“Any word on that brotherhood detachment?” Rose sipped on a fresh cup of tea.

“They have been delayed for a few days by dangerous conditions.” Harmony sighed. “In other words either one of them is unbelievably drunk or they’ve run into a few Enclave soldiers.”

“They’re allowed to drink?” Silver kept close by Rose’s side.

“Honey Freedom used to drink during missions.” Rose said putting a hoof on Silver.

“But still. A group such as the Brotherhood should not have drunken soldiers waltzing about.” Silver shook his head. “In other words we’re not safe.”

“With them here we are only a little bit safer. It’s not like the Enclave doesn’t notice a group of well armed stallions in power armor.” I shook my head. “I don’t know much about the Enclave but I know they aren’t idiots.”

“If need be we can send out a group of armed scouts to see what the problem is.” Rose slid out of her chair.

“We should have this place mostly secured if the Enclave does decide they want to attack us. A few scouts wouldn’t be enough to make a difference.” Stone was writing on a large sheet of paper. Possibly more battle plans.

“I’ll send out a few scouts to escort those soldiers here.” Rose waved away one of her personal
soldiers.

“So now what? We just sit here and wait for the Brotherhood detachment to get here?” Silver looked around.

“We need to lay low for a while. The Enclave might not know that it was us that annihilated their soldiers. If we’re lucky they won’t realize it was us until the Brotherhood arrives. If they get here before that we’ll need all of you to be here to defend this place.” Rose sighed. “We can’t take any risks dealing with brutes like these.”

Aurora flickered into and out of existence. “Well from what I can see we’ll have a plan no matter what course of action we take. Looks to me like Stone over there has been working on nothing but battle plans while we’ve been sitting here dicking about.”

“Battle plans they are not. More of a defensive structure to work no matter what type of assault the Enclave throws our way.”

“And how’s that working out for you.”

“Well you pesky A.I. if you must know, I’ve nearly completed the plan to account for thousands of enemy soldiers.”

“You think they have mere thousands? Don’t make me laugh.”

“Oh so miss I know bucking everything. How many soldiers do they have?”

“From what little I can gather off of some of their salvaged equipment. They outnumber us three thousand to one. That is if we assume only our soldiers fight.”

“Hmmmmmmm.”

“Your plan didn’t account for that many I presume.”

“Oh buck off you A.I. bitch.”

“If you’re going to plan always plan for the absolute worst situation.”

Stone muttered under his breath “Yeah, yeah. Now buck off.” and returned to his plans.

“Well I suppose a day or two without the Brotherhood won’t be all that dangerous. All the guards are armed and ready for an assault.” Rose sat back in silence for a long while. “And sending any of you out into the wasteland would be a bad idea. We’ll need everypony here if the Enclave does decide to attack.”

“You can have the day off, just keep your ears open and be ready for a fight.” Silver waved us away.

I grabbed one of Harmony’s hooves. “Let’s go and relax for a while.”

“That’s odd. The house is usually never this quiet. Maybe they’re not here after all.” I was about to go downstairs and leave. “I’d better at least check their room. Who knows. Maybe they’re asleep.”

I trotted back up the few stairs I had gone down. Midnight’s room was down a the smaller of the two upstairs hallways. I knocked on the door. “Hey you two.”

No response.

I shrugged. “Probably asleep.”

I pushed open the door. Even through the slight crack I could smell the room. I knew that smell.

Please goddesses don’t let them be doing it right now.

I pushed the door open the rest of the way. “Oh goddesses dammit you two!”

“OH buck!” Midnight quickly spun to face me. “Do you not know how to knock?”

I averted my gaze to the corner of the room. “I did knock. You two just didn’t hear me.”

“We did soundproof the room honey.” Harmony peaked her head above the covers.

“Oh.” Midnight sat back down. “Sorry about that Onyx.”

“Well I still didn’t need to see that.” I shook my head. “Warn me next time.”

“Do you need something.” Harmony seemed a little irked with me. Probably interrupted as she was getting close.

“Rose wanted me to tell you the Brotherhood will be here before the day ends. Goddesses dammit that was not what I wanted to see today.” I shook my head trying to clear the sight of Midnight’s flanks in the air from my mind.

“Well I didn’t want to be seeing anypony but Midnight for the next few hours. So I guess we both got robbed of our wish.” Yep definitely interrupted at the wrong time.

“Look I’m gonna leave now and go try and remove this from my memory.” I shut the door quickly. “And put a sock on the door or something.”

I heard something hit the door behind me. “Get out of here!”

“Fine. Buck me I guess.” I hopped down the stairs and left the house.

“Let me guess. They were bucking weren’t they?” Silver was standing just outside the door.

I leapt away from him. “Goddesses damn everypony today. And yes they were.”

“Did you tell them?”

I nodded. “Yes Silver. I told them.”

“Good. Now I want to show you something.” Silver spun me back around and pushed me inside.

“I’d rather not be in here right now.”

Silver pushed me to a door I had never entered. “Open the door.”

I opened the door. Dust filled the air as the door opened. “What the buck? Has this damn thing not been opened in a hundred years?”

“Longer still. Go downstairs. I think you’ll like what’s down there.”

I trotted down the stairs for a while before I finally hit the end. “Is there a light down here?”

Silver light up the area in a bright white light. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I thought your aura was blue? How are you lighting this area up that bright white?”

“The Knight’s Bane can store the sunlight for times of need.” Silver sheathed the sword returning the room to pitch black.

“Ok so did the sword run out of light or what?”

A small click sounded. After a few seconds lights came on illuminating the whole floor in light.

My eye’s took a few seconds to adjust. “What the…?”

“I was told this place had some interesting technology down here. Looks like it might still be functional minus a few missing parts.”

“This technology is ancient!” I looked around at the giant console before me. “I might be able to get this thing running again.”

“What do you need?” Silver set a hoof on the console.

“Well I need some electronic scrap from suits of power armor if we can get some to spare.”

Silver nodded.

“Maybe a few lightbulbs to keep the place lit while I work. A generator for sure to power this thing.” I looked about frantically. “And it looks like an A.I. might be able to run the whole system remotely. Talk to Aurora and see if she would be up to running this thing.”

I didn’t know how Silver had gotten the information of this place's existence but I was glad he did. Back in the stable I got to work on the technology that kept everything running, but this. This was something built back before the war. Who knows what they kept on this machine. Could be plans for something to run the entire wasteland. Or possibly great machines that would have made an entire civilization prosperous and wealthy.

So many possibilities and all I needed to unlock them was a few pieces. Soon I could have the entire world restored to something amazing.

“So what do you think of it?”

I looked at the ancient tech. “I think it’s interesting to say the least. I’m not sure entirely what the purpose of it is but if I can get it to live after all these years we might be able to see what they used such machines for.”

“I think I could shed some light on the issue.” That wasn’t Silver. The voice sounded so regal, so majestic. A voice so out of the realm which we lived in.

I spun around to see who it was.

“Silver leave us.”

Silver silently took off leaving me with this majestic Alicorn.

“It has been long since I saw something like this still this well intact.” The mare was dark like Silver was. Near identical in color.

I looked back at the machine.

“And while the parts you need are easy to scrounge I think I might be of some help.” She laid out a myriad of parts before me. “Now then. If you’ll be so kind as to work your magic with these parts. I’ll be glad to tell you who we are.”

I nodded slowly picking up the first piece. I wasn’t really sure how this would all fit together but I knew from what I had I could fix this machine.

After a few minutes of wiring things back together the machine I was working on beeped at me.

“Wonderful. Now all it needs is a source of power. No doubt this would have had a generator all it’s own. So where is it?”

I looked around the room for anyplace somepony may have hidden a generator. On the far side of the room was a little door.

The mare beside me opened the door and brought out the small generator. “She left this small of a generator to power this contraption? Well this simply won’t do. I’ll have to talk with.”

“Nevermind you that for now. I’ve brought the generator with me. It will suffice if Onyx here can get it running again.” Another regal voice. And another Alicorn behind it.

They looked similar to Silver. Almost like they weren’t special whatsoever. But their voices demanded respect.

I looked over the generator trying not to lose my mind over figuring out who these mares were they seemed so familiar.

“Well if you’ve got a couple of minutes I might be able to kickstart this thing.” I opened the first side panel. “And maybe a couple of fuses.”

As I asked for the parts they were delivered to me. “I think these are still functioning.”

My hooves flew around the generator as I tore away the old broken parts and placed the new ones into their place.

These Alicorns stared at me as I moved as quick as possible to repair this generator.

I closed the last side panel and plugged the generator into the machine. “Now let’s see this thing start.”

The switch flipped. And…… Nothing!? You’ve got to be bucking kidding me!? All of those parts were in great condition everything should have worked perfectly.

“That’s disappointing. Such promise. And yet..”

The screen powered on. On it was an old video playing.

“She left us a memory.”

The mare pushed me aside as the machine started playing.

A purple Alicorn much smaller in stature than these two was addressing them directly. She never used their names. Only knew that it was them finding this.

“She was busy.”

The memory stopped.

“That can’t be the end. You peasant make this damned machine work again.”

I snapped out of my trance. “I’m sorry to say but that’s all that was left on here.” I pushed a few buttons on the console.

No other files appeared as I searched.

“NO!! DAMMIT!!” The darker mare trotted around the room. “I thought we had her this time.”

“No doubt she doesn’t want to be found. Neither of us has been able to find her. Maybe it’s time to pursue a new goal.”

“Like what!!! We’ve spent nearly three hundred years trying to track her down. We’ve lived through more than this stallion could ever dream to. Yet at every turn we’ve missed her by a mile.”

“Maybe we can find her one day. But driving ourselves mad trying to find her isn’t going to help. And we can’t continue any farther without getting this wasteland under control. We’re already wanted dead by too many groups to count.”

“So what do you suggest? We just lay low here for another three hundred years and hope the assholes hunting us die?”

“No. Couldn’t you see it in his eyes? He’s the one.”

The darker mare went silent and looked as stiff as stone. “You mean?”

“Yes. The one we’ve seen in dreams The stallion with the power help us.”

“An Alicorn.”

“Yes. Not a regal one like us. But an Alicorn. He’s seen enough and trained under worse conditions.”

“A strong stallion capable of leveling armies.”

“Equipped with my personal sword.”

“And one of the mares a pistol belonging to an alternate me.”

“The Revolving Sun? How?”

“It matters not. They’ve got the tools necessary to return our home to it’s former glory.”

“But not even she could do that.” The blue mare pointed to the screen.

“She was driven by a need for bloodshed. Not a desire to help the ponies of this land. But the mares in the house above us want a safe wasteland. A safe haven so they can live a happy life.”

“Noble in their cause.”

“And decisive in their actions.”

“Nothing can stand in their way.”

“Not with an Alicorn on their side.”

“They’ve fought many battles together.” The blue mare thought for a few seconds. “What if they do not wish to help us?”

“They’ve seen much in this world. Enough to know what they want. And what they want coincides with what we want.”

“So they win if they help us.”

“And I do believe Midnight will recognize us. Better than our friend Onyx here does.” The taller white mare looked down at me. “Isn’t that right my little pony.”

Where had I heard that before? So familiar, yet so distant.

“Confused as to who we are. It is their in the forefront of his mind and yet he is unable to place it.”

“Maybe if we show him the memories of who we once were.”

“Strong and regal. Back before the war.”

The blue mare levitated over a small orb and a helmet. The helmet she put on me.

“What are you doing?” I didn’t try to fight this.

“After you see this memory you might recognize us. It may not seem like it now but you do know us.”

Wait. A few strands of their manes were flowing. Was it really them? “Princes…” The memory overtook me.

“It seems that was unnecessary.”

“Still something good for him to experience. I have a feeling they’ll all want to use this technology.”

“Agreed.”

I sat up. My muzzle was sticky and wet as always after times like this. Harmony had already disappeared into the bathroom.

I could hear the shower running. “She must be getting ready to go out.”

I slipped out of bed and trotted towards the bathroom. I was surprised this place actually had good running water. Must have a water purification area somewhere in town.

I opened the door. Harmony was in the shower. Her mane flowed down her sides. Like always she was beautiful.

“Well don’t just stand there and stare.” Harmony gave me a seductive look. “Come here.”

“With pleasure.” I trotted over and jumped in the shower with her.

A knock sounded on the bathroom door. “Rose wants to talk with you two once you get done in there.”

“Well I guess we’ve got no time to fool around right now.” I sighed. “Maybe after we get done.”

Harmony hopped out of the shower. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

I took as little time as I could getting cleaned up. After jumping out of the shower I trotted back into our room.

Harmony was sitting on the bed looking at her ring. “It’s almost as beautiful as you.”

I smiled and kissed Harmony. “Only the best for the love of my life.”

“An interesting choice for the diamond.” Demo was standing in the doorway.

“Hi Demo. How long have you been there?” I waved Demo in.

He shook his head. “About a minute or two. Got here just as you got out of the shower.”

I slid my ring on. “We were just about to go see Rose if that’s what you were coming to tell us about.”

He nodded. “Alright. I’ll leave you two alone. Oh and I’ll let Rose know to be expecting you.”

What had I just seen? Was that what these mares had seen in their time living in this wasteland? And were some of those memories from before this all turned to shit? So much hatred and anger, guilt and sadness. So many emotions built up after hundreds of years of living.

“Equestria to Onyx.” The white mare waved a hoof in front of my face. “Are you still there?”

“I think you may have broken his brain with your memories. Too many years for the average pony to understand living through. And yet to me it seems like a mere blink and that time has gone by.”

“It is true what my sister says. You have seen a small portion of our lives. Thousands of years on this planet. An astronomical number of years for you but for us simply another time period come and gone in the blink of our eyes.

Ok holy shit! This is so weird. I just experienced living through their lives. Every single emotion that they felt still weighed heavily upon. Oh goddesses why did that feeling have to be the one that resonated strongly.

“Well isn’t that something?” The white mare managed a slight giggle.

“Well a stallion has no control over such manners when appreciating fine mares for so many years.”

They scooched closer to me. “No. No no no no no nope nope no nope no no. I’m a happy stallion. I don’t need any of this right now. Demo would kill me.”

“Oh yes. I forgot. You are a gay stallion.” The white one held back the blue one.

“After all this time and you tell me that now!”

The white one rolled her eyes. “No wonder he has such a problem now. He got to feel your body and it’s feelings for a large portion of the time we wandered.”

“I have my needs dammit! Two hundred and seventy years since the bombs fell. Double that time since I actually had a decent lover. And you mean to tell me the stallion you show our memories to is gay!?”

“Yes. Even if he wasn’t you should have respected the fact that he is in a relationship.”

“Ugh. Fine dear sister. Now don’t we have business elsewhere in this town?”

“We do have some business. Onyx do you have any questions?”

I had so many questions on my mind. “Too many to ask.”

“A response that I would have expected from somepony who had just seen what we have. Especially after never having seen technology like this in his life.”

“I need to go find Demo.” I jumped up tossing the helmet off.

“Well then. I suppose we’ve just made two stallions quite happy.”

“I’d still prefered to have gotten that myself.”

“You know he would not have been what you expected. Nor would he have lasted long enough.”

“But so many years of….”

“I know what you are expecting and no. It may have been pleasureable for a while but not long enough to satisfy.”

“Well buck.”

“Language.”

“What? Are you serious? Are you still trying to act regal after all these years?”

“At least a small bit to impress these ponies.”

“Fine.”

“Thank you.”

“Onyx what are you?” Demo couldn’t continue as I jumped on him.

“Shut up and let’s buck.”

The sky was a vibrant blue today. Something we rarely got to see anywhere in the wasteland. In the distance the sky was the dull gray color it usually was. “That’s odd.”

“The bright blue sky?”

“Yes. It’s beautiful, not near as beautiful as you, but still amazing. We never get to see the sky like this.”

Harmony pulled me closer to herself. “Any day with you is a beautiful day.”

I smiled and blushed. “I love you.”

“There’ll be plenty of time to admire the sky and other things today.” Harmony winked at me. “For now let’s go see what Rose wanted.”

I pushed open the front door. Not many guards were down here on the first floor. Most of the guards were no doubt on the second floor keeping an eye out for anypony that might threaten Rose.

Harmony dragged me up the stairs. “We don’t have all day to sit here and dick about.”

Like I had thought quite a few of the guards that were stationed to this building were sitting upstairs looking out the windows and watching us on our approach.

None dared to move an inch in our way as we approached the door to Rose’s office. A few guards were sitting their looking through a small crack in the door.

I grabbed ahold of the guards sitting there. I made sure to silence them from screaming with my magic. “What the buck are you assholes doing?” I had to strain to keep my voice to a harsh whisper.

“Sorry Midnight. Silver and Rose were having a conversation that sounded heated. We wanted to make sure everything was ok.”

I dropped the guards and they headed for anywhere away from us. “I don’t want to spy on them but I think we should know what’s going on with our friends.”

The door crack was small but had plenty of space for the both of us to look through it at the same time.

“No. I’m not going to let that happen. Either you leave or we both stay. There are no ifs ands or buts in this situation.”

“You’re being stubborn. I mean I get not wanting to up and leave our friends. We would tell them that we thought it would be best for the foal if we left. I’m sure they would understand and actually support us.”
I turned away from Rose. “Amethyst I’m telling you that I can’t leave them. I don’t have it in me to leave them to the wasteland.”

“Silver? I know you want to protect them from everything that you possibly can but we have the chance to build something great for ourselves. We have a foal on the way and you’re being so stubborn about staying here. What if the foal gets hurt? What if I get hurt or killed before the foal is born? What then Silver? What then?”

I slowly turned to look at Amethyst. After all this time she still didn’t understand why it was that I couldn’t leave this world. The tears were already welling in my eyes.

Amethyst gasped. “Silver. Silver I’m sorry I didn’t mean.”

I put a hoof up to stop here. “I know you didn’t mean anything from it. I understand why you’re worried. This world is a terrible place for anypony to live. Much less a foal. But. But..” The tears started again.

“Silver you know you can tell me anything. What’s wrong?”

I shook my head trying to regain what little composure I could. I had never told her about those few weeks before she returned to this wasteland. I didn’t think I would ever be ready to tell another living soul about that time.

“Silver.” Amethyst began to cry. “Please answer me.”

“I’ve lost too much Amethyst. Over the years I’ve lost more ponies than anypony should ever have to lose. I lost my parents when I was just a foal. A small foal with so much to learn from parents that were robbed from him. I watched raiders desecrate the body of the one stallion I had ever looked up to. I had to hear them have their way with my mother for hours on end. I was robbed entirely of my childhood in a matter of days.”

Amethyst looked on in disbelief. I had never been this open about my past with her. “Silver…”

I put up a hoof again. “When I met you for the first time I didn’t know what to feel. It was the best feeling of my life. I was actually able to feel any sort of emotion again. I had lived through years of contemplating suicide. I didn’t want to live in a world that had robbed so much from me. But I didn’t because I had you by my side.”

“I’m sorry Silver. I had no idea.”

I silenced her yet again. “As time went on things got more serious in your home world. The war started and I knew bad things were going to happen once you got called upon to fight. I had to protect you because I couldn’t bear to lose somepony who had brought so much joy to my life. I knew no matter what happened I would die before I lost you.”

Amethyst couldn’t speak through the lump in her throat.

“Then we got ourselves that squad. They were all a bit different but I relied on each one a little bit to take the stress off of myself. I was killing myself trying to make sure nothing happened to you. After all that time with them I began to think that they were all part of a large family I was starting to be a part of. Ponies who cared about me and who would always help me through anything.”

I knew Midnight was watching. I could hear her slight muffled crying from outside the door.

“Once we finally had the boars on the retreat I knew it was about to be the most dangerous part. We had backed our foe into a corner they could not escape from. That was a day that I lost my family.” I started to well up again. “I almost lost Balefire to the explosions. Freedom was almost gunned down protecting the squad while evac. arrived.”

“Silver.”

“Then the thought of losing you. My body went numb. That day I considered doing a suicide run into the enemy encampment. I went for it. I believed that would be the day that I would die. I accepted death, welcomed it in fact. I wished for it’s sweet embrace to take me from this horrible life that was always robbing me of my happiness. That was until I saw you again. I saw you fighting to survive when even I felt useless. That made me realize I had a life to fight for. I had a reason to live even in this cruel and dark world that always robs us of happiness.”

I let out a deep breath that I had been holding. I dreaded telling her this next part. I was so reluctant to open up about it.

“Silver?”

It was now or never. Come on Silver tell her. You need this.

I opened my mouth to talk. The words were there in my brain. They were just stubborn in coming out.

“What’s wrong?”

“After we got back something happened. The reason I had to leave the world you inhabited. The reason I never came back to that world to get you.” Tears streamed down my face.

“What? What happened? Silver I need to know so I can help you.” Amethyst put a gentle hoof to my cheek.

“I had lost so much.”

“What?”

“I almost lost you and Freedom and Balefire. I almost lost them all but.”

“What happened?”

“It was Rose, Amethyst. Rose. I had to go home and talk with Rose.”

A look of horror crossed her face.

“She had been slowly becoming feral while I had been away. The thought of me fighting in a war and possibly getting hurt or dying was too much for her to handle.”

Amethyst’s voice was shaky and scared of what it might here. “Silver… No……”

“That day I got back to our house I found her sitting at our table. She was waiting for me to return to her. So she could say her final goodbye. She spoke to me for the first time and said she loved me. She acknowledged that I was ready to be my own stallion and to start a family.” I started to choke on my words. “Then. Then… Oh goddesses why?”

“You don’t have to.”

I silenced her knowing full well I had to so I could start to actually move on. “She told me she was starting to go feral. Everyday I had been away had been slowly degrading her mind. She had started to try and hurt those she cared about.”

“Please. Don’t.”

“She hoofed me a gun. Told me that she wanted me to shoot her before she could hurt anypony. And to only remember the Rose that had loved me and taught me about the world. I tried to reject the request outright. To try and find a way around it. But in the end I knew what I had to do.” I didn’t even try to stop the tears. “I shot her. I shot her so she couldn’t hurt anypony. And after I cried. An entire week. I sat in that house pretending she was still alive sitting with me. I had buried her but I still wanted to pretend she was there to teach me. To nurture me. To be the loving mother I had been robbed of.”

“Silver. I had no idea.”

“How could you? I kept it secret. I didn’t want to bring anypony into this. I didn’t want anypony to get hurt trying to help a stallion that couldn’t be helped.”

The door burst open behind us. “You’re wrong. No matter what you think you can be helped. We’re here for you no matter what. You just had to tell us and we would have helped.”

“Thanks Midnight, but I still don’t believe you. I need to work through this by myself.”

“Why? Why would you hurt yourself so much? We can help you?”

I spun around. The world darkened around me. “HOW!?!”

“Aurora play the video.”

A small projection appeared before me. There Rose was standing over these two mares as they slept on the floor of my old home.

“She was in all of our dreams that night. Trying to find out if we were there because of you.”

I saw her mouth the words ‘Take care of him’ before she faded. “She? She?”

“She asked us to protect you Silver. She wanted us to help you no matter what.”

I flopped to the ground a sobbing mess. My friends were there to comfort me. All sitting down next to me and surrounding me in a warm hug. Just like the one’s Rose had given me.

The floodgates had opened up. I had just confessed everything to Amethyst. No. Rose. I had just told her everything that had ever happened to make me the way I was. And after all that she was there at my side cuddled up with me trying to help me.

It was selfish of me to do that. I needed to confess all those things but I didn’t need to bring Rose into it. She deserves so much out of this world. What am I going to do to make this up to her? I’m just a stupid motherbucker with no right to even still be alive and kicking after all the shit I’ve seen.

“Silver honey?” Rose was slowly shaking me.

“What?” That came off more violently than I had intended.

“I think we should move to some place more comfortable and talk.” I could tell she was managing a smile. “We have been lying on the floor for hours.”

I picked myself up off the floor. “Lead the way.”

“Don’t be so mopey Silver. We still need you. And you need us.”

I trotted over to the bed as quickly as possible keeping Rose nearby. “Ugh.”

Rose laid down next to me. “Come on Silver. I still need you.”

My brain switched from this moping to a more productive mood. “And I need you. I realize it now more than ever. I need you more than anything else in this wasteland.”

“Silver?” Rose cocked her head to the right.

“I might not have much to my name here in this world. And I don’t have the money to keep you living in luxury for the rest of your life. But I know that I need you more than anything. So…. Will you marry me?” The last card I had to lay down. The question I had been meaning to ask for what seemed like an eternity.

“Silver!” Rose looked at me in awe. “Of course I will. I love you.” She kissed me. And for the first time since we had met my whole body went stiff from that kiss.”

I fell face first into the bed next to Rose. “Well I guess I still have that habit.”

“And it still ruins the moment like it used to.”

We both laughed. It felt good. It felt good to be alive for the first time since my ghoul mother had died.

“Surely something you could do. Isn’t that right sister?”

“Well if they so wish for me to marry them. I could marry them here on this spot.”

I held a shield around Rose and myself and had the Bane readied. “I’ll give you two about ten seconds to explain who you are, why you’re here, and why I shouldn’t kill you.”

The mares spoke in unison. “Midnight seemed to recognise when she spoke to royalty. Be it even if we are no longer regal in our appearance or manner. All we seek is a wasteland where you could raise a foal without having to leave.”

I lowered the sword but kept my shield. “Who are you?”

“I’m princess Celestia and this is my sister Luna. We were once rulers of the great land of equestria but know we chase only the dreams of our past and a mare who the world has long forgotten.” Celestia pointed to my sword. “A gift no doubt from a blacksmith from your youth. A sword I know well.”

I sheathed my sword. “It was a gift from a friend long ago. And you will have to earn my trust before I completely let my guard down.”

“Just as we expected from the stallion capable of similar feats as us. With that much power and your abilities I’m almost surprised you didn’t try to kill us when we interrupted your moment.”

“Did you say you could marry us?”

“Rose?” I shot her a worried glance.

“Indeed. If you will simply say I do and tell us you wish to be married then it shall be.”

“I do.”

I gave her a look. This isn’t how I wanted to get married to her but it did mean I was married to the love of my life. “I do.”

“Then let it be known that from this day forward you two are married under the sigil of an old kingdom. One that we leave to you.”

I tendril touched my mind. It was cold and dark but also enlightened. ‘I have gifted you with the knowledge of immortality. You as an Alicorn are immortal. Those you love may be gifted that same privilege but it will come at a cost.’

I shoved the thought from my head. Luna looked at me with a concerned look. I knew it was her. Celestia herself could not have made such a dark voice in my mind.

“Seriously Luna! That was uncalled for. Telling him those secrets after just barely introducing ourselves. Did you want to get us killed?”

“I only told him what he need to know.”

“Ok buck both of you for that. I could have and still have the choice to bucking gut you like the worthless bitches you are.”

“Silver!” The whole group was against me.

“It is what they might deserve after such reckless behaviour.”

“So that brings us up to what? Last…. Tuesday?”

“No Midnight. That was an entire month ago.”

“It’s been that long?”

“Yes.” Rose was laying down watching the memories with us.

“How are you by the way?”

“The foal is getting close to being born. I believe within a month we’ll see a new addition to our family.”

“That’s good news. I can’t wait to see what the foal looks like.”

“Well it should be a very good looking colt or a very beautiful filly.”

“And it will have a family that is always there to protect it.”

“Thank you Midnight. I know you’ll be there to help out when the foal is born.”

“I’ll try my best but I never know what’s going to happen next.”

“All will be revealed in time to you my little ponies. For now just enjoy this last day you get off. Soon enough we’ll be working toward our ultimate goal. And whatever may come of our work will be remembered.” Celestia pushed us towards the stairs. “For now give my sister and I some time alone. We have planning to do.”

Author's Notes:

I decided to upload the last of the 4th 50,000 word section. So I probably won't upload Friday. But I'll keep uploading at a slower rate until I finish the rest of the story. I hope you all continue to enjoy.