//------------------------------// // 26~Watcher // Story: The Emperor Preserves // by Centurion Pike-Wall //------------------------------// Anton cocked his head, asking, "You want me to do what?" Granny Smith replied, "Ya hard 'a hearin'? Ah just want ya and AJ ta look after Apple Bloom for a few hours." The two of them stood in front of the older mare, looking at her. "Ah thought-" "No 'buts', Applejack", Granny Smith said, firmly shaking her head. "Yer Pa is gettin' his leg checked out at the hospital, so ah need ta help Big Mac man the Cider stand." "Wouldn't we be better suited for that task?", Anton asked. "You are... well-" "Don't wanna hear another word, 'less it's a question 'bout feedin' her or somethin'. It ain't that difficult", Granny Smith said. As she finished, the firm look on her face softened, her head lowering and a heavy sigh escaping her lips. "Sorry." That caught Anton, and apparently Applejack as well, off guard. Since first meeting the old mare, he had never heard her say sorry. It appeared to be a somewhat rare occurrence with the family, given Applejack's look of surprise. Before either of them could speak up, Granny continued, "Ah wanna help out. Keep thing's movin'. Keep mah hooves busy, so ta speak. Just... just watch Apple Bloom." As the old mare trotted out the front door, both of them looked at each other. Finally, Anton shrugged and began to fiddle with the straps on his webbing. "What'cha doin'?", Applejack asked. "Do you want me going into your little sisters' room with a sword, pistol, and several explosives?", he asked. Applejack raised a hoof, her mouth opening to ask a question that never emerged. She brought it to her chin, tapping it a few times, before lowering it and shrugging. "'Spose not." +++++~+++++ "You've, uh... Handled this duty before, I take it?", Anton said, looking over the shoulder of Applejack. From a few feet back. The two of them had entered the room about two hours ago, and had since spent most of the time keeping the tiny Xeno entertained; well, Applejack did. However, at a certain point, she had begun crying. That was accompanied by a foul stench that reminded Anton of industrial runoff mixed with promethium. It wasn't too hard for the two factors to be put together, resulting in the "diaper", as Applejack called it, to be changed. "Yeah", Applejack said. "Almost... there!" She lifted her little sister up, a fresh white cloth wrapped around her rear end. "Thanks for this... thing, again. Couldn't smell a thing!" She handed the small respirator unit back to Anton, who nodded. "Right, right... Of course", he said, wiping the interior of it with a loose section of his dropsuit and slinging it back around his neck. "So... is that it?" "Well, she ain't cryin' no more, so ah'd say that's a good thing", Applejack said. The small yellow female giggled, waving pudgy little hooves around as she was held up. She intermittently made semi-coherent babbling, which Anton was only able to barely make out as basic words: things like "Yay", "Wheee", and "Up". He had to admit, the fledgling was kinda... cute. He had to resist biting himself, or stamping on his hoof. What was wrong with him? He should have left, or even done... something! But, no. Here he was, playing Arbites to a tiny Xenos. He was damned. "Wanna hold her?", Applejack asked. Anton gulped, before waving a hoof. "N-no. I'm not really... comfortable around younger things." Technically true; he had found that Applejack was particularly good at picking up on lies. "Right then", Applejack said, putting Apple Bloom back in her crib. "Well, it's almost her nap time. That'll give us a chance ta relax fer a few hours." She looked over at a cabinet next to the crib, opening up a small compartment in it. She frowned, checking another one, before saying, "Huh." "What?", Anton asked. Applejack replied, "Ah can't find her pacifier. Keep an eye on her, ah'll go look for it." With that, Applejack left the room, leaving Anton alone with the tiny Xeno. He stood up and walked over to the crib, looking over the wooden bars of the brim to study the fattened form within. She looked up at him in turn, a mouth full of tiny, blunt teeth looking up at him as she waved her hooves wildly. He lifted his head up a little bit; she had already grabbed his horn earlier, and it had taken coaxing from a stuffed "Princess" to get her to let go. "You are an energetic one", Anton said quietly. "Persistent too." She only replied with more half-formed words and babbling. "No. I suppose you wouldn't reply, would you? Even humans take time to mature. Well, 'cept maybe Kriegers. They're already born wearing gas masks and lasguns." He laughed, which drew another fit of giggles from Apple Bloom. He lowered his head slightly, giving her a proper look this time. "Hmm...", he mused to himself. Finally, he sat up a bit, sitting on his flank, and shut his eyes. "🎵Ave Imperator... Ave Imperator, upon his Golden Throne🎵", he sang, barely above a whisper. Apple Bloom stopped her giggling and squirming, looking at him with deep amber eyes. He swallowed, then continued. "🎵Though far from here, he watches. Though unmoving, he keeps on his watch. For the shield of Mankind never rests.🎵" The words seemed to flow out of him, though he hadn't heard them for a long time. He could still remember when his mother had sung this same hymn to him when he was young. "🎵So worry not, young child... of Sol. You are not without guide, master nor watcher. For the Emperor watches all, from tall to small. For the Emperor drives off all who threaten... You may sleep unburdened, for He is vigilant. You may sleep at peace, for He is ever kind. Ave Imperator. Ave Imperator, upon his Golden Throne...🎵" He sat there for what felt like an hour, eyes locked on his twisted lower form. Surely the Emperor wouldn't even bother to look upon this planet, wherever it was. He was truly forsaken, and any hope of recompense in the eyes of the Emperor were slim to none. His soul was forfeit; all he could do was hope that the Emperor would take a sacrifice so that his soul might not suffer eternally. "Woah", Applejack said, drawing him from his stupor. She walked past him, setting a small plastic object on a small table. He stood up and trotted next to her, seeing that Apple Bloom had fallen asleep, little breaths echoing up through her weak chest. "How'd ya get her ta sleep?" "Guidance", Anton said, looking sullenly at the sleeping filly. "Guidance and Faith."