Birds chirped in the distance, accompanied by the faint sound of a city bustling on a sunny day. The desert surrounding New Liberty was peaceful, as usual, though the city itself was a hub of activity. However, far from the busy sounds of New Liberty was an area that had a wall around it, intended to reduce the noise to nothing. It was made of grey stone, surrounded with flags from every country of Earth that now flapped in the wind atop their poles. In the center of the circular wall was a large bronze statue, it depicted a man, a woman, a boy, and a girl. They wore simple clothing, and had simple haircuts, but they had no faces. They were intended to represent every one. The black stone base of the statue was marked with names, carved expertly into the surface in an easy to read font. The base was surrounded by a fountain, the bottom of which glistened with coins.

There were benches surrounding the monument, some families were seated there, others stood near the outer wall. More names were carved there, a testament to just how many had been lost during the Infection. It was mainly humans that were there, mothers and fathers taking their children to see what last remnant they had of their grandparents. There were also three soldiers in dress uniforms, standing at attention in three positions around the monument with their rifles in hand. However, one man stood out among the crowd. Tall, muscled, and alone… None other than Dominic Occisor, the Imperator.

Dominic stood at the edge of the fountain, two bouquets of flowers held in his hand while his eyes stared at a specific spot on the monument base. There was a certain form of etiquette to the monument, people let other people be, so Dominic didn’t worry about people hounding him for political reasons. The names that had drawn his attention bore his surname… His father, his mother, and his sister. For the first time he found himself in control of his emotions as he stood there, even as images of the past flashed through his mind. The images had faded over time, putting his fears that they would never go away at ease. It was dawning on him that he had a very long time ahead of him… He felt like he was letting go of the past, once and for all.

The man set one of the bouquets on the edge of the fountain and let out a slow sigh, Dominic quietly began walking towards a different part of the monument. This time he was drawn to a section bearing Maria’s maiden name, her father and mother. Dominic didn’t understand why she cared so much for them, considering they had tried to marry her off, and had forced her to kill them. He supposed that perhaps it was guilt, or maybe it was one of Maria’s best traits, that she was so forgiving. Whatever the reason, he would honor her wishes. Dominic set the second bouquet down, then ran a hand over his head, his fingers running through his hair. He turned away from the monument and began walking towards the exit, his hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket.

There was a building next to the monument, a large structure which was populated more by ponies and other species. It was the ‘Grey Infection History Museum’, a building dedicated to teaching the world about what had happened on Earth all those years ago. So far, nearly eight hundred million human survivors had been accounted for, but that was only a fraction of what had been lost. Dominic knew well that humanity, much like the species and races of Equis, would never return to what they had once had. His meeting in the Garden of Creation had assured him of that.

As Dominic strolled past the museum, he could hear the faint sound of fighter jets on the breeze. He looked to the horizon and could just barely make out the silhouettes of the two aircraft, a stern reminder that the world as he knew it was on the brink of war, and new threats were emerging every day. Dominic couldn’t help but be reminded of something he had heard in a video game a long time ago, he knew that it might’ve seemed cheesy to say… But that didn’t make it any less true. As he approached the parking lot and spotted his motorcycle, he mumbled them to himself.

“War…” Dominic said softly as he watched the jets continue to fly in the distance. “War never changes.” His son wanted to be a soldier, his son wanted to witness war. Dominic hated that idea, more than he would ever care to admit, but he also knew that his son would grow to be his own person. As he reached his bike, he reflected on his childhood, on everything his father had ever said to him, everything he had ever heard, all the stories about ‘Honor and glory’. Maybe they were true, and maybe his father had a point. Dominic was a soldier, and he would always be a soldier, but he didn’t do it for ‘Honor and glory’.

The man sighed as he mounted the bike, then looked back to the monument he had left behind. He wasn’t anti-war, far from it in fact, he had come to see all the progress and strides that a society could make when unified to face a common foe… But giving the order to extinguish millions upon millions of lives… Well… Dominic felt like he had finally had his fill of war. No longer did he thirst for a chance to set foot on the field of battle, no more nights were spent planning his next campaign, no… Not a second more would he spend of his free time on such a destructive endeavor. That was for the young bloods, the coming generation that would cut their teeth on Terra, and certainly on battlefields across Equis, and perhaps even beyond that.

Just as Dominic was about to put on his helmet, he heard footsteps rushing towards him from behind. He turned with a raised eyebrow and saw two soldiers in normal fatigues and wearing MP helmets.

“Mister Imperator!” One of them said, Dominic nodded. “Sir, urgent news has come from Canterlot. They said that you might be coming here today, sir! We were instructed to give this to you, I’m only glad we found you before you left!” The man offered Dominic a note, he took it and opened it. His eyes darted across the page, gradually widened, his grip faltering slightly. The man looked at the two MPs. “We’ve arranged for two squad cars to meet you at the gate, sir, they’ll escort you the rest of the way back.”

“I… I need to go.” Dominic said simply, the note of paper dropping from his hands as he turned and mounted his bike. He pulled his helmet on and secured it tightly, then hit the starter and revved the engine. The motor howled as he kicked the bike into gear, the rear tire screeching against the pavement as he began tearing out of the parking lot. The man reached to a switch on the side of the speedometer, one he rarely ever used. Blue lights began to flash on the handlebar and tail light, and a droning siren began to blare from its mount near the horn. Dominic spotted the two patrol cars as he neared the exit gate of the memorial sight, they flicked their lights on as well and began driving behind and ahead of him.

They drove through streets that normally were packed with cars, hopping up onto sidewalks and curbs wherever possible. Dominic’s heart was racing in his chest, his eyes narrowed only on the path ahead of him, his thoughts flew through his mind at a mile a minute. He had to get home, he had to get to his family, to his wives and son. Dominic was feeling something he rarely felt, and something he never expressed openly… Fear. The news wasn’t something Dominic had ever experienced before. It wasn’t some great new threat, or some dangerous scientific discovery… No, those he was all very familiar with. This was something that affected him on a deeper, paternal level.

[♠]

Altair had never felt so miserable in his entire life, his whole body ached, he felt hot and cold at the same time, and his throat felt so dry he could barely speak. The shivering boy was tucked under at least half a dozen blankets, a damp towel rested on his forehead, and both his mothers sat on either side of his bed. He had learned in class that humans like him had stronger immune systems than ever before, but they could still get sick, and when they did it was really bad… That scared him, but he didn’t want his family to worry, so he was putting on a brave face. Just like his father would’ve done.

Maria had never felt so afraid in all her life, not when she had been forced to kill her parents, not when she had nearly been caught by the EOL on numerous missions, not even when she and Dominic had first made love… The fear she felt as she saw her son, her perfect little angel, laying in his bed with a fever of nearly a hundred and three degrees was nearly paralysing, what was more, there was nothing she could do. The disease was one unique to humans, it had cropped up ever since the discovery of the healing factor. Known as ‘Immunity Overdrive Disorder’, the effects were extreme flu like symptoms, high fever, and extreme dizziness. It had a twenty five percent mortality rate, and there was no known effective treatment other than handling symptoms as they appeared.

It could hit slowly, or in most cases, it slammed into the victim like a freight train, just as it had with Altair. Overnight he had gone from fine to critical. Normally, it would last a week or two, until the body’s arcane healing factor adapted to the condition and cured itself. However, there could be lasting effects in extreme cases… Deafness, blindness, partial paralysis, even organ failure. Luna and Maria both felt powerless, fearing the future more than they ever had before. Luna saw Altair’s hand move to his stomach as he let out a low groan, her horn glowed and a bucket beside the bed was levitated upwards.

“Mommy… I think I’m gonna… Gonna…” Altair didn’t manage to finish, he instead rolled towards the bucket and wretched loudly. Maria held back a sob, doing her best to show no fear, she worried that showing how scared she was would make Altair scared as well. Altair’s body spasmed as he tried to vomit, but he had vomited so much already that all he could do was wretch and cough. After a minute or so, he lay back on the bed, his eyes watering slightly while he wiped his chin. “Mommy… It hurts!” Altair couldn’t keep a brave face any longer, he began to cry as he shivered under the blankets. “I-I’m sorry, mommy… I’m trying not to cry… Honest!”

“Shhh… Shhh…” Maria said as she brushed his hair back with her hand, her voice trembling as she felt just how hot his head was. “You cry all you want, sweetie.” She said softly, using all her strength to keep her loose grip on composure. “You’re going to be okay, honey. It won’t be like this forever! I promise!” Luna lowered the bucket and extended her wing, brushing it against Altair’s face.

“You are enduring something no child should, my child… You’re being very brave.” Luna added, it was hitting her hard to see the normally energetic boy reduced to a bedridden state. “Is there anything I can get you?” Altair looked at her for a couple moments.

“Anything?” He asked weakly, Luna nodded. “C-Can I have some Ice Cream? My throat really hurts…” Luna nodded again and stood from the bed, she trotted towards the door, stopping to look over her shoulder at Maria. Maria gave her a nod, and with that, Luna hesitantly left the room. Maria turned her full attention to her son, watching as he closed his eyes and shivered even more. The meds he had been given would hopefully get his fever to break soon, normally the doctors would’ve been trying to cool him with ice packs, but IOD fevers could turn into rapid declines in body heat if the blankets were removed to soon. Instead of burning up, Altair would start to feel colder than he ever had before, and the aching would only get worse.

Maria looked to an IV hanging beside the bed, that was how Altair was getting his nutrients, as it was difficult for him to keep food down. A soft food like Ice Cream would hopefully stay down, but it still made Maria upset to know her boy couldn’t eat. Altair quietly coughed, but still kept his eyes closed.

“Mom… Can you tell me a story?” He asked, Maria smiled faintly and nodded.

“What do you want to hear? King Arthur? Treasure Island?” Maria asked, Altair shook his head and opened his eyes to look at his mom.

“I wanna hear one about Terra, a real story, that really happened.” Altair said in a rough voice, Maria hummed and looked thoughtful for a couple moments. Then she put on a smile and cleared her throat.

“One that really happened, eh?” Maria said, Altair nodded again. “Well… There’s one that you might like.” The woman made sure that Altair was comfortable before she scooted closer to him, brushing his hair back once again. “Once, a long time ago, there was a place called ‘Rome’. It was very much like Onorus is today, and it spanned all over Terra. In fact, it created the language we used to base our language off of!” Altair watched his mother intently, he had heard about something called ‘Rome’, but he never knew it was like Onorus. “In this place called Rome, there was a Centurion, no one really knew his first name, it’s been lost to history. He was a strong warrior, and he became rich off the spoils of war, he took a wife and had a son…”

Maria was describing the Occisor lineage, it was the only story that she could think of off the top of her head. The look of interest in Altair’s eyes told her that he was enjoying it, hanging on every word as she recounted the stories of Occisors that had fought in the Crusades, Occisors that had lived during the renaissance, soldiers, artists, doctors. All the while, Altair found himself imagining what it was like in his head. When Luna returned, he ate his ice cream slowly, too enthralled by Maria’s story to wolf it down as he had originally planned. The story was amazing, he had no idea that one family could have so many different people in it. Maria knew that parts of the story were more theory than fact, after all, records from that far back were far from accurate, if they existed at all, at least up until they reached the story of Robert L. Occisor.

Maria told of how Robert was a Sergeant in the American Cavalry during the First World War, one of the first soldiers to operate a tank under the command of none other than George S. Patton. Altair found himself feeling less and less sick, mainly because he had something else to think about besides being sick. Then came the story of Robert A. Occisor, the son of Robert L., and Dominic’s Great Grandfather. Robert A. had been an infantryman in the First Division that had landed on Omaha Beach, and would eventually go on to serve as a Colonel during the Korean War before retiring at the start of the Vietnam war. Altair found himself feeling more and more warm under the blankets, he began to sweat in buckets. Maria stopped her story as he pushed his blankets off, but he had stopped shivering… His fever had broken.

“Maybe we should stop for now.” Maria said, looking at Luna with a bit of uncertainty, but Altair shook his head quickly.

“I want to hear more, please?” Maria looked over at the clock, she was surprised to see that nearly three hours had passed since she had started telling the chronicle. The sun was starting to set outside, but it was likely the aches would keep Altair up through the night.

“Alright…” Maria said, Altair let out a quiet cheer, followed by a groan as he was reminded of just how sick he really was. “As I was saying, Robert A. Occisor retired from the military at the start of the Vietnam war. He had two sons, but one died at a young age in a car accident… It was only late in his life that he had your grandfather, Joseph Occisor.” Maria paused as she thought about the man, she had known Joseph since she had been a child herself. “He served in both Gulf Wars, before retiring to take care of your dad a couple years after he was born.”

“Did he die in the plague?” Altair asked quietly, Maria nodded quietly. She knew the details, but she wasn’t about to tell Altair about them. “I wish I could’ve met him… Was he anything like dad?”

“Oh, in some ways they were almost identical.” Maria said with a slight chuckle. “Especially when your father was fifteen or so, a couple times I called and accidentally ended up talking to his dad instead of him, they sounded so similar!” Maria sighed and looked towards the window, her expression becoming a frown for a split second. “I think we should stop there, after all, your father has so much more cool stuff to do! We can’t tell that part of the story if it isn’t finished yet!”

“I guess…” Altair said, he looked around and found that Luna wasn’t in the room. She was likely out walking the puppies, he would’ve taken them, but his doctors wouldn’t let him… He didn’t care that he was achy, he had promised to take care of them, and it felt wrong not to do it… His father had told him how important promises were. “Do you think I’ll ever fight in battles like all those other Occisors?” Maria paused, Altair raised an eyebrow as he saw her wipe her eyes.

“I hope not…” Was all she said before standing up and moving one of the blankets back over him. “Now, how about you watch some TV. All that storytelling made my throat really dry, so I’ve gotta get a drink. If you need anything just push the button next to your bed.” Altair nodded slowly, his mom leaned down and kissed him on the forehead before standing up and walking to the door, where she stopped. “I love you… So very much.”

“I love you too, mom.” Altair said, Maria blew him a kiss before walking out the door and closing it. She left it just a smidge open, so that the guards outside could hear if Altair called for them. The boy leaned his head back against the pillow, he found himself staring up at the ceiling while his mind raced with thoughts about the story his mother had told him. War was in his blood, that’s what he had taken away from it, even if his parents told him he didn’t have to fight… For an eight year old wanting to be like his father, there was no alternative. He resolved to himself then and there that he would follow in his family’s footsteps, that he would be one of the best soldiers ever. Minutes ticked by as he thought of all the medals he’d eventually have pinned to his chest, all the cool stories he would have to tell. He was so preoccupied he felt like he could actually get some sleep.

Just as he was closing his eyes to try and get some rest, he felt a hot seering pain on his right cheek. More like in, actually. The boy opened his eyes wide and put a hand to his cheek, the pain was growing more and more unbearable, and he quickly reached to the button on the table beside him, mashing it repeatedly. The door burst open, Altair saw Doctor Patterson rush in behind the guard that had kicked the door open, it was at that point he could no longer keep quiet, and began to howl in agony.

“He’s got an Arcane Cyst forming in his cheek! Prep an OR in the medical wing! We need to get it out before it bursts!” Patterson shouted to the guard, the soldier rushed out of the room while two nurses pushed a gurney in. “You’re going to be okay, Altair. I just need you to stay calm, I know it hurts, but the more you cry out the worse it could get!” Altair did his best to heed the Doctor’s words as he was lifted up onto the gurney. “Someone inform the Imperatrixes, keep him moving! Have a team standing by!”

[♠]

Sterile white walls, piercingly bright fluorescent lights, and the smell of strong bleach. These were the sights and smells that greeted the weary eyes of A. K. Yearling as she awoke on a white cot, her ears were ringing and her head ached like someone had taken a jackhammer to her brain. The mare quietly pushed herself up and looked around, taking stock of her surroundings. There was a large metal door on the far side of the room, as well as a mirror that she assumed was made of two way glass. The floor was white tile, just as sterile as the rest of the small room.

“What the…” Yearling said quietly, feeling cold all across her body. She looked down at herself and found that she was completely naked, and more importantly, there was a metal band locked around her right hoof. It wasn’t very heavy, but it looked tough, and there was a slowly blinking red light on the outer portion. The mare felt strange without her pith helmet and clothes, she had grown so used to wearing them, or a cape of some kind. “Hello?!” The mare pushed herself up from the bed and slowly began walking around the room. It wasn’t nearly as large as she would’ve liked, and now that she had a chance to see, there was a camera pointed at her from each corner of the room. There was no doubt about it, this was a cell.

“Miss Doo… Or should I say, Miss Yearling.” Caballeron’s voice echoed through the cell from an intercom next to the mirror. “Why didn’t you take my advice when last we met. Why didn’t you give up on treasure hunting?”

“What’s it matter?” Yearling shot back.

“Because if you had listened, you wouldn’t be here.” Caballeron replied flatly, Yearling approached the mirror and sat in front of it. “My superiors were going to have you disappear, but I managed to talk them into a deal.”

“Why do they want me gone, huh?” Yearling asked in a suspicious tone. “Is it because I saw their latest chemical weapon? Do they think I’ll blab to the Crystal Empire or something?!”

“You broke into a secure military installation which houses some of the most dangerous items known to man or pony alike.” Caballeron replied once again. “The gas you inhaled wasn’t a chemical weapon, Miss Yearling. You’ve heard of wendigos, correct? Ice demons of the north?” Yearling nodded, but she didn’t see what that had to do with it. “That canister was damaged, it contained a powerful wendigo, so powerful it could survive without constant cold… Imagine of such a thing were to break loose.”

“Like that would ever happen…” Yearling grunted, she didn’t want to give this guy more than a few words at a time.

“You almost made it happen. If we hadn’t caught you in time, the spirit of that wendigo would’ve taken full control of your mind.” Caballeron said with a bit of an annoyed expression in his voice. “Treasure hunting is no longer a simple matter of ancient ruins and tombs, Miss Yearling. It’s a very real and dangerous occupation.” Yearling sighed and looked at the floor, thinking back to what she had been thinking before everything had gone black. “Now, as I said… I have a deal for you, one that lets you get out of this cell.”

“...I’m listening…” Yearling quietly sighed, knowing that she was likely not to escape. The Onorussians were far less careless than the goons and thugs that normally held her captive.

“You would come work with me.” Caballeron said simply, Yearling scoffed at first. “You would get a chance to continue treasure hunting, adventuring, all that good fun… You just wouldn’t write about it, obviously.” Yearling crossed her forelegs and looked at the floor. “Unless, you were only ever in it for the money?” Yearling flinched at the cutting words, Caballeron knew that she hated being thought of as a tomb raider… He had a point though… A chance to solve riddles again, to be a real archaeologist again… Most importantly, she wouldn’t be stuck in a cell or killed quietly, or whatever else could’ve happened if she refused.

“What is it you would have me doing?” Yearling asked as she looked back to the mirror.

“You would be helping me and my team on our missions into the Farlands. Part of a new Task Force known as SEDI.” Yearling raised an eyebrow as Caballeron explained. “It stands for ‘Search for Extra-Dimensional Intelligence’, think of it as searching for aliens, but on a different front.” Yearling sighed… Aliens weren’t her thing, but it would beat a life in the cell.

“Okay.” Yearling said quietly, she looked up as a buzzing noise came from the door. It opened inwards slightly before the buzzing stopped, Yearling stood up and walked towards the door. She pulled it open the rest of the way, grunting at just how heavy the metal was. She poked her head out the door and looked around, there was a hallway running along the door. To the right there looked like there were three or four more cells, but to the left Yearling spotted Caballeron stepping out of a door. He approached her with a bit of a smile, it wasn’t smug, more welcoming than anything else. “So… What happens now?”

“Now, we get you a uniform and I run you through our procedures. If you’re going to be a part of this branch of Providentia, you need to look the part.” Caballeron said simply, the stallion gestured for her to follow him. “Welcome to Nocturne.”

“Nocturne?” Yearling asked, Caballeron nodded as they began walking through the hallway.

“Arcane Artifacts fall under the authority of the Lunar Knight Order, as Imperatrix Luna is the most experienced when it comes to dangerous items. Nocturne seemed like an appropriate name.” Caballeron explained simply. “Now, obviously you won’t have full access right away, but you will be deploying with our unit when the Task Force is formalized…” Yearling sighed quietly, it seemed that she would be in for quite a different future than she had first planned for herself… At least she would get to work with archeology again, and truth be told, writing children’s books wasn’t nearly as exciting as it had first been. “Now, let’s get you settled in…”

[♠]

Dominic pushed the double doors to the medical wing of Canterlot Castle open, they smacked into the walls with loud thuds. The man’s chest was rising and falling rapidly as he panted, he had sprinted from the motor pool all the way to the medical wing. He looked around frantically for anyone that could tell him what his son’s condition was, all he had heard since arriving home was that Altair had needed emergency surgery. His ears were ringing as more fear spread through his body, fear that something had happened to his boy… Dominic began running towards the front desk, he saw a griffon in a nurse’s uniform sitting behind it, she had just looked up at the sound of the doors being opened so roughly.

“Mister Imperator-” The griffon began to say.

“Where’s my son?!” Dominic cut her off, the nurse paused for a moment, looking a bit unsure of what to say. “Damn it, where is he! All I know is that he went into surgery hours ago!” Once again, the Nurse was at a loss for words.

“I-I’m sorry, Mister Imperator… I don’t know anything about your son’s condition. Your wives should be in the waiting room, down the hall. They’ll probably know more.” The nurse said, Dominic didn’t say anything more, choosing instead to run to the waiting room in question. The man didn’t slow down for a second, skidding as he turned to enter the room. Sure enough, Maria and Luna were sitting in the room, each of them looking extremely nervous. They looked up as Dominic entered, noting the sweat forming on his brow as he panted. Maria stood up and walked towards him, rapidly grabbing him tightly and hugging him. Dominic returned the embrace, he was doing his best to give Maria strength, but it was difficult to do when he himself was suffering from an extreme amount of fear.

Luna joined the two of them in their embrace, her wings wrapping around both of her herd mates. It lasted for nearly a minute before they broke up the hug, each of them looking worried beyond belief.

“How is he? Have you heard anything?” Dominic asked as he walked with Maria and Luna over to one of the couches.

“He had an Arcane Cyst form in his cheek, it burned a good deal of the skin there, but it’s mostly cosmetic, they’re hoping that since he’s so young the scar will fade by the time he’s an adult…” Luna said, Dominic looked towards the floor while his foot began to tap rapidly, his way of channeling the nervous energy that filled his body. “Aside from that… His IOD is starting to reduce, the doctors think that the cyst drained some of the overdriven cells…” Dominic sighed and leaned his head back, resting it against the wall.

“I shouldn’t have left him…” Maria said quietly as she grasped the crescent moon necklace she wore around her neck. Luna draped a wing over the woman’s shoulder to try and calm her down. “I should’ve waited longer… I didn’t have to leave so soon… I… I…”

“Hush…” Luna said softly as she leaned her head against Maria. “You had no way of knowing this would happen, cysts like this are rare, you know that…” Maria nodded quietly, closing her eyes and still gripping her necklace. Dominic could see tear stains on her cheeks, a sight that made him realize just how hard it was hitting his wife. “Anyway… That’s all they’ve told us so far…”

“I’m sorry…” Dominic said quietly as he continued to look up at the ceiling. “I never should’ve left like I did… I had a feeling something would happen while I was gone, I just… Didn’t expect it to involve Altair.”

“Don’t go blaming yourself too.” Luna said firmly. “You and Maria are blaming this on your actions, but there was nothing you could’ve done to stop or change it. It’s biology that’s at fault, not you.” Dominic closed his eyes and sighed.

“Maybe… But that doesn’t make this feel any better…” He mumbled, the man did his best to calm himself, but it wasn’t going well. The three of them sat there in silent, each of them offering internal prayers and hopes for the well being of their child. Dominic’s foot continued to tap against the floor, it was the only noise in the room besides barely controlled breathing. Every second of waiting felt like an eternity, each tick of the clock on the wall seemed to carry an characteristically heavy weight to it. Dominic couldn’t stop himself from running through all the possibilities in his head, all the horrible things that could happen to Altair. If something went wrong, if there were complications, and what was worst of all… Dominic could do nothing but wait.

There was a slight cough from the doorway, causing all three worried parents to look up in unison. There was a man standing there in scrubs, a surgical mask was hanging around his neck, but his face was exposed. His name was Doctor Avec, one of the surgeons that worked in the castle’s medical ward, the highest ranked in fact.

“We’ve finished the operation, your son is resting comfortably in the recovery ward…” Avec said, it was like a weight had been lifted from the room. “Just in case, we’re going to recommend keeping him here until his IOD subsides, in case any other complications like this should arise. It’s extremely unlikely, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“Oh… Thank the moon he’s okay.” Luna said as she let out a sigh of relief.

“Can we see him?” Maria asked, Avec paused for a moment, then nodded.

“You can see him for a couple minutes, but he really does need to rest.” The Doctor said, Dominic and the others stood up, walking towards the door. Avec gestured for them to follow him as he lead them further into the building. “Now, please bear in mind that the wound is still draining, so his bandage may seem bloody, but once we’ve changed the dressing there shouldn’t be any more problems.”

“Thank you, doctor.” Dominic said with a nod, the doctor stopped outside the recovery ward and held the door open for the three concerned parents. They entered the room and approached the only occupied bed, Dominic felt himself struggling to keep his composure at the sight of his son in such a weakened state… The boy turned his head as he heard people approaching, a large bandage was placed on his cheek, and there was a little red spot there.

“W-What happened?” He asked in a groggy voice, Maria moved next to his bed and hugged him gently.

“You had to go in for surgery, but you’re okay now.” She said, holding him close, she didn’t want to let go of her baby, not for one second. Dominic walked up beside his bed and rested a hand on his shoulder, causing Altair to look up at him with a surprised look.

“Dad…? What are you doing here?” He asked as he returned the hug that Maria was giving him. “I… I thought you had to be gone longer…”

“Things turned out to go quickly… But even if they hadn’t, I would’ve raced back here anyway.” The man leaned down and hugged his son, Maria finally building the strength to let go. Altair was surprised by how strong his dad was hugging him. “I couldn’t stay away once I found out you were sick, kiddo… You’re my boy!” Altair hugged his dad, smiling a bit as his dad tossled his hair. The man let go after a couple seconds, allowing Luna to come up and wrap her wings around her darling son, she nuzzled his unbandaged cheek and gave him a kiss.

“We were all so worried about you, sweetie… We’re so glad you’re okay.” She said as she continued to hug him, Altair hugged her as well, though he felt a little tired. The anhestetic was still heavy in his system, and he was fighting to keep his eyes open.

“D-Don’t worry, mom… I’m okay.” Altair said before yawning. “I’m really tired though… Can I close my sleep now?” Luna let go of him, nodding slightly as she tucked him in with her hooves. “Will… Will one of you stay with me, I don’t want to be alone here…”

“Sure, I’ll stay… I’d say your moms have earned some sleep as well.” Dominic said, looking to Luna and Maria. He knew just how tired they likely were, he’d be remiss not to let them take some time to decompress.

“We’ll be right upstairs if you need us.” Maria said, she looked at Dominic and nodded her thanks. Even if she wanted to stay, she knew there wasn’t much she could do, and she was barely able to stay awake with all the stress of the day. “I love you, pumpkin.” She leaned in and kissed Altair’s forehead a couple times.

“As do I…” Luna added, she nodded to Dominic as well. There would be time for talk when Altair was well, for now she needed to tend to Maria’s needs… She would aid the woman in sleeping, and try to rest herself as well. Tomorrow they would be a lot calmer, and the fears would hopeully subside with the knowledge that it seemed Altair was out of the woods when it came to severe symptoms. “Good night, sweetie.”

“Goodnight.” Altair said with a yawn, he paused for a moment. “Mom? Can Wolfy sleep in your bed tonight? I don’t want her to be alone.” Luna nodded quietly, Dominic raised an eyebrow at the mention of the name. He hadn’t been informed that Altair had gotten a puppy, or that Luna had gotten one as well for that matter. “Okay…” Altair pulled his blankets a little tighter and closed his eyes, Maria and Luna nodded to Dominic before they walked out. Dominic looked to Doctor Avec, the man simply smiled and showed himself out, closing the door behind him. Dominic pulled up a chair and sat beside Altair’s bed, leaning his head back and closing his eyes while the beep of hospital monitors echoed through the room. “Hey, Dad?”

“Yeah?” Dominic opened his eyes and looked towards Altair, the boy still had his eyes closed.

“I’m glad you’re home…” Altair yawned, Dominic felt his eyes get a little misty, but he didn’t care.

“Yeah… I’m glad I’m home too, kid… I’m glad too.” The father replied softly as he watched over his son. “Now get some sleep, your body needs it if it’s going to win the fight.” Altair smiled faintly and nuzzled deeper into his blankets, leaving Dominic alone with his thoughts once again. The man leaned his head back and sighed through his nose, a sense of realization rushing over his mind and body. He had just finished his last great adventure, it was likely that now he would be too busy with his job to ever go on such a trip again, at least, not on his own… The man opened his eyes and looked towards Altair, he smiled to himself. Even with the stress of the day, he knew his son would get right back up after this.

No… Dominic wouldn’t be the one to go on adventures around the world, he wouldn’t be the one to answer the call of the road, or the call of duty. Altair, on the other hand… His life was all laid out ahead of him, it would be his turn to take up the mantle of the Occisor name. He would be the one to lead a life that Dominic had never had, a life unlimited by the plague that had changed Dominic’s life. He could do anything, be anything… It gave Dominic hope for the future, despite everything that had happened to him. The man felt his grip on consciousness slipping, and soon he had drifted into sleep, much like his son. There were no nightmares, no terrors from the past, no haunting voices of his lost family… He had come out of the gates of hell, only to march right back in, and now…

Now, he finally felt at peace.

Author's Notes:

Well... We're just about done with this story. This was the last 'Chapter', the next thing will be a bit of an epilogue. As much as I would love to keep writing adventures for Dominic, he's got responsibilities now, and that puts a wrench in the whole adventure thing, but I think that's a good thing. I'd say he's earned himself a chance at a semi-normal life. As you can guess, he's passing the mantle onto his son, but since he's eight that'd also make adventuring hard. So, expect an interum story between this and the actual sequel that will catalogue some of the more important chapters of his life. I would put them here, but I don't want to do that many time jumps here, and sixty seems like a nice round number to end off on. Originally I wasn't planning on stopping here, but it just naturally felt like a nice ending, and since the last one ended with Dominic charging off to war I figured getting some sleep would be a better way to go.

Now, for the second to last time on this story, here's your clip of the day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-6xk4W6N20&

Please, feel free to post your thoughts in the comments. Theories, ideas, plans, etc. I write these things for you guys, and I love hearing your feedback. Now, in the same breath after saying that, I do want to once again bring up this Patreon thing. I feel icky bringing it up, but unfortunately writing doesn't put gas in the tank or food on the table. I'm by no means saying I won't write anymore if I don't get money, but hey, if you feel like giving a dollar or two, anything helps. Again, I wouldn't bring it up unless I had to.

Anyway, I don't want to end on that sort of note, so I'll end on a joke instead.

What's the difference between a well dressed man on a unicycle and a poorly dressed man on a bike?

Attire!