his magic as a shadowy unicorn rose from his shadow, glowing red eyes, eager for a job. "Go follow her. Make sure the task is completed; make sure that nurse heart dies in that blast; I need her dead." The shadow nodded before disappearing under the door in a wisp of smoke. Iron Shield, with his magic, watched through his shadow's eyes as it made its way to the mother's room, following the nurse. Iron Shield was pulled from his thoughts as his shadow entered the room with the nurse. He thought as he watched; it had to be this way. It must look like an attack from the draconequus for the second plan ever to work, which requires great sacrifices. In the back of the room lay two alicorns, one a large mare of sky-blue fur and purple mane. While the second was a dark orange colt feeding off his mother for the first time, A mane of purple sat on his head and tail.  The curiosity of the new ponies walking in the room made him stop feeding and open his eyes to look. They were ice blue and full of nothing but love and innocence. Such innocence did nothing to stop the following events that played out like a stop motion picture in Iron Shields's mind. 1. the activation and throwing of the chaos bomb 2. the forming of a magical dagger and the slashing of the nurse's neck. Her lifeless defenseless body fell to the floor almost instantly 3. The alicorn mother wrapping herself around her foal before the detention of the bomb 4. detonation, screams, and a lost connection to the shadow It was with a gasp and a stager that Iron was thrown back into his own body, now hearing and feeling the events happening down the hall from him. He managed to stand Straight once more, making his way to his desk. His mind was blank with what had just happened; death was a tragedy in any form, but sacrificing the lives of two alicorns for one was a high price, even for this plan. Iron Shield sat in his chair, opened the file on his desk, and sorted through the files until she came across the one he was looking for. A picture of both Silver Lining and Nurse Heart, they had been tired be the project before this birth, but now they were both just loose ends to clean up. Even in death, they still have a role to play; Nurse Heart Magik should benefit the young foal being dug out of the explosion; now, all he had to do was play his part. He drew out an ink bottle, quill, and paper and then wrote. 'to one silver lining, tis with utmost apologies that I write to you....