Celestia quietly sat within the chairs of the Canterlot Express Train, her body moving along with the slight bumps it made. Her eyes stared out the window in front of her, her sparkling ethereal multi-colored mane and tail never losing its slow rhythmical flow despite being curled and pulled behind her. The mare’s four beautiful multi-colored wings were folded at her sides, paling in contrast to what she was wearing. Regal and formidable golden armor adorned her body, the moon’s light making it gleam within the train along with the large spear resting on the side. It was as if she was a large pony shaped star that changed seconds ever so slightly yet stayed one color at the same time.

She was not the only one riding on this silent trip. One either side of the train, were the Solar and Lunar Divisions. With their leaders on either side of the Queen; Bardock sitting on her left, while Gine was confined to her right side. Their own sets of armor reflected the moon’s light as they sat on the seats of the train. All of them were at attention their guards up fully despite nopony else being with them. While Celestia knew that they didn’t need to act so cautious at the moment, she didn’t bother to tell them that. With what was going on now, she knew that they’d take every precaution necessary.

Under any other circumstance, Celestia probably would’ve assured them that she could handle herself. That they didn’t need to come along for her sake. She may have even had them cut back a bit and let her do a majority of the work while she took care of the more important things at hoof. On more than a few occasions, she may have even given them the choice of turning away from the missions they were on. If the situation was even the slightest bit different, she very well may have done any one of those options. Keeping her subjects from doing anything they felt like they had to do.

Alas, none of them had the time, the option, or the luxury to do so, for reasons that were both dire andpersonal. Seven ponies were putting their lives on the line to save the ponies in their home, and the others all cross the land. They needed to be there for them and lend them all the help they could get, least they fall to the hooves of their foe and die for nothing. Something that Celestia was determined not to let happen whatever the cost. Her faithful student and the daughter of the division leaders sitting beside her were putting their lives on the line. Along with that of their dear friends, to ensure that Nightmare Moon did not succeed in her evil deed for retribution. She was not about to let their decisions be in vain; a vow that she swore on her golden spear.

“Your Majesty?” Gine’s soft voice cut its way into Celestia’s ears, making the alicorn turn to her in curiosity. She had to fight back a cringe at seeing how bloodshot the thestral mare’s yellow eyes were, showing that she had been crying. “Now much longer will it be until we get there?”

Celestia looked back out the window, squinting her eyes to get a better look at the horizon they were heading towards. “It does not look like we’re going to be there after too long. I would say that we are about ten minutes away from our destination of Ponyville Station.”

Bardock nodded in satisfaction. “Just ten minutes left before we make it to the Everfree. That’s good…the sooner we get there, the sooner we can begin our mission to rescue Sheton.”

“That’s right love.” Gine murmured as she shot a look towards her mate. She would’ve wrapped one of her large wings around him, had it not been for Celestia sitting in between them. “Plus, if our youngest daughter and her friends aren’t too far off into the Everfree, we may be able to catch up with them before they make it to the abandoned castle.”

“I am not so certain about that Gine.” Celestia said solemnly. “The Everfree Forest is quite close to where your three daughters and only son will soon be staying it. It’s so big that its trees can be seen from right in th center of the town itself.” She looked up at the train ceiling, her mind going back to how she noticed the trees peaking over the houses when she first arrived at the Ponyville Town Square. “I am fairly certain that they already left when I was going back to Canterlot to get you and assemble the guards for our quest. They could already be a good portion into the forest right now and will only be deeper in by the time we get there.”

“Whether they’re just beginning or all the way on the other side of the Everfree makes little difference to me.” Bardock snorted, his forelegs crossed over each other. “No matter how far they are in that beautiful kingdom of nature, I will save my son and protect my daughter at all costs. Even if they’re all the way in Rambling Rock Ridge, I will get there. I don’t care how many of Queen Estelle’s children that we have to face. I. Will. Save. Our children.”

“You’re not alone love.” Gine replied firmly, her fangs glistening as she glared out the window in front of her. “When I had Sheton, I swore to myself that no matter what happens, I was going to do all I could to ensure he was safe. I intend to do just that when we finally find him in that legend of a forest. I won’t let anything stand in our way of saving our pups. And if I have to fight a super pack of Timberwolves and suck them dry, then that’s what I’ll do.”

Bardock grinned, the curved lips devoid of any humor. “That makes two of us love.”

Celestia looked in between the pegasus and thestral, feeling a small smile come to her face at their devotion and determination. It was the same type she seen on most other parents faces in her time of ruling, even before meeting Bardock and Gine. That type that could only be found in a mother or father willing to risk everything to ensure their child was safe. It wasn’t the first time that Celestia would see this type of devotion between couples, and it would not be the last either; that much was certain. Still, Celestia couldn’t help but feel that Gine and Bardock stood out more than any other parents she met. That was really saying something, given how many parents she met that, sadly, didn’t care for their kids on this scale, if at all.

“I admire the dedication that you two have towards your children Bardock, Gine.” Celestia said softly, her comment making both mates look up at her. “It’s not every day that I see parents as devoted as you two. Most of the ponies’ form where the three of us love are nowhere near as loving towards their children, with the exception of your family branches. Your four hatchling pups are very lucky to have such loving and caring parents like you.”

“What did you expect your Highness? That we were going to be like the nobles and rich ponies in Canterlot and care about our family image?” Gine asked solemnly with a light headshake. “As if that would ever matter more to me than my own children’s safety and well-being. I’d rather slit my throat with my own wing claws than even think of putting my pups through something that horrid.”

“You just read my mind Gine.” Bardock said somewhat darkly, crossing his forelegs tighter. Twin streaks of smoke blowing from his nostrils as he snorted. “I swear, each and every time I even run into a noble, it just makes me want to burn them where they stand. Not that I have anything against them, despite how they treat us, they don’t exactly treat their kinds lovingly. If anything, they try to make them like little copies of them, becoming even worse when they grow. It’s no wonder why Crescent, Twilight, Zephyr, Spike and our own children had such hard times with them growing up.”

Celestia nodded, her other hoof going out to lay on Bardock’s shoulder. “I am sorry that you both went through that. I know that Venture Vine felt the same way while letting Zephyr attend my school in Canterlot. The only reason she even bothered to let Zephyr attend is because he wanted to be a Royal Guard, and she wanted to find some way to support him. Otherwise, she would’ve just had him stay in the Everfree Forest and train him to become the future leader of the Magic Vine Guild.”

“Oh, trust me. Me and Gine know that from experience your Majesty. We know for a fact that Venture didn’t want her little hatchling anywhere near the nobles or their own foals.” Bardock sighed. “She would’ve burned them all to a crisp if she found out any of them were hurting Zephyr in any way. I still remember how angry Venture was when she found out that he was beaten by a few earth pony colts while he was trying to defend Twilight.” He shivered as the image of an angry draconic mare flashed into his mind like a raging fire. “Not the best way to meet up with a friend if I may say.”

“And now her son is going on what has to be the most dangerous quest he’s ever taken.” Gine concluded. “If Venture were to find that out…I can’t think what she may do.”

“Most likely she’d demand why I sent her son on a mission that seems out of his control.” Celestia replied knowingly, voicing both ponies’ fears. “Thankfully, neither of you have to deal with that right now nor will I. She’s all the way in the northeastern part of the Everfree Forest, while Zephyr is with the girls in the western part. Hopefully neither they, nor us will run into her in the forest so we can focus on our mission, but if we do…”

Bardock and Gine said nothing, their pale face telling Celestia exaclty what they were thinking, neither of their thoughts being remotely pleasant. Celestia could practically see the blue color slowly flooding down their faces as they shivered on either side of her. She draped her wings around both of them in comfort, slowly running them down the married couple in an effort to calm them down.

“Let us both pray that doesn’t happen…at least not tonight.” Celestia said soothingly. “You two already have enough on your plate with your son being kidnapped and all. The last thing you need is the wrath of an angry draconic mare bearing down on you two. For now, you two just focus on doing all you can do to get your son back. If your youngest daughter can’t do it herself.”

“She will save Sheton your Highness.” Bardock shook his head. “I know that Goku will be able to do it. Even if Midnight and Snowflake can’t, Goku surely can. She loves that little colt more than anything else in this entire world and use all the power in her arsenal to protect him from anything and anypony. Be it friend or foe, it doesn’t matter to her.” His heterochromic blue eyes gleamed as he glared at the floor. If looks had any power, it would’ve lit up with the flames burning within his head. “If anypony can do it it’s Goku. Even if it means using all of her Requip Magic Armor forms and obliterating everything in her path. Or burning everything around her into a crisp, even going against anypony that despises her. She doesn’t care; if it means saving Sheton, she’ll do it all.”

“We believe in her, and so do her sisters. She won’t let herself get killed that easily.” Gine added knowingly, not a single shred of doubt lacing her voice. “Plus, she has her friends including Zephyr there to protect them all. And with him there, I know that our daughter will have a solid chance of surviving the land that some of my family calls home.” One of her cloven hooves came to touch the moon symbol on her chest armor. “On top of that, if they’re lucky, they may run into one of their villages, and even gain some assistance from one of the Everfree Guilds. From what you told me that you told Zephyr, they should be on the path that leads to the village of Evergreen Galley.”

Celestia shot a glance down at Gine, but said nothing, giving a gentle nod at her words. She had heard of the populations that resigned in the Everfree, with the Evergreen Galley Village being one of them. It was one of the five villages that were said to populate the untamed wilderness, something that she had just found out recently. It wasn’t until she had gotten a visit Spike’s personal magic and marital arts trainer that she learned of the other villages. That Venture Vine Doragon, who happened to be a leader of a guild in a village north of the Everfree. Evergreen Galley was the one village Celestia had known about the longest. Said village having stood for a millennium, even after her sister was banished to the moon.

It was only during those thousand years that she slowly heard of the other villages dotting the forest. Each one was slowly built overtime, with the last one having just been over two hundred years ago. It was then brought to her attention that each of the villages had formed guilds, which then formed an alliance with one another to protect the forest they held dear. While Celestia doubted that she’d see all of the villages leading occupants tonight, she was sure that she’d at least be seeing their leaders. All whom she hoped would aid her in the fight that would decide whether Nightmare Moon would fall or rise.

“I am positive that they are.” Celestia said with full confidence. “From what I’ve seen of Twilight’s library, she does have a number of resources that can help her in their quest. I also happened to have given her some extra essentials like maps and weapons should she ever have to face any dangers like the one she’s facing now.” A humorless chuckle left her. “Although, I don’t think even that could’ve prepared her for actually having to go inside of the Everfree. Though, in a place like that, you’re never really prepared.”

“Isn’t that the damn truth.” Bardock nodded dryly, recalling the missions that he was given that involved going into the Everfree. “There’s still the begged question though. Will they be able to survive that forest’s dangers long enough to reach Nightmare Moon?”

“They have to; by Faust’s name they have to reach her.” Gine replied, a stretch of silence lingering before she spoke. “Besides having corrupted Queen Luna, she’s the one that has our son in her clutches. She’s the one who invaded Ponyville and took him away from all three of our daughters, right in front of them! Who knows what she could be doing to him right now? I don’t know what it could be, but I know that I can’t be good, and that he has just terrified.” A sniffle left her as she fought the urge to cry, again. “S-so…that’s why Goku, has to-no…n-needs to get to Sheton, a-and save him f-from N-Nightmare Moon. S-she’s t-the only one who c-can…a-and if she doesn’t…a-and she and her f-friends fall to her, then…my b-baby boy…! H-he’ll…!”

The tears following down Gine’s alluring face stopped her from saying anything more. She broke down in sobs, which grew even louder when Bardock went over and took him in his arms. Gine was suddenly struck by images of her only son flashed through the latter’s mind, none of them pleasant in any way. His fluffy little form curled into a ball; his blue eyes filled with a type terror that could only found in a young child. Said eyes looking into the malicious ones of Nightmare Moon, towering over him with flared wings and billowing mane and tail. The Lunar Captain could see it now, Sheton trapped in the nightmarish alicorn’s magical grasp, muzzle’s length away from her face. Nightmare Moon’s mouth open as she brought Sheton even closer to her, and lowering her mouth to place her fangs in his…

Before Gine knew what happened, she was being unexpectedly hugged by Celestia. Both of her forelegs wrapping around her and bringing her in a tight, yet warm and motherly embrace. Gine gasped as surprise and shock mixed in with her anguish, her eyes lifting up to look at the Queen’s closed ones. Bardock was equally shocked as well but said nothing as his Queen comfort him and his wife.

“That will not happen Gine. I swear to you it won’t; you will not lose your son. Or your daughter, nor will any of her friends perish tonight.” She said quietly, her voice gentle, yet firm. “I can’t say that I know the pain and fear your feeling right now. It is the type that can only be found in those that have precious little ones that’re in danger. Nor can I really relate to that very same fear and worry, since I do not have foals of my own.”

She pulled away so she could look into Gine’s teary eyes, her own lavender ones narrowed in determination. “But I will tell you this…in all the time I have known your children, I have known them to be kind, gentle, caring, honest, and powerful ponies. Ponies that I see have the potential to do great things in many years to come, even your only son. Although I have known your son for a very short amount of time, I can see the potential that he has. When I look into his eyes, I see that in him as well, even at the age he is now.”

Celestia stepped off of her seat and backed away, looking both Gine and Bardock in their eyes. “That is why, I swear to you. To both you and Bardock, on the sun and moon I raise every day and night that your son and daughter will live to see the light of day again. I do not care what I have to do to see that through, or how much magic I have to use. If I have to use all the magic given to me by the sun to burn all in our path, then that is what I will do.” Reaching out with her hooves, she brought them both in a hug, nuzzling their reaches in a motherly fashion. “When I took the throne, I made a vow to my mother that I’d give all that I had to ensure that all of my subjects were safe. That no matter what dangers they face, they’d live to see tomorrow. And I intent to stay by that vow, even on this very night.”

Neither Gine nor Bardock responded to Celestia’s determined proclamations to help her and help their children, but they didn’t need to either. The Solar Queen could tell by their body language that they were incredibly thankful and relieved to hear those words come from her mouth. She could even feel the two of them beginning to shake in her embrace as both tried not to cry. Thankfully, they were stopped from doing upon hearing the sound of steam erupting from outside of the train. Breaking apart, the trio watched as the train slowly to a stop at the Ponyville Express Station, thus signifying that they had made it. Wordlessly, they exited out of the train as the doubt doors opened, and the sound of hoofsteps filled the groups ears as they and their guards exited out of the train.

“Well, we made it.” Bardock said as he wiped at his eyes, taking a calming breath. “So, where do you guys wanna go from here?”

“Well, I do want to go and see Snowflake, Midnight and Spike, just to check up on them.” Gine replied, biting her lip. “But I don’t want to delay any more time in going after Goku so me and Bardock can help her rescue Sheton. I want to get to the Everfree Forest as quickly as I can, but…”

“Hey calm down there Gine, it’s alright, deep breaths.” Bardock said, wrapping a wing around his wife soothingly. “Why don’t we try this? We’ll have our second or third in commands take half of our divisions to Ponyville and have them look after our elder daughters and Spike. A lot of them already know what they look like, so it shouldn’t be too hard for them to spot them.”

Celestia raised a brow at the tan stallion. “Isn’t that the plan that I suggested back at my castle, Bardock?”

“Oh…right.” Bardock sweat dropped, much to some of the other guard’s amusement. “You did.”

Gine chuckled a bit, one of her hooves rubbing at her face. “You know what? That does sound like a good idea, even if it wasn’t your idea. I can have my sister Raven Moon take half of the Lunar Division to Ponyville, while me and my brother Starchaser take the other in the Everfree.”

“Good idea love.” Bardock nodded approvingly, kissing her on her cheek. “And I can have Shining Armor to the same with my half, while Spearhead and the other half go with me. Since Zephyr is with the girls in the Everfree, he'll have to act as temporary vice leader for the time being.”

Now it was Celestia’s turn to sweat drop. ‘That was literally what I was going to have them do before we left. These two…’ Shaking her head, she cleared her throat to pull their attention back to her. “Yes, that does seem like the best option at the moment. That will give more added protection to the children you don’t have in the Everfree, and hopefully lift some of the weight on your shoulders.”

“I doubt that it will, but it’ll hopefully help me be more focused on what I need to do.” Gine sighed, adjusting the helmet currently resting on her head. “However, I want to make one thing very clear Your Majesty.”

Celestia looked at her curiously, having an inkling of what she was going to say. “What is that, my dear Gine?”

Gine slowly looked up at the larger mare, her yellow eyes piercing into Celestia’s own like twin daggers. “As thankful as I am for you helping me and my dear Bardock in saving my son you’re your sister, I am by no means going to go easy on her for a second. Little sister or not, I will not allow Nightmare Moon to harm a single hair on my little Tony’s precious head. And if I find that she has…” A faint flash of red danced across her eyes as she hissed lowly, her pointed fangs glistening. “…I will show her no mercy.”

A tense silence washed over the station as many of the guards looked in between Gine and Celestia nervously, the latter’s expression unreadable. More than half of them expected Celestia to lay into evening for daring to threaten her younger sister’s fate. Even if she did have every single reason to do so, unbeknownst to many of them. Against their expectations, the alicorn nodded and gave an understanding smile to the thestral mare.

“I understand Gine.” Celestia finally said, her tone matching her look as she closed her eyes. “While I do have my hopes that we can save my sister without her being too scathed, at the same time, I know the anger you hold towards her at the moment. I won’t hold it against you if you decide to give my sister your own form of retribution should you two meet. I only ask that you don’t hold it against her for what she has done tonight, even if she is corrupted.”

“There’s nothing for me to forgive her for your Majesty. Nor do I have any reason to hold a grudge against her.” Gine said firmly. “Because the mare that fought you a thousand years ago, and took my baby boy tonight, was Nightmare Moon, not Queen Luna.”

With that, Gine walked off, not noticing the wide-eyed look on Celestia’s face as the rest of the Lunar Division followed after her. Bardock watched his beloved wife go, sighing before he looked up at the Queen worriedly. “You okay there your Highness?”

Celestia blinked, shaking her head to clear her shocked state before eye Bardock. “Y…yes, I’m alright; I was just a bit surprised.” Straightening up a bit more, she gripped her spear on her magic and nodded to Bardock and the other guards. “Right, let’s go.”

Next Chapter: Chapter 22 - Guardian of the Valley Estimated time remaining: 6 Hours, 34 Minutes