Praeratus had to stop himself from shoving the älfs' head up his ass (the älfs own, not his).

After a full minute of Coran hovering around the therawyrm and acting like a demented weirdo by asking questions like a machine gun and touching, sniffing and even licking him to see if he was a possible danger (or a vacuum cleaner vendor, or a rival to his title of Coranic, or whatever he thought he was), the red head finally said:

“Well, I can't feel weapons on your person and I can sense you're not hostile.” He said. “Of course, that might need a new...” He trailed off before sticking his tongue out and moving his face closer to Praeratus' like a depraved chamaleon. A glare and purple energy from him were enough to make him step back, but didn't scare him off. “Hey! You must know that I'm trained in several martial arts that range from all across the Confederation! Hiyah!” He shouted as he made martial poses.

Praeratus just glared at him before looking at a convenietly close autonomous garbage disposal robot that was also off, just at the other side of the street. The machine was big, five times taller than him at the very least, which made sense given that it was supposed to gather and dispose of the trash of that part of the city.

But that didn't matter to Praeratus, who needed a way to both vent his anger/annoyance and make clear to Coran what would happen to him if he didn't stop, and lifting a trash robot without even looking at it would make him back off, or at the very least shut him up.

Fortunately, he didn't have to make a fool of himself with an scene.

Mainly because Cyranus didn't care about making a scene, what with being an animal and a baby one at that.

“AAAAH!!!” The bloodcurling scream from the älf wouldn't have sounded out of place in a horror film, but being chased around by a yapping gorgonops pup? Hilarious. “GET THIS THING AWAY FROM ME!!!” While Cyranus DID bite him in the left shin with enough strength to make him bleed, and the baby beast was already as big as an älf child, it was clear by Allura's deadpan stare and her parent's actions (her father laughed as he gently pulled Cyranus off his butler, while Melenor put her hand on her face), Coran was overreacting.

Five minutes later, and they were all drinking tea and Ambrosia (an Altean drink that tasted like heaven yet had not a drop of alcohol on it, reserved mostly for special occasions like that one) on the castle's main hall and discussing things.

Coran turned out to be an all-around nice guy, despite his obvious quirks, like the excessive care he took of his moustache and his pride at being the best älf mechanic ever. Neither Praeratus, who knew better, nor Alfor, who aside from knowing better was his best friend, dared to tell him otherwise. Aside from that, though, he was the most happy of the three with the therawyrm and Allura's relationship (after doing the required inspection of an overprotective adopted relative and trying to lick Praeratus again), just as Allura told him while they were in warp.

Most important, however, were his engineering and mechanic skill: he was the the one who modified Allura's ship to turn it into a miniature destroyer by giving it a more resistant hull composed of durasteel and a shield generator, a powerful weapon system (autocannons on the chin, missile pods on the wings, and a pulse laser on the middle) and plasma thrusters; the upgrades wouldn't have been so incredible if he had just bought and installed them, but instead he designed and build them from the ground up, all by himself, which was impressive given that those technologies were military-grade and he was, well, eccentric.

Next up in the 'list' was Alfor. His large size (for an älf that's it, and especially for one who was in his species equivalent of middle sixties) and silver beard belied his affable nature and the fact that, just like him, had fought in a war, and unlike Coran he actually fought outside of Altea's system, so he also knew the devastation the Selenites brought. Finally, he was a surprisingly good swordsman, yet an average psionic despite being of royal blood and a veteran. Overall, he was a good man, and the second most accepting of the relationship, his only concern fearing that they could get themselves killed on their job and Praeratus' family own reaction (of which Praeratus, who was by all accounts a clone of several therawyrm warriors, lied about).

Last but not least, and the real obstacle for their relationship, was Melenor. She was a quite good looking woman, just as beautiful as her daughter, despite not being much older than her husband (in fact, Allura told him once that many people saw them as sisters instead of mother and daughter!). She liked to wear pink clothes, she loved her family, liked Coran's antics, and was overall a good woman.

She just didn't want her daughter to marry a member of a species of backward mammal-reptile hybrids uplifted by other reptiles and whose only real places in the Confederation were either lugging things around for smarter people, which to her were everyone who was not a therawyrm, and grunts. Grunts that loved to eat fallen enemies even if they were still alive, and sometimes especially when they were still alive.

“That... that BITCH!” Screamed Celestia, so angry she unkowingly used her Royal Canterlot Voice to make clear she was angry with Melenor's attitude towards Praeratus, and using one of the many swears she heard from Praeratus to make it even clearer.

“Yes, she was a bitch right at the beginning.” Agreed Praeratus. “But after a short civil conversation with her we finally managed to...” He said before realizing something and looking around.

“Managed to, what?”

“Celly, do you know where are we right now?” He whispered without looking at her.

Celestia looked around and realized with something akin to dread that they had somehow arrived to the theater in which the play would be... played, without realizing it, inmersed as they were in the conversation, Celestia by hearing it and Praeratus by telling it and recalling his life.

And everypony, the Mane Six, Luna, the non-pony kids, Spike, the people of Ponyville, some from other places... was looking straight at them without making a sounds.

Or more accurately, at him.

However, it was clear by their focused expressions and their silence they had been busy hearing the story of his life a hundred years prior.

For how long, he didn't know, and to some point, didn't want to.

Celestia looked up at Praeratus with uncertainness and unease by the situation.

“Erm... what do we do now, Praeratus? I don't think they're supposed to hear something as private as your previous love life. Could we leave it for another moment?”

Praeratus thought it for a moment before shaking his head. “No, you must know every moment, and besides, they'll get to know it too. Were was I? Ah, right, Melenor being a bitch. Well, as you know I don't being insulted with completely wrong accussations...”

To say that Praeratus was angry by her statement would be an understandment. If not for Alfor and Coran holding him down enough seconds to allow Allura to calm down, Melenor would have ended dead, and even then she still got a good scare when Praeratus' fist impacted on the pillar right behind her.

Five minutes of speaking later (speaking which involved a heated argument from Allura about her love for Praeratus, Alfor's approving their relationship and assuring that he loved both Allura and Melenor, Coran pointing out that she was mixing the 'honorable therawyrm with the monstrous wabak. And synapsids are the middle point with mammals and reptiles, not hybirds.' , and Praeratus own speech of him returning Allura's affection, mixed with an implied death threat to her), the woman finally gave in and approved of their relationship, but she also made clear that she'd be the one choosing the place of the wedding and Allura's dress.

The wide stares she received from everyone in the room at the word 'wedding' were definitely worth a laugh. Well, worth a laugh from someone not with them.

“So, Praeratus.”

“Yes Alfor?”

“Would you let me name your future children for you? I know a few names from Kharan.”

“WHAT!?” Praeratus cried in horror as his future father-in-law belly laughed to his amusement and Coran fell off the hoverboat they were on while screaming too, although that was probably Praeratus had accidentaly pushed him off the hovering vehicle, and given the very low buoyancy of the lake and the fact he didn't know how to swim, he was in real danger unless he remembered he was a psionic.

A few days after Allura and Praeratus came to Altea, Coran suggested Alfor to go fishing in the city's artificial lake with Praeratus so that the two could bond, with him going with them because he didn't want to stay with the women, wanting to give them some time alone to speak of the things a mother and a daughter that travels across the galaxy would speak while they catched dinner, discussed about how to cook fish and drank Ambrosia.

He also didn't want to be near the little monster that nearly bit his leg off. He was possibly regretting that as he climbed to the boat all drenched and annoyed that his moustache got wet.

“Hahahaha!” Laughed Alfor good naturelly as Praeratus began spurting out reasons of him not wanting to be a father, all of them nonsensical. “I was just joking, Praeratus!”

Praeratus finally calmed down when Alfor said that, but then Coran spoke.

“You know, that's exactly what I said to you when you were engaged to Melenor. First I told you I was joking, then you began rambling about not being the most adecquate of being a parent...” Coran then listed some more before finishing with: “And yet twenty years later you got a daughter.”

It was Alfor's turn of being flustered and Praeratus' to smile.

“Well” Began to say the Altean noble.”, every father-in-law in waiting asks that question, and I was hot-blooded then...”

“Uh?” Praeratus looked at him strangely, no longer smiling. “What are you talking about?”

“Nevermind.” Alfor said, calmed down from his short and actually quite controlled outburst and grabbing a can of Ambrosia from the fridge. “Still, I'm still hoping that you and Allura will have children in the future. Call me weird if you want, but after watching Allura grow from a curious princess into a battle-hardened Psionic Warrior and then a bounty hunter, I always wondered if she would have children with someone to love. I'd love to see little kids sitting on my lap, watching in awe as their grandfather tells them his old war stories.” He said with a melancholic look, watching as the sun of Altea sinked into the mountains at the east. “I'm not young Praeratus. I have, what, two hundred years before I finally go with my ancestors, but if I saw Allura become a mother before that, I would die a happy man.”

Coran, in a rare moment of normalcy, cried softly at his lord and friend's speech. Praeratus, however, didn't know what to say at this short but heartfelt revelation.

“Alfor, I would really love to have children with Allura, but you know that there are several problems with that. First, our biology is not compatible; we're even on the same animal kingdom.” He reminded him.

“Oh, please.” Coran said as he pulled the chord of his fishing rod. “As if that were a problem in this galaxy and these days. You'd only have to go to a good hospital and spend some money in modifying's Allura's womb to make it accept your genetic material. Fourteen months latter and POOF!” He exclaimed in a dramatic pose, forgetting that he was holding a fishing rod on his hand. “You've got an hybrid baby of therawyrm and älf!”

Coran was talking about a process known as 'Xeno-Compatibility', or just 'Compatibility', in which just like he explained a womb of a woman of a given species was altered on the genetic level to allow a embryo made with DNA of the mother and a father of another species to form and grow with traits of both parent's species.

Since most of Praeratus' Centurion enhancements weren't on the genetic level, theorically he and Allura could have children that wouldn't inheritc his superior physiology and grow normal. On the other hand, there was still the risk of them inheriting something, and he didn't want his future babies being stronger than adult men, and not just for, say, in case a would-be bully ended with their backs snapped.

“And if Allura wants children but not becoming pregnant because that would ruin her body you can always adopt, although I would love to see an hybrid of therawyrm and älf.” Said Coran. “Would the baby be an älf with the scaly skin and pointy teeth of a therawyrm, or a therawyrm with smooth skin and actual ears? That's the question of the century.” He wondered out loud. “And how long would be their lifespan?”

Before the redhead could ponder further about the possible appearance and genetic makeup of therawyrm-älf hybrids, Praeratus decided to both lie about the issue and give a serious answer.

“Second problem is that your planet might not take well that the daughter of a noble with direct bloodline with royalty has entered a relationship with a therawyrm, if Melenor's attitude is anything to go by.”

“Oh, please.” Coran dismissed in a disinterested tone. “Älfs in general may be pricks to other species nowadays, but we Alteans still remember our teachings of love and tolerance for other species, and a lot of respect for those that live longer than us, which in this case means therawyrms since, well, you live longer.” He said, not noticing the annoyed glare Alfor was giving him. “I'm certain that no one reacted in any negative and/or aggressive manner when Allura came with a giant of a therawyrm to her home. Am I wrong, Praeratus?”

“No. They did stare at me and wonder outloud what did my parents fed me to grow so tall, but other than that they didn't do anything.” Admitted Praeratus as he did put down his rod and grabbed his catch, some kind of brightly coloured fish.

“And even if they complained about you, do you really think you should will care about what a bunch of pointy-eared hairless apes think of you?” Coran said, and Praeratus hoped that the älf was aware he was basically insulting his own species. Alfor definitely was, since Coran had barely enough time to dodge the psionically lifted water thrown at him by Alfor. “You know I'm right Alfor! Älfs are jerks unless they're from here!”

“No, I would not.” Admitted again Praeratus, not wanting to see a fight, if only because the boat would capsize and he would sink to the bottom of the lake because of his muscle and bone mass weighing him down, and didn't fancy walking on the bottom of the lake. “As I just said, I would like being a father, but I don't think I should. Not after failing my soldiers.”

Alfor and Coran stopped their scuffle when they heard Praeratus' words.

“Your soldiers?” Alfor repeated.

Praeratus sighed. He didn't like telling people parts of his past as Centurion, even though they weren't strangers and he could tell them without revealing his nature as hyper soldier, but he didn't like having to remember THAT either. Now that he said that, though, he'd have to talk, lest Coran tried to pry the information from his brain and actually succeed, as unlikely as it was.

“During the war, I was assigned to lead a squad of young yet capable Heavy Infantry troopers: Lanse, Padge, Keth and Hank. None of them were therawyrm, and while good at fighting as anyone skilled with the use of power armor can be, they were also unwilling to obey orders. I was assigned explicitaly to enforce the mandate of at least one therawyrm per Heavy Infantry squad.

“I remember it. Something about filling empty vacants because not everyone had armor or something like that.” Coran said, earning a nod from Praeratus. Heavy infantry was a rather new development, started a bit before the outbreak of the war, and so there wasn't enough powered armor to equip all heavy troopers; on the other hand, there were many eager therawyrm eager to fight the Hegemony, and since therawyrms were considered by many to be living power armour, the brass decided to give them training, their future signature unpowered armor and heavy guns, and the heavy infantry as it would be known was born.

“Yes. At first they weren't amused by the fact that some old reptile was not only their commanding officer, but also better than all of them put together without even wearing a powered exoskeleton, and I wasn't amused by the fact that I was a glorified nanny for a bunch of zabs. After a few missions, however, we began to warm up to each other, and with time I saw them not just as my soldiers, but as my children.”

Praeratus might have been tweaking the truth a bit, but otherwise he was telling the truth. For a few months he lead the small but determined squad, and although the kids were neither his fellow Centurions nor even other therawyrms, but as far as he cared they were part of the family too.

“We fought together, we ate together, when they fought between themselves I stopped them before it could get out of hand, they stood besides my bed after taking a plasma blast to the chest...” He said with a smile as he remembered the good memories of fighting, laughing, drinking, partying and talking with the 'kids', as he nicknamed them. Those had been some of the best weeks of his life, and definitely the best thing that happened to him during the Hegemony War sans overwhelming victories.

His smile turned into a frown when he remembered what happened to them.

“It was during the late stage of the war, only a couple years before the ceasefire. One day, we got reports about an Hegemonic outpost in Fochona IV that housed some kind of superweapon, deep in Hegemony territory. We were supposed to aid a small strike force in demolishing the place to destroy the superweapon and, if possible, revers-eengineer it. At first everything was alright: we were well equipped and motivated, and while the facility was heavily armed the Hegemony didn't expect an attack in their territory, what with the barely trained guards.”

Praeratus then stopped for a moment, before continuing with the story. He didn't like to remember what happened that day or telling it to others, but he was the one who started it by opening his damn mouth, and therefore had to finish it.

“Of course, we didn't expect the place to be their biggest and most important xeno-engineering laboratory, the freaks they already had to be alive and functioning, nor the troops guarding the place to have a... rather imaginative psionic among them.”

Praeratus stopped talking, looking forlornly at the now dark horizon.

The truth was far worse than what he told: the station wasn't just the main growing facility for monsters, it was the main growing facility for giant monsters, one of them already awake and waiting for some foolish Confederal assault team to attack the place and get eaten.

And the psionic wasn't just 'rather imaginative' with her powers, she was also a purple one. He was rated as purple too, and technically her equal, but as stated before she used her powers in many unorthodox ways.

Like creating zombies out of the crushed bodies of his 'kids'.

Alfor and Coran watched with consternation and a bit of fear as Praeratus growled and showed his sharp teeth, crushing the metal he had unconsciously grabbed.

However, after what seemed to be an eternity, Praeratus manage to calm himself before sighing and looking at the bottom of the hoverboat.

“After two hours of grueling fight, we managed to destroy the station, kill the bioweapons, and send that bitch running... at the cost of practically all of the strike team sans me and a couple others.”

By 'me and a couple others' he actually meant that only he survived, the other two being corpses in enoug condition to have a decent burial. Everyone else was either ripped apart, frozen/burned to the molecular level, shot to the point of overkill, or just plain eaten. Better that they didn't know that.

Praeratus, gueesing by the two sorrowful expressions that they had enough, sighed in exhaustion and stood up, walking to the controls of the hoverboat. “Let's go back to the castle; we did what we wanted to do here, it's getting dark, and the girls might be worried about us.”

However, before he could take the boat to the shore, he felt a hand latch on his shoulder. Glancing back, Praeratus saw that Alfor was grabbing his shoulder and giving him a sympathetic look.

“Praeratus, I doubt I'll ever even understand the pain you went through that day, but I can say this. Your men, your kids, didn't die in vain: even if the superweapon you were told about didn't exist, you still destroyed the most important cog for their Xenomorph hordes. Millions, perhaps even billions of people would have been killed or worse by those things. You should be proud of what they did.”

Praeratus knew that the Altean lord was right: even if all got killed, they DID destroy the most pivotal Titanic Beast installation. The fact that after that day Titanic Beasts became a rare(r) sight on battlefields could attest to that.

“Above all, though? If you managed to make the youth of other species see you as a paternal figure, I'm sure that, if you end up having children with my daughter, you shall be a perfect parent. Think about it, Praeratus Haeleb.”

“Well” Coran said as he stood up and gently pushed Praeratus out of the way to reach the controls of the boat. “, we all can say that this has been a fruitful fishing, and not just for the fish. If Melenor had been with us I'm pretty sure she would have cried a river with your story and begged for your forgival. She's very sentimental. Well, let's get going before Allura and Melenor get impatient.”

Praeratus didn't know what to think about that. Nor the fact that what started as a conversation about possible future granchildren ended as him sharing a war story.

Later that night, after they ate their catch and talked some more, Praeratus was still thinking of Alfor's words of him being a father as he walked to Allura's room. Back on the ship they shared the bedroom yet slept in separated beds, but after announcing their relationship, Alfor told them that it would be appropiate if the two actually slept on the same bed instead of just the same room.

Praeratus was divided. On the one hand, he wouldn't mind being a father with Allura, And that was not counting the fact that, since the galactic population of therawyrms was, while stable and sustainable, the lowest of the Confederation was a little less than eleven billion, a far cry from the over fifty billion from before the Hegemony attack, and even after a hundred years the population growth was, while positive, nearly negligible compared to all other species. Having a child, even one that would be more älf than therawyrm and not born in natural conditions, would help his species on the long run.

On the other hand, there was the obvious worry of him being a good father. It wasn't because of a possible descent to abusing (he'd kill himself before he could even scream at his possible future kids), but because, as he told Alfor and Coran earlier that day, of the fear of losing them. He took it hard any time a Centurion died, he took it harder when it happened their numbers were less than a hundred, he took it harder still when Victus and the others died, and he took it the hardest when his 'kids' died on that gods-forsaken station.

Especially when Lance ripped Keith limb by limb with his bare hands.

If something, anything happened to his and Allura's baby(ies), anything, he'd never forgive himself for failing them.

Praeratus shook those thoughts as he approached the door to Allura's bedroom. If he'd have children in the future, he'll had to ask Allura first if he wanted to be a mother.

Which, despite what Alfor wanted, would be a challenge, because Allura hated children. Well, not exactly full-on hatred given that she wanted to be a known bounty hunter, but she did find most kids to be annoying, especially the touchy ones (wanting to hug her, pull her hair and in general do kids stuff, although given what has been already told she should had seen it coming), and so most of her interactions with kids nearly ended with her screaming. Maybe Alfor didn't know his little girl hated kids? What would be her reaction when he asked her if she wanted to be a mother?

When he finally opened the door to Allura's room, he expected her to be either combing her hair, reading a book while waiting for him, playing with her pet mice, or just sleeping.

He didn't expect her to be laying prone on her luxurious, king-sized bed, wearing black lingerie and lipstick, staring at him with a bedroom eyes and a seductive smile... and having breasts nearly as big as her head, definitely bigger than they were just hours prior. As in, bigger than when they were having dinner a mere two hours prior.

“Hey Pratty.” Allura said with a sensual tone. “Do you like my new look?” She stood up from the bed and sauntered to him, swinging her hips as she walked, which also had the (possibly intentional) effect of making her enlarged bosom bounce with each step.

Praeratus was so engrossed talking and remembering his past that he didn't realize he was describing a nearly sexual scene in the presence of children, but the audience was in turn so engrossed on his personal life they were more focused on the fact that the monster-killing, tough as nails and mean as Tartarus alien warrior could have been a father.

(Celestia, though, DID look down to her breasts and give a little smile. Nearly is still smaller than just as big as a head, cramps and backpain be darned!)

Praeratus didn't resply, instead just staring at her as she finally stood in front of him and put her hands on his chest, looking up at him with half-lidded eyes.

“While you were fishing with my father and Coran, I went to the city and asked for a breast enhancement operation. If you are wondering why weren't they this big during dinner, t takes hours for them to grow, what with using a mix of natural and artificial methods. They're also permanent and will probably give me problems in the future, but I'm pretty sure it won't be that big of a problem.” She said before looking down and grabbing her breasts, shaking them around. “I'll be honest with you though, I thought these would lac...tate... Uh?”

Allura's seductive demeanor evaporated when Praeratus just walked right past her and sat on her bed with his back arched forward eyes looking to the ground for a few seconds before raising and looking at her.

“Allura, I need to ask you something, but first, I would like if you sat next to me.”

Allura, puzzled and concerned not just by his lack of reaction to her new look, but also to his lack of expression, did as he asked.

“Sure, ask me anything.”

“Would I make for a good father?”

Praeratus question took her aback.

“W-what?”

“I said if I would make for a good-”

“Yes, I know what you said! But... why are you asking me that?”

Praeratus then told her everything he talked about with her father and butler.

“Well.” Allura said after her boyfriend finished his tale. “I think you would make a great dad. You were a good officer after all, I'm fairly certain that fathers have it easier than sergeants.” She said while rubbing his back in an attempt to reasure him. “It's me the one who sould worry about being a mother. I don't like kids, remember?”

“Yes, but what about your own children?”

“Well...” She said sheepisly. Never in her entire life had she been asked if she would have kids, or if she wanted to. “First we should t. Say, my cousin Romelle will be getting married in two weeks. We could use the occasion to announce our love. We can think of children after that. How's that, hmm?” She said before smiling again. “That said, why don't we... practice a little babymaking?”

Praeratus thought it over... and shook his head.

“No sex until we tell everyone.” He said with a smirk, something he regretted when Allura shouted right next to him.

“What, why!?”

“Your own fault for getting the idea of telling everyone. Night.” He said before laying on the bed and closing his eyes.

“But-”

“Night.”

Allura groaned before rolling her eyes and

Neither of them realized that he slept without changing clothes first.

Praeratus then stopped talking, before sitting on the stage and staying quiet for a good full minute, Celestia and the others watching.

“What happened then?” Asked Celestia.

Praeratus stared at her when she said that, but it was clear by the empty look on his eyes that he wasn't looking at her, but through her.

“I still remember that day. Romelle throwing the bouqet, Allura fighting for it, both of us announcing our relationship with a kiss, the cheering drowning the protests, the family congratulating us... the wedding cake exploding... Allura pushing Romelle out of the way of the xenomorph...

...her body being torn to shreds...

...Him ripping the monster apart...

And then began to sob. Not softly, not without tears, actual full-blown weeping. It was a hearbreaking sight, to see the usually collected and stoic (when not angered) dragon from outer space do something many-no, ALL thought he was unable to do: cry.

And then he shouted.

“THE DAMN CAKE HAD A FRACKING MONSTER INSIDE!!!” He bellowed, his shout a mix of his voice and the feral scream of an animal in pain.

He didn't shout, he roared.

Praeratus' echoed roar was heard everything within a radius of five miles, and thanks to his psionics the radius was amplified by a hundred. Practically all of Equestria, even its farthest locations like the Crystal Empire, felt the rage, and then the pain, of the xeno-hunter.

Everyone present (the Mane Six, Luna, the kids, Ponyville's citizens, Luna, Discord, Cyranus, Spike and Celestia) cried, sharing Praeratus' sorrow.

Now Pinkie Pie, who knew why Praeratus hated cakes appearing out of nowhere.

He didn't know how long he cried his heart out,

And then someone hugged him from behind. Feeling a fluffy cheek touching his own, he knew it was Celestia.

And then something large nuzzled his legs. By the fur-covered toughness he felt, it was obvious it was Cyranus

And then he felt something small hugging his arm. He didn't have to open his eye to know that it was Spike.

It was obvious that the three of them were doing their damnest to make him feel better.

It DID make him stop crying.

But after a few minutes of silence, when he looked at Celestia, and she, smiling, opened her mouth to say something, possibly along the lines of not being alone...

All Hell broke loose.

Cliffhanger, and it looks like we're going back to longer than 5k words chapters! As always, fave, like and comment about the story. No, seriously. This may sound offensive for some of you, but please, give me comments longer than 'I can't wait!' or 'It's good!'. And likes too. Please.