//------------------------------// // Denouement // Story: The Girokon Incident: A Living the Dream Side Story // by Corah Il Cappo //------------------------------// No banquet was eternal. Everything had an end. Everything. -Cixin Liu Twilight had just dropped Spark and Fawn off for school and settled down to read before lunch. She’d nearly finished the novel she’d started when Blueblood and Lance had first set out. She was fully engrossed in a magical duel between two mages when something tugged at her attention. It started as a small ringing in the back of her mind before it escalated into a full-scale alarm. Something had activated a magical tripwire she’d set a few days before. When she had told Blueblood that she would be the first pony on the frontlines if the gryphons crossed the border into Equestria, she hadn’t been idly boasting. Even since then, she’d been maintaining a detection spell along the northern front, just in case. Now she felt that telltale tingling that told her a line had been crossed.  It told her that something had gone horribly wrong. That her husband, Blueblood, and Equestria itself were in danger. And she couldn’t have been happier.  Putting her bookmark in place, Twilight gingerly set the book down on her nightstand and trotted down the staircase. She locked the door behind her as she stepped out into the cool autumn morning, a grin on her face and a spring in her step. She started to gallop, her hooves pounding the dirt road as her horn blazed with violet light. She blinked out of existence and reappeared on the outskirts of Ponyville, sprinting alongside a chugging train. She didn’t slow her gait even slightly, teleporting again and popping into place on the downward slope of a mountain. Magic rippled through the air around her as she came, billowing the deep snow until she kicked up a rumbling avalanche. She rushed with the oncoming torrent for a moment, then vanished again, emerging with an explosion along the stone-littered floor of a distant valley. Again and again and again she teleported, covering hundreds of miles in seconds. Twilight bounded between trees, leapt over streams, skittered across gravel paths, and hurtled up slopes as she came, the memory of what power she commanded rushing back to her with every second. For years Twilight had lifted books when she had the power to lift buildings. For years she had warmed up cold soup when she had the power to glass deserts. For years she had remained at home knowing that no lock, no door, no border could ever block her passage. She was the greatest mage of her generation and Celestia’s personal student. Blueblood was right. It had been too long since her name was on everypony’s lips. It was time she reminded Equestria who she was. Twilight burst into a snowy forest of aromatic spruce and pine with a blinding corona. She wasted no time, clobbering a gryphon with a punch so forceful she threw him back through a dozen trees. Her horn burned like a newborn star as she stood in the clearing, catching her breath. “Twilight?” Lance croaked, wiping blood from his face. “What are you doing here?!” “Saving your life.” She smiled, kissing his cheek. He winced at the tender touch. She spied Blueblood hacking and gasping for air as he rolled onto his hooves. “And yours too.” “But what if you get hurt?” Lance plead through bruised eyes. “Twilight, I can’t risk-” She shushed him with a hoof over his mouth. “I know, you can’t risk losing me. But I can’t risk losing you again either.” Twilight sent a spell out across the vast miles until she found her target. With a spark and a flash, Twilight summoned the cavalry. Frederic, Peter, and Greg appeared in the forest, blinking confusion from their eyes as they gauged the situation. “Yo, Lance.” Greg jerked a hoof towards Twilight. “Your chick is here.” “Yeah, I can see that Greg.” “Jeez, you guys look terrible.” Frederic bit his lip. “Still alive?” “Never better.” Lance made a feeble gesture to try and signal that he was fine, nearly collapsing halfway through it. Blueblood wiped his face, his eyes falling softly on Twilight. “You came.” “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Twilight beamed, helping him to his hooves. The Prince swallowed hard, blinked away what Twilight thought might be tears, and managed to smile feebly. He finally said those words he had choked himself with days ago. “I missed you.” “It’s good to be back.” She cracked the air with magic as her gaze whipped back to Richard. The gryphon had stood and glared at her with determined malice in his one good eye. Twilight met his gaze levelly. Her blade appeared, twenty-two points of indigo light that surrounded her head like a heavenly halo. “You there! You’re on Equestrian soil now! I’m giving you one last chance to back down!” “You dare to threaten me?” Richard growled, digging his claws into the bark of a listing tree. “I’ll have your head on my wall.” Twilight snorted. Her eyes shifted to Blueblood, then to Lance. The other bronies fell in alongside them, ready for one final charge. Richard threw himself at them, spittle flying from his mouth as he flew. He belched flame, and Twilight’s horn burned brighter. A counterbalance of violet fire rolled forth from her, silencing his power. Frederic and Peter rushed in, working as a duo to undo his defenses. Peter rolled over a slash and kicked the gryphon as he passed, while Frederic took advantage of his opening to bludgeon his father with a thick branch that shattered on impact. Greg finally managed to land the dropkick he’d been itching to hit with, staggering Richard as he bounced off. Lance stumbled into the fight, aiming a punch for Richard’s jaw, but the gryphon was ready for him. He caught Lance’s hoof and yanked him close, tightened his grip, and went for the eyes. Lance thrashed wildly as the gryphon’s talons worked their way toward his sockets. “Blueblood! On me!” Twilight said as she flashed her blade. Blueblood nodded, his own sword shimmering. They didn’t need to speak to understand the other’s plan. This was hardly the first time they had fought side by side at the end of all things. Twilight teleported and was beside Richard in an instant. Blueblood muttered something about her showing off as he sprinted through the slush, his foreleg biting painfully with every step. The prince and student moved like partners in a dance, their blades moving in sync as they severed Richard’s claws at each wrist. Lance kicked out of the grip, sputtering as blood that wasn’t his own splashed his coat. Richard roared with pain as he reeled back, staring at the spurting stumps where he once had hands. Blueblood gasped and staggered, trying to keep the weight off his foreleg as she supported himself with his sword. Everypony was exhausted, battered, and bloodied, except for Twilight. Richard was hurled backward with a blast of magic, skittering across the ground as he tried to stop himself with his hind legs. Twilight appeared on his left and decked him on the cheek. She blinked to his right and kicked him straight through a cluster of fir trees. Woodchips filled the air as Richard rolled through the snow. He forced himself to stand with a flap of his wings, only to glance up to see Twilight tearing up a tree by the roots with her magic. His eye shrank as she swung it like a baseball bat, crushing him with thorny branches. For the first time since he’d emerged back on earth, he felt fear. Rolling to a stop against a snowbank, Richard panted for breath. His body shrieked with pain. Blood loss made his head feel woozy. The power that sustained him was trying to repair the damage, but it was too much. His one eye fluttered as he stared up at Twilight, who leveled her blade inches from his throat. Blueblood and the bronies hobbled their way over, standing beside her and glaring at Richard with haggard faces. “I am…” He choked on the words, blood dribbling from his beak. “I am still… The king…”  Richard lifted an arm, trying to flex a phantom limb as he spit gore over his chest. “I am still…” His eyelid slid shut and his head drooped. Silence reigned supreme in the forest once more. “Is he…” Peter stammered nervously.  “He’s alive.” Frederic exhaled. “Barely.”  Twilight sheathed her blade. “It’s up to you, Fred. He’s your father after all.” Frederic levitated a broken branch, holding its sharpened end under his father’s chin. He swallowed hard, pushed the point against flesh, then blinked and retreated. “I can’t.” He spit into the snow. “After all he’s done, after all the times he’s hurt me and the people I love, he’d deserve it.” Frederic broke his makeshift spear and dropped both halves in the snow. “But I think what he wanted in the end was for me to kill him. He always thought I was weak, some sort of coward for not being the man he wanted me to be. If I kill him, if I cross that line, I’d just be following in his footsteps.” Frederic knelt beside his father, running a hoof across his feathers. “I won’t become him. I’m not that kind of man.” A cerulean glow covered Richard as Frederic wove a spell. He reattached his father’s severed talons with a touch of magic, bowed his head, and then the body slowly faded. He exhaled slowly as he stood, readjusting the now-ruined jacket Blueblood had given him. “What did you do with him?” Lance asked in a hushed voice. Frederic looked up to the sky. “Being on the moon for a few hundred years changed Luna, didn’t it? Maybe it’ll change him too.” Although Twilight could have teleported them back at any time, the party lingered in the woods until the time of day that was neither day nor night. A time when the snow seemed to swallow voices and the ochre sky sparkled with stars. A time when the moon shared the sky with the sun and the North Star dared to show its face. The fight was over. It was time to go home. ***** Patching up the diplomatic situation after the battle took a bit of time. Kleinkrieg was in shambles after losing two kings in a month, and it was obvious that the looming war was no longer feasible. Blueblood negotiated some concession payments for the damage caused, with plenty of extra thrown in for good measure. It was a hefty sum, but gold cost less than lives. Gath had assured Blueblood that tensions were dissipated for now. Word had spread of how the bronies handled themselves at the Dented Breastplate as well as before the council, plus plenty of eyewitnesses had seen them duel the king in the sky. Public opinion had shifted, with most feeling that they were perfectly fine, albeit a bit naive.  Everypony involved in the fight needed some pretty lengthy hospital stays. Aside from Twilight, of course. Blueblood and Lance had it the worst, with Lance needing some surgery to repair his broken wing. Thankfully after a few weeks in a cast, he was good as new! Blueblood was healing nicely, though he was still walking with a slight limp. The doctors said he would lose that after a month or so, but he was too busy to stay in bed and rest any longer. A post-mission party was held in Canterlot once they had all healed up. Blueblood was hesitant to allow it, but Lance talked him into allowing the rest of his brony friends to attend. He had expected maybe three or four others but found that the ballroom was so crowded with unfamiliar ponies that he could hardly breathe. Frederic and Greg were regaling a group with tales of their adventure among the gryphons, Peter was eyeing the cupcake platter with a mischievous smirk, and Lance was refilling his glass at the punchbowl. Plenty of new ponies had introduced themselves to Blueblood, though his tolerance for their antics was at an all-time low. He sighed as he rose from his seat and politely excused himself. He needed some fresh air and a stiffer drink than what this party could provide him. The prince exited the gala hall and stood out on the balcony overlooking the garden. The sharp smell of fall rose to greet him: dead leaves, distant bonfires, faint scents of Nightmare Night on the horizon. He’d taken the liberty of stashing a glass and a bottle of wine in the flowerboxes. He filled his goblet in the moonlight and raised it, watching the starlight dance with the tannins. “What’s wrong, Vlad? Not enjoying the party?” Lance leaned against the doorframe, grinning. Blueblood shrugged. “It’s fine I suppose. I just needed something a little stronger to get through the night. I don’t know how you deal with them all daily.” Lance trotted to the balustrade and hopped up to sit on it. He raised an eyebrow at Blueblood’s drink. “What’s that?” “Merlot. It’s an import from Zebrica.” Blueblood levitated the glass over to Lance. “Take a sip for yourself.” Lance sniffed it, scrunched his snout, and took a small slurp. He made a face and gagged. “Shit! You drink that for fun?” “I drink it to get drunk, but it’s nice to savor a good wine from time to time.” Blueblood took another mouthful, swished it, and swallowed. “I assume things are getting back to normal for you?” Lance shifted his arms like a scale. “Sorta. They’re as normal as they ever are for us bronies. Twilight has been really amped up since our adventure. Says she’s itching to go on another one.” “And you’re alright with that?” Blueblood mused over the rim of his glass. “You seemed pretty adamantly against her tagging along at first.” “Honestly, I guess I forgot who she was.” Lance accepted another sip of wine with a grimace. “I mean like, I forgot she can handle herself. I always want to be there for her, to protect her, y’know? But this time she was the one who protected me. Well, all of us really.” Blueblood nodded sagely. He stared out over the empty gardens below, uncertain of what he wanted to say. After all he’d gone through, the courage to speak his mind should have come easy to him. Yet still, he’d rather fight a thousand gryphons than talk openly. “Lance?” “Yeah, Vlad?” “Thank you.” Blueblood quieted himself with another drink. He mulled his thoughts, trying to decide if he should continue beyond that. The dam was already breached, so he swallowed his wine and went on. “I know I wasn’t exactly kind in my estimations of you when we first met.” “I mean,” Lance scratched the back of his neck with a chuckle. “Yeah. You were pretty bucking harsh.” “Don’t mistake this for an apology.” The prince added almost as an afterthought, a mere trifle to save face. “But I may have misjudged you, Lance Greenfield. When we first met, I thought you were childish, uneducated, and impulsive.” Lance waited for him to go on. “I wasn’t wrong,” Blueblood smirked as he downed the last of his glass. “But, you’re more than that. You were clever, brave, and saved my life more than once.” He rested his forelegs on the cool stone. “And for that, I owe you my thanks.” “Aw, c’mon man! You’re welcome!” Lance playfully punched his arm. "It's like I keep saying, this place is my home now. I'd do anything to keep it safe." "We talked once before," Blueblood stared off into the middle distance. "About becoming a better person in a new world. I don't know what kind of person you were before we met, Lance, but you're a better person than most already." Lance took the compliment in stride, puffing out his chest. “So uh… Y’know how I said Twilight was really amped up for another adventure?” Blueblood nodded. “Think we can tag along with you next time?” “Absolutely not.” “Oh, come on! I’ll bring along new bronies for you to meet! Like Seth or Zorrow!” Blueblood raised an eyebrow. “The one who tried showing me his pornography collection?” “No, that’s David.” “Is he the dog?” “Louie.” Lance kicked his legs over the balcony and clapped Blueblood on the black. “Hear me out! Let’s go to Saddle Arabia next!” “No.” “Zebrica?” “Let’s not.” “Where’s your sense of adventure, Vlad?” Blueblood sighed softly. “I think all of us have had quite enough adventure for now, thank you very much.” The prince topped off his drink, holding it under his nose for a deep breath. “But, if something comes up, you’ll be the first on my list.” “Promise?” “Promise.” Lance extended a hoof. “Brohoof on it?” Blueblood sighed and gently tapped his hoof. “Brohoof.”