The crowds lining the street cheered as Luna and I, both carrying Equestrian flags in front of us, marched toward Canterlot Castle, decked out in our full armor. There were some changes, such as more spikes on the helmet to make us more intimidating, which I didn't really care for, but hey, today was for my ponies. Legions of our soldiers marched behind us in perfect formation. A victory parade. A stupid formality to let our ponies know that we had won. I'd become good enough in controlling my emotions that at first glance my beaming smile was totally believable. I knew Luna well enough to know that her smile was just as fake as mine.
What a stupid freaking war. Just... so much death and destruction for nothing, really. Sure, Purgle was dead, leaving a decently united new nation behind him, but did we need to get through so much bloodshed for that? That was tens of thousands of ponies that we'd never get back, not to mention the minotaurs, griffins, zebras, Saddle Arabians, buffalo and Diamond Dogs that were killed or permanently disabled.
I pushed those thoughts aside and kept smiling at my subjects to let them know that everything was okay now. We'd won. No one would come into our nation to destroy us.
Behind us, thousands of veterans marched, smiled, and waved at the civilians. A small float with a few dozen wounded veterans was being magically moved down the street. I have to say, I was rather grateful to the soldiers who had joined us. It made the parade feel real, like we'd actually accomplished something of note. It drove home the joy of actually winning the war.
I wondered how many smiles were as fake as mine and Luna's.
The spires of Canterlot Castle appeared before me, and I focused all of my attention on the castle itself. Just gotta make it there. Make it there, say a few words, then collapse next to my wife. Hug my daughter. Forget about all of this for even a few hours, if I could. Part of me hoped that there wouldn't be a huge crowd around the palace; that ponies would see their loved ones in the crowd and they'd all be distracted that way. I'd heard a few ponies run up to their loved ones and, I could only presume that they wrapped them in crushing hugs. Let them. The war was over. The draftees and volunteers didn't need to be soldiers anymore. They could try to find some way back to the way things had been before. At least, as close as they could manage. Things would never truly go back to they way they were before.
Unfortunately for me, the crowds lining the street only seemed to get bigger the closer we got to the palace. I really hoped that they wouldn't demand some big speech from us. Given that I was a bit more of a public figure than Luna, I had to be the one to give the speech to our subjects. Like the press conference I made at the start of the war, I envision this being placed in the history books. Every word immortalized for future generations to read and study.
I hated when I had to do that.
We reached the doors of Canterlot Castle, which were open with Celestia awaiting us with a dozen guards surrounding her. Nymeria rested contentedly on her back as she reached out a hoof to me. Her wings spread and she tried to fly over to me, but Celestia kept her close with her magic. She wasn't the best flyer quite yet, and we didn't want her to get hurt on today of all days. I reached my wife and we exchanged a happy nuzzle.
"We did it. Somehow."
"Indeed we did, Antares." Celestia let out a relieved sigh. "We're almost done. The worst has passed."
"Though there is still much to do to help our ponies recover from the war," Luna pointed out.
"If there's one thing I've learned about our ponies, it's that they are stronger than we give them credit for," I said. "But yeah, cleanup from the war isn't going to be fun."
"We'll talk about all of that later," Celestia said. "Right now you have a speech to make."
"Right. Then I'm going to get into bed and pull the covers over my head so that I don't have to exist for a little while."
"Oh, I'll join you," Celestia said happily.
"Sounds like a plan. Auntie Luna gets foalsitting duties."
Luna rolled her eyes, but I could see the first traces of a smirk tugging at her lips. "Very well. You two relax. I shall spend some quality time with my niece."
"Delightful. For now..." I stuck my tongue out. "Let's go talk to our subjects."
The four of us entered the castle and made our way up to the balcony where we always gave our public speeches. The guards followed us, of course, which did feel a little weird to me. I mean, the war was over, right? We were safe. We'd captured almost all of the Nightmare Weapons. Things could... I dunno, go back to the way they were.
Right. Just keep telling yourself that, Antares. Maybe eventually it will be true.
Celestia, Luna, Nymeria and I reached the balcony and looked down on the massive crowd of ponies The parade formation had completely broken up, leaving a giant mass of ponies beneath us. I smiled when I saw soldiers with their forelegs around loved ones, or with foals parched on their backs. I needed to see as many reunited families as I possibly could. Too many had been broken forever.
The din of the crowd quieted down for a few moments when ponies started noticing that us alicorns had shown up, but it didn't take long for them to start cheering. We all smiled and waved, as befitting our station, but after a minute or two, I raised my hoof to silence them. The crowd went silent, which somehow made me more aware of the tens of thousands of pony eyes focused solely on me. I faltered for a brief moment. I hoped that Cadance was having more luck in the Crystal Empire. After a few deep breaths, I cast an amplification spell on myself.
"Mares and gentlecolts. I thank you for being here today to celebrate our resounding victory over the tyrant Purgle and his minotaur forces. Never again shall he threaten our great nation!" The crowd began cheering again, and I let them run out of steam before continuing. "Our nation has gone through a crucible, one that I knew our country would emerge from stronger than ever. I never doubted it for a moment. Let this victory show our enemies that peacefulness is not to be mistaken for weakness. That our nation will rise up and protect itself against any who would seek to do it harm. No madman shall ever mistake us for a weak nation again. We have faced the largest army in the history of the world and beaten it back. No more shall we endure the horrors of war. Our sons and our daughters, our husbands and wives, our mothers and our fathers, they have come home for good!"
The crowd cheered once more as ponies in the audience began hugging their surviving loved ones. It brought a smile to my face. Still...
Once the cheering died down, I began speaking again. "However, not everypony who went off came home. We lost almost sixty thousand ponies to that madman, on top of the zebras, buffalo, Saddle Arabians and Crystal Ponies who died fighting. We must never forget their sacrifice. We must never forget what they did for all of us. So now, I ask for exactly one minute of silence to honor all of those who gave their lives to protect us."
Whatever crowd noise there was during my speech instantly went away as each and every pony went silent. We didn't even hear birds chirping as we honored the fallen soldiers. Most ponies had bowed their heads, but I could see tears from a few of those who hadn't. I made a note to do this every year at this time. Equestria's Veteran's Day. I didn't think that any of my fellow rulers would object.
After exactly sixty seconds, I raised my hoof and smiled at my subjects. "I thank you all. Purgle is no more. We have peace. We have emerged from this stronger than ever. Thank you."
The crowd burst into another deafening cheer as my fellow alicorns and I smiled and waved for a few moments. Even Nymeria smiled from Celestia's back, though she was smiling at me. Her daddy was home, after all. I lifted her off of her mother's back with my magic and nuzzled her.
"Daddy's home," I whispered. "I'm not going to leave you again. I promise." Nymeria cooed and booped me on the nose. I laughed and brought her close for another nuzzle before walking away from the balcony to find somewhere a bit more private to be with my wife and daughter. Somewhere I didn't have thousands of ponies listening to my every word. I made my way to a side room with Luna and Celestia following. Celestia draped a wing over my back and wrapped the other one over Nymeria. I leaned my head against Celestia and closed my eyes.
"It's over. Part of me can't believe it."
"The combat is over. For now we can rest."
"Yeah, I know it's not totally over." I stuck out my tongue, which Nymeria laughed at and mimicked. "So, when are the meetings with Kathyrine and Grorim?"
"In the next week or so," Celestia said. "Kathyrine first in a few days, then Grorim a few days after that." Celestia flattens her ears. "And that is on top of all of the ponies asking about their loved ones during court. I have already received several ponies asking about their missing family or friends."
Great. That I was not looking forward to. I'd just gotten away from the battlefields, and now I needed to come back and have ponies talk about the family and friends who had died around me... Not my idea of a good time.
"We'll think about all of that later," I said. "For now, let's just rest."
"Agreed, Antares," Luna said. "Agreed."
* * * *
Three days later found Celestia and I walking through the halls of Kathyrine's palace. Each guard we passed looked at us with suspicion, or even outright hostility, something our guards were more than happy to return. We kept it civil, though. We weren't here to cause any conflict. At least, nothing that would lead to some shouting match and declaration of war. Even with our new weapons, the griffins would cause some serious problems if we started fighting. Stuff like Gatling Guns and tanks are at their best against ground forces.
Having said that, I think Kathyrine wanted a war with us about as much as we wanted one with her.
The double doors to Kathyrine's throne room opened, and we were allowed inside. Kathyrine sat on her throne before us as we walked in, which I admit was an odd thing to see. The first time I ever met her, she was crying out that she didn't want to be empress. Now she was sitting on the throne after a fair amount of bloodshed. One thing was for certain: Griffonia would never be the same again, especially if the destruction of the clans stuck. I admit that we were hoping it would.
"Empress Kathyrine," Celestia said, tilting her head to Kathyrine. "It is a pleasure to see you."
"Yeah good to see you too, I guess." She gave Celestia an obviously forced smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "And how is your daughter?"
"She is doing quite well, thank you," I said. "She's a very happy filly."
"That's good to hear. So, um... what's up?" Kathyrine instantly let out an almost inaudible growl and closed her eyes while mouthing "what's up?" She took a deep breath and looked back at us. "I, uh... I mean, how can I help you today?"
Celestia allowed herself a faintly amused smile before speaking. "We have come to make sure that peace endures between our new nations. I know that a... change in leadership of the nature your country just endured can be rather tumultuous. When your father ruled, there were several trade agreements between our nations that were cut off when Cromwell took to the throne. We would like to reinstate those."
Kathyrine slowly nodded. "Oh, yeah, that sounds good. So, I guess our trade ministers should talk or something?"
"Sounds good to me," I replied. "We'll send over the paperwork for all of that so you can look it over and tell us if there's anything you don't like or want to improve."
"Yeah. Good. I'll do that."
I smirked a little bit. "You have a lot of paperwork lately, don't you?"
Kathyrine groaned and facepalmed. "Yeah. I didn't think there were that many pieces of paper in the world. I could fill books with all of the crap I have to deal with." Her eyes widened, and she instantly sat up straighter. "But I can handle it. It's not that big of a deal. It's fine. Just a little tedious. But it's fine. Good."
"If you say so. I know when I first ascended I was surprised by the amount I had to do, too," I said.
"Yeah, well, it's fine. It's all going to be okay." Kathyrine took a deep breath and nodded. "Nothing I can't handle."
"Well, that is good," Celestia said. "And you are doing well after everything that transpired?"
"Yes I'm fine!" Kathyrine said a little too quickly and loudly. "It's all for the best, right? The clan system was outdated and overly complicated. I've done what no griffin ruler has done before. I've united every griffin under my rule. That will make things better. We still have a few pockets of resistance, of course, but nothing I can't handle."
"Of course." Celestia's mouth went thin. "And... if you happen to find children among your enemies, do not hesitate to send them our way. We shall take care of them. There is no need for bloodshed among the young."
Kathyrine's eyes narrowed, and she flared out her wings. "What are you saying? Are you saying that I'm a bad ruler because I killed the children of the dukes? It was completely necessary, Celestia!"
"I do not agree, and neither does Antares," Celestia said, which triggered a nod from me. "The slaughter of children is never justified."
Kathyrine scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh give me a break, Celestia. Don't you pretend that you don't have the blood of a single foal on your hooves. You may think it's merely collateral damage, but we all know the truth. You felt it had to be done to secure the future of your subjects. It's better that five chicks die now then to allow the possibility of a civil war that would kill hundreds, maybe thousands of children and orphan thousands more!"
"They're children, Kathyrine! Do you really think that they deserve to die young because of the actions of their parents?" I said.
"Deserve doesn't have anything to do with it," Kathyrine growled, turning her glare to me. "If even one tries to bring power back to his clan once he's old enough, that could lead to a civil war! It's happened to us before, Antares. A clan we thought was destroyed came back when an heir came of age, and that led to violence. It's not ideal, I know that, but sometimes it’s needed."
"We cannot agree with that, and neither of us feel comfortable allying ourselves with a ruler who feels it necessary to spill the blood of the innocent," Celestia said.
"Oh give me a freaking break!" Kathyrine snarled. "Firstly, this is not your country! This is not your culture! Do you seriously think I'm the first ruler to do this, or that I'm gonna be the last one?"
"That's not really justification for terrible actions," I pointed out.
"Okay, then how about this?" Kathyrine snapped. "Just stay out of it. You don't like it? Then stay out of my affairs! Do you seriously think that I liked it? That I wouldn't have done it any other way if I felt like I had a choice?"
"I have presented you with another choice," Celestia said calmly. "Turn over any children to us so that we may raise them as our wards. Kathyrine, you killed a newborn."
"Yeah, and that sucks and all, but what happens when that newborn grows up and decides that he wants revenge? We just got through a big war, and now you want me to allow another one to possibly happen ten or twenty years down the line? I thought you had a little more foresight than that." Kathyrine grunted and rubbed the side of her head. "Look, I didn't want to. I really didn't, but I needed to. Dad once said something like 'a good ruler is only brutal when necessary'. Something like that. I don't remember the whole thing. I'm not going to make a habit of it, Celestia. I'm not going to go out looking for an excuse to kill everygriffin that I come across." Her eyes narrowed. "Only my enemies."
"That's a really dark road, Kathyrine."
"Yeah, and one that you don't have to walk! Like I just said: stay out of it. You don't like the way I run my country? Then come and kill us all so you can run it!"
"We have no desire to make Griffonia into an Equestrian territory," I said. "We're not trying to tell you how to run your country, and if it's come across like that, I apologize. We are merely offering to take in any children that you come across."
"Fine. I'll take that into consideration." Kathyrine crossed her forelegs and glared at us. "I got stuff to do. I'll see you later."
Celestia and I exchanged a brief look, but we ultimately nodded to each other, then Kathyrine.
"Very well," Celestia said. "We shall see you at a later date. We wish you a good day, and good luck."
"Yeah, you too, I guess."
We began walking out of the throne room, pointedly ignoring the glares from the griffin soldiers around us. Our guards had no trouble glaring right back. Just as we reached the door to the throne room, I spared one last glance at Kathyrine. She had her crown in her hands and was staring at it sadly. I sighed and shook my head.
"It's heavy, isn't it? The crown, I mean."
Kathyrine quickly put it back on her head and straightened up. "It's nothing I can't handle. I'm fine." I turned and resumed walking out the door. Just as I reached the threshold, I heard Kathyrine mutter "but yeah. I guess a little."
* * * *
We landed in Canterlot Castle a few hours later after a mostly silent flight. We wanted to discuss all of the developments with Luna before we made any decisions. On one hoof, we didn't really want to ally with someone who was willing to kill children to secure her throne. On the other hoof... well, she was right that she wasn't the only one, and it could prevent a war in the future. I knew Kathyrine: she wasn't the type to be unnecessarily violent. Besides all of that, resuming trade with Griffonia would be a benefit to both of our countries. It did hurt both economies a little when the griffins started trade with the minotaurs instead of us. Resuming that would be beneficial to both countries.
But yeah, I did hope that Kathyrine would take us up on our offer to send any children our way instead of killing them. They didn't deserve to die just because of who their relatives were.
But maybe that's just me being the prince of foal services talking.
We made our way to Nymeria's room, where Luna was foalsitting her. When we walked in, Nymeria, who was sucking on her hoof, was lying on Luna's back while Luna read her a picture book. Celestia and I smiled as we watched the scene, waiting until Luna finished the book before we got her attention.
"Hello, Luna," Celestia said, walking up to her and gently lifting Nymeria off of her back for a gentle hug. "I trust there were no problems?"
"None worth noting, sister," Luna replied. "She is a delight."
"That she is," I said, sitting down next to my wife.
"And how is Kathyrine?" Luna asked. "Is she adjusting to the throne well?"
I shrugged. "About as well as she could under the circumstances, I guess. Part of me feels like we need to keep an eye on her, but another part of me thinks that we shouldn't interfere. As she most passionately pointed out during the meeting: it's not our country. She's willing to resume trade, and I doubt that she's going to incite more violence against anybody. Now, how she reacts if there are rebels in her country is anypony's guess, but I think that there would have to be. She's not going to destroy the entire clan system in one brutal day, no matter how many children she kills."
"I foresee the same thing," Luna said grimly. "However, I know our subjects will wish for us to stay out of it. Griffonia is not our country, nor is Kathyrine one of our subjects."
I chuckled uneasily and rubbed the back of my neck. "Despite her still technically being an Equestrian citizen. Maybe we should revoke that at some point. Quietly. I'm fairly certain that she wouldn't care too much."
"Perhaps. I do think that you are right that we should revoke it quietly. I don't even think we need to let her know," Celestia said, rolling on her side to start feeding time. Nymeria crawled over to her and eagerly latched on, something I pointedly looked away from. I may have been on a battlefield, but there was still some inherent awkwardness for me whenever I saw my wife nursing.
Ugh. Nursing and talking world politics. Only an alicorn would have to deal with that kind of thing.
"Regardless of what we do with Kathyrine, I think that our efforts should be focused on more domestic pursuits, aside from whatever dealings we need to do with the minotaurs," I continued. "Our ponies are going to want to think about their families and friends, not minotaur kings. That'll be easier to do if we're focused on them."
"Agreed. Some foreign focus will naturally be a part of our routines, but our ponies need us right now," Luna said.
"Good. On that note, I think that it's time for me to head out," I said. "I have court soon, and it wouldn't do well for me to talk about helping our ponies only for me to be tardy when it comes to discussing problems with them."
"Of course. We shall see you later." Celestia pointedly looked down at Nymeria, who was still happily suckling away. "And I think it shall be your turn to take Nymeria tomorrow. She needs to spend more time with her father."
"Oh... uh, yeah. Sounds good."
Yeah, I loved spending as much time with my daughter as I could, but actually taking care of her largely by myself for an entire day or two was something else. Still, it was also my job as her father to have a big hoof in her life. I could see her being a hoofful once she realized that Mommy wasn't around, but I could take care of her.
But yeah, that on top of dealing with the aftermath of a war didn't sound like a fun time. Celestia had confirmed to me many times that was the case, so I couldn't do much complaining in that department.
I bade my wife and daughter goodbye, then left the room with every intention of flying back to Baltimare to start up my court. However, just as I spread my wings to fly out the nearest open window I could comfortably fly through, Luna walked up beside me and put her hoof on my shoulder.
"We need to talk."
I grimaced and folded my wings. I had a pretty good idea of what she wanted, given the way she was acting around Nymeria. We'd shelved the issue once we both got into the war, but now that peace had descended upon the land, she obviously wanted to start it up again.
"Celestia and I have talked, and I'm not going to take you into a storage closet to give you a foal."
Luna glowered at me. "That was never my intent, Antares. You are as aware as I am that there are more ways to impregnate a mare beyond intercourse."
"Yeah, but you're also my sister-in-law. Our foal would be Nymeria's cousin and sister. It just... doesn't feel right, okay?"
"You are the only one in the land who is capable of impregnating me, Antares!" Luna snapped. "I have spoken with Celestia on the matter, and she has not given any objections to the arrangement, beyond forbidding intercourse between the two of us. Were there any other way that I knew of to become pregnant, I would not hesitate to take it. As it is, if I am to be a mother, you are the only one who can give me that gift."
Oh just kill me now. Being a sperm donor for my sister-in-law was not something that I really had any interest in. Not to mention how our subjects would take it. They'd reacted to me getting Celestia pregnant well enough, but for me to turn around and get Luna pregnant too? I don't care how often we tell them that Luna and I didn't have sex. They're not going to believe us. I'd really rather not be seen as some stud for Celestia and Luna, especially since Celestia and I were married. On the other hoof, I could see where Luna was coming from. For Celestia, having a foal allowed her to feel like a regular mare, if only in this single way. She'd seen countless happy families in her time, and she always felt like she could never have that. Then I come along and give that to her. It makes sense that Luna would want her turn too. And I know Luna was right: I did seem to be her only shot at becoming a mother. It's not like Celestia and Luna hadn't had sex with stallions before I came along, so they'd both tried to get pregnant before.
Still, just... ugh, I didn't feel comfortable with this. Being a prince meant that I had to put my comfort aside for the greater good sometimes, but this felt a little different to me.
"Look, there's... one more thing you should consider before asking me to do this, Luna." Luna tilted her head questioningly, but she didn't speak. I looked around to make sure the two of us were alone before sighing and leaning my head against a nearby wall. "Look, I must stress that this is just speculation on mine and Celestia's part, but, we've been observing Nymeria, and... it looks like she might be a Beta Alicorn."
Luna's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. "Are you certain?" she whispered. "That would mean--"
"That she's gonna die someday, yeah. And no, we're not certain. All Celestia is going off of is instinct and some observations. Stuff like how Nymeria cut her hoof the other day. I'm not saying it's impossible for an alicorn to get a cut, but it's way easier for a Beta Alicorn. So what I'm saying is that if I do give you a foal, he or she will likely be a Beta Alicorn. You'll lose your child someday." My ears drooped and I cast my gaze down to the floor. "Heck, if we're right, then we're going to lose our child someday, and possibly not even to old age. I think this war just taught us all how unpredictable life can be. None of us really believe that this is the last war that we're going to go through. Not unless the world ends tomorrow. So I guess my big question to you is this..." I raised my head and looked Luna dead in the eye. "Can you handle giving birth to a child only to lose her someday?"
Luna didn't respond for a moment. She merely stared right back at me, but I could see the gears turning in her head. I opened my mouth to repeat the question when she didn't look like she'd start talking, but she cut me off.
"Oh Antares. During the war I confess I forgot how young and inexperienced you truly are. There are moments when I feel that you have been ruling alongside us for centuries, instead of shy of four years. You have been through much, this is undoubtedly true, but you also have much left to experience."
I frowned at that. "Now wait a minute--"
"It is not a remark on your personal maturity. I am not calling you foalish. I am merely observing that you have not truly endured the pain of your immortality. You have never watched a foal be born, then before you can even register it, that same foal is on her deathbed as an old, frail mare. You have not seen the fall of generations that my sister and I have. You have seen your subjects die in battle, but you have not seen time claim them. Not in the long term. You have been there for the birth of Ara and Veritas, but how will you react when you see time bring them to their eternal rest? It is not truly something you ever grow used to." Luna draped a wing over my back. "Consider Twilight Sparkle, if you will. My sister loves her as though she were her own. Someday Twilight Sparkle will die, and Celestia will endure pain like no other. She could have avoided all of that by merely never making a connection with Twilight, or with any pony. Such actions would ensure that their loss does not hurt as it could. That would also mean that she can never truly be a part of their wonderful lives. She would never see what kind of ponies they would become. She would not walk that path with them.
"If Nymeria is truly a Beta Alicorn, then yes, she will fall to time. By your logic you should send her away and never think of her again. Doing so would spare you the pain of seeing her wither away. But that would mean you never get to truly see who she is. You never know her impact on the world. You never see the lives she touches. You will never impart your wisdom on her. You will never help guide her to her full potential. Everything that makes a pony's life special will be lost to you." Luna folded her wing back at her side and gave me a soft smile. "But you would never conceive of such a thing. You love her more than life itself. Parent to child may be the deepest, most pure connection this world knows. I would give all I have to experience it for even a single day. I would gladly walk that path, never faltering for a moment, even though I know it ends in emotional devastation. But even when the pain begins to fade, the love and happiness never does. If Nymeria passed tomorrow, you would grieve no doubt, but you would not regret a single moment spent with her."
I wanted to respond to that, I really did. I guess she was right. A few of the other problems weren't going away, but I couldn't use mortality as an excuse. It's part of the curse we had to live with. Doesn't mean it should break us. I sighed and looked away from her.
"I guess. Celestia and I still need to talk about it some more."
"Of course, Antares. Take as much time as you need."
"Right." With that, I spread my wings and began the long flight back to Baltimare.
* * * *
I spent the entire flight back to Baltimare thinking about what Luna had said to me. She was right: if Nymeria died tomorrow, I would not regret a moment I spent with her. I'd regret not ending the war sooner so that I could be with her more. Celestia and I weren't totally sure that she was a Beta Alicorn, but the possibility had started creeping up in our minds. Even if she wasn't a Beta Alicorn, something could still happen that would kill her, leaving us to bury our foal. I would rather Purgle come back to rule the minotaurs than see that happen. Luna would love her foal. I had no doubt in my mind about that. Of course, that still didn't remove a lot of my other problems with the idea. Like it or not, our public image was very important. It just made things smoother for us. If the ponies found out that I'd gotten Celestia and Luna pregnant...
Ugh. Just... ugh. Screw that noise. Forget why it happened. Forget what would happen as a result. Forget anything positive that comes of it. Nope. They'd just take their initial opinions and hold on to them for a long time, leaving me constantly frustrated by their attitudes. "Well, here are some details and motivations for what happened--" I'd say.
"We don't care! We've already decided that this is a horrible thing!" they'd respond. Not all of them, of course. I'd say the majority of them would be thrilled that Princess Luna became a mother. It's just that the majority often isn't the one who shouts their opinions the loudest.
But hey, we were immortal, right? Give it even fifty years and they won't even remember what they were so mad about. It'll become the new status quo. Antares is married to Celestia and they have a daughter together. Antares was the sperm donor for Luna's daughter. And they'll get used to it.
I hoped.
I sighed as I landed on one of the balconies of my palace. Two guards were instantly by my side, no doubt alerted to my arrival thanks to the comm gems we still had installed in their armor.
"Prince Antares," one of them said, bowing to me. "It is wonderful to have you home."
"It is good to be home. Have things been smooth in my absence?"
"Yes, Prince Antares," the other one said with a nod. "Ponies have started lining up for court already."
I barely held back my grimace. I had hoped for an hour or so for breakfast. Some small private time before I faced the music. Didn't seem like that would be happening now. "Very well. Have the chefs bring me a few slices of buttered toast in the throne room. I'd like to have something before I get started."
"Yes, Prince Antares. I will tell them at once."
"Good. I'm headed there now, then."
The guards bade me farewell with a final bow, leaving me to make my way to the throne room. When I entered, Time Keeper was in his usual spot, ready to take notes. Blaze and Rapids flanked my throne as they usually did these days. I think they both wanted to get back to simpler times, when their biggest stress point was making sure my court ran smoothly. That made three of us. I did note with some distaste that Rapids didn't have her helmet on. She had started to let her mane grow out, which she used to cover up her missing ear. She also let some of it drape over her face to hide her scars. I understood her problems, I really did, but I couldn't let her hide her face forever. At some point she had to come to terms with it. She lost an ear in the war, and she wasn't getting it back. Given that we were still winding down from the war, I allowed it. I probably wouldn't for much longer. She kept insisting to the therapist that she was totally fine, but nopony bought it, least of all me.
"Blaze, Rapids, how are you two doing?"
Rapids gave me a clearly forced smile, while Blaze's seemed more genuine. "Well, Prince Antares. How is Nymeria?" Blaze said.
"She's doing well. We're going to have her over here soon, so be prepared for that."
Rapids's smile turned a little more genuine at that. "We'll be prepared for anything."
"I know you will."
My smile faded as I remembered that I still had court. Time Keeper had started shooting me some rather pointed looks. I nodded at him, then to one of the door guards. The guard bowed to me, then opened the door with his magic.
Time to face the music. Probably mostly ponies asking about the war. It never did get any easier to talk to them. Sure enough, the pony who walked through the door was one of the last ponies that I wanted to see. I knew what he was after, and I wasn't completely sure that I could handle it.
"Hello, Vichy."
County Vichy walked into my courtroom alone, his head, ears, and tail drooping. I subtly grimaced and took a small breath in. This wasn't going to be any fun at all.
"Prince Antares," he muttered when he got close enough. He didn't even bother to bow, which didn't bother me too much. He was grieving.
"What can I do for you today?" I asked quietly.
"Well, I... just..." Vichy took a deep breath and sat down on the floor, still not bothering to make eye contact with me. "I want to know why. I want to know why you took them both from me."
"Your sons died fighting the minotaurs, Vichy. That--"
"Yes, but why did you have to send them both? Why couldn't you have left me with one?" His head snapped up and he glared at me. "My wife and I are devastated! My wife hasn't left the house since she got the news! Why did you have to take them both, Prince Antares? Why did you have to send both to the front lines? I... I came in here and begged you to put my sons out of harm’s way, and you yelled at me! You yelled at me and sent them to their deaths!"
"Vichy..." I closed my eyes and lowered my head. "I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to yell at you. In terms of your sons, their names came up in the lottery, and those are the areas we needed them. I would have given anything to save your sons. I would give up my crown to turn back time and stop this entire war from happening. You are not alone, Vichy. Tens of thousands of families feel the way you do. Your sons died heroes. You can be proud of them. You--"
"My sons died because you didn't listen to me!" Vichy snapped, shooting to his hooves. "I knew this would happen! From the moment my sons hugged me goodbye before leaving for training, I knew it would be the last time I'd ever see them alive! Why couldn't you have done something? They fought in the first battle; why couldn't you have brought them back home once they did their duty?"
"Because if I did that for every soldier who fought in the first major battle, I'd have a much smaller army to help defend Equestria with. I didn't ask your sons to fight so that they could absorb arrows. I asked them to fight to help defend their homes and their loved ones. They died fighting to protect you!"
"No, they died for you," Vichy growled. "They died because of your mistakes! I begged you, Prince Antares! I begged you to bring them home, but you were so blinded by your cause that you refused to save their lives!"
My eyes narrowed. There was a lot I could take, but he was crossing some serious lines. "We were not the aggressor nation, Vichy. You know that. I needed ponies to defend our country, not to attack another! You know what would have happened if the minotaurs won the war! Our cities would have burned, and our children would have been slaughtered! Your sons would have died then as well."
"Either way, they are dead because of your mistakes!" Vichy snarled. "They are dead because you could not stop a war by destroying that madman before he got started! Now my sons are dead, and my line will die out as a result! I told you this would happen!"
"And as I said back then, Vichy: what of the ponies who lost children who don't have noble blood? There are more families that have died out than just yours! I will ensure that their sacrifice is not forgotten! I will ensure that as long as there is an Equestria, we will know of the ponies who died to save it!" My anger started fading, and my shoulders drooped a little bit. "Vichy, I know this hurts. I know you never thought you could feel pain like this. But remember the love you had for them, and they had for you. Remember them as they were. Remember them, and they'll never truly die."
Yeah, I knew it sounded like an empty platitude even then, but I didn't know what else to do. It's not like I could bring them back. Vichy seemed as mollified by my statement as I would have been in his position, if his glare were any indication.
"You have no idea what I am enduring, Antares," he growled. "But you will." With that, he turned and walked out of my throne room, not even bothering to say anything else. I frowned and turned my attention to Blaze.
"Keep an eye on him. I'm not sure what he meant by that last part, but I'd like to know as soon as possible. He's grieving, and grieving ponies do stupid things."
"Yes, Prince Antares."
I took a deep breath and rubbed my temple. Vichy wasn't the first pony who had come in to tell me off for sending their child off to war, and he wouldn't be the last one. Probably wouldn't even be the last one today. I just wanted to be done with the whole thing already. Hey, someday, right? Sometime in the next year or so we'd go back to ponies asking me about taxes on wheat crops or school funding, or whatever. That sounded nice.
Still, one thought did strike me from my conversation with Vichy.
"I think I have an idea."
* * * *
A few days later, I met with Celestia, Luna and Cadance to discuss my idea. We met in the secret conference room in Canterlot Castle, which suited me just fine. I wanted to talk to my fellow rulers about it before anypony else.
"A memorial?" Cadance said, tilting her head thoughtfully.
"Yeah, but not just one. I'd like to have one for every single city and town in Equestria. Each one would have the names and maybe cutie marks of each of the ponies from that area who died fighting in the war."
Celestia and Luna exchanged a look, then both nodded in approval. "I think that would be a wonderful idea, Antares," Celestia said. "Our subjects would appreciate something of that nature."
"Yeah, it would ensure that the ponies who sacrificed their lives for their nation would never be forgotten. It would let our subjects know that we aren't going to forget them either, and that will help a lot, I think."
"Agreed." Celestia levitated a scrap of parchment and a quill over to her for some notes. "Much work will need to be done to ensure that it comes together like we plan. It will take time and resources."
"Every plan does," I said with a shrug. "But I think this is something that our ponies will be more than willing to put effort into. It's going to mean a lot to all of us."
"I think so too," Cadance said. "So do you have any ideas of what the exact memorials should be?"
"Well, there's a memorial on my home planet of a war that's a wall of names of people who were killed or MIA from the war. If we're going to put these in every city and town, I think that would be the simplest thing for us to to, both in terms of construction and accessibility."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Cadance replied. "We'd just need to get the support of every town and city in Equestria. If I know my subjects, the Crystal Empire isn't going to object to having a memorial for our lost ponies."
"I really can't see any town or city objecting that, at least not on a large scale," I said. "Maybe you'll have some protesters, but on the whole I think it could be a big success."
"Then we are agreed," Celestia said, rolling the scroll up. "I will begin preparations to inform every town and city in Equestria of our intentions. If all goes well then we can begin construction within the month. I do foresee them taking several months to be completed, however."
"Yeah, it's a pretty big undertaking, that's for sure," I agreed. "It's going to be worth it in the end, though. I don't doubt that."
"Excellent. We shall begin preparations at once," Luna said. Before I could begin making my way out of the room, Luna cut me off. "And..."
I frowned and turned back to Luna. "Yes?"
Her even stare told me all I needed to know about what else she wanted, but she would have to be the one to say it.
"I would like to fully discuss my foal."
I sighed and sat back down. Celestia and Cadance also took their seats. "Celestia and I were talking about that. We're still not sure about the social aspects of it."
"I do not care about the social aspects of my pregnancy," Luna growled. "I wish to have a foal. Do not think that I do not understand your concerns in the matter. I merely feel that the benefits would outweigh the problems."
"For you maybe," I grumbled.
"Antares and I have spoken about it many times, Lulu," Celestia said patiently. "There is still much to think about, and--"
"You are avoiding it, Celestia!" Luna snapped. "I can see your little game. I have known you for thousands of years; more than long enough to know when you are dancing around a subject! It is as I said: I understand your concerns, but I think you give our subjects too little credit. They will understand the special circumstances of the matter!"
"I'm all for it," Cadance said with a shrug. We all turned to look at her, Celestia and me in surprise, and Luna in satisfaction. "What? I think Auntie Lulu is right about your subjects understanding the situation. Plus, you all saw how they reacted to Nymeria. They love her, even though Antares got Auntie Celestia pregnant before they were married. Yeah, it's a pretty unorthodox thing, but they've always seen us alicorns as our own species almost."
"For better or worse," I grumbled.
"Yeah, that's true," Cadance said, a sad smile on her face. "The point remains, though: I think they'd really like having another prince or princess foal."
"And what of the international concerns?" Celestia pointed out. "If Luna's foal was an alicorn, that would bring the world's alicorn population up to six."
Cadance shrugged. "Maybe they'll be a bit miffed, but they'll get over it. It's not like you're doing it to start some big takeover, and we just finished up a war that started because someone claimed we were planning that. I think your actions as a result of the war have made it pretty clear that you don't have any world domination plans. Mesud and Mando are smarter than that, and Kathyrine isn't going to get those ideas. I doubt Grorim is either. If you really wanted to take over large parts of the world, you would have kept Minotauria, or made Kathyrine a puppet ruler. You had the ability. Instead you just left them to their own devices for the most part, outside of all of the rebuilding you're doing in Schunie."
"Maybe the current leaders, but what about the next ones?" I said. "Since my ascension I've added an entirely new race of ponies to the world and, if I do get Luna pregnant, two new alicorns. They're going to start wondering what I'll do next. Maybe Mesud and Mando are fine with me giving Luna a foal, but what if I get Celestia pregnant again? Accidents do happen."
"I could resent you for referring to Nymeria as an accident," Celestia said a little playfully. "But you do bring up a good point beyond Luna's foal. What if we start having more? That could be a problem."
"I think that's for us to worry about later," Cadance said. "You're obviously not going to get Auntie Celestia pregnant again right now, and I think you're going to take some precautions in the future. I think you're also giving yourselves too little credit. All that to say, let's just take this one step at a time. I think that one step should be giving Auntie Lulu a foal."
Luna gave Cadance a grateful smile, while Celestia and I stared at each other. At the best of times I couldn't figure out what my wife was thinking, so moments like these were hopeless. I could see the gears working in her head, but not much more than that. I became acutely aware of Cadance and Luna staring at the two of us. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Celestia gave me a small, barely perceptible nod of her head.
Oh dear. Here we go.
I took a deep breath and looked over at Luna, giving her a weak smile. "So... I guess we're doing this, then."
I barely had time to react before the tackle hug hit me full force. Dang it, Luna! We're not doing it that way!
* * * *
Well, we wasted no time at all. After prying Luna off of me, we gathered our collective doctors and a few medical specialists, who were sworn to complete secrecy, so that we could figure out how best to get this going. The first step was actually getting a sample from me. Celestia helped with that.
Did I mention that I was mumbly and beet red the entire time? Or at least, beet red in a way that had nothing to do with my coat. I was doing something wonderful for Luna. I really was.
Why me? For God's sake why me?
Because I was the only one who could. Thank goodness I didn't actually have to have sex with her, or this could be even worse.
Once I provided the sample, we left the doctors and Luna to do their thing, I guess. That gave me time to really start hitting preparations for the memorials. As expected, other than a few protesters, AKA those who protested the war to begin with, the entirety of Equestria was completely behind my idea. There wasn't a single town or village that hadn't lost at least a few ponies to the war. Some of the smaller communities would only have memorials with one or two names, but even those ponies deserved to be remembered. On top of that, dozens of homeless ponies had volunteered to join the army, and many of them had been killed in action. We put their names on the memorials for the city they volunteered in. Of course there were a ton of logistical aspects of it. Transporting materials, gathering all of the names and cutie marks, getting ponies to actually transcribe the names onto the wall... stuff like that. However, much like the war itself, the ponies of Equestria came together to work on it. Every single time over the coming months that I went to individual cities and towns, I found ponies working on them around the clock.
And through all of that, we kept trying to get Luna pregnant. The first round didn't work out, so we... uh... found a conception spell to make Luna's body more... receptive to my... donation.
Just shoot me now.
Two months later, I was overseeing the construction of the Baltimare memorial, which already made for a happy day. Transcribing the names and cutie marks of six thousand, nine hundred and seventy three ponies who had died or gone missing was a sobering task, I must admit. To make it better for my subjects, I had taken it upon myself to help them with the transcribing. I was using my magic to etch names into the gabbro that would make up the entire wall, while a more artistic pony followed behind me and drew the cutie marks, when I became aware of ponies around me bowing. I finished etching the name I was working on and turned to see Celestia and Luna walking up to me. I smiled at them and took a sip of my water.
"Hello, you two. How are things going in Canterlot?"
"Very well, Antares," Luna said, her smile wide. "In fact, so well, we need to discuss it in private."
My smile faltered for a second, but I nodded at them. Given Luna's mood, it wasn't difficult to figure out what she was so happy about. I led them to a private area nearby and put a sound spell around us so that nopony would hear our discussion.
"So, I take it--"
"We have succeeded!" Luna cried, leaping forward and wrapping her forelegs around my neck for a crushing hug. "I am pregnant!"
Goodie.
Okay, look, I wasn't upset for Luna or anything. Under literally any other circumstance, I'd be positively thrilled for her. It's just that I felt waaayyy uncomfortable with me being the father when I was already married to Celestia, not to mention our daughter. Now just a few short months later I'd managed to get Luna pregnant with my second foal. Who would be Nymeria's cousin and sibling. I still couldn't quite get over that. Don't get me wrong: I'm sure I'd love my new son or daughter just as much as I loved Nymeria, but the circumstances were completely awkward. Even so, I managed to maintain my smile.
"I'm happy for you, Luna."
"Thank you, Antares," Luna said, tears brimming in her eyes. "You have given me a gift I can never repay."
"Oh, that won't be necessary, I guess." I looked up to Celestia, who was smiling a smile that looked actually genuine. It might have been less so if I'd actually needed to have sex with Luna for this result, but since I was merely a donor, things could be a little less awkward between all of us. I chuckled as a thought struck me. "I guess you're going to start looking like an actual blueberry in a few months here."
Luna and Celestia both laughed at that, and Luna pulled away from her crushing hug to wipe her eyes with the back of her hoof. "I cannot overstate my joy, Antares," Luna whispered, her watery smile not faltering for a moment. "I have been dreaming of this moment for millennia."
"I'll bet. You have any names picked out yet?"
"Indeed, I have been giving it a great deal of thought," Luna said with a nod. "I was thinking Proteus for a colt, and Maia for a filly."
"Always moons and stars with you, isn't it?" I quipped. Luna rolled her eyes, but her joy meant that she couldn't even pretend to be annoyed with me for long. "At any rate, when should we make the announcement?"
"After the construction of the memorials, I think," Celestia said, looking back to the construction. "We need to focus on that at the moment. One major event at a time."
"Sounds good to me. Of course Luna might start to show before then."
Luna shrugged. "I have every confidence that our ponies can create these memorials with speed and skill. Perhaps we will not need to worry about that. Memorials have already been finished in some places, have they not?"
"Yeah, but those memorials are for small hamlets and such. Places with only a couple of casualties from the war. Those were never going to take as long as the memorials for places like Baltimare or Canterlot."
"Naturally, but the memorial for Canterlot is coming along quite nicely," Celestia said. "I suspect that we shall be done before the month is out."
"Same here. The same issue applies, though. Given how you went through pregnancy twice as fast as normal mares, Luna will probably follow the same timeline."
Celestia tilted her head in thought. "Perhaps. We shall deal with that when the time comes. For now, however, I think our main focus should be on the memorials, at least publicly."
"Right." I glanced back over at the construction taking place. "So are you two going to be working on that today?"
"My sister is," Luna confirmed. "I, however, will take to my bed. Tis best that I rest before my duties tonight. We merely wished to give you the good news."
"Yeah, the good news." I walked over to my wife and gave her a quick nuzzle. "I have to get back to work. If you two need anything, let me know."
"Of course," Celestia said, returning my nuzzle. "Let us know how things progress here."
"Will do."
After a final round of goodbyes, I went back to work on the memorial. I resumed my place next to the pony etching cutie marks on the wall and began writing names down again. When I glanced at the list of names in front of me, it finally hit me. I was writing down the names of dead ponies. I mean, I'd always been cognizant of that fact, but I didn't really begin to realize the full implications until that moment. I blinked once then slowly ran my hoof down a few of the names I'd already completed. Ponies that not too long ago had hopes and dreams for the future. Now they were just... gone.
"Prince Antares? Is everything alright?" the artist pony asked.
I snapped out of my thoughts, and it took me a second to remember where I was. Right. Working on the wall. I smiled and nodded at him. "Of course. Everything is just fine."
* * * *
"My subjects... my friends. I thank you all for being here today as we dedicate this memorial for all of the ponies who died during this horrendous war. There is no doubt in my mind that the ponies whose names are on this wall would be honored by the love and support you have shown them. We will never forget their sacrifice. Their deeds will never be lost to time. Join me now in a moment of silence so we may honor these brave heroes who gave everything to protect their loved ones."
Celestia bowed her head, and the rest of us followed suit. I bowed my head with the rest, but I kept my eyes open so I could stare at Canterlot's memorial wall. The names of over five thousand ponies were on there. Ponies who should have been safe at home with their families and friends. Instead they were gone because of one madman's scheming. It... it didn't feel real.
We'd been doing these dedications all week. Every single community in Equestria had some memorial, and we'd visited all of them to give the same speeches. The only place we hadn't done one was in the Crystal Empire, only because Cadance was covering that. For me Ponyville had been the hardest one to get through. Their memorial wall only had a few dozen names on it, but I knew every one of those ponies. Since they had so much leftover space, they decided to put the pictures of each pony next to their names and cutie marks. Seeing the faces of ponies like Sea Swirl and Time Turner and Raindrops and Flitter and Caramel alongside the dozens of other casualties... it wasn't easy. I barely kept it together.
I had to, though. Prince of Equestria and all that. Thankfully since then I'd just shut off my emotions entirely. It didn't hurt so much that way, and it was easier to pretend that I was a strong, stoic prince.
I just wanted to go home.
After a minute or so, Celestia raised her head, and the rest of us quickly followed. Celestia opened up her mouth to speak again, and when she did, I felt a rush of emotion that I quickly stomped down. Keep my emotions away. Just don't feel anything, Antares. Not in front of your subjects, at least. Freak out when you're alone. I decided to just completely tune Celestia out. I couldn't hear that speech again. I just stood there and looked appropriately solemn. Just letting everything happen around me. Tens of thousands of my subjects dead in this awful war. Don't think about that. Just get through today. Canterlot was our last stop.
Eventually Celestia stopped talking, and ponies came forward to pay their respects. Many put flowers by the wall, while others merely stared at the names of their loved ones. All just like the other memorials. Each area had done something special for their memorial wall, such as how Appleloosa had put the names of the buffalo on there with the pony names.
We stood alongside the grieving ponies for hours. They just kept arriving to show their respects. They would bow to us, then go straight to the memorial wall for whatever they needed to do. We would smile sadly at them, then let them be. We stayed until the last pony had left, and the sun went down. By that point I didn't much feel like flying all the way back to Baltimare, so I just joined Celestia and Nymeria in Celestia's room. I collapsed on the bed and didn't move, not even when Celestia wrapped her foreleg around me and pulled me closer. Nymeria slept soundly in her crib beside the bed, while I just stared at the wall.
I just wanted the pain to end. My jaw wobbled, but I didn't begin crying. I somehow managed to hold it together. I felt Celestia kiss my neck and nuzzle me.
"Are you alright, Antares?"
"Y..." My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat. "Yeah, I'm doing alright. This past week has just been difficult, you know? I can't decide if Ponyville or Baltimare was harder to get through." I gave Celestia a humorless chuckle. "It does make me feel kind of weak, you know? Like I'm too emotional to keep it together in front of our subjects, while you and Luna seemed to have an easy enough time at it."
"Oh Antares..." Celestia nuzzled my neck again. "You were not alone. When Sweetie Belle sang that song to help dedicate the Ponyville memorial, I almost wept myself. You are not weak for nearly crying. If you are, then Luna and I are weak as well. I am fairly certain that Luna did find a time to cry between one of the trips. It was an emotional time for us all. Do not think that you are the only one of us who became emotional and had to find ways to not break down. It happened to all of us."
"I guess," I muttered. “It's over now, though. We're done with our memorial tour, if you will." I sighed and nuzzled deeper into the pillow. "Now I just have to get through more Day Courts of ponies asking about the war that I just want to be completely done with. How much longer is that going to last?"
"I do not know. Hopefully with these memorials ponies will start to get some closure. Many will, I think. Those memorials have shown that we care about our ponies, and do not wish to forget their sacrifices. All will be okay." She tightened her grip on me and scooted closer. "For now, let us rest. Things will be better in the morning."
"Yeah. I guess so."
I closed my eyes and let sleep take me.
* * * *
My eyes snapped open some time later. I realized it was still dark outside, but my body was done sleeping. A quick glance at the clock showed that it was five in the morning. Celestia wouldn't have to raise the sun for another hour and a half. Well, no sense just lying here wide awake. I gently slid out of Celestia's grasp, being careful not to wake her, before walking over to Nymeria's crib. She was sleeping peacefully as well. I smiled lovingly at her.
"Daddy loves you," I whispered. "Throughout your whole life, no matter what happens, you're always going to know that. I promise you."
My mind drifted back to the memorial wall. Somehow I was drawn to it. I'd spent the last week staring at the names and cutie marks of the fallen ponies, and I wanted nothing more than to be done with them. But still... I quietly unlatched the window and flew outside, closing the window behind me.
I flew straight toward the memorial wall. Past the gardens, past Discord's statue, past the perimeter of the castle, until I landed in front of it. I raised my head and stared at the names. Just like I'd been doing all week. I lit my horn so that I could see them better in the darkness. I shuddered when I began reading the names that would be here for all time. We'd hit the memorials with every single protection and preservation spell that we could think of. My eyes began watering as I went down the too long list of names. I hadn't cried all week. Can't let my ponies see that. I heard some noise in the distance, but I ignored it as tears began streaming down my face, and I let out my fist sob. That opened the floodgates, and soon I was leaning against the wall, sobbing my eyes out. It felt like all of the emotion from the past year was coming out, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I felt certain that half of Canterlot could hear me, but I didn't care. I needed this.
"Tragic, isn't it?" a voice from behind me said. I instantly straightened up and wiped my eyes. I couldn't let one of my subjects see me like this.
"It is a tragedy," I said, my voice still marred by sorrow. "But we will endure. We have come through this stronger than--"
"Oh don't waste your platitudes on me, Antares. Although it has been fun to see you sobbing like a little foal. I love you Alpha Alicorns and your extreme emotions. When you lose control, one might almost call it... chaotic."
My eyes widened, and I spun around to see a creature made of mismatched parts floating behind me, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. I took a half step back, but managed a glare.
"What are you doing here?" I growled. "You're supposed to be in stone!"
"Yes, yes I am," Discord agreed. "But my prison has been breaking for some time now. It might have broken sooner if you ponies hadn't become so unified with these silly walls." Discord snapped his claws, but nothing happened. He frowned and looked behind me to the wall. "Hmm. That hasn't happened before. I suppose you alicorns really do want to protect those."
I flared out my wings and lit up my horn for an attack spell. "You are not going to touch those, Discord! It's time for you to go back into stone!"
Discord yawned and floated over to the wall, where he touched a single finger to the wall. "There. I touched it. I suppose you were wrong about that. I should thank you, really. Your chaotic emotions were the final thing I needed to escape." His cat-like grin reappeared. "Now it's playtime."
I fired off the spell I'd been charging, but with a single snap of his talons, Discord turned the powerful energy beam into a stream of bubbles. I fired off another spell, but he lazily floated away so that I'd miss him.
"You son of a bitch!" I roared, charging another spell. "I am not going to let you--"
Discord snapped his talons one more time, and the spell I'd been charging instantly died. With another snap, his magic grabbed me by the throat and lifted me up. I grabbed at my throat to try to open up my airway, but I couldn't exactly push chaos magic away with my hooves, and Discord wasn't letting me fire up another spell.
"Oh you ponies are always the same. I can't believe I can be simultaneously bored and entertained by you!" He giggled and floated over to me. "But the amount of chaos an Alpha Alicorn can cause just from their emotions... it's simply delightful.” He pressed his lion paw against my chest, and I would have cried out if I'd been able to breathe. "There we go. Now I can sense your chaotic emotions no matter where you go. Maybe once I'm bored here, I can come visit you and start playtime there!" He chuckled and rubbed his paw and claws together. "Oh this is going to be so much fun, and I know you're just going to love it, too! You'll thank me later, I promise!" On instinct I kept grabbing at my throat. I didn't know if he could actually choke me to death, but I didn't want to find out. I tried charging up my horn one more time, but a quick snap of his claws put an end to that idea.
"Yes, well, this has been interesting, Antares, but I see no reason why we need to sit here talking when there's all sorts of chaos I could be doing! Oh I do wish I could have been free for the war itself, but there will be other opportunities I'm sure." With that, Discord scratched at the air, but in doing so tore apart the fabric of reality, creating what looked like a portal. My eyes widened and I began thrashing more violently, but to no avail. "I will see you soon, Antares! You have a good day!"
With that, he shoved me directly through the portal.
* * * *
"Antares!" I cried. "Antares, where are you?"
I flew through Canterlot with as much speed as I could. Where could he have gone? The memorial wall was the most obvious place, but I couldn't find him there! With Discord now free, anything could have happened to him. I needed to find him so that we could face him together, or at least buy the Elements some time to trap him back into stone!
Maybe he had gone back to Baltimare and didn't know about Discord.
No, that wasn't like him. He wouldn't have left while Nymeria and I still slept. He always at least stays until after I raise the sun.
Still, maybe he had simply gone to Baltimare.
It did not sound right, but it was my best chance.
In my panic I did not notice the chocolate milk that had begun falling from the sky like rain.
* * * *
"Hey buddy, are you alright?"
I groaned and rubbed my head. What happened? I remembered Discord, but what had he done again? Something... ugh.
My head hurt.
I rubbed my still closed eyes and tried to gauge my surroundings. I felt a slight chill in the air, which didn't make sense. We were in the middle of summer.
"I think he might be drunk," another voice muttered. "Should we call campus security?"
"I don't know," the first voice said. "Maybe an ambulance or something?"
Wait... campus security? An ambulance?
My eyes shot open and I saw, for the first time in over five years, another human looking back at me. There were a few of them, actually, all staring at me with concern on their faces. My breath died in my throat and I shot up to a sitting position, realizing that I'd been lying on a hard metal bench.
"Oh no," I whimpered. "No no no no no."
"Do you remember where you are?" the first guy said, leaning down until he was at eye level with me. "Are you okay?"
"I... I..." No. Please tell me he didn't do this. My jaw wobbled, and I wiped my eyes to prevent tears from falling.
"I'm going to call campus security," a nearby girl said, pulling out her phone. "This is a bit too much for me to be dealing with."
I looked down at myself, even though I already knew what I'd see. I was human once more, for the first time in over four years. I was dressed in just a white t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans, though I didn't have any shoes. I couldn't hold back the sobs, or stop myself from shaking.
"Hey, it's going to be okay, buddy," the first guy said, putting his hand on my shoulder. "You're alright. Just calm down. What's your name?"
My name. My name. Right. My name.
"A--" No, my name. "TD."
"Alright, TD, we have campus security on the way," said the girl, putting her phone back in her purse. "They're going to help you out." She leaned in next to the man and whispered in his ear. "I'm going to be late for class. I have to go."
"That's fine," he said. "I can keep him company until campus security arrives." He turned back to me with a friendly smile. "Do you remember what happened last night?"
I didn't answer. I merely began looking at my surroundings. Even though it had been years, I remembered every detail. I was back on my old college campus. I was... home.
I can't... I just...
"You're okay, TD. Just relax right now. We'll get you taken care of."
Within a few minutes, a pair of people wearing security guard uniforms approached me. One of them knelt down in front of me, while the other one started talking to the man to get some more information. The guard in front of me gave me a friendly smile.
"Hey, how are you doing? My name is Todd. What's your name?"
"TD," I whispered back.
"Wait..." the other guard started. "That TD? TD Powell?" I looked to the other guard, who was staring at me with open-mouthed shock. I gulped and slowly nodded. "Ho-ly shit." She shook her head in disbelief. "You've been missing quite a while. I remember the day you went missing. There was like a car and then you were gone! The whole school wasn't talking about anything else for the rest of the year! The security footage from the crosswalk cameras, like, totally went viral when someone leaked it on the internet! I think the whole country knows about it!"
"Oh," I said quietly.
"Okay... okay." The guard took a radio off of her belt. "Todd, we need some backup here. This is a bit beyond our pay grade."
"Right," Todd said, straightening up and looking at me with come uncertainty. "You just stay there, TD. We're going to get all of this sorted out. We'll help get you home.”
Home.
Home.
Help get me home?
"You can't," I whispered to myself.