Chapter 32
Barrier moaned as his body fell onto the motel bed, his bed partner bouncing slightly at the sudden weight.
The tan pegasus cracked an eyelid open and glanced at her fellow lump. “You look like crap.”
“Spent the day exercising with a bunch’a kids.” the stallion grumbled wearily.
“A throwback to the old days for you, huh? Well, with less griffin killing I guess.” Daring draped a wing lazily over him and sidled a little closer.
“Not as young as I once was I guess.” He curled further into the feathery pillow. “Gonna take a nap.”
“It’s…” the lump fell silent very briefly. “Like eleven-thirty. S’past bedtime.”
“Nap…” Barrier’s voice drifted off as his eyes fluttered closed.
“Night, horn-head…” Daring’s own voice drifted off.
“Good night, Ember…” came the half-reply.
***
Not even a year after her death and you’re already with another mare…
The unicorn snapped into a semi-aware state as the words sunk into him.
The tone of the voice shifted to a more condescending tone. It certainly didn’t take much effort to replace Ember…
“Am I using her to replace Ember?” The unicorn asked himself, having suddenly found his voice within the vice of the dream.
Not even a year… the voice repeated tauntingly.
Barrier fell to his haunches within the dreamstate, taking a shaky breath to steady himself as his mind seemed to fight with itself. Relax, it’s a dream… The stallion’s assurances did little for him.
Thrown away, as if she never mattered at all. You didn’t even really think of her until months into your return.
“I didn’t want to think about what I’d lost…” Barrier continued to try and weakly justify himself.
“I was running away…” The stallion’s gaze drifted towards the ground, though like everything else it was merely more inky blackness.
“Even when we were together, there was always something you thought you could’ve done better. Always looking at your failures…” The soft thud of a pegasus landing reached the unicorn’s ears followed by a hoof resting briefly on his withers.
The unicorn turned around, his icy eyes meeting with the familiar burnt-orange irides of the tan pegasus.
“You mustn’t be so hard on yourself, dear Barrier.” A tan hoof brushed her orange bangs from her face before finding a resting spot beneath Barrier’s chin. “I want you to move on. I love you, and I do not want you to suffer for something out of our hooves.”
Barrier swallowed the knot in his throat before responding, “It feels like I’m betraying you, even though I know in my mind you’re gone.”
“You are free to find a mate in these modern times, love.” Ember’s hoof fell from his chin and she smiled faintly. “After all, I’m long gone.”
“Are you truly Ember?” Barrier raised his tone slightly. “Or Princess Luna?”
“Does it truly matter?” The mare’s smile faltered ever-so-slightly. “You were and still are a pony I care deeply about. I have long-since left this world, but you live on. If you care about her, truly care, then be with her. I love you, so I set you free.”
The unicorn didn’t reply, prompting the dream-mare to continue.
“We had a magnificent time in the past, but more than anything I want to see you happy, and you can’t be that if you try to remain faithful to me, not truly. I’ve been gone for a millennium.”
Barrier didn’t reply, instead shifting his gaze back towards the ground in uncertainty.
“Barrier,” the mare’s hoof reached his chin once more, lifting his gaze to hers as she closed the distance. “Wake up…” the mare pressed her muzzle to his before shoving the stallion backwards…
***
“Up!” Daring called out as she snaked both of her hooves beneath the bedsheets and tugged, sending the unicorn rolling off of the bed into a heap.
“Daring…” Barrier’s voice was muffled, courtesy of the floor.
“Morning.” The mare grinned before settling back onto the linen-free bed.
“Morning…” the unicorn huffed his reply before pushing himself upright and stretching.
“Another letter came for you.” The tan pegasus motioned to the nightstand. “And I have a question.”
“And what question would that be?” The unicorn flopped back onto the bed, horn flaring to retrieve the letter.
“Well,” Daring watched him unfurl his scroll. “Yesterday, I got a letter from the palace while you were off playing drill-instructor. They’re some reports about some really powerful artifacts being located somewhere in Neighpon. If I were a betting mare, I’d wager it’s either the Talismans of Shendu or the Oni Masks of Tarakudo.”
“I see.” Barrier looked from his letter to Daring, giving her his undivided attention.
“I ship out tomorrow. I was…” Daring mumbled something and turned away from the unicorn.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” The unicorn focused his hearing.
“I asked if you wanted to come with me. I usually go alone on these kinds of things, but I kinda enjoyed our trip to the north. It was…nice to have the company I guess.”
Barrier felt a slight flare of warmth in his chest, “How long would we be gone?”
Daring’s voice sounded almost-sad as she replied. “Probably a few weeks…”
Ah. “Were this any other time, I’d say yes in a heartbeat.” Now it was Barrier’s turn to seem sad as his expression fell ever-so-slightly. “But I can’t. If the empire is due to return, I have to be on hoof. This letter,” he held up the scroll he’d been reading. “Is actually from Princess Celestia asking me to come and give an evaluation on what I observed yesterday…as well as to help plan for the return of the Empire, which according to the letter is ‘inevitable’. I’m sorry, Daring.” The unicorn almost immediately found himself giving his justifications. “The Empire has haunted me for almost four years. To have a chance to end it and attain some closure…”
“Relax,” Daring’s usual smile returned. “I get it. Don’t forget, I saw you when you broke down and cried like a foal on the way to Sweet Apple Acres.”
Barrier winced at the memory; not his finest moment.
Daring jabbed the unicorn in his still-bruised shoulder. “Do what you’ve gotta do with the Empire.”
“I give you my word that after the Empire, I’ll accompany you on whatever mad venture you desire.” The unicorn promised, followed by a flinch at the now-throbbing joint.
“Sounds like a deal. Now, you should probably go see what Princess Celestia wants. I’ve gotta get ready for my own trip.”
The unicorn’s eyes rested on the bathroom before glancing back to the letter. “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
***
“Right through here, sir.” The guard’s horn flared, the thick, wooden-door to the dining room sliding silently open and revealing the rooms occupants: two princesses, one wide-awake and well-groomed, the other looks like she’d flown through a hurricane.
“Thank you.” Barrier tugged the door shut behind him before standing stock-straight and raised a hoof to his forehead. “Princess Celestia, Princess Luna.”
Celestia raised an eyebrow in amusement at the salute whereas Luna just looked over at him tiredly.
“At ease, Barrier. Come, sit.”
The unicorn’s hoof fell and he hesitantly glanced around the room, noting how small and barren it was. Even the princesses only sat at a plain wooden table surrounded by four cushions. A more personal dining room for the pair, he supposed. His back straight and eyes forward, the stallion approached the table and confidently took a seat next to Princess Celestia.
“Would you care for lunch, Magic?” Celestia asked, glancing down at him.
“Just a salad perhaps. I didn’t have time to eat before I left yesterday. Shining Armor had me here polishing armor all night.”
Celestia tittered and took a sip of a teacup the unicorn hadn’t noticed before. “I heard about that. Something about a duel and a lost bet?”
Barrier glanced at Luna who appeared to be asleep, head resting still on the table and then back to Celestia. “Something like that, yes.”
“You two fought to a standstill. Getting rusty perhaps?”
“No ma’am. A duel is very different from a fight to death, after all.”
“Of course.” Celestia’s magic flared, opening the door Barrier had entered through to permit a half-dozen ponies into the room, all carrying various trays. Within minutes, the three had descended on their respective meals, eating in silence, save the sound of Barrier and Celestia’s silverware. Luna seemed content to drink her soup directly from the bowl.
Princess Celestia was the first to finish, followed shortly by Barrier, and then Luna. “So,” the solar diarch was the first to break the silence, “to skip to the point of this meeting, what is your opinion on the Royal Guard, Barrier?”
“They are…passable, I suppose. Physically, they’re passable, but I find the method of fighting they seem to be learning fairly useless in a war scenario in my opinion.”
Celestia pursed her lips before sighing. “Would you take them with you against Sombra?”
“No ma’am. I’d take some of the flashbangs Shining Armor showed me before I would a bunch of battle-virgins.”
Luna finally interjected herself into the conversation, though less on-topic. “We empathise with thee over the flashbang incident from yesterday. We made the same mistake upon our return.”
“Which led to you yelling so loudly that I had to replace thirty-seven windows.” Celestia snorted in amusement at the memory.
“At any rate,” Luna steered them back on topic. “What wouldst you say about the element bearers? Sister seems rather insistent on sending them.”
Barrier winced at the thought of Twilight squaring off with Sombra, doubly so with her thirst for knowledge. “I wouldn’t take them if I could help it, but…they bear the elements. They are perhaps the only force that could allow to us to put Sombra down for good. I would take them and perhaps a small handful of guards, provided I was able to choose the guards.”
Celestia and Luna both nodded and silence reigned for several moments until once more, Celestia broke it. “Our estimates leave us less than a month until the return of the empire. I would like you to accompany Captain Armor and the element bearers.”
“Of course.” It wasn’t even a question for the unicorn; he would have walked to the Empire by hoof if he’d had to. “Though we’ll need some more ponies to act as guards if we do. Shining and I can’t watch all of the element bearers on our own.”
“Of course,” Luna nodded. “Though you can’t take too many. Having too many ponies would draw Sombra’s attention. Beyond that, we need as many soldiers as we can here in the capital. Should you fail at the Empire, then Sombra will most certainly march here next. We must be prepared.”
“On that note,” It was Celestia that spoke this time. “I have a favor to ask.”
Barrier raised an eyebrow. Why request a favor when she knew she could still give him orders? “Princess?”
“I want you help several ponies learn the…older way of fighting, while we wait for the empire. If Sombra escapes the Empire or emerges from your mission victorious, I want as many ponies ready for his brutality as possible.”
“Of course. It’ll give me a chance to get back in shape anyways.” Barrier poked his stomach, noting the slightest layer of squish that had begun to form. “What are your instructions for Sombra though? Subdue and capture, or-”
“Kill him.” Celestia stated with a surprising amount of venom in her voice. “No matter what, take the very first opportunity you can and put him down, Captain.”
Barrier drew back slightly at the tone. Even one-thousand years ago, Celestia hadn’t seemed so angry. Even when discussing fiends such as Grimhilde, it hadn’t been such outright hatred.
“Princess, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, I assure you.” Celestia replied with her usual tone this time, further disturbing both of her conversation partners.
Luna interjected before Barrier could comment this time. “Sister, couldn’t we simply use the elements to cleanse him?”
Celestia shook her head negative. “You said it yourself during our first battle with him, Luna. He’s more dark magic than pony now. Even if the elements are used successfully on him, I don’t believe he would survive.”
“But when I-” Luna tried to argue but was cut off.
“When you fell, you still had a mind. As misguided as it was, you still had it. Sombra, by your own words, was little more than a rabid beast.”
“Sister, We thought thou hated the idea of taking any life.” Luna slipped slightly into her older speech patterns.
“And I do,” Celestia remained perfectly composed. “However, I’ve had over a thousand years to think about things, Luna. How many ponies died because I…we, refused to take a few lives? How many were killed because I ignored your warning about Sombra? How many would have been saved if we’d personally intervened during the Griffin War and retaken Gallopfrey the day after it was seized?”
Luna fell silent.
“I read a book a while ago…” Celestia sighed, and for the first time in ages, looked truly tired. “It said that ‘the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few’. If the price I have to pay for peace is to order the death of a tyrant…” she seemed to hesitate slightly, but trudged on regardless, “or even take his life myself, the life of one that we know won’t change his ways, and that I live with a guilty conscious for the rest of my life…” The mare took a deep breath and finished with far more certainty than she’d previously displayed, “then I would call that a bargain.”
Barrier finally managed to insert himself into the conversation with a cough. “Princess…is there something more to this?”
Celestia waited several long seconds before responding, “It was my fault, Barrier.”
The unicorn furrowed his brows. “Pardon?”
“While many ponies in both the past and current time say ‘who could have seen Sombra coming’, there was somepony who did see him coming. There was a pony who was concerned about what Sombra was preparing…and I ignored her.”
“Sister…” Luna stood and walked around the table, sitting on the other side of the solar princess.
“I ignored my sister’s warning. I brushed it aside. I was so certain that Sombra was trustworthy that I didn’t even give it any thought. My foolishness caused all of those deaths…and quite possibly lead to the creation of Nightmare Moon…” Celestia stopped to catch her breath before finishing her speech. “If it weren’t for me, you would still have had your cadets, Barrier…and perhaps Flash wouldn’t have taken the actions he did…I… I will not make the same mistake again.”
The trio fell silent very briefly, though Luna did wrap her sister in a tight hug, hiding the Princess of the Sun’s tears from the stallion.
Barrier nodded resolutely, and stood up. “Very well, Princess. Thy will be done.”
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>Talismans of Shendu
>Oni masks of Tarakudo
Eyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Nice to know Celestia understand that lesson. The moral thing is sometimes a kill.
But those were Chinese, not Japanese.
>overanalyzing throwaway gags
7240318 Besides, the talismans were scattered all around the world in JCA.
I thought of this:
wow just wow that hade to be hard for princess Celestia living with this for this many years.
7240197 the Jackie chan adventures references
Nice chapter, good work.
7245300 well there world is more peaceful then ours and I bet the princesses flexing their muscles hppled discouraged invaders.
7254524
The problem is its a show designed to empower everyday female archetypes. In order to do this they have to do that they have to subvert the normal male roles like soldier, law enforcement, and hero. But when you do that it is almost always puts thoes roles in a bad light.
When the military is so bad that the librarian and her friends have to step in when something is wrong.
The problem is this does not have to be the status quo for fanfics. If you want to keep cannon with the show, and dont think its unrealistic to have such a weak military then by all means nurf the guard.
But as I said I hate that trope and it can hurt the tone of a story.
From the Gospel of Magic Barrier, Chapter 3, Verse 19 (New Revised Standard Sergeant Ember Edition):
Our Princess, who controlleth Heaven
HowardHallowed be Thy NameThy Kingdom come
Thy Will be done
On Equus, as it is in Heaven
Give us this day our daily hay
And forgive us our sins
As we forgive those who sin against us
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from Sombra
For Thine is the Kingdom
And the Power
And the Glory, forever.
Ramen.
? = on
The only option they would have besides killing him is imprisonment in Tartarus like Tirek.
Interesting characterization for Celestia. Its definitely in charachter for her. Though the way she speaks suggests that this loss isn't something she's thought about productively. If I was in Magic's shoes I would say something along the lines of, "I agree with your assessment in this instance, however I would caution against leaning on the "needs of the many" as that has led to a great many atrocities."