(Two days later)
Dark and Cadence smiled as they looked in on the wounded and gave thanks while praying for the dead.
"Thanks for staying to look after me till I was able to get out of bed Dark, you didn't have to you know. Im sure your wives are worried about you and Aunt Luna is wondering where you are." She mentioned while they walked to the castle.
"No it's fine Cade, The Empress knows where I am and the girls know as well. Once I explained what was happening and what almost happened Luna ordered me to stay till you were fit for duty." He smiled getting a nod from Cadence who was eating the reformed friendship they had lost after so long up. Dark stopped at one of the food stands licking his lips.
"Hey Cade you want some? My treat." Dark offered getting a smile from her as she limped over to him.
"Sure and thanks Dark after everything thats happened today and the past week its good to stop and enjoy what you have." She said smiling at the merchant.
"That'll be 5 bits please." The mare said while Dark tossed her the money and walked away to the castle.
"So Dark what were you doing before all this happened." Cadence asked making him stop dead in his tracks.
"SHIT I NEED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH GILDA!" He yelled and flashed to his chambers leaving a confused princess behind.
"Who's Gilda?"
(Later that day)
Dark was waiting by the train station when he saw the griffon on his mind step off, smiling he made his way through the crowd letting her catch sight of him making his way to town. She smirked and gave chase knowing she loved the process of the hunt and he was all to happy to give her one.
All through the town they play cat and mouse till she trapped him by where the elements had set up the fair years ago.
"Now I got you Dark and you're gonna tell me why it took so long for you to- WHAA!" She was cut off when he pounced and pinned her to the ground smirking down at her.
"Dont you know a cornered animal is the most dangerous?" He asked before leaning in capturing her lips letting her claws go as she wrapped him around his broad neck and shoulders flipping them over where she was on top still engaged in a lip lock before the need of air became too much pulling back with a pop.
"Wow now that is how you make up with someone." Gilda smiled looking down at the stallion.
"I aim to please." He grinned before sitting up.
"Im so sorry Gil for not getting in touch with you earlier, I had so many things happening here it completely slipped my mind." He apologized getting a light peck on the lips from Gilda.
"Its cool Dark I forgive you, so tell me what's been going on." She replied while he layed back down while she laid on his chest listening to him tell her what happened since they parted ways.
"Wow hows the Imperium? Haven't really got a chance to see it since our battle with those ponies and boars knocking on our door." She spoke getting a sigh from him.
"A lot of first and fourth districts were heavily damaged but from what Pinkie says the repairs are going smooth. What of our other allies and what about your place?" He asked.
"Well since they got delayed in a storm we were prepared for them and beat them back with minimum casualties and damage to the city. As for the others they are fine but Glascow was heavily damaged from the attack, apparently they were attacked by griffons, boars, and ponies. They were almost overrun till Glidesdale came and relieved them." She reported while he sighed.
"Im just glad they are all ok. So did your place make it out ok?" He asked getting a groan from her.
"No some freak rock from a catapult crashed right through my home! I'm just glad I have war insurance." She smiled getting a nod from him.
"Well you know you can always crash at my place if need be in between your flights Gil." He said getting a grin from her before looking around and seeing it was dark out.
"Come on let's head inside it looks like it about to rain." He pointed out getting a nod from Gilda.
"No kiddin come on lets check in with the princess before heading to bed, besides." She replied slyly while nibbling on Darks ear.
"I want to pick up where we left off on last week." She said huskily in her before walking ahead of him swaying her hips with a smile on her face.
(Two days later)
Today was a dark day for the Imperium and for a family of 8 especially for 5 of them. Darkstar sat outside the operating waiting for any news on his family with Luna, his sister, Gilda, and Stardancer. They sat outside the operating room where his wives were in there.
Yesterday while Dark was getting ready to leave for the Imperium and their next step in this little war he got an urgent message that his family had been attacked by a assassin, while they were able to fight him off before his brother saved them killing the assassin but not before all of his wives were severely hurt and was rushed to the hospital.
Now he waited for any news and hoped that his unborn children and his wives would be fine. They had been there for a few hours while the others had been there longer when they saw the doctor come out.
"Star family?" He called out as Dark and Stardancer along with Twilight ran up to him since Solar was searching for any other threats in the capital.
"This everypony?" He asked getting a nod as he sighed.
" I am sorry to say but you lost 2 of the babies." He stated as the family broke down and he tried to console them. Darkstar wept for his and his families loss when he thought of what the doctor said.
"You said 2? So one is still alive right!?" He asked as the doctor nodded as Dark smiled a little.
"Can I see them, my wives can I see them?" He asked getting a nod and watched the stallion race down the hall with Twilight and Stardancer.
When he got to the mares rooms he could see that they had been crying and their bellies were flat again as they stared down in silence before they saw Darkstar as he ran up to them while the burst into tears and apologized while they all cried.
"Shhh, shhh, it's gonna be ok it's not your faults at all. Sssshhh." He cooed while crying himself as Vinyl joined them at some point along with Twilight and Stardancer. The family was mourning their loss as the doctor called him over.
"Sir I'm so sorry for the loss your family has suffered but there is more, due to the damage to your wives took they will never be able to bear children." He stated as Dark plopped down staring wide eyed at the doctor.
"Again I can't imagine what kind of pain you feel sir and I am so sorry for your families loss." He said before bowing to him and walking out of the room.
Dark sat there like he had just been hit in the face by a manticore.
"Darky?" Pinkie called out to him with sniffles as he looked back at her with red puffy eyes and tears running down his face making her eyes widen.
"No." She whispered as he turned back around in shock as two of his wives screamed in despair.
(2 days later)
Dark was home with his wives as they snuggled up to him with Vinyl on his chest and Pinkie on his right and Lightning on his left while Dark ran his hoof through their manes. Dark stared at the ceiling depressed from his loss and the loss to his family and it made it even more real when he saw the little colt pegasus and unicorns little bodies never able to see the fulfillment of life they should have had.
His depression slowly turned to rage as the thought of who did this came to his mind and had to force himself to calm down or he would wake up his wives. He looked over at his two poor wives robbed of a chance to ever bear a child at all leaving them feeling useless and worthless, he wanted to be here for his wives in their time of need and by the gods he was gonna be here with them every step of the way.
He left Solar in command and knew that his little brother could do his job no problem and commanded the same respect as he did on the field of battle. As he looked at his wives with sorrow he felt the only child he had left to be birthed kick making him smile a little and felt Vinyl snuggle into him more as he wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't here." He stated finally letting his mind fall into the darkness of sleep.
(6 months later)
Darkstar smiled as he walked with his wives down the main road leading to the shopping district. He was happy and he had Vinyl riding on his back since her hooves were killing her walking down the cobbled road. They were heading to get a few nice things for Pinkie since her birthday was coming up soon and he and the other girls had a plan to help her.
Ever since the loss of her child she fell deeper and deeper into depression as she looked at Vinyl and the happy look on her face carrying Darkstars child and she so badly wanted that for herself again and as a result her hair was always straight, even though they always tried to cheer her up but she would shut them out and didn't want anything to do with anyone.
Until she found Darkstar pouring over research one night in his office where he had been for the first few months after IT happened. When she asked him what he was doing he just smiled gave her a long passionate kiss that just melted her heart.
"I'm going to help you and Lightning Pinks."Was all he said. Over the next 6 months he and Twilight poured over something in their libraries.
The war with the changelings and boars were won and all that was left to do was find and bring the leaders to justice after the final battle in the boars homeland and they fled. Any and all contact about Shining Armor had been lost a month after he attacked the Crystal Empire, Darkstar was pissed to say the least at the news he was hearing.
"What in the name of tartarus do you mean that bastards missing?!!?" The poor Pegasus messenger was terrified to say the least.
" I-I-Im-m-m s-s-s-soooo sorry l-l-lord Darkstar please I only bring messages I don't know anything HONEST!"
"Just go please" The messenger flew away extremely fast almost as fast as Rainbow Dash.
Darkstar arrived at the main imperium outpost in captured former boar territory, and stormed in to meet Solar and entered the main corridor trotting up to him slowly trying to keep his frustration under control.
"A messenger told me shining armor has been missing, almost a month after the crystal empire incident correct?" Dark asked as Solar nodded.
" Its strange ,captured officers all said he was there one day and just gone the next all his possessions just laying around camp , they all assumed we captured him. When they couldn't find him they assumed we executed him. One odd thing though some changelings we captured said he felt depressed , lonely and above all he seemed to be very erratic at times he snapped at the littlest things but ignored major ones. Very strange indeed ,then he was gone ,just like that, Poof into the night."
"Our spies and agents cannot locate him?" Darkstar was amazed at this VERY few ponies could just disappear like that ,he wouldn't have expected that from Shining Armor though that's for sure.
"Im surprised to brother dark ,he was never that good at hiding , so how could he just vanish like this? Its disturbing to say the least" Darkstar nodded
"Could we find out anything at all?" He asked while Solar seemed to hesitate
"Yes ,but I don't like the information ,it makes no sense"
"What do you mean?"Darkstar asked
"The ponies or otherwise said a stallion matching shining's description has just walked into town ,fixed some things ,helped somepony with a issue or other ,buy some food or other essentials and just leave without taking credit for anything! They all say he's quiet, humble and lonely looking ,but very depressed as well .But that's not him, im confused as to what's going on here ,is he trying to throw us off?" Darkstar pondered this for a moment
"I will go after him myself" Solar was surprised at this.
"Come again?" Solar asked in disbelief as Darkstar sighed
"I'll go after him myself he must be avoiding our spies somehow ,so ill find him myself no pony is to know of this understand?"
"Yes Brother dark ,just be careful" Solar said to Darkstar before he departed a strange thought entered Darks mind ,a old foals tale. A knight who went on a pilgrimage with nothing on his back and wandered the world doing humble work to redeem himself from the things he'd done.
'Shining cannot be trying to do that can he?' He thought as he boarded a boat heading to the last location where the rumors that matched his description.