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My room was quiet for the moment. I had just finished typing out my prior entry and had set it aside. But the catharsis of having finished documenting a very notable day was quickly snuffed out by the realization of what would be coming next. In only a matter of hours, we would be learning a truth that had been hidden from us by hundreds of miles of meadow. And the part of not knowing what that was only ate at me the longer I thought about it.

There was no naming this dread in my heart. I tried to hold onto whatever hope I had, praying that whatever the Changeling queen discovered out there at the Heaven's Pillar could not possibly be as horrible as what I was suspecting. Everything about the emperor and his motives and goals had been a mystery. What would we find out there that would change everything we knew of what to come?

Sitting there alone at my typewriter, my attention was soon drawn to the door just to my right. There was a knock on it. I then asked, "Yes...?"

The voice I heard on the other side was one that filled me with a twinge of relief. "It is I, darling! Do be a dear and let me in, please?"

"Rarity? Sure!" I retorted before hurrying to the door and undoing the lock. I could never refuse a moment with her.

As soon as the door opened, that beautiful mare jumped into my arms and used her levitation magic to lock the door behind her. She immediately brought her lips to mine for the sweetest kiss I had received in a while as she spoke, "Oh, finally! How I've longed for a moment alone with you!"

What a wonderful distraction. I cradled that wonderful mare to my chest and dragged my fingers along her silken coat. "Great to see you, Rarity... Anything I can do for you?"

"There is, actually." Rarity replied while I lowered her to the floor. She shook herself for a second as she said, "I swear, I just have not been able to get all this dust out ever since we went through that dust bowl. Everypony has been using the showers so much that I just could not find an opportunity for myself! Would you mind if I fix that with a little...alone time with you, my love?"

If anyone was not going to cope well with that expanse or scorched earth left behind by Orbash and Sunflare's arrival, it was going to be Rarity. She did not appear to have any patches of dust caked onto her, but she always had a keener eye than me. And the prospect of sharing a morning shower with her was something I did not want to pass up. "Yeah, sounds fine to me... Shall we?"

"After you, my love." The lovely unicorn said softly to me while batting her beautiful lashes at me. There was nothing false about them anymore. And her beauty remained intact despite the hardships we had faced thus far.

Minutes later, we were basking in the falling warm water of my bathroom's shower stall. I remained seated in a corner now that I had a guest with me. And Rarity was all over me with her long indigo curls straightened out so beautifully with the weight of the water soaking into them. Her lips met mine over and over, bathing me with kisses after too many days of just not having much time for each other. "Mm, how I've longed for this moment, my dear. How has my dashing champion been fairing?"

"Not well, to be honest... I think recent events are really starting to get to me." I replied while I rested a hand just above her hips. I did not want to sugarcoat anything to my beloved. Certainly not now. "Thanks for being here... I'm sorry I haven't seen you or the girls more often."

"Oh, darling... No need to apologize." Rarity cooed with her cheek rubbing up against mine. "We know that the circumstances aren't exactly ideal for us to mingle. The ladies and I are but mere foot soldiers. We have our roles to fulfill and that unfortunately means we don't get to meet as often as we would like. You are one of our finest champions, so that naturally means you must prioritizing mingling with those that are on your level. The princesses, the Dragon Lord, and so on. Do not fret over this war getting in the way. It will just make our return to Ponyville all the more satisfying once the war finally comes to a close."

I was glad she was being a good sport about it. And Rarity had a good point on why my closet friends from home just have not had many opportunities to really spend time with me outside of shared meals in the mess halls. Especially now that we had properly mobilized and had to maintain a steady pace. There was less time to stay in one place and discuss strategies. We had to not delay. But now that Rarity had mentioned Ponyville, I started to feel dreadfully homesick. I pulled her into my arms and rested my head against hers. "I never thought I'd find myself missing Ponyville so much..."

"Give it time, my love. It won't be much longer now. I'd be willing to wager we'll have this war over and done with in just two more weeks at most and then everything will be right as rain. I can hardly wait to get back home and finally get caught up on my work and to see dear little Gladesong again... Oh goodness me, Fluttershy will be over the moon to see us come home. Especially when she finally holds her knight in shining armor in her arms again." Rarity spoke gleefully with only thoughts of the future on her mind. And I felt myself longing dearly for my beautiful wife and our baby girl. And little Scootaloo... Poor girl. I wonder how she and her friends are handling our absence?

For the rest of the shower, it was just a loving moment of respite. Rarity handled most of the work, lathering me up and showering me with kisses that she had likely spent days waiting to give to me. For a short while, all was well and it felt like things had gone right back to normal. When I got the opportunity, I whispered sweet words to her ear. "I love you."

"And I love you, my prince." Rarity whispered with a succulent hiss in her words. We held each other for a moment as the lather was rinsed from me. Then it was my turn to help bathe my beloved. And as my fingers scrubbed that fragrant gel into her flanks, Rarity sighed in bliss. "Give it time, my love... We'll be home before you know it. And you will still have me and Fluttershy... We will still be your mares when this is all over."

"I know, m'lady... Just...love you so much. Can't wait to hold you both in my arms again. You, Fluttershy, and little Gladesong." I whispered back to her before placing a kiss upon her ear. Never before have I found myself longing for the simple married life I had to temporarily leave behind. I missed Fluttershy and Scootaloo, but I found a newfound longing in my heart as I thought of Gladesong. That precious little thing... My own flesh and blood, born from the mare I chose to be my wife. I was a father...and I found myself dearly wanting to hold my baby girl in my hands again.

Not much more happened that was worth mentioning from that moment forward. We said little, but spoke more through kisses and caresses than anything else. Rarity picked a good time to pay me a visit and there was no better way I could think of to spend it. Once we were out of the shower, I helped Rarity get her mane and tail dry to get her curls restored without the use of any hairstyling equipment. She used her levitation spell to keep her hair held taught in the correct patterns until they were entirely dry with the use of a hairdryer that I found in the bathroom. Her body now clean and pristine, she batted her beautiful lashes up at me with a very familiar smile on her lips. "Much better. I needed that after too much time in that wasteland. Such an impressive first impression by the king and queen, but did they really have to leave such a barren mess behind?"

"I'm not complaining. They saved us the trouble of having to take out an entire army." I replied while drying myself off to get dressed again. But once I was clothed, I noticed Rarity tapping her lips with a hoof. "One more for the road?"

"Mmhm. Your betrothed needs a little sugar." She whispered scandalously at me. All too happy to provide, I dropped to a knee and held her in an embrace with our lips touching. Our eyes closed and our lips parted. How I missed her touch... And her taste. She masterfully caressed my tongue with her own, that sacred dance just not lasting long enough. Once the kiss ended and we gazed drunkenly into each others' eyes, my beloved whispered to me, "Am I keeping you, dear? Is there something happening today?"

"Yeah... I'll be heading out in a short while to basically provide security to a reconnaissance team. We're to scope out the Heaven's Pillar and see exactly what's happening out there. We're not expecting to have to deal with the enemy, but...it's the not knowing part that's getting to me the most." I explained with the dread of having to part ways with her filling my heart. There was something I would have to do soon and Rarity could not come with me. "We'll be OK... I just hope whatever news we bring back won't be too earthshaking."

"Whatever you find out there..." Rarity muttered before once against placing a kiss upon my lips. She then gazed into my eyes and said most tenderly, "This war is ours to wing, my love. I have been convinced of that. So at least have faith in all of us. You are not alone out here."

"Thank you, love... I really needed that." I said softly with a glimmer of hope in my heart. There are few out there who can soothe my heart like Rarity can. Reluctantly, I then whispered to her. "Thank you for being here, but...I should be getting ready. No telling when they'll call for me."

"I understand, my prince. Do take care of yourself out there." She replied with her hoof caressing my cheek for a moment. But she then turned to the door and spoke with a touch of her usual elegant flair, "Now then, I must be off to apply some eyeshadow. A lady must always look her best, even on the battlefield."

Seeing Rarity off, I then left the bathroom and stepped into the tub that held my armor's liquefied form. Once it had finished crawling over my body to solidify itself, I took my helmet in hand. My eyes fell upon the Lunar Shield. I was briefly tempted to take it with me, but I disregarded the urge. This was a reconnaissance mission. We would be avoiding the enemy if possible and that shield would probably only slow me down by creating extra drag. We just needed to get in and out of there as quickly as possible. With my helmet in hand, I made my way down the stairs to wait for my comrades to summon for me.

The common area was quiet for the most part. Just the personnel stationed there were keeping things running. The Morse code device was tapping away as its operator sent a message. The crystal panels displaying the topographic information around us and miles to the east. Not a single blip on the radar. After that sudden and devastation obliteration of the last wave of Hollows, the emperor was likely carefully reconsidering his options. There is likely no one in the world who can rival the likes of Orbash and Sunflare. If the situation got desperate enough, I am certain the king and queen would drop all protocol and use everything in their power to bring this war to a swift end if possible. But that criteria had not been met yet.

Just when I thought I would be alone until the moment came where I was called outside, the door opened to reveal Luna stepping back inside. And upon seeing me, the Princess of the Night made her way to the table ad took a seat across from me. She read me like a book. "You have much on your mind, I am sure. Are you well?"

"About as well as I can be after everything we've learned lately..." I grumbled while genuinely glad to have a good friend to focus on. I leaned back in the chair as much as I could and let out a sigh of emotional exhaustion. "I'm just doing everything I can to not think about the context of what's happening..."

Luna reached out to me with a hoof on the table. "Do not blame yourself. None of us do. You are not at fault here, my friend. So let us see this ordeal through together. Mother and Father are here now after all. They will see to it that we will not fail."

"And I want to believe you..." I muttered with some hope in my heart. With the mention of her parents getting my attention, I looked over at Luna and asked, "Do your parents really not hold anything against me? Even knowing that the emperor is now alive and kicking because I'm here?"

The Princess of the Night gazed at me with a look of mild disbelief. "Why ever would you think that? Father has been most inquisitive about you. He has asked my sisters and I many questions about your presence in this world and what has happened outside of his observations. I suspect he utterly adores you. He always was a good judge of character..."

"Yeah, he really is amazing. I see why everyone likes him." I replied with my thoughts going out to that wonderful and handsome stallion. Very friendly and even fatherly. I have not gotten the kind of feelings I get from him from anyone other than Sky Beak. But then there was the other side of the spectrum. "But...what about your mother? Is she still considering putting me down if it means ending this war safely?"

Luna hesitated in providing a reply. Her eyes wandered for a moment before she sighed wistfully. "I can assure you that she holds no ill will towards you. She knows you are not swayed by the dogma the emperor instilled into his people ages past. She knows you are a friend of Equestria. If she appears cold and distant... I believe she is waiting to see where this all goes. She wants to believe in you, James. And I trust you will not disappoint her."

I looked over at one of the few windows in the common area that allowed natural sunlight to shine into the room. I sighed in resignation as I said, "Keeping an emotional distance until we can finally relax? I suppose there's some wisdom in that... I just hope they actually stick around after everything is said and done..."

"So do I... It's been far too long since they last revealed themselves to this world and so much has changed in Equestria since then. I was impressed with what has happened in this world during my absence. If they remain with us, I am certain they will love life in modern Equestria." Luna replied with a smile of longing upon her lips. She lifted her eyes towards the ceiling and said, "I hope we can find a compromise. I know their power should not be abused, but they would be missing out on so much if they returned to the shadows..."

It looked like we were on the same page in regards to her parents. But as I looked up as well... I was reminded of yesterday. And what Rain Shine detected out there by the Heaven's Pillar. Somewhere high above..."Luna... Rain Shine stuck around outside the walls after that thing with Queen Chrysalis. She tried to sense what was happening over by the Heaven's Pillar through the flora growing around it."

"She did?" Luna asked with her ears flicking with intrigue. "And...what did she sense?"

"She..." I muttered before letting out a sigh on unease. I could still viscerally remember her reaction. "Whatever she felt, it inflicted genuine pain onto her. Some sort of malevolence that she swears is not of this world. Overwhelming negativity and hatred. Does that sound like anything you know of?"

Luna's response was not what I expected. She did not respond at all at first. But as the seconds went by, her gaze wandered further and further as she began to looking increasingly disturbed. I finally asked, "Do you...know what it might be?"

"I may... I...might have an idea of what such an otherworldly malevolence could be, but..." Luna began to say before bowing her head and shaking it in disbelief. She then lifted her eyes to gaze ahead at me and said, "Let us not jump to conclusions. It will not be long before we have an answer, but... By the stars, I hope it's not what I suspect it to be..."

Not much later, there was a knock at the door. And upon seeing it open, Shining Armor stuck his head in. He looked right at me and said, "James, it's time. Head on over to the east gate and they'll brief you there."

"I'm...on my way." I replied weakly as a wave of discomfort hit me. Almost like the feeling one gets when on the verge of receiving an injection. Something painful was about to be revealed to us all. I stood up from the table while Shining Armor departed and placed my helmet upon my head. Its intangible plume extended from the back once upon my head. I looked down at Luna while she looked back at me. "I'll be back..."

"Godspeed, my friend. Be safe. All of you." The Princess of the Night said with such a look of worry in those beautiful eyes. I stepped outside and made a direct walk east to the gate. It was a straight line and I had no chance of getting lost, but I shuffled along at a tepid pace. I wanted to savor this last moment of ignorance before whatever horror we would uncover out there.

By the time I reached the gate, I found only one pony there who looked conspicuously out of place. Soarin was standing before it in a full suit of brigandine and a pair of goggles resting over his forehead. He waved me down once I really noticed her was there. "Over here, James!"

"Soarin, huh?" I mumbled to myself before quickening my pace in approaching one of the Wonderbolt's top members. "Is it just us?"

"Nah, I just got here first. Spitfire's rounding up the rest of the team. We can only take so many with us to keep things quick and simple." He explained once I reached him. Although he then pointed past me and said, "Looks like you got here just in time because here they come now."

I turned to look in the direction he was pointing and did not notice anyone until I happened to glance up. Spitfire was swooping down to make a quick landing and four other fliers were in her company. They all landed before me, each of them coated in camouflaged brigandine. Spitfire was quick to greet me with a smile and said, "Great to have you with us, James! See anypony you recognize?"

With the Wonderbolts being some of my best out-of-towners for business at the Ponyville spa, I had grown to recognize just about all of them from a glance. I waved at the only two of Spitfire's companions who were confirmed Wonderbolts. "Fleetfoot. Misty Fly. Good to see you."

"Hey there, James! Don't suppose you could give our wings a good rubdown after this, huh? We really miss your magic touch at the spa." Misty Fly asked while flexing her wings. She was always recognizable with that icy blue windswept mane and tail.

Fleetfoot joined in as well and said, "Yeah, we're way overdue for another team outing on the town. And all those dives and rises are really tough on your wings after a while."

"Eyes forward, ladies. We've got a job to do. And the sooner we get it down, the sooner we can get back here for a hearty lunch. Let's work up an appetite, all right?" Spitfire spoke with that rather warm and friendly tone I came to recognize from her. If she was really forced to be as cool and strict with newcomers as I saw, then this was the real her when she could let herself relax around wingmen she could trust to not make mistakes.

That was when I noticed who the other two were. Rainbow Dash and Gilda. "Huh... Rainbow Dash, I get. But Gilda? You sure you're up for this?"

Rainbow Dash was quick to butt in and gave her griffon gal pal a playful nudge with her elbow. "Hey, G here can keep up with me just fine. And she's got bigger wings, so she's got a lot more strength in those flaps."

"I won't let you guys down. I'm up for the job." Gilda said confidently while giving her longtime friend a smirk and wink. She had proven herself to be reliable thus far and I was trusting Spitfire's judgement in letting her sign on for this mission. There were seven of us in total. Not too few or too many. And it was a lucky number too. Gilda then asked, "So then, what's happening? We paying the enemy HQ a visit?"

"Kind of. Let's get in position for takeoff first and I'll explain everything." Spitfire replied before leading us past the gate and out onto the plains outside the camp. The sky was mostly clear, but it almost felt like we could be in for some rain later. A calm before the storm... A disturbingly accurate analogy in hindsight.

"All right then... Before we get going, I better explain what's happening." Spitfire spoke before she turned to face the six of us. We all stood at attention before she began to pace back and forth before us. "We got word yesterday that something is happening at the Heaven's Pillar that could impact exactly how we fight out the rest of this war. In order to adjust our tactics to better deal with the enemy, we've been tasked with a quick reconnaissance mission. We're to reach the Heaven's Pillar, survey the situation, and then report back with our findings. You're all still carrying a single explosive round on your crossbows, but we are to avoid confrontations with the enemy if possible. Check your equipment now."

I had no such sidearm to inspect, but my comrades then checked the crossbow devices on their wrists. Each held a single bolt that was tipped with an explosive crystal, but all of them were disarmed. Although Rainbow Dash then asked, "What happens if we do run into trouble and we can't just fly around it?"

"That's what this guy is for." Spitfire replied while pointing one wing at me. And she had a very trusting smile on her lips. "James here is our escort. If we find trouble, he'll be our first line of defense to make sure we all get away. We can count on you, right?"

I looked down at my armored hands and closed them into fists. The blue and yellow magic auras of my left and right gauntlets coated my forearms and fists as I focused just enough. Even without the Celestial Sword and Lunar Shield, I still held some of the most powerful magic in the world right in the palms of my hands. I nodded as I steeled my nerves and said, "Yeah, I can handle it."

"That's what I wanna hear." Spitfire retorted with a confident and jovial tone in her voice. "Let's get in formation. James. Since you have the biggest wingspan, you'll take point. Spread your wings so we can see just how wide they can reach."

I did as she said and spread my armor's wings wide. I heard Spitfire whistle before saying, "Wow, I keep forgetting how big these are up close... OK, hold that pose. Everyone?"

I heard them shuffling behind me for a moment before I decided to look over my shoulder. The six of them had spread out behind me with increasing distance between each pair. I recognized that timeless formation. A flying V. Rainbow Dash then laughed in glee as she called out to me, "Check us out, James! We're practically honorary Wonderbolts now! We just got 20% cooler!"

"Does that mean we'd be 30% cooler if we actually made it into the Wonderbolts?" Gilda then asked before everyone got a good chuckle out of that statement. Even I found myself cracking a smile. A mission with the Wonderbolts was hard not to get at least a little psyched up for. I had nothing but respect for these aerial rescuers and my confidence for the situation only grew to see my friends at my back.

"Right then! Goggles down! The clock's ticking! Let's get in and out of there fast without the enemy even knowing we were there!" Called out in eagerness to get the mission underway. With a quick movement of their hands and hooves, all six of them pulled flight goggles down over their faces. "James, you lead and we'll follow! Let's get going!"

"Roger that." I retorted with a vaguely excited smirk on my lips. I spread my wings and launched myself skyward. A quick glance behind me revealed that my six companions were soaring after me in a perfect V formation. Spitfire and Soarin were at the front, Gilda and Rainbow Dash were the next set back, and Fleetfoot and Misty Fly had taken the rear. I was actually thrilled to see them there with me. High in the sky with only my wingmen at my back. Now I knew how it felt to be a Wonderbolt.

I led them higher and higher into the sky, my powerful wings propelling me along. I was not a professional flier like them and was only following my instincts. The intention was to reach a high altitude before breaking out into a diving glide to pick up speed before leveling out and maintain that speed. And that was what I did. Once I was sure we were high enough, I led them along into a rapidly quickening dive before we shot over the Empty Plains at speeds that I almost never reach. It was...exhilarating with the wind in my face. We must have still been at least a few hundred feet above the ground as we rocketed along. I heard Soarin call out to me, "Smart move, James! Now just keep it up!"

The speed we reached with just that dive was impressive, but it was not enough. We all continued to flap our wings to gain whatever speed we could. I knew my armor's bulk would never be able to reach the kind of speed the Wonderbolts are famous for, but I only needed to be fast enough. And it was shocking just how fast I could get in that winged armor when all I was focusing on was just flying as fast as possible in a straight line. Meadows and forests passed beneath us rapidly as we shot east on our wings.

It was relaxing as much as it was thrilling to be soaring so high and so fast across the land. The sheer amount of distance we could travel in only an hour put traveling on foot to shame. No wonder Rainbow Dash is almost always airborne whenever I see her out and about. Once you get a taste of that kind of speed in the air, it is hard to ever slow back down to ground speed.

One hour was all we needed before one of us noticed something. And it was Gilda who called out first, no doubt thanks to her exceptionally keen eagle eyes. "Hey... I think I'm seeing something up ahead... Is that it? Are you guys seeing this too?!"

It took a minute or two, but then it happened. I too noticed something on the horizon. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. A long vertical line that stood in the blue sky like a murky mirage. But as we grew closer...and closer...I saw that it was no mirage. A tall narrow object standing vertically ahead of us. A line that reached so high in the sky that I could not even see the top. I muttered in a strange mixture of dread and awe, "There it is... Equestria's own Tower of Babel..."

"Whoa... There it is, captain. That's got to be it." I heard Soarin speak as the towering Heaven's Pillar began to loom on the horizon. And it was coming in fast. It had the color of limestone and looked impressively intact in spite of its age and centuries of exposure to the elements. There was something mystifying about seeing an actual artificial structure out there on the Empty Plains and knowing that it was the last surviving piece of human architecture on the planet. I was finally seeing all that was left of humanity's legacy in the world of Equestria that was not the Element of Humanity upon my helmet.

The very base of the tower was exactly what I expected. Hundreds or even thousands of feet worth of space encrusted with green. Ivy was growing high along the walls, but it would take many millennia more for it to have enough time to even come close to reaching the summit. But there was another color out there that strongly contrasted the green around the tower's base. Purple. Lots of it. A mass of Hollows stood motionless before the pillar, but nowhere near large enough to send out against us. The emperor was likely still trying to decide exactly what to put in his next army. I had to take into consideration that there were archers among them and called back to my comrades, "Hollows sighted! Increase altitude!"

As we finally came in on the approach, we went into another shallow dive before pulling up and soon found ourselves flying up right alongside the Heaven's Pillar itself. The many miles of limestone shot by underneath as we rose higher and higher with every passing second. Gravity was pulling down on us, so I tried something else to ease that pull. I veered just slightly to the left as I guided my companions along. By adding a little horizontal movement, we eased the strain on our ascent and began to corkscrew right up the tower. It was so big around too... At the very least as wide and round as the town hall in Ponyville.

It soon started to feel like there was no end to the height of the Heaven's Pillar. No matter how high we went, it just seemed to go on forever. Reaching miles into the sky and into the stratosphere. The air was starting to become cool and thin. Just when I was wondering if we were about to shoot right into low orbit, Spitfire shouted out to all of us. "There it is! Hit the brakes!"

We stopped flapping our wings and allowed gravity to bring us to a stop. And before we could completely slow to a halt, we shot up past the very top of the tower. And...the sensation I felt... We were so high up. So high that I was left baffled over how Equestria's human population could have even constructed such a gargantuan tower of stone without it collapsing upon itself. Some powerful stabilizing magic must have played a part in it...

"This is nuts... We've flown pretty high before, but never this high..." Misty Fly spoke with a wheeze as we found the air harder to breath than before. We were practically right at the very limits of the planet's cloud cover. Only the highest possible clouds were still above us and not even by all that much distance. I turned my gaze down at the top of the Heaven's Pillar. It was surprisingly sound, but there was still signs of structural decay. Four statues had once stood at the four cardinal directions. Three had collapsed, but one remained. The one that was facing west. Its form was avian, its stone wings spread. The design... A phoenix, perhaps?

Suddenly realizing who was surely nearby, I glanced about with my eyes rapidly scanning the tower's top. We were finally on the emperor's home turf. But...there was no sign of him. I did notice what seemed to be a rotted wooden plank covering the top of a spiraling stairwell set right at the edge of the tower's summit that surely wrapped around the outer edge of the tower. He was here. Very close by. And my nerves were alight now that we could end the war right here and now. Or could we?

Soarin's thoughts mirrored my own as we hovered there with the enemy's stronghold right below us. He asked, "I can't believe he's in there somewhere... You think we should just get this over with right now, Spitfire?"

"No, Soarin. He probably knows we're here. And we have our orders. Do not engage the enemy. Don't try anything until we know what's going here." Spitfire replied without hesitation. Although she then said, "But...I don't exactly see anything going on up here. Did we pass something?"

She was right. There was absolutely nothing worth noting up there. However, I then noticed out of the corner of my eye that Fleetfoot was looking over her shoulder to the east. She had lifted her goggles to reveal her eyes and did not blink once. She tapped Gilda on the shoulder and said, "Guys... I think I found it."

We all turned around to look east. And we all stared aghast at what was there. Floating in the sky only a stone's throw away from the tower's summit was...a swirling circular anomaly of purplish gases. Like nothing I had ever seen in all the time I had spent in Equestria. Large enough around to allow something as large as a large dragon through if they tucked their wings in. It looked nothing short of ominous, but it did not seem to be doing anything aside from giving off a faint indescribable sound. Rainbow Dash was the first to speak after we gawked at the sight before us. "Huh... How long has that been there?"

"Here's a better question. Just what're we gonna do with this thing?" Gilda then asked while I wracked my brain over what to make of this bizarre anomaly. Could we even do anything to it?

"We're not doing anything to it. We're going to report what we've found back to HQ. But first..." Spitfire replied before she began to fly to the far edge of that...thing. "Let's take a closer look. Try to learn what we can..."

We watched while Spitfire went behind the entire thing. My eyes narrowed. I lacked the senses of a kirin and the only malevolence I could see what just the colors. It looked like bad news, but was entirely unresponsive to our presence. A powerful spell ready to be cast? Or...something else? Spitfire soon came out from behind the portal on the opposite side and called out, "It's pretty flat from what I can tell."

Spitfire hovered a little closer and started to cautiously reach out to the swirling mass of gas with her hoof. Soarin was not so certain it was safe and called out to her. "I don't think you should be doing that, captain!"

"Huh... Good point... But we still need to investigate further." Spitfire retorted while pulling her hoof back. She lifted her goggles to show her narrowed puzzled eyes.

Gilda was next to approach that thing. "Hang on. If we're gonna have to touch it, allow me."

"Careful there, G..." Rainbow Dash spoke with unease. Rather than stick her hand into that swirling anomaly, she turned her back to it. With some hesitation and eyes looking over her shoulder, Gilda swished her long leonine tail at it. That tuft of hair on the tip brushed lightly through it. And...that was it. Nothing happened. Gilda appeared even more intrigued and swished her tail's tuft through it a few more times. Rainbow the asked, "Well?! Anything?!"

"Huh. I got nothing. Doesn't even feel like anything's there." Gilda replied before pulling her tail forward and into her hands. The fur on the tail's tip was not even stained with any unusual colors. "Almost like it's not even a cloud or gas. Like it's...got nothing to it."

Spitfire then took this as a sign it was safe to touch this anomaly. She slapped her hoof through it several times. It responded like a gas getting blown around, but quickly regained its form. "If this was a cloud, I'd feel it. But it's...completely without mass. At least it's harmless."

"But it's gotta be something important, right?" Misty Fly asked with her goggles lifted. Everyone has lifted their goggles now that the situation was calm and we were well outside the reach of the enemy. The emperor would be wise to not reveal himself to us. Misty Fly then looked at me and said, "What if one of us takes a look inside it?"

I noticed her looking at me. And soon everyone was looking at me. I suppose they were right. I was the only one there who could really handle a threat. I glanced at them all before saying, "Well, my armor does resist passive magical effects... OK, I'll take a look."

My wings carried me closer to the swirling mass of gas as everyone drew near. They were ready to grab me and pull me back on a moment's notice. With my face right up against it, I could not smell anything. Nor hear anything that was not coming from the swirling mass of magical energies or whatever it was. Knowing that we would not find out what was up until one of us took the plunge, I took a deep breath and leaned forward.

That mass of swirling purples was barely an inch or two thick. I felt nothing as my vision was obstructed by it before my vision cleared a second later. I looked left and right, finding only the tops of my pauldrons having passed through with my head. The sky ahead... It was a clear blue. But...not as clean a blue as it was a moment ago? And the air was easier to breathe... Like I had suddenly descended a few miles. But the air... It had a subtle odor to it. An unpleasant odor that I could probably only notice due to spending so much time in the wide clean open air of the Empty Plains and even most of Equestria. And strangely enough, that swirling circular mass of gas did not look the same on the side my head was now on. It was now colorless and brought to mind rippling water. It would be virtually impossible to notice from a great distance.

And then I looked down. And I suddenly understood why Queen Chrysalis insisted that we would not believe her if she tried to explain what she saw. Because I was seeing it. And I did not want to believe it.

A sprawling metropolis was far below me. Yet I was nowhere near the altitude I was a moment ago. This city below... It was not at all like any I had seen in Equestria. And I heard a hiss of sorts in the air that I initially did not recognize. Only for me to quiver in horror as I did find the sound familiar. My eyes glanced up and saw something I would never see in Equestria. An airliner soaring above with the roar of jet engines filling the air.

This magical anomaly... It started to dawn on me what it was. This was not a weapon to be unleashed upon Equestria. It was a portal. One that cut a rift in space to connect to a location light years away. And its elevation and location was ideal. Too low for cruising aircraft to collide with and too high for the average bird to reach until it was truly ready. And while I did not have an memories of visiting the location below, I did recognize a few defining aspects of the location below. I could see a vast river that passed through the city and spilling out into the bay to the east. And on an island in the bay stood a human effigy that bore the unmistakable pale green color of tarnished bronze.

Existential horror hitting me like never before in my life, a whisper escaped my lips. "New York City..."

Earth. This portal was connected to Earth. The world of my birth and a world I had left behind with no intention of ever returning to. A world that I knew in my heart was inherently incompatible with the world of Equestria and its people. And now the two had been connected. In an instant, everything made sense. Everything the Changeling Queen had warned us of had not been misleading or incorrect in the slightest. The emperor could no longer give Equestria to his people. So he was going to give it to mine.

I pulled back through the portal and found that swirling mass of purples before me again. The words that reached my ears did not reach my mind. And soon, my wings failed. I must have been in shock because when my senses cleared, I found myself being held aloft with all six of my winged companions holding me up. The first voice to reach my ears was Spitfire. "James! James, snap out of it! What's wrong?!"

My nerves were burning. For now I understood exactly what was at stake. And I could not tell them. Not there and now. But now that we had the answers we had come for, it was time to report back. "I... I saw it... I know what the emperor's aiming for... We need to go... Gotta get back and tell them..."

"Can you fly?" Fleetfoot asked as they carefully released me from their grip. My nerves had settled just enough to get my wings working again and I began to hover in place by them. She then asked, "Anyway, what happened in there? Did something get you? Did it...hurt?"

"It's not a weapon... It's a portal. And it leads to..." I started to say before my nerves started to fail again. I needed to get myself back on solid ground before I could really allow myself to think. "I can't talk... We need to go. Now! They need to know this!"

"You heard the man! Goggles down and everyone into formation! Let's go!" Spitfire called out. No time was wasted. Once we had assumed the flying V formation with me at the front, we broke out into a descending glide. From that elevation, we would have no trouble just gliding back down to the field HQ. And it would be for the best since now the storm clouds I had seen on the horizon were now bringing their payload to the Empty Plains.

Heavy rain began to fall across the meadows as the skies turned dark. It would be difficult to really fly with that much water starting to weigh us down. But if all we had to do was glide, then we would not even really need to use our wings to increase altitude.

The storm we were rocketing through at an ever increasing speed perfectly fit the mood I was in. I was doing all I could do to keep my mind off of what I had just seen and what this meant for us and Equestria as a whole. I needed to focus on what was ahead. Needed to keep wings steady...

The rain was definitely going to make coming in for a landing a problem. And Soarin was the first to bring this up. "Captain, what's your call on the approach?! We won't be able to brake while soaked down!"

"We'll come in for a sliding stop! All this grass and even terrain will make for a straight slide on the ground!" Spitfire called out while I tried to listen. A safe landing should be our first priority. And as the minutes went by with me starting to wonder how we would even be able to see the camp in that storm, something came up on the horizon. It was dim at first, but became gradually brighter. Searchlights shining up into the sky. Everyone there must have had the foresight to have them ready in case a storm blew in. And Spitfire saw it too. "There it is! Let's descend! Quickly, but pull up before you get too low!"

I hastened my descent as I remained ready to cast a barrier spell around us all just in case. While I understood where Spitfire was coming, knowing that soaked grass on a long flat stretch of land would have very little friction and could let us just come to a sliding stop in due time, I was not trusting myself pull this off. Fearful that I would end up guiding us all right into the ground, I was not taking chances. When I thought the time was right, I turned myself over and held out my hands towards my six companions. "Sorry about this!"

"James, what're you WHOA!!!" Spitfire shrieked as she and the other five were caught in a levitation spell and pulled right into me while hoping for the best. Once we were all packed into a ball with my wings draped over them, I put the magic in both of my gauntlets to good use and generated the strongest spherical barrier I could muster. We hit the ground hard like a bowling ball and started rolling wildly along the slick wet meadow below us. "Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa what're you doing?!"

"I panicked!" I shouted as the entire world went topsy-turvy. Everyone was yelling, laughing, and basically just losing all composure while I took everyone for a ride. We did eventually start to slow down with the rain splattering all over that double layer of magical force. And I finally lost my focus on the barrier once we hit a solid vertical surface with us all falling sprawled out on the ground in the rain.

I thought I might have gotten myself in trouble after such a crazy move like that. But Fleetfoot did not share my concerns. "Woo! Let's do that again!"

Gilda then sat up from the dog-pile and let out a laugh. "Ohohoho man, that was awesome! We gotta do that again sometime!"

While that little spectacle was enough to daze me out of my anxiety, it only lasted for a brief moment. I started to process the gravity of the situation once I was back on my feet in the middle of that storm. The east gate into the camp was already open for us by the time Spitfire began to address her companions. "All right, mission accomplished. Good job out there, all of you. Now get to the mess halls and grab a bite while we have time. You've earned it. I'll be reporting to the command center with James for a full debriefing."

"Got it!" Soarin replied in brief before they all began to scatter. All except for Gilda and Rainbow Dash. I barely paid attention to anything while Spitfire galloped off through the downpour. In the rain and gloom, I staggered along as the images of what I saw on the other side of that portal replayed in my mind along with a myriad of conclusions that would surely come to be if we did not act fast. In my stupor, I failed to notice that y two friends were tailing me through the rain.

Once the command center loomed over me to my left, I finally lost my composure and staggered to side with my armor clanking against the wooden wall. I propped myself up with one arm against the wall. My nerves burning with fear, I nearly felt sick with dread. This stumble was enough to get Gilda to call out from behind me. "Whoa! Dude... You are not OK! What's wrong?!"

The pegasus and griffon came up beside me on my right. They were utterly soaked in the rain, but were ignoring it for the sake of the situation. I could only barely word a response. "Anxiety...?"

Rainbow Dash raised a hoof as if she was about to reach out to me. Her eyes narrowed in alarm as she said, "James... You've had a lot of low points lately, but not like this. What did you see on the other side there?! Is it really that bad?! What's coming?!"

How could I even begin to explain to them what I saw meant for Equestria as a whole? And I knew it would be unwise to tell just anyone about it. If word spread and enough of the militia properly grasped what was happening, it just might cause a panic and a massive loss of morale. We had managed impressively well, but now it would be best to keep this information from everyone below the chain of command just to the militia's performance high. And so I said, "I...can't tell you... Not yet... I need to get in there and explain things..."

Rainbow Dash began to take a step forward, but Gilda stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. The two looked at each other before Gilda shook her head. She knew I needed this moment to myself. Once Rainbow Dash relented, Gilda looked up at me. "We'll be around. Just...take it easy. You look like you just woke up from a nightmare."

"That's an apt way of putting it..." I muttered before finally stepping indoors and out of the rain. The common area was mostly silent aside from the sound of the storm pounding the command center with heavy rain. I did not even notice her approaching me until Celestia was already standing beside me. "Celestia...?"

"Hold still a minute. We need to get you dried off." The Princess of the Dawn spoke gently before casting a flash of her horn's magic aura. In seconds, every last drop of rainwater on my armor was reduced to a cloud of steam to leave my armor as dry as desert sand. Celestia then began to step toward the war room and said, "Everyone's waiting. And it sounds like you have a lot to tell."

"Uh huh..." I mumbled quietly while Celestia's gaze only became more concerned. She could see and hear that something was very wrong with me, but the common area was not the place to discuss it. I followed along and found the war room filled with everyone who had been present during the prior meeting. They must have gathered there before the storm could roll in to avoid getting soaked on their way over. Even Rain Shine was among them. Spitfire was already dry thanks to Celestia, but all those eyes... What did she tell them when she got there?

Everyone was looking at me. And they all had eyes that carried gazes of concern. I could barely walk along without stumbling with a clatter after the door closed behind me. Seaspray was the first to speak as he said, "Sir James, you look as if you just saw the light of Hell. What happened out there?"

"I saw it... Everything's that happened... It all makes sense now..." I muttered as I staggered towards the seat besides Orbash. The king raised his wing to flag me over while Novo was seated beyond that one. They knew I needed some heavy emotional support at the time. When I sank into my seat, Novo's hand immediately grasped my left under the table. She said nothing, but her tender hold was something I did not know I needed until I had it. With eyes turned to the table below me, I spoke with a sigh. "The Changeling queen wasn't wrong... I saw it, but I didn't want to believe it..."

Spitfire could see I was still distraught and did a bit of the talking for me. "It's some sort of...circular rift. Doesn't do anything if you touch it and James even stuck his head through it. He said it's a portal, but he didn't say where it leads. But he was rattled by whatever was on the other side. The poor guy really didn't want to talk afterward."

Nightmare Moon was next to speak. "Something so foul that it left you unable to convey to your comrades what you saw? Was it something we've never seen? Was it...something familiar?"

"Very familiar..." I replied as I steeled myself to speak the awful truth. Almost no one in there could have comprehended what I was about to say. And so I said it with eyes forced to gaze forward at those before me. "The world where I was born and raised. Planet Earth."

"No..." Luna muttered as a look of utter horror and disbelief filled her eyes. Almost no one else aside from her and Celestia had responded accordingly due to their lack of knowledge about the world where I came from. The Princess of the Night firmly clapped her hooves down on the table and leaned forward to speak to me. "You cannot be serious! Are you absolutely certain that is what you saw?!"

"Yes... Very certain... Aircraft in the sky. Towering skyscrapers below that do not match Equestrian urban architecture. Even a few landmarks gave it away." I replied as I started to find it easier to discuss the subject now that the conversation had started. "New York City. One of the most expansive and populated cities in my homeland...and one of the most chaotic."

Sunflare was not so convinced of what I had spoke. She then asked, "Are you absolutely certain that the emperor has devised a means to forge a portal that spans time and space in a manner that connects to distant worlds? Are you absolutely certain of this?"

I placed my armored hand upon the table as frustration began to set into me the longer I thought about what this all meant. They did not want to believe it. And neither did I. "I know what I saw, your majesty. And it explains a lot. The emperor isn't trying to conquer Equestria for his people anymore. He's aiming to hand Equestria over to mine."

Rain Shine's eyes opened wide at this revelation. She did not speak, but her face told me enough. That overwhelming maddening malevolence she felt above the Heaven's Pillar. It was an apt description of what runs rampant in my world. And the implications of this were dawning on her. Novo then asked, "But...it's not that bad, right? So let's say Equestria meets Earth. What happens then?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you?!" I suddenly spoke with a raised voice as my anxiety finally got the better of me. Almost yelling in a manner that must have appeared completely unnatural for someone like me, I rose from my seat and planted both hands onto the table for leverage. "If Earth and Equestria establish a means to travel to and from each other without restriction, it'll only be a matter of time before Earth's evils seep into this world and gradually start to override everything about this world's culture and way of life! You can't stop the influence of my world from corrupting the people of this world until they're no different from my own! Given enough time, Equestria won't even be Equestria anymore! It'll just be another Earth! You can't let this happen!"

I was in a panic. I was yelling. And anyone in that room who knew me on a personal level were thoroughly disturbed by this outburst. It is not like me to behave in such a frantic manner. But it did not take a genius to understand how access to Earth and vice versa would be ultimately detrimental to the world I had come to love. The threat to Equestria now was very different than we ever expected. Equestria as a whole was in very real danger of being irrevocably destroyed on a fundamental level.

"James. Sit." Celestia spoke firmly at the first lull in my words. Body tingling and burning with heat, I reluctantly returned to my seat. Novo, unsettled as she was, draped her wing over me tenderly. And what Celestia said next was a surprise to us all. "If you think you know you're world, I know it better. And it pains me to say...you are not at all incorrect about what this revelation means for our world."

She knew? I thought this was impossible at first. At least until I remembered that she had been monitoring my world for some time. All eyes were upon Celestia as the Princess of the Dawn spoke with a most grim tone in her voice. "I have observed the world of Earth extensively for generations upon generations. And I will say it now... You almost did not even make it into Equestria. Because I was just shy of giving up on your world at the last second."

She almost looked disappointed in me as those eyes gazed at me. But I was silent and did not speak. Everyone around us, even the king and queen of Equestria, listened respectfully as the Princess of the Dawn revealed a heavily guarded secret to us. "In the many centuries I have observed, I have seen things I wish I did not see. I have witnessed the best and the worst of humanity. And it pains me to say the worst outweighs the best. Horrors the likes of which the human race of Equestria cannot begin to fathom. Atrocities our people must never know."

She sounded so bitter... So very disappointed. And that disappointment was paving the way for genuine anger. "The world was much more primitive when I finally found it while scanning the cosmos. And I watched it clumsily make progress towards a more enlightened age. The progress was difficult and strained with setbacks and the worst I had ever seen of your people happened not even a hundred years. But I was convinced for a time that the future was bright. That perhaps I could end up putting my faith in the people of your world, James..."

Despite the optimistic words she was speaking, Celestia's glare of frustration never left her face. And I knew why. "But in recent years, I have noticed a steady decline. I witnessed the rise before I started to see the fall. For as far as your people have come, your world is finally starting to collapse under its own sins. Foolishness, greed, and losing sight of what matters most. As an outsider who has observed for centuries, I will not deny that your world does not have a bright future, James. And I feel nothing but pity for the world of Earth."

I said nothing. I almost felt like she was directing her worse of disappointment towards me as much as she was directing it towards the world of Earth. Her gaze softened just slightly as she spoke with a profound frown of disappointment. "There is good in your world. I had seen saintly good people among your kind. Truly inspiring people. But the fatal flaw of your world is that there just isn't enough wonderful goodness to offset the evil of your world. It is woefully unbalanced and those with evil in their hearts are often those in the positions that have the greatest influence on your world's future. It is a stalemate at best and a losing battle at worst. How can I possibly have any faith in a world that tolerates and even legalizes the proliferation of failed ideologies that serve no purpose other that spreading hatred and misery? No. No, I do not think I will ever permit such idiocy from ever finding its way into the minds of my people. And that is merely the tip of the iceberg of what I have seen. It would take hours for me to even try to explain what I have seen beyond the surface."

I knew of what she spoke. And I shared her frustration and disappointment. "The emperor truly does not understand what he is preparing to unleash upon our world. He has not seen Earth like I have. Although I doubt he is not expecting humanity to respond to this connection when it is complete and simply invade. Even then... Should the people of your world not respond with hostility... Even if the people of your world make first contact with diplomacy instead of violence... Even in the best case scenario, the long term prospects of this development will not bring anything worthwhile to our world. It will only be a matter of time before Earth's tainted ideologies take root in Equestria's societies and corrupt our people into being no different from the people of Earth. And there will be no means to purge our world of these blighted influences. Truly, you speak correctly. Equestria will cease to exist and be replaced by another Earth. And that...must not be allowed to happen. I won't allow Equestria to become something it was never meant to be!"

"Well said, sister." Luna added while likely being the only other person there with any significant knowledge of the world we were in danger of establishing a direct link to. The Princess of the Night turned her gaze to look back and forth along the war room. No one else spoke, but looks of confusion and unease were filling the eyes of everyone among us. She then said, "Well then... If what you have found is truly the case... Then this changes things. But it does not change our methods. Firstly, we must reach the Heaven's Pillar if we are to deal with this portal to another world. As for once we get there... We will see. For now though... Do not openly speak of this development lest we risk rousing a panic among the militia. All they need to know is that the destination remains the same."

Little else was said following this moment. Largely because I do not think anyone could really bring themselves to say anything after hearing all this. Everyone eventually filed out of the war room while I remained where I was. There was something alarming about knowing one of Equestria's immortal sovereigns was disturbingly aware of the happenings across Earth for a very long time. She saw more than she should have...yet had the wisdom to not let it affect her. But what about everyone else? Would Equestria's innocence remain intact should our efforts fail? I want to believe so, but I know that is wishful thinking. Innocence is a precious treasure, but so easily destroyed and impossible to restore once lost...

In my internal dilemma, I did not realize that someone remained behind. And she was always by my side. A hand rested upon my left pauldron. I noticed and glanced to my left to see Novo still seated beside me. Her hand rose to my cheek while I said nothing. Her voice soft and low, she spoke with a whisper. "The most important thing I can say right now is this. Everything we heard here? It changes nothing. I still want you by my side tonight."

All I could do was nod. My voice failed me. Novo then reached out and placed a weak kiss upon my cheek. She could see the turmoil in my eyes. "Wait here once night falls. I'll send you an escort. Can't be too safe after learning all this. Just...be safe, all right? We'll get through this."

I nodded once more, but still said nothing. Once Novo rose from her seat and stepped past me, she looked back and placed another kiss upon my cheek. She spoke with a solemn whisper, "I love you."

This was too much. I buried my face in my hands and began to weep quietly only once Novo was out of the room. There was likely little risk of Equestria's people being slaughtered or enslaved by this point. A decidedly different outcome than what the emperor originally intended. But the concept of Equestria remaining intact while losing everything about itself that I have come to adore... I did not even want to contemplate such a horror. There is not another world like Equestria in the entire cosmos, I sure of this. It should not become no different than another much less idealistic world that is in the agonizingly slow process of collapsing under its own sins.

Once my tears ceased to flow, I managed to rise to my feet and stepped out of the war room. Celestia was slumped at the main table in the common area, no doubt reeling from the revelation I had provided. This was my fault... Equestria was in danger of losing everything that it stood for and it was all because of my presence... So then...why was I even there?

This was a question that I should have asked a long time ago. But only then did the question come to mind. I took a seat across from the beautiful Princess of the Dawn and said, "Celestia... Got a minute?"

With a long sigh, she pushed herself up to a proper seated position and cast her gaze upon me. Celestia looked exhausted... Moreso than I had ever seen. "Yes... What do you need?"

"Answers." I retorted in brief while pondering my words carefully. Just for a moment. "You know more about Earth than I could've ever expected... If that's the case, why... Why did you change your mind about allowing me to come here? What do I have that the others didn't?"

"A wise question, really..." She replied with more of a smile than before. "Yes... I was more than ready to give up on your world and leave it to its demons forever. But Luna... She provided a second opinion and we took another closer look. That was when we started finding individuals who had not been too heavily tainted by Earth's evils. And we began to carefully consider our options when it came to humans who could be safely brought to Equestria with minimal risk. As for why we chose you... You were chosen because you were the first we saw who possessed the single most important factor in being compatible with our world's way of life. And we were not willing to wait any longer now that we had found such a specimen."

Me? The first they saw with a certain quality? Curiosity taking hold, I then asked, "And...what was the factor that made you decide I was worthy of being here?"

Her words were succinct and direct. And both surprising, yet expected. "You respect and value innocence. That is an exceedingly rare trait to possess in your world at this time for it is not at all an innocent world and there are far too many there who would seek to destroy such valuable treasures. Some for as base as a macabre sense of amusement. If one from your world does not respect innocence, then they have no place in Equestria."

She was right... I do value innocence. I respect it. And it was something I did not know about myself at the time. It was only after spending enough time in a world were innocence runs rampant among most societies that I was able to compare and contrast Equestria to a world that I had always known and could now see how incompatible they are. I was bitter...and so very tired of what the world I had called home had become. The worsening state of Earth had made me all the more appreciative of what a world like Equestria had to offer. I did not seek to corrupt it. Only to preserve it. And I could only hope that in spite of everything that Celestia made the right choice. "I can't thank you enough for bringing me here... I hope I won't let you down."

"Do not blame yourself, James. If anyone is to carry the blame for what is happening, it is I. This was my decision. My project. I wanted to see Equestria restored to what it once was and could never have foreseen the consequences..." Celestia said with a wheeze while bowing her head. As disturbed as I was, I could not imagine what was going through her head. She had seen far more of Earth's history than I had and most likely had monitored events from all over the world. What a jading experience that must have been... And now knowing what was at stake in attempting to reintroduce humanity to Equestria in a benign manner... Truly, the gates of Hell are opened on the whims of good intentions... But would we be able to close those gates in time?

Celestia soon walked away and down the hall nearby. She needed time alone and I was not going to disturb her. But it was while I watched her that I noticed no one had departed the command center yet. The storm was still coming down hard outside and everyone who had attended the meeting were riding out the storm indoors. Novo and Seaspray were out of the way in the corner over yonder while whispering amongst themselves. Shining Armor, Estoc, and Spitfire stood near the kitchen to discuss matters. And Ember stood with her back to the wall in the hall leading to the officer quarters where Celestia had just gone while Rain Shine was seated across from her. And before much longer, the two of them began to approach me.

I could barely bring myself to even look at my two shield-sisters as they took their places around the table. It was Rain Shine who spoke first. "You are distraught... Like nothing I have ever seen from you..."

"Why wouldn't I be?" I replied while trying to maintain my composure as my nerves burned from sheer anxiety. I looked at my beautiful companion and said, "You felt it, right? Yesterday? All that negativity... It's coming from my world. If the emperor has his way, all of that negativity will spill over into this world and gradually infect its populace. The people of this world will inevitably become no different from mine. And...I can't stand the thought of it."

Ember reached out to me with her arm draped across the table. She looked more confused than worried. "Just...how bad are things there? Are your people really...so savage?"

I did not mince my words, but thought carefully over what to say. "They can be... The people of Earth are...a chaotic bunch. And Celestia was right when she said there just isn't enough good in the world to offset the evil in it. You'll find plenty of good if you go searching for it, but you'll find plenty of evil even when you're not looking for it. Your people... Those boulderheads don't hold a candle to the atrocities that humanity carries out every year... If not every day."

Ember fell silent while Rain Shine gazed at me with an utterly disturbed stare. The insightful kirin whispered, "I wish that what you were saying was a mere exaggeration... The bitterness in your heart... You know of what you speak..."

"I... I can't really imagine... The worst I can think of is just relentless slaughter. Is there something truly worse than that?" Ember asked in tragic ignorance. The people of the dragon lands are some of the most barbaric brutes in Equestria and even they pale in comparison to the atrocities of Earth's people.

The topic too unpleasant for me to be willing to discuss in length, I turned my gaze to the nearest window and spoke all I needed to. "Genocide would be a good place to start..."

That shut them up. Neither of them were willing to ask any further questions upon hearing that claim. But that did not stop Rain Shine from commenting further on it. "It was miles above... Yet from so far away, I could sense the miasma of negativity plaguing the world on the other side. If it's that overwhelming from so far away... Such evil spilling over into this world would...prove devastating for my kind... Your world... It is not one I wish to know."

All I did was nod. Ember then asked, "What do you think might happen to my people if your world's evils found their way into them?"

"It's not like some sort of magic plague, if that's what you're thinking. It's a product of flawed ideologies, societal shortcomings, and all manner of issues that would take all day to explain and by someone more fluent in the subject than I am. But...when it comes to your kind..." I retorted before I pondered this concept. The dragons from their homeland are already brutish enough. If they became more like the humans of Earth... "If they absorb the worst of Earth's influences... They'll become the stuff of nightmares. They're just punks now. They'll surely become monsters akin to the worst my world has to offer. And I'm worried they would be a little...too receptive to such ideologies."

I saw Ember bring her hands together and firmly clench them around each other with a look of frustration and fear in her scarlet eyes. She had nothing but the best of intentions for her people and only wanted to improve the situation in the dragon lands. Now that there was the distinct possibility of my world's influence completely and permanently undermining her efforts... She was horrified at the thought. I then said something that my heart wanted to not be heard. "If you...want to end this now... I won't stop you if you make it quick."

Rain Shine glanced at me in confusion. But her eyes then went wide as she most likely sensed what was in my heart. For just that moment, I had completely resigned myself to whatever Ember may do to me. Everyone around us could not see or detect what was happening. And for an instant, I noticed Ember move her arm in a way that had me suspect she was considering grabbing me by the throat the strangle the life out of me. But she again relented and shook her head. "Don't even go there... I promised you were mine to protect. I'm not going back on that."

The beautiful kirin beside me slunk closer and brought her hoof to my cheek, lifting my face to look at her. Tears were in her eyes as she basked in my despair. "We... We will find a way. We won't let things end like this... There is still time... But please do not relinquish yourself to whatever may lie ahead. We will stand and fight so long as you fight by our side."

Maybe I just needed some time to think. Being trapped in the command center was not helping. For once in my life, the presence of friends was not helping my heart. If anything, seeing them all around me knowing what losing this world would mean for them only made me feel all the more awful. I stood up from the table and placed my helmet upon my head. "I need some air..."

"But...it's storming out there. You'll get soaked." Ember pointed out with a hand directed towards the window. Rain was still splattering against the glass panel and was briefly illuminated by a flash of lightning.

"I'll be fine." I retorted with my armored form shambling to the door and making my way outside. Just like that, I felt like I was in my element. The rain was coming down hard, but I was practically untouched. My helmet and my underarmor was keeping me from getting wet aside from my face. It had been too long since I last took a stroll in the rain. And I needed it this time.

I began to wander aimlessly through the rows upon rows of tents. No one was out there. I was entirely alone. It felt as if the entire camp had gone empty as I wandered around while hearing nothing but the sound of raining falling all around me. It was actually hard to see far at all in that downpour. All that gloom... It was perfect for the state my heart was in.

I wallowed in my despair. I had told myself that this war was not my fault. That I was just a victim in all this and that nothing had changed upon discovering that the emperor was being sustained by my own life force. But now...everything had changed. I had hoped I had left Earth behind by starting a life in Equestria. And now the world I had once been bound to was about to become one with the wonderful world of Equestria and all the ill that entails.

Thoughts of death filled my mind. If I were to die now, the emperor would fall. And surely the portal would collapse with him. Living long enough to see Equestria become no different from Earth, with the wonderful innocent people of Equestria becoming walking paradoxes like a sick parody of Earth's human cultures, filled me with a visceral dread. The ponies should remain as ponies. Not humans in equine bodies.

In time, I found myself at the western wall of the encampment. The sentries above could hardly make me out in the rain. With nowhere to go and overwhelmed with a horrible fusion of fear and guilt, I slumped against the wall with my head bowed. The soft soaked grass below me served as a fairly comfortable seat. The anxiety burning within me, tears began to fall. I hardly even noticed until I noticed that the water trickling down my face was not the rain.

What should I do? We could not advance in this storm. And those of us who knew the truth would need an evening to rest and process the information. But I... I was the one keeping this war going. So much riding on the existence of one man. Whether I lived or died seemed insignificant in the grand scheme of things now that we knew of what was at stake. What if I were to get on top of the walls and make one of the sentries fire an explosive bolt into my face? Would they cooperate once they knew what was happening?

I started to rise to my feet. A solution was right above me. I tried to push any sentimentality out of my mind. I was just one man. One fish in an ocean. The loss of one fish will not matter, right?

My armor's wings spread wide. Even soaked down with water, they might have had enough lift to them to launch me high enough to jump onto the wall before me. But as I steeled myself to do what needed to be done...I faltered. My wings were lowered before I fell against the wall and pounded my fist onto it. Too weak to shake off these horrible feelings of helplessness and too stubborn to end it all for the sake of this world as a whole.

I hated myself in that moment. I should not fear death when so much is on the line. Then why was I not able to take the most effective and pragmatic approach? Was this cowardice or courage? Weakness or strength? Was I making a mistake...in choosing to live?

Once again, I began to wander. I grew to loathe the presence of the wall beside me and headed back into the camp. Wandering far between the labyrinthine rows of tents with no signs of any notable structures on the horizon. But as I wandered along, something caught my eye. Something was up ahead... A warm fiery glow. A torch that was burning in spite of the downpour?

Momentarily distracted, I continued onward. The glow was higher than almost anyone in the entire camp. Surely a torch being held by a sentry making their rounds. It was drawing near even as I approached. But as I came closer, I stopped. There was more than one source of that fiery glow. Some were very low to the point of touching the ground. Something pale was approaching in the gloom of the storm. Tall... And with a glowing trail of warmth behind it. It... She stood before me. Sunflare was approaching at a slow pace, every drop of rain evaporating into steam upon touching her body and fiery scarlet mane and tail.

We stood before each other as I beheld the mighty queen of Equestria. This was not a coincidence. No one would be out in that storm unless they had a good reason. She was searching for me. I then asked weakly, "I won't resist... Go ahead."

My words confused her. Surely she was there to execute me like at our first encounter. Now that she knew exactly what the emperor intended to do, she had every reason to put me out of my misery. And yet, she questioned me. "Whatever do you mean?"

"You know what's going on. You were right to try and put me in the ground." I replied before bowing my head. At least being exposed to a solar flare would likely have me pass from this world to the next so quickly that I would feel no pain. "Go ahead... I won't stop you."

There was no change. No bright glowing orb of solar magic shining through the storm. Sunflare merely stood there before me before speaking, "No... No, I cannot... Not now..."

"Isn't it your duty to do what needs to be done for your world?" I asked softly while briefly turning me gaze towards the mighty sun queen as we both stood there in the rain with no one around to see or hear us. If she needed an opportunity to slay me without interference, she had found it. "Orbash isn't here. Your daughters won't get in the way. Go ahead. You have my consent. Just make it quick..."

"Do you really take me for being so heartless?!" Sunflare shouted at me almost as if she had been deeply offended. This sudden outburst startled me into taking a step back. The sun queen glared at me in exasperation as she declared, "My heart has grown heavier over the past few days. I have seen you as a man... A man loved by many. I could vaporize you easily. But at what cost? Your death...would be mourned. By many. That...is not a choice I can easily make."

I was at a loss for words. Even I had briefly forgotten about all the little things. In trying to simplify my focus on recent events, I forced myself to not think about anything that was not directly connected to what was keeping this war going. Unable to find a response, I only listened as Sunflare continued to address me with a softer tone. "I could end you easily here and now. But it would be with a much heavier heart than before. I can, but I find myself hesitant to do so."

This hesitation was a far cry from the cold and determined sun goddess I had first encountered only a couple of days ago. Frightful and overwhelming with an iron will, but now reluctant to even entertain the notion of causing me harm. And so I asked, "Then...what will you do?"

"I...shall wait. Wait until there is no other option. When we are finally out of time... When all other options have been exhausted... Only then...will I end you for Equestria's sake." The queen spoke with a very subdued tone in her powerful voice. Her gaze lowered, she then said, "And it will be with a heavy heart...for that is not what you were meant for when brought to this world... One should not have to die for our world when one is not even native to this world."

It was so surreal to see one who had tried to end my life at our very first encounter now being so very concerned for me. Curious over why she was even out in the rain like this, I then asked, "Then...why are you out here?"

"Lunch is ready to be served and I volunteered to locate you and bring you back. I can keep myself dry, as you can see." Sunflare explained as countless drops of rain continued to be reduced to steam upon contact with her radiantly warm body.

It was that time of the day. The rest of the squad I had taken part in that mission with immediately ran off for a midday meal. But with the anxiety that was in my heart, I could not muster an appetite. "I'm really not hungry..."

"I suppose I should not be surprised..." Sunflare muttered as she took note of the obvious. She then asked, "But shall I escort you back anyway?"

"Not yet... I...still need some time with my thoughts..." I said before I turned and began to walk away. I almost expected Sunflare to follow me, but she did not. I soon found my way to the western gates again. I felt compelled to remove myself from the situation. I was a threat to those around me by now. I began to lift latch to go outside, but the guards stationed at the sides were quick to approach me. I then spoke before they could ask questions, "I'm...going out on patrol."

The guards were skeptical over my claims since it is not something I normally do. And it is certainly not necessary thanks to our sensor suite transmitting topographic data to the command center. Regardless, they did not object and allowed me out of the camp. With rain continuing to pour heavily over the Empty Plains, I began to wander with my mind adrift with awful thoughts.

I eventually wandered so far from the camp that I could no longer see it over the rain and fog. But that was fine. The rain would let up eventually and visibility would improve. And I was probably showing up on the sensor display panels back in the command center anyway, so everyone probably knew where I was. And I was relieved that I would not be disturbed. Our fliers would not get far if they tried to fly in the rain.

With my vision's distance hindered, I eventually wandered into a nearby woods. It was much like the one I discovered Ocellus in with the trees being spaced apart farther than they would in a forest. The modest canopy above providing some shelter from the rain, I slumped against a tree and remained seated as the storm raged around me.

It was just a miasma of hopelessness and guilt I could not escape from. My thoughts were trapped in an echo chamber as I contemplated what was happening. Even in the best case scenario, Equestria would continue to thrive. Its society might even benefit from the various technological advances Earth has developed over the past century. But it would come at the cost of everything that really matters. Equestria will not influence Earth. Earth will assimilate Equestria. And I could not stop blaming myself.

I sat under that tree for what felt like hours. The lighting was already poor, but the area around me began to darken even further. Night was approaching. But I did not move from that spot under the tree even when the rain slowed to a trickle and even stopped entirely. It was getting dark. The camp would go silent was almost everyone settled in to get some sleep. Maybe I could slip away... Disappear... They would be better off without me by this point now that I was the harbinger of what was to come.

That plan did not have time to manifest. Something descended upon me through the treetops, but I did not have the heart to lift my head. But a vaguely familiar voice reached my ears. "I found him, admiral."

The sound of wet grass giving way to the steps of hands and hooves filled the air. I finally lifted my head and found a trio of hippogriffs standing before me. Seaspray gazed down upon me while Mick and Mundy were standing behind him. They were armored, but not armed. "Sir James, whatever are you still doing out here? It's late."

I could find no words to say and averted my gaze. Nothing I could say would really convey what I was feeling at the time. Mundy then asked quietly, "I've never seen him like this, admiral. Did something happen?"

"A recent turn of events is weighing heavily on the poor man's mind... And I am in no position to discuss it openly." Seaspray retorted before he reached out to me. He then spoke softly, "Come, my liege. Queen Novo is waiting. We will provide you with safe passage."

Novo... Under any other circumstances, I would have been eager to see her. But now I felt as if I did not deserve her. Defying my own despair, I reached out and took hold of the admiral's hand. This got a subtle smile out of him as he pulled me up onto my feet. "There we go. Easy does it. Let's just get you over to the Alabaster and you'll be in for a most refreshing evening as always. Goodness knows you certainly need it after today."

"Thank you, admiral..." I muttered as I began to follow him along at a shuffling pace with Mick and Mundy at my back. I wanted to be alone at the time, but I knew that probably would not be for the best. And a part of me did value their presence. I always had a soft spot in my heart for the wonderful hippogriffs of Capricorn Island and that was not to be ignored.

We walked for some time now that the refreshing cool humidity of a late summer night had settled over the plains. I was escorted past the western gate and then along the walls to the north until we came to the airship docks. Little was said during the trek and I appreciated that. I had nothing to say.

I was guided up the gangplank and down below deck. The halls of the Alabaster was dimly illuminated to help set the tone of a time to sleep. Seaspray then stood beside the door to Novo's chambers and said, "She is waiting, my liege. A tub has been provided for your armor. Dinner will be along in a short while."

I merely nodded while Mick and Mundy left us to carry on with their nightly duties. And once I stepped inside... There she was. Resting upon her bed and facing me. I could not even begin to look at her. I set my helmet aside with eyes looking down and stepped into the plastic tub set in the corner to let my armor melt off me for the night.

No sooner than when I stepped out of the tub was Novo upon me. She rushed to me and embraced me from behind in those majestic wings with her head resting upon my shoulder. "You had me worried sick out there, honey... What were you even doing out in the rain for hours?"

"Being away from everyone else... I...don't really belong here anymore..." I retorted while I all but slumped back into the embrace of my beautiful queen. And my aching heart drove me to speak something more. "I don't...think I even deserve you anymore..."

Novo said nothing. And that silence was terrifying. As I stood there unable to even turn my head to look at her, Novo's hand found its way to mine and took hold of it. Very firmly. "How can you even say that...?"

Her voice was breaking. In a way that I had not ever heard before. Novo dragged me to her bed and pushed me down onto it. She pulled herself atop me and gazed down at me with that soulful voice wracked with quivering emotions, eyes already starting to fill with tears. "How can you even say that to me?! Do you really think I was wrong to love you?! That everything that happened between us was a mistake?!"

A new pain opened in my heart. One that was not involved with all that had happened that day. I had upset her. And I immediately regretted it. My love for her was at war with my own guilt. I was partly responsible for whatever would happened to this world and to her people if this war ended up failing. I could find no retort for these painful questions. I could not even look her in the eye. With her hand touching the side of my face, Novo then spoke with her voice wracked with grief and fresh tears spilling down her beak. "Tell me, James... Do you even love me anymore?"

I could not say no. Because that would have been a spectacular lie. And I could not find the strength to confirm just how hotly my love burned for her. Fighting through the sorrow in my heart, I responded the only way I could. I threw my arms around her and pulled her down against me for the tightest embrace I could muster. I whimpered pathetically, unable to silence my voice completely. I knew I did not deserve her, but I did not want her to think I did not love her.

Novo draped herself protectively over me and dragged her fingers through my hair. She let out a ragged gasp as she too tried to not openly weep. "Oh my word, what has that wretched bastard done to you to make you even think such horrible things... It'll be all right, honey... I know things look bleak, but we haven't lost the war yet... It'll be all right. I swear it will... Do you believe me, my sweet sugar bear? Do you believe your bird of paradise?"

"I...want to..." I whimpered as tears spilled forth with eyes squinted shut. Those wonderful words... They were reminders of exactly what we mean to each other. Novo is a shrewd and wise leader who has reigned longer than most monarchs across the world. I wanted to believe in her intuition.

For a moment, we just held each other in tears. No matter what had happened, I still had Novo. She was still my queen. Someone who could make me feel like I could take on the world. It was wise of her to have me brought to her for the night. She is inspiring and insightful. Someone I can always rely on. And her presence was doing wonders for my aching heart as it was painstakingly soothed minute by minute.

The tears eventually ceased to flow and Novo helped me up to a seated position. She knew better than to speak. Not everything needed to be openly discussed. But she stayed by my side. One of her massive wings was draped over me at all times while her fingers remained curled around mine. And her beak... She was preening me. Gently holding strands of the hair on my head in her beak and sliding them out by pulling away. It was...strangely enjoyable. I see why they do it in the first place.

"Here, honey... You're a happy drunk, right?" Novo eventually asked before she began to release her grasp on me. I watched her step off the bed before approaching was looked like a fancy mahogany cupboard. Upon opening it, I saw that it was her own personal liquor cabinet. Everything in it looked like they were products of Capricorn Island. She looked back at me with that soulful smile I had come to recognize as she asked, "I'd say you've more than earned a stiff drink after everything so far. How about some brandy? The good stuff."

"I'll take whatever you have... Shots, please." I replied while noticing sets of rocks glasses and shot glasses. I was not in the mood for anything on the rocks or a cocktail. A quick gulp down the hatch was all I wanted at the time. Novo walked over with a bottle and small tray of glasses on hand before resting on the bed beside me. She brought a rocks glass for herself and reached into the small mini freezer nearby. Instead of some frozen blocks of honey, she retrieved a single large ice cube from it and added it to her glass. I watched as she filled her glass with that golden brandy, its label revealing it to be a honey-infused type. The mesmerizing wavering effect of the ice cube gradually melting into the brandy filled the golden fluid. She then filled my shot glass just shy of the brim. "Thank you, Novo."

"Don't go too fast, all right? Down too much of this too quick and you won't be able to keep your dinner down later. And I bet you're famished by now. Can't have you tossing your cookies after a long day without a bite to eat." Novo explained while I took her words seriously. She gingerly sipped her drink while I downed my drink in a single gulp. Brandy is usually very strong stuff on its own, but that honey infusion made it much more pleasing to my tongue. And as the minutes began to tick by, I felt my inhibitions starting to fade. And I found myself starting to smile a bit. Novo noticed my face and said, "Good stuff, right? Some of the best on the island."

"Mmhm. Best brandy I've ever tasted." I replied now that I was starting to find myself in better spirits. After a full five minutes passed, I poured myself another shot and gulped it down. "I think one more after this will do it for me."

"Sounds about right." Novo said softly while taking another sip of her brandy on the rocks. Little was said during these moments of silence, but what was said was meaningful and soft whenever she brought her beak to my ear. "I love you."

"Love you too, dear." I whispered back to her. She touched her beak to my nose while we squinted our eyes shut in glee. It felt good to be happy again and to just forget about everything happening outside that little haven.

Unfortunately, I forgot a critical fact about the effects of alcohol. Even for a happy drunk, it weakens one's inhibitions. And I could not have foreseen what was about to happen. After another five minutes, I downed one last shot of brandy. A minute later, Sky Beak stepped in with a tray of freshly brewed chamomile tea. My intoxicated state kept Sky Beak from sensing anything wrong and he bid the two of us a pleasant evening. It sounded like he was stationed right outside the door for the sake of added security. Novo must have assumed the worst and was taking no chances.

The tea was too hot to drink for the moment. I was tempted to have another shot of brandy to pass the time, but Novo insisted that I wait after dinner. I cannot recall what was said between us leading up to it, but... I do not know what was said, but we started to discuss recent events and...I... I just started crying. No, not crying. Wailing. I just started bawling uncontrollably. The hardest and loudest I have wept in probably years.

I cannot even recall what was said during this moment. All I remember was profusely apologizing as I wailed, not knowing why I was crying and why I could not stop. In hindsight, it was thanks to the brandy. I could not keep everything inside me bottled up and I was finally just letting out all my grief over everything that was happening. It was both cathartic, but also extremely distressing.

And Novo... Novo did what I would have expected her to do. She held me. She sat up and put her arms and wings around me to make sure I was safe during this moment of extreme weakness. Novo said nothing, her hand stroking the back of my head as she listened to every awful sound that came out of my mouth.

It took minutes before I finally could cry no more. I whimpered and sobbed softly into the wonderful feathered embrace of my beloved queen. But my cries did not go undetected beyond the door. There was a firm knock before I heard the muffled and very concerned voice of Sky Beak on the other side. "Hello...? James...? Is...everything all right in there?"

"The poor man's been through a lot today. He'll be all right. He has me. Carry on." Novo called back with a noticeable forced composure in her tone. And I saw why. Throat burning and eyes sore with my head throbbing, I saw why. Novo's face was stained with renewed fresh tears. I was not the only one weeping at that time. My wailing was infectious and Novo too had shed tears. She whispered softly to me with a finger tracing under my chin, "You done, honey...? Gotten that all outta your system?"

I could barely even manage a nod. Novo then gently guided me down onto my back to allow me to rest. She then took one of the cups of steaming chamomile tea and just held it while resting beside me. She was not even looking at me, but there was a frightful nearly unblinking glare in her eyes. She stared ahead at nothing in particular, her grasp tightening on the thick ceramic teacup. I asked weakly, "Something wrong...?"

"Oh, I'm just mad, honey..." Novo spoke with a firm tone without even looking at me. "Not at you though. I'm mad at the scumbag who's putting you through all this. How dare he put my sweet swan king through this hell... If I ever get my hands on him..."

I decided it would be unwise to discuss this further and fell silent. Novo was furious and was barely containing her rage. The dose of brandy she had consumed was most likely contributing to that. I think she noticed how uncomfortable her response made me and spoke with a sigh. "Sorry if I'm scaring you, dear... Drinking tends to make me a lot easier to tick off."

"You're an angry drunk?" I asked with caution. If Novo only became more irritable when drinking, I would need to keep that in mind for later.

She shook her head and regained her composure. "No, no, I wouldn't say that. I'm just...more in touch with my emotions when they're not being held back as much, you know? You're a happy drunk, but here you are completely miserable anyway. What do you make of that, hm?"

"Point taken." I muttered weakly. I did not want to move. I did not even really want to talk. But Novo still held my hand before setting down her cup of tea. Probably still too hot to drink.

Novo rubbed her fingers over my hand while cradling it between both of hers. She gazed down lovingly at me, but with such a look of concern in those beautiful eyes. She then whispered softly to me, "Promise me something, honey. Promise me you'll never say you don't deserve me. Never again."

I knew I could not promise her this. Not until this war is over and we are victorious. But she only pressured me further with a finger on my chest and right over my heart. "You absolutely deserve me, you wonderful man. I'm going to walk down the aisle with you someday, no matter how many strings I have to pull to make it happen. I'm going to put a crown on your head. And you...will be the father of my babies someday. You're the only man in the world I can see myself having a family with. Not anyone else. Just you. Because you're the best. And the best deserves nothing less than the best."

Once again, I wept softly. There was nothing but unflinching conviction in those words. It both hurt and felt wonderful to hear her reaffirm how much we mean to each other. "I hope I'm worthy of you..."

"You are, baby... You are." Novo whispered to me with that sweet soulful smile filling her face. With such a profound gaze of love being cast down onto me, she kissed me between the eyes and whispered honeyed words to me. "My sugar bear... My king... My sweet papa swan."

"Oh, mama bird..." I muttered back to the beautiful motherly queen above me. I wanted to believe her. To believe that I was not what I feared I am. That there is a wonderful future waiting for us.

And she reaffirmed this as well by speaking lovingly and very confidently to me with her hand sliding over my chest. "Mmhm, I'm your mama bird, honey. The mama of your little baby birds. At least when you finally give them to me. I'll gladly make you a daddy when the time comes. Don't ever forget that, honey. Let that thought help keep you going, all right? Just remember... You and I have a family to look forward to. And that's worth fighting for, right?"

I could only nod and basked in the love of that wonderful mare. A mare without equal among mortals. For the moment, no words were spoken between us. All that happened was Novo caressing my chest while humming most beautifully. Like a lullaby. It started to work too well and I began to drift off. I forgot just how well strong drink can sap you of energy after a while. I would sleep well that night.

Thankfully, there was a knock at the door before I could completely nod off. The voice of Seaspray spoke from beyond the door and said, "Dinner is served, your majesty. Shall I enter?"

"Please do, admiral." Novo replied before the door started to open. The gorgeously armored commander of Capricorn Island's defenders stepped in while pushing along a small cart carrying dishes. Although I could see Sky Beak peaking in from beyond the door with a look of dear concern in his eyes. I waved weakly at him to confirm that I was at least stable by then. I know he heard every sound I made minutes earlier. Seaspray then turned his gaze to me and asked unusually softly, "Are you well, my liege?"

I could find no words. I was about as emotionally drained as I could get and had no idea how to respond to that question. Novo handled that for me by holding my hand and speaking to her trusted confidant. "He'll be fine in due time, admiral. Keep him in your prayers."

Seaspray nodded solemnly and held a hand to his chest before bowing to me. "I wish you a most wonderful evening, my friend. Take care."

All I could do was nod. Once Seaspray exited the room, Sky Beak looked ready to enter as well. His superior restrained him with a hand on his shoulder while closing the door behind him. "He's in good hands."

Now alone with Novo, I noticed a smell filling the room. Something delightful. Novo reached out to the cart and removed a tray with collapsible legs that were ideal for serving breakfast in bed. It was more than long enough to hold both of our entrees. "Since you missed out on lunch, I asked the chefs to prepare something a little heavier to fill you up. Enjoy, honey."

Our food was covered by rectangular lids that conveyed there was something not quite round under them. And what was under them was a feast for the eyes. Novo was treated to a salmon filet with sautéed veggies on the side, but my dish was most impressive. A pasta dish consisting of linguine mixed with a rich cream sauce that probably had olive oil and butter mixed in as well as fresh spinach with shrimps and scallops. There was even an appetizer that consisted of strips of a small fish that I thought was sardines or anchovies at first that were drizzled with arugula and a balsamic and olive oil dressing. Where my pasta entree was piping hot, the appetizer was served chilled. Novo noticed my curious gaze while I inspected my appetizer and said, "It's smelt, dear. Ever tried it?"

"Smelt? I've heard of that fish..." I replied before taking my fork and getting a little bit of everything on that little dish for my first bite. And I loved it. Smelt tastes very similar to mackerel. "Mmm, I don't know what you call this dish, but I love it."

Novo grinned in delight at the shift in my mood. Famished and moderately intoxicated, I was eager to fill my belly. "Enjoy, honey. This is your night."

And enjoy it, I did. Everything was fantastic and did wonders for my mood. At least for the moment. There was even some sliced bread on the side that I used to sop up every last drop of leftover sauce from my pasta. By the time I was done, I was thoroughly satisfied. But once Novo had placed our empty dishes back on the cart, she sat up in bed and cracked knuckles. "Now that we've got dinner out of the way... Time for me to do my part for the night."

"Um... And that is...?" I asked while my eyes noticed a very confident and determined smirk cross Novo's beak. What was she up to?

I froze as she slid her great and strong wing under my body and forced me up to a sitting position. Eyes narrowed in a perplexing combination of adoration and impishness, Novo spoke right to my face. "Just being the best wife I can be, honey. On your feet. Disrobe and meet me in the bathroom."

I was not about to deny her when speaking to me with that look in her eyes. I did exactly what I was told and soon stood in the shower stall while the two of us were being soaked by some warm soothing rain after a long evening of powerful downpours. Novo then spoke to me over my shoulder, "Now, you just stand right there and let mama do all the work."

There was no objection from me. Novo went to work by masterfully bathing my body as she stepped gracefully around me in spite of looking like a soaked cockatoo. All I had to do was...just let go for a little while. I tried to clear my mind and focus on just this moment as Novo's hands glided across my bare body. What she did not do with her hands, she did with sponge. I almost got so relaxed that my knees nearly gave out from under me. Novo noticed I was starting to have some trouble standing and helped me sit down while she continued to work her magic. At one point, she gave my ear a tender little tug in her beak before trilling a beautiful dove's call into my ear. "Love you, baby."

"Love you too..." I muttered without turning to glance at her. I was at her mercy. And what wonderful mercy she showed me. Although once I had been thoroughly bathed, Novo then focused on herself. I watched for a minute as her soaked feathery form was covered in lather, but she had more ground to cover than I did and her arms were not entirely ideal for reaching some areas. So I stood up and began to rub that fragrant gel into her flanks. "Lemme help you with that."

Novo was quick to object. She really did not want me to have to do anything if I could help it. "It's all right, baby. You just take it easy and let me handle it myself. I've got this."

I decided to counter her with a bit of logical analysis. "If I help, we'll be in bed sooner."

"Point taken." Novo retorted with a sly smirk on her beak. With no further objections, we got to work on getting her impressive body all lathered up for a good rinse. I also helped her with an extra hairdryer once out of the shower since it would take hours for her to dry on her own with those sopping wet feathers. And once she was all dried off, I was greeted with the utter adorable form of a hippogriff mare with her entire coat of feathers fluffed up like the puffiest parrot. "Does a fluffy queen make you smile, honey?"

"It's...hard not to smile..." I replied while even letting out an exasperated chuckle. Novo is easily the hottest mare alive, but turns utterly adorable once she goes from wet to dry. And I just had to hold her and feel my hands through those fluffy feathers. Novo cooed like the sweetest dove in my arms while guiding me to bed.

"Oh, but we're not done yet." Novo suddenly said before suddenly giving me a shove to throw me onto the bed. Now lying flat on my face, I quickly found Novo draping herself across me. She once again cracked her knuckles while speaking to me. "One more little thing before bed, honey. You've always given the best massages, but now it's mama's to show you how it's done."

"Massage...?" I muttered before I felt her hands plant firmly against my shoulder blades. And then she got to work. Applying pressure and working her palms while being very mindful of her talons. While not at all sharp, they could still deliver very uncomfortable pokes. I found this to be much more relaxing than expected. Despite having given so many massages myself by this point, I did not know until then just how good a full body massage actually feels. Soothing... So very soothing. Especially when delivered by the hands of the most beautiful queen in the world. "Oh man, why didn't I ask you to do this sooner..."

"And I'll give you plenty more if you ever need one, baby." Novo cooed to me as I found the soft weight of her body against me to be just as relaxing. As the minutes went by, I felt her placing sweet little kisses on my ears that made me feel a surge of tingling warmth through my body. "I love you."

I sighed harshly as I heard those words. And after a moment longer, she whispered into my ear again. "I love you."

Just when I thought the massage was over, Novo rotated me until I was on my back with her once again pinning me under her beautiful fluffy body. But instead of massaging my chest or anywhere else, she scooped her hands under my head and locked her beak over my face. She hummed and moaned so lovingly as we kissed. The taste of our meal still on our breaths, our tongues dancing in wonderful passion. And when that kiss ended, she whispered to me almost in song. "I looooooove you sooooo much."

The masterful inflections in that soulful voice... I burst into tears. Weeping, yet still smiling. Novo cooed to me with a single finger tracing down my lips. "There there, baby... Mama's here for daddy. You know your wife just wants you to be happy. All of your wives do. Because we love you and we know you love us just as much."

I could not even get a word out. I could not compose myself enough to speak. Novo then lifted her right hand, displaying her fingers with a proud smile on her lips. "One of these days, there's gonna be a ring on this finger. And all just for you. Once that ring is there, I'll be all yours forever. And that's a promise, me sweet swan king."

"How can any man be worthy of a goddess like you..." I whimpered with fresh tears spilling down my face. I loved her so much, yet was left wondering how I could ever be a match for such a perfect woman. Or at least perfect in my eyes.

"That's a very good question, honey. And I don't really have an answer for it." Novo replied before cupping my face in both hands, her beautiful eyes gazing lovingly down at me. "But I know this. You're absolutely worthy. You've earned my heart. And I can't imagine trusting it with anyone else now. You're mine and I'm yours. Forever. Please believe me. I'm telling you the truth."

I embraced my queen. She really had succeeded in soothing my heart for the night. Something I did not think was possible after everything that had happened that day. Just before bed, we finally drank our tea to soothe ourselves for sleep. The room went dark, but I still felt myself embraced by Novo's glorious wing. With sweet words whispered in the darkness, we bid each other wonderful dreams before I closed my eyes.

As for what I dreamed... I wish I could forget it.

The dream was not lucid, thankfully. I was entirely alone as my troubled mind weaved a most troubling scenario. I cannot remember everything. But what I do remember, I remember vividly even now. I can only hope this memory meets the same fate of virtually every other dream and becomes all but forgotten in the back of my mind.

They were there before me. So many familiar and friendly faces. Even the Equestrian royal family stood before me. But none were happy. They all looked so disappointed. I felt like I had been backed into a corner and turned around. A large mirror stood behind me. One with an oval frame forged from silver. Something occurred to me as the glass began to ripple like water. A...portal? To wear?

I remember feeling panic taking hold of me. I pleaded. I remember my vision being blurred by tears. And then, something hit me. An unseen force launched me backwards. I hit the ground hard and tumbled over myself for a moment. Once I had regained my balance and looked around... This was not anywhere I had seen in Equestria. An open grassy public park. Rows of brick homes on one side and the roar of vehicles rushing down a long road beyond a fence. A highway...on Earth. I had been sent home. A world I no longer wanted anything to do with.

Desperation gripped my heart. I saw that rippling oval shape where I had been thrown from. It was not too late! I could hurry through and get back to where I belonged! I sprinted towards the portal with a hand outreached. It was still wavering even without that mirror frame on this side of it. But just when I was about to rush through it, I hit a wall. Hard. Pain filled my face as I staggered back. The portal was no longer rippling like water. It was as still as glass. And I could see them all still looking at me from the other side. Gazes of disdain and disappointment. They did not want me anymore.

I pounded on the glass with my fist. I pleaded to be allowed through. But then the window began to crack. My pleas became more desperate. More frantic as my one way back to the world I loved was on the verge of destruction. My voice became wracked with sorrow as tears blurred my vision. And just like that, it was gone. The glass shattered with the shards fading into wisps of light while I fell flat on my face. I groveled where I laid, weeping profusely in shock and loss. Equestria had banished me back to Earth... Never to return. And I would never see it again, forever cast out of my own Garden of Eden.

I awoke in tears. I sat up abruptly with my vision blinded by darkness. Where was I? Was I still there?! Had I been banished?! Panic took hold of me as I called out in the shadows. "Hello?! Anyone?! Hello?! Where am I?!"

A familiar voice suddenly spoke up beside me in the shadows, startled and dazed. "Honey, easy! Let me get the light on!"

A few seconds later, there was a click. A lamp bedside the bed I was in cast a calming glow over the room. And there beside me with a hand rubbing her eyes was the drowsy form of Novo. She grumbled in confusion, "What time is it? I swear it's been barely an hour..."

Thank goodness... I was still in the private chambers of the queen of Capricorn Island aboard the R.A.S. Alabaster. Nothing had changed, but my heart was still strained by the sorrow I had just experienced. It was so vivid... Not quite lucid, but so very close. And once Novo could see me clearly, her eyes opened wide in alarm. "Uh oh... You're crying? Shhhh, there there, honey. You had a bad dream?"

Her hand went straight to my face and wiped my fresh tears away. It was just a dream... Just a product of an anxious mind. But...that could happen. I could be sent back to Earth only to never return. It already happened once. When I could only nod in confirmation, Novo pulled herself up to me and draped her wing over me in an embrace. "Then tell your mama bird all about it. I know you must've had a lot on your mind lately..."

"I... I was sent back to Earth... They...threw me through a portal... I tried to get back in, but...the way shattered. I was stuck there... I felt like I lost...everything..." I muttered while trying to recall exactly what happened. And it hurt. I leaned against Novo while she held my hand, "I don't want to leave... I love this world too much..."

Sweet yet firm kisses were placed upon my head. Novo was being so good to me when I really needed someone I trust to be there for me. She whispered to me ear in spite of her fatigue, "Sounds like you need a little something extra to soothe your nerves, baby. Let your queen get you a little something from the kitchen. Can I trust you to wait right here until I get back? I'll be just ten minutes tops. Fifteen, if I'm unlucky."

"Please don't be gone too long..." I muttered while barely able to look at her. Novo kissed me right on the cheek before climbing off the bed and heading out the door. It sounded like there was nothing on the other side, but there were likely guards patrolling up on deck.

I sat there in bed without moving from that spot. I was exhausted, yet too distressed to even try to go back to sleep. There was no way I could stop thinking about what I saw mere minutes before. Would that happen? Would they really cast me out of this wonderful if the situation became desperate enough or if too many began to view me as a liability for Equestria? I had already begun to feel isolated after what was found at the Heaven's Pillar that afternoon, but I had never felt so alone and afraid as I was at that moment.

Perhaps twelve minutes later was when the door finally opened. And in came Novo with a tea tray balanced on an upturned palm. It was so strange to see the queen of Capricorn Island herself waiting on me like the average housewife, but that concerned smile on her beak showed that she was not annoyed at all. "Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, honey. Had to boil some water first."

"Did you...wake the chef up for this?" I asked as I was left wondering who was still awake out there. She was the queen. She could have had one of the ship's personnel take care of the task.

"Pfft, as if. I don't need to have someone else take care of my king when mama can do it herself." Novo retorted while closing the door behind her. She set the tray on the bed as I found three cups set upon it. Two of them emitted the honey-like scent of chamomile, but the other... Very different. The scent was definitely a type of red tea and was delightful to smell.

The cups of tea were still piping hot. It would take some time for them to become drinkable. While the chamomile was obviously to help us get back to sleep, I was left confused about the third cup. Novo proceeded to explain, "That's a little something to help flush your body out. Perfect if you've been drinking heavily and don't want to wake up with a hangover. Some milk thistle, dandelion, red clover, the works. Gets your kidneys and liver going. Might even help you sleep more soundly."

She was not wrong. Having consumed as much brandy as I did only a few hours earlier at most, I was still feeling the subtle effects of alcohol consumption and could even feel the taste of that beverage on my breath. It would not bode well if I awoke with a hangover in the middle of a war zone. But it was still too soon to drink it. Regardless, I turned my gaze to Novo and whispered, "Thank you. I really need this."

"I'm just being a good wife to you, James. I know we're not official yet, but I'll make it happen someday." She said softly with her hand taking hold of mine and even placing a kiss on the back of it.

I felt awful for having woken Novo up in the middle of the night. Would we even be able to go back to sleep after that? "I'm sorry for disturbing you... I panicked. Felt too real for a minute."

Novo just shook her head and said, "Honey, I'm amazed you even got to sleep at all after everything we've found out today. Got apologize. I know you're going through your own personal kind of hell right now. I wish I could emphasize with you more, but I can just see it. This is really eating at you and I hate that I can't do more..."

She looked genuinely remorseful over being so powerless. Novo climbed onto bed and held my head right under her jaw. She whispered into my ear, "I wish I could make it all better... Just snap my fingers and make this whole mess go away. But I'm just the queen. I'm no miracle worker..."

"I'm not blaming you here... You're...one of the few things keeping me going." I mumbled in exhaustion. That warm feathered embrace was certainly helping, but I would not be able to sleep yet.

"I will say this though." Novo muttered with a more confident and assertive tone. "If it ever does come to it... What you saw in that dream? Everyone vouching to send you back from where you came from? If it comes to that, I'll fight beak and claw to make sure that doesn't happen. Your queen ain't letting you go without a fight and that's a promise."

"And I believe you... I hope it won't come to that though..." I sighed as I tried to push that depressing memory out of my head. Best just to forget about it.

After another ten minutes of being held by that wonderful mare, Novo reached over to the mini freezer nearby and pulled out that tray of frozen honey blocks. She set one into each cup to cool the tea faster as well as to sweeten it. The frozen honey melted very slowly into the tea with the steam not quite dissipating. Only after the honey had evenly spread out into the drink did I carefully sample that cup of purifying red tea. And it was wonderfully flavorful. I could taste just how healthy it was. Novo noticed how much I was enjoying it and whispered, "Good stuff, right?"

"Mm, very rich. Thank you." I replied while drinking it all sip by sip. It was still too hot to drink quickly, forcing me to savor it. Novo helped herself to her cup of chamomile, sipping lightly. I soon started on mine, hoping it would soothe my senses enough to be lulled back to sleep. "I really needed this... Thank you again."

"Anytime, honey. Gotta make sure you get enough sleep to get you through tomorrow. This really isn't a good time to be sleep deprived." Novo cooed before she began to preen my hair again. Everything about this moment was just so therapeutic.

Perhaps it was the lingering energy-draining effects of that brandy from hours earlier combined with the tea I just drank, but I was really starting to feel like I was going to pass out at any time. As soon as I set my empty cup down, Novo set the tray aside and began to get situated on the bed. I yawned heavily as I groaned in fatigue, "I think that hit the spot..."

"Good. Come here, honey. All you need tonight is to be wrapped in angel wings." Novo said sweetly while reaching over to turn out the lamp next to her bed. As soon as I lied down, the room was engulfed in shadows. But instead of feeling the covers being draped over me, I was wrapped up in a feathery wing. I felt a kiss upon my cheek followed by that luxuriously deep voice. "Sweet dreams, my love. I'll be right here when morning comes."

I could barely voice a response before sleep took me again. But when my mind drifted into dreaming, I felt myself being a little too aware. Was I not alone?

That layer of fog around my knees that reached as far as I could see. The gorgeous night sky above. Was this...a blank slate? Right on the outskirts of the dream realm nexus? Sure enough, there she was swooping down to me. Nightmare Moon landed before me with a gaze of deep concern in her exotic eyes. "I... I saw your dream earlier... I dared not venture in to insure the memories would likely not linger... Are you well?"

"About as well as I could be after all that's happened." I replied dryly while still glad to see a familiar friendly face. I then asked, "I don't want to be a bother, but...could you see to it that I at least don't wake up again? Can you ease my sleeping mind?"

Nightmare Moon let out a sigh and said, "Ordinarily, I always cast a spell that spreads across the world once a day. It influences the dreams of those that sleep to provide peaceful dreams, but... I suppose exceptionally anxious minds can be too distraught to soothe so easily."

I seemed to recall being told at one point that Nightmare Moon's duties as the Princess of Dreams does entail trying to instill pleasant dreams in her subjects. It was such a shame to see that it was not entirely failproof. I then asked, "Before anything else happens... What in that dream. You wouldn't... You won't do that to me, will you?"

"By this point, sending you back to Earth would likely not change the situation. Now that your world and mine are merely separated by a rift in space, the connection between you and the emperor would likely remain intact." Nightmare Moon explained as she revealed just how aware she was of what I saw in that prior dream. She then added, "But regardless... It's much too late to banish you now. Forget what you saw. It won't happen. I won't stand for it."

I breathed a sigh of relief. It was far too late for me to consider ever leaving Equestria behind now. I knew where I wanted to be. Although Nightmare Moon then said, "But enough talk. You need rest. And I will see to it that this dream will be one of respite. Now then, go. Be alone and with your heart's desires. I will be watching from afar."

In a matter of seconds, my mind became less and less lucid. And then... I do not recall what happened next, but... It was at least pleasant. I kind of recall taking a stroll through a forest... Or maybe even riding a bicycle through one. Whatever happened, I did not wake up prematurely again. And when I did awaken, I was feeling pretty good. No trace of a hangover and feeling genuinely rested. And to find myself in Novo's winged embrace while she slumbered next to me was a wonderful thing to wake up to.

That first fifteen minutes was wonderful. But after Novo awoke and gave me my morning kiss before leaving me to take a quick morning shower, it all came back to me. And that existential dread filled my heart once more. Even after that respite last night, nothing changed. I knew what is at stake. And how I am partially at fault for it.

Once clothed, I made my way out into the hall and down to the galley. All of our hippogriff archers had gathered for a morning meal consisting of familiar cuisine. And Novo was quick to flag me down to join her. She could see that whatever respite I found after waking up had already faded and rested her head against mine with a wing draped around me. "You want something light today?"

"Please... I don't have much of an appetite right now." I muttered back while letting Novo do all the talking. Although not much later, someone took a seat to the other side of me. And it was none other than Sky Beak. "Morning, papa bird..."

He did not respond immediately. And that dearly worried gaze in his eyes told me what I needed to know. I could hardly remember much in detail from that moment last night, but I knew he could hear me clearly enough when I had a brandy-fueled meltdown on the other side of that door. Novo could see what was up and retracted her wing from my shoulders. My feathery father figure then asked, "Did...something happen last night? You sounded awful in there... Never heard a man cry like that."

"The situation's gotten bad, Sky Beak. Your boy here's going through a lot. Keep an eye on him. He needs the support." Novo replied in order to save me the trouble of having to put words together. I just nodded to confirm that what Novo said was true.

Sky Beak did not look away from me, gazing upon me in a way only a father could. He asked softly, "Can you tell me?"

I hesitated. It was not something I should speak freely of. I glanced at Novo and saw that even she did not look entirely comfortable with revealing to him what was discovered yesterday. All I could say was, "Ask Seaspray if you really want to know... He can probably tell you better than I can."

Not much else happened that morning. Breakfast went by well enough, but I suspect everyone in the galley could see something was not right with me. I was not ready to leave the safety of the Alabaster just yet, so I sat myself down at the typewriter I have used occasionally and used it to finish documenting the most recent events that have occurred. At least I feel safe here.

I can still barely believe what I saw yesterday... Earth is so close. I can literally go home. But if something is not done soon, everything Earth has to offer will spill over into Equestria and...

This thinking about what this could mean for the future makes me sick. If we fail... If that old fool gets his way...

I did not forsake Earth just to see Equestria become a mirror of it. The emperor has no idea what he is about to unleash onto this world. Just focus... Eyes forward. Keep heading east. When we reach the Heaven's Pillar in force, that is when we will find a solution. Until then, all we can do is keep heading east.

We will be heading out soon... It was raining this morning, but it sounds like it stopped. I need to get ready to march.