Chapter 21: Home

“CELESTIA NEEDS TO GET HER ROYAL FLANK BACK HERE!” Chrysalis yelled as she kicked a wooden chair to the floor. Mike sat on the edge of the bed, facing the door that was blocked by the royal guards that were under strict orders not to let anypony out.

“We aren’t guilty of anything so they won’t keep us locked up much longer,” Mike reassured the panicking changeling. “The guards are even trying to convince Shining Armour that you didn’t use magic on them.”

Chrysalis growled as she stomped to Mike’s side, her serpentine eyes were now narrowed slits that glared into Mike’s face. “I should have told you all to stuff your favours up a mule but I had to actually return a favour for once.”

“Everypony who doesn’t think you are guilty really appreciates what you are doing,” Mike replied by petting Chrysalis’ head softly. “But seriously, personal space is something you really should remember.”

“Don’t lecture me on manners now!” Chrysalis stormed around the bedroom, kicking furniture before having to pause to recover her breath. “Why did they lock you in here with me anyway? To torture me into confessing?”

Mike fell back onto the bed before giving a small hum. “Believe it or not but I volunteered to come in here to make sure you didn’t try anything and to make sure Shining Armour and Cadence don’t do anything either.”

Chrysalis paused in her destructive warpath, turning to look at Mike as she frowned to herself. “I can protect myself you know, I am a queen after all.”

“But alas you are trapped in here with me,” Mike smirked as Chrysalis glared at him and reluctantly stepped to the bed before sitting down next to the human. “Now if we just sit still for a bit then we can come up with a solution.”

As Mike finished his sentence, the door opened and Shining Armour stepped in, armoured in purple guard armour that signified his authority. He stared at Mike and Chrysalis before entering the room, “Well we have heard statements from all the guards and we have found the symbol in the palace gardens that has remnants of Odio’s magic.”

“So that shows our innocence!” Chrysalis cheered as she stood up. “Now we are free to go.”

“Actually we can allow Mike to leave but you can use magic to manipulate somepony’s mind so you will have to stay here,” Shining Armour said sternly, casting a glare at his old foe. “Come along Mike.”

The human paused as he saw the angry look Chrysalis gave Shining Armour, her annoyance extremely apparent. Mike sighed as he sat back down attracting stares from all the agitated ponies, “Sorry but I’ll have to stay here.”

“You are getting a free pass out of this mess and you want to stay here?” Chrysalis stared at Mike as if he had gone insane. “Anypony would just take the offer unless they had a death wish.”

“I’m not ditching you,” Mike stated clearly enough for even the guards outside the room to hear. “I know you are innocent so I won’t allow them to make you a prisoner.”

Shining Armour flared his nostrils before turning away. “Fine, you can both stay here until Princess Celestia and Princess Luna return.”

As the door slammed Mike and Chrysalis heard Shining Armour give the guards a few harsh words before locking the door and marching away. The pair of prisoners sat in silence before Mike stood up and made his way to the bathroom.

Chrysalis stared at the door for a few moments before turning to face the bathroom, “Why did you stay? You could have gone outside and at least lived with some dignity before Princess Celestia returns and punishes us for failing to keep the secret.”

“I’m sure she won’t punish us for her guards doing their jobs,” Mike returned with two glasses of water and passed one to Chrysalis. “Just relax, they won’t do anything because there is nothing to be punished for.”

“That’s easy for you to say, you haven’t got the reputation I have,” Chrysalis sneered as she turned away. “If you had known what they could tie to my name then you wouldn’t want to be associated with me.”

Mike took a sip of his drink before placing on the nightstand beside the bed. “Well I know that you are meant to have an evil reputation but I saw how you helped a couple of grieving parents get their son back and that has shown me what you truly are.”

Chrysalis was lost for words as she kept switching her view from Mike to her hooves, “W-wow umm… nopony has ever said anything like that before.”

“If everypony was only given one chance then nopony would get along,” Mike smiled to the changeling. “The only reason I am here is because I was given the second chance I needed and I won’t let anypony down.”

Meanwhile…

Dave awoke in his living room; he looked around to see Nox sleeping peacefully on the other sofa, his grey wings twitching slightly. Dave sat up and rubbed his head as he looked down and found a clean set of clothes waiting for him.

As he finished getting dressed the door opened and Flux stepped in, smiling happily. “So everypony is back safely now, Odio has already started on getting the return portal working.”

“That’s great,” Dave stretched before heading into the kitchen, poking his head into the fridge. “Butter, Milk, eggs…”

“There are plenty of things in the cupboard you know,” Hannah rolled her eyes as Dave closed the fridge and turned to see his mum sat next to Celestia. “Your wife here has been talking with me since you got back, and I must say I have the most adorable grandson.”

Dave smiled as he sat on a stool opposite the alicorn and human. “Well he has grown up fast… he is a good little colt though.”

“Dave I want you to know that I offered your mother a chance to come and live in Equestria with us,” Celestia sighed before looking towards Hannah.

Dave froze as he turned to face his mum, his hands nervously grasping each other, “So… what did you say?”

“It sounds amazing, going to a world full of magic and dragons but…” Hannah paused before laughing. “I don’t want to cramp your style.”

“Huh?” Dave was thrown off-guard as he stood up and stared down at his mum. “But you seemed so sad about me being gone I don’t want you to be sad again.”

Hannah reached across the counter and held Dave’s hand, “All I wanted to know is that you are happy and safe, that makes me happier than anything in the world.”

“So… you aren’t coming along?” Dave sat down again with a hint of sadness in his voice. “I’m sorry I never tried to get in contact… I was always dealing with my own problems I never put any thought into it.”

“Oh pish posh,” Hannah smiled again. “I have to keep working here and I need to save up for a holiday for the next time you visit.”

Dave glanced at Celestia before looking back at his mum, “You know I might never come back? There is always that chance and…”

Hannah cut Dave off by squeezing his hand. “You have an amazing wife and Luna seems like such a sweet girl… you go be happy.”

“Thanks mum,” Dave smiled before walking around to his mum’s side and giving her a hug, Celestia smiled at the pair before quietly leaving to get everypony ready to leave.

After a few minutes of packing items into a bag, Luna reverted back to her pony form making sure to pack her new dress carefully away. Nox was woken from his sleep by his pony grandparents and everypony regrouped in the garden as Odio charged the portal and opened it awaiting somepony to enter.

“Alright, if everypony is ready for the Odio Express then get your sick-bags ready and hold complaints until you can’t sue me for it,” Odio announced before the dark swirling portal was rushed into existence.

Hannah gasped as she saw the magic flow out of her garden; she walked around it before taking a deep breath and walked to Celestia, Luna and Nox. “Well it was lovely meeting the girls that are making my son happy.”

“Thank you for letting us stay and it was an honour meeting you,” Celestia smiled before stepping into the portal and disappearing.

Luna stood on her rear legs before giving Hannah a hug, “I will miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too so make sure you have fun for me,” Hannah released the princess before kneeling to smile at Nox. “And make sure you grow up to be a big strong stallion.”

“I will!” Nox beamed as he jumped into Hannah’s arms and gave her a hug that she wouldn’t forget. “I’m gonna become a powerful prince and I’ll search the galaxy!”

Hannah laughed as she stroked Nox’s mane, “Well feel free to come stay when you can.”

“I will, I swear!” Nox promised before following his aunt into the portal. Hannah sighed before Flux and Strong Shield stepped in front of her.

Strong Shield extended a hoof and shook Hannah’s hand, “It was extraordinary being on a different world and I thank you for your hospitality.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Hannah smiled until she turned to Flux and the two mothers glared before bursting into laughter. “I never thought Dave could get a better mother than me but he somehow managed to find you.”

“I will make sure he sticks to how you raised him,” Flux hugged Hannah as they laughed. “You have an amazing son.”

“We sure do,” Hannah smiled as she kissed Flux on the cheek and even gave Strong Shield a kiss on his cheek as well.

Eventually all the ponies had disappeared, leaving Dave and Hannah alone. Dave hugged his mum before stepping closer to the portal. “I’ll miss you… I’m sorry I never thought about how me leaving affected you.”

“Don’t worry your little head about it,” Hannah smiled before raising her hand to stroke Dave’s long shaggy hair. “You could do with getting it cut once in a while, just because you live with ponies doesn’t mean you have to have a mane too.”

“I know mum,” Dave smiled before stepping back into the portal, his vision turning black as his home faded away once again. “I’ll miss you.”

“Goodbye Dave,” Hannah smiled as the portal died down and she was left alone in her garden. As she looked up at the sky she gave a sigh and slowly wiped the tears away that began to roll down her face.

A small wisp of fog remained and Odio’s burning eyes looked up at the drained human. “Excuse me… Mrs Shultz?”

“Huh?” Hannah knelt down to speak to the little fog. “Who are you?”

“My name is Odio and I was the one who took your son,” The fog of hatred spoke in a guilty tone. “I’m sorry for what I did.”

Hannah smiled even as she cried, “Don’t be sorry, you helped make my son happier than he has ever been… thank you.”

Odio was stunned as Hannah blew a kiss into his fog and for a brief second Odio’s fog flashed white; he glanced down before he began to fade into the wind. “Thank you for letting me be with my best friend.”

Hannah stood up as the fog faded and she was left alone once more, she wiped her tears away before walking back into her home and sat down in her living room, the silence in her home that had accompanied her didn’t seem that bad now and she looked around the room.

The baby photos of Dave still hung on the wall but she noticed another frame had been added, as she stood up to get a better look she smiled, seeing the new photo was of Dave in a suit and Celestia in her wedding dress, a few smaller photos were surrounding the pair and they showed Luna holding Nox for the first time and a rare photo of Strong Shield and Flux when they were in their guard armour. Even Odio was included, his fog wrapped around Dave as he held his sword aloft, ready to battle evil.

A note poked out from behind the frame and Hannah carefully pulled it free.

“Love the Shield family,” Hannah read it quietly to herself before smiling and looking back at the photographs. “That silly little boy.”