EPILOGUE: SHINING ARMOR

As I walked out, the cameras were already flashing and the questions started to rumble forward. After what seemed to be a long minute of walking to the throne to accept questions, I look over to Solemn Oath, giving her a nod to indicate that I was ready.

"HEAR YE, HEAR YE! PRINCE SHINING ARMOR SHALL NOW SPEAK!" She called out to the room full of press. She then pointed at the multitude and whispered to me. "The floor is yours, your highness."

I didn't have any prepared statements. We were only told what we couldn't speak on, at least what Celestia herself wanted to declassify herself for the sake of our sanity and having to avoid those sensitive topics. But anything else was free game, and I wanted to start where my heart truly went out to. "I wish to preface this press conference by first acknowledging the brave and honorable guards, who gave everything they had in defending the national seat of power."

The rumbling of questions stopped the moment I spoke out. The cameras continued to flash on.

"There were a lot of young guards stationed here, many of whom were still fresh from the crucible of training. They were thrusted into a conflict to which they had not knowledge of, nor did they know how to fight. But in spite of, they answered the call. Our words of thanks go to them, and those who volunteered their service from other cities and towns to assist us in our moment of chaos."

I took a moment to collect what I wanted to say and how I needed to say it. I wanted to put it out there, but first...

"However, I will not take this moment to thank the brave guards that fought admirably, not without first acknowledging those who did not make it through the night, those who closed their eyes to our banner one final time on this morning. I cannot omit those who raised their spears one last time without being able to take them home. Any loss of life is always a tragedy, and every loss of life is painful to someone close to us. So if you would, observe with me this moment of silence, a minute to remember the ones we lost today, yesterday, this whole week. And for those who recently lost a loved one that we had to recover today, we wish not to omit you from these moments as this situation is fairly sensitive to us all. One minute of your time is all I request, I'll count the time."

I bowed my head in reverence of those that I dedicated my time to. I looked at the phone I had, counting the seconds that ticked upwards. In the silence, there was not a single flash of photos, a single moment of whispers, a second of distraction from the memory being observed.

"Thank you." Finally, I went on to say what I felt needed to be said. "The second thing I wish to cover right now is a message to all our fellow ponies in gold out there. Your sacrifices and struggles are not to be overlooked because you still survived. While many would respect the silence for the fallen, I also observe the many who lived and fought this terrible fight. We all saw what it was that we had to fight, and there are no excuses for this to have occurred. And for the many who think that, we hear you. But to you all, we also want to extend not just our heartfelt gratitude, but a helping hoof in times of uncertainty and trouble. The fear in your eyes from these past twenty-four hours, it is the same fear that would take my heart as easily, the captain's heart, the heart of any royal in this court. But we don't cut you loose to find alternative answers. We openly call on you to meet with us, seek counsel, to reach out and get the help you need if you feel that you need it. We've all been here before, it sucks. I'm not going to sugarcoat anything, we fought hell and watched some of our comrades get mucked up in the chaos. Some faces we've seen are loved ones we know, friends we trusted, coworkers we've fussed and fought with. But I'm going to extend to you a hoof to help you. There is no return to normal now, but there is a way we can learn how to get back there. And we want you to know that you are worth that effort, you are worth these words."

I know it sounded preachy, but every time there's an incident or invasion that goes on, no one ever acknowledges the ones who might have endured some trauma. I was just tired of giving the same boilerplate statement to the guards. All the 'job well done' and 'we appreciate your service' slap-on comments doesn't go far enough to reach all of those who served this week. There's a good number of young guards, recruits who just got shipped out here over the past month, new lives altered because of all of this. They deserved to be reached out to.

With that off my chest, I carried on. "Lastly, I wish to discuss with you the matters of our operations moving forward. We have obtained a list of co-conspirators to the cause of the necro-terrorist known to many as Umbra Sanctus. I can understand that the name is something we don't wish to say out loud, but that time has ended. Now is no longer the time to be intimidated, but the time for prosecution. And we will prosecute to the means of this incident, for the ends of bringing justice to those families affected by this terrible and tragic upheaval. And with that statement, I now open the floor for questions."

Almost immediately, there was a rush of voices calling out for answers. I merely pointed out at random for the first question that was asked. "Sir, you say that you'll bring justice to our families. How do you bring justice to those who have been afflicted by these terrible changes?"

I didn't mince words. "We prosecute until it's done."

The Next Day...

Our first arrest of the day had led us to the residence of Senator Rose Burn, a notorious voice for seeking changes in the structure of power. His intentions in parliament were to weaken the royal influence, especially in assisting Count DuMoneé in authoring that addendum to Law Processu Approbatio. It wasn't so much of the child inspection, but rather the gradual shift of power to a 'legitimate heir of power', possibly exposing a young mind to be easily manipulated by false counsel.

As we showed up to his home, he stepped out the front door, looking to confront all of us for what we were doing here. There was at least twenty of us in his front yard, and he called out to question us as what appeared to be a mistress peeked through one of the second story windows. "What is the meaning of this!?"

I motioned for two stallions to flank behind him, closing off his escape. "Senator Rose Burn, you are under arrest for conspiracy of sedition."

Of course, he denied the charges. "How am I even in any way─"

"Campaign finance records of yours have recorded a total income of approximately fifteen million bits in dark money from a single payer. Not only are donations of that size are considered illegal for bribery, but also your donation came from the trust fund of Sanctum Medical, a private brokerage firm owned by the 'estate' of Dr. Umbra Sanctus."

"That doctor's been dead for centuries!" He argued.

I laid out a laundry list of donations from various 'anonymous' sources, each of them varying in large sum payouts that appeared to come from corporations and entities who had no record of ever existing. I also showed that the number of waterfall accounts used by Umbra had pointed at least seven donations to his campaign directly over the course of the past twenty years.

I showed him the warrant after I showed him the evidence, and the warrants we were issued had waived the legislative immunity to protect lawmakers from being arrested before a session. But since sessions were suspended for this week due to the pending investigations, it further weakened any possible immunities that many senators, representatives, and aristocrats had used for centuries.

"I think that speaks a lot for me." I probably had the biggest mental smile as they put the ropes on him. "Take him away."

We finished with another seven arrested after our first encounter of the day. It's been us pretty much going from door to door with absolutely everything going right for the most part. Without a doubt, there were some attempts to flee, including one who tried to go for an escape route conveniently built into a bookshelf, but my ability to teleport outmatched their ability to run. It also helped that they were old and couldn't really run that fast to begin with, but all pursuits ended in capture thus far.

This time, we walked into a well-established neighborhood filled with the better homes this side of the mountain. We were going into the very affluent sectors of Canterlot high society. And the security, which was usually strict with guards entering with warrants, stepped aside to let us conduct our business.

Walking up to the front door, I could already hear an older couple arguing within the foyer of the home. The mare seemed distressed over something that had come up, and the senator in question had tried to argue her down. That immediately came to a halt when I knocked on the door. "Who is it!?" He called out angrily.

"This is Brigadier General Shining Armor, requesting for Senator Blank Slate."

If there was an argument before I stated my name, then it had to have erupted into a full-scale war with his wife. "What did you do!?"

"I didn't do anything!" He called out vehemently. "I had nothing to do with all of this madness over the week! What would my name be called out for!?"

"Oh I bet you got caught spending some time with some stupid hussy again!"

"I told you a million times before, I'm not involved in some stupid scandal!" He replied.

While I didn't mind the theatrics of the couple, I had other business to tend to. So I knocked once more and gave the couple a final warning. "Please open the door. If you do not comply, we will be forced to make an entry."

"You did something, Blank! I don't want any part of this madness! You go out there and clear your name before we become the talk of the town!"

I motioned for the guards behind me to ready for a forced entry, but the door soon opened to show the disheveled senator looking back at me with a panicked expression. "I didn't do anything, I didn't have anything to do with this crazy stuff and the dead bodies! My name is not in that."

"No. Your name is elsewhere." I informed him before ordering the guards to start tying him up. "Your name popped up in a surface operation. Though considering the operation in question, 'surface' is a modest way of saying you're going away for a long time."

He began to show some resistance, trying not to let his hooves get tied and his horn dampened. The mare, who was his wife, stood watching in the doorway. "What are you doing!? What exactly am I being detained for!?"

I showed him the warrant. "Senator Blank Slate, you are under arrest for drug distribution to an underaged party and sexual solicitation of a minor."

His wife fainted where she stood. I issued a guard to help her not hit her head on the doorway or the ground as she collapsed. The senator only amplified his efforts to resist. "I did no such thing!" He said as I walked by him, showing his wife the pictures of him in a brothel, looking up to the camera in a mask as he sank himself into a young girl petite frame. Another younger filly laid beside her, appearing fatigued from her encounter. I showed copies of the photos to him. He continued to deny his involvement. "Hey, that wasn't me! That's just some changeling making me look bad! That's not even my jawline."

The wife, however, identified the stallion's eyes and chin. She stormed up to her husband and threw the pictures into his face. "A minor???" She slapped him furiously and stomped her hooves next to the pictures that littered the ground. "A MINOR!? You have the balls to cheat on me with not just some hussy, A FOAL!?"

"Please, it's not what it looks like!" He tried to plead with her.

I issued the warrant to her and allowed her to read what it was we were arresting him for. "Read this out for me, ma'am. I understand that this is a lot for you, but the princess has instructed that transparency was to be the highest priority to retain trust. I'm sorry."

She grew weak as she read to herself the number of charges. "Fourteen... She was fourteen, the other one was eleve─." She slammed the scroll down, not out of rejection but of disgust. She stammered through her thoughts, pacing back and forth, wondering how she could ever save face. "I don't─I just─I... I..." She took a deep breath and walked into the foyer, opened up the coat closet, and started tossing out his cloaks and hats. "We're done. We're done! We are done! Finished! Over! Concluded! Terminated!"

The senator looked on wildly as he couldn't believe that he was exposed so openly to his wife. "Apricot!"

"I want nothing to do with you! You don't deserve a damn thing from me! How could you!? You slept behind my back with some kids! No, I'm done with you! I'm finalizing my divorce filings this afternoon!"

I then issued a copy of the warrant to the mare. "If you need one to help build your case, we'll work with you, ma'am."

"Thank you, sir prince!" She said as she summoned more of his clothes and personal items to the front porch. "You've lost your fucking mind! You're sick, demented, perverted! How could I have ever loved you!? Fucking bastard, you!... FOAL FIDDLER!"

As she ran back into the house, she ran up to the second story window and started dumping more of his stuff out from above, calling out to us as she carried on.

"Take his shit AND him! He's not welcome here!"

Throughout the course of the day, our arrests had had some similarity to the theatrics of that one particular arrest. Others we detained were arrested for similar charges, some more extreme than others, but none ever really garnered the disgust and vitriol that one wife had upon discovering her husband's secret doings in the night. The others were more in line of defending their spouses and family members, even as evidence was being shown to them. They didn't care, as long as they weren't handed a verdict, they were advocating for their innocence. However, seeds of denial would eventually sprout into buddings of separation, only time will tell how far apart they'll grow.

But this arrest, the final arrest of the day, was the one that changed everything for me.

We had come into a nice-looking flat in the Fringe District, a young filly had started to walk into their home as her father opened the front door. He looked up and saw us starting to gather outside his gates. I walked up to him and he began to exchange pleasantries. "Sir prince, this is an unexpected visit. How may I help you today?"

"I'm actually here to speak with you for a moment." I replied.

"Ah, I see." He said quietly, looking back to the door and closing it where his daughter couldn't hear us speaking. "Alright, I'm willing to assist you in any way I can, if you need any information."

I pulled up a sigil and laid it on the ground. His eyes widened as though he recognized the emblem. I also pulled out some documents thoroughly accounting his visits to the lab. "You could help me by explaining this."

The stallion grew quiet, looking between me and the documents laid out for him to see. I could see the legs he stood on trembling, indicating his guilt. "Oh, well... see..." He slowly started off. "...Will I be detained for this?"

I spoke quietly, making sure that he understood what was at stake. "Sir, being detained for this is the least of your worries."

The stallion gritted his teeth worriedly as his ears fell. He looked back to the front door and shook. "Can I talk to my daughter, one last time, please?"

"We're going inside with you. And you'll be coming out with us." I answered sternly. "You can say what you've got to say, but when that's done, you come with us."

Swallowing some nervous spit, he walked slowly to the door, opening it as though to just take in the sight of his home one last time, knowing what this meant for him. The little filly walked up to her father and asked. "Daddy, what's going on?"

He looked to me, nervous about how he would explain his arrest to her. I remained stern with him. "Maybe you tell her what's going on, or I will. Say what you have to say."

The little filly began to appear scared as she watched her father draw closer to her. "Daddy?"

He gave his daughter a tight hug, rubbing the back of her head as he closed his eyes, whispering to her as he nuzzled her. "Sweetheart, your daddy is going someplace, okay? He's gotta do some business. Don't be scared, alright?"

She didn't understand anything of what was going on. She simply answered him with a timid response. "Okay."

He kissed her on the forehead, rubbed her head once more... and ran for the stairs.

"Hey!" I called out, teleporting to the top of the stairwell.

He showed some magic aptitude, using a spell to phase himself through the corner of the wall to avoid my reach and run through the door to a bedroom. From outside, I could hear the sound of the door being locked and a window being opened. I blasted the knob, broke in the door, and watched as he started to climb his way through the window, looking down to the ground below. He appeared short of breath thanks to the expended burst of energy in his attempt.

He began to angle himself out of the window. I called out to him. "Don't do that! Don't do that! Don't leave your little girl behind like this!" I slowly walked up to him, trying to plead with him. "Step away, slowly."

He began to grasp at his throat, barely whispering out. "I'm sorry, I can't." He began to growl, snarl, and fight with himself as he felt himself slipping through the window.

"We can talk! Just listen, we can work something out! We can─" He took another step out and dove head first for the ground below. "NO!" I called out as I tried to keep his head from hitting the ground. Instead, his body hit the ground back end first.

A guard called out loudly after he hit the ground. "Sir!?" He did not respond, only falling limp.

The filly watched as her father was laid gently back to the ground. "DADDY!" She ran out to try and get him, but I teleported below to hold her back. She began to kick and scream at me, begging me to let her see if he was okay.

Meanwhile, the guards behind me had started making calls for emergency response. "Fetch a medical team, stat!"

One of the guards ran to me, I gave them the filly and whispered to them. "Get her inside, don't allow her near any windows and doors, keep her safe and calm."

Without hesitation, they did as ordered and carried her inside, closing the door behind them. I walked up to the stallion, seeing a medical examiner trying to take a pulse. After taking a moment to observe the slowing heart rate, she shook her head. "We're too late, sir. He's gone."

All I could do was close my eyes, and grow even more frustrated with myself. Yet again I was subjected to watching another pony take their own life despite my calling out to them. Even if this situation would've ended with a death sentence, it was still not the way I wanted it to be... especially with someone so young watching as it happened.

I took a deep breath and looked back to the home. "Who's her next of kin that can assume guardianship?"

After that sequence of events, I had a lot of time on my walk back in to ponder if there was any way I could've made the change to keep him alive, at least to not go out that way in front of his daughter, who'll forever be scarred by what happened. All I could imagine was her calling me a mean pony for killing her dad, all while I had extended the effort to save him.

That weight was hard to carry, even harder to shake off.

Cadance greeted me once I entered the room. "Hey, sweetie." She fluttered over to me as lovingly as she normally would, hugging me and giving me a kiss on the lips. "How was your day?"

I walked past her, not really feeling the love she gave off at the moment. I walked towards the night stand and began to look at myself. "Rough one today. Where's the whiskey?"

My wife sat herself next to me, bringing a crystal glass and pouring me a fifth of the glass's volume. She sat it down next to me and began to rub at my shoulders, massaging the fatigue of the day away from my muscles. "Need a drinking partner?" She kindly asked over my shoulder.

"Not while you have the baby, Cadie." I replied.

"I never said I was drinking." She corrected as she hugged on me from behind, looking at me through the mirror. "I'm just here if you wanna talk."

I took a sip of the whiskey, sighed, and looked away from my own face, focusing more on the mare beside me through the looking glass. "A senator threw himself out of a window today, in front of his daughter."

"Oh my goodness, that's horrible. How is she doing?"

"She thinks I hurt her dad." I confessed. "I tried to help him, making sure that his head didn't hit the pavement, and she only sees the fact that my magic was attached to his head and neck. I don't think it matters what anyone tells her at this point, she'll forever see me as a murderer."

"Shining, you know that wasn't you. You know that isn't your fault." She said, nuzzling into me.

"I know I shouldn't even be this upset, he was going to get the death penalty anyhow. He was what you characterized an 'Umbreal Acolyte'."

"Ah." She nodded with clarity. "He had some information."

"Damn good information too. He did some running in and out of the lab. He tried to go out like Count, but I made sure he couldn't stick the landing. Fractured hip from the fall, but the coroner deduced that he took a cyanide pill before he took the plunge. I was wondering why he was acting so strange before he took the jump. Turns out he probably knew about everything, even as he was being evacuated with the others."

"Well in that case, he was definitely slated for the death penalty." She answered. "If anything, he expedited that process."

"Still, he did it in front of the kid. His last words to her was 'Don't be scared'. He just lied to his own kid on the way out." I said, starting to become more upset with the dead senator. "All of this, it just has me thinking about who really pays the cost for their involvement."

Cadance nuzzled me once more and offered a different outlook on matters. "Knowing Umbra, he probably threatened to kill his family. Still doesn't change what he was involved in. You said it yourself, he knew."

I looked to my wife and stressed yet another point. "Cadenza, you know how I feel about suicidal ideation. You know I've been there."

My wife brought her hoof to my chin, turning me away from the mirror and directly to her. "Shining Armor, I am here. That will never change. And you have so much to live for. I know today was a horrific trigger for you, that it opened up wounds of the past, but I'm not going to let you hurt yourself, not when you have so much on the way." She held me up further. "Look at me. I know how it feels to lose purpose in the past, but I'm looking at what's ahead now. I know how it feels to be weak and say that I won't be missed. Each day I remind myself why I'm wrong in believing that, I wake up to that answer right beside me every single morning. He tells me 'good morning'. He kisses me on my forehead every night, even after a fight. I look up to that same face when he loves what I do down below, and he smiles at what I give him from up above. I am reminded that what I carry in me is the result of that love, that bond, that reminder that I am worth bringing a new life into this world. That is profoundly powerful, Shining Armor. And I will go through immeasurable pain to give you that happiness. So don't think for one second that I don't know the crushing expectations of our failures and misunderstandings. Where you are is where I will be." She took my hooves and planted them against her stomach, ushering the glowing reminder of where we were in our marriage. "Where you go, we will be there."

I gave my beautiful wife a kiss on her wonderful lips, having been reminded of the life that she filled me with, the love that she bathed me in. I began to look away from the drink, bringing my attention to the mare who truly made my glass run over the brim. "I love you."

"I love you more, mio marito." She whispered into my lips.

I rose from my seat, setting my armor aside and looking towards the bathroom for a shower. "I got more rounds of arrests to do tomorrow."

And with each comment, she offered me words of empowerment. "You're doing fine. At least you're working with Nondis tomorrow. He'll help take a load off of you."

I nodded my head, at least understanding that my struggles were long-standing, while his were fresh. "He's worse off than me right now."

Yeah, he is." She said as she held me back from entering the bathroom. She kept me locked out of the bathroom for a moment, letting me hear the water run into the tub. As it slowly filled, she quietly organized everything inside. As I was waiting, I felt her magic caress my cheeks and shoulders. The door was opened, introducing a wonderful mix of lavender and mint. Steam rose from within the tub as she patted the side. "Come here." She ordered.

The moment I walked in and got close to the tub, she held me from behind and brought me in for a seductive kiss, lightly rubbing against my chest as she brought before me soothing candles and oils to set the mood for my bath. She brought forth a bucket to douse me in the warm water of my bath, slowly soaking me from my head to my hooves. I smiled as she began to hug me from behind, her magic fondling me just above my loins.

"You know he's counting on us to pull our weight. He did virtually everything we were supposed to do. We can't let him down." She said quietly.

"We won't." I replied.

She kissed me on my cheek and allowed her wings to open up, touching me in my most sensitive places. "Good. Now that we have that established, I want you to relax. I'm gonna work you up slow, just how you like it, and I'm gonna make you smile. Meaning that I'm pregnant doesn't mean that I can't still do for you."

"This is why you are my wife." I snickered.

She moaned seductively in my ear. "And I am going to fight to keep you that way."

The Next Day...

Nondis and Kalimba joined us in our effort on today. He had brought her along to try and seek out any other things that we should be more aware of, since she was used to how these kinds of dark operations go. I never had the chance to work with her personally. Dad spoke highly of her combat skill, but cited concerns with her emotional stability in certain moments. Either way, he said her style was the splitting image of her previous owner; Rough, elegantly brutal, and sometimes abrupt. The only difference between them was that the guy had a set of wings to use, she had a horn.

Running wasn't a problem for her, in fact she had healed up nicely from her wounds, given another day of continuous medicinal magic treatment. She was very limber, smooth, and athletic. While the one she pursued would be running for some alley, she'd leap on some boxes and carts to get on a roof to pursue. And once he made that turn, that was it, she was right there.

She tripped him up, causing him to land awkwardly, but not in a way to incite a dangerous injury. She had him lifted and thrown back out into the street for us to capture. And while he tried to retaliate against the mare, Nondis lifted him to the air and gave him a punch to the gut. He punched the guy so hard that he made his eyes roll into the back of his skull.

The stallion was disabled as he landed on the ground. Nondis quickly tossed his cohort beside him, watching as he screamed out in defiance. "THIS IS TYRANNY! THIS IS MADNESS, OPPRESSION!"

Nondis didn't spare any sympathy for the bruises he and his assistant gave. "Save it for the jury." He said as he gagged the screaming cohort.

The senator, Fine Print, still tried to recover from his blow to the stomach. As that was happening, I looked towards the pair, often times getting a better glance of the mare. "Thanks for giving me the helping hand. I know you're supposed to be on leave."

"Does that really matter right now?" He asked.

"It does. Your girlfriend finds out you're active off the clock, she's going to be absolutely incandescent." I warned.

Nondis shrugged off my warning. "Well what she don't know won't hurt her."

Kalimba gave the human a side-eye and spoke sharply. "You know, you should still take some consideration for her feelings as opposed to dat of your own."

"I do take her feelings into mind, it's why I'm here now." He argued.

The mare scoffed. "If dis is how you are now, I fear of what you will be when you two grow to be more established. Idjiot."

As she was chewing the guy out, I couldn't help but to give the mare a closer look. Her legs had a number of scars, but also stripes. Her coat was an unusual color of blue for a zebra. And she was tall, really tall, almost Cadance's height. Her eyes were cut a different way, she was very sculpted in her figure, her flanks were toned but plentiful, her lips were full, and her eyes spoke of the experience she had in dealing with the opposite sex. The way she looked at him was cold, but I could tell there was a tension in them, an argument of longing. Her voice was deep, mature, a harsh tone hiding the softness within her.

Damn... If only I wasn't married.

The senator raised his head, looking to see if we were looking to him. But Kalimba quickly caught to what he was about to do. "Hey!" She called out, lunging for the stallion.

She ran up to him and began to drive her hoof into his jaw. Nondis ran out to stop her, but she held him back in her red magic. She continued to pound at the stallion until she knocked two of his teeth free from his mouth. I was caught off guard by her sudden burst of violence, immediately thinking of the pain she would inflict if I had ever crossed her the wrong way.

On second thought, my wife isn't all that bad.

Nondis held her back using his magic. "Jesus, Kali. Don't you think that was a bit much? I don't think we can cover for dental disfigurement."

She turned to the human and stared for a moment. She knocked his hand away, and levitated just the two teeth she knocked out. She floated the two items over to the human, who cringed before holding one of them in his magic. "What is that, his tooth?" I questioned the man.

She crumpled the other tooth in her magic, watching as a collection of dust came streaming down. "Bite-down." She explained. "Dey keep it in the one or two of deir molars for when dey are caught. It'll look like dey are grinding and gritting deir teeth, but it's really for something else. Dey lift it up with de tongue and bite down. Cyanide circulates through the body, dey die in minutes."

I watched as Nondis did the same with the other tooth. "And they had those implanted?" I asked.

"The length these ponies go to when they get caught." He commented. "You get caught with confidential information, it's either you die on your own terms, or you die from Umbra. And after seeing and knowing what it is that awaits them, I'm sure they died hoping that wouldn't be their fate, considering they followed protocol to the letter."

I shook my head as I stared at the beaten senator. "We all know how that really ends."

"Oh, don't we." Nondis said as he walked away. "Swinging up high like strange fruit."

Two Weeks Later...

It took about a week and some change to finish building our case against Umbra. And after all of the arrests to purge the parliament from any possible interests, we came to the advent of the trial.

Finally, we can put this bastard to bed.

As he was being wheeled in, restrained to a wooden frame and sat up to face the jury that waited quietly for this moment to come, he looked at the faces of those who he passed as they spoke murmurs of him.

"Is it really him?"

"I thought he was some urban myth."

"More like a childhood fright story."

"So does that mean what all we heard was true?"

"It has to be if he's standing trial right now."

Nondis finished wheeling him into position, at last getting ready to watch as the hammer of justice came down to render the final verdict on the terrible doctor. As he was being set, Umbra muttered to the human that did his restraints. "Careful, captain. Don't want your girlfriend to get jealous."

"Shut it!" Nondis immediately responded by shoving a gag into his mouth to keep him from speaking.

One of the senators who watched as the human silence the doctor called him out for his actions. "Captain, is it customary to have a gag on the accused? Should he not be able to represent himself?"

"He has a lawyer to speak for him." He quickly responded. "He speaks curses of the undead. That's another way he can manipulate the dead to do his bidding."

While we knew that was more of an accusation than anything else, we had that done to prevent him from trying to expose Celestia's relationship to the parliament. Typically, it was looked at with skepticism. "Well I find that hard to believe."

"You'll find a lot of stuff he did hard to believe. That's why we're here." The man responded.

Solemn Oath walked into the room, serving as the bailiff. "All rise!" All the members of the parliament rose on command. "The high court is now in session, the honorable Princess Celestia presiding."

Celestia was quick to settle in place, she was probably more anxious than all of us. "You may all be seated."

Just as we intended, we allowed for a lawyer to step in and speak out in account of the accused. However with the circumstances that were, no respected lawyer was willing to take the case because they knew that there was no benefit of a doubt to defend their client. But one young lawyer looking to make a name of himself took on his first major case, fresh from law school. And already, he was bringing up a grievance. "Your highness, may I request that my client is freed from his gag?"

Celestia was more than aware of the plan we had in place, and went along with it. "With the accusations of his abilities called into question, we affirm that the accused shall remain silenced for the duration of this trial as to not pose a potential risk."

The lawyer called out to her yet again. "Your highness─"

"The measure is sustained with prejudice." She confirmed, shutting the matter down with absolutely no counterargument. "The prosecution will carry on with it's case against the accused."

As for the lawyers on the attacking side, there were a number of highly-trained, experienced, and firm lawyers looking to tie their names in with this case. But leading the team was none other than Alex himself. Since he represented the human argument, he was especially important.

And he went straight for the jugular.

"Your highness, I think it goes without saying that the pony before us is beyond the reason of a doubt guilty of his crimes. Not only did he perform these heinous actions in real time, but there are thousands of witnesses who can attest to the crimes he has committed. Your highness, for the sake of time, I wish to implement the 'Broad Daylight' clause in this case to expedite the measures in condemning this stallion."

"Your highness, I object!" The young stallion called out, realizing that if it were to be sustained, he would almost certainly lose the case without having the chance to stand up and fight. "There must be at least twenty unbiased accounts as to what happened on that day! The 'Broad Daylight' clause must be enacted after there are at least the minimum twenty witness obtained. And there are not nearly twenty unbiased witnesses in this room right now."

To ask for an unbiased witness given the circumstances of the case was an impossibility. Everyone in the city and the next town over saw what he did, all of Canterlot witnessed him barreling through our streets with no regard for the deceased he used. As such, Alex went with the best neutral accounts that we could pull up. "Guards! Those who have served on that day, those who can confirm the face of the stallion before you, please stand out."

Twelve guards stood up, raising their hooves to show their account. Meanwhile the lawyer was quick to point out that initial number. "Your highness, twelve witnesses still does not meet the minimum requirement."

And again, Alex was quick to the killing blow. "Your highness, I also have nine surprise witnesses, all of whom have either actively assisted the accused, or have been victims themselves."

The young lawyer appeared shocked that this was going so far south so quickly. "Your highness, I have not been made aware of any surprise witnesses. I question the validity of their claims."

Celestia, on the other hoof, held up an insurmountable number of folders and files, and slammed them on her stand. "These accounts appear valid. I shall grant the clause full effectiveness."

The young lawyer hung his head in defeat, knowing that a loss was the only outcome. "Oh why did I take this case?" He grumbled before raising a hoof to meekly begin his attempt to defend his client. "Your highness, I request that I make my opening statement for the defense."

Celestia looked down to the evil stallion, who glared back at her. She offered very little for his representation due to his attacking gaze. "You have five minutes to state your defense."

"That's not nearly enough!" The young stallion cried out.

In a surprise turn of events, Alex stood up and made a request to the princess. "Your highness, the prosecution requests that the defense shall be given twenty minutes to state the defense for his client."

All the lawyers behind Alex appeared slack-jawed, taken aback that the leading individual offered more time to the defense. Even Celestia questioned the man's decision with a begrudging acknowledgement. "If that is what you wish."

I walked over to the man and quietly whispered to him. "Alex, what are you doing?"

Alex pulled out his phone to check the time. "This case is open and shut, but I'm gonna at least see how he'll play devil's advocate."

"You just dragged out more time." I said back.

"No I didn't. You think I gave him more time to build a defense, but it's actually the opposite." He replied, still looking at his phone.

"Okay, more time to work with. Here we go." The young lawyer replied nervously. "Your highness, I wish to bring our attention to the facts of what has happened here. The creature that attacked the castle checkpoint on that fateful Friday night was a female in gender. As many reports have issued, as well as documents illustrating the creation of this beast, we assess that the one responsible for not just the destruction of the checkpoint, as well as the attack in that infamous midnight hour, was indeed a young filly we researched to be of a humble origin. Thusly, my client cannot be held liable for those damages. As many witnesses have claimed, the assailant was none other than a prepubescent filly. Not only could they identify her features, but they could also confirm that this was indeed a young filly who made the attack against the castle initially."

The lawyers behind Alex began to murmur. "This guy is gonna get picked apart."

"Maybe so, but he's making a good argument for something."

One of the lawyers leaned in to ask the man leading them. "You're just doing this to give him a chance, aren't you?"

"We can't make it obvious, we gotta make it fair." Alex answered as the young lawyer continued with his measly defense.

"Secondly, the group of insurgents that invaded had but one motive, and that was to kill the royal family. Their intentions, as many have answered, were to eliminate any and all members of the royal family. We have many a witness who have confirmed that my client was nowhere near the scene of these two instances, be it the undead creature composed of many deceased individuals, or the attempted coup that ended unsuccessfully."

Alex continued staring at his phone as he muttered. "And now comes the self-sabotage."

"Your highness, I can confirm that neither of these instances have resulted in a bid for power by the accused, but rather individual circumstances that have culminated throughout coincidence. These situations occurred not as some coordinated effort, but merely a cluster of perilous attacks against the seat of power by a sect of frustrated citizens who sought to install a new system of power. So I ask that you find it within yourself to see this through a microscope as opposed to the broad lettering the prosecution wishes to stencil over this case."

"He's not really going to have that much of a case, is he?" One of the lawyers mumbled

"No. But let him speak." Another replied.

"Now in regards to the tragedy that befell the family of the late senator Somber Spiral, there is no evidence that my client is in any way responsible for the deaths of the senator, his mother, or his wife. There are no eye witnesses to point out the defendant. There could have been a hired assassin instructed to eliminate the family and get rid of any and all eye witnesses. And it may possibly be that the assassins who were hired simply wished not to kill the young Gala Galleria, opting to simply remove her eyes so that she would not be used as an eye witness to any account. Your majesty, I yield back to you."

After the rushed defense argument, Alex put down his phone and whispered out to the lawyers behind him. "Four minutes, forty-eight seconds." Alex folded his arms. "It's just that easy."

Celestia looked to Alex and welcomed him to the floor, but offering a warning before proceeding. "The prosecution wished to enact the 'Broad Daylight' clause. Please note that such clauses will be revoked if the methods of obtaining evidence is found to be nefarious in nature. This clause shall also be revoked if there is insubstantial evidence to single out the accused in an overwhelming manner. Prosecution, you may proceed to state your case."

Once more, Alex went all out at the accused, knowing for himself what all he did. "Your highness, I understand that time is short for these matters, and there is so much that I have to go through that must allocate little time upon it. So allow me to start with the first claim of the defense. It is true that the young filly was the one who controlled the first beast that attacked the checkpoint and the castle grounds. However, there is more than enough evidence to point out who was the actuator of this creature, the one who gave instruction and roadmap to the creation of said creature, their method of obtaining the resources, and most importantly the adopted father of the filly in question."

The young lawyer looked over to his client, seeing his copper eyes slicing through to him. "I think this guy's gonna kill me."

Alex held up a large folder filled with documents and accounts, issuing them to the princess. "These are the adoption papers, it says here that he adopted a total of five young foals from the local orphanage. This here is documentation of his experiments." Alex walked over to a table with a mounted microphone, and placed a cassette tape recorder down in front of it, angling the microphone down to the speaker. "These here are tapes of each of his experiments, including the ones of those where he was in the process of creating this creature, the logs for his human experimentation, and detailing the experiments which he's performed on the captain himself... which I must say is filled with raw and uncensored content not suitable for minors or weak constitutions. I wish to bring those tapes to you now as a testament to the legitimacy of the items I bring before you." The man looked to his younger brother. "Captain Nondis, I highly request that you leave the room."

Already knowing what was going to be played out, he didn't even flinch. Instead, he seemed determined to have the tapes heard for the parliament to hear for themselves. "I cannot comply with that request."

Alex looked to his younger sibling, realizing that he was going to force them to listen to what all happened to him, all while he himself wished not to. "Captain, these tapes contain sensitive material that will be played back. This may subject you to suffer trauma in reliance to these tapes. Are you sure you wish to remain in the room?"

"What is done is done. Roll the tape."

Alex grimaced as he pressed his finger down on the play button. Soon, the voice of Umbra filled the room as it came over the intercom. "Doctor's log #17495792. Genus-species categorization: Homo Sapien, Subject number in file #0000001. Subject in control phase, appears to be unsteady and nervous. Life-signs are stable. Control variable number issued #0000000. Establishing contact. Initiating phase zero of study. Stimulation process initiating... standby."

"Captain..." Alex stopped the tape after the first log was made, just before the second one could be played. "Captain Nondis, can you recall what it was that was taking place here?"

Nondis glanced to his accuser, and bravely spoke of the manner of his detainment. "He had me restrained with magic suppressors grafted into my wrists, the bands themselves held to taut restraints that kept me bent over a low sitting table." He paused for a moment, looking away from the accused, not wanting to see the expression on Umbra's face. "He began... his attempt to stimulate me... sexually."

Alex did not want to press the button to let the tape play out, but he knew that his brother wanted it to be played. So out of respect for his brother's difficult request, he allowed the tape to be played up to a certain point. "Subject is uncooperative in control phase. Restarting stimulation process... standby." The tape cut immediately into the next segment. "Subject is unresponsive to ministrations. Additional course of stimulation required. End control phase." Yet another cut in. "Subject is unresponsive to ministrations. Additional course of stimulation required. End control phase." And then another, detailing a differing result. "Subject is experiencing swelling of the phallus, this is considered normal reactionary behavior. Now beginning sensitivity assessments. Phase one, control study initiated."

Alex quickly stopped the tape, knowing how sensitive the issue was for the both of them. "Captain Nondis─"

"Play the rest of the tape." Nondis demanded, looking down to the ground as he tried to endure it.

Alex gritted and allowed the tape to go on further. "Oh, yours is interesting. Yours doesn't flare out like an equine would. But it does flare up in a different way. Glans will harden and will deepen in color. The corona of glans actually expands outwards by a small amount, but the rigidity is so distinct." It cut back in once more, the details growing more and more graphic with each log. "Initiating taste phase... Not fully bitter, rather neutral on the palate. Signs indicate that subject's diet is indeed prioritized for breeding purposes. Test concludes that subject is ready for the next phase. Now initiating phase two, direct-contact sensitivity."

Alex's finger nearly slammed on the stop button. "Captain Nondis, I shall stop it there."

"Play the rest." Nondis began to tremble, it was getting hard for him to listen to what was coming. But he remained insistent. "They need to know what kind of a monster he is."

The two brothers briefly argued against one another. "Captain, I cannot play the tape."

"Play the damn tape, Alex!" Nondis lunged towards his brother.

Celestia quietly gave the man a nod, and Alex had no other choice but to comply. Another graphic log played over the intercom. "Oh! Subject can clench muscles at will and cause the phallus to act in a manner similar to that of equine males. Pre-ejaculate response has greatly increased. Altering course of direct-contact research to indirect-contact methods." This time, the cut in had a lot more background noise, distinctly the captain himself grunting in vocal resistance. "Insertion complete, now initiating stimulation phase." The tone of Umbra's voice had gradually become more and more perverse, the mad doctor appeared to be very invested in his experiments. And then came another log, one that didn't seem to have any cuts or breaks. "Stimulation, sixty percent. Prostate is applying a heavy dose of pre-ejaculate. Subject is reaching... climax?" Shortened grunts played in the background as it seemed that the recording device was placed elsewhere nearby. Nondis immediately plugged his ears as he knew what happened next. "Oh good boy. That's a good boy. Oh that's a big boy, making all of that for me.... Shhhh..."

Suddenly the grunts became a series of distressed screams. The sounds of restraints cracking and knocking also filled the room. Against the screams were some inaudible words said by the doctor. Then came the rhythmic grunts, followed by the sounds of the bench being repeatedly rammed against. The man's screams sounded pleading for pause, but the doctor began to speed the pace of his assault.

Alex stopped the tape, resisting the urge to throw the item towards the defendant. "Nah, we're done." He shook his head, storming back to the bench as he tried to process the fact that he had heard the audio of his brother being sexually assaulted.

Celestia looked towards the man who had just finished uncovering his ears. "Captain..."

The human didn't dare look up, feeling the shame of having it revealed, but still displaying the strength of having his account told. But his confession did not come without tears. "The inaudible part... 'It's just a little pop. Just a little'."

Celestia looked back to the defendant, who stared back at her snickering in remembrance. The lawyer looked to his client, flinching at the sight of the stallion's growing arousal. The sound of his laugh softly filled the room, but it truly set the tone with how sadistic he was. The stallion looked back up to the princess, smiling through his muzzle as though he had won.

The place where her hoof rested on the wood began to produce smoke. The golden slipper began to show scorch marks of where her hooves had contacted them. The gold itself began to melt away, revealing her hoof beneath. She slowly removed her forelegs from the stand, leering towards the evil stallion who laughed at her.

"The court shall hold a fifteen minute recess." She said venomously, walking out of the room.

As I walked by, I could see the stallion watching Celestia closely as she disappeared through the doors, throbbing all the while. "Sick fuck."

The young lawyer laid his head on the desk in defeat. "Why... did I take this case?

It took around five hours to hastily go through every charge, every account, every witness that could confirm what took place. It was an avalanche of evidence mounted against the defendant. All signs pointed to Umbra, and every last thing he did was laid bare for the parliament to corroborate on.

The vote was unanimous. But for many, all it took was the sound of his muffled laugher filling the room.

Celestia went absolutely solar with her rage, bearing down as quietly but as radiantly as the sun. "Has the body of the jury reached a verdict?"

One representative stood, reading from a scroll of all the charges they confirmed. "For the crime of illegal mismanagement of a deceased persons, we find the defendant guilty on 4,783 counts. For the crime of malicious murder 1, we find the defendant guilty on ten counts. For the crime of malicious murder 2, we find the defendant guilty on all seventy-four counts. For the crime of malicious sexual assault, we find the defendant guilty on all four counts. For the crime of malicious torture, we find the defendant guilty of eighty-seven counts. For the crime of endangering a protected species, we find the defendant guilty of all seven counts. For the crime of child abuse, we find the defendant guilty for all 531 counts. For the high crime of necromancy, we find the defendant guilty of 3,426 counts. For the high crime of endangering national security, we find the defendant guilty of that count. For the high crime of attempted assassination of a royal, we find the defendant guilty on all thirteen counts. For the high crime of high treason, we find the defendant guilty on that count. For the high crime of conspiring a coup, we find the defendant guilty of that count. For the high crime of disrupting the natural harmony, we find the defendant guilt of that count. For the high crime of post-mortem experimentation, we find the defendant guilty on all reported 14,352,569 counts."

The young lawyer closed his briefcase and started to walk out of the room, at least happy that his job had come to an unceremonious end. "My career's finished before it even started. This sucks. Why did I even take this stupid case?"

Celestia tried not to burn much of her stand this time, but her eyes began to run a deep crimson as she spoke. "Umbra Sanctus Quorum, there are no words, no clemency that we can offer to you for your transgressions. That last number isn't just a tragedy, it's a statistic, an unforgiving one! I would ask if all of this was worth your vendetta, but there will never be an answer for any of this suitable enough to permit it." Both her eyes showed a cruel crimson sclera, her iris showing a golden glow. "You will be purged, scrubbed from history's pages." She stood tall, her wings opening wide as she issued her final judgement. "This sentence is not nearly enough of what you deserve, but it will be given to you nonetheless. I hereby sentence you to be burned at the stake until dead. This shall be carried out with prejudice. May justice be done."

Celestia slammed her gavel into the table, splitting the handle before she tossed it away. The broken gavel landed to the floor with a solid thud before she stormed from out of the room. The parliament slowly filed out of the room. All witnesses and victims were guided away to their respective locations. Umbra was carted away laughing, thinking that the death sentence he received was all but a joke.

As his maniacal laugh disappeared down the hall, I stood by the quiet captain, checking in on him. "You okay?"

Alex walked over to his brother and hugged him, repeatedly apologizing. Melanie hugged both Blue and Kalimba, who had to recount the deaths of their loved ones. Twilight and her friends quietly watched as they saw the human firmly clench his fist against the table.

Nondis had only one thing run through his mind as he gave his answer. "I will be, when I watch him burn."

10 Years Later...

As my eyes close to that time in my life, I open them to see an armored figure standing before me with a spear in their possession. Their weapon is aimed for me. I set my hooves, getting into position, ready to defend myself against the oncoming rush.

With a blink, the figure disappears. I look around me to check where my opponent is, only to realize that they are above me. Out of reflex, I roll away to avoid the incoming thrust. I summon my spear made of my own magic, blocking a blow to my right, and parrying it away to my left for an opening. The armored figure dodges my thrusts, and I am forced to continue to apply the pressure.

A voice calls out. "Keep your defense up!"

The figure does as instructed, holding ground where their hooves were planted. A golden spear appears before them, formulated of their own magic. The figure bats their weapon for me, lunging and showing me the same aggression I displayed upon them just seconds ago.

I'm on the defensive now, and I'm doing my best to avoid getting hit. I had to curse within myself for being so slow to respond. My reflexes are already showing signs of slowing down. So I try to resort to other methods, namely casting bolts of magic at my opponent.

"Flank and fire!" The voice now calls.

Again, the figure disappears from in front of me, and I am left to predict where they will strike from next. I turn around quickly, blasting a bolt where I heard the slightest shift of armor. But I suddenly feel a numbing blast at my left side, my weaker side.

The world tumbles and rolls as I am launched across the room. I roll back over, realizing the figure is standing before me with their horn glowing a vibrantly golden glow. "STOP!" The voice calls out. I look up to my opponent who smiles at me, removing their helmet.

A young adolescent mare unmasks herself and look at me with a confident and victorious grin. She seems very pleased with her performance, and it goes without saying why.

After all, she just gave her old man a beatdown.

My wife waltzes over and hugs our growing little princess. "Great job, Flurry! Your reaction times are really improving! I didn't think you'd be able to come around this quickly!"

The young mare extends a hoof to me, offering to give me a hoof up. I take her offer and slowly rise, feeling the creaking in my joints coming to a head. "Oh sure, coach the alicorn that's like five times as powerful and fast as us both combined." I complain to my wife.

"Shiny, you know how it is. We have to make sure that Flurry is prepared for anything that comes her way." She replies as I get back up to my hooves. But along the way, a surging jolt of pain shoots throughout my hind legs. I quickly sit back down to nullify the pain. "Baby, are you alright!?"

I try to chuckle through the pain, but it's getting worse as the years move along. "Oh, just the pain of getting my ass kicked again, that's all." I answer dismissively, trying not to upset my daughter who's deeply concerned.

Cadance continues to show concern. "Your back has been really bothering you since that last battle against the yetis from in the mountains. I'm really worried. More of that, and you might not be walking again."

I dismiss that idea very quickly. "Oh I'll be walking, alright. I'll be walking right in there to fight those things again if they ever try to threaten us like last time."

Flurry did not like me talking about having another round in the mountain. The last time I broke my back, couldn't do much but sit around for a month. But once I got back to rehab, I started to experience the pain of that incident repeatedly. She knew that I wasn't in any fighting shape for something like that, so she stepped to the mantle of learning how to fight alongside her mother. Cadance is a great teacher, and I'm a equally great test dummy. And I try to reinforce to Flurry that she can't hold back on me when I'm still feeling some pain. It was a painful lesson I had to teach her only once, and she never looked back.

Still, she's concerned that I would do it again. "But mom, I thought I was training so that daddy doesn't have to fight those ugly things anymore."

"That may be, but you're still much too young to go out there and fight something like that." Insists Cadance.

She looks to me, hoping to reinforce her argument. "Daddy, I'm strong enough."

She is, but I'm more afraid of her getting hurt. Even if she is an alicorn with a healing factor, there's a lot inside of me that will snap at the thought of my daughter getting any kind of bruise from something bigger than her. "I know that, sweetie. But I just can't let you go out there and risk getting hurt for something the grownups should be doing."

"You know I beat you plenty of times!" She argues, trying to use her recent string of victories over me against me.

"That's because daddy's holding back." I am lying through my teeth.

"You can't even win in a game of tag." She jokes.

I roll my eyes at her and wave her off. "Shut up, you know you can fly."

She brings up yet again the idea of me finally getting what was offered to me some years ago. "You know, we could give you your wings just like they gave them to mommy and auntie!"

"Your mom was born with them. Your aunt got hers from the old princess." I explain to her for the umpteenth time. But after that comment, I instinctively look behind me, making sure that there were no figures rising from out of my shadow. I don't see anyone, but I still manage a quick disclaimer. "She's not really old, but you get the point."

Cadance helps me back up to my hooves, all while Flurry walks with youth springing all through her joints. I start to deeply reconsider the option of being an alicorn like my wife, my daughter, and my sister. I originally wanted to stay a unicorn solely on principle that I would not seek some path to immortality, not after that fiasco a decade ago. But as I sit in my mid-thirties and with injuries already nagging me along the way, I can't help but to wonder what it would be like to have that sturdiness back in my system. Maybe I'd give my daughter a taste of the prime Shining Armor that kills larger beasts with precision and style...

Then again, she'd still beat me handily.

"I heard cousin's coming over today!" Flurry says with a lot of excitement.

Cadance confirms the idea and encourages our daughter to freshen up. "That she is! So go on and hop in the shower so you can be clean when they get here, okay?"

"Alright." She says as she trots away.

But my wife calls out to her and makes a firm declaration. "And no playing on your phone until you get out, young lady!"

Flurry doesn't like the idea of being taken away from her phone. "Aww, but mom, I promise not to drop it in the bath this time!"

Again, my wife is firm. "Flurry Heart!" She starts tapping her hoof against the floor.

Flurry surrenders and leaves her phone in her mother's hooves. "Aw, okay."

As the young teen walks out of the room, my wife already goes through her phone's messages, seeing a number of colts sending her requests to meet up with her and go out. She sighs in parental distress. I look over her shoulder, reading along with her. "Can that little girl just slow down for one damn minute? I feel like we're losing her by the day."

"Shining, she's growing up, this is to be expected." She replies.

"Yeah, but you and I both know we don't look forward to her retiring us both when she becomes of age."

Cadance shakes her head, still in disbelief of our daughter's rapid aging. "She's nine years old, with the body and mind of a fourteen year old girl. Sixteen years and she'll already be ready to assume power. Her growth is insane. We don't even get time to be parents."

"It's been that way since she was still in the womb. Those first three years weren't nearly as bad, but then year four came around and up she went." I close my eyes and imagine her back then when she was just a little infant, flying around with her comically large wings and nearly destroying the Crystal Empire on accident. "Oh man, I still remember her shattering the Crystal Heart. She was literally born knowing how to teleport, fly, and levitate. I think the signs were there then."

"Ugh, the fastest pregnancy in Equestrian history, her name's on the record. It's amazing that she's so big already."

I chuckle at the thought of my wife somehow being able to give birth to her the way that she did. Even for being two months premature, she came out with fully-grown wings. "She was big when she came out. I'm still amazed how you pushed that out of you."

My wife tilts her head and looks at me smiling. "I'm amazed that you still find interest in me after that."

I shake my head back at her, holding her hooves in mine. "Nothing can ever replace how you love me."

"Aw, Shining." She coos as she leans in to nuzzle me. I kiss her on her forehead, still magically in love with the mare that I shared the latter years of my life with.

However, our moment is cut short with the sound of our daughter's voice sending glass shattering shockwaves throughout the castle. "GUARD! I DEMAND YOUR ASSISTANCE AT ONCE!"

While many would be left holding their ears to their heads, Cadance and I learned to adapt. So her voice did not phase us as much as it did when she was just a baby. "...Nine years old, fourteen in mind and body, and just as bratty."

My wife leans in to give me another eskimo kiss. "Another two weeks and I think we'll be vetting her guards to be females only."

"Well you won't see me fighting you on that."

Cadance sighs. "The estrus is gonna hit her like a train."

I get nervous, already knowing what time of year it is that's coming up, especially for young mares. "Honey, we talked about the E word. Let's not bring that up before we have to find out whether or not that process starts this year or next."

"It's bound to happen eventually, honey." Cadance is much less so, being more realistic than I am about the topic. "I'm just saying that we'll have to be prepared to have that conversation eventually. So why not plan out what we need to do so that way we don't find out in a sudden rush of thin─"

The sound of the doors suddenly being broke wide open startles us both. We look to see a gray unicorn guard running into the room. He looks to us with panic. "Your highnesses!" He glances down at himself, starting to blush as he tightens his forelegs against his chest to hide. "It's your daughter! She's ruthless! I've tried to keep myself chaste, I'm sorry!"

I already know what his concealing gesture means, it only infuriates me. "Chaste!?"

Cadance tilts her head at the guard. "What is going on!?"

"GUARD!" Again, Flurry's voice shatters glasses around the kingdom as she makes her command loud and clear to everyone within a ten mile radius. "WHERE HAVE YOU GONE!? YOUR PRINCESS NEEDS SATISFACTION, AND YOU'RE OFF PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK! REPORT BACK TO ME AND SATISFY ME THIS INSTANT!"

Right then, we realize that her time of the year had finally come... and a month ahead of schedule to boot. I facehoof and shake my head at the fact that my daughter had essentially advertised a booty call to the entirety of the Crystal Empire. "And here we are at last, in this weird crux of life."

My wife springs into action. "Oh shit, I'll deal with Flurry. You do the rest." She dashes out the doors and starts calling for our daughter. "Flurry Heart Mi Amour, report to ME this instant! I am not playing with you, young lady!"

I look back to the stallion, who still appears nervous that he had been selected as my daughter's first victim. Meanwhile, I'm sitting back on my haunches, my back hurting, my ears ringing, and our family's predicament possibly being the number one trend on Flutter. I look on my phone, and in seconds, there's already a hundred posts with the hashtag #FlurryHeat.

I'm such a proud father... "So I'm vetting the guards now... Great."

I know that I said that it would be a week before I started posting the epilogues, but I have already finished about three of them. I want to be able to release them as soon as possible at this rate. As to why they are in different perspectives, I wanted to give as much of a outlook on the future without having to go through so many perspective changes in a single chapter. And also if I planned to consolidate them all into one chapter, that would be well over 75K words (no thanks). Plus it would make some events easier to digest without as much going on.

This is it from Shining's perspective, his part of the story is now over.

The next one: Twilight Sparkle.