My Son, My Soldier, My Hero

by That_Random_Pony

Call to Arms

"Do you really think they'll cooperate?" Moon asked his cousin, waiting anxiously with his mother and aunt.

Draco glanced to Jaqeluu, Derekosh and Figanti, who all gave varied responses. Jaqeluu nodded, Derekosh turned away with a sigh, and Figanti could only shrug. "I'm sure they will," he said. "The Arthanians are a danger to each of their nations. I know they'll help us."

Derekosh growled lowly, catching Draco's family's attention. "The last thing they're going to do is refuse." Jaqeluu mentally sneered at his brother, Figanti refraining from acting similarly.

The door opened quickly, and Shining Armor stepped inside. "They're here," he told them.

"Send them in, Captain," Luna nodded. He bowed briefly before leaving them again.

Draco shuffled in his seat, then turned to his mother. "Ma… Please, just let me talk," he said, holding a hand up before she could speak. "This isn't just Equestria asking for help. It's all of us, and the last thing I need this to be is nation-to-nation."

She understood what he meant, and she nodded softly. "Alright. But be patient with the dog. He's almost as ignorant and pompous as Blueblood." Draco nodded with a small chuckle.

The door swung open once again, and Lord Ruffles, King Shadow, and President Toro walked in, each staring at the offworlders. The three rulers sat in the only available seats, which were beside the equine royalty. They were surprised to see Equestria's solar prince sitting in his mother's chair, and to see Celestia herself sitting on the sidelines. This wasn't a meeting with her. This was a meeting with her son. Shadow nodded with a friendly warmth to his old comrade, and Draco barely returned it, catching the griffon's attention. Once they were all settled in, the doors shut, and a large lock slid into place.

Draco kept silent for several seconds, adjusting his robe to move it away from a bandage on his chest. "Are you going to sit here and waste our time or are you going to explain what's been happening?" Lord Ruffle barked, propping a leg up as he scratched his neck.

Jaqeluu used his rites to restrain Derekosh discreetly, and Figanti merely glared a bit. "Do you think it's easy to me to summon you all and to know how I have to say what needs to be said?" Draco growled, looking into Lord Ruffles's nonchalant eyes with anger.

He only scoffed and stood up. "That's what's expected of you snobbish ponies," Lord Ruffles spat. "If you're just going to stand there then-"

"Ruffles," President Toro snorted. "Give the boy a break and sit your flea-ridden flank down. They've been through Tartarus and you're not helpin' much."

Lord Ruffles murmured lowly, then gave a loud groan and sat again. "Make it quick."

Draco's fist clenched tightly, but he shook his head and placed his hands on the great round table that they were seated around. "My people were ambushed by our greatest enemy… we've lost thousands… and we're weakened beyond repair. It would take hundreds of years to reassemble an army as massive as our own…" He paused as he thought about how mechanical he sounded, and Moon's expression confirmed how blatantly he was speaking.

Jaqeluu and Derekosh looked down in melancholy moods, while Figanti tried his best to listen to his nephew. Draco sighed softly, recalling all the friends he'd made during his training. Nigata, Hirtokt, Nozok, Nida, and Yolokno. His allies… his only friends… warriors-in-training that made him feel at home. They were all gone. Nimani had died in the assault against the Iikro… and he could still remember her carcass on the medical gurneys. Her lifeless expression… the wound in her chest.

Draco gritted his teeth, trying to refrain from crying as he opened his palm and looked into it. A small trinket… shaped like a Tisha, one of Loki'ir's many birds. It was horribly crafted, the edges sharp while other details were dulled or inaccurate. But Draco cherished it as a small token of friendship.

His friendship with Ifikit… the little three cycle old boy that loved to play with him.

Draco tossed the tiny carving onto the table, waiting for all of them to take a good look at it. "This was supposed to be a bird," he said softly, clenching his fists. "A little boy… Ifikit… made it for me. We would play when I didn't have to train… and he wanted to teach me everything I didn't know of my own kind."

He paused and took a shaky breath as he sat down again, tears welling in his eyes.

"He wanted to make sculptures and carvings for our people… and he practiced as hard as I trained," he sniffled, wiping a hand over his eyes. "He'll never have that chance… he'll never do anything for us because he's gone to Minira's garden… and left behind his mourning father and weeping mother."

Draco wiped his tears away, but more replaced what he cleaned off.

"I saw the bodies of my friends, teens who were just starting on what they dreamed of, inside of preservative coffins so we could bury them." He clenched both fists, crying silently onto the table. "I can remember everything so clearly and I'll never be able to forget for a second… none of us will ever be able to!"

Lord Ruffle slowly looked down to the carving, his earlier attitude washing away rapidly. President Toro felt pity for him, and Shadow shared the feeling on a more personal level. It was the first time any of Draco's family had heard about his social life from his training. And it was the first time they'd heard about those he was close to. They didn't feel what he did, but they couldn't understand it. Especially his mother and aunt.

"I asked for you to come here… because I want to end this," Draco said, his rites pulling the trinket back to his hand. "I want to see our children grow up to be whatever they want to be. I want to stop so much death and destruction that tears lives apart… but we can't do it anymore. Which is why I need you all to help me."

The rulers were surprised to hear that, especially since they didn't know what exactly they were facing.

"There's going to be struggles, and so many of us will die on the battlefield, but it will be worth the hardship," he told them, looking at Shadow directly to ease him. "If we want to make it a better place for our future leaders, we have to join together, today, so we can fight together. Not as nations; as a world. My people can arm you for the fight, but we can't make you or your countries fight with us. Which is why I need to ask you: will you help us?"

President Toro seemed to be debating it in his mind, and Lord Ruffles simply looked to the table again, his haughty demeanor shifting to meaningful thought. The Loki'irians waited patiently for answers from the three, especially Toro. Draco was hopeful for each of them, but he doubted that Shadow would agree. They were friends, true… but the griffons were still recuperating from their previous revolution. They had barely rebuilt Dracot, a city named after Draco as thanks for his help, along with Ember and Moon. And their people had only adjusted to peace the year before. The war had practically halved their population, and that was no small number. It would be difficult for his kingdom to go back into the fight.

"You're saying that they're going to attack not just Equestria, but all of us?" President Toro asked. Each of them nodded, and he glanced over to Celestia. "I thought you'd be the one to persuade us," he laughed, crossing his arms as he leaned back. "It's been a while since we've had this big of a conflict. On behalf of the Minotaur Republic, we'll help you fight."

A smile lit Moon's face, as well as Celestia's. Each of Draco's brothers became a bit more hopeful, but they and Luna kept their expressions neutral. Their attention shifted to the other two rulers, then to Lord Ruffles as he sighed and scratched his neck roughly.

"We're all at stake… and we have the biggest army around," he proudly informed them. "As long as we're going to win, we're in."

Lord Ruffles agreeing was the biggest step. His nation was his own family, even if he had a poor way of showing it. The Diamond Dog nation was made up of packs instead of families, and even outsiders were allowed into different packs. But they all obeyed Lord Ruffles, not because he had the biggest pack, but because he had led them out from their old feral traditions and into a more modern and powerful age. He had their interests at heart, and he fought viciously for all their luxuries as a nation. For him to push forward his own family was a deep sign of commitment and faith. Something rare for the Overlord to reveal to outsiders.

Their only concern now, was King Shadow.

The griffon supreme was restricting his gaze to the table, his eyes unfocused while he thought about what was being asked of him. "Shadow." He looked up to Draco, who held an understand smile. "I know what you're country's going through… and I know I'm asking a lot from you… so I'll respect any answer you have, no questions asked."

In truth, they needed any help they could get, even the Changelings were being considered. The only problem with them was their discreet hives in the Badlands, and the Loki'irians preferred not to force them into helping. Now, they needed the griffons to help, in any way they could.

His answer came to him, and he stood up to show this. Shadow slowly turned to Draco, an unsure frown on his beak. "I… I can't answer that…" he began, "not yet. We're still recuperating from the last war… and it isn't easy for many of us. But if you want an answer, I'm going to have to speak to them myself. I can't send them into this like all of you… I won't be like Grypho."

The six rulers nodded, and Draco sighed as he lowered his head. "Who's going to ask them?" He questioned lowly.

Shadow smirked slightly, and scratched his head. "I will."

Author's Note:

Hey guys. Fimfiction got kinda strange for devices, so I'm still figuring out a couple of things Anyways, I wanted to give you guys something to re-vamp your interest, and to prepare you for the approaching end. I wanted to finish this story first, but I made a promise to finish a different one. Don't worry, it isn't one of my long ones.

So, as always, like, fav, comment, and have an awesome day or night! Peaces!

Comments

[Xavven]

So I finally stopped procrastinating and read this chapter it wasn't bad at all but that upload distance man. Damn it was a wait thought I might need to hibernate at this pace