Canterlot Medical Wing, Bed, Afternoon

"Mr. Zidane it is time for your lunch." said a sweet and kind voice from the door leading to the halls of the medical wing of the palace, a gentle breeze rolling in from the semi-open window. Looking at the nurse I saw that she had a light grey color coat and her mane seem to be an off white/pink color as it was done into a tight bug of sorts, on her flank was a cutie mark of what I hope was not a pair of crossed syringes over a red cross.

"Oh good...going so many days missing random meals seems to have taken its toll on my system, being able to eat at regular intervals is nice, I just hope it is edible enough for me to consume, plants, grass and hay really wouldn't help me on this matter but at least the thought counts." I said weakly, my head still pounding from the brutal mental whipping that myself and my mental friend gave each other.

"Well than you are in luck because it is soup, celery mixed with carrots and cabbage." the nurse said while levitating the soup over to me while she pushed a table meant for those bed-ridden but since I still have full motion with my body I just sit up partially so I be in a reclining position to enjoy what fleeting moments of helplessness before the bowl of steaming soup lands on the table and a spoon is placed next to the bowl.

Taking the spoon in my left hand, minding the hole in my right hand since it still hasn't been fully closed by the regenerating skin graft that Celestia oddly blessed me with while my left hand is fully healed but is left with a circular indent on the palm of it and most likely I would have to modify both palms so I can use my tech and biotics without the fear of blowing out skin and blood every time I decide to use either of my talents on anything.

As a small breeze rolls into the room and catches the soup in the bowl, wafting its semi-fruity/ healthy aroma into the air allowing me to easily inhale its hearty smell as I dip the spoon into the bowl and slowly drain the soup back into the bowl as I begin to slowly eat the prepared soup. Just as the spoon reaches my lips I feel a small presence enter the room and before I turn to see who it could be, Discord grows in size, scaring the crap out of the nurse and prompting me to throw the spoon at him before raising my right hand at him to freeze him in place but he saw this coming and raised his hands in a peaceful stature, most likely trying to say something first before doing something stupid.

"Easy there Roran, I did not come here to anger you, I just came here to give you a heads up that Old Sunbutt, Lunatic and Pink Love is on there way here to talk about things or something. I also came here to talk about your project, well since you decided to be in the hospital for nearly breaking your thick skull I did half the work for you and also outside of Canterlot I left you a hill with a single tree on it, you better go see before something happens. Ta ta for now friend." and just like that he springs into a jump and half way over the bed he disappears in a pop as I find my spoon back in the soup already drained with a piece of celery sticking out of it. Shrugging a bit that he came here to warn me about a talk since those are always happening with me around, maybe cause of recent events or something they found that needs my attention, either way I get to talk to peop- ponies with higher intelligence to at least not feign ignorance or act stupid.

Just as I was about to push that spoon back into my mouth the door slowly opens up to reveal just as to whom Discord said would enter, Princesses Celestia, Luna and Cadence along with Shining Armor who looks like he just lost a bet with someone in a higher position than him. As the door close I can faintly see Discord pointing in mock laughter, my response would have been the middle finger or a Lift into the ceiling but I knew neither would work since having the gaze of three powerful alicorns and one semi strong unicorn whose eyes are currently fixated onto me.

"So I take it that this is a house call and my favorite ponies are here to speak of matters of if I am alright or that they are here to discuss personal matters or things about my people you wish to know, first one is a pleasure but that latter two have a price to be paid and I am currently not really ready to tell what that price is...even though I know that Shining will not take a 'no' for an answer." I said while moving my spoon in for another bite but Luna gave me a pensive look that possibly meant for me to stop eating long enough to hear them out for what they have to say, along with the inadvertent meaning of 'stop eating you fat fuck', which my response was in spite to keep eating until half the bowl was gone which I stifled a belch so I do not 'offend' royalty along with a captain of the guard who probably hates me for knocking out all eight guards while they tried to capture the changeling I brutalized.

"Actually Sir Zidane, I am here to ask you a few things regarding what happened the previous afternoon along with what you did with my guards and the changeling that is now recovering in the hospital room across from you." Shining spoke while slightly straightening out his uniform, slightly uncomfortable for him at the moment.

"Ask away than, but be mindful of what you ask me cause if you start to drift into a topic I do not like or otherwise will not discuss it openly than you will stop otherwise you get to know the feeling being frozen solid into an ice statue do you understand?" Shining nods quickly as soon as I get done talking, thinking on what he wanted to say I resume my earlier task of eating by drinking down half of the soup in the bowl, letting the ponies watch me devour as my Adams Apple goes up and down like a yo-yo and at the same time exposing another scar near my throat directly under my jaw and as I catch Cadence gasp in shock, Shining slightly reeling back along with his wife, Luna gave it a solemn stair most likely wondering what it is while Celestia I couldn't tell since her mane was covering her face partially.

Catching the stares in the bottom of my vision I quickly lower my head so to conceal the age old scar to them but knowing that they saw it I sigh a bit before waiting patiently for him to ask his questions before moving onto the others.

"Well than, I have been meaning to ask you for a while since I first saw you use your magic, how did you learn such spells and who was your teacher?" well that was something I was somewhat expecting to happen since biotics is instant to damn near instant with how fast it is.

Stroking my stubble of a beard before moving it to my military short hair still growing steadily to recover from its recent incineration cut, giving a subtle smile as I feel the gentle breeze from the window as I come up with my response to give, not entirely wanting to give it but since I did beat his guards ass so easily and also knock one out with the handle of the bayonet I suppose I can give one.

"Well my unicorn friend, I learned my Biotics from two different groups of people, my very basic controlling and use in the Alliance as a Sentinel and after I got discharged from the Alliance my training resumed when I joined Cerberus becoming the few prototypes of the Phantom Class, but since of my abilities with tech I was simply reduced to a Centurion afterwards. My teachers were from the military as they each taught me the fundamentals of Biotics but sadly both are dead so speaking of them would bring up memories we had which I could say...were somewhat nice." thinking back at my time at the academy, taking the focusing and attuning tests while under prolonged stress to see if I would falter and fail.

"Just as I told your sister Twilight, is not magic but instead all mental and force. Using Biotics is only restricted to those that have been exposed to E-Zero during the stages of pregnancy, born on a world with vasts reserves of E-Zero or their parents are Biotics and they naturally become one. This ability can not be taught to those that have not been exposed to it simply because the student lacks the main requirement so do not try to ask me to teach you how to learn it...but I can teach your guards how to be like me if they can handle it." I said with a smirk, training these ponies like the way I was trained might earn me respect from the guards and Shining or just straight up fear me by how brutal it was and how they couldn't endure it.

Seeming to be satisfied with his answer I lean back against the bed I was in, enjoying the fluffy pillow that I was using to rest my head on as I push the table over my legs to the sides so I can feel at tad bit more relax and to not worry about spilling the bowl on top of the sheet and my chest to make a mess. As I wait for the next question I see Luna move a bit forward and in a embarrassed look started to speak up from her quiet tone to a more of a shout until she got poked in the ribs by Celestia to lower the volume and tried again.

"Sir Zidane, We have been wondering for a while now since we saw your body in the hospital when you took the attack from the assassin to save Our sister, We wonder how did you acquire such a collection of cutie marks?" Oh right, they think these are cutie marks...ponies and their magical ass tattoo's.

Looking at my chest I saw that it was partially covered up by the sheet but part of the Thresher Maw's head was still exposed along with what remained of the target's northern tip. Taking a deep breath before pushing the sheet down to reveal the rest of my scars and tattoos that adorned my chest, arms and back and at first I heard nothing but sweet silence until the door opened up to reveal the nurse coming back in to pick up the bowl of soup but at the sight of all three royalties inside the same room along with the captain looking at their human patient before bowing down and quickly exiting the room.

"Well Luna, these aren't cutie marks, these are tattoos, us humans and other species at the time used these as a sort of marking for so many reasons that I could only name a few such as for fun, branding of ownership, clan, tribe or otherwise some form of family unit, displayed purposes or as I said, for fun. But of course getting one is a long process that includes paying a fee if it is at a tattoo parlor or if you were like me, received most of them at the army base for free while talking casually with an even more laid-back tattoo operator. These things hurt like hell when you get them since your taking a very thin needle going very fast and is very hot, having it rapidly stab your skin while at the same time injecting ink into it to permanently color it." as I explain how one receives a tattoo I can clearly tell that Cadence is not a big fan of it since she looks a tad bit green and Shining cringes at the parts of where it burns and stings. Trust me on this but the man that gave me the Target and the Thresher Maw screwed up twice, inking the Target pink on accident which I beat some sense of accuracy into him as he re-inked it black and he fucked up the Thresher Maw but doing a half-ass job.

I had to bribe him by giving him a few modifications to his Avenger Rifle, and with that bribe he made my Thresher as realistic as humanly possible, gave it everything and in one drunken moment while looking in a mirror thought it was real and shot the mirror directly at its head. I was just glad that it wasn't a metal wall or otherwise I would not be here at this moment. Thinking back at the other times I received my tattoos I realized that I was slightly tearing up as I felt something trickle down my left cheek as I moved my left hand to feel what it was and as I pulled my hand back to check I saw the clear liquid slowly seep into my skin fading away before quickly clearing both eyes with my left hand's thumb and index finger.

"Sorry about that...just remembering the past...as I was saying....tattoos hurt like hell but the end result is an image of whatever you wanted permanently marked onto your skin that can be removed in a just as painful process that leaves your skin sore, sensitive and flushed." I said while trying to not remember anymore events from my past from all the times I received, removed and reapplied the special markings onto my skin.

As I stopped explaining what they are, Luna took a small moment to think of something else to say before asking me what does each tattoo mean or if they have any meaning to me.

"Well...for starters this one right here, " I said while pointing at the remains of the Target that was over my heart "...that was a bulls-eye, for military terms it was meant as a target and for me, it was meant as a teaser to people that shot at me but couldn't aim their rifles at me to save their sorry lives." as I explained it Shining Armor pointed to the Thresher Maw that was circling around the target.

"This one right here is a Thresher Maw, these beasts are fucking huge and the largest ever recorded in history was Kalros, the mother of all Maws lived on a planet called Tuchanka, that world was what many humans called Hell. Pretty much looked liked it when I was ground-side, nothing but vast deserts, bombed out ruins and all around destruction all in one hazardous shell of a planet. To me it just means that I will tear apart anything that gets in my way and threatens my territory, namely my home, any technology from my time, my friends, and myself and by tear apart I mean you better get a mop, bucket and shovel cause there might be nothing left when I am done with the offender." I said while showing them a small clip of what a single Thresher Maw did to a whole squad of batarian pirates on a desolate world that Aria sent me to collect protection money for their smuggling ring but sadly I only returned with one of their heads, half of the money and a large talon from the Maw. Aria was pissed at me for not getting all of it and pissed at the head I was carrying since that bastard apparently owe her a large ass sum of credits.

I still get nightmares of the things Aria did to me for bringing back 75% of the credits after the second trip back.

"Now over here, opposite of the Thresher is actually my first tattoo, one that I will never...ever remove not even if it is offensive to someone or if it causes an uproar, I will die keeping it on me." I pointed to a strange beast placed onto my right shoulder as it looks like it is crawling from my back to the front, in appearance it looks like an overly large grey lizard but its feet all have sharp and thick claws, its body covered in spiked scales and even its tail has sharpened bones out in a fish fin pattern, its head looking directly at them as its glossy silver eyes look at those watching it, its forked tongue flicked out to sense the fear and dread of those besieged by its gaze.

"This tattoo, was given to me by my very first friend, she...she gave it to me as a reminder that we are part of a pack that will never die without bringing those that think ill of us down together in a bloody cacophony of death and gore. I was only ten when she administered this on, it sure hurt like hell but in the end...it was well worth the pain and infection." I sighed sadly, looking out the window as I barely spotted far outside of Canterlot near the road to Ponyville, a single hill with a low hanging Willow tree on top of it.

Breathing slowly I calmed myself down before asking if there is anything else or if I am free to go.

"Actually Roran, there is something you can do for us, maybe when you are better can you assist the Royal Guards with a little training from your era as I have seen from the few recordings I saw along with the only battle I have seen you partake in I am wondering if you can train a few of the guards to better protect Equestria like the way you used to protect civilians while you were in the...the Alliance as you called it." Celestia said while giving me a warming a smile that partially subdued my thoughts of wanting to just blow my own brains out all over the tomb sight just so I can finally meet my family and those that have passed in the war but knowing that the Reapers could still be out there that would bring destruction to my new friends, my duty as a soldier is still not over till the fat lady...erm fat pony sings.

"I could, but the training methods that I went through were brutal by my standards and for your standards it would most likely be seen as barbaric but if you do want me to train your guards than I must have free reign in the training regiment and neither you, your sister, niece and Shining along with Blueblood could interfere or try to change it in any way. I will train your ponies to be just like me and by like me I mean every single thing except for the tattoos, the small drug and smoking problem and my necessity to slaughter my enemies into oblivion." I crossed my arms as I sat up and the sheet as well moved a bit revealing another tattoo which Cadence spotted and pointed it out as she asked what it was.

"Oh this thing?" I looked at my left hip, trying to remember why I got it. "Oh this, I got it just after I finished boot camp training me, Urta, Katherine and Benoit were out celebrating for actually surviving that hellish regiment and took a night out of town, doing everything a group of full grown adults would normally do." I said while wearing a small smug grin on my face as Cadence asked what exactly did we do.

"We smoked, drank, unknowingly destroyed public and private property, set fire to the Senior Drill Instructors rose garden, Urta took a shit in the SDI's desk, Katherine greased the door knobs for both the doors and windows, I flipped every piece of furniture inside his office upside down and Benoit magnetically sealed his safe door to the wall so it would require a large section of the wall to be cut off to free it. We basically acted like a bunch stupid teenagers with to much energy and power. Oh we also got smashed on booze and baked off our minds on drugs. Next morning I woke up with Katherine sleeping on top of me, Urta asleep on top of the ceiling fang and Benoit was sleeping in the shower. In all that was a night they wished to remember." I was laughing a bit but it quickly died down as I saw their faces in a ghostly visage before they faded away, all three of them sitting on the bed giving me a reassuring smile in that short span of existence. Celestia saw this as she slowly walked up to me and draped her wing over my back and moved me into a hug of sorts, putting a foreleg onto my shoulder as she pressed me into her chest as I felt the warmth of her pelt on my cheek which caused me to recoil ever so slightly from that notion of kindness.

Just as I began to come down from the case of lone survivor sadness I hear Cadence cough a bit before telling the rest of us that she has to get going along with Shining Armor who gave me a pensive stare before leaving.

"Roran, you are not the only one that is suffering from loneliness, Luna, Cadence and I are the only known Alicorns left in existence as you are the only known human in existence...you may think you are alone but you have us to comfort and talk to if you ever need it. I have seen that look of yours before friend, that look was what I have seen in my own mirror when I was alone after I had to banish Luna to the moon for a thousand years, I felt so alone, so tired and so sad that I just wanted to end everything so I can meet my parents and the rest of my people but I knew that if I left to die now than I would leave my sister alone when she returned and I knew she would be alone just like me so I spared her from that torture as much as I can. Just remember this, when you ever feel doubt eat and corrode your morale's and your thoughts, just know that we are always here for you as you are here for us." she presses my cheek a bit more into her pelt as I feel her heart beating a bit until I felt a second wing brush my back as I barely turned my gaze to see Luna also moving into the hug as well.

Just as we were hugging the door knocks a bit before a guard speaks up from outside the door, "Princess Celestia, we have the changeling waiting out here with us, we are waiting to enter on your orders." his voice gruff and obviously not liking the fact that he is watching over a changeling.

Celestia lets out a small sigh as she releases me from the hug along with Luna as they both move back to their respective positions and calls out to let the changeling to enter. As she enters I feel a stabbing pang of regret as I see the wounds I have inflicted upon her still present, scorch marks from where I cauterized the wounds, her face looking a bit hollow from the lack of food in her system as well as from the extreme amounts of damage and possible organ destruction that have no doubt damaged or broken a couple from my fist. She slowly lifted her head up to meet my gaze as I felt another piercing pang of guilt and pain lance through my chest, my own actions influenced by him that was forced upon her instantly making me not even want to look at her but my own willpower and guilt forced me to keep looking into her until I force my eyes to look at the floor in both shame and overwhelming guilt.

Before she even speaks I at first barely even move my lips to say the one word I rarely use but after seeing her move slightly closer to me I can feel my own mind starting to fracture and crack at the seams before I partially shatter under the stress.

"Sorry...I...I am so sorry...I..I shouldn't have done such things to you..you were still young, still innocent...what we did...and what I did afterwards after you showed who you really were...I..I just couldn't take it anymore....so long ago I thought that the betrayal of that time would fade away but seeing it happen again...I just couldn't let it happen to anyone else...ever...I...I am sorry...so very sorry...it still hurts me to even see what I did to you...the thought of you in that condition while I was addled and fueled by wrongful vengeance..." I was on the verge of full on breaking down, just as I did when I first found Alaria back in our old room nothing more than a hollow ash statue or when my friends died around me on the streets of London and the moon's capital Armstrong. So many painful memories being dragged up just by looking at the fragile looking changeling until I shut m eyes closed as I cried myself to a near passed out state until I felt something wrap me into a hug of sorts as I very weakly opened my eyes.

My eyes opened up to see that the changeling that I nearly killed was the one hugging me, at first I thought it was an empty to strangle me but I feel her chitinous plates rub against my arm as her cheek rubs against mine, her own words slightly garbled since she to was crying as well but from what few fragmented words I could hear, she was apologizing for the deception, for using me as a meal to survive and also forgiving me for the torture and near execution.

Just as I thought I could fully recover, Luna comes from the side and hugs me right arm, her foreleg somewhat digging into my right thigh as Celestia came up to me as well and embraced all three of us until a hug and as the hug went on the changeling and I started to slowly stop crying until all four of us hear a sound that I thought was a belch and we all looked at the changeling to see that she looks somewhat bloated and full as we figure out she got full from all the emotions that was running rampant in the room.

After a few hours of calming down, trying to settle our differences and even saying a few kind and heart warming words the changeling is allowed to stay but can only feed off of me and possibly Discord if he is able to not do anything stupid in the process.

"Celly, that offer you made to the gryphons about me going with them to secure any relics of humanities past, I accept it, but before I go I would like the YMIR mech moved to my home to the third floor along with any and all parts that might go with it along with the ammo crates, I have something in mind for it...and, thank you for the talk...I really needed it more than anything else...it might have not calmed down he raging thoughts that are retreating deep within me but at least it helped me maintain control. And changeling, sorry for harming you...I still suffer from the nightmares of my past along with the symptoms of PTSD...don't worry its not contagious, it is more likely that those guards that I train might get it from the methods I will use but it might be for the best." I yawn silently, trying to not attract any attention and almost on que Luna breaks from the hugging and says that she has spent as much of her free time on this matter and has excused herself out to the door as the changeling followed suit and from the sounds of the guards, escorted her back to her hospital room leaving me with Celestia.

Slowly after a while Celestia breaks off the hug and moves herself directly to my left, somewhat sitting down on the marble floor before she clears her throat to get my attention which always works on me since the years of being drilled to be a soldier and to be at the beck and call of a throaty cough or loud voice.

"Roran, while you were unconscious the previous day, the remaining gryphon delegate and I began to speak on your departure and came to an agreement that in a year you will be going to the gryphon capital of Gryphus to work as an agent of the crown and as an intermediate talon agent for them. This was called for to create an olive branch between the two of us as we were close to starting a war over the caches of human technology, hoping that with it we can further ourselves and to bring peace over all species, the gryphons might have used it to subjugate all ponies, dogs, zebras and if they were mad...the dragons. Because of your intervention at the meeting when you demonstrated that your sword can easily cut through their armor and weapons like it was nothing they rethought their previous decision and this came up." her speech was part way done but I heard enough as I had a stupid thought and flipped my mental coin of fate as it came up heads as I took a deep breath and went with it.

"Celestia, don't need to thank me, because if either you or those gryphons even bothered to try to use it without authorization than either or would have exploded into gore bits but it was the thought that counts. And also can I have my box-o-fucks back, that thing is important to me." I said before I felt a hoof grab my right hand as I got off the bed and slowly walked to the door.

Just as I began to turn around I felt her muzzle press onto my right cheek as I felt her lips pucker up into a kiss and the reaction was immediate, my body heated up and I felt my face flush with red as she moved back and giggled at my body's reaction.

"That was for kissing me all that time ago without my permission, you said that you were a paladin and yet you acted like a vagrant before running off after that assassin to save my life. Now you better start acting like the paladin you say you are or otherwise I have to take that title away from you and replace it with one more form-fitting." she said with a large smirk on her face, my own still shocked at her forwardness.

Shaking my head a bit I return with a rebuttal of my own, "And my dear princess, what is that title that you thought of?" I said with an equally large smirk on my face waiting for my answer.

"Well I was thinking of calling your meat shield, vagrant or a charlatan but for know you can keep your title of being a paladin, for now." she said while giving a small giggle before walking to the door and looked back at me with a soft smile on her face.

"Celestia, if you have the time, get Shining Armor to get as many recruits you want me to train to meet me at an unused barracks, tell them to bring whatever they have to it and to find their bunks on their own and also to have everything I will need to train them as well as a few things that I need to construct so I can help train them in the human art of military marine regimental training." I said while unknowningly bumping into her side in which she retaliated by bumping me back with her flank which sent me into the table holding my soup, which comically flew into the air and landed on my head splattering the soup, celery and cabbage all over my head and shoulders.

The sounds of her laughter was enough for me to wipe myself clean and put most of it back into the bowl, than I gave her a look than at the bowl before I shifted it into a throwing position but sadly Celestia saw that coming and quickly left the room just as the bowl smacked into the door, shattering on impact as I heard laughter coming from the other side as I joined in as well before using the sheet to wipe myself clean and to dry off my short head of hair before walking out to the front of the palace, a guard stopped me as he passed the small ammo box to me and gave me a salute as he returned to his stance.

As I made my way through the streets of Canterlot, I seemed to be earning gazes from the rich ponies who a few saw me at the Gala, and from the few stares I got I can tell that I was rather not welcome or that I should be wearing a shirt but seeing how a few of them are half nude except for one stallion that I see is not only wearing a stuffy collared shirt, he is also wearing black pants...why the hell do ponies even have pants? He was also wearing a black top hat and a monocle, which just screams overly fancy as I just stare a while before moving out of the way of a cart and kept on moving.

As I walked out the front gate I saw that the walk to the lone tree hill would be at best an ten minutes if I ran full tilt or an hour if I walked all the way but seeing how the sun was at mid-day I had all the time in the world to waste it. In that walk to the hill I slowly formed a knot in my stomach, not really wanting to see what Discord has done to the bodies of my people of Lower London but I know that he would never defile them unless he wants to face my wrath and also that of Celestia and Luna since he is on thin ice with them.

I expected that the hill would be just that, a hill with a willow tree but as I got to the base of the tree facing Canterlot I saw that their was a wide stone staircase leading down into the hill, and the stone itself was a very pale shade of marble and as I walked down the stairs I felt the air go colder and filled with moisture until it completely stopped at the bottom as the wetness in the air vanished along with the cold but the scenery itself was what grabbed my attention.

The entire room was pale ivory marble, the floor, the walls and ceiling, even the coffins which was holding the bodies that Discord and I found, all pale ivory marble. In the center of this first room was a large black glassy marble pillar and upon inspecting said pillar it held all the names of every single person that lived in Lower London at the time of the attack. Discord has went out of his way from being crazy and chaotic to go to the terminal in the dungeon and copy every single name to inscribe onto this pillar for my peoples last memory. Hanging on the ceiling was a chandelier made of black wood with multiple candles on it illuminating the room along with torches on the walls lighting up the corners.

As I walked past the entrance to the tomb I stepped into the next room which held a few coffins that are contorted to somewhat looking like the person that is dead and once again another chandelier in the center of the room, hanging part way to the cener and on the walls was the skulls of Husks with candles in their open mouths, burning brightly a bright blue color along with the chandelier candles giving the room a magical glow to it. The room itself was an intersection of sorts with a long corridor leading to the left and right that look like it too are intersections to other parts but both end after about five rooms.

Going forward I notice that things are looking more and more decorative, seemingly like these people are from the military or otherwise a high position but from the names on the coffins I can only guess that they are important until I hit the first gate inside the tomb, all iron bar gate leading lower into the ground as to make it seem like an actual tomb with depth instead of width.

After five hours of checking the entire tomb, searching everything to see that it was indeed filled with the remains of my fallen people but the final gate to what I think is the last room is different, it appeared ornate and golden and as I approached it, it slowly swung open to reveal a garden of sorts and four coffins laid out in an X fashion.

The first coffin, my adoptive mother from the orphanage.

Here Lies Mother Isabella

Loved by her adopted Son Roran Zidane

Mother to many humans that were left to die alone.

You will be missed dearly

Looking at the coffin I can see what looks exactly like her, an exact image of her face in a heart warming smile and holy demeaner, a tear sliding down my face as I silently prayed to her to rest in peace as I moved to the second coffin.

Here Lies Sister Tabi

Part of the Human Church of God

Carried for the sick and the infirm

You will be missed dearly

Staring at her coffin brought another tear to my eye as I remembered all the times she had to pull me out of trouble and scold me for the few thefts she caught me doing, she acted like the older sister to those that lived in that orphanage.

Here Lies Katherine 'Kat' Torus

Second in Command of the Black Death N7 Squad

Best Friend of Roran T. Zidane

Rebellious and Tacturn to the End

You will be missed dearly

I will miss you my friend, you pulled my ass out of many fires as I did for you, and most of all I will miss your sorry ass.

Here Lies Amily S. Zidane

Loving Mother of Roran T. Zidane

Fought for the defence of her son after giving him away to ensure his safety from Cerberus Assassins

Fought in the defense of Humanity in the War of Extinctions

Loved by her son

You will be missed dearly

I carved into the dark marble coffin, adding my own part to it as more tears kept falling down my face.

I will never forget you mother, I will always love you. Thank you for bringing me into this world even when the odds were stacked against you. You will never be forgotten.

My omni-blade sheathing itself as I fall onto my mother's coffin, crying myself for almost an hour, not wanting to leave her side as I just let myself go and moved onto the last one.

Here Lies Alaria E. Rosenthal

Boyfriend of Roran T. Zidane

Leader of the Ravaged Basilisks

Loved by her friends and Lover

You will be missed dearly

Extending my omni-blade again I proceed to carve another set into the marble, my writing slightly carving a bit deep into the stonework.

You have given me the best times of my life and even friends when I would have never been given. Because of you I grew a heart and a will to endure the worst of pains, I will never forget you or your touch.

-Loved You Always.

Pushing back from the coffin I sit there in the middle of the room, hearing my own sobbing and breathing for little more than an hour until I make my way out of the tomb of my people and friends, my ears slightly hearing their collective voices, hearing them speak amongst one another as well as faintly seeing their ghostly forms leaving their coffins to move and even try to grab my arm but their hands phase right through me as I force myself to keep moving until I get outside and close the double doors behind me as I carve one last time the symbole of the Earth Systems Alliance and climb onto the hill and sit onto the base of the tree, watching the sun slowly set as my eyes settle on the horizon, looking at the fields beneath the mountain as my eyes gaze at maximum zoom to see a glimmer of the ocean.

"You know Roran...we have never forgotton about you...even when your mind slowly forgets about us...." a faded voice said from behind me as I just barely feel something tug my hand and as I turn around I see Alaria standing behind me, just as a small breeze goes by as it makes her at first flawless form waver a bit making her transparent and a mirage.

"Don't be sad....this would have happened either way....time was never our ally let alone our friend....if we would have won the war of extinctions and we were together...time would have torn us apart as we die from the ages...." her voice had a partial echo to it as I felt her hand caress my face, stalling my nerves for a second before she pulled me into a hug which she barely faded into me but reformed herself to be able to hug me.

"Alaria....I failed you...I failed Earth...I failed everyone....everything I loved and fought to protect is gone with the ashes of death and time...I should have died with everyone back in London all those years ago...I miss you...I miss mother...I miss everyone...it hurts so much to just know that I survived it and you didn't..."

"Please don't cry for us you russian bastard, we both know this was bound to happen and besides, the bar is open 24/7 here, so don't be so glum you should at least know that even in death that we can meet for a drink or two, and maybe scare the shit out of some poor unsuspecting person. For now big boy, just live your life like you used to and for gods sakes buy yourself a shirt, even in death I have to see your half naked ass running around." the ghostly visage of Katherine laughs while knocking back a transparent bottle in her left hand as she gives me a thumbs up as she phases under the ground back to her new home.

Just as I try to call Katherine back to keep talking, just to know none of this was a hallucination another voices speaks up and startles me all to hell.

"I know what you are thinking...and let me tell you this now, suicide is not the answer and you damn well better not do such a cowardly thing while you still have people that need you let alone do such a thing when the winds of change start blowing. I have done everything in my power to ensure that you lived in peace until you came of age and I did even more so to ensure that Cerberus never caught you, but son...do not let those that would use you for their own advantage escape justice or retribution so easily. You are an Alliance Marine and you damn better live up to our standards. And one more thing son, that girl you got the hots for, try not to fuck it up, I still want grandchildren and if you fuck up in being a father than I will beat your ass down with your own hands. Dismissed and take care of yourself son." my mother stood at attention and gave a salute as I returned one in return before breaking it off into a hug but it lasted only a few seconds before she too phased back into the hill as Alaria returned to stand by me.

As I looked at her I noticed that she was a bit off and from what I can tell she has something important to say, about me for the future I can not tell.

"Ro-Ro, please turn around for a minute, there is something I need to do before you can see me again." her voice soothing and calm and with a curt nod I closed my eyes and turned around and heard the rustling of leaves and branchs and the tall tell sign of them creaking and breaking and all of that lasted for only five minutes until I felt something smooth tap my shoulder to turn around again and my eyes were invaded by something very familiar yet alien at the same time.

Alaria was standing there but now she looked more solid than before but I can just barely see through her, my guess is she is concentrating hard enough to make herself solid or as solid as physically possible.

"Roran, even though we are seperated for the time being, I can still be here for you, in a few ways but that look I saw is not one of them so get your head out of the gutter." she said while giving me a smug look as I scowl a bit before returning that smug look.

"So this is as best we can touch each other I take it...well...mi'lady, shall we have this dance in the dimming light before I have to return to active duty for the defense of the natives against hostiles?" I said while giving her my hand, hoping she takes it.

She smiles bashfully at me before taking it and moving close to me as we both walk a bit far from the tree to the flat part to start the dance we should have shared back on Armstrong.

As we started to do our very slow couple's dance, Alaria began to sing the first thing that comes to mind that seems to oddly fit for this moment as we both know it to be truth to her soothing words.

"Lay down...your sweet and weary head."

"Night has fallen...you have come to journeys end."

"Sleep now...and dream of the ones that came before."

"They are calling...from across the distant shores."

"Why do you weep?"

"What are these tears upon your face?"

"Soon you will see, all of your fears will pass away."

"Safe in my arms, your only sleeping."

"What can you see...on the horizon?"

"Why do the white gulls call?"

"Across the sea...a pale moon rises."

"The ships have come to carry you home."

"Dawn will turn to silver glass."

"A light on the water, all souls pass."

"Hope fades...into the world of night."

"Through shadows falling, out of memory and time."

"Don't say we have come now to the end."

"White shores are calling, You and I will meet again."

"And you'll be here...in my arms."

"Just sleeping."

"What can you see...on the horizon?"

"Why do the white gulls call?"

"Across the sea a pale moon rises."

"The ships have come to carry you home."

"And all will turn to silver glass."

"A light on the water...grey ships pass...into the west."

As her singing voice dies down I am holding her in my arms, her head pressing against my shoulder as I cradle her body slowly, not wanting to let her go and to hold as long as I could as a few tears land on top of her head as I see the moon slowly rises over the edge on the horizon, basking us both in its pale silver glow.

"This was the best dance I have ever gotten from you Roran...even better than the one when we both turned eighteen...you never did tell me what you bought with those credits you took from that one man you pickpocketed when you first joined us and I had to figure out what was so important about an empty ammo box....you should have told me you wanted my hand in marriage. I would have said yes if you just man up and asked me but I guess it would have made this time even worse to see your wife dead in your arms dancing with you in the pale moonlight while you still live. Just remember this you big lug, try to visit us from time to time." her voice sounding like silk as she caresses my face with both hands as she lets go of me and returns to the tree before giving me one last look and phased right into it and left me standing alone on the hill silent.

That silence was broken by the sounds of flapping wings as Luna landed behind me as I hear her clearing her throat to grab my attention which was still focused on the tree but slowly turned around to face the lunar princess.

"Roran We have been looking everywhere for you for the greater half of the afternoon to the early night, where have you been this entire time?" her tone was that of concern and that of an angry mother scolding her child for staying out at night after curfew has been declared.

"I was just...clearing my head, anything to think clearly...." I said a bit to quickly, since me and Luna were not entirely on par with liking each other since we began a prank war with one another since the statue incident when I scared the crap out of her before I was free, than there was the time I dyed her mane lime green, and the time I placed an eye-ball of mine in her ceral or the ever so classic pull the chair our from under the slow sitting person. Her pay back pranks are just as devious if not clinically evil.

"There is no need to lie amongst friends now, I saw that phantom of a friend you were dancing with along with the others but what makes me wonder is how can you see them let alone interact with the ghosts of the deceased? In all of Equestria there are very few who know about ghosts and even fewer that can see them and from what I know of only ten can communicate or interact with them. From what I saw from the sky I could tell that you missed them dearly...were they your family?" the lunar princess asks with wonder and concern, most likely wonder since I have never told anyone but very few people of my family or those I considered friends or close friends.

Tilting my head back to stare into the pale full moon that is just a few inches over the horizon I sigh softly as I keep staring off into the distance.

"They were my family of sorts...you see I was raised in an orphanage till I left, the first person my oldest and best friend...and girlfriend, the second persond was my second in command and drinking buddy, the last was my mother...my real mother...I..I rather not talk about any of them...I rather say things once and get it over with...but I can only guess that you hopefully found me ready recruits for the hellish training I will put them through if not than I am hand picking them from those that I see on patrol." I said the last part crossing my arms, hoping that she did create a list along with her sister of promising souls to take part in the new N7 training regiment.

"We can say that my sister and I have indeed found you able-body recruits, but do be gentle with them Roran, I rather not have to talk to them about what they experienced and try to not make them quit the royal guards because you tortured them with gruelling exercises." I waved her off as I chuckled a bit to what I have planned for them.

"Just tell them to meet me in their new barracks at the crack of dawn, by than everything will be set and one more thing Luna." she turned to face me as I looked back at the castle.

"Does your night guards have a place to hang out since night time is usually the time when most people are out enjoying themselves in some form or another." I said while expecting something stupid like a salon or do I dare say it, a tea party building.

"Well...to answer that question, my lunar guards do have a place that they go to relax and to unwind before and after their shifts end and it is here in Canterlot, as for my sister's soloar guards...they have their breaks at the castle messhall with their talks and the few mares their tea parties." I ask for the location of the lunar guards break room, her answer was something I would never suspect from the dark princess. Appearently her guards go to an underground bar with less than pleasing standards and equally standing patrons but in retrospect it sort of sounds like the Afterlife club on Omega.

"That sounds perfect, I can find my way there if I ever need to relax, and don't worry about the guards for training day, they will get a education of a lifetime and if they don't like I will just beat them over the skull with the training till they take it like a man." and with that I begin my walk back to the castle, already planning the training for the foolish ponies.

Canterlot Training Grounds, Early Dawn

Watching these ponies sleep so peacefully is a wonderful sight, each one snoring softly and quietly as to not disturb their brother or sister in arms but as the time struck five in the morning I press a button on my omni-tool to play out the worlds loudest alarm clock forcing every single pony to launch out of their beds, get into their uniforms and to stand at attention by their bunks. Once they all got in line I began my introduction.

"I am your Senior Drill Instructor, Lt. Zidane, the first and last thing that I will hear spew out of your filthy sewer mouths is Sir, do you maggots understand that?" I said while slowly walking down one isle of ponies of all shapes, sizes, colors and variations, each pony wearing recruit shirts made of an olive green rough fabric bearing their names and ranks in the royal guard.

"Sir yes Sir!" they all moaned out, still shaking themselves awake from the alarm clock of hell.

"Bullshit I can't hear you sound off like you got a pair." I shouted back, clearly not impressed by the lot of them.

"SIR Yes SIR!" they shouted back, now acting like decent maggot recruits.

"If you ladies leave this base, if you survive recruit training, you will be a weapon, you will be a minister of death praying for war. But until that day you are pukes, you are the lowest form of life in Equestria, you are not even equine fucking beings You are nothing but unorganized amphibious grabasses pieces of shit."

"Because I am hard you will not like me but the more you hate me the more you will learn. I am hard but I am fair. Here there is no racial bigetry, here you are all equally worthless and my orders are to weed out the weak that are not packed to endure to be in my beloved core, do you magots understand that?"

"Sir Yes Sir!" they all shouted in unison this time but still didn't have that ring I was looking for.

"Bullshit I cant hear you." I shout back, my arms at parade attention as I walk to the other isle.

"SIR Yes SIR!" they shouted back this time with that ring of break down for training.

"Whats your name scumbag?" I shout to the one of two gryphons that were in the room, the pair came from Luna's group of guards. The gryphon in question has dark feathers that have a slightly brighter color for the head and legs, her amber/orange eyes make her easier to spot from her counterpart who is on the other side of the room.

"Sir Private Valyrie Sir!" the gryphon shouted while standing absolutely still.

"Bullshit from now on you are Private Snowball do you like that name?" I said while trying to keep myself from wearing a shit-eating grin.

"Sir Yes Sir!"

"Well there is one thing that you won't like Private Snowball is that they don't serve fish and meat on a daily basis in my mess hall."

"Sir Yes Sir!"

I heard a private from behind me in the other isle say something which earned a few laughs from the recruits next to him. I did not like that at all.

"Who said that? Who the fuck said that?" I shouted while moving at a fast walking pace to the direct opposite of my spot to the pony that decided to crack a joke at the worst possible moment.

"Whose the slimy tiny piece of shit twinkle hoofed cockgobbler over here who just signed their death warrent?" I shouted while nearing the general area of the joker pony.

"Nopony huh? The fairy fucking godmother said it. Out-fucking-standing! I will PT you all till you fucking die! I will PT you all till you are drinking cream milk from your assholes!" I was on the rage while saying all that, I at least thought these guards would know when to talk behind someones back not when they are within the same room which was enchanted to allow words to go farther than they were intended to be.

"Was it you you scroundchy little fuck huh!"

"Sir No Sir!"

"Bullshit I bet it was you, you look like a little fucking worm!"

"Sir No Sir!" "Sir I said it Sir!" I turned my head to my left to see the pony in question who spoke out against my orders, looking at his flank I saw two masks that belong to the opera. His coat red and his mane green. Unicorn.

"Well...what do we have here a fucking comedian Private Laughs, well I admire your honesty. You can come over to my house and fuck my friend." I procceeded to punch him straight in the gut, not hard enough to blow a few out but hard enough to knock the wind out of him and bring him to the floor.

"You little scumbag I got your name I got your ass! You will not laugh you will not cry, you learn by the numbers, I will teach you will learn. Now get up get on your hooves." I shouted as Private Laughs very slowly got back onto his hooves, trying hard not to fall back down.

"You best unfuck yourself or I will rip your head off and shit down your neck!" I always wanted to say that to some fool that is messing with me and I beat his ass into submission.

"Now why did you decide to partake in this training regiment Private Laughs."

"Sir to protect the princesses Sir." he said a bit meekly, time to have some fun.

"So your a protecter huh? Let me your war face." getting close to his face, almost three inches apart from each other.

"Sir?" his face contorted into confusion as I grin evilly at his sorry ass.

"Your war face, Ahhhhh! That's a war face now let me see yours." I said while breathing down on him the smell of bacon and hard cider, the breakfest of men. I can tell that the smell was enough to get him wobbly as his face turned a tinge green.

"Bullshit that didn't convince me, work on it." I said before marching off to my next victim.

"Sir Yes Sir." Private Laughs coughed out, still trying to stay on his hooves from the gut shot.

I walk down to the pony that I accused of being the speaker.

"How tall are you private?"

"Sir three foot nine Sir!"

"Three foot Nine I didn't know they stacked shit that high, are you trying to squeeze an inch on me somewhere huh!" I for one did know that you can stack shit higher than three feet off the ground, I seen it happen before and by god when that thing burned I was gagging and trying not to puke, that smell took a week to wash out.

"Sir No Sir" his accent was that of one that spends there time away from education and more into hard labor.

"Where the hell are you even from private?" I had the desire to know so I can give him a proper name and insult.

"Sir Appaloosa Sir!" Old Earth equivilant of Texas or the South.

"Holy dog shit, only apples and colt-cuddlers come from Appaloosa Private Cowpony and since you are not an apple that kind of narrows it down. Do you suck dicks?" my reports that I got from Appaloosa was that there was a fair share of cuddlers there, if that is true than I am going to avoid that like the plague, rather not get molested with eyes down there.

"Sir No Sir!" he probably does.

"Are you a beater buffer?" another variation of suck ducks.

"Sir No Sir!" hopefully honest.

"I bet you are the kind of guy that will fuck a man in the ass and not have a god damn common courtesy to give him a reach around, I'll be watching you." a few ponies in the room snicker at that but the sound of a loud whip cracking silenced them as my assistants walked in wearing their own specially designed uniforms to fit her odd shapes.

Walking a few ponies down I found one that was straight up butter face.

"Does your parents have any children that live?"

"Sir Yes Sir."

"I bet they regret that. Your so ugly you can be a modern art masterpiece. Whats your name fat body." and indeed this pony looked fat, I can see a few flabs of extra skin and can even tell that his face look busted, like he repeatilly slammed his head against a brick wall till some pony actually had to drag him away from it to apply the bandages.

"Sir Private Gold Chalice Sir!"

"Chalice that sounds like royalty, are you royalty private?"

"Sir No Sir."

"From now on you are Private Husky."

"Sir Yes Sir.

"Do you think I'm cute Husky do you think I'm funny!"

"Sir No Sir."

"Than wipe that disgusting look off your face."

"Sir yes Sir.

I waited a full minute and Private Husky still was wearing that smug grin on his face.

"Any fucking time sweetheart." I was already hating this bastard.

"Sir I am trying Sir." that look on his face was that he was trying very hard not to shit himself or trying to remove that grin from his face. I was not buying it.

"Husky you got three seconds, exactly three fucking seconds before I gouge out your eyes and skull fuck you. 1. 2. 3."

"Sir I can't help it Sir."

"Bullshit get on your knees scumbag." time for the moment of truth in a lesson of obedience.

I move my right hand out in choking position.

"Now choke yourself." he slowly brings his hooves to his neck, "God damn it numbnuts with my hand, now choke yourself." he stopped moving his hooves to his neck and tried to bring my hand to his neck as I smacked those hooves away, "Don't move my hand towards you, now lean forward and choke yourself." he finally got it and as I barely felt his neck enter my hand I immediately clamped down and started to squeeze the shit out of his windpipe.

"Are you through grinning?" his reply was a weak yes and a weeze

"Bullshit I can't hear you." he speaks again but this time with more force in his tone but not enough for me to stop.

"Bullshit I still can't hear you, sound off like you got a pair." this time I heard it loud and clear.

"You best square yourself away and get yourself sorted out or I will fuck you up."

"Recruits, go to the courtyard and away new orders for training."

Unknown Location

"You got what you wanted...now let me go...."

"Not yet my foreign peasent...if you want to keep your new found freedom you will do as I say...he will come here soon enough and when he does...you two shall breed me a new generation of loyal protectors...and when your task is finished, you shall be free."

"Bosh'tet."

"Everything has a price my little peasent, you just never asked the full price."