A group of stories about the life of Golden Shield
It's highly suggested you Mother Celestia first.
Golden Shield was found by Princess Celestia when he was four. The princess did everything she could to find his birth parents, but nothing came up. She agreed to adopt and raise this little colt until his parents were found. After many years, Golden has a family of his own. He has a loving wife and kids, amazing friends, and a new born baby. These are his stories.
There isn't a real story line to follow. Just a group of stories about Golden Shield and his family. Hope you enjoy them.
I could also always use proofreaders, editors, artist, and story ideas. If you want to have any part of the story, I would gladly listen.
“Golden,” she said as she looked at me, “let’s have another.”
That was about ten months ago. Now my wife and our new born baby are resting peacefully in our home.
My name is Golden Shield. When I was four, Princess Celestia found me in the Everfree Forest and took me in. She cared for me and gave me a place to live until she found my family. Celestia sent ponies to find any trace of my mother, but nothing came up and she officially adopted me. It’s also how I met my best friend, Cadence. She too lived in the castle, as she was born an alicorn and her parents wanted her to become a princess. As we grew up, we found some ponies who became our close friends.
Shining Armor is probably my closest friend besides Cadence. Shining and I are so close that we consider each other brothers and he’s one of the few ponies I would follow to the ends of the earth.
I didn’t meet Spitfire until I was in high school, but we act like we’ve been friends forever. The two of us have most of the same interest and only really differ in our career choices. While she decided to become a performer and leader of the world famous Wonderbolts, I became Captain of the Royal Guard. But I can only imagine how great the shows would be if I had wings instead of my horn.
I really can’t think of a few words to describe what Vinyl Scratch means to me. Unlike Spitfire, we’ve been friends since we first met in the first grade. She’s currently working as a DJ and the godmother to one of my little ponies. Every week, we share a beer and just talk, like adults.
Finally, there is the mare that eventually became my wife, Octavia Melody. It wasn’t a love at first sight story or anything like that. In fact, there wasn’t even any attraction for a few years. We eventually realized we were made for each other, started dating, got married, and had twins, a colt named Ebony Shield and a filly named Mystery Melody.
We talked after Octavia said she wanted another kid. We weren’t sure if we could really support a third kid, but then Vinyl, her coltfriend, and Spitfire said they were willing to help in any way they can. Octavia was opposed to this at first, but then Vinyl said that she might “accidently” buy baby food and diapers and Spitfire might “accidently” feed and or/change the baby.
With our only main concern solved, Octavia and I started trying. There weren’t many nights where we could try, as we were still working parents and Octavia had a concert coming up. The night of the concert, however, was something special. Critics said it was her best show ever and you could just feel her passion for her art. After the show, she told me that she was thinking of every good experience we’ve had since the day we met and how much she loves our family. We were really lucky Ebony and Mystery were at a sleepover that night. Octavia didn’t need a test to tell she was pregnant.
According to Octavia, this pregnancy was much easier than the last one. It might have been because she was only carrying one foal or maybe because it wasn’t her first. She was able to control her mood swings, her cramps weren’t that bad, and she said she wasn’t as fatigued as the last one. However, her love for chocolate covered macaroni with potato chips returned which I still don’t understand. After nine months, Octavia gave birth to our new little unicorn filly. Her coat and mane are like her mother’s only brighter and my silver eyes.
There was just one little problem. Normally, when a baby is born, the parents are able to look at their child and their name just comes to them. Even with Ebony and Mystery, who technically got their names from my coma dream, Octavia still knew what their names should be. But Octavia and I looked at each and we came up with nothing. This isn’t anything new or something to be worried about. Some ponies are actually a little envious of these ponies because it means their destiny is their own.
We were lying in Octavia’s hospital bed while our new born daughter slept next to us.
“She’s so beautiful,” Octavia said as we watched her sleep.
“But what do we name her?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” She responded. “It’s not every day a pony like her is born. What do you a name pony whose destiny is up to her?”
“I don’t know, but can you imagine it? She is one of the few ponies not bound to a set path or anything like that. No pony expects her to take after us or any member of our family. To her, life is a blank book.”
“What would you do with it? I can’t even imagine a world where I don’t have my cello or any instrument for that matter.”
“I don’t know. I mean I love my job, but what if I could have done anything with my life. What if I just wanted to be a baker or an author?”
“What if we just take our names start from there? As much as I love the sound of Golden Melody, it might get a little confusing around the house.”
“I like the sound of Melody though. How about Silver Melody?” Just like her siblings, our little filly made a little joyful noise when she heard her name.
“She likes it,” Octavia said with a smile. “Okay, Silver Melody.”
I eventually had to leave to pick up the twins from school. Octavia spent a few more days in the hospital just to make sure everything was okay. I would bring the kids over to visit their mother and baby sister. Mystery wouldn’t stop talking about how much fun she was going to have with her baby sister and Ebony was telling us how much he’s going to help.
Even Cadence came down with her daughter to see our baby. Cadence and Shining Armor had their daughter, Princess Skyla, almost two years after Octavia and I had the twins. She is a darker shade of pink than her mother and had a cream and pale purple mane. There was something special about her, however. Skyla was born an alicorn. This is a surprise to everyone because the alicorn gene is recessive, meaning Shining has the gene too. Cadence and Shining said they didn’t really care, so long as their baby was happy and healthy.
“Knock knock,” Cadence said as she and her daughter entered the room with their suitcases.
“Uncle Golden, Auntie Octavia!” Skyla shouted as she ran into the room. Skyla ran to hug me and I picked her up to put her on the hospital bed.
“It’s alright Cadence,” Octavia said. “Our little girl is a heavy sleeper.”
“What’s her name?” Cadence asked as she picked up Silver.
“Silver Melody,” I said.
“Hi Silver. I’m you’re Auntie Cadence. You don’t know it yet, but you’ve been born into one of the greatest families in Equestria.”
“Can I hold the baby?” Skyla asked. Cadence handed her daughter Silver and we made sure she held her right.
“Silver Melody?” Cadence said. “Does that mean she’s going to play the flute or something?”
“Actually,” Octavia said, “a name didn’t come to us when we saw her.”
“Wow, an open destiny. How do you guys feel about that? What if she wants to be a fast food chef for the rest of her life?”
“As long as she’s happy, we’ll be happy.” I said.
Cadence, Skyla, and I stayed in hospital for a little while catching up. Tomorrow was Octavia’s discharge day, so The Doctor asked us to leave so Octavia and Silver can get their rest. Cadence, Skyla, and I walked to the house Octavia’s parents gave us when we got married. While Celesita said she could stay whenever Cadence need, but she wanted Skyla to be around Mystery and Ebony and she likes to have an excuse not to stay in the castle.
“Daddy!” my children said as I opened the door. I kneeled down to hug both of them and kiss them on their cheeks.
“How are my little ponies?” I asked.
“We’re playing with Auntie Vinyl,” Ebony said.
“When’s mommy and our baby sister coming home?” Mystery asked.
“Mommy and Silver won’t be home until tomorrow, but look who came to see you.”
The twins looked past me and saw Cadence smiling wide. I didn’t keep them waiting and handed my children over to my best friend. They were trying to tell her stories at the same time, a common occurrence for the two of them. It reminded me of when Cadence and I were younger and we would tell Celestia everything about our day when we got home from school.
“Calm down,” Cadence said with a smile and putting the twins down. “You haven’t even said hi to Skyla yet,”
“Sorry,” Mystery said as she hugged Skyla. “We were just really happy to see you guys.”
“Come play with us,” Ebony said.
“Auntie Vinyl,” Mystery shouted to the other room, “can Skyla play with us?”
“I don’t know, does she want to play with a tickle monster?” Vinyl rushed into the room, picked up Skyla and tickled her. She took the kids into their room and I took Cadence’s bags to the guest room. When I came back, Cadence, Spitfire, and Vinyl’s coltfriend were sitting in the living room talking.
Vinyl and her coltfriend, Bright Night, have been dating since mine and Octavia’s wedding. He’s a teacher and an extremely skilled cook. They got together after fighting over a frozen pizza in a grocery store. They had dinner sometime later and they’ve been together since. He would occasionally move into our house when he was evicted from his apartment for one reason or another. He would always stay for a few months, find a new apartment, and then be back six to eight months later. This time, however, Bright has been here for six months. We didn’t mind because he was feeding us, but it seems as if he’s given up at finding another apartment.
I joined my friends in the living room and we started talking. Cadence told me about all the amazing things that have been happening in the Crystal Empire. I, in return, told her how my children got their cutie marks. Mystery got her first with the help of her grandparents. When they saw how much she enjoyed Octavia’s music, Soprano Symphony and Harmonic Strings insisted to help. When they approached Octavia, all she did was laugh because this was the same thing that happened to her. She told her parents that she already knew Mystery’s talent. Octavia bought her a violin later that day and gave it to Mystery for her birthday. Mystery drew her bow like her mother and started playing like a professional. Her cutie mark, several notes coming from a violin, appeared shortly after the song ended.
Ebony’s story was a little different. He wasn’t as popular as his sister, even with Mystery trying to include him in everything she did. Ebony didn’t have many friends, but he was close to the few he did. One of his friends was being bullied and he did the one thing I could have asked him to do: stand up for his friend. The bully pushed him around a bit, but Ebony stood his ground and drove him away. His cutie mark is similar to mine, except matching his coat and mane and without the swords.
It was a school night, so I had to put the kids to bed, after their bath and story of course. When I came back to the living room, Spitfire was leaving because of a problem that popped up at the Wonderbolt Academy, Vinyl had left to DJ at a club, and Cadence had went to bed with Skyla. This left Bright and I alone in living room.
“So, when are you going to do it?” I asked Bright as I took a seat.
“Do what?” He asked.
“Propose to Vinyl.” I said with a smirk.
“What makes you think I was going to propose to Vinyl? I mean, yeah I love Vinyl, but do you really think she’s marriage material?”
“She’s really good with the kids and you two already spend enough time together. Why not just make it official?”
“Okay, seriously what makes you think I want to propose to her?”
“Because I’ve been in your position before. I remember all the little signs of having something this big on your mind and how it effects your interactions with people. Plus I saw the ring box a few days ago.”
“You saw it? Do you think Vinyl saw it?”
“Probably not. She would have said something when we were drinking our beer. What’s stopping you?”
“I want to ask her parents’ permission.”
“That might not be the best idea,” I said thinking back to when I asked Octavia’s parents for their permission.
“Wait, didn’t you have to beg Octavia’s parents for their permission? Is there something wrong with asking them?”
“Well not for most ponies, but Vinyl doesn’t have the best relationship with her parents. I knew how close Octavia was with her parents, so I knew it would mean much more if I asked them first. For Vinyl, there are two other ponies you have to ask.”
“Who are they?”
I smiled and stood up, saying goodnight to Bright. I went to my room where I wrote a note and whistled for my pet phoenix, Philomena. I gave her a treat and told her who to deliver the note to. I went to bed shortly after, simultaneously missing my wife and silently celebrating her return tomorrow.
The next day wasn’t anything unusual. I woke the kids up and got them ready for school. When I dropped them off, I promised them Octavia and Silver would be home when they got home today. My next stop was the hospital to help Octavia home. The discharge process was simple enough and before I knew it, we were headed home with our new baby.
On our way home, Octavia and I were stopped by ponies wanting to see our baby. Fleur de Lis and Fancy Pants were the first two to stop us. They’ve been our friends since middle school and we’re always happy to see them. We were later stopped by my brother and his fiancé.
I didn’t meet Nightingale until after I became a royal guard. He was a member of the Children of the Night, a group of people who helped Nightmare Moon return to Equestria, and Nightmare Moon’s adoptive son. He knocked me out in our first encounter and we had a fight during our second. We realized we had some connection and became friends after the fight. We didn’t learn we were brothers until a few days before my wedding.
Star Darling and I have an interesting history. We met sometime after my 16th birthday for a special event. It was tradition for members of the royal family to pick another pony to marry when they turn 18. To help make a decision, the parents invite ten suitors to spend a week with their child. Out of fear of breaking tradition and disappointing my grandparents, Celestia made Cadence and I go through this, but later called it off.
Star was one of the ponies she invited. She fell in love with me after a vacation her family took and did everything she could to be one of the ponies invited to the castle. She went back to Applewood after the week and met another colt. He would later propose and cheat on her and Star would come to Canterlot in hopes of starting new. She met my brother, the two hit it off and asked her to marry her a few months ago.
While there were other ponies that stopped us, Silver was starting to get a little restless. We started rushing home and found Skyla playing outside.
“Hi Uncle Golden. Hi Auntie Octavia. Can I hold Sliver again?” Skyla asked as we approached.
“I’m sorry, but I need to feed her,” Octavia said. “You can hold her when she goes to sleep, okay?”
“Okay. And mommy wanted me to tell you there’s a Code Blue in the house. What does that mean?”
I looked at Octavia and saw the anger build up in her. Code Blue meant Prince Blueblood was in a room. Blueblood is Cadence’s twin brother and one of the worst ponies to ever open his mouth. He is an arrogant, self-obsessed snob that always has a hidden agenda. Even worse, he attacked Octavia and tried to have his way with her. It’s a dark day for her and has been trying to forget the whole thing ever since.
“Octavia,” I said, “you can’t get too angry. It’s not good for you or for Silver.”
Octavia didn’t listen. She instead stormed into the house. I followed close by, finding Cadence and the blue baboon sitting in the living room drinking tea.
“Get out of my house,” Octavia said.
“It’s good to see you too,” the idiot said.
“Let me take Silver,” Cadence said as she got up. Octavia easily gave her baby to Cadence, knowing that it would probably be for the best.
“I want you out of my house right now.”
“Can’t we at least talk like adults?”
“I have nothing to say to you. I don’t want you anywhere near me, my children, my home, or anywhere in my life. I want you to leave right this second.”
“All I’m asking for is a little communication. Is that really so much to ask?”
“I’ll deal with this,” I said to Octavia. “Go feed Silver and I promise he’ll be gone soon enough.”
Octavia smiled and kissed me. She and Cadence left the room with Silver and I took Blueblood to the study.
“You have a lot of nerve showing up here,” I said as I closed the doors. I turned around to see Blueblood sitting at my desk. I remained standing, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of sitting across from him.
“This is a lovely house, Porter. How did you ever hope to afford it?”
“I make enough and it was a wedding from Octavia’s parents. What are you doing here?”
“Don’t you have a question for me?”
“Why haven’t I given you two black eyes yet?”
“No, although you should know I can throw you in the dungeon for just saying that. Aren’t you going to ask me to be your daughter’s godfather?”
“Why would I do that? I would rather have Silver hate me than have you as her godfather. I would rather leave her in the middle of the Everfree Forest than have you as her godfather. I would-”
“Okay, you made your point,” Blueblood interrupted. “I understand that you and your wife don’t like me, but what other options do you have? I’ve heard of your struggle to find a pony that would accept your offer. Well here’s one sitting in front of you.”
Blueblood wasn’t wrong. He have had a difficult time finding a godfather for Silver, but not from lack of trying. Finding a godmother was easy enough as Spitfire was the only one of our friends that isn’t a godparent and she gladly agreed. We first asked Soarin, but he thought that he would have to marry Spitfire and take on the responsibility of an adult. We then asked Fancy Pants, but he felt like he would accidently spoil Silver and make her siblings jealous. We unfortunately Octavia went into labor a few hours after asking Fancy Pants, so we couldn’t find anyone else before Silver came.
“So, am I the new godfather?”
“Get out of this house,” I said.
“Answer my question.”
“As long as I have breath in my lungs, you will never be a part of Silver’s life. Get out of this house right now. You are not welcome here and you never will be.”
“Make me leave.”
I went over to Blueblood, grabbed his arm, and forced him to his feet. He tried to resist, but I guess he forgot how strong Royal Guard are. As we left the study, we found Vinyl’s brother, Long Play, holding Silver with Octavia and Cadence nearby. In the heat of dealing with the Code Blue, I forgot that I asked him to come by.
We met Long Play when he contacted Vinyl asking to meet her for the first time. Vinyl’s parents got pregnant at 18, but decided they couldn’t support a child at the time. They put him up for adoption and just left him. Long says he doesn’t want to meet his birth parents because they didn’t do anything for him. He decided to move to Canterlot after meeting Vinyl and wanting to be closer to her. Since then, he’s been a part of our little family, helping us whenever he can. He was a major part in helping Octavia through both pregnancies and loves to play with the kids as much as Vinyl does.
“Look who decided to see Silver, Golden,” Octavia said. “Isn’t there something you wanted to ask him?”
“Long,” I said as I showed Blueblood the door, by which I mean I forced him out the door and closed it as fast as I could, “you have been such a big part in making sure our children were born. We would be honored if you would be Silver’s godfather.”
“Only if it means I get to help decide who she marries.”
Octavia and I went to pick up our kids from school later that day. They were so excited to see Silver that they kept running ahead of us. Octavia had to keep reminding them that Silver might be asleep when we got home so they would have to be quiet. Sure enough, she was and Mystery and Ebony did a great job making sure not to wake her.
Bright made dinner all of us that night, like he always does. He figured out what I meant when I told him he had to ask two different ponies and he pulled Octavia and Long aside to ask them. I think they both gave him permission, but tonight wasn’t the night to ask.
As we sat down at the dinner table, I looked around at my family. I smiled at just the thought of everything that was going to happen. I thought about Ebony, Mystery, and Skyla growing up, about the family Bright and Vinyl were going to start, about how Spitfire’s name will go down in history, and about all the good times I’m going to have with my wife and children.
I jolted up as I was shocked out of my sleep. I have this recurring dream that’s almost too real. I’m lucky Octavia didn’t wake up, but it’s been happening so often I think she’s gotten used to it. I need to clear my head and think about it. It always seems way too real and I’m always glad to learn it was just a dream. I gently kiss Octavia on the forehead and walked into the living room.
**********
I couldn’t tell if the water running down my face was from the rain or my own tears. I guess it didn’t really matter. I would have cry every time I come here. I don’t know why I come here every week. Maybe it’s because I’m not willing to let go of the past. I just haven’t been the same since Octavia died.
Her mother had the same gene that caused the genetic disease that afflicted her father. It mutated in Octavia and she became the first mare to test positive. The Doctor and anypony willing to help worked night and day to find a cure. They found it a day too late. I wish there was something I could have done to help her instead of watching her die. Lucky for us, the gene didn’t pass to any of our children.
Nothing has been the same since that day. I started to feel more and more alone with very little number of ponies to turn to. Vinyl said she couldn’t live in Canterlot anymore. Everything reminded her about her best friend and she just needed to get away. She and Bright are living in Baltimare, expecting their first kid. Shining and Cadence have been extremely busy in the Crystal Empire. Every time they make plans to come visit, something gets in the way. I haven’t seen them in nine months. Spitfire hasn’t been free either. The Wonderbolts got way more popular than any pony expected. They couldn’t keep their base in Canterlot, so they moved to Cloudsdale. My kids have grown up too. Mystery is about to leave for Manehatten to attend their prestigious music academy. Ebony is about to join the Lunar Guard, so I guess I’ll see him before I leave every day. Silver is the only one staying home, but she’s only twelve.
My mom has been trying to help me through all of this. Because she is immortal, she has made many friends that have died. She wasn’t too much help, however. I didn’t just lose a friend or a wife, I lost my best friend and the family I grew up with. Soon, I’ll be alone.
Mystery hugged me as she started crying over her mother’s grave. The two of them were always close, closer than she was with me. Octy helped Mystery with her first concert and her first crush. She was there when her coltfriend broke up with her and when she lost prom queen. Octy and Mystery had a perfect relationship. When her mother died, I wondered how she would handle it. Turns out, no better than me.
“I wish she was still here,” Mystery said as through her sobs. “I wish Auntie Vinyl was still around and our family was whole.”
“I know, sweetie,” I said hugging her back. “I do too.”
“Why did it have to be her? Why couldn’t have been some mare who was awful to her children?”
“Sometimes I wonder that too,” I said “We should go. I don’t think it’s good for either of us to stay here.”
We both placed a rose on Octy’s grave and started walking home. I thought about everything that was about to happen. My little girl was about to move away, my buddy is about to join the Lunar Guard, and my little baby is growing up. I don’t know what Silver is going to do. Her brother and sister are her closest friends, and they are moving on. I don’t even know how I can raise her by myself. Usually, Mystery and Ebony would pick her up after school and the three of them would do whatever until I got home. Maybe I could ask somepony to help me so I could go home to spend time with my daughter.
We walked into the house and was greeted by Skyla, who was watching Silver while Mystery and I were away and Ebony was sleeping. While Cadence and Shining couldn’t make it down, Skyla would come down to Canterlot whenever she could. She says she comes here for “princess training”, but something tells me there was something more.
“How was your walk?” Skyla asked.
“It was…fine. I was just happy to spend some time with my daughter before she left. Where’s Silver?”
“She’s sleeping in her room. We played for a few hours, I made her lunch, and she feel asleep.”
“She did always like sleeping in the rain. What about Ebony?”
“I think he got up once to get some water or something. Other than that, he’s been sleeping. Uncle Golden, can I ask you something?”
“What is it?” I said taking a seat on the couch.
“Well, my mom really wants me to become a princess and she wants me to stay in Canterlot so I can train with Auntie Celestia, but I don’t like staying in the castle. Can I…stay here? I promise I won’t make a mess or run up the water bill or anything.”
“Of course you can stay here. You know you’re always welcome in our…my house.”
“Can I ask you something else?”
“Anything.”
“What do you do if you really like somepony, but you’re not sure that pony likes you back and you’re way too scared to say anything because he either thinks of you as a friend or you’re too afraid you’re going to lose them as a friend.”
“Do you know how Octavia and I met?”
“Yeah, you two, my parents, and Auntie Vinyl met in the first grade and you’ve been friends ever since.”
“Freshman year of high school, Octavia and I made a deal. We weren’t going to date each other because we were extremely close. If things went wrong with us, then we would have lost one of the most important relationships we have ever made and we really didn’t want to risk that. Well that, and I became insecure when I kissed a mare while dating a different mare. Anyway, we started dating when we realized it was stupid to try and resist our attraction to each other, regardless of our fears. I guess what I’m saying, is that sometimes you have to take that chance.”
“But what if he thinks I’m weird because I want to be with him and he doesn’t want to be with me?”
“Trust me, he was raised better.”
“You know I’m talking about Ebony don’t you?”
“I thought as much.”
“Am I that obvious?”
“No, I just learned a few things from your mom. Look, if you kids like each other, there’s nothing any pony can do about it. If there’s one piece of advice I could give you, it’s don’t be afraid. I wasn’t…”
I thought back to our first kiss and how magical it was. I thought about how that morning when we woke up in bed together for the first time and how I never wanted the moment to end. I started crying, knowing that I will never have those moments again.
“I’ll leave you alone,” Skyla said. “I should write to my mom and ask her to send me a few things.”
I didn’t want to be alone, but what could I do? Two of my children are sleeping and Mystery is busy packing. Maybe I could help Mystery pack. I went to her room and knocked on her door before I entered. Mystery was on the floor looking through a box.
“What do you have there, sweetie?” I asked as I took a seat next to her. The box was all of everything Octy loved.
“Don’t get mad,” she said. “I wanted to take something to Manehatten that reminds me of mom, so I went into your room and I found this box. What are these?”
“This is everything your mother held dear.”
“She held a broken cello bow dear?”
“That’s from the night I proposed. Your mother was playing at the Grand Galloping Gala and my plan was to get on stage and propose to her in front of everypony. Unfortunately, Twilight’s friends had bigger plans that went terribly wrong. Long story short, the animals in the castle gardens ended up in the ball room. I saw an animal charge your mother and I saved her. I proposed to her when it was safe.”
“Did you do it with this ring?”
“No I used that ring to ask her to prom. That ring was actually meant for this dumb thing that actually helped me and your mother get together. You know how my mom made me and Auntie Cadence do a whole suitor thing, well this was the ring I was supposed to use to propose. Instead I used it to ask your mother to prom.”
“Hey, here’s mom’s bow tie,” Mystery said as she pulled the untied bow tie out of the box.
“Did I ever told you what this meant to her?”
“Yeah, but I like to hear the story.”
“I gave this to your mother on the night of her first solo concert. She was more nervous than you were and she even considered canceling it. I told her that no pony else mattered and she did a fantastic job if I loved it. I gave her this so she could always remember that. After that concert, she continued to carry it around to give her courage. She loved this thing…”
I remembered that night and thought about how stupid I was. If I could, I would go back in time and kiss Octy right there. I would tell her that we would one day get married and live in our dream house. We would have three beautiful children who loved us. She could play her beautiful music whenever she like. I would tell her how much I loved her and never let her forget. I would treasure ever second we had together.
“Look. Dad, I can put the box back and take my pictures-”
“No,” I said. “Take the box with you. Your mother would want you to have it.”
“Even the bow tie?”
“This bow tie, meant the world to your mom. If the house was on fire and she could only grab one thing, it would be this. It reminded her how much I cared about her and told her that no matter what happens, I will be there for her. I want you to take it and remember the same thing. No matter what happens to you, what decisions you make, I will always be there for you.”
“I love you, dad,” she said wiping her tears away.
“I love you too.” I hugged Mystery and left her to pack.
I had to stay strong for my kids. Although I would love for them to stay here, I couldn’t forgive myself if they gave up their dreams just to make me happy. I need them to think I would be okay by myself. I just need to hold it together for a few more days.
I headed to the kitchen to start making dinner. I used to love making dinner with my family and I don’t mean just my wife and kids. I remember one Hearth’s Warming Eve where everypony in the house tried to help with the dinner. It was a literal case of too many chefs in the kitchen. Nothing was getting done and Bright eventually had to kick everypony out of the kitchen, with the exception of Octy and I as it was our house. That night was one of the best nights of my life. Now, making dinner just reminds me of all the nights we won’t spend together.
I need to stay strong.
Tonight, it was all of Ebony’s favorites. Lucky for me, he was a simple colt and would have been happy for a frozen pizza, but that wasn’t good enough for his last dinner before he goes into training. When I finished I called the girls to the table and went to wake up my son. He is a heavy sleeper, but being a unicorn means I have access to some pretty loud spells.
“Time to get up, buddy,” I shouted.
“What time is it?” Ebony asked half-awake.
“Time for your last meal as a free man. I made your favorites.” I said.
Unlike his sisters, Ebony was slow to wake up. He was a bit groggy for the first few minutes, he has plenty of energy after that. I remember one Hearth’s Warming when Mystery tried waking everypony so we could open presents. She spent at least twenty minutes trying to wake up he brother, but he had just as much energy as she did once he was up.
The kids helped me set the table and bring out the food. At dinner, they talked about all sorts of pop culture. I tried my best to keep up, but most of that didn’t really interest me. She would tell all sorts of things so I wouldn’t embarrass myself at parties. I would usually forget what she told me the next day, but she would talk with such passion and I couldn’t help but to listen. Since she passed, I’ve been almost completely ignorant about things outside of Canterlot. I would only really keep up with Spitfire and Vinyl just to see how my best friends are doing.
The kids quickly switched topics when they realized I wasn’t contributing much. They asked about what Ebony could expect and how hard training was going to be. I couldn’t tell them anything because Night made me promise. He told me that he has something special planned for him.
I was grateful that my kids wanted me involved in the conversation, but they didn’t seem to be interested in things they were. I could easily talk to Mystery about books, Ebony about some sports, and I love playing pretend with Silver, and I Skyla and I always find something to talk about, but I can’t really talk to them as a group. I excused myself from the table to get a few last things before he leaves. Mainly a few things to remind him his parents love him.
The time eventually came to walk Ebony to the castle. We tried to stall as long as we could, but being late would only mean more trouble for him. The five of us walked to the empty streets of the castle in almost complete silence. Silver was trying to make the best of her time with her brother by making him slime with some jokes I’m sure he’s heard before. He laughed anyway because he was a good big brother.
We reached the castle where Nightingale was waiting for the new recruits.
“Say your goodbyes now,” my brother said. “This will be the last time you’ll see your family for a few months.
Ebony turned to us and smiled. I’ve been in his position before and now I know how Octy felt when she was saying goodbye to me. I felt an overwhelming feeling of pride as I watched him say goodbye to his sister.
“Bye Silver,” he said. “I want you to be the best little filly you can for dad. He’s going to need you more than ever because he won’t have your awesome big brother around.”
“I’ll be as awesome as you are, maybe even more!”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves now,” Ebony said with a chuckle. “Mystery, when you make it big in Manehatten, don’t forget me.”
“And when you’re some big shot guard who saves the princess’s life, don’t forget me.” The twins laughed at each other’s joke and hugged each other tight.
“So…I guess I’ll see you when I get out…” He said to Skyla.
“Yeah…I guess so…” She responded. The two were trying to avoid eye contact and blushing.
“She like you,” Silver blurted out.
“Silver!” Mystery said in a scolding tone.
“Well she does.”
“Do you…really lie-” Skyla grabbed my son by his collar and pulled him into a deep and passionate kiss. I smiled as it reminded me of my first kiss with Octy and how magical it was.
“I might really like you,” Skyla said after they broke their kiss.
“And I might really like you,” He said with a smile. The two of them were lost in a trance until Nightingale broke them out of it.
“Right, sorry,” Ebony said. “Dad, I hope I can do you proud and be as great as you someday.”
“Ebony, you are probably already greater than me. I know if your mother was here, she would be even more proud of you. I can’t wait until we get to work together.”
“I love you, dad.” He said as he hugged me.
“I love you too.”
Nightingale patted Ebony on the back and the two of them went into the castle. I told the girls to go ahead because I needed a minute. I was alone in the dark. My son was in someone else hands, my oldest daughter was leaving in two days, and my youngest is a social butterfly and rarely spends time at home. My best friends are far away, I can’t connect with my mom anymore, and my wife is gone. I am alone.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Octy, looking as beautiful as ever. I wanted to hug her and tell her that I never want to spend another second without her. But I couldn’t.
No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t move. All I could do was stand there and watch her fade away.
It doesn’t matter how strong I am.
**********
I walked around my house, trying to find some way to calm down. I haven’t really found a good way to do it, but reading seems to help. Lucky for me, there are plenty of books for me to go through. It has been taking longer and longer for me to go back to sleep, but whatever it takes to so Octavia doesn’t have to worry.
“Golden,” Octavia said as she entered the study. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Go back to bed, sweetie.”
“Please, Golden. I know you’ve been coming down here every night. You can’t be catching up on your reading. Please if something’s wrong I want to help.”
“Octy,” I said with a sigh, “I don’t want my problems to become your problems. I’m taking care of it, so please just go back to sleep.”
“When we got married, I vowed to be with you no matter what. Your problems are my problems and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Please, just tell me what’s wrong. I want to help.”
“I’ve been having a nightmare where you…die. I’m afraid I’m nothing without you and I would have no one. Our kids would move on with their lives and our friends would leave. Most of all, I’m afraid of a life without you.”
“What can I do to help?”
“Promise you’ll always be there for me. Promise that everything will be all right no matter what happens. Please, just tell me that much, even if it’s a lie.”
“I already made those promises on our wedding day and I intend to keep them.”
“There’s something else you should know. I’ve been seeing a therapist about this dream and he thinks I have abandonment issues and I don’t know what to do about that.”
“I think I do,” Octavia said as she walked behind the desk. “I think it’s time you read this.”
Octavia pulled out the letter my mom wrote to me and Nightingale and handed it to me.
I held the envelope in my hands, wondering what’s inside it. For all I know, these pages could be blank and Cadence gave me this envelope to give me hope. Maybe the letters are telling me how much better their lives are without kids. Maybe my parents tell me how much they love me and my brother.
“I can’t,” I said to my therapist. “I can’t read these.” I threw the envelope on the coffee table between us.
“Why do you believe that?” Dr. Inkblot asked me.
“Because I need to keep the illusion that they wanted nothing to do with me. That the reason they never found me was because whatever Sombra offered was way better than being with me.”
“Golden,” she said, “You know it’s not healthy to live a lie. Especially one so ego-damaging. Why don’t you open the envelope and learn the truth?”
“It’s not about me. It’s about my wife. She thinks I’ll become obsessed with finding my parents and I’ll lose sight of my family.”
“You just said ‘I’ twice. If it’s not about you, you’re making it so. You need to be honest with yourself. So, open the envelope.”
“Can we talk a little more before I do it.”
“Of course. Have you had the nightmare recently?”
“Since I told my wife about it, they’ve been happening less and less often. At first, nothing really changed, but she was there to reassure me.”
“How has she been reassuring you?”
“First she clams me down and reminds me it was a dream. Then she promises me that she’s not going anywhere and she’ll haunt Vinyl if she tries to leave. Then she reminds me I’m a great dad and they would love me no matter what.”
“She sounds like a loving wife. Have the nightmares changed at all?”
“Not much. Sometimes Mystery refuses to take the box of her mom’s stuff, sometimes Skyla isn’t interested in my son. But there was this one time where it continued. Ebony would come back from boot camp and Mystery would come home to visit and I could feel Octavia there and I was happy.”
“What about your brother? You say he’s only there at the castle. He never comes to consol you?”
“Never.”
“You don’t find that odd? From what I can tell, you two are close, maybe closer than any other sibling I’ve seen.”
“I guess I’ve never thought of it. Maybe I think it’s because he’s too busy or he’s tired of hearing me go on about how much I missed my wife or maybe he’s spending time with his own wife.”
“Do you think there is another, deeper reason? From what you’ve told me, he isn’t the kind of person the abandon the type of pony to abandon his family.”
“I guess it would be because I’m jealous of him.”
“What are you jealous of?”
“He seems to be in complete control of his life and here I am because I’m not happy about some part of my life. While I was living in the lap of luxury, he was becoming a stronger pony and pushing himself. You know he’ll cover my shift if he thinks I’m not seeing my family enough. And what do I do for him? I haven’t even offered it once. Sure, I’ve covered his shift before so he can go to dinner with Star, but I’ve never offered it. What kind of brother am I?”
“So you believe your brother doesn’t morn with you as some sort of punishment for being a bad brother.”
“I’m not a great pony and he treats me like I’m the best father, husband, son, and brother in all of Equestria.”
“Do you believe he loves you any less because of your relationship.”
“I know his love for me will never change. We’ve been through so much together; nether one of us could ever stop loving the other. I just don’t think I disserve somepony like him as a family member.”
“What do you think you diserve?”
“Nothing I have. Everything was given to me by chance and I don’t think I should be this lucky. Princess Celestia found me because she just so happened to be in Ponyville that night. I was randomly put in the same class as Octavia and randomly assigned seats next to each other. I have my house because I happened to marry the right mare. Everything has been handed to me and I don’t think I appreciate it enough.”
“You know, for some pony who believes in destiny, you seem to be influenced by randomness. You said you feel as if your brother has control over his life. Do you believe you can have this same control?”
“Probably. I’m not saying my brother is dumb, but if he can figure it out then so can I.”
“Do you think he knows he has this control?”
“Does anyone really know when they have control?”
“You seem to.”
“No, I don’t think he knows he’s in control, which makes me even more jealous.”
“Golden, do you know how foal’s cognition develops?”
“I only know things from being a parent. I have no clue about the little things and the theories.”
“Take your twins, for example. Let’s say you ask Ebony if he has a sister when he was younger. he would tell you Mystery is his sister. However, if you ask Ebony if Mystery has a brother, he would probably say no.”
“Are you saying I don’t know how my brother thinks?”
“I’m saying maybe you’re too self-centered, like a child. A child thinks this way because they can’t even fathom the idea that other people have a similar life. Now, I’m not saying you have the mental capacity of a child, but you do need to start thinking about others.”
“I’m a royal guard. My entire job is thinking about other ponies and their safety. And whenever I’m not on the clock, I’m thinking about my children.”
“I didn’t mean you’re being selfish and putting your needs above everything else. I mean you should think about how others think and how they go through life. They are living just as complex lives and have similar thoughts and feelings.”
“I think I’m ready.” I said as I picked up the envelope.
“There’s no rush, Golden. This is for your good, so please do this at your own pace.”
“Can my wife be here when I open it?”
“Of course.” Doctor Inkblot pushed a button on an intercom and asked her assistant to send Octavia in. A few seconds later, Octavia walked into the room and took a seat next to me.
“How is he?” She asked.
“I think we’ve made a breakthrough. Golden was about to open the letter from his parents and he wanted you to be here for it.”
Octavia grabbed my hand and held it. I looked at her and she smiled back. It didn’t matter what was in this envelope because I knew Octavia, my kids, my brother, my friends, even my mom will be there.
I tore open the top of the envelope and removed its contents. To my surprise, it wasn’t one letter and it was written on folded journal pages. I unfolded the pages and read the first one to myself. It was written by my dad and a week since my brother and I escaped the Crystal Empire. He told me how much they missed me and Nightingale and how they’re going to do anything to get back to us. I smiled and read it aloud to everypony in the room.
The second, however, didn’t have the same tone. It was written two weeks later and I could almost feel the pain in my dad’s words. In order to survive, my parents had to take up jobs under Sombra. My dad still promised to escape and find us as soon as he could. I think my wife and therapist understood if I didn’t read that one out loud.
The third worried me. Apparently, my mom had been treated well by Sombra and she was starting to enjoy herself. She still cared about us, according to the letter, but my dad believed she was suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. They were still planning to escape, but I started to wonder why they haven’t found us yet.
The fourth one was devastating to read. My mom had apparently abandoned all thoughts of me and Nightingale. She was, as my dad put it, “cold and cruel”. My dad, however, was determined to make us a family again. I started to worry what happened to him and hopped that he escaped before Sombra was banished.
“What do they say?” Octavia asked, gripping my hand tighter. Her smile had faded and I realized my expression changed.
“They’re from my dad. Sombra made them work for him and my mom became complacent. She stopped caring about me and Nightingale. My dad tried to escape, but there’s nothing after his attempt.”
“I’m sorry about your mom,” Dr. Inkblot said. “How do you feel?”
“Better. I think this is some sort of closure.”
“How so?”
“I have a friend who was given up for adoption. He says he never wants to meet his birth parents because he doesn’t want to know the face of child abandonment. I feel kind of the same way. I don’t want to know the pony that cares more about her personal luxury over her children.”
“What about your father?” Octavia asked. “Are you going to look for him?” I could hear the concern in her voice. I remembered when I first got the letter and she was concerned that I would be obcessed with finding my birth parents.
“Don’t worry, Octy, I’m not going out of my way to find him. Everything I ever wanted is with out and I’m not ready to give that up. Besides, the spell could have sent him 100 years from now and I’m never going to meet him.”
“I think we’ve broken down your biggest wall today. Our time is up, and I hope this is out last appointment. The next time I see you, I hope it’s not as a patient.”
“Thank you for everything, Doctor,” I said as I stood up and shook her hand.
“Thank you very much,” Octavia said as she too shook the therapist’s hand.
The two of us walked home and I really did feel better. I’m not sure if it’s because I the mystery behind the letters or because I finally figured out the fate of my parents. I looked at Octavia and none of that mattered. I didn’t care if I ever saw my birth parents again because I have Octavia and our kids. There was one more thing I was curious about, however. I told Octavia what I wanted to do, and she said she was fine. We’re lucky Vinyl loves spending time with the kids.
I knocked on Nightingale’s apartment door, which Star answered. Usually, my brother would be sleeping or getting ready for his shift, but he’s on vacation. Somepony found out he hasn’t taken a real vacation in almost two years. He would take a few days off here and there, maybe a week, but that was to spend time with his fiancé.
“Night,” Star shouted back into the apartment, “you’re brother is here.” She gestured us to come in, which we did. The apartment was bigger than most, which Nightingale paid extra for. Right now, it was littered with things for their wedding, which brought me back to when Octavia and I were planning our wedding.
“Golden!” Nightingale said as he came into the room. He gave me a hug and kissed Octavia on the cheek. “How are the kids?”
“They’re doing fine,” Octavia said. “Silver is trying to take her first steps.”
“That’s great to hear. To what do we owe the visit?”
“I need to talk to you, Night,” I said.
“Why don’t you show me your dress, Star?” Octavia and Star left the room as Night and I took a seat across from each other in the living room.
“What’s up bro?”
“Did you open the letter Cadence gave us?”
“Golden,” he said with a chuckle, “we promised not tell each other anything about that.”
“I know we did, but I just opened mine and I need to know something about them. Look, if you don’t want to tell me it’s fine, but I just came from my therapist and I feel better after reading them.”
“Golden, you didn’t tell me you were in therapy. Why do you need therapy?”
“I’ve been having these nightmares where people abandon me and I felt like I needed to talk to someone about them. I would have told you, but you always worry about me and I didn’t want to add to that list.”
“You know me too well. I read them the second I got home all those years ago. I had to know if there were going to try and escape or if their fates were sealed. What was in yours?”
“Four letters from our dad.”
“Mine too. Seems like we got the same thing. How are you feeling?”
“Part of me is glad that our mom forgot about us. I don’t think seeing her would make me happy after everything Celestia did for me. The other part is hopeful that our dad will find us, but I don’t want to go looking for him.”
“I tried and didn’t find anything. I did find out what happened to mom, but I don’t know if you want to know.”
“I think I can handle it. I was almost beat to death by a group of changelings, so I think I’ll be fine.”
“If you say so. Sombra caught wind of Celestia and Luna coming to defeat him and he needed more power. He learned of a spell which would make him more powerful, but at a major cost. He had to absorb the life force of the ponies most loyal to him. If the letters were accurate, then our mom was one of those.”
“Maybe that’s how dad escaped. When all of the loyal subjects were gone, he probably ran for the barrier.”
“There’s still no way to tell when and where it sent him or if he made it at all. Look, I’ve tried to find him and I’m still trying. It consumed me at one point and it negatively affected my life. I don’t want the same thing happening to you.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that,” I said with a grin. “I have something to keep me grounded.”
As if they were listening to our conversation, Octavia and Star came back into the room. I was expecting Star to be in her wedding dress, but I remembered it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony. They invited me and my wife to stay, but he had to get home to care for our children.
Nothing spectacular happened that night. For a little while, I expected Vinyl’s coltfriend to propose that night, but nothing happened. At some point, I looked at my son and thought what would have happened if Octavia did leave me when she found out she was pregnant. Right now, Ebony is a kind, somewhat shy, little colt who’s willing to protect his sisters from anything. Would he have been a different pony if I wasn’t around? Would he wonder what happened to his father and spent some of his time looking for me? And what would have happened if he found me years later when he’s a grown stallion? Would it be too late for me and could we ever have a good relationship? Would he even try to find me?
Then I thought how lucky I was that I don’t have to answer these questions from the father’s perspective. My son is in front of me, playing with, his sister, parent, and godmother and I’m going nowhere.
