Forever Is a Long Time

by Hoosier Brony

Chapter 3: Frustration

Rapid Quill walked into Sugar Cube Corner, the bell ringing overhead. Mrs. Cake turned from behind the counter, welcoming him in her normal, cheerful manner.

“Welcome! How can I help you?” she asked, pushing aside her mixing bowl and brushing off some stray flour. The Cakes had recently taken a rather large catering order and had been in baking overload all day. Mr. Cake was in back, monitoring the cupcakes in the oven.

Rapid Quill shopped through the display cases, his hunger starting to pique even though he couldn’t decide what to eat. ‘Maybe sweets were not the best choice,’ he thought. ‘I should’ve just gone with a good sunflower sandwich.’

Suddenly he heard a small laugh from the corner of the store. He turned, finding none other than Pinkie Pie playing with Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake. The Cakes had asked her to keep the fillies occupied so that they could concentrate on the large amount of baking. Secretly, they really wanted Pinkie to be preoccupied so that she wouldn’t eat any of the sweets they were preparing. Pinkie was doing a good job keeping them entertained, this time without the bags of flour which were much more necessary for the catered order.

Rapid Quill turned back towards Mrs. Cake and the display cases and a specific group of cupcakes caught his eye. They were dark grey, with a black icing top. ‘That looks just like Beaming Justice,’ he thought, still thinking of the next portion of his story. “This one seems different from the rest. Darker even.”

“Oh, the two fillies got into some of our food colors last night and mixed them all up,” Mrs. Cake explained. “All it created was that dark grey color. I couldn’t think of anything that would go with them, and we’ve had that black icing for a while now, so I decided to combine my two problems together. The only issue now is nopony will buy them. They are too dark.”

“Well, I think those are the ones I’d like,” Rapid Quill said. Noting the confusion on Mrs. Cake’s face, he explained, “They are the same color as a new character I’m writing about. Maybe they can help me gather ideas for my story.” He blushed a little at the idea that cupcakes could be his muse.

Mrs. Cake just gave him a thankful look. She was grateful that these cupcakes weren’t going to go to waste. “I’ll just ring those up for you. I’ll even throw in a small discount, since you are taking them off my hooves.”

After thanking Mrs. Cake for her generosity, and waving goodbye to Pinkie, Rapid Quill took his box of cupcakes and headed outside. He noticed that the sun wasn’t shining as brightly as when he entered the bakery and, looking up, saw Rainbow Dash leading some other pegasi in positioning some dark clouds.

“Rainbow Dash! What’s going on?” he asked, as soon as she was available.

“We just received a special order. Ponyville needs a big storm tonight to help the new crop that was planted yesterday. It was such a nice day yesterday that Cloudsdale decided to delay the rain to tonight. I just wish I didn’t have to leave that Daring Do book.”

‘It’s going to rain all afternoon?’ Rapid Quill thought, thanking Rainbow Dash again for her help earlier in the day. ‘I can stay in all day, eat my cupcakes, and write the next part of my tale.’ He turned towards his house, picking up the pace in order to make it home before the rain began falling. The last thing he wanted now was soggy cupcakes.

When he reached his house, he set aside the second chapter of Beaming Justice’s epic saga and grabbed a cupcake. As he ate it, noticing its typically sweet taste (‘Nopony makes a better cupcake than the Cake family’), he gathered the supplies he would need to write the next chapter. He sat down, preparing his thoughts and began writing his continuing story:

When the four tired ponies finally reached Canterlot, they each went their separate ways. Swift, Aurora, and Steel went towards their private chambers to wash up and rest from the terrible encounter. Justice went towards Luna’s tower, intent on telling the Princess of the night’s events. It was protocol to wait for the debriefing meeting that both Princesses would attend, along with Shining Light, but Justice knew that the Princess would want to hear about the hydra immediately.

When he got to her tower, he sent a guard to get her. Waiting outside he suddenly took in his own appearance in a nearby mirror. He was still dressed in his finest dress armor, having just left the Grand Galloping Gala when the hydra struck, but now his mane was disheveled and he was covered in sweat, dirt, and the blood of the beast. This was no way to approach the Princess. Unfortunately, that was precisely when she appeared.

“Beaming Justice! How was the…” she trailed off, taking in the battle worn pony in front of her. “…the, the fight? Is everything ok? What about the town?”

“My Princess,” Justice began, standing at attention, “The hydra has been defeated. There were no casualties in my ranks. The town is a complete loss and I am unsure how many ponies will have survived this night’s terrors. I will give a full report in the debriefing later today.” He stopped, carefully choosing the next words. “I’m sorry to have left you so suddenly last night. How was the rest of the Gala?”

Princess Luna sighed. “Uneventful. Once you had left, I had nopony to dance with except those stuck-up dignitaries. Oh, Justice. The beginning of the Gala was the best time I’ve ever had. Thank you so much for going with me.”

She leaned in to give him a quick hug but he backed away, apologizing. “I’m sorry Princess, but I’m a mess right now. I never should’ve come over here looking like…” Without warning, she lunged forward, cutting him off with a kiss. He was so shocked by the move that his wings opened in defense. By the time he realized what was happening and began to enjoy the moment, the Princess backed off, breaking off the kiss.

The two ponies blushed. Justice began pawing at the ground slightly, staring at one spot in particular. Princess Luna, on the other hand, happened to look up, as if suddenly interested in the sun rise. The two ponies stayed in this manner for a minute, trying their best to not break the surprisingly awkward silence.

“Well, I need to get home, get cleaned and ready for the debriefing,” Justice said, finally getting the nerve to speak. What had the kiss meant? Was he supposed to ask to be let in? That would have been a massive mistake against protocol. “I’ll see you later, my Princess.” He bowed low, turned around, and walked away proudly, and with a little extra pep in his step.

After cleaning himself up and sending the armor to the cleaners in the barracks, he laid down. Even though he was still rather exhausted from the fight with the hydra, he found himself unable to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could picture was the Princess. He remembered the first time he saw her the night before, standing in her tower doorway, looking amazing. He remembered every time he looked over at her when talking to the other ponies at the Gala, seeing how she was eyeing him as well. He remembered their first dance, how close they were as they let the music flow over them. He remembered her look of both worry and pride when he said he would go off to fight the hydra. Most of all, he remembered the kiss.

Needless to say, Justice didn’t get much sleep, but even resting in the same position, allowing the muscles to relax, was a welcome treat. He finally got up, bathed and groomed again, and put on his normal daily outfit. He had an important task ahead of him: debriefing the two Princesses on the night’s activities. Usually the debriefings were simple because the fights were simple, small fights. This was a tragedy though. An entire village destroyed, many ponies killed, and he was the first pony on site.

As he strolled over to the Grand Hall, Justice began thinking through some of the thoughts that had disturbed him the night before. How did the hydra go undetected through Equestria? Why was the town not well defended? Why did they lack the proper battle gear? What should be done to better prepare the many large villages in Equestria?

When he walked into the Grand Hall, he noticed that the decorations from the Gala were still being removed. Many worker ponies busily cleaned up trash, washed the floor, and removed the fabric that was strung across the ceiling. Justice noticed that the two Princesses and Shining Light were walking in at approximately the same time. Princess Celestia asked the worker ponies to tend to the gardens while they conducted their meeting. As soon as the hall was empty, they each took their spots around a large table and began.

“Last night there was a report of a dangerous hydra attacking the medium sized village of Saddleworth,” Princess Luna began. “A runner pony indicated that the villagers were attempting to defend the village and fight off the monster. The village was reported to have taken some large damage and many casualties. At this time, Beaming Justice volunteered to go with some troops to act as first responders to the situation until further backup could be found. So, Beaming Justice, what did you find?”

“Princess Luna, I sent a runner to wake my three best officers and send them prepared for battle to Saddleworth. I proceeded to fly there myself and determine the situation. When I arrived, the village was a total loss and I saw no ponies in arms defending themselves,” Justice began. He continued to tell the entire story, in full detail. When he had reached the part where Shining Light had come in, he stopped, allowing him to tell the rest.

“When I had arrived, Beaming Justice reported that the monster was destroyed and so were the village and most villagers. I sent a medical team to tend to the wounded and went out to see the beast myself. After explaining how the monster was defeated, Justice and his team were relieved of their duty and left Saddleworth. My team and I destroyed the monster’s corpse and began searching the town for more survivors. I agree with Beaming Justice’s assessment that the town is a complete loss. I am sorry to say that even with my medical staff’s assistance, only twelve ponies will survive this tragedy.”

Twelve, Justice thought soberly. Twelve is all that will survive. The town’s last census showed a population of one hundred, and that was a year ago. What a horrible tragedy this was.

“Twelve ponies are all that will survive?” Princess Celestia asked, sorrow spreading across her usually calm face.

“In my opinion, more could’ve been rescued had they received medical attention sooner,” Shining Light said, turning towards Justice. “May I ask why you did not attend to the injured as soon as you arrived?”

Justice was taken aback. Was Shining Light suggesting that some of the casualties were Justice’s fault? Justice answered, slight annoyance in his voice, “I assessed the situation as best I could when I had arrived. Seeing the massive scale of destruction I knew we were either facing multiple creatures or one of great stature. I determined that tending to the injured would only delay our ability to find and destroy the creature before it could do more harm.”

“Did your subordinate not say that the beast was peacefully resting when she found it? Could you say you did not have the time to tend to the injured before it became hostile?” Princess Celestia added. Usually the Princesses were silent during most of the briefing unless they were issuing a decree or if further questioning was required.

“Yes, Aurora Shine had found the beast resting but it awoke and we had to act,” Justice explained. “There may’ve been time to tend to the wounded, but we were unsure where the beast was or what condition it was in. I determined that defeating the threat was the primary issue.”

Princess Luna nodded in agreement as Princess Celestia just calmly began writing notes, one eyebrow raised. Justice couldn’t believe it. He WAS being blamed for some of the casualties. Surely the Princesses could appreciate the fast, difficult decisions that must be made in the heat of a battle.

“The report indicated that the villagers were trying to fight back. Was there any evidence of this, Beaming Justice?” Princess Luna asked, keeping to formalities in this debriefing. Shining Light and Princess Celestia were both well aware of the relationship between the two, but it did not matter. Rules are rules, and proper etiquette is to be followed in a meeting such as this.

“I wondered that myself,” Justice began. “I noticed nothing more than some common farming equipment strewn about town. It would appear that some of the outlying villagers had taken up what meager arms they had and tried to defeat the beast. I was wondering, ‘Is this town lacking in supplies against such an attack?’”

“I believe the beast would’ve been too much of a challenge for these villagers to fight,” Shining Light interrupted. “Even with the correct equipment, I believe they wouldn’t have lasted much longer.”

“Perhaps trained guards could’ve helped,” Princess Luna suggested. “If they were to receive the same training as those of the Royal Guard, could they have defeated the beast?”

“Depending on their training and the number of guards?” Shining Light considered. “I believe they would’ve been able to damage the beast. To defeat that beast? I believe they would’ve stood little chance.”

“My three officers and I were only able to defeat it because we had the element of surprise in two cases and brute strength in the other two,” Justice said, feeling a sense of pride knowing that even Shining Light could identify that the beast was formidable, yet his team was able to defeat it.

“That brings me to my next question,” Princess Celestia said, sternly. “Beaming Justice, does the proper protocol for such an event as this call for a regiment of at least fifteen ponies to combat any hydra attack? And considering both Shining Light and your testimony here, would you not conclude that even more would’ve been needed in order for a beast this size? Why is it then that you chose to go after this case with only three, even if they were highly decorated?”

Justice felt all the pride deflating. “Yes, your highness. The proper protocol for a hydra attack is fifteen ponies and this was definitely no usual hydra. But I appreciate my team’s effectiveness and capabilities. Initially we were just there to size up the situation and do what we could until backup would arrive.”

“So why then did you not tend to the wounded? Why did you believe that this beast that was ‘no usual hydra’ could be handled by just four ponies?” Shining Light asked with a small frown on his face. Justice began to realize that by defeating the hydra, he had shown off that his troops were more capable than Shining Lights’.

“Did the four ponies not defeat the hydra? Have they not proven, yet again, that they are highly capable? Did they not come away from yet another fight with no casualties?” Princess Luna questioned Shining Light. Justice noticed the annoyance on her face, unseemly for the Princess.

“Though their act was commendable, and I appreciate that Beaming Justice was able to defeat this beast with no casualties, the move was a reckless one,” Princess Celestia said to Princess Luna. Turning towards Justice she added, “Do you intend to continue fighting more impossible battles until one of your close associates perishes?” Justice was cut to the core. “You have an impressive record, especially in that none of those that enter into battle under you have ever perished, but you must realize that such a record cannot stay unblemished, especially if you take on challenges too hard for just you and your officers.”

Justice couldn’t speak. He sat there, a thoughtful look across his face, thinking, How would I have felt if Swift had been gobbled up? What if Steel had been crushed under that beast? How could I live with losing Aurora after all these years? The room sat in silence. Justice was thinking about the impossible, the other three watching his reaction. Never had anypony seen Beaming Justice so worried.

“Because you broke protocol and put the lives of not only yourself but your subordinates in jeopardy, Beaming Justice is hereby relieved of duty for the next two weeks,” Princess Celestia said, writing down the decree as she spoke.

Justice looked up startled. “Suspension? But Princess, what of my troops? What of the safety of the Equestrian nights?” Justice was all but shouting at this point, hysterically wondering how this came to be. Did I really make a mistake? Did I really put my team in jeopardy? Princess Luna was seething and began to open her mouth to come to Justice’s aid.

“I believe it would benefit you,” Princess Celestia said, interrupting her sister with a sideways glance. “Take this time to rest, review the Royal Guard protocol, and think about what could’ve befallen your officers. I know they mean much more to you than just associates. Think about what could’ve befallen your friends.”

Justice sat there, stunned but content. He nodded, gave a small shake of his head to Princess Luna who was still prepared to fight for him, and said, “I understand, your highness. I accept the suspension on grounds that I did put my team in harm’s way. When I return from my two week suspension I will be a more competent Chief Lieutenant for her highness Princess Luna.”

With that, Justice was distracted for the rest of the debriefing. The three other ponies discussed the possibility of the trained guards and better equipment for the larger of Equestrian towns. The idea was a dangerous one, as Princess Celestia explained, as any amount of professional guards could be an indication of aggression towards the other nations, especially the griffon nation which neighbored Equestria. Currently the Princesses had enough guards to defend them in times of need, such as when Discord had appeared. Stationing further guards throughout Equestria would give the appearance of an army that is being built, spread out, and prepared for trouble.

Suddenly, Beaming Justice had brought up the point that he had wondered often. “This was no ordinary hydra. This was the largest hydra I’ve ever even heard about. How did such a beast find its way through Equestria to Saddleworth? Why did nopony see it before the attack?”

The two Princesses thought about this while Shining Light added, “Surely it had moved at night. There is no way somepony could’ve seen this beast in the daylight and not reported it. The monster used the cover of night, and the fact that most ponies are asleep, to sneak its way to Saddleworth.”

Princess Luna turned to Shining Light and, with a large amount of frustration, said, “Where would this beast have hidden during the day? Why did not a single report come in of a giant sleeping monster? Yes the beast may’ve moved at night, but what of your daily scouting reports?”

“Not once did we receive any indication that there was a large beast out in the open. It must’ve known to hide in caves, waiting until the sun went down in order to continue its path. Surely the night provided enough cover that…”

Princess Luna smacked the table so hard a small crack appeared. While the other three ponies jumped with surprise, she shouted, “DO NOT BLAME THE NIGHT!”

Princess Celestia stood up, flaring her wings and sternly said, “Enough! The night is the only logical explanation for how such a monster was able to travel. The question now should be more of how to ensure that no more beasts use the cover of night to their advantage.”

Princess Luna had calmed down, though deep inside, she still raged. “What do you suggest?”

Beaming Justice, trying his best to keep everypony calm, said, “What if the moon was always full and bright. This way there would be no very dark nights for the monsters to hide in?”

Princess Luna shot him a nasty look. “The intention of the partially eclipsed or new moons is for a darker, more luxurious viewing of the night sky. With a bright moon, there would be fewer visible stars. Meteor showers would lose their brilliance. The moon has different phases for different reasons.”

“But hardly anypony is awake at night to appreciate the extra stars,” Shining Light added, getting his own nasty look from Princess Luna. “We do stay up for the brilliance of the meteor showers, but they are so far in between. Could we not instead shorten the night so that the window for movement would be decreased? This would also allow for an increase in time for the productive efforts of farmers and laborers.”

Princess Celestia interjected, noticing her sister’s visible anger beginning to appear again, “Obviously this is a troubling issue, one that requires much more thought. I don’t believe there is an easy answer that all of us can agree on.” Once the ponies had settled back down, she continued, “I believe what happened in Saddleworth will go down as one of the worst tragedies in Equestria’s history. I feel we have made some steps forward on how to handle such a situation in the future. My sister and I will look into arming the villages of Equestria in order to defend themselves in future fights as well as the possibility of adding small contingents of guards to the larger of towns. We must do this cautiously as we do not want to alarm our neighboring nations. Beaming Justice, you are not to interfere with any Royal Guard duties for the next two weeks. Please use this time to rest, relax, and contemplate your actions on the night at hand. Shining Light, you will be in charge of leading both divisions of the Royal Guard during this time. Thank you all.”

With that, the four ponies concluded the debriefing. Shining Light left, head held proudly. He had just become the third most prominent pony in all of Equestria, even if only for two weeks. Princess Celestia left, deep in thought about the situation that occurred, the possible of the solutions at hand, and how the budding relationship between Justice and Luna could interfere with their duties.

Beaming Justice looked across the table, seeing Princess Luna’s tears well up. He hurried around and put a hoof gently on her back. He wished she wouldn’t be as hurt as she must’ve been right then.

“It’s not fair,” she said, beginning to sob. “The darkness of the night allows ponies to sleep. They do not appreciate the beauty of the night sky or the celestial displays I put on. Now it is even being blamed for the tragedy at Saddleworth?”

Justice began rubbing her back, hopefully comforting her in her pain. He was upset at Shining Light for ever suggesting such a thing. Shortening the night? Preposterous. Now that smug pony was going to be in charge of his guards, his FRIENDS for the next two weeks and there was nothing he could do about it? Whenever he felt this anger build up inside of him, he just looked down at his Princess, his love, and see her tears and feel nothing but pity.

Princess Luna was in charge of protecting all of Equestria during the night. She viewed the night as a chance to show off the brilliance of the night sky, in a way that bright blue skies on a warm summer day show off the day. The difference was the beauty of the night sky, the magnificence of the many phases of the moon, the stunning display of the brightest meteor showers, and the serene peace at looking at all the stars. This was just threatened by the suggestion of shortening the night or making it brighter.

Justice took the Princess’ still tearful face in his hooves, lifting it up so he could look into her eyes. “I will never let anypony hurt your nights.” He leaned in, kissing her troubles away. Because he was so surprised earlier, he didn’t experience their first kiss fully. But this kiss was different. He wanted to show her that not only did he love her, he would be there for her when she needed. He would always defend both her and her night sky. When the passionate kiss finally broke, he noticed that not a single tear was in her eyes.

Princess Luna smiled that smile that warmed his soul and said, “Do you want to go on a date? I hear you have some time off.”

Suddenly a large flash of lightning shone through the windows, followed almost instantaneously with a loud roar of thunder. Rapid Quill had been so startled that he knocked his candle over, putting out the flame. He noticed that the hour was late, it was dark outside, and he had eaten all the cupcakes he had purchased that afternoon at Sugar Cube Corner. He decided this was an appropriate time to stop his writing for the night and to watch the rainstorm. Rapid Quill had always loved rainstorms. The loved the unpredictable lightning strikes that were unique in shape and size every time, the loud thunder that shook the house with every boom. He put away his scrolls and quills (a difficult task in the darkness of the stormy night) and, lying down in bed, watched the storm rage on outside his window.

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[The colt with a bow]

It's supreme, it's godlike, it's pretty gooooooood. -Leo