“Ew, that thing's disgusting!”
“Sky, that is your father.” She looked at the photo again, staring in to the eyes.
“Why does he look like that?”
“That is his natural form. He is... was what is known as a human. From what he told, and showed us, they are very violent by nature. His world was ravaged by war a millennia ago, and he, by some happy chance, managed to survive it.”
“Then why is he now a pony?” Lots of questions were coming from the filly, but Flame sat there absorbing it all.
“That is the easy part. He chose to remain here with me instead of going with his own kind. It was a few months after they left that he decided to be like us, and he proposed soon after.” Luna ran a hoof over the picture, smiling fondly. “I used some magic to help him settle before he became a pony. I... looked like him. Would you like to see?”
“Yes please.” She got up and trotted in to her closet, a blue glow emerging. After a few moments she retuned, standing proud, wearing a short white dress.. Until she tried to walk and fell to the floor in a fit of giggles. “Mommy?” She looked up to see Sky with a concerned look on her face, lifting up a hand and placing it on her cheek.
“I am fine, Sapphy, it's just been a while since I walked on two legs.” She got back up and walked back into the closet, returning to normal after a blue glow. “So you see, his transition into staying was easy.”
“Mother?” Luna walked over and sat down on the couch, pulling Flame closer and motioning Sky to the other side of her. “How did you and father meet?”
“Oh, now there's a tale! Let's see... your father had been on our world for almost a week, and spent the first four days completely out of it. It was on the sixth or seven day when your foalsitters saw him. They decided he was a 'monster', and they were going to catch him. Unfortunately, it ended with him at the bottom of some stairs with a spear in his back.”
“How did he survive?”
“Me. I used the liquid healing spell on him, and he had enhanced abilities from a surgical procedure on his world. At first we didn't understand it, but magic was actually making him use his more primal instincts. And then we had our... first real meeting.”
Sky giggled at the way Luna's cheeks turned pink, and a voice from the door way made them snap their heads around. “Let's see if I remember this part correctly, it's still a little hazy. I jumped at you, we rolled along the floor, and I came back to my full senses in a position like this...” The foals had seen that look on his face before, and moved away from their mother.
“Like what exactly, Alec?” He waited until they were clear and then jumped at her, causing them to roll across the carpet. Once they finished, Luna was on her belly with Alec leaning on her back. He lowered his muzzle and slowly kissed his way up her neck, making her squirm and causing the foals to laugh. Luna rolled over and pulled him closer, their lips meeting each other by the light of a fire. She felt her wings start to unfurl, but then stopped. “Alec... the foals are still awake... and watching.”
“uh... yeah, maybe once they've gone to bed. Speaking of which, shouldn't it have bed time twenty minutes ago?”
“They wanted to wait for you, it is your turn to read to them.” He nodded and stood, walking over to the bookshelf.
“Okay then kids, what shall we have tonight?” Flame ran into his room and came out carrying a book.
“Uncle D got me this one!” Alec took it and read the title, before running out to the balcony. Luna grabbed the book in her magic, floating it over. Her cheeks resumed their blush as she read the title... Fifty Shades Of Hay.
“DISCORD, WHEN I CATCH YOU, YOU'LL WISH YOU HAD STAYED ON EARTH YOU MOTHERFUCOOOWWWW!!!”
He crept along the bottom of the castle walls, keeping to the shadows. This had taken seven years to plan, and tonight it would come to fruition. By the morning he would have what belonged to him, and the one who stole her away would lose everything he had. Pausing in the dark to let some guards pass, he spread his wings and flew up to the tower marked with a crescent moon.
Cracking open the balcony door slowly as not to wake anypony up, he made sure the coast was clear and entered. There were multiple doors to the sides, but the ones he was interested in were at the back and either side of the door marked with a shield and moon sigil. He tried the right one first, but found what was clearly a colt's room empty. Trying the other, he found a quietly snoring filly. The colt must have been in with the parents, and there was no chance in Hay he could take on two adult alicorns, let alone one.
Working quickly and silently, he bound and gagged the sleeping child. It was fortunate for him she was a heavy sleeper, as she didn't even stir when he slipped her into his saddlebag. He left via her window, not wanting to risk being seen in the main room, and took off into the night, leaving a note on the bed.
Luna was jolted from her sleep upon Alec's chest as he shot up, eyeing the room franticly, horn alight. She looked around but found nothing, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “Something's not right. I don't know what... just a feeling.”
She lay back down and gave him a tug, pulling him into his embrace. “Be still, it will pass. Flame is with Celestia, and Sky is next door. There is nothing to worry about. Come, back to sleep.” He nuzzled against her cheek and became still, but a moment later shot out of the room. Luna sighed and turned the lights on with her magic. She followed slowly but sped up when she heard a shout from the next room.
“GUARDS!” Upon entering she found Alec with a piece of paper floating in front of him, the bed empty and the window open. “Luna, what the fuck is the all about?” He sent it her way, and she took her time to read it.
To Princess Luna,
I have your daughter, and will be keeping a hold of her until my
demands are met. You are to get a divorce so that you can be with
your true love. Me. I have loved you since the dawn of time, and
will until the end. For each day that you refuse, I will sent a part
of your daughter to you. If you don't believe me, look on the balcony.
She dropped her attention from the letter to see Alec standing there holding a piece of Sky's tail to his chest. She carried on reading.
By now you can see I am serious, and have no reservations.
The next piece won't be something so simple... maybe a wing?
I await to hear the glorious news of your separation, and then she
shall be returned unharmed to her... father.
Love,
Your one true love.
“Luna, what are you not telling me?” She swallowed nervously, not having told him about this “Is... there another? How long have you been seeing him?” She remained silent, not meeting his piercing gaze. “ANSWER ME WOMAN!” She trotted over and wrapped her forelegs around his neck, sobbing quietly. She could forgive his accusations given the circumstances.
“N-n-no, there is no o-o-other. In the p-p-past two years I-i-i-i have been receiving... l-l-l-love notes from an anonymous pony. I kept them hidden, thinking they were from you, but the past few months the writer has steadily gone insane. Alec, I love you and that will never change.” By now the guards had entered, read the note, and had roused every member to search the castle and the city.
One of the Lunar guard approached, unease playing across his face. “Your majesties, I apologise for this failure. They should never have gotten this far, and I accept all blame and punishment you decree.” He bowed low to the ground, removing his helmet. By now Luna was to overcome to speak, sinking against Alec's chest, who stood there unmoving. Even though his voice was soft, they could hear the anger laced within it.
“Rise Colonel, there is nothing you could have done. Is there anything else?”
“Yes sir, I... recognised the hoof writing. Princess, do you remember the guard when you returned to us that tried to...um... well, you know...”
“You mean the one that almost raped us? I will never forget his face, why?”
“This is his writing.” She felt Alec begin to shake with anger then. First his daughter is kidnapped, and then he finds out that it was the pony that tried to rape his wife, even if it was before he knew her. He pulled away from Luna and returned to their room, she was about to follow when a small blue blur attached itself to her foreleg.
“Mommy, what's going on? Auntie Celly said Sapphy was in danger!” She bent down and nuzzled his cheek quietly reassuring him it would be fine. A pained grunt drew her attention to the master bedroom, where a furry hand gripped the door frame. The owner soon followed, flexing his fingers in to fists. Flame ran over and stood in front of... it, staring into it's eyes. “D-d-d-daddy?”
He looked down and picked the colt up, holding him to his chest. “Yes Flame. Now listen, I need you to be strong for your mother okay? She's going to need you. Can you do that for me?” Flame nodded and was squeezed once before being set down. He totted over to Luna and sat in front of her, letting her forelegs hold him close.
“Alec, what are you going to do?” He looked to the guard that had spoken to them moments before.
“I assume that you have his current address on file?” The guard nodded. Alec walked over the the storage closet and pulled out a locked trunk, using his magic to open it. He pulled out a long silver knife, holding up to his face to inspect it.
“Alec...”
“First, I'm going to find out where my daughter is. Then I'm going to make him suffer.” Luna had seen that look of determination before, and knew nothing would stop him. A guard ran in and hoofed him a piece of parchment, and then he ran to the balcony and flew away. Luna looked down as she heard a sniff.
“Cry not Flame, he will bring Sapphy home to us.”
“WHERES MY MOMMY? I WANT MY MOMMY! AND MY DADDY! TAKE ME TO THEM NOW!”
“WILL YOU SHUT UP! I CAN'T THINK CLEARLY WITH YOUR INCESSANT BAWLING!” The filly in the cell began crying, testing the stallion's patience. She couldn't go anywhere, as he had restrained her wings and put a magic blocking ring in her horn. He was beginning to think assassination would have just been easier. The crying continued and got louder, the stallion finally have enough. “FINE!! If you want to scream and shout go ahead! Nopony will hear you down here!”
He got up from the desk and made his way to the door, turning the lights off. The last little bit filtered in, and the filly's quiet voice hit his ears. “No, please don't shut me in! Please, I don't want to...” The rest of her speech was muffled by the thick door, and he turned around, leaving through another one. Who knew that two thick doors all but made the noise from his basement silent?
He ascended the steps and went to his porch, smiling as the first sun's rays crested the horizon. He could just make out the tallest tower of Canterlot Castle glistening in the morning, and he began to snicker with glee. Luna would never allow her daughter to come to harm, and by the time the sun had crossed the dessert, she would be his!
He fell silent as he heard a thud hit his roof, moving around up there. Quietly making his way back inside, he locked the door and stood near a window, watching for any sign of his visitor. There was nothing, so he began to relax. He moved back in to the hall way but stopped when he heard the door rattle, somepony attempting to enter. And then he heard a male voice. “He he, always wanted to try this... FUS RO DAH!”
The door blew off it's hinges, narrowly missing the stallion's head. Stood there framed by the sun was bipedal creature with both wing and a horn. The stallion immediately turned and ran out the back of the house, taking to the air. How could they find him so fast? Unless... one of his old squad had ratted him out! A quick glance behind him showed his follower, who was easily catching up. He pumped his wings faster, but something grabbed him by the hoof and swung him back towards the ground.
He spied an orange light behind him, but couldn't react before he entered it. Then he saw a blue light in front of him before something impacted his back, breaking bones. He fell towards the ground in pain, but was caught a few feet above it and dropped the rest of the way, hitting dirt with a pained 'oof'. He was rolled over and looked in the very face of Tartarus itself. “Where. Is. My. Daughter?”
He started to laugh, and got a kick to his stomach for it. “Y-y-you're too late! You shouldn't have f-f-follwed me!” Before anything more could be said, the house exploded in a massive ball of fire. The stallion was left alone as the other ran towards the ruins.
“SAPPHY!!!”
Down in the basement, the filly was covering her ears form the explosion. The ceiling had collapsed, and there were burning rafters all over the place, and the smoke was starting to choke her. And then she heard the shouting. “Sky Sapphire, call out to me! Come on honey, daddy's here!”
“DADDY! I'M DOWN HERE!” Something dropped through a hole, looking around. “OVER HERE DADDY!” It came closer, but it wasn't her father. “No, stay back! Leave me alone!”
“Sapphy...”
“Daddy?”
“Stay still, I'll get you out of there!” His arms came up and gripped the bars, pulling them apart. His arm came through and grabbed her, pulling her out. He held her to his chest as he flapped his wings, escaping through a hole. The ex guard continued crawling away from the ruins. Even if it didn't go to plan, he was now out of the way, and once he was healed could begin to court Luna. His fore hoof went out to grip more sand, but he looked forward to see it resting on a boot. Raising his gaze, he saw him standing in the way, the filly scowling down at him from where she rested on the shoulder. “Too late, am I? What do you think we should do with him, Sapphy?”
“Take him to mommy.”
“Sound like a good idea.” The last thing the stallion saw before the darkness came was a fist coming towards his face.