It only took a few moments outside for Uris to realize what his dad had meant. With the streamers drifting around, the throngs of cheering ponies, and the banners set up proclaiming the men gathered on the stage set up before the ruins of town hall as the “HEROES OF EQUESTRIA,” he’d never felt more out of place in his life. He wasn’t a hero, none of them were. Any man in combat could tell you that the real heroes were currently back stateside in little, wooden boxes. Hell, it was taking all his strength just to stand up here when all he wanted to do was crawl into a bottle for a few weeks. Still, it was nice to see how the town had recovered in the two short days since the end of the battle, and everyone here was just looking for a reason to celebrate, to be happy and to forget the horrors of the past week. So he pasted a big, stupid smile on his face and bore it all, trying not to burst into tears and sob when the local band started up a hastily-rehearsed rendition of the Marine Corps’ Hymn.

“Goddamn, does this part ever get any easier?” He whispered to his father, holding the smile on his face and brushing a chunk of confetti off his shoulder.

“I wish it did son, I really do,” Vance replied through his teeth, waving at the cheering crowd before him. “Just remember: Oscar-winning performance here.”

Uris figured he shouldn’t complain. It really was all for the best, and besides, he had some fine ponies standing next to him: the Elements of Harmony dominating the front of the stage while Shining Armor stood to the side, looking stoically out over the crowd, his wife right at the head of the throng. The unicorn was taking news of Ramirez’s death quite well, Uris thought. Of course, the pilot had no way of knowing that Shining had spent a solid three hours crying in his wife’s hooves the night he heard about Ramirez, his heart growing numb with pain as the days went by.

“Well, there’s a sight for sore eyes,” the unicorn in question remarked as Princess Luna swooped down from the sky in time with another burst of streamers and confetti, landing gracefully at the center of the stage. The crowd went absolutely wild, ponies practically throwing themselves atop each other with excitement. Uris couldn’t help but crack a genuine grin for the first time in days. This pony and her sister had been through so much, and yet here she was, trying to keep her ponies happy.

“If we had leaders like them…” he repeated.

The Princess stood there, her hooves raised to halt the applause. After the last of the cheers had died down, Luna took the center of the stage and announced with her now fairly well-practiced Royal Canterlot Voice: “We wish to thank you all for attending and expressing your continued support for those who have arrived to aid us!”

More cheers, more applause, but Luna didn’t have to wait that long for it to die down again. “While we regret to inform you that our sister is not able to attend due to pressing matters in Canterlot, she wishes to express her deepest condolences and her endless gratitude, not only for the humans and ponies you see before you, but also to you, fair ponies of Coltton, who’s endless drive and will have saved hundreds throughout these past few days! You all should feel incredibly proud of your city, my little ponies!”

Another break for cheers and applause, the Captain nodding with it in agreement. Luna hardly waited for the cheers to die down before continuing. “Though we have lost much in these terrible and trying times, Equestria will march on using the example set by this city, these brave ponies, we thank you for your incredible efforts!

“But of course, you are not the only ones being recognized today,” Luna smiled as she turned to the Captain, and he smiled right back, though not even his son could tell if it was genuine or not. “Equestria owes a debt of impossible magnitude to the beings here before you. These ponies and these humans have given all that they have and more, time and time again, without any thought for their own safety. Let’s hear it for the Element Bearers and the Captain of your Royal Guard!”

More cheers, more applause, more confetti (some of which from Pinkie, who had inexplicably retrieved her party cannon and fired a few shots into the air). The girls managed to even keep Fluttershy from cowering behind Rainbow from all the attention. Then Luna turned to the humans set before her, and her expression turned to one of true and immense gratitude. “And last, but certainly not least, a debt is owed to the humans represented here by the men before you. The men and women who fought and died for this land are to be honored as anypony before them.”

The Princess turned back to the crowd, just barely holding back the flow of tears in her eyes. “Let’s hear it for the men and women of the United States Armed Forces!”

The crowd went absolutely insane. Banners waved, confetti burst loose, noisemakers sounded, cheers nearly deafened everypony, a tidal wave of chocolate burst from the roof of a house and swept a few ponies away. And still, Uris couldn’t help but feel his skin crawl at the word. Hero. In spite of what his dad said, he still hated that label. If he was the hero, then where did that leave Ramirez? Or Parker? Or any of the other hundreds that spent the last day lying face-down in the mud before someone got around to hauling them off in a body bag?

“Now, the awards,” the Princess continued as a royal guard appeared with a small bag from which he pulled out a few wooden boxes. Looking over the name engraved on the box, Luna smiled. “Captain Shining Armor, please step forward.”

A look of determination crossed the unicorn’s eyes as he strode towards his Princess and saluted, his chest thrust out. She smiled down at him as she pulled a ribbon with a star on it out of the box. Uris and Vance immediately stood at attention, watching intently. “Shining Armor, these past few days you have demonstrated a sort of courage found in only the rarest of ponies,” Luna said, her voice rolling over the awestruck crowd like a tidal wave. “Based on eyewitness accounts, we have seen how your undying need to help others aided in the initial assault to retake Coltton. Your bravery in the face of danger during and after the assault has demonstrated the strength and willpower a Royal Guard is meant to possess. Therefore, it is my privilege and honor to present this, the Equestrian Silver Star of Valor, to you. May you wear it with pride for the rest of your days.”

Still saluting, Shining allowed the Princess to lay the award around his neck. Polite applause rippled through the crowd as he bowed one last time before resuming his place at the Elements’ side, standing at attention as the ceremony continued.

“Will each of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony step forward?” She asked, and all six ponies obeyed, each one trying to keep from quivering in their horseshoes. Fluttershy required the most encouragement, practically needing to be dragged up to the front of the stage, but a reassuring pat from the pilot standing behind her urged her forward with a surprised squeak. Suppressing a giggle, Luna laid a bronze, moon-shaped medal around each of their throats. “Once again, it is my privilege to honor each and every one of you as you deserve to be. Once again, you six have risen to the aid of others, demonstrating why the Elements chose each of you to act as their bearers, and as such, you have taught us things that we should now and forever remember in your honor.

“We now and forever know that Miss Applejack’s honesty and hard work ethic is such that she can maintain levels of strength and courage most other ponies could only dream of.” The orange farmer blushed and crossed her forelegs at the hundreds of eyes upon her.

“We now and forever know that Miss Rarity’s generosity is such that she can give of herself far beyond what an average pony is capable of, even in the most terrible of dangers.” Rarity tossed her mane stylishly as Luna placed the medal around her neck.

“We now and forever know that Miss Pinkie Pie’s ability to laugh is such that she can put a smile on anyone’s face, keeping them fighting even in the face of abject horror and true danger.” Pinkie’s eyes lit up, her legs quivering as she tried to suppress the urge to hop around like a kangaroo on meth.

“We now and forever know that Miss Fluttershy’s kindness is such that she will put herself in dire straits to help anyone-and I do mean ANYONE- in need, no matter how strange or how odd-looking they may be, or how frightened she may be.” Fluttershy nearly bolted off the stage stage when the eyes of the crowd all fell upon her, but a reassuring hoof from her friends held her in place long enough for Luna to drape the medal around her neck and move on.

“We now and forever know that Miss Rainbow Dash’s loyalty is such that she will never abandon those around her, even when her own life would be in mortal peril.” Rainbow strutted up to the stage and flexed a foreleg as Luna applied her medal, grinning confidently.

“And finally,” Luna smiled down at the little purple unicorn gazing up at her with a little grin on her face. “We now and forever know that Miss Twilight Sparkle not only possesses a true talent for magic, but the will, wisdom, and decency to apply it where it is needed, no matter the danger to herself. She has demonstrated a skill and goodness of heart that could only be accomplished through a lifetime of preparation and loving care. And so, it is my honor to award her this final medal.”

Luna stepped back and held a hoof over each of the six ponies. “Each of these ponies has demonstrated courage, honor, and discipline far beyond what the call of duty demands of us, despite being normal civilians without any knowledge of military life. And so, it is my honor to present to them the Bronze Moon of the Lunar Court. Fillies and gentlecolts, I give to you: your Elements of Harmony!”

Once again, the crowd went wild. A shower of sprinkles cascaded down over everypony from the sky as cheers tore through the square, each pony hollering and screaming and waving banners like “TWILIGHT #1” and “FLUTTERSHY, MARRY ME!” as the six took their places back on the stage. Finally, the Princess turned to the men standing at full attention in the background.

“And of course,” Luna smiled as both men nodded and strode up to the center of the stage. “I present to you these representatives from the Armed Forces of the United States of America.”

She pulled a pair of massive medals from the box as each man stood at attention, gazing out over the crowd. “Individually, each of these men has committed acts that would earn their names in the history books at the Royal Canterlot Library, but together with the humans around them, they have all demonstrated a courage, discipline, camaraderie, and devotion rarely seen in Equestria. These humans have each shown us that, despite their shortcomings, humanity is still capable of love, commitment, and the ability to put its own safety aside for the sake of others. The blood they have spilled for Equestria acts as a testament to the human spirit, and its ability to struggle forward despite the greatest of adversity, even for the sake of another world completely different from their own. Our debt to them is far greater than any we could ever hope to repay, for in our darkest hour, in our time of greatest need, when our voices cried out for heroes, they answered the call. They fought on against incredible odds, never backing down, always holding the enemy hordes back. They have bled and died for us, for a group of beings not even their own species, and for such an act of bravery so far beyond and above the call of duty, no words can ever express our gratitude. Therefore, it is my honor and privilege to award full Equestrian citizenship to each of these men and women with this.”

With that, the Princess placed a medal around each man’s neck. “The Royal Medal of Honor, awarded only for the greatest displays of bravery, is the highest honor Canterlot can bestow upon non-citizens, making each recipient an honorary citizen of Equestria. We hereby award this to the entirety of the American Expeditionary Force here in Equestria. The men and women who risked their lives here are now offered the full protection of the Canterlot throne. Though the debt we owe them may never be paid, we can only hope that this gesture can begin to express our endless gratitude towards them.”

“TEN-HUT!” Vance screamed suddenly, and promptly both men stood at attention and saluted before bowing and taking their place near the back of the stage.

“Let’s hear it for the humans of Earth!” The Princess of Night proclaimed, and the crowd burst into a final cavalcade of cheers, this time accompanied with a burst of confetti and Fritos soaring high over the crowd. “Ponies of Equestria, I give to you: your heroes and saviors!”

As the crowd broke out in its last bit of cheering, this time with signs proclaiming “1! 2! 3! 4! United States Marine Corps!” and “VANCE: (486) 667-5082”. Through it all, Uris just smiled and saluted for the crowd, keeping his Beauty Queen smile as wide as he could.

And the award for ‘Best Actor’ goes too…

“Don’t worry, son,” Vance said as he smiled and waved. “You’ll get used to it.”

“I still feel like I’m pissin’ all over Ramirez’s grave…hey, what the hell’s this?” Uris asked, noticing a small piece of paper taped to the back of his medal. Still waving, he sneaked a peek at the little note: Meet me in the Town Hall tonight, 8:00 sharp. Keep this quiet! –C

“Hey dad, what’s this?” He whispered out the corner of his mouth.

“No idea, but I got one too,” Vance said, scanning the ponies before him as each took notice of the little paper scraps taped to their medals. “And it looks like we’re not the only ones.”

“You don’t suppose ‘C’ might stand for ‘Celestia,’ do you?”

“Maybe,” Vance shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out tonight. For now, we should enjoy ourselves; Lord knows when we’ll be able to again.”

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Chen gazed out over the crowd of cheering ponies from his place atop the town hall. Normally he might need to be worried about attracting too much attention, being a bipedal creature in a world of ponies atop a squat, one-story building in front of a crowd of hundreds, but seeing to it that he wasn’t reflecting light on any of the visible spectra, he didn’t have anything to worry about, unless of course somebody whipped out an infrared scanner.

Smiling, he peeled an apple for himself as he watched, taking care not to let any of the peel fall off the awning he was perched ever-so-precariously on. He nearly choked when a voice caught him by surprise: “You should probably be down there as well. This is as much your victory as it is theirs.”

Regaining his composure, Chen smiled easily and waltzed to the other side of the roof, where Princess Celestia crouched just out of sight. “You should know that is not my style by now, Princess,” he replied, but only after swallowing every chunk of the apple in his mouth. “My brothers and I work with a far more subtle touch. It is much better than having a dozen religions pop up at our feet, natives worshipping us as Gods and making war with others in our name.”

“Hmm, you call this subtle?” Celestia asked, her hoof waving out at the massive trench out on the edge of Coltton.

“Regretfully, we cannot always adhere to this philosophy,” Chen grumbled, taking another bite out of his apple. “Now, what’s really on your mind, Princess?”

Celestia smiled and shook her head. “I’ve been down this road before with your brother. He always seemed to know when something was bothering somepony.”

“The rest of us are every bit as perceptive,” Chen replied, gesturing for her to continue.

Celestia sighed. “Before…all this,” she said, a lump growing in the back of her throat that she tried unsuccessfully to hide. “Discord mentioned something about your origins: you and your brothers’. He made it sound like he was actually there.”

“Oh?” Chen arched an eyebrow. “Did he go into any detail?”

“No, no, nothing like that, but it did sound…concerning.”

“Think nothing of it, Princess, I am quite certain Discord was just trying to mess with…”

“If you value your continued existence, you will not finish that sentence.”

Chen looked up in surprise at the venom in Celestia’s voice. She glared at him, her demeanor remaining polite, but her eyes looking as if they were just barely holding back the wrath of a hundred supernovae. “Discord was a noble being, and I will not have you soil his legacy just to maintain this lie.”

“Y-yes, Princess,” Chen stammered, not used to actual anger from the Solar Princess.

“Now,” Celestia glowered at him as she climbed to her hooves and advanced like a lioness stalking her prey. “I want you to tell me everything about what you are, where you came from, and how your brother became a massive, howling, all-devouring cloud of gas. You are going to tell me everything I need to know about you to keep my ponies safe, and you are going to do it right here, right now.”

The apple fell, forgotten, from the man’s hand. Sighing, he pulled his glasses off and gave them a decent polish. Then, locking eyes with her again, he began his tale.

She was in hysterics by the time he was finished.

Author's Notes:

Is it unmanly of me to admit I had tears in my eyes half the time I was writing this?