The door opened and Bucky saw a familiar face. Princess Celestia’s personal assistant Raven. She was carrying several clipboards in her magic and several ledgers floated in her telekinetic field as well. She was smiling, she was always smiling, and she was humming to herself as she entered the room.

“Bucky,” Raven greeted.

Smiling, Bucky felt a little better. At least Raven understood which name he prefered. “Hi Raven. How goes life?” he responded.

“Always busy. I’ve had to resort to minor time travel just to stay on top of everything,” Raven replied with a cheerful grin. “Celestia has threatened to give me wings and make me the alicorn of organisation.”

Bucky couldn’t tell if she was joking. “What brings you here?” he inquired.

“You,” Raven answered. “Today, you have several more tests and procedures scheduled. All of your consorts need to be fitted. We need measurements from you as well. Princess Celestia should be by to speak with you… maybe. Things are really crazy right now and she might not make it today.”

“Fitted?” Bucky asked.

“For your coronation,” Raven explained.

“Oh no! No, that’s not happening. No way is that happening!” Bucky said as he squirmed helplessly in the bed.

“Oh believe me, I am utterly shocked about the whole thing as well you little malcontent,” Raven said in sunny tones, her face still beaming.

“You can’t talk to him like that,” Derpy warned, raising her head and flaring her wings out.

“Why not?” Bucky grumbled. “She of all ponies has earned it.”

Derpy scowled and stared at Raven. She pulled her wings in and snorted threateningly.

“Your husband has collected the largest disciplinary file ever on record. Most students have a folder, maybe two. A few special students can claim to have a drawer. Your husband has several filing cabinets devoted to his exploits,” Raven said in impossibly chipper and cheerful tones.

“Okay, to be fair, I did get in trouble, but there is no need to exaggerate,” Bucky said and then heaved a dismissive sigh.

“Because of my obsessive compulsive disorder, I do not engage in hyperbole. Would you like to see the cabinets?” Raven said in a warm inviting voice as she leaned in closer to Bucky.

“Oh bother… she’s telling the truth,” Bucky whispered. “I still became a prefect and protected the students when Nightmare Moon returned.”

“Celestia wanted any potential attackers to know our pain suffering in having to deal with you! YOU ARE A MENACE!” Raven retorted, her voice loud but still rather cheerful. “I begged Celestia to be merciful to any potential threats to the school. But no, she just smiled that smile of hers and said that anypony attacking the school would get what they deserved.”

“Oh my,” Derpy gasped.

“And your husband became a prefect, not as a reward, but as a punishment. Bucky understood duty. It was the only way to keep him somewhat contained,” Raven said to Derpy.

“Bucky…” Derpy said. “Tsk tsk, you are a bad pony.”

“You haven’t changed Raven. I don’t know how you do it, but you are still the young looking mare that used to scold me one moment and give me milk and cookies when I was sad the next moment. When I first came to the school you were Celestia’s assistant and you have been at her side this entire time,” Bucky said in a wistful voice.

“I had just graduated when you arrived,” Raven said, sitting down in a chair beside the bed. She settled in and gazed at Bucky. “You were so little and small. The other foals teased you. Bullied you. I felt bad for you.”

“You gave me a scarf on Hearth’s Warming Eve… nopony else had given me anything. You also left me cookies in my room. I know it was you. I would recognise your script in an instant…”

Derpy reached out and touched Bucky, she could hear the sadness in his voice, the pain. His head was turned and he was looking at Raven. She could see his ears and how they drooped. She stroked his neck and wished that she had Bon Bon’s touch.

“Nopony should be alone on Hearth’s Warming Eve,” Raven replied. “It is awful for the students stuck at the school during the holidays… those whose parents don’t want them.”

“I just stayed in my room and refused to come out,” Bucky said, his features becoming downcast. “I just didn’t see the point.”

“Don’t ever tell Celestia, but I was always just a little bit proud of the trouble you caused,” Raven admitted.

“Really?” Bucky asked.

“Truly,” Raven answered.

“Even when I flooded the school with spiders on Nightmare Night?” Bucky questioned in a faint whisper.

Raven shuddered visibly. Her mouth opened and her tongue lolled out as she gagged. She squirmed with revulsion. “I… urgh... “

“You did what?” Derpy asked.

“I don’t wish to speak about it!” Raven cried as she waved a forehoof in front of her face.

“How?” Derpy asked.

“I created the spider orb,” Bucky said, falling back into his pillows and smiling at the memory. He sighed a contented sigh.

“No… no more!” Raven begged.

“Spider orb?” Derpy questioned.

“A glass orb that attracted spiders. It’s a funny story… see, there are some simple enchantments to bring pests out of hiding so you can squish them with your hoof. Bugs and spiders and such. I worked up a very powerful version of that spell and enchanted a glass orb as a sort of spider beacon. I then rolled the glass orb down an air duct so it couldn’t be found. In no time at all, the school was swarming with spiders of all kinds. The walls were covered with little eight legged horrors. Rivers of spiders flowed down the halls,” Bucky explained.

“Enough!” Raven begged. “Celestia had to send me on vacation!”

“Bucky, how could you? Bad foal!” Derpy scolded.

“Yes! Bad foal!” Raven repeated, pointing her hoof at Bucky.

Grinning sheepishly, Bucky allowed a smug look of satisfaction to settle over his face.

The grass was still covered in the morning dew. Thistle was grateful to be outside, but there was no place to swim. She rolled in the grass and enjoyed herself immensely, kicking her legs up into the air and snorting.

Others were with her. Sparkler, Rising Star, Loch Skimmer, and Ripple were all enjoying the early morning outside in the small private garden. Sparkler had her head in the flowers, examining each delicate blossom. Ripple was beside her doing the same. Rising Star was sitting in the middle of the garden with his eyes closed, just enjoying himself.

Loch Skimmer was plotting.

Her husband was completely oblivious. His guard was completely down. She stretched out her body and flexed her muscles. Moonbow had given her wonderful ideas. She flexed her wings and gave a tiny snort. Remembering she had to protect her weak leg, Loch Skimmer launched herself, throwing her bulk at the clueless unicorn minding his own business in the grass.

POW!

“OOOF!” Rising Star grunted as he tumbled into the grass, now winded. He struggled to make sense of what was going on. He felt a brief spike of arousal as a lithe body compressed against his. He felt himself being wrestled into submission.

Rising Star fought back.

“Big brute pegasus!” Rising Star shouted. “I’ll make you learn your place!”

Sparkler felt a twinge of panic. She turned and watched the pair. She feared that Loch Skimmer would have a moment of panic at the words. She knew that Loch Skimmer had fragile trust. Sparkler held her breath and she heard Ripple’s panicked breathing right beside her.

“Oh really? I want you to put me in my place!” Loch Skimmer giggled.

Sparkler exhaled sharply in relief, and the beginnings of a smile appeared on her muzzle.

Rising Star wrangled the pegasus and rolled her over. For a moment, he had her pinned beneath him. She was giggling and parts of her jiggled enticingly with each movement she made. He was all too aware of her bad leg and he tried to be careful. He suddenly found himself airborne and a second later, he was in the grass flat on his back.

Loch Skimmer threw herself onto Rising Star and straddled him. Sitting on his barrel, she used her wings to tickle his ribs. “I’m a bad filly… but you already knew that. And you are too sweet to put me in my place. You’d never hurt me-unf!”

Rising Star rolled Loch Skimmer over and she kicked and wiggled beneath him. He managed to get her on her belly and then climbed over her back, sitting on her. “You tickled me!” he accused. He reached back and gave her a light swat over her cutie mark.

“Spank me will you!” Loch Skimmer shouted as she bucked Rising Star from her back. As he tumbled into the grass, she tackled him again. She jammed her muzzle into his neck and blew a raspberry. She then clamped down on an ear with her lips and gave a tug.

Sparkler smiled and watched as the pair continued. Both were covered in grass stains. Both were happy. And Loch Skimmer clearly trusted Rising Star, which made Sparkler feel better. They were really going at it now, Loch was doing everything she could to gain dominance.

“You raspberried my foal hole!”

“Well, you wiggled, I was going for your teats!”

“Do it again!”

Sparkler felt Ripple nuzzle her side and Sparkler turned to the filly at her side and smiled. The pair exchanged a knowing look and watched as Loch Skimmer and Rising Star wrestled one another, struggling for dominance. Sparkler couldn’t help but notice that Rising Star wasn’t trying very hard.

“I remember how skittish Loch was.”

Sparkler looked over at Thistle who was now sitting down beside her. Thistle was covered in grass stains and her coat was damp with dew. The plants that made up her mane and tail looked vibrant in the morning sun and Sparkler noticed several new blooms in her mane.

“Are you happy Thistle?” Sparkler asked.

“I will be once I get to go for a swim. My husband is alive and recovering. I am finally living the life I’ve always wanted. I still don’t like toilets though,” Thistle replied.

“You know Thistle, I think I actually understand you. I’d imagine that as a kelpie, they weird you out. As for Loch and her fixation with electric lights… pegasi have a special relationship with electricity because of storms. To have total mastery over it is probably magical for her,” Sparkler said to Thistle.

“Hey don’t pull on THOSE! I need those to pump you full of foal batter!”

Sparkler heard Ripple giggling as she continued to study Thistle. The kelpie was already as large as most ponies get when they become fully pregnant. “You know Thistle, you’re big. Really big.”

“Hey! No! No licking my wingpits! Ugh! Stop stop stop!”

“I know Sparkler. I am hoping that I am as big as I am because there is a little kelpie inside of me and she needs the extra room for her tail,” Thistle said in a low voice. She watched the pegasus and the unicorn in the grass and her heart felt glad.

“Hey! You two! Go hide in the bushes or something! Loch Skimmer, you caused it, you fix it!” Sparkler shouted.

“Boner!” Loch Skimmer crowed triumphantly.

Thistle watched as the pair disappeared into the nearby shrubbery, giggling every step of the way. “You know, if there are any ponies around, they are going to hear those two,” she commented.

“I can only hope,” Sparkler said with a grin.

Sentinel hated the blindfold but understood its purpose. He huddled in the bottom of the chariot and waited for the ride to be over. He was told that it would be a short trip. He was getting a chance to see Moonbow, and he had jumped at the opportunity. He didn’t know the guard in the chariot, and he didn’t care. He just wanted to see Moonbow, even if it was only for a little while.

He felt the chariot slow down and his ears popped as the altitude decreased.

The landing was smooth and Sentinel felt himself pulled from the chariot. The blindfold was pulled free and Sentinel blinked in the bright sunlight. He saw a flash of blue.

“Princess Luna?” Sentinel inquired as he struggled to see.

“She is eager to see you. Come,” Luna instructed.

Sentinel shuffled after Luna as his eyes struggled to adjust. They were somewhere with a high altitude, perhaps upon some mountain plateau. He flexed his wings and yawned. It had been a long night for him. Ahead of him was a small grassy area and on the edge of the grassy area was a forest. In the distance, there were some buildings and what appeared to be a tall tower.

And then, he saw her. Sentinel bolted, leaving Luna’s side to run to her.

“Moonbow… you…” Sentinel said haltingly.

Moonbow was hobbled in chains and heavy weights. Around her neck was a heavy iron collar that forced her head down. She looked exhausted and Sentinel suddenly felt like crying. He held in his tears as he drew nearer.

“You are bound… the chains… and big iron weights,” Sentinel stammered. He looked around and saw a few other lunar pegasi foals, all of them bound as Moonbow was. He tried to make sense of what he was seeing.

“My bonds weigh as much as I do. As I grow, so will they,” Moonbow said, struggling to hold her head up. She smiled weakly.

“How long must you wear them?” Sentinel asked.

“Until I can fly again,” Moonbow replied.

Sentinel studied her bonds and the heavy iron weights clamped around her legs. The only thing not shackled was her wings. On her back was a small stuffed doll. Sentinel felt puzzled. The doll confused him more than anything else.

“You have a doll,” Sentinel said in befuddled tones.

“I have a foal,” Moonbow corrected. “I chose motherhood as my path. I must look after our foal. I must keep him clean and out of the dirt. I must keep it comforted. I must keep it happy. If I fail, it will cry and I will be punished.”

“It is enchanted?” Sentinel questioned.

“Yes,” Moonbow replied. “I named him Sentinel.”

Sentinel felt a lump in his throat. “You look exhausted.”

“It was a long night for me. I waited for you. I was told I had earned a reward. I chose to see you. I’m tired Sentinel,” Moonbow said.

Sentinel laid down in the grass and made a gesture to Moonbow. “Rest your head.”

Moonbow looked up at Luna, who was standing nearby. She saw a faint nod and then moved to Sentinel’s side. She eased herself down and rested her head upon Sentinel’s back. It felt good to lay down and rest after the long night she had endured.

The cold iron collar pressed into Sentinel’s side and Sentinel squirmed slightly, feeling the hard iron edge pressing into his ribs. He made himself go still. Moonbow’s discomfort was surely worse than his own. He gently pulled the doll from Moonbow’s back and cradled it in his forelegs. “Sleep for a while,” Sentinel said. “I’ll look after our foal and see that it doesn’t cry and wake you.”

Luna drew near and stood over the pair. “She did very well Sentinel. She endured her trial and survived her initiation. She is strong. She will make a good mate for you.”

“Survive? Is her life in danger?” Sentinel asked, looking up at Luna, blinking fearfully.

“Not any longer. Now she is an asset. She will be guarded. Protected. She will be looked after and nurtured so that she might grow strong. She will be educated,” Luna stated in a soft voice as she looked down upon the pair.

“I hope she flies soon,” Sentinel said.

“I don’t want to fly soon… I want to bear these weights as long as I can. They will make me stronger. How else will I move in heavy armor and fly with grace?” Moonbow said in a sleepy voice.

“I… I understand,” Sentinel said, coming to a painful realisation.

“Honour has its own weight Squire Sentinel. The chains you bear are every bit as heavy as those she wears. In time, you will learn to move with fluid grace under the burden that you choose to bear,” Luna said, offering up gentle instruction and wisdom.

Sentinel hugged the doll in his forelegs and pressed his face into it, smelling Moonbow’s scent in the doll’s fabric. He felt a single tear fall free from his eye and it stained the fabric, making it dark. He tried to ignore the cold iron pressing into his side and focused instead upon the weight of Moonbow’s head upon his back.

“When she is finally freed from her bonds, she will be strong… strong enough to protect others. Strong enough to stand in defense of all those smaller and weaker than she is. Mark my words, she is going to be a big one. She will be a walking and flying fortress of might,” Luna explained in a proud voice.

“I understand,” Sentinel whispered. “All of the weakness has to be cut away.”

“Five years Sentinel. Five short years. Surely you can wait for five years,” Luna said. “I have total confidence in her ability to succeed. She will not fail me.”

“I will wait,” Sentinel said in return.

“Don’t be idle Sentinel. Grow strong. Become educated. Hunt for other fillies worthy of our herd,” Moonbow said, her words ending in a loud yawn.

Sentinel felt his face burn and his ears grew uncomfortably warm. He clutched the doll ever closer. “I will do as you ask,” he squeaked nervously.

“Stay strong Sentinel. The path you have chosen is just as difficult as the one she now walks, but for different reasons. One day, my sister and I will make you earn your knighthood. Do not expect for it to be easy,” Luna warned.

“I will prepare,” Sentinel said.

“So you can assist your father better, I am reviving the rank of Cornet and bestowing it upon you. I will be giving you books to read so that you might understand your duties. Cornet is the lowest ranking officer position available. I demand that you hold yourself to the behaviour befitting an officer at all times. Do you understand me?” Luna said in a serious voice.

“Yes ma’am,” Sentinel replied.

“Very good Squire Cornet Sentinel. This is not an honourific to placate you. I expect much from you in exchange for this privilege I am giving you. Your prayers have touched me. Your sense of duty has impressed me,” Luna said.

“I await your orders,” Sentinel said, looking up at Luna.

“Comfort this filly of mine. She is weary and has endured a great deal. Stay with her until my return, I will be collecting you in a few hours to return you to your father,” Luna commanded.

“I will serve,” Sentinel said, bowing his head slightly.

Author's Notes:

This chapter turned out a little longer than I intended.

Enjoy!

And if there are typos, let me know. I cleared out hundreds, but probably missed a few.