Azure's Last Journey

by TheWingman

Chapter 2: "...wasn't strong enough."

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Thursday, May 17th, 1028 ESY

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43 Years Earlier

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“You eight, follow me!” Azure shouted, “She’s headed for the keep! We must cut her off!”

It was a day that Twilight had feared would come to pass but one she spent time preparing for. Spending a year petrified along with Tirek and Cozy Glow, Chrysalis was one day found absent from the trio with the remaining statues shattered and the Equestrian Armed Forces were placed on high alert. A wave of panic and paranoia began to sweep through the citizenry of the land but Twilight did her best to ease the growing fear. For Azure Glide, it was a rematch in the making.

Since the fateful day of Cadance’s Wedding and the loss of his friend, Redwell Rhubarb, Azure established The Sentinel Order, an elite branch of the Royal Guard that would answer only to him and the throne. He had a strict criteria and was very selective of who’ll get to join the ranks but those that do receive an honor granted to those few who prove their worth. They trained diligently to handle any threat to Equestria and now comes the day where they’ll shine.

The noon had fallen upon the city of Canterlot when Chrysalis made her move and advanced upon the city with a newly gathered army she spent months assembling. Already on high alert, the Royal Guard, Sentinels, and Azure were ready to defend the city with their lives. Though lacking in numbers, the guard was able to hold their own against the tide, getting any stranded civilians out of the combat zone. Yet, the attack screamed desperation, a sign of Chrysalis’s diminished sanity. It was her all-in, do or die.

As the assault was beginning to show its end, Azure looked to the sky and saw a familiar figure, eyes and regalia that were green with anger. It was Chrysalis herself entering the fray and an aura of pure malice followed her. Judging by her flight path and direction, she was headed to the upper civilian quarters, where his family resided. Feeling his heart sink, sensing his wife, daughter, and unborn son were in danger, he assembled eight of his best to intercept the threat.

Climbing up the stairs as fast as their hooves could carry them, Azure’s heart pounded, not just from such a sprint but the worry for his family’s lives. Long had he waited for the moment to come face to face with the changeling after her causing grief to no end. As they neared their quarters, she heard a shattering of glass, followed by an explosion and a pair of shrieks.

Kicking down the door, time slowed to a crawl and his instincts kicked in as he saw Chrysalis, horn glowing and menacingly glaring at his daughter Gale and his pregnant wife Celaeno, intent on snuffing out their lives. Just before the blast could form, he lept between them and erected a shield with his lance. The green crackling energy pushed against the barrier before being deflected out a broken window. A beast awakened within him, one of wrath and anger.

“You eight,” Azure calmly said, still seething with rage, “take my wife and daughter down to the west wing infirmary to safety and tend to their wounds.” With a ‘Yes, sire!’, the sentinels carried out their charge and escorted his family to safety. Now, it was just the prince and queen of the changelings and anger sparked everywhere, “You have a lot of nerve coming back.”

“It was a matter of patience, Azure.” Chrysalis replied with venom in her voice, “When that broken sorcerer set me free, it was pure providence. Though, I wish I could say the same for Tirek and that one brat but… they’re all in unmanageable pieces now. It didn’t take me long to manipulate the stallion with promises of bringing his whore of a wife back from the dead. It was a shame I had to kill him in the end. He was quite useful while it lasted.”

“Quit acting like mercy is part of your repertoire… because it ain’t!” Azure raised his lance and aimed it at Chrysalis, “For all the brothers and sisters you’ve killed and citizens terrorized, I’ll end your wretched existence!”

“But you forget, your power is inconsequential to mine.” Chrysalis’s horn began to glow, “All you have is that walking stick of yours.”

“You underestimate it, Chrysalis.” Heart full of rage, Azure got into a battle stance, wings spanned, “But, you made one mistake.”

“What?”

“You shouldn't have terrorized my family, you bitch!” In the blink of an eye, Azure charged at the changeling queen with enough force to knock both of them out of the tower. As they fell to the earth, he delivered a flurry of punches that his anger would allow before kicking her the rest of the way down, using his wings to ease his descent, still in his combat stance. When Chrysalis crashed to the ground, he didn’t bat an eye, even as she rose. “I’ve trained to kill and you should know that!”

“I rule an entire hive of my underlings!” Chrysalis snapped back, “It was only dumb luck you ponies were able to stem the tide! I was going to make you my personal pet but for all the trouble you’ve caused me, I hate you even more!”

“The feeling is mutual!” Azure gripped the lance in his hooves. His fury spiked and his blood boiled as readied himself for what he long waited for, “I’ve had enough of you, demon! This time, there’ll be no retreat, no yielding, and no mercy. Here is where our conflict ends! Here, you will die! Understand? I! WILL! KILL YOU!”

“Hmph, come and try," Chrysalis cackled arrogantly.

Hatred filling the air, Azure and Chrysalis charged at each other with every ounce of their will. Though Chrysalis was masterful with dark magic, Azure was able to match her blow for blow with his long years of training and the Lance of Solaris, allowing him to stand on equal ground with his foe. The adrenaline rush was like a drug to him, every bit as intoxicating. Whenever he had a clear shot, he tried to go for her throat or heart to end the fight quickly. All he wanted was to end the wicked queen’s life, all the while screaming curses at her from the bottom of his heart.

Though the battle was lengthy, Chrysalis’s patience soon wore out and found a chance to bring Azure down. Hitting him with a concussive blast, she was able to knock him back separating him from his weapon. Using her magic, she thrashed him around, hitting every wall she could see. Every time she sent him flying, she laughed with glee at his suffering, right until she sent him through a cracked wall. Though in pain, broken, and bleeding, Azure was able to get up and face the source of his hatred.

"Pathetic! Canterlot will soon be mine and its greatest hero lies weakened at my hooves!" Chrysalis mocking laughed as she approached a beaten Azure. "All of the defenders are scattered and in disarray! You have no hope! Equestria will be mine and you'll be the first to die by my hooves! I’ll enjoy parading yours and your family’s bodies through the countryside! You have lost! My reign is inevitable!"

"W-wrong!" Azure defiantly groaned as he got to his hooves, working through every ounce of pain, "I won't stop fighting until I'm dead!" Chrysalis smirked as her adversary got into his battle stance, his Lance of Solaris radiated with energy and flew into his grip, "You've killed my friend, terrorized my wife and children, and haunted my dreams! Now, I'll make sure you'll never fucking come back!"

"Defiant wretch!" In a fit of rage, Chrysalis let loose a blast of green energy at the wounded prince as he charged at her, exploding in a great cloud of dust. It obscured her vision, never knowing if she killed her hated enemy. Before she could clear the dust, she felt a sharp pain in her back and shortness of breath, collapsing to the floor. Azure had made his move and impaled the changeling queen through the back. Thrashing slightly and coughing a bit of blood, Chrysalis wheezed as Azure firmly gripped his weapon and forced her to the ground. Her end was nigh and she saw it.

“Feel that?” Azure growled, seemingly calm with a tone filled with rage, "That’s from Redwell… and everypony else you killed, you bitch!” Taking a deep breath, Azure channeled the lance’s energy, generating an incredible amount of heat, "Long live the queen."

With a bright flash of light, a stream of solar fire was unleashed, charring the changeling from the inside out. She screamed and thrashed wildly around in pain until she was explosively disintegrated. In the end and after all was quiet, nothing remained of Chrysalis, save for her scorched regalia and a cloud of smoldering ash. Coming down from his rage, Azure sat down in the middle of the battlefield, exhausted and crying as the years of shellshock caught up to him all at once.

Father… A disembodied voice called out to him.

Father.
Father!
Father!

---

“Father!” Iron Wingheart said with worry, “Father, are you alright?”

“Y-Yes.” Azure groaned as he reeled from his slumber in his quarters on the ship, “Yes, I’m… alright. Just a bit shaken up, my son.”

“I saw that.” Iron sat next to his father, “You were tossing, turning, and even crying. It was that dream, wasn’t it.”

“Yes, my son. Ever since that day, it’s been haunting my dreams like some sort of ghost. That fight took a lot out of me and… I nearly lost you, your sister… your mother. I nearly lost everything that day.” Tears began to roll down his cheek but were quickly wiped away, “Even then, I remember the investigation into what happened.”

“Wait a second. How come you don’t remember where grandma is but you remember all that from decades ago?” Never expecting it, Iron was surprised when his father drew a somber look on his face. He usually remembered him being happy but he rarely talked about his experiences as a soldier.

“Son,” Azure sighed, putting a hoof on his son’s shoulder, “as a soldier, there are things that just stick with you, no matter how old you’ll get. Just the thought of it haunts me, much like that nightmare I had. It was… just absolutely horrific.”

“What happened that day?”

“When the attack on Canterlot happened, we were still investigating the disappearances that were occuring at the time. I’d say we were halfway finished with that before that assault occurred. After that, we were able to finish it. To say it was disturbing would be putting it lightly.”

“What caused it?”

“There was a sorcerer that hailed from Manehattan named Ikaros. Not much was known about him other than he was a teacher of sorts with a wife and foal on the way. Later on, his wife would die during childbirth and so would his foal. Feeling that the doctors did little to save them, he grew to hate ponykind with a burning passion. Desperate for answers, he found out about the statues of Cozy, Tirek, and Chrysalis. Believing her to have what he was looking for, Ikaros used a spell to set her free but the resulting shockwave shattered the other two statues. From there, she made him a deal: aid in her plans and she would bring his family back from the dead.”

“And that’s when the disappearances started, right?” Iron asked.

“Yes.” Azure shuddered, “Chrysalis feeds on love so she needed ponies to feed on to help propagate a new hive. What Ikaros did was he lured hapless ponies so he could foalnap and bring them down to the hive in the depths of the Great Northern Marsh. They were podded and used as fuel for her drones which grew in number. If his journal was anything to go by, Ikaros knew what he was doing was wrong yet he was desperate to see his family again. It would go on for a few months before the investigation was launched and the whole thing lasted a year.”

“For some, love tends to drive them crazy.” Iron remarked in a neutral tone, “What happened to Ikaros?”

“Oh harmony. That’s the part that disturbs me, my son. After Chrysalis was dead, we continued the investigation and the trail led us to her hive. When we got there, there were hundreds of pods lining the walls. The occupants didn’t make it and the looks on their faces were unsettling. As I looked around, I found Ikaros, disemboweled and it looked like he died in agony, judging from his tears. My guess was that he found out the promise was a lie and tried to take out Chrysalis but she killed him before he could succeed. No one deserved that fate.”

“It sounds like you have sympathy for him, dad.” Iron said with a hint of bewilderment, “But why? Why would you feel pity for one who ensured the deaths of so many ponies? I don’t understand.”

“Make no mistake, I found what he did to be abominable. For Chrysalis, Ikaros was nothing more than just a tool for her own ends and she fed off his desperation to keep him compliant. When she got what she wanted, she cast him aside, seeing no further use of him. The worst of evil would often manipulate one's grief to an end goal. In the end, I pity him but I condemn what he did. That’s what caused me to leave active duty.”

Iron sighed as he processed his father’s recollection of past events. He always saw him as unshakable like a wall in the face of terror. Yet, it reaffirmed what he always knew to be true. Every creature is prone to fear no matter how hard they brace themselves. Some things just aren’t meant for others to experience.

“Dad, do you think at the end of this trip,” Iron sighed heavily, “you’ll find freedom from those... nightmares?”

“Son,” Azure nodded, “at the end of the road I’m on, I see my end as clear as the day. I know that once I pass on to the pastures of Elysium, I’ll find peace. It’s terrifying for sure but it’s a journey we all must be ready to make.”

“True. That’s life.”

“Yeah.” Azure remained silent for a few moments before a thought dawned on him, “Hey, how are things between you and Quasar?”

“Oh! Uhh, things are going great. We’re going to attend the Honored Veterans Parade with our foals next month. Then again, I have to be there due to being the Minister of Defense.”

“Yeah, I wish I could be there to see it.”

“Well,” Iron chuckled, “I can dedicate the parade to you. We still have a bit of planning to go.”

“Heh,” Azure scoffed, “talk about an extravagant eulogy. But you know, much like your sister, I’m glad you found somepony to spend your life with. You looked nervous when it was your turn at the altar. But, I’m proud of you nonetheless.”

“Thanks, dad. I’m happy I’ve found love. No matter what, through tough times, I can’t say it enough but I love h-” Their conversation was interrupted with the door opening and the entry of Gale Blitzwing, “Sis, what do you need?”

“We’re about to make landfall at the Silver Shoals.” She explained, “Come up to the deck if you want to get a good view.”

Standing up, Azure and Iron joined Gale and Twilight on the ship’s deck as they stare towards the horizon off the starboard. Out there was the wondrous Silver Shoals, a port city where sea and sky faring vessels can dock for any purpose they desire. Aside from all that, it was a popular destination for vacations and tourism. It was a city that never sleeps and is always bustling with life regardless of the time of day.

“Ah, Silver Shoals.” Azure sighed with a smile, “I always remember Celestia bringing me here for holidays.” The airship gets closer and grants Azure a better view, “Wow, it certainly changed since I was last there. I miss those days.”

“It’s just like the stories you’ve told us, father.” Gale said, “Never thought I’d be seeing it.”

“Yeah, I just wish I came earlier.” Azure sighed as the airship began its descent, “You and your brother would’ve enjoyed it.”

“Who knows, dad.” Iron stretched his back, “Now, I have a vacation idea for my family.” Twilight walked over and put a wing over Azure, “Cousin, are you sure our grandmother is near?”

“Positive.” Twilight answered, pointing a wing toward a castle off in the distance, “They’ve built that castle themselves as their own sanctuary. It’s a bit of a distance on hoof but the path is straightforward.” The airship began to land, resting near one of the ports on the waterfront. “Azure, aren’t you worried that other ponies would see you?”

“No, cousin.” Azure said with a coughing fit, “Everypony else will eventually know. So, why bother trying to go incognito? Besides, I want to say my last goodbyes.”

“If that’s what you want, I won’t stop you.”

As soon as the anchor was set, the group was free to disembark and enter the city. Everywhere they went, they were greeted by the sights of ponies and other creatures staring at them with awe and the occasional muted whispers at the sight of royalty. Azure, while elated to see his fellow citizens after a self-imposed exile on a farm he owned, it was a bittersweet moment for him. It was the last time he would be seeing any of it.

As they entered the city square, they were greeted by an earth stallion, an orange mane like the setting sun and a coat of crimson. He wore a typical top hat and a set of bifocals. The air he carried with him was commanding yet welcoming.

“Princess Twilight,” The stallion greeted, shaking her hoof, “I’m quite surprised by your sudden arrival. I’m Mayor Caraway and it’s a pleasure to have you visit us.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Caraway.” Twilight replied, “I’m just passing through here with my family here. I won’t be here for long.”

“Where to, your highness?” Caraway looks at Azure, squinting his eyes before they shot wide open in surprise, “Wait a minute, I think I kno- Lord Azure?!”

“Do I know you?” Azure replied with confusion.

“I don’t believe so, not personally anyway. But, my father Lionheart spoke highly of you.” Azure remembered Lionheart from back in the day when he was one of his fellow recruits during basic training. Though awkward, he was a skilled medic and saved many lives during his tenure as a guard.

“Heh, so Lion decided to settle down after all.” Azure rasped with a slight laugh, “You do take a lot after him.”

“Yeah. Anyways, what brings you to our city?”

“It’s a personal matter.” Azure sighed, “I’m dying and I want to see my mother, Celestia, one more time before the end. Twilight here tells me that she and Luna live in the castle north of here. That’s where I intend to go… and I won’t be coming back.” Caraway’s cheerful tone grew to a more somber one as he sighed, “Was it something I’ve said?”

“N-no, well… yes, it was.” Caraway sighed, “Hearing the mighty Azure glide about to… I’m sorry to hear that, truly am.”

“No worries. I’ve already made my peace with that. I’m more than ready to go. But, I feel as though something else is bothering you.”

“Yes.” Caraway sighed again, “About three weeks ago, we’ve been getting reports of some strange beast in the woods. Reports and testimony from civilians have stated that it’ll attack anyone that enters its territory in the northern woods. I’ve sent out parties to hunt it down but those who survived were too traumatized to say anything or describe it. At this point, the path you wish to take to the castle, I had it closed off until we could find a way to deal with… whatever is out there after yesterday’s patrol returned with only two alive. Though I worry about your condition, I believe you and Twilight could handle it.”

Hearing Caraway’s words, Azure reminisced on all the acts of heroism he pulled. From the Siege of Canterlot to Tirek’s insurrection, he faced it all with a straight face, always laying his life on the line. As he imagined the ponies that came back, scarred and wounded, it set in him a resolve to do one last service for his fellow citizens. He won’t stand to see suffering on his final day.

“Father,” Gale said, recognizing Azure’s determined face, a familiar sight, “are you absolutely sure about this?” With a deep breath, Azure uttered one word.

“Yes.”

Starting towards the north end of town, Azure wore a serious grin, a trademark of his days as a guard. “Come on, we’re burning daylight! Besides, that beast isn’t going to die waiting! Let’s move!” Before Gale could protest further, she remembered what she always knew about her father. No force can change his mind once it’s been made up.

“Come on then.” Gale groaned, “Let’s at least make sure he doesn’t die… yet.” Before Twilight could follow them, she was stopped by a hoof from Caraway.

“Your majesty, even if we don’t see Lord Azure again, can you at least bring back the head of the beast if you succeed? We’ll need to know for sure if you’ve killed it.”

“We’ll try, my subject.” Twilight warmly replied before she walked away, rejoining Azure and his family. As he saw them walk through the opened gates of the north side, Caraway held a hope that their actions would secure the safety of their city.

“Azure, please, take that beast down.”

---

Azure and company trekked the northern forest with him leading the way. As Twilight indicated, the path was straightforward with barely a chance for deviation. All throughout their march, Azure felt his lungs beginning to tingle and burn with every cough yet he worked through the pain. For him, it was like an old familiar friend. With every coughing fit, a few bits of blood had followed, further worrying his children.

Yet, for the most part, the weary old warrior marched onward, keeping an ever vigilant eye and his ears as open as they can be. Part of Azure wanted to see this last journey to its end. Yet, there was that one part of him that was carrying it out for a different reason, one that ate away at him for the last ten years. In his mind, it was a wound to his pride and he was going to make up for a failure.

“Iron, brother.” Gale whispered, walking next to her brother.

“Yes?” Iron whispered back, “What’s up?”

“If I may ask you something, does it seem like father is pushing himself too hard?”

Iron sighed. “It does. I know this is it for him but…” A thought dawned on Iron as a memory came back to him, “You don’t think… could it?”

“It’s probable.” Gale nodded, “I guess what happened that day hit him the hardest. I mean… we all got hit by it.”

“Yeah. I mean… we were all there when it happened. I never saw him upset like that before. If I had to guess, this is dad’s way of making up for that broken promise.”

“He always seemed so… reserved. It’s not like him to be this-” Then, Azure stopped and looked up to the trees, eyes darting back and forth, “Father, what’s wrong?” All Gale got was a shushing noise from her father.

“Quiet.” Azure whispered, “Listen.” Twilight’s horn lit up as she got on high alert. Azure materialized the Lance of Solaris into his hooves while his children drew their swords, looking around with the same level of caution. His ears perked up with the sounds of twigs snapping in half, “Something is stalking us.”

The faint sounds of thumping grew ever closer until, at the corner of his right eye, Azure caught the glimpse of teeth and claws leaping out of the trees. Quickly, he unleashed a concussive blast, pushing the creature to the right. When it landed, they got a better view of what it looked like.

Hairy, horns on its head, claws and the height of six fully grown ponies, it’s eyes glowed with fiery anger with a ravenous hunger to match. It’s roar echoed all through the forest, striking terror into all who hears it. It’s tail looked strong enough to knock swaths of trees down. Now, they were face to face with the creature that caused the Silver Shoals an alarm.

“A belphegor!” Twilight gasped as the aforementioned creature let out another roar, “Spawn of Grogar!”

“Here I thought those things to be mere myth.” Azure quipped, “Grogar fielded these as his foot soldiers during his attempt at conquest millennia ago. It’s amazing that one still survived.”

“Nonetheless, they’re dangerous!” Twilight got into a battle stance with her horn glowing ever brighter, “With my full power, I wi-” Before she could take another step forward, she was halted by the Lance of Solaris blocking her path.

“No,” Azure said softly, “I’ll handle this.” His decision shocked everyone with him, especially his daughter, Gale.

“Father, have you lost your mind?!” Gale gasped as she tried to pull her father away, “You won’t stand a chance against that monster!”

“Daughter, I still got one fight left in me!” Azure growled as he looked at the beast with a battle hungry look, “Both of you, get to cover! Don’t intervene!”

“Gale,” Twilight sighed as she pulled her aside, “long before you were born, I was witness to his many acts of valor. He never once backed down from a challenge and always defended those behind him. Now, those stories will have another chapter added.”

“Listen, I know my father’s on his last thread. But, I want him to live to see his journey’s end. Are you sure he can handle himself?”

“Positive.” Azure gets into a battle stance, twirling his lance around in a display of challenge. The belphegor started beating its chest as it let out another thundering roar. Yet, it didn’t phase the old warrior prince one bit. Standing before him was his final challenge and he was eager to face it.

“Okay demon,” Azure snorted, “please make my final fight entertaining.”

The, the beast began a charge, jumping up into the air for a pounce but Azure saw it coming and strafed with help from his wings. Landing, he unleashed a forceful blast from his weapon and knocked the beast down. He then followed it up with a charge of his own, slashing at the beast’s hide with a barrage of kicks. While he was still in pain, the adrenaline rush kept Azure willing and strong. The beast swipes its tail at Azure but he was able to block it, sending him sliding back a distance.

“Come on, you ugly son of a bitch!” Azure taunted as his lance radiated with energy, “I’ve faced mightier than what you can dish out!” Taking a nearby rock in its claws, the belphegor tossed it at its foe, only to be blown asunder with a blast from the Lance of Solaris. “Hey! That was very rude of you! Plus, that was a very cheap move there!”

The battle continued as pony and demonic beast fought each other with all their might. A retired former guard going against a long-forgotten creature from the past with teeth and malice was an awe-inspiring display. Dodging and charging, Azure attacked whenever he got an opportunity, slashing away at the beast with his lance radiating energy. For a time, he was able to hold his own against the monster’s onslaught. However, his own failing health would throw a wrench in those plans.

After dodging a swipe from its claws, another coughing fit struck Azure, causing him to be momentarily disabled. As he stood there, writhing in pain, he was barely able to detect the monster lunging and prepared to jump up. The belphegor was not without a sense of cunning and saw an opening to exploit. Just as Azure was level to its shoulders, the monster used its powerful hands to pin the pony to a nearby rock wall. Azure growled in pain, thrashing about and using the lance’s bottom spike to break himself loose to no avail.

“Go on, do it!” The beast inched its face closer to Azure’s head, intent on having him as its next meal. The old prince gave the creature a defiant glare of anger as his demise seemed imminent.

Just as the belphegor was about to feast, it felt a sharp pain to its tail, causing it to drop Azure to focus on the disturbance. As Azure struggled to get up, he realized to his horror that it was children, Gale and Iron, joining the fray. He dearly hoped it wouldn’t happen yet they were both facing down the beast with swords drawn, ready to help their father.

“No!” Azure groaned as he reached out, still in pain, “Damn it, run! I got th-” Try as he might, Azure couldn’t work up the strength to crawl forward to intervene. All he could do was watch as his children fight the monster. Though he trained them to fight for self-defense, it wasn’t enough for them as they were soon knocked off balance and against a tree. Azure felt his heart sink as the possibility of losing his children seemed real.

“Harmony… no.” His eyes teared up as he began to surrender to despair. But, in a flash of purple light, his pain fizzled away, his wounds healed, and his stamina was rejuvenated. As he got to his hooves, Azure noticed Twilight standing near him with a serious look on her face.

“Azure,” Twilight said, “you know what to do!” Summoning the lance to his hooves once more, Azure’s blood boiled with an intensity he hadn’t felt in a long time. His anger peaked and all he saw was red, a burning desire to kill those who threaten his family.

With a roar of all his pent-up fury and rage, Azure charged at the beast, leaping up into the air and elbowing it in the jaw. For the moment it was stunned, Azure stabbed his lance into the monster’s neck, giving his children time to flee while holding on with all his strength. It thrashed around as it tried to shake off Azure but he was not going to be dislodged so easily. He was mighty but he knew he needed help to finish the job.

“Twilight! Now!” Upon his command, Twilight Sparkle used her magic to summon spectral tendrils that pulled the belphegor to the ground. They tightened all around its limbs and tail as it struggled to break free. With several deep breaths, Azure gathered enough solar energy for one final attack to finish his last battle. “Time to put you down for a snoozer!”

The Lance of Solaris flashed brightly as it unleashed blast powerful enough to end the creature, separating head from body. The air grew silent and the beast had been felled. Azure was entranced in his battle rage for an extra minute before he came to his senses.

Looking around at the devastation, he saw his children dusting themselves off with only minor injuries. Yet, guilt plagued him for indirectly putting his family in danger. He regretted bringing them along. Turning back towards the path, he began to wander away, intent on finishing his journey alone.

“Father! Wait, stop!” Gale protested blocking her father’s path, “What are you doing?!”

“Going alone.” Azure growled, walking past his daughter, “Move aside.” Gale was shocked by her father’s words. “In fact, go back home. You two shouldn’t have come!” Iron, seeing his father act in such a way, didn’t sit well for him. He looked up to him in his youth as a symbol of strength. He wasn’t having any of it, nor will he stand idly while it happens.

“Okay! Enough of this!” Iron flew in front of his father’s path, “I’ve been cool with you during this journey but this… this goes too far!” Azure grew angry at his son’s protests. “We’re trying to help you!”

“I’ve put you all in enough danger! You and Gale nearly got killed because of me and I don’t want that on my conscience!”

“You don’t understand, Dad! We tagged along prepared for this and you know it! You’re becoming something I don’t like and you need to stop, right now!”

“Step aside, now!” Azure’s command further angered Iron. He was past his breaking point and out of patience.

“Alright, that’s it!” Without warning and to the shock of his sister and cousin, Iron delivered a back claw across his father’s face, stunning him. “Father, this is out of control! So, why don’t you just swallow your fucking pride for once!” While he and Gale argued over his decision, Azure eyes shot open as a rush of memories flashed before his eyes. Among them was one from ten years ago, one he hoped he’d forgotten. As he shuddered with every breath, eyes watering with tears, a great feeling of shame consumed him, “Dad, are you alright?”

“Well, you did hit him, brother.” Gale shot back, “I hope you didn’t do anything permanent.” Stepping closer, she heard her father mutter something under his breath, “Father? Are you okay?”

Twilight used her magic to reach into her cousin’s mind and see what he was thinking about. After a few moments of searching, she gasped as she cast a projection spell to show Iron and Gale the memory he was reexperiencing. It was from ten years ago and one of great sorrow, starting with a heated exchange between him and a doctor.

---

“Are you absolutely sure there’s nothing more you can do for her?!” Azure shouted.

“Lord Azure,” The doctor pleaded, “I assure you that we’ve done all we could. We tried every conceivable treatment but it’s still not enough.”

“Not enough? Not enough?!” Azure slammed the doctor against the wall in anger, “Bullshit! You’ve not tried hard enough!!!” Tears began to flow down his eyes as slowly began to fall into hopelessness. “Do something! Anything!”

“Sire, I assure you that if there was something more we could do, we would try it without hesitation.” As reality kicked in, Azure accepted the doctor’s words as truth and let him go. He punched a nearby wall in frustration, cursing in his breath, “I’m sorry but there’s nothing more we can do for Lady Celaeno. We did make her comfortable to the best of our abilities but other that that, I’m deeply sorry.”

“Celaeno, no.” The reality broke Azure’s heart to the point of crying. It all began when his wife had a bout of coughing, followed by a fever and fainting. After waking up, the royal physicians diagnosed her with a rare ailment that affects only Ornithians with a ninety percent chance for death to those affected. Such news only made Azure’s heart sink further as the love of his life was doomed. “What did I do wrong?! What sin have I committed to deserve this?!”

“I know you love her very much.” The doctor sighed, “But, you must understand. Lady Celaeno doesn’t have much time left. She’s very much on her last thread. If you want my advice, go see her while there is still time. Make her final moments happy.”

Resigning to the inevitable, Azure reluctantly followed the doctor’s advice and entered his wife’s room. There, Celaeno laid peacefully in her hospital bed and noticed her husband enter. A smile crept across her face as she struggled to sit up but to no avail. “Azure, my love, it’s so good to see you.”

“Celaeno.” Azure knelt beside her bed, taking her talons into his hooves in a comforting gesture. Her body has grown frail from the disease’s progression, “I spoke with the doctors. They said…” Azure shuddered as he began to lie, “They said you’re going to be alright.” His claim elicited a light chuckle from Celaeno.

“Azure, if there’s many things I remember you for, you’re bad at lying.” Celaeno then saw Azure tearing up and crew concerned, “Husband, are you alright?”

“I’m sorry. I guess it was just me lying to myself.” Azure began to cry as he hugged Celaeno, “I just.. can’t believe this is happening. I don’t wanna lose you!”

“I know you love me dearly. But-”

“No, You don’t understand! You are my light, my love! You gave me strength when I had none! Damn it! I love you! Please, please don’t leave me! I don’t know what to do without you!” Seeing her husband despair in her final moments was something Celaeno couldn’t bear. She wanted Azure to be happy and have his last memories of her be one of joy.

“Azure, husband,” Celaeno croaked, “I know sorrow wracks your heart. I’d like our lives to last forever, more than anything. But, that’s not the nature of life. Every creature born in this world will eventually die but that’s what gives life meaning. Life isn’t measured in its length but how it is lived and I was glad to have experienced it with you. Through that, I got to see two of the most precious things I’ve held dear and I couldn’t thank you enough for that. Be not afraid of my end. I promise you we’ll meet again someday.”

“Celaeno, I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t, I already know what you feel. As I said, be not afraid for death isn’t the end.” Still sensing her husband’s unease, Celaeno weakly places a hand on his cheek, “But, promise me this.”

“What?”

“Be… strong… for me…”

Her arm became limp as the last breath of air left her lungs. Azure watched in horror as the last spark of Celaeno’s life left her body and her soul departed the mortal plane. He did not speak or move for the minutes that followed. Feeling limp, Azure collapsed in Celaeno’s cold limp arms and cried uncontrollably. A piece of his heart, a reminder of his hope and love, was now gone and sadness followed in her wake.

---

“...wasn’t strong enough.” Azure shuddered between his sobs, “I’ve failed in upholding her promise! I’m nothing more than a coward! I can’t even bear to speak her name!” Gale and Iron got closer to his father as he lay on the ground an emotional mess, “I just thought that I could make up for my own failure. I wasn’t strong enough.”

“Father,” Gale softly spoke, “I missed her too. Not a day goes by where I don’t wish mother back. But, she has a point. You shouldn’t wallow in your despair for long.”

“I agree with her, dad.” Iron sighed, “ I mean, I want to spend whatever time we have left together but not like this. Please dad, don’t be sad anymore. We’ll be with you to the end.”

Still on the ground, Azure’s mind was in flux as he was confronted with the past memories he buried. During the time he lived in a self-imposed exile on a farm, he kept to himself with only the occasional visit from family being his solace. Even then, it wasn’t enough as solitude and the occasional attempted robbery hardened his heart. All of that couldn’t hide away that familiar sense of happiness Azure knew from so long ago, buried away but alive nonetheless. Part of him wanted to see it again.

Without warning, Azure lept up and tearfully embraced his children. “My foals, I’m so sorry!” The siblings returned the hug as Twilight sparkle joined in, “ I just wasn’t myself. I wanted to make up for that mistake.”

“You didn’t fail, Azure.” Twilight cooed, wrapping her wings around all three, “Even now, you’re facing your inner demons and that doesn’t make you a coward in the slightest. You’re still strong as you always were. You didn’t fail as you’ve led yourself to believe. Time to cast aside your doubt and carry on.” Taking his cousin’s words into account, Azure, at long last, had let go of his own self-loathing and fear. In his final moments, he didn’t want to spend them in turmoil.

“Will she… see it that way?” Azure whispered.

“Why don’t you ask her yourself when you see her.” Twilight said as Azure struggled to stand up but failed, “Cousin, you’re much too frail now. Allow me to carry you for the rest of the journey.”

“I’ll look ridiculous if you-” Twilight’s magic wrapped him in an aura of purple, levitated him above the ground and onto Twilight’s back, “Fine.”

Gale, Iron, and Twilight shared a round of giggles as they got back on the path to the castle where Celestia and luna await. Azure’s breathing became labored as his body continued to degrade with time ticking away. For him, he was at peace and no longer feared anything. He conquered both beast and inner demons. Azure had reached the apex of his life and saw nothing else ahead of him. It was the end of a long seventy-nine-year road.

“Twilight?” Azure croaked.

“Yes?” She asked.

“Thank you for everything.”

“...”

“You’re very welcome, my cousin.”