Forever Is a Long Time

by Hoosier Brony

Chapter 17: Affection

Rapid Quill awoke with a start, sweating profusely and panting hard. He reached up, wiping a tear from his eye. His dream, or nightmare more likely, had done a number on him, causing him to wake fully. He shook in sorrow, refusing to return to sleep, else he continued the dream. In his dream, he had watched as Justice continued his life, living alongside Devin and Daisy, but he saw quite a lot of sorrow and pain in this life.

He walked over to his desk, taking out a scroll and quill, but hesitated. This wasn’t the first time that his story had been delivered in his dream and, though painful, he felt he needed to write what he had seen. Writing it down couldn’t be worse than watching it again, and again, and again. The last time he tried to ignore one of his dreams, when he had the nightmare about the Griffon Incident, he had tried to ignore it, but kept having that same dream.

Sighing heavily, he put his quill to the parchment and began writing again.

Two months had passed, as a sense of normalcy came across the hunter ponies and their new companion. Beaming Justice had stayed with the two earth ponies, learning from them their trapping skills and honing his fighting skills. The duels between Justice and Devin Cook never quite reached the intensity of that first one, though they trained often together, and usually with the added benefit of showing Daisy Cutter the lessons they wanted her to know. The three ponies had even started to travel around the surrounding area, working together to bring in outlaws and criminals, as well as hunt big game.

Justice spent most of his free time with Daisy, who couldn’t imagine spending any of hers away from him. The two had begun to develop their relationship, moving past the original awkwardness. Though Daisy had thought the pegasus she was associates with was nice, at first glance, and seemed kind, when he helped train her and gave her the bounty for the criminal he had caught, she was taken by surprise at the declaration of love, shouted at her father within her own bed room. She wasn’t sure if she had felt the same way, but didn’t want to spoil a good friendship.

As the two worked together, and spent their free time talking about their dreams and desires, they began to see their similarities. Both had an extensive history in training, fighting, and survival, though Daisy wasn’t quite aware of how extensive Justice’s had been. Both had an adventurous side, though Daisy’s adventures usually were limited to trips with her father for working purposes. Justice loved to talk about some of the adventures he had been on, though Daisy couldn’t help but laugh, assuming that the pony was pulling her leg as nopony could’ve been through as much as he insisted.

Of course, working together did not necessarily mean living together. There were times that Justice would fly off, asking for a couple of days to himself. These were semi-regular, and never took longer than two or three days, but Daisy had started to find that she missed her friend during these times off. He had become more than just a teacher, and student when she worked with him on trapping, or even just a fellow fan of their favorite author, Reinhalter; Justice’s presence made the mare feel at peace, feel happy. I think I might actually be falling for him, she thought with a blush.

Daisy had talked to her father, explaining her feelings and asking for his advice. All he would do in response was sigh, shake his head, and put on a smile as he watched the relationship bloom. Daisy knew that her father and Justice didn’t get along very well, assuming it would blow over with the time that the two spent together. Somehow, Devin just never warmed up to the younger pegasus, and it hurt Daisy to see the two at arms.

“Do you think about him all the time? Does he make you feel good when you are around him?” Devin asked, his daughter nodding in agreement to both questions, hardly a consideration. “Daisy, the fact that you asked me for advice just about cements it. If you are interested in pursuing a relationship, then go for it. Because he probably is waiting for you, at this point.”

Daisy squealed and hugged her father tight, thanking him for pointing out what should’ve been obvious to her. He smiled, happy to see his filly so excited, but felt bad inside, knowing something the pegasus was trying to keep secret. He didn’t want to see his daughter get hurt, but now he wasn’t sure if she would be more hurt by a breaking of ties with her beau. Am I making a mistake? Should I have never allowed him to stay? he found himself asking late at night.

The next time Justice had returned to the mountain home, he landed and started up the path to the door, prepared to knock and present flowers to his friend, ready to see if there was something more to be had in the relationship. His knock was answered by the older stallion instead, who asked for some time to talk. As Justice walked with Devin, he felt the unbearable silence beginning to gnaw at him. What will he say? What will he do? I know he isn’t a fan of mine, but is he going to force me away?

When the two ponies reached the outer fields, where the three would normally work on agility drills, they sat on a bale of hay and Devin said, “I’m sorry for doing this, but I have to say my peace. I know you aren’t what you say you are, and I want to hear it from your mouth before I hear it through my daughter’s tears.”

Justice pulled back, confused and scared. Could he really know? How is it possible? “I’m sorry Devin, but I’m not sure I know what you are referring to. I’ve been completely honest with you and your daughter since I first met you.”

“That’s your first mistake,” Devin said, holding up one hoof as a counter. “Please don’t do it again. We both know you have a side to you that you haven’t made clear to my daughter. If she is going to love you, and you wish to love her in return, you have to let her know what she’s in for. Now, try again. Tell me.”

Justice was shaking slightly, unsure what he was to do. I can’t tell him, can I? Would he ever trust his daughter to somepony like me? “I…I can’t say it. I don’t know what you think you know, but I do have something I can’t tell you.”

Devin sadly closed his eyes, shook his head slightly, and sighed, lifting a second hoof up in front of the pegasus. “That’s two, son. I won’t tolerate a third. If you can’t trust us with your life, why should we trust you with ours? Please, I really am begging you, please just come out with it.”

Justice felt tears streaming down his face. He feared what telling this secret would do, already dreading the moment down the road when he would have to leave them, before they realized his lack of aging. He was afraid that the day had come years before he had assumed it would. With a long, deep breath, Justice pushed all his fears aside, wiped the tears from his face, looked the old stallion in the eyes, and confessed. “I’m cursed. I… I can’t die, I don’t seem to age… I’ll never change, though the world around me changes every day.”

Justice watched as the eyes of the earth pony across from him never opened with shock, and gasped when Devin, putting his hooves back down, only said, “It’s about time you said that. It’s what I thought, though I can’t believe it’s true.”

Justice looked perplexed, his mouth hanging open and his head cocked sideways. “You mean, you guessed it? But how? And why didn’t you say anything?”

Devin shrugged, “It wasn’t my place to say anything. Only you could admit to that. Besides, I’d sound like a crazy old cook if I had said something.” With that, he gave a genuine smile to the dazed pegasus. “The bow you presented my daughter, when you two trained back at our camp, that sign of respect and admiration to the opponent, is from such a long time ago. But it’s possible that you were taught that from a pony that remembers. It’s your eyes, just so you know, that made me consider. They seem ageless, and carry more joy and sorrow simultaneously than any pony your age could possibly have seen. I noticed it when I had first met you in my house.”

Justice hunched his shoulders over, disbelieving that he was found out so easily, and stared at the ground. It was as he feared, the old stallion knew it all, and now came his punishment. He looked back up at the pony, who looked back with a look of empathy.

“Justice, I don’t care. You’re immortality won’t change who you are on the inside, and that is the pony that my daughter has fallen in love with. I only ask that you are honest with her. If you can’t die, if you won’t age, what do you think that will do to Daisy? Don’t lead her on, be honest with her. If I can…”

The two ponies were interrupted as, over the horizon, Daisy Cutter was approaching. Justice couldn’t help himself, his jaw dropping. Daisy looked radiant this day. She had pulled her mane out of the usual ponytail. Her mane was pulled off down one side, loose and wavy, and a few small strands hung over her forehead and across her eyes. She had expertly groomed herself, her coat shining in the reflection of the setting sun. She looked over at her father and Justice sitting together, and couldn’t help but smile slightly, especially when she saw Justice’s expression.

“You really want to close your mouth, son,” Devin said, with a wink. Justice scrambled to his feet, turning back to the older pony, and tried to say something about the conversation the two had been conducting, but Devin cut him off, “We can talk later, because right now, there is only one pony that you need to concentrate on.”

Devin stood, patting the pegasus on his back, and walking out to meet his daughter. He embraced her in a gentle hug and complemented her appearance. “Thank you, father. Is he going to be ok?” she asked, chuckling at the expression on Justice’s face.

“Honestly, you may’ve broken the stallion,” Devin said, chuckling back. “Be kind to him, and just listen to what you feel inside. Everything else will work itself out, with time.” With that, he kissed her forehead and walked along, back to his house. She would’ve made you proud, honey, he thought, knowing that he would be heading back to look at old photo albums.

As Daisy approached Justice, he shuffled his feet, looking at her approach and worrying about what he would say. Devin had indicated that he needed to tell her about his secret, but he didn’t want to kill the wonderful feeling he was feeling. As she walked up, stopping in front of him, he blushed and said the only thing he could think to say, “Hi.”

Daisy cocked her head to the side, a baffled look on her face. She had expected something a little better, but chuckled at how right her father was. She stood in front of a broken pony, his suave and strong personality being done under. She smiled warmly when he finally snapped into the moment, scrambling around behind the hay bale, and came back with a bouquet of flowers.

The two sat, talking at first about their days, Justice’s trip to see his old friend, and then finally moving on to the reason for the night. The two discussed their feelings for each other, Justice’s pretty well known from the start, but Daisy’s having grown over the past two months. They talked about their future together, discussing such items as marriage, where to live, and what to do with their lives. They agreed that no matter what they decided, they would decide together.

The talk, and some hoof holding, went so long that dusk had came and went, giving way to a brilliant night. Daisy leaned closer to Justice, laying against his shoulder as the two looked out at the night sky. Daisy sighed happily and, looking up into that beautiful smile, she leaned in, hoping that Justice would do the same. A spark of electricity shooting through both ponies, as they embraced and shared a first kiss, knowing that more would come. After a long moment, the two parted, and Daisy buried herself into her love’s chest, a smile crossing her face, one she hoped would never fade.

Justice felt a warmth permeate inside, especially when Daisy laid against him. This felt right, this moment was perfect. The kiss had been perfect, their love given and shared between the two. He closed his eyes, smiling at the best thing to happen to his life recently. His breathing, rhythmic and elated, was only interrupted by one thing.

“This feels so right. Tonight, you and me, I wish this could last forever,” Daisy said, a happy sigh escaping her mouth. But something suddenly felt wrong. She realized the breathing of her love had stopped; his heart, that she had been listening to, literally skipping a beat. She felt as he sighed heavily, slowly pulling her out of his warmth, and pulled back, sitting next to him and seeing the pained expression he wore.

“I have something I need to tell you, before we go any further,” Justice said, he looked down at her worried face and felt a pang of guilt. I’m already causing her troubles, and she doesn’t even know the end of it, he thought. He sighed, feeling a lump climb in his throat. What if she says no? What if this is the end, before it ever really began?

“I… I was cursed, a long time ago. The curse… has stopped me in time. I can’t die and I haven’t aged since the day I was cursed.” He looked down at her confusion and fear and apologized. “I know I should have told you about this sooner, but it is something I keep close to my chest. I didn’t want to lose your friendship so early, because you mean so much to me.”

“So, you can’t die or age?” Daisy asked, trying to wrap her head around the revelation. “I swear Justice if this is some kind of joke, you are going too far. I’m not laughing.” She felt the tears building up before she could stop them, and started crying into her own hooves.

“I wish it was a joke,” Justice said, tears beginning to pool in his own eyes, “I would never wish to hurt you. I wanted to make sure you understood everything about me before we got too deep in.”

“I’M ALREADY DEEP IN THIS RELATIONSHIP!” the earth pony mare shouted, anger replacing her sadness and fear. “What does this mean? You mean that I’ll age and get older and die and you’ll never change? Is that what you are saying?”

Justice felt two tears fall down his cheeks, the floodgates still held back. “Yes. There is nothing I can do to stop you from growing old. I’ll forever remain like this, while you change. And there’s nothing I can do to reverse it.”

“Why would you do this to me? We sat here and built up our future, we planned out everything, and now you tell me something like this? What am I supposed to do?” Daisy said, standing up and staring at the pony in the eye.

Justice’s tears flowed freely, realization that he had abused her love. “I’m so sorry, you are absolutely right. I should’ve been more upfront with you from the beginning. I want you to know that I still love you, though, and hope that you share that with me.”

Daisy’s looked towards the ground, turning her back and, with a sorrowful look on her face, told Justice, “I need some time. I need to think about this. I… I just don’t know what to say.” With that, she ran back to her house, tears marking a trail behind her as she cried outright. She saw the future the two had discussed, the plans they had made, and watched as they began to fade before her eyes.

Justice stayed on the bale of hay he had been sitting on all night. He thought back to the fear of telling his secret to Devin, the wonder and beauty of Daisy, the joy of seeing a future with her, and the sorrow of seeing the future destroyed by his past. He heard the cackling laughter of Nightmare Moon in his head, having mostly blocked her out of his mind over the years, and fell to the ground, shaking in depression and fear.

The night passed, the sun rising on the small mountain property, and the light broke over a broken pony. Justice had slept, though barely, and dreamt horrible dreams of Nightmare Moon taking his sweet Daisy away from him. He was sat up, tired and lonesome, next to the same bales of hay that had promised so much just half a day sooner, and watched as the sun rose.

Everything keeps on moving. The sun, the moon, the sky, the animals, and the ponies all around. Everything moves, except for me. I’m stuck, and there’s no getting out of here. He sighed, preparing himself to move on, now that his time with the two hunter ponies would be coming to an end. He stood, brushing the dew and dust off of his coat, and turned toward the small mountain house. Standing in the doorway, Devin looked back at the pegasus, who began to slowly walk back to say goodbye.

As Justice approached the house, clearing the outer fields, he looked on as Devin turned his gaze into the house and said something. At that time, Daisy, in all her resplendent beauty, came walking out of the house and looked over to Justice. The pegasus stopped, unsure if he had the strength to say goodbye to the only pony he had truly loved since his time with Princess Luna.

The two stared at each other from across the fields for what seemed an eternity, before Daisy finally began to walk out towards the pegasus. With shaky legs, and a weak constitution, Justice walked to her as well, the two meeting together in the side yard. Justice looked longingly at the pony he wished he had more time with, and Daisy looked down at his hooves. Justice had finally decided it was time to say his goodbyes and began to draw in a breath.

“I’ve thought about it all night,” Daisy said, still looking down, cutting Justice off, “and I’ve decided that I don’t care. I want this, I want us, no matter what that might mean.” She lifted her eyes and smiled sadly at the stunned pony.
Justice felt his heart swell, unable to stop a smile. “Are you sure? For real? You realize what all this means? What troubles this could cause you?”

“You idiot!” Daisy said, choking on a sob. “Why do you worry about me? I get to fall in love with the most perfect pony in the world, and he will look just this handsome even when I’m old and gray. Stop worrying about me, what about you? One day, I’m going to be wrinkly and ugly and you won’t want me anymore.”

Justice pulled her into a very warm hug, tears forming at his eyes. “I will never stop loving you, from now until the end of time. You will always be beautiful and lovely to me, even when you think you are old and ugly. I will forever see the love that we share, and not care about what other ponies say or think. I want this so bad.”

Daisy sobbed, looking back at her lover’s face and crying for his pain. “One day, I’m going to get old and die and you’ll be stuck here alone. Why would you ever want that? That’s so terrible.”

Justice wiped her tears away and told her in a calm voice, “I’ve seen it before. I’ve watched as my closest friends grew old and passed on. I’ve cursed at the fact that I will never get to join them, losing them forever. But I promise you, I would rather have a lifetime of memories with you, that I will carry fondly, than to lose you over that.”

The two embraced again, feeling their love blossom between them. About that time, Devin walked up and, stoically, kissed his daughter on the cheek and patted his soon-to-be son-in-law on the back, with a gentle smile. The three hugged, a bond forged by a shared secret, a secret that wouldn’t drive a wedge between them.

A few weeks passed as the two lovers worked together to made their relationship as strong as steel. The wedding was to be a small affair, Daisy and Justice being married by an officiant from the nearby small city of Vanhoover. The guest list was going to be small, the two mountain ponies being rather secluded, but did include one guest of honor. Justice had asked that his very close friend, Spring Gallows, be allowed to attend.

Daisy smiled warmly, “Is this the friend that you’d gone off to visit so much when we were all working together?” She hugged her husband-to-be and missed his knowing look as he acknowledged her question.

The night of the wedding, Justice flew over to the city in order to retrieve his elderly friend, who had been delayed in his travels. Upon returning, he walked in with Spring and introduced him to his new family. Daisy was shocked, the extreme age of the pony taking her by surprise. Spring was kind enough to ignore the slight shock, which Daisy shook as much as she could, and held out a hoof to her, “M’lady. It is so wonderful to see somepony finally settling down this wild pony.”

Daisy was charmed, laughing slightly when Spring kissed her hoof. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

“To meet me? Justice hasn’t stopped talking about you since he first met you. I’ve been so desperate to meet you, my dear. But, of course, we wouldn’t be able to meet at first, because of his condition. I’m so glad to finally see you. You are every bit as radiant as he said.”

Daisy blushed, casting a favorable glance to her husband. “Well that means so much to me. But I’m curious. Please, tell me more about you. How long have you known Justice?”

Spring thought for a second, his eyes glistening, “I’d say it’s been about seventy-six years now. Ever since I first found him in that mangy looking bar. The rest is history, and such a good one too.” He noticed Daisy’s confused look and, baffled, turned to Justice with a nasty look. “You haven’t told her? What’s wrong with you? You said she loves my stories, why would you keep her in the dark?”

Daisy’s confused expression moved from the elderly pony to Justice and back. “Wait, haven’t told me what? ‘Loves my stories?’ What’s going on?”

Justice grinned from ear to ear, one of the main reasons he wanted these two ponies to meet coming to fruition. “Well, this is my wedding present, my love. I wanted to introduce you to my good friend here because you are one of his biggest fans. Daisy, please meet the pony who goes by the name Reinhalter.”

Daisy looked sideways at her husband, unsure of what trick he was playing on her. She looked over at the older pony before her and gasped when he just smiled and nodded. “No! Seriously? The Reinhalter? As in, Twelve Tales of Bravery Reinhalter… Hundred and One Knights Tales Reinhalter?”

Spring just shrugged, nodding slightly. He returned the overly excited pony’s embrace, when she squealed and rushed over to him. Justice had indicated that his wife was a huge fan, having read all of the stories numerous times and escaped into when she found normal life too troubling.

“I have so many questions!” Daisy said, giddier than anypony had really expected. At this point, Devin and Justice had retreated to a different corner of the house, talking amongst themselves, leaving the poor author by himself with the excited mare. “Your descriptions are so vivid, how can you imagine such wonderful stories? Which was your favorite story to write? What made you choose the same character for all the adventures?”

Spring just chuckled at her grin, trying to keep track of all the questions being thrown at him. “Well, to start, I didn’t have to imagine many of the stories. I was present for quite a few and some of them were detailed to me from an eyewitness. I don’t know that I have a favorite story that I wrote, though I have to say the trip where we were asked to capture Cerberus and return him to the gates of Tartarus was a good one. That monster was quite a hoofful. As for using the same character, well, I’ll let you answer that one, Daisy Cutter.”

Daisy looked on, listening to her idol answer questions she never thought she would hear. “You said you were a part of your adventures? But, wait… Oh sweet Celestia! Are you telling me that Justice is your character? Those are his adventures?”

Spring nodded, smiling warmly. “I assure you my dear, almost all of the stories you have read I personally witnessed or assisted on. That pony,” he pointed over to Justice, who had turned to smile at his old friend and wife, “is something pretty special. I have watched him do more good in this world than any number of ponies combined.”

“But…you have to be kidding me,” Daisy said, turning her gaze to her husband. “I mean, I literally can’t believe it. Those stories…they were only stories. You mean they actually happened? And Justice, my Justice, was the hero in all of them?”

Spring had nodded, then added, “Well, he had some help along the way. But yes, Beaming Justice is both the hero of my two books, and one of the greatest friends anypony can have. After he had talked me into retirement from adventuring, he was even kind enough to stay with me, retiring himself. Over the course of the past forty years, we’ve documented all of our adventures, and even some amazing ones he says he was a part of before meeting me. Answer me this, what kind of pony would sacrifice what they do to help a friend in such a way? Congratulations again, he’s a keeper.”

At this point, Daisy began to swoon, feeling lightheaded from all the revelations. In one night, she was to marry her love, met her idol, and found out that her greatest fictional hero was not only real but her new husband. Before she could start swooning, Justice rejoined the two and helped hold her up.

Later in the night, after the group had stayed up late talking about the past, Justice had helped Spring back to his hotel, the older pony leaving the next day to get back home. Justice returned, only Daisy remaining awake, and sat down next to his wife, holding her close. Daisy smiled, but a sadness began to creep over her expression.

“I can’t believe it,” Daisy said, looking up at her husband. “I mean, you had said you don’t age, and I thought I understood it, but this was almost too much tonight. Spring Gallows… you’ve really known him for over seventy years?”

Justice looked down to his wife, wanting to comfort her and let her know it would all be ok, but he knew she was too worried for that. “Yes, I met that old bag of bones when he was a fresh faced pony. But whereas you see the older pony he is today, do you know what I see whenever I look at him? I see the brave young stallion that he was back then. Did you know that he was so determined to be a good author that he purposely put himself in dangerous situations to experience the adventure fully? I have spent so much time with him, and he never ceased to amaze me.”

Daisy smiled slightly, sniffing away a tear. “I just hope that you and I can make as many memories as you have with him. I just hope that I mean that much to you too one day.”

Justice laid his head on hers and chuckled, “Oh honey, you mean so much more already. And I can’t wait for what our lives will hold. I feel so comfortable with you, like everything will be ok.”

Rapid Quill stopped momentarily, re-reading the portion of the story he had just written. He was glad to see that Justice was happy, having found true love for the first time since his days with Luna. He had worried that Justice would never love again, having seen how the last experience went, but shuddered. It was close to this part of his dream where everything began to go wrong. He stopped for a second, considering a revision from what he saw in his dream, what he knew he needed to write down.

He looked outside, seeing the sun beginning to rise and sighed again, sitting back down for what would be a tough day’s worth of writing.

It had been two years since the wedding of the two ponies, and they had expanded their small mountain home to allow for the newest official member. Justice, Daisy, and Devin had built up a relaxing life, most of their time either spent together at the house or together out trapping, as Devin insisted it was his favorite thing to do. The three were content with their lives, but wondered if there wasn’t something else that could make it even better still.

Daisy approached Justice one day and, with a nervous quiver in her voice, asked, “Justice, have you ever considered having a foal with me? I think I’m ready, and father is getting older every day. I…I know there would be some complications, but I wanted to ask your opinion.”

Justice felt a lump in his throat, having wondered the same thing himself. “I don’t want to upset you, but… I mean… I don’t know if I can. It’s already so hard to imagine a world without you in it, which won’t happen for some time still… I don’t know if I could watch my foal grow old and die too.”

Daisy looked slightly more than a little upset, but nodded, “That’s what I was thinking. I know it can’t be easy, and I’m not trying to make light of your situation, I promise, but it’s something I want so badly. We’ve talked about all the memories that we would be able to make, and how the memories would last for longer than I will. Don’t you think that the same would happen for a foal?”

Justice looked his wife deep in her eyes, seeing the desire, the future she wanted, the future he was standing in the way of by denying her dream. But he also felt his mind struggle with the extended future he would have, the joy of having a foal, the joy of watching it grow, and the sorrow of watching it die one day. He felt a tear fall down his face and shook his head, “I’m so sorry Daisy. I can’t say for sure how I feel about this right now. Please let me think about it some more.”

Daisy sulked back to the house, upset that she did not receive the answer she had hoped. Justice watched her walk away and felt terrible. He hadn’t wanted to upset her the way he had, but, as nice as thinking the memories would last forever is, he wasn’t sure if he could watch his own foal grow and pass on. Watching his good friends had been hard enough, especially when Spring had passed on just the year prior. The memories, and stories of their time together, had helped him get through, but Spring was one of his best friends, and a pony he had spent a large portion of his life with.

As Justice was debating with himself about what to do, he heard a frightening scream from the house. “Justice! Oh please help!!” Daisy screamed, barely poking her head out the door. With a large clap of his wings, Justice closed the distance in a short amount of time, panic on his wife’s face spurring him towards action. He landed hard by the door, kicking up dirt, and shot inside.

The first thing he noticed was the sound, a wheezing, gasping, raspy sound struggling to be heard over Daisy’s sobs. The second thing he noticed was the pained expression on Devin’s face. Justice saw his father-in-law having trouble breathing, his abdominal muscles pulsing and pushing just to be able to exhale. He was breathing faster than usual, which added to the increased strain to breathe to make a truly miserable experience.

Justice rushed over, unsure what exactly to do. Daisy was beside herself, stumbling backwards from her father and crying on the nearby couch. Justice looked down at the pony before him, seeing the fear in his eyes. “What is happening? What can I do?” Justice watched as the pained pony opened his eyes wide and looked over to the other side of the room, towards the kitchen, before looking back to his son-in-law.

Justice rushed over to the kitchen, tearing items off the shelves in desperation. What am I looking for? Where would it be? Damnit!! Justice thought, rummaging through everything. Where?!? I haven’t seen anything in here, where could he have hidden it? Justice had to think outside of the normal places to put something. Finally, he came to the conclusion and, with a quick flap, flew towards the ceiling, finally seeing a small bag on top of the cupboard.

Rushing back to Devin’s side, the poor pony’s breathing becoming so beleaguered that his vision was starting to blacken around the edges. When he focused on the pegasus rushing to his aid, taking a small inhaler out and giving it to the pony, he smiled, knowing that relief was coming. He quickly gave himself a dose, a small puff from the inhaler already doing wonders to help, and decided he would need a second puff. After getting his attack under control, he looked over to his scared son-in-law and weakly patted him on the arm, mouthing a “thank you.”

Justice helped the older stallion to his feet, wincing as he began a coughing fit, and looked on for an explanation. Daisy had begun to control her original hysterics and walked over to check on her father. In a very small voice, Devin explained that he had heaves, an illness that affects the lungs and airways, making it difficult to breathe. He indicated that today was the worst attack he’s had, and begrudgingly agreed to go to Vanhoover to see his doctor.

After the three arrived in the city, and Devin walked them to his doctor’s office, the prognosis wasn’t good. “Your father had come to me with this issue a month ago, but I’m afraid it is only getting worse. I can increase his dosage, but it’s only a treatment, not a cure. I’m sorry, but this disease won’t go away, and if his symptoms keep getting worse, he risks damage from the coughing or strain on his muscles. I wish I had better news.”

The three left the office shocked. Devin was upset that his issue was hurting his family, having already come to terms with his disease a month earlier. Justice was saddened at the concept of a disease with no cure, only a treatment until the worst finally would happen. Daisy was terrified at the thought that her father was this sick. “There’s absolutely nothing we can do? Can’t we see another doctor? Maybe see if there is a treatment this doctor wasn’t aware of?”

Devin just shook his head, hugging his daughter, “Honey, there is nothing to be done. I have my medication, you two know about it now and can help me if I have another episode like today, let’s just go home.”

Justice stopped, an idea coming to him. “No,” he said, the two ponies in front of him stopping to turn around. “No, we are going to fight this. There is somepony that might be able to help us more than this doctor. Do you trust me? Will you allow me to do everything I can to help?”

Devin saw the determination in his son-in-law’s eyes and the fear in his daughter’s. With a nod, the older pony agreed to follow along with whatever the pegasus had in mind. He watched as hope sprung back into his daughter’s eyes, a sad smile spread across her face. The three went back to their mountain home to pack, a trip ahead of them.

The train came to a rest, the conductor announcing their destination, as Justice grabbed the bags for the three ponies, helping Daisy and Devin up, and casually walked off the train. The two mountain ponies gingerly stepped down to the platform and stopped in their tracks, their mouth’s hanging open as they took in the sight before them. Canterlot, in all its regal beauty stretched before them, beautiful ponies in elegant clothing strutting past the station, armored guards watching and assisting ponies with their departure from the train, and the skyline punctuated by Princess Celestia’s castle.

Justice paused in his conversation with two royal guards, looking over his shoulder and cracking a grin at the two dazed ponies behind him. He finally was able to get Devin’s attention, having him bring his daughter over to meet with the guard ponies before them. A taxi awaited their arrival, Justice having written in advance to ensure a quick response.

As the taxi drove off, rumbling on the cobblestone road below, Daisy sat next to her father, holding his hoof in hers, and looked over at her husband. “This really was your home? I mean, you had mentioned it before, but it seems so surreal. I never thought I’d ever get to see Canterlot, and here we are with a personal taxi and everything.”

Devin patted his daughter’s hoof, causing her to trail off, and looked across to Justice. “We are in agreement, correct? Whatever they say is what we go with. If there is no hope, no cure, then we accept it.” Justice nodded with a stony look; Daisy nodded with a defeated look. “And thank you Justice, for not giving up and, at worst, giving us a memory we won’t soon forget.”

Justice smiled sadly, “Just wait, the best part is yet to come. But for now, sit back, relax, and look out your windows. Heck, it’s been so long since I’ve been here, some of the buildings are new.” The three ponies continued to gaze at the sights and their taxi traveled closer and closer to the castle, Justice pointing out what sights he remembered.

“Beaming Justice! It’s so nice to see you again!” Princess Celestia said, standing and waving off an assistant, instructing the busy pony to come back later to complete the task the two had been working on. After looking over at the other two ponies present, she smiled warmly and said, “And you must be Daisy Cutter and Devin Cook. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Devin bowed gracefully to the princess, Justice doing the same. Looking up, Justice noticed that Daisy was standing still, shocked at the warm welcome from Princess Celestia. He kindly stood and helped her bow, with a bashful little grin.

“Oh please don’t,” Princess Celestia said, walking up to the three, “I thank you for the formalities, but we don’t have much time. Devin Cook, if you would please follow these guards, they will take you to the royal medic quarters. They have been briefed on your disease and have been busy looking for treatments that might work. Daisy Cutter, if you would like, you can follow him.”

With that, two royal guards kindly led the two ponies out a side door, leaving Justice and Princess Celestia alone in the throne room. Justice watched as his family walked off, his heart leaving with them. I hope everything goes well, he thought, turning finally towards Princess Celestia again, who had taken her seat on the throne.

“Justice, you look very good,” Princess Celestia said, pointing to a chair for the pony to sit and converse for a minute.
Justice proudly sauntered over to the chair, smiling at the princess, “Not too bad for a pony who is five hundred and twenty, don’t you think?” With this last bit, he chuckled, pleased that the princess giggled slightly as well. “I do apologize, Princess Celestia. I should not have waited this long to return, but I have found myself rather busy for some time.”

“Yes, I am aware,” Princess Celestia replied, her horn glowing golden as a book was levitated from her side table. “I’ve read quite a few interesting tidbits from a particular book about the adventures of an unnamed pegasus. I’m very proud of you, Beaming Justice.”
Justice blushed a little. “Even you have read those books? Spring would’ve been so happy knowing that. I guess that makes sense though, seems like everypony is or has read his books.” He smiled, his look trailing off to a million miles away.

“I also see a lovely mare traveling with you,” Princess Celestia said, a sly smile on her face. “Did somepony finally get you to settle down after all that adventure? And here you referred to her as a ‘good friend’ in your letter.” Justice found himself again blushing, but happier than before. “Well, I applaud you. She looks both beautiful and strong. I’m very happy for you.”

“Thank you, Princess Celestia,” Justice said, finding that talking with the princess was becoming easier. The two chatted about the past four hundred or so years since they had last seen each other, Daisy’s love, and Devin’s disease. Justice discussed his fears as well, having recently lost a very good friend and worrying about what it would be like to lose Daisy eventually. This led to his discussion with Daisy about foals, which the princess encouraged.

“I think you should. A foal is the physical representation of the love between two ponies. It will be hard to let the foal go, but after Daisy passes, you will still have a piece of her in physical form, in the foal the two of you will have together. I really think it would be good for you.”

“Do you see me as a fatherly type?” Justice asked, Princess Celestia’s words sinking in.

The princess chuckled, “Did you see yourself as the husbandly type?”

The two ponies laughed at this, and chatted for a short time longer. Justice finally excused himself to go see about Devin’s prognosis and, with a gracious bow to the princess, exited the chambers. As he approached the medical wing, he felt like the floor dropped out beneath him. Daisy and Devin sat in the corridor, a doctor pony walking away, both having cried recently. Daisy rushed over to Justice for comfort, crying hard into his chest, while Devin confirmed the look the pegasus gave with a nod.

The small family set off, determined to make the best of Devin’s final days. Devin had always wanted to see the sights of Equestria, so the trio set off to see them. Sadly, after visiting only Winsome Falls, where they had a nice picnic, Devin took a turn for the worst, causing the three to cut their trip short. They rushed back to Vanhoover, where the doctor told them the news. Devin had contracted a bad infection and, with the heaves already in place, probably wouldn’t make it through the week.

After helping Devin to bed, and giving him his medication, Justice and Daisy walked outside to give the pony his rest, and Daisy broke down. Throwing herself into her husband’s arms, she cried about her father’s condition, and how unfair the whole situation was. “Did you see how much he was shaking, even with two blankets on? Oh Justice, I don’t know if I can handle this.”

Justice put a hoof around his wife’s shoulders, trying to comfort her. He felt saddened by the impending loss of his father-in-law, but he felt worse about Daisy. “It’ll be ok. The medicine will help take away his pain. Try not to think about right now. Remember some good times and they will help you get through this.”

Daisy looked up at her husband, suddenly feeling so much worse for him. “Oh sweet Celestia. This must be how you feel, isn’t it?” She threw her arms around Justice, pulling him close. “Oh Justice, I didn’t know just how you felt. Watching a pony I love so much as he passes has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but you’ve seen this so many times. I’m so sorry…”

Justice hugged her back, a tear rolling down his cheek. “Don’t worry about me, my love. I’ve been through this more times than I’d like to count. I can handle it. Are you ok though?”

Daisy nodded slightly. The truth was that she wasn’t doing so well, but if her husband could put on a good show for her, and go through this pain one more time, then she would try to be strong for him as well. The two sat for the rest of the afternoon, watching the sunset in silence, constantly thinking.

It was three days later that Devin finally passed, peacefully listening to his family as they comforted him. When Daisy hadn’t been around, Justice was asked what dying was like. A little uncomfortable with the discussion, Justice explained some of his experiences, of course putting the pony at ease that Nightmare Moon probably wouldn’t be waiting for him. This seemed to calm Devin a little, having been worried about what the experience would be like. When Justice wasn’t around, Devin and Daisy talked about their times together, Daisy’s mom, and then Daisy’s future. Devin felt bad that his suffering was hurting his daughter, so he tried to make her feel as good as possible.

Finally, while listening to his daughter’s discussion of memories of the two of them, he looked over at Justice, knowing his time had come. Weakly waving the pegasus over, he whispered, “Thank you. I’m glad I got to know you, even if we started a little rough. Take care of my daughter, forever.” Justice nodded, tears welling up.

Daisy looked scared, when her father rolled his head over to look at her. With a smile, he said, “I love you, Daisy. More than I could ever say. Be good to everypony, but remember to be happy for yourself. I’m so proud of the mare you’ve become. Live well, and be hap…” With those last words trailing off, a smile still on his face, Devin Cook passed away.

Daisy and Justice embraced, tears quietly falling down their faces. Justice helped get Devin in a comfortable position, and then proceeded to go outside and dig a burial plot. That night, the two ponies buried Devin Cook, both emotional but strong. Daisy would take a week to fully come out of her funk.

About a month after Devin’s death, as life was beginning to return to normal, if not somewhat empty, rhythm, Justice decided to re-open the discussion about having a foal. He approached Daisy, who was busy working the small vegetable field the two had planted, Justice’s farming background coming into use for the couple, and gave her a quick kiss on the neck.

Daisy giggled a little, her husband finding her ticklish spot as always, and turned, “Don’t kiss me, I’m all sweaty. Here to help me with the garden?”

Justice just smiled, “I love you no matter the condition. In fact, that’s the reason I wanted to talk. You had asked before about the possibility of raising a foal and, I’ve given it some thought.” He smiled at Daisy’s immediate reaction, her ears standing up, her eyes growing wide, and her mouth hanging open just a little. “Daisy Cutter, would you please have a foal with me?”

Daisy jumped into her husband’s arms, the two spinning and laughing excitedly. Justice was so glad he could bring more joy to his wife, and the two began discussing the details. They needed to make sure they had the room, the money, the knowledge to raise a foal. Finally they had come to an agreement, as a couple, the two would be able to do anything. They embraced, excited and ready for the next adventure life would throw at them.

Rapid Quill stood, putting his quill back in the inkpot and walking backwards. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “No, I can’t keep going. This is too much.” The next part of his story would be one of the most difficult parts, one of the saddest things he had experienced while documenting the extended life of the pegasus hero. He rolled up the scroll, placing it on his shelf next to the rest of his story and laid down on his bed. Staring at the ceiling, Quill felt the tears flowing until he finally fell back asleep, his restless night coming to an end.