> To Be Put To The Sword
>  by Podrick Equus
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Family is Forever
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


~The Present Day, Two Years After The Civil War~


Leonas Andris glared at the tattered painting in his quaint living room. It featured him, his wife Rasa, and their beautiful baby daughter standing close together around a house by the riverside. At the bottom of the painting, etched into the frame itself was a title: Šeima - visam laikui.

He stared at it in silence for a while, trying to take solace in the happiness those griffons must have felt. He paid no mind to his claws that were clenched tightly, almost to the point of shaking.

"Boreas, what did we do to deserve this?" he pleaded.

Leonas pressed his head to the wall and leaned against it for some time. He briefly felt the fires of resistance in him, but that soon faded as he remembered what had happened to his family.

Oh, Rasa...

Leonas' breathing became haggard. He couldn't take it anymore. He screamed, then stabbed the painting with his claws and ripped it apart, taking some of the drywall with it. The painting's frame fell to the wooden floor with a clang, while shreds of the painting itself slowly scattered around his legs.

He sunk to the ground in defeat. Where did it all go so wrong? Longsword used to be a place of beauty, a wonderous land that he felt proud to be a part of. Now he couldn't bear the thought of going another day without his...

Leonas collapsed, trying not to sob. His life had been so vibrant back then, so many hopes and dreams... how was he supposed to know that staying here in Longsword would have resulted in the Vadeiva taking away that which he cherished most?

He started to hear the faint crying of an infant from the other room. Leonas knew that he should get up to take care of that, but he couldn't muster the strength to even stand.

Leonas tried to think back to happier times, but in hindsight, they no longer seemed as vibrant as he remembered.






~The Longswordian Civil War~


War had made its way to the streets of Swordsson. Leonas could hear the gunfire from his house by the Griffking River. A few stray shots had pierced his flimsy sanctuary, causing him to take shelter underneath his bed. Being the only son in his family, he was left with a small fortune when his parents had been murdered by a group of ponies.

He later came to find out that those ponies were revolutionary partisans who had mistook his mother and father for members of the Reformisten. He had grieved heavily for them of course, and though the partisans had deeply wronged him, he also believed in their cause. The Reformisten in charge of Longsword were monsters. Their leader, Pallas Dusktalon, had to be stopped. Leonas knew he couldn't stand idly by as if nothing had happened, but at the same time... what could he even do? He wasn't a fighter. He was a pacifist. He wouldn't take another life even if his own depended on it.

He wondered if his father would have been ashamed or proud of him for that.

The floor beneath him rumbled from another explosion in the distance. It felt like the fighting was getting closer with each passing minute. Leonas crawled out from under his bed, making his way to the window on the opposite side of the room. Peeking through the blinds, he saw a horrific sight. There were dead griffons and ponies scattered in the distance, and beyond that, he could make out the actual battle occurring closer to the inner sections of Swordsson.

One thing caught his eye, though. He could have sworn that he saw one of the bodies move. It wasn't too far from his house, even. Leonas bit his tongue. He gazed between the potential survivor and the bloodbath beyond it. Maybe...

He saw the body move again, weakly raising a claw before collapsing again. Leonas took a deep breath and stood up as a fiery courage filled him. Though it was an unfamiliar sensation, he finally felt like he could do something besides cower under his bed. He turned and rushed out of his house, heading towards the injured griffon.

As he made his way through his yard, one of the trees nearby exploded into splinters as an artillery shell struck it. Leonas grimaced and sprinted as fast as he could towards the injured survivor, for once putting someone else's safety above his own. The battle ahead was now close enough that he could hear the soldiers yelling and screaming. Dear Boreas, the screaming...

Leonas dove to the ground in front of the injured griffon. Crawling up close to them, he was surprised to see two things: that she was a griffonness, and that she wore the uniform of a Reformisten officer. His heart sank as the latter detail sunk in. Did she have a claw in the cruel treatment of the ponies?

She looked pale, like she might stop breathing and leave this world behind at any moment. Leonas could see a deep wound in her torso; he surmised that she must have been shot there.

As Leonas debated what to do with her, she quietly whimpered and opened her eyes, meeting his gaze. Her beak weakly opened as if to speak, but no words came out. Her eyes told him everything, though. She whispered something inaudible, then closed her eyes, exhaling.

A bullet whizzed past Leonas' head.

He picked her up as quickly as he could and spread his wings, opting to fly back to his house despite how it'd make him a more visible target. He couldn't let her injuries get worse through the stress of running on the ground.

Another artillery shell struck the ground in front of his house, battering his windows with dirt. Leonas panted, his muscles screaming for relief from the stress he was putting them through.

Whether it was through fate or luck, he made it safely inside his home. Leonas laid the griffonness on his living room couch and looked her over. She seemed to have passed out, presumably from blood loss. He wasn't exactly a doctor, but he did know a thing or two about medicine from watching his father work in the local hospital years ago. He went to fetch a first aid kit and got to work.






~One Month After The Civil War~


"You should have left me to die."

"Don't say that, Rasa. Nogriff deserves to bleed out in the field like that."

Leonas sat across from Rasa in his dining room, where they were sharing a newspaper over lunch. The news was coming in rather quickly as of late. Two days after he had rescued Rasa from the brink of death, the Longsword Liberation Army claimed victory in Swordsson. Now they were holding a constitutional convention in Longsword's capital, Visaginas. Three parties were vying for power, but it seemed clear that the victors would likely be the Raudonieji, led by Longsword's most celebrated heroine, the unicorn Starry Night.

He had spent the first several days nursing Rasa back to health. She had been severely injured when a partisan shot her as she was retreating, but thankfully they didn't check to make sure that she was dead. As soon as she was able to speak, Leonas was... hesitant when it came to the topic of her allegiance. He really didn't want to hate her, so he never brought it up. And until now, she didn't bring it up either.

Rasa stared at the bowl of oatmeal in front of her. "I'm a part of the Reformisten, Leonas. You know what the Black Cloaks did."

"A former part of the Reformisten. The Black Cloaks are no more!" chirped Leonas, as if to make light of her past. He couldn't help but notice a sensation of dread fill his stomach as she finally decided to open up about herself.

Rasa sighed, setting down her spoon. "It's not that simple. I didn't leave them... they were killed. And besides, the Reformisten in may be gone here in Longsword, but it's alive and well in Hellquill."

"Rasa, enough. You're not a part of them anymore, it's okay."

"You don't know anything, Leonas." spoke Rasa with a serious tone, "It's in my blood."

Leonas held his breath for a moment, then asked what he hoped was a normal question, "Why do you hate them so much? The ponies, I mean."

"They murdered your parents, didn't they?"

That stung. "Well... yes, but... I don't hold it against them. It was the partisans' fault."

Rasa looked at him incredulously, "The same partisans who are comprised almost entirely of ponies? The same partisans who, just before the war started, rounded up hundreds of innocent griffons and used them for target practice?! How can you not hate them for what they did?!"

"Because blind hatred is the entire reason why this bloodbath happened! It has to stop!"

Rasa stood up and jabbed Leonas with her claw. "You have no idea what those ponies have done to me and my family!"

Leonas looked down, sullen, "But you know what they've done to mine. And I don't hate them."

That got Rasa to stop shouting. She sat back down in silence and stared at her food.

Leonas toyed with his oatmeal for some time, trying to think of how he should continue. He'd never actually talked with one of the Black Cloaks before. Most of what he knew about them was from just second-claw accounts, and from the propaganda they covered the streets with. He knew they hated ponies with a passion and thought they were responsible for all the problems in the world. How was he supposed to change her mind? Perhaps he could apologize for antagonizing her...

"I'm sorry Rasa," he sighed, "I shouldn't have-"

"I'm a murderer, you know."

Leonas froze. "I'm sorry, come again?"

Rasa didn't look at him. "The partisans. The ponies. I've killed dozens of them and tortured hundreds more. They know who I am, Leonas. If any of them caught wind that I was still alive, I'd be executed on the spot. Or worse."

Leonas didn't speak for a while. He really, really didn't want to hate her, but if what she said was true... he gulped. His train of thought had stopped entirely, for he didn't know what to say anymore.

Rasa picked up her spoon again, "I don't know whether to be angry or impressed with them, honestly. I always hated them because they were weak, but then they stood up and took Longsword for themselves, killing most of my kin in the process."

"You... you don't have to be that griffon anymore," pleaded Leonas, "You can change. Anygriff can change."

"What if I don't want to?"

He had no answer to that. Leonas hid behind his newspaper, for he no longer wanted to talk to her.






~Two Months After The Civil War~


Leonas smiled and waved at the mailmare as she passed by his house. She was always so cheerful, despite the turmoil that had recently unfolded in Longsword. Leonas picked up the freshly tossed newspaper on his porch and began to read.

Oh dear, he thought as he saw the headliner, Terror in Visaginas as shots fired during Convention? That can't be good.

He skimmed through the newspaper, catching a few phrases such as how the Naujoji Grifonija, or New Griffonia Movement, had won the vote to lead Longsword into the future. A shame, really. He really admired Starry Night's views, but the stallion leading the Naujoji Grifonija had served under her, so he couldn't be all that bad, right? He folded the newspaper, tucking it under his arm, then turned to walk back towards his house.

Leonas took a moment to admire how nice his property looked; he sincerely hoped that it would last. He was thankful that the war had spared his house, especially since it was the only thing his parents had left him. The few bullet holes in Leonas' home had been patched up, and through the cleanup efforts of him and his neighbors, the city of Swordsson almost looked like a war didn't recently occur. Almost.

He spotted movement behind the window's blinds. He sighed in mild exasperation, hoping that Rasa wouldn't bother him about waving to the mailmare. Again. He'd hoped that in time her feelings would soften towards the ponies, but her heart still seemed to be as hard as steel. Nevertheless, he had a hunch that she would turn around, given enough time.

Oh Boreas, he hoped he was right...

Leonas gulped as he opened the front door. "Hey Rasa, there's some interesting news today."

Resting on his couch was an upset-looking griffonness. Leonas quickly shut the door and sat down on the chair opposite her, offering her the newspaper.

She glared at him for a moment, then wordlessly snatched it out of his claws.

"So... Looks like Starry Night didn't win the election after all." said Leonas. He hated it when she was like this. He was beginning to reach the limits of his hospitality, didn't she realize that the only reason she had a place to stay was because he didn't want her to get lynched by the public?

"Serves her right," scoffed Rasa as she scanned the newspaper, "That self-righteous mare would lead Longsword into its grave."

Leonas twiddled his claws briefly, trying to think of how he should convey his thoughts. "You know... you don't have to stay here. In Swordsson. I mean, I don't have to let you stay here."

Rasa set down the newspaper, narrowing her eyes. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I don't really like the way you treat ponies. Things aren't the way they used to be... and I don't think that this is the best place for you," Leonas braced himself, "Longsword is changing, and well... you don't seem to be okay with that."

Rasa didn't answer. She slowly lifted a claw and raised the blinds, looking outside. There were some young ponies and griffons playing by the Griffking River not too far away.

Is she ignoring me? Leonas tried to figure out what was going on inside her head. He never understood why ladies were so hard to talk to, and Rasa proved to be no exception... even if she wasn't like most other griffons. Eventually, he gave up and stood from his chair with a sigh. "I'm going to make some breakfast. Pancakes sound good?"

She seemed fixated on the kids outside. When she didn't respond, Leonas turned to head towards the kitchen.

"I don't know if I could ever be friends with a pony."

Leonas stopped in his tracks. He leaned against the wall, bringing a claw to his temple. "I'm not asking you to be friends with them. I'm just asking you to not treat every last one of them like an enemy."

There was another pause. "...Fine."

"Thank you."






~Four Months After The Civil War~


"I told you that this would happen, Leonas."

The two griffons sat next to one another by the Griffking River. The skies were cloudy, but a few rays of sunlight pierced the veil, causing the flowing waters to sparkle in their luminescence.

Leonas wished he could say that things had calmed down after the events in Visaginas. Following the convention, elements still loyal to Starry Night had rejected the Naujoji Grifonija's authority, claiming that Golden Morning was another tyrant in the making. The failed attempt at a counter-coup by the famous Posniak, Abba Povner, wasn't enough to save hope and freedom in Longsword.

Now Golden Morning's forces were sweeping across the country, purging those who showed open disloyalty to their "Vadeiva." It was only a matter of time until his soldiers reached Swordsson. They were easily recognizable by the purple ribbons they were fond of wearing, and Leonas had heard rumors that they'd be here by tomorrow. Until then, he and Rasa decided to enjoy some fresh air by the river.

Leonas laid on his back, looking at the clouds. "Yeah, you did. But unlike Dusktalon, he's only shooting everyone disloyal instead of just ponies."

Rasa leaned forward, observing the river. She seemed detached, like she might just fly away at any moment. "Dusktalon... rushed things."

"You still haven't told me about that, by the way. How did you end up working for him? For the Reformisten?"

"It wasn't on purpose, believe it or not," said Rasa, "I just sort of... fell into it after my mother died."

"I'm sorry."

Rasa shook her head, "No, no. You don't need to apologize."

Leonas propped himself up with his elbow to face Rasa, "Was she...?"

Rasa nodded. "She was murdered by a pony. A thief who broke into our house and killed her when she tried to stop him."

The movement of the clouds obscured the last rays of light, leaving the sky fully covered. Tiny droplets of rain began to fall.

Rasa continued, "My mother once told me that family should be the most important thing in a griffon's life. That 'you should always have somegriff to love.' When she died, I didn't have anyone left. I've been on my own ever since."

"Your mother sounds like she was a wonderful griffon." said Leonas as he sat up. He rested one of his claws on the ground next to Rasa.

Without looking at him, she rested her claw on top of his. "You remind me of her, actually. You're way too nice."

"I'll take that as a compliment."






~Eight Months after the Civil War~


Leonas yawned, stretching his claws out. He opened his eyes and turned to see a faint light shining through the blinds. Between him and the window was Rasa, still sound asleep on the other side of his bed. She looked so beautiful while she was sleeping, so he simply watched her for some time.

He thought about the radical changes that had occurred over the past few months. The Vadeiva had almost enigmatic ideas when it came to the integration of pony and griffon societies. Schools were desegregated, marketplaces only served food edible to both species, and the local churches even merged the gods together.

He was also not too fond of how militarized the border between Longsword and Hellquill had become. Every day he walked outside he was met with soldiers patrolling the river. He'd even been "asked" to briefly house some of them, a request that had bothered Rasa so much that it took a very long conversation to get her to not shoot the ponies inside her home.

Leonas frowned when he recalled that conversation. Despite their budding relationship, she still held onto her prejudice against the ponies. It was a sour topic every time he brought it up, but evidently, she wouldn't budge on her stance. Still, he held onto the hope that he could soften her heart.

"I know you're watching me, Leonas." smiled Rasa, keeping her eyes closed.

"Guilty as charged. Sleep okay?"

She pulled the blanket back over herself, "Yeah, but I don't feel like getting up yet. Can you get me some water?"

Leonas rolled his eyes, "Yes, dear."

She threw a pillow at him, giggling slightly. "I'm not a deer, hun. I'm a griffon!"

"Very funny," chuckled Leonas as he got out of bed, "I'll be right back."

As Leonas made his way to the kitchen, he felt some rumbling. He frowned and stood still, trying to ascertain the source of the disturbance.

Suddenly, he heard thundering booms from outside. He rushed over to the window and peered through it. He could see ponies and griffons firing artillery shells across the river into Hellquill's territory.

Oh no... Leonas gulped as he watched the beginnings of a battle. He could barely make out griffons on the other side of the river scrambling towards their own encampments. The explosions striking the riverside were almost deafening despite his house muffling some of the noise.

Rasa rushed down the stairs, her feathers disheveled. "What's going on?!" she demanded.

"War," said Leonas, "Longsword is at war with Hellquill."

Now wide-eyed, Rasa went to fetch her gun. "You stay here, I won't let anything happen to you."

"No, you're staying here with me."

Rasa was nearly at the door by the time she processed what Leonas said. "What are you saying? I can't just let them shell the house!"

Leonas made his way over to her, taking her claw in his own, "Rasa I... I don't want you to get hurt. I know you mean well, but... can you stay here with me? Please?"

"Why are you so afraid of fighting?" groaned Rasa.

Leonas looked downwards, "Ever since I lost my parents to the fighting between the Partisans and the Reformisten... I swore that I would never contribute to war. I won't hurt anyone."

"All right! Sheesh, sorry. Didn't think your parents had anything do to with this."

"My family was everything to me, and well..." Leonas stopped, trying to avoid eye contact with her.

"Well what?" asked Rasa impatiently.

"...Nothing. Let's take shelter."






~One Year After The Civil War~


Two griffons stood next to one another in the market square of Širdis, the new capital city of what was formerly Longsword. Which was also now called Širdis. In the short amount of time that followed Golden Morning's declaration of war against Hellquill, he had stormed the country with relative ease, taking no half-measures when it came to punishing the griffons running it.

Shortly after conquering his northern neighbor, the Vadeiva made a grand speech about the true meaning of the land of Vartai, the local slang for this region. Leonas actually decided to attend this speech, as it was held in Swordsson. There he heard Golden Morning speak of his great ambition, and with each minute the pit in Leonas' stomach grew deeper and deeper. By the time he left, the city of Swordsson and Longsword itself both shared the name of Širdis.

Not even a week later, another wave of new laws was enacted. Discrimination by race was punishable by death. Companies were forbidden from being composed of only ponies or only griffons. Other equally extreme laws regarding integration were now commonplace. The propaganda machine was in full swing, churning out "purple books" with the Vadeiva's teachings in them. Today Leonas saw a few ponies and griffons with them as he was out shopping with Rasa.

At least, shopping is what he told Rasa they were doing.

He gulped.

"I'm amazed how much things have changed," remarked Rasa as she browsed the jewelry stand, "Up until a few months ago we were scared that I'd be recognized, but now they either don't care or have completely forgotten. I know I wasn't the most well-known griffon in Dusktalon's army, but still! You'd think someone would recognize me!"

"Longsword isn't the only thing that's changed," mused Leonas. He watched as she perused the fine jewels being advertised. He took a deep breath and rummaged through his jacket, looking for something small.

Rasa picked up a beaded necklace with an onyx locket attached to it. She examined it closely, looking for flaws, but didn't seem to find any. She turned to the pony behind the stand and asked how much it was worth.

Leonas couldn't hear what the pony had said over the crowded marketplace, but it must have made Rasa very upset.

"That's outrageous!" she exclaimed, dropping the necklace and threatening the mare with her claws, "You're only charging me this much because I'm a griffon!"

The pony raised a hoof as if to protect her face, "It's the normal price, I swear!"

Leonas stopped what he was doing to grab Rasa, pulling her away from the pony. "What are you doing?!" he whispered firmly, "You're going to get us into trouble!"

She exhaled, trying to calm herself. "Sorry. It's just... I've been a little more on edge than usual. Listen, can we talk?"

Leonas looked around. It seemed that none of the guards noticed her brief altercation with the pony. "Sure. I also wanted to ask you something, but I need to know if you're okay first."

"I'm all right, Leonas. But... look, can we sit down for this?"

"Wanna head back to the house?"

She shook her head, then pointed to a nearby bench towards the memorial in the center of the market square. "Here is fine."

As they made their way to the bench, Leonas suddenly felt very nervous. He toyed with the small box in his jacket, hoping that whatever she had to say wouldn't spoil what he had planned.

Rasa sat down first, looking wistfully into the distance. Leonas joined her, and she placed a claw on his leg.

"So... what's on your mind?" asked Leonas.

"You're scared aren't you?" she replied.

Leonas was taken aback. "Uh, well... in a way, yes. But is that really what you wanted to talk about?"

She turned to face him. "No, but I wanted to know what you were thinking about before I begin."

"You first." insisted Leonas.

Rasa gave him a slight smile, then nodded. "Fine, but if you become a blubbering wreck then I still expect you to tell me what's been bothering you."

"Of course, dear."

She weaved her claw into his own, then leaned against him. They sat like this for a moment, then Rasa took a deep breath and whispered something life-changing into his ear: "You're going to be a father."

Leonas' heart skipped a beat.

His beak was agape, his eyes wide with shock. He stared intently at Rasa, who was simply smiling at him. He retrieved the small box with his free claw and popped it open, revealing the ornate ring inside. He tried to find the correct words to say, but she interrupted him before he even began.

"Yes," smirked Rasa, plucking the ring from the box, "I will. But only if you get me some ice cream, I'm hungry."

The two of them burst into laughter, then embraced one another soon after.

"Looks like we're a family now." said one.

"And family is forever." said the other.






~The Present Day, Two Years After The Civil War~


The wailing shrieks of the toddler in the other room finally pierced his frail mind.

Leonas managed to stand up, despite his trembling legs. His soul was reduced to a husk, but deep down he knew that he shouldn't share his suffering with an infant.

He walked down the hall, stopping in front of the door. He breathed heavily, trying to make himself turn the doorknob. He sincerely hoped that this would get easier with time... but somehow, he knew it wouldn't. With a gritted beak, he forced himself to open the door.

There inside the room were a few scattered toys for an infant, along with some crude flowers painted on the wall. Brightly colored stars were hanging above a cradle in the back corner, and bundled in that cradle was a crying unicorn filly.

Resting on the ground near the cradle was a crumpled piece of paper and an empty envelope with the flag of Širdis emblazoned on it. Leonas had read it so many times that the words inscribed on the paper were burned into his mind.

By decree of Golden Morning, The Vadeiva, champion of Varėnė-Arcturia, the great unifier of the East and West: For the purpose of merging our divergent cultures, all citizens of Širdis who do not show sufficient devotion to the Vadeiva's cause will have their families separated and rearranged.

Leonas closed his eyes again and whispered a prayer in hopes that when he opened them again, his daughter would be there.






~Yesterday~


"That's it. I've had enough! If I have to listen to another one of Gilded Boring's 'inspirational speeches' I'm going to blow his brains out!"

Rasa angrily paced around the living room. Leonas knew she could get upset whenever Golden Morning came up on the radio, but it was critical that he kept it on at all times. He needed to know what was happening out there... even if it meant putting up with the Vadeiva's almost arcane speeches about... whatever it was that he deemed important at the time. This last broadcast was about the "True Destiny" of Longsword... or Širdis as he now called it.

Still, Rasa seemed a bit more on edge than usual. Leonas stepped towards her, "Rasa, please stop. The Vadeiva is crazy, but so are his followers. You can't go around talking about him like that, or you're liable to get us both in trouble!"

"Leonas, I love you, but I'm not afraid of some upstart pony! I'll kill him and anyone that would dare go after us."

"He isn't just some upstart though! He's taken half of the Riverlands in just a year! It's frightening how effective he is at getting ponies and griffons to serve him. I don't know if anypo- if anyone can stop him."

Rasa stopped in her tracks to look Leonas in the eyes. She spoke with a slight smile, "If it means protecting you and our maža mergaitė, I'll do whatever it takes. Mark my words."

Leonas rested his claw on her shoulder, "I know you love our daughter Rasa, but you still can't act so outwardly hostile to Golden Morning!" He pleaded, "Please... please just promise me that you won't do anything rash the next time you see a pony. Please. I don't want the Violet Guards to think we're not supportive of their precious leader."

"Remind me again why we're not leaving the country?"

"Becau-"

*THWOMP THWOMP THWOMP*

The pounding at the front door halted their argument for now. Leonas leaned towards his wife and whispered a plea to be nice before he rushed over to the door.

Leonas stopped as he touched the doorknob. An unnatural coldness had gripped his heart. He didn't want to open the door... it felt like the world would end once he did.

Additional poundings and muffled shouts could be heard beyond the sanctity of his home. "Open up in the name of the Vadeiva!"

Leonas closed his eyes, trying to shake off the feeling of dread surrounding him. He put on a friendly smile, turned the doorknob, then pulled it open.

Greeting him were three individuals clad in the uniforms of the Violet Guard. Two ponies and a griffon... though one of the ponies had two medallions attached to his uniform - one of Boreas and the other depicting Varėnė-Arcturia. A Posniak, perhaps? Either way, it didn't matter. The Violet Guards only visited individual homes if they suspected that the inhabitants weren't supportive enough of the new regime.

"Is this the residence of Leonas Andris?" asked one of the ponies.

Leonas kept his forced smile and nodded slightly.

The griffon among the trio gave Leonas an equally forced smile. "We have something for you."

"Do you?" Leonas asked with surprise. Usually they're not in the mood to give things.

The pony with the medallions, a unicorn, magically removed a sealed letter from his pockets and offered it to Leonas.

"A letter from the Vadeiva himself!" said the unicorn with an unnerving smirk.

"I see..." said Leonas. He took the envelope and carefully opened it, retrieving the letter within. With each line he read, his eyes grew wider with disbelief. By the time he finished, he couldn't breathe. He looked at his wife, then back towards the letter. He was frozen, trying to speak something, anything... but he couldn't find the words.

The Violet Guards proceeded to walk inside without invitation.

Rasa narrowed her eyes from the other side of the room. "Excuse me?!?" she growled, "Who said you could come into our home?"

The unicorn gave her a curt nod. "And you must be Mrs. Andris I presume. We'll be quick: Give us your child and neither of you has to get hurt."

"Over my dead body! You have no right to march in here, much less demand something insane like..."

Everything else faded out of existence. Leonas couldn't take his eyes off of the letter. He stood alone in an empty void, holding a letter that requested the unthinkable. He couldn't just adhere to their demands... he had to do something! The Violet Guards were trying to take away his hope for a better Longsword! If he let her go, then everything would be lost... Nothing would matter anymore. But... how could he stop them? He... He...

Leonas vaguely made out a heated struggle behind him, but then a painful blow struck the back of his head. He became consumed by darkness.

He couldn't say for how long he was out. When he came to, his living room was a mess. He saw Rasa beaten and bloodied on the floor, causing his heart to race. He had to help her! He rushed over and checked her pulse. Still breathing... He sighed in relief.

Then he remembered the letter. He bolted over the couch, racing towards his daughter's room... only to see that his worst fear had come true.

She was gone. In her place was a sleeping unicorn filly.

A part of Leonas died at that moment. He had never felt more hopeless than he did now. How cruel must Golden Morning be to demand such a thing as this? He couldn't do anything but stare at the unfamiliar child... was she also taken away like his own daughter was?

Minutes later, he heard a familiar voice filled with coldness behind him. "Stand aside, Leonas."

He turned to see Rasa holding the letter in one claw and a pistol in the other. Despite her injuries, she stood with an all too familiar conviction. It didn't take him long to put two and two together. "Rasa, please don't-"

"I don't want to hear it, Leonas. I don't care what that filthy velnias says, I'm not raising a pony!" spat Rasa, raising her gun and pointing it at the foal behind Leonas, "Now stand aside!"

His heart raced. His beloved stood before him with the intent to shoot an infant. What should he do? What could he do? She had every right to be angry, yet... he couldn't just let her murder an innocent child like that! Even now his pacifistic ideology has led to another conflict... one he wasn't sure if he could solve.

Leonas firmly put himself between his wife and the filly. "Rasa, I... I love you, but I can't... I can't let you do this."

She glared at him with a fury unlike anything he'd ever seen before. He was almost sure that she would shoot him then and there, but then he saw something unexpected: Rasa's eyes began to water.

He'd never seen Rasa cry before. She was still pointing the gun at him, but her claw was trembling...

Her fierce expression faltered, morphing into one of bleakness. "Leonas, please... I can't raise a pony! I just can't!"

This is it... Leonas gulped, I can finally turn her around! I can help her get over her past, even if... even if it cost us our... He took a step towards her. "Rasa, I love you more than anything. We can... we can get through this, together. I know it."

"L-Leonas... I..." Rasa gritted her beak, forcing herself to keep her gun raised.

He took another step forward. "Rasa, I may not be the smartest griff in the world, but... I know you're better than this. Better than who you used to be."

Her grip on the pistol tightened, but still, Leonas pressed on. One step led to another, then another. Soon he would be able to reach forward and-

"I WILL NOT RAISE A PONY!" screamed Rasa through her tears as she turned the pistol towards herself.

Leonas didn't even have time to blink.






~The Present Day~


Leonas opened his eyes and stared at the bawling filly. He paid no mind to the bloodstain in the corner of the room.

This isn't my daughter, he reminded himself as he walked up to her.

He reached out his claws and gently picked her up. His eyes started to water as he tried to sing a lullaby for her, but his broken voice kept cracking despite his best efforts.

I don't love her. He tried to rock her back to sleep.

Leonas wondered if he'd ever get to see his daughter again. He considered looking for her, but then a realization hit him: Even if he did find her, he'd have to take her away from another who might also be grieving for their own lost child. And what of this filly, whose life now depended on him? He didn't even know who her real parents were, much less where they are now.

His only crime was not being fanatical enough to Golden Morning... and now he was being forced to raise a foal that wasn't his. His wife was dead, his hopes and dreams were dashed, and the Longsword that he had truly believed to be special had been twisted into an unnatural nightmare. He was completely and utterly defeated, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Miraculously, the filly had managed to doze off. Leonas gently laid the baby unicorn back into her cradle. He made sure to tuck her in.

But she is my family now, and family... is forever.