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I had just finished a healthy veggie lunch when I stepped down into the command center's main room. It really felt like everything was finally getting going. That spot in the corner with the crystal screens seemed to be functioning, though I was still unsure of what they were used for. The tapping of Morse code could be heard nearly constantly and would just become white noise to me after a minute. And just then, a plume of enchanted smoke slid under the front door before floating up to Celestia and materializing in the form of a scroll. After a few days, it felt like the camp had settled into a routine. And I definitely appreciated it.

Speaking of the scroll that Celestia had no doubt received from Cadence back in Canterlot, she called me over a moment later. "Oh, James! Over here, something came for you."

"Huh? Something from Cadence?" I asked as I stepped over to see what was up. But upon drawing near, something floated up to me while coated in Celestia's golden magic aura. "What the... Is this...the newest issue of Project H?"

"Mmhm. It's from Spike. He said he wanted to let you borrow it for a bit. You two are big fans of this series, right?" Celestia replied while looking rather amused by the notion that Spike would go out of his way to make sure I stayed up to date with a comic book series I was quite interested in.

"Heh, we are. That was really nice of him. Let's see here..." I retorted as I took the comic book in hand and examined the cover to try and get an idea of what to expect. It displayed Hunter front and center with back turned to the viewer, H-Buster raised while facing five looming figures shrouded in shadow with only minute details peeking through. While tall and bipedal, they all had equine heads. Alpha no doubt stood in the center and I recognized two of the other towering figures as Corvus and Aries. But the other two? I recalled during that prior adventure between the pages where Alpha mentioned an Orion and Aquarius... Was this the issue that introduces his entire team of subordinates? For the first time in a while, I was actually pretty hyped to see where this was going. "Oooh, I think I know what happens in this one. Tell Spike I'm grateful that he sent me this. I'll send it back when I'm done reading through it."

However, Celestia could not get a word out before there was a flash of light beside us. We found Luna having teleported right next to us while having quite a look of excitement in her eyes. "Do my ears deceive me? Has the next issue of Project H been printed already? Yes! Yes, it has! The debut of Orion and Aquarius!"

"Um... You a big fan of this series too?" I asked while not entirely sure why Luna was so excited. Did she...have a secret guilty pleasure I never knew of?

"Of course! I know I had been out of touch with Equestrian society for a while, but I adore these modern forms of media and their creations! These fictional tales of superheroes and mechanical paragons simply enthrall me! Especially dear Hunter here." Luna exclaimed as she used her own levitation magic to pull the comic book out of my hands so she could more closely examine the cover. She then looked up at me and pleaded, "James, I know this was sent to you, but... May I have first honors? Please?"

I rolled my eyes upon seeing this side of Luna for the first time. How...unexpected for the Princess of the Night. "Yeah, sure. I'm not exactly in a reading mood right now anyway. Just drop it off in my room when you're done with it."

"Oh, many thanks! I swear I shall return this in mint condition! Now, I am not to be disturbed until I emerge from my chambers." Luna replied before trotting away and past a befuddled Nightmare Moon while a cup of coffee floated beside her.

Once the distant door closed, Nightmare Moon looked at Celestia and I and asked, "Just...what has happened to her after she and I ceased to be one?"

"Your other half became a geek." I retorted while failing to avoid letting out a snicker at the sheer strangeness of the discovery I had just made. Nightmare Moon let out a snort before chugging the rest of her coffee and setting the mug aside. But now that I had beheld the two dreamwalkers of the royal family before me, a thought came to mind. "But before I forget... We arranged to have some time together for a little training tonight, right?"

"Yes, we did decide on that. Although..." Nightmare Moon replied before her gaze wandered in thought. "How about we start early? During a midday nap, perhaps?"

"A...nap? That's...a pretty good idea. But how can we assure all of us will be sleeping soundly enough for us to all be together like that?" I asked while liking that idea. A quick little session during a lazy afternoon? It seemed like things had settled down for the moment, so it would be unlikely that the royal sisters would be immediately needed for anything.

Nightmare Moon already seemed to know what she was doing. "I believe I will pay Zecora a visit for that. Knowing her, she likely has something in her possession that could aid us in this."

A sleeping tea, perhaps? I routinely visit Zecora for tea supplies, so it would not surprise me if she had such a concoction available. Regardless, I did not have much else to offer at the time and knew it would be a little while before such a tea could be prepared. With nothing else to say, I ventured out of the command center to see how things were going with everyone else.

I decided to check in on the aerial units and went around to try and find the training grounds. I eventually did and saw everyone there decked out in suits of camouflaged brigandine like before as Spitfire paced back and forth before them while still maintain her facade of a complete no nonsense superior. But I was also quick to notice something on one front hoof above the ankle. "You've all been making good progress, but now we've gotten an update on potential risks you might face out in the field. Especially when you come diving in to snatch up a wounded infantryman."

Spitfire then stopped and faced her trainees, her tone serious and stern while now starting to carry a slightly softer tone. "You need to know something first. Our archers have been testing how well your suits there hold up against arrows. The results haven't always been pretty. That brigandine works, but don't rely on it too much. One wrong arrow in the wrong place can still punch through. The eggheads in the R&D lab are working on something to help with that, but as for right now..."

A look of unease spread throughout the many pegasi and griffons standing in rows before her. I understood why. They were supposed to e safely out of range except for brief moments when retrieving wounded allies. But if their armor could not entirely protect them, what could be done if targeted by archers? Regardless, Spitfire then spoke with a more authoritative tone. "But we've got some good news! The guys at the lab have figured out a way to help keep our boys out there alive if they take a hit. And you all can take advantage of it!"

Now she was getting to the part about the time inversion barriers they had come up with. I had seen it in action just yesterday, even with one of the aerial units successfully getting through it without being slowed down. Spitfire then said, "The eggheads cooked up some sorta barrier that'll activate when somepony takes a good hit. That way, you'll all know when they need to get hauled back to field HQ to get patched up! You can't miss it. And they've come up with a way for you to get through the barriers. That way those barriers will even keep you all safe from enemy arrows while you're carrying them back. And that brings us to what we're gonna cover today."

I was surprised to see Spitfire raise her hoof high. And tied to her wrist...was a tiny crossbow device. "Maybe there will be a lot of enemy units swarming over the barrier if the wounded unit is separated from the rest of their formation. Maybe some of them are packing spear or other long weapons that they might still getcha with when you come diving in to grab your buddies. That's where this comes in!"

Spitfire then pointed her hoof out and away from everyone and flexed her wrist, triggering the mechanism and letting a bolt fly forth. It did not travel far before hitting the ground, as one would expect from such a tiny device. The draw weight had to have been exceptionally insignificant. As I pondered what good such a weak weapon would do against armored infantrymen, Spitfire provided an answer. "Each of you will be outfitted with one of these mini crossbows. And each of them will be tipped with an explosive charge. Just aim, shoot, and boom! That'll clear the enemies around your buddies and give you plenty of time to get in there and haul them up! But you'll only get one per clash! You can't waste time reloading these things in the thick of battle! Only use them when you're absolutely sure you need to! And for goodness sake... Make sure none of our fillies and colts are anywhere near where you shoot these things. I don't want any friendly fire incidents happening out here! Got it?!"

"Yes, ma'am!" They all barked in unison. And I was left quite impressed. It would not matter how hard a crossbow bolt hits if it would simply explode like a stick of dynamite. Spitfire then walked over to a large and long box that was filled with these little crossbows before calling everyone over one by one to retrieve theirs. Knowing that they would surely begin practice on firing those things, I decided to depart so as to not provide a distraction. At least I was in a better mood now that I knew just how much better armed our aerial evacuation units would be.

I eventually made my way back over to the airship docks to see how things were going there. And I got there just in time to see the Zephyrus departing as it rose high into the air with its propellers buzzing to push itself through the sky. I watched diligently as Celaeno's airship soared west, no doubt loaded down with refuse to be properly disposed of upon return to Equestria's main territories. I then turned my gaze to look around the docks, seeing more cargo airships being unloaded with royal guard personnel speaking amongst themselves. But before I could even think about anything else, I heard a whistle ring through the air. I got the creeping suspicions that it had been directed at me and glanced around. And sure enough, when my eyes looked up at the elegant form of the Alabaster, I saw her gazing down at me from the deck. The beautiful queen of Capricorn Island herself.

Knowing I could not and should not refuse an invitation from that wonderful woman, I promptly made my way up the gangplank and was quickly embraced in her glorious wings. I too put my arms around my beloved, as our heads rested against each other. She then whispered to me in her beautifully deep and succulent voice, "Back so soon, honey?"

"I had time to spare, so I came over to check out the airships. They just have a unique charm to them, you know? And they don't really exist in the world I come from..." I said softly now that I was much more interested in my beloved Novo than what was happening around us. Especially after such a wonderful night we had spent together. "But I'd much rather spend time with you than just browsing airships."

"Oh, you sweet dove of a man. Mama's more than happy to see you anytime." Novo cooed to me before her beak found its way to my lips. We shared a brief kiss before gazing into each other's eyes, oh so happy to be together again even after only a handful of hours apart. We were absolutely in love. And it felt wonderful. "I love you, my king."

"And I love you, my queen." I whispered back to her as I stroked my hands over the sides of her soft feathered face and down her neck to the ruff of fluffy blue feathers ringing the top of her chest. And now that I was there... "Come to think of it... Mind if I take a nap in your chambers before long? Celestia and her sisters would like to have a little...dream training session with me."

"Huh? You mean...like a fun little duel where it doesn't matter if you get hurt?" She asked while sounding understandably confused. I nodded in response, which prompted a curious smirk from the lovely queen. "Ooooh, I think I get it. You don't quite fit in with the other troopers around here, so you have to spice things up in your own way where your dreams call the shots."

"Yeah, more or less. I need to face opponents of a certain caliber for the experience to be worthwhile. And the malleable realm of dreams is ideal for that." I explained while starting to wonder exactly what I would find once my mind was allowed to wander. And would Nightmare Moon know where to find me to deliver the tea she had set out obtain?

Just as I was wondering about that, I noticed something coming over the horizon to the east. Something dark... Something I was familiar with. Nightmare Moon herself soared on her sable wings before coming in for a landing before the two of us upon the deck of the Alabaster. Novo was quick to face the Princess of Dreams as her great wings folded to her sides. "Well, what brings you up here, Miss Dreamer?"

"Just that, honestly. I bring an invitation of sorts to come dream with me and my sisters." Nightmare Moon replied as she passed me a little pouch that carried a thick aroma of indeterminate identity. It smelled utterly lovely and caused me to assume it could be used as a type of potpourri for aromatherapy. "Zecora sends her warmest regards. Brew this tea hot and drink the entire cup. It should bring sleep shortly after."

"This is that dreaming tea you mentioned? Smells wonderful." I replied as I brought the sack to my nose and inhaled deeply. Even the smell almost put me in the mood for a nap. I could only imagine what exotic ingredients were put into it.

"Sounds to me like you and your sisters will be out of action for a spell. Do your men know not to disturb you until then?" Novo asked while sounding slightly concerned over what could happen should the camp be approached by enemy units while their mightiest champions were deeply asleep. We would need every able fighter should an attack occur.

"Only should an emergency arise. It is highly unlikely the emperor's forces will reach us this soon. The Heaven's Pillar is still many miles away." Nightmare Moon replied before turning to me. "My sisters and I will start to brew our tea very soon. It would be ideal if you did the same to insure we all sleep at roughly the same time."

"Synchronized dreaming... Never thought I'd hear of people falling asleep at the same time solely to dream together... Sounds funnier the more I think about it." I said while amused by the thought. "Anyway, I'll get right on it. I'm gonna nap here on the Alabaster, if that's OK with you."

"That will do fine. My sisters and I will be expecting to see you soon. Until then." Nightmare Moon said before bowing to Novo and I and taking to the air, soaring over the camp as she returned to the command center.

"Sounds like we better get that tea brewing." Novo said while taking the sack from my hand. "You head on down to my place and I'll be right along with the goods, honey."

"Thank you, Novo. I'll see you there." I retorted before hurrying down inside the Alabaster and finding my way to Novo's private chambers. The bed was already made after such a lovely night together and looked so comfy for the sake of just resting upon it for a nap. The room was quiet. Perhaps too quiet. I took off my shoes and walked along the soft carpet before peering out a porthole to see beyond the nearby walls of the camp and the Empty Plains beyond.

Barely five minutes after I had lied down on the bed to wait for Novo, I heard the door creak open. And in stepped that beautiful mare with a tea tray resting atop her upraised palm. A teapot sat upon it along with a single teacup and silver spoon. She then said with a smirk, "I'm almost tempted to get some of this for myself. Smells way too good."

As she brought the tray to the bed, I too could smell the steam coming from the teapot's spout. Absolutely delightful. Now all we had to do was wait for the tea to steep and then to cool enough for me to drink it. I almost felt bad that there was not enough for Novo too. She did not even bring a cup for herself. Even so, this was one rare case of napping that was surprisingly serious business. Not hat I could easily remember that once Novo was resting on the bed beside me with such a loving gaze in her eyes. "Now then... What to do while we wait for the tea to cool..."

I cracked a crooked smirk. There was already quite a romantic tension in the air. And so I asked, "Wanna cuddle?"

"How'd you know what I was thinking, honey? Come to mama." Novo cooed as she crawled to me while being mindful of the tea tray. We found each other in our arms, her cushy feathers pressing against my shirt. I closed my eyes as she held me, my beautiful queen resting upon me while I dragged my hand down her back with my fingers pressing through her soft plumage. Novo's beak then whispered into my ear, "I love you, my wonderful king."

"And I love you, my glorious queen." I whispered back to her as I savored this tender moment with the most beautiful mare in all the land. We were so in love... And such a powerful and genuine love it was. We needed each other. "Thank you for being here, love... I missed you..."

"I missed you like nobody's business, honey." Novo cooed sweetly to me as she lifted her head and gazed down at me with such a tender smile. Her hand stroked my face as she whispered, "Mark my words, honey. One of these days, I'll find a way. I'll put a crown on your head and make you my king for real. So we won't have to hide it when you're on my home turf."

"Do you think they'll understand? I mean...your people don't do things my way, right? Wouldn't they...see me as an unfaithful scoundrel if they found out?" I asked quietly while her hand never left my face. It sounded wonderful. Being her king officially. Essentially becoming her husband in the process. And with no reason to hide it on that one island of paradise. But the people of Capricorn Island are strictly monogamous. Would they understand that there is no lust or debauchery in my relationships?

"Oh, don't you worry about that, baby. In fact, I'm starting to suspect my guards aboard the ship are already onto us about that. And they haven't been given you any dirty looks, right?" Novo whispered while her dull talons dragging through my hair as she did all she could to soothe me like a wonderful loving wife. "We hippogriffs are a bunch of lovey dovey lovebirds, James. Even if you do things different from how most of the other birds on the island do, we know love when we see it. And they especially don't mind when their queen is in love. Don't you worry about what they think. They'll understand. And besides that, I've seen that you left quite a nice impression on them last time you visited. You have friends there, honey. And they'll support you."

"I hope so... I don't want to look like some scumbag who uses women..." I muttered as doubts filled me once again. I knew where my heart lies, but I still was not entirely certain if I had what it took for the long run.

Novo then spoke more firmly to me as her eyes narrowed slightly. Her tone was stern, yet supportive. "Don't ever say that about yourself, James. I already tested you for that and you passed. I welcomed you into my bed that night just to see if you had that kind of vileness in you. And you don't. You're not a man who lusts after every gorgeous mare he sees. You only consider that when you love them. I can see it in your eyes, honey. You can't crave a woman if you don't love her."

I nodded in agreement. I have seen many gorgeous women during my time in Equestria. Princess Luna. Saffron Masala. My neighbor Eleina. And many others. But not once have I craved them. Never have I seen them as a source of pleasure or satisfaction. The only ones my body aches for...are those who love me as much as I love them. I raised my hand to Novo's arm and slid my fingers along it while gazing up into her eyes. "I really appreciate your confidence... Please don't ever lose faith in me."

Novo's harsher gaze faded as a look of utter adoration filled that beautiful face. She then brought her beak to my lips for a brief kiss and whispered, "I won't ever lose faith in you, my king. Just don't ever lose faith in me either. Because we hippogriffs mate for life. And I won't ever stop loving you now."

"Same here, Novo." I sighed while I traced my fingers over her beak. Novo just smirked in amusement, probably not able to feel my touch very well through the hardened form of her beak. But it was around then that I looked over at the tea tray near the edge of the bed. Steam still rose from the spout. "You think that stuff is done steeping yet? I don't wanna keep them waiting."

"I think it has been around ten minutes by now... That's usually long enough for hot tea, but that stuff's still piping hot." Novo replied as she started to get up and stepped off her bed. "I've got a little something to speed that along."

I watched as Novo stepped over to what seemed to be a little freezer box set up in the corner. Probably something to store snacks. And when she reached in and pulled something out, I noticed her fingers pinched over a golden ice cube. But that golden hue... I then asked, "Is that...a block of frozen honey?"

"It sure is, baby. This'll cool down the tea just right while also adding a sweet little kick to it." Novo said proudly before removing the lid of the teapot and gently setting the honey cube inside it. She then secured the lid again and said, "Give it a couple of minutes. Honey's much thicker than water."

The two of us just cuddled for a minute or two. No words spoken. Just holding each other and savoring every tender caress. And shortly after, Novo lifted the lid of the teapot and stirred its contents with a spoon once she had removed the teabag. The aroma was heavenly. And not as much steam was rising from the teapot by then. "It's all ready, dear. Drink up."

"I can hardly wait..." I muttered while eager to help myself. I poured a full cup, the fluid a profound hue of violet while barely affected by the presence of honey. I very carefully sipped at the tea, knowing it had not entirely cooled even after the inclusion of a cube of frozen honey, but found the temperature to be just cool enough to sip away at. And it really was as soothing and dreamy as I expected. "This...really does taste like something you'd drink for some sweet dreams."

"I'd say so if that smell is anything to go by. Maybe I should ask for some myself while I'm here." Novo retorted while looking very tempted to try some. But since the tea was meant just for me, she refrained from trying it and poured the remainder of the tea into my cup once I had finished the first dose. The flavor of honey only enhanced the calming aspects of my drink. Once I had downed the rest of it, Novo asked, "That's the last drop. What now?"

"I dunno... I don't feel like I just got a hefty dose of anesthetic or anything. It's not like a sleep potion." I replied while wondering how the tea would take affect. But only a couple of minutes later, I started to feel exceptionally drowsy. My eyes grew dreadfully heavy as I felt my energy just draining away. "Whoa... OK then... Yeah, I'm feeling something now... Could really use a nap."

"That was fast. Hold on a minute, honey. Lemme get some pillows ready for you." Novo whispered as she reached back behind me before helping me lie down. Some cushy pillows had been prepared for my head. And just to top it of, Novo draped her massive cushy wing over me to act as a blanket. I looked drowsily towards her as she smiled back at me. "You have some sweet dreams, honey. I'll be right here when you wake up. Mama ain't going nowhere."

"Thank you, Novo. Love you..." I muttered as I could no longer keep my eyes open. I felt a kiss being placed upon my cheek before Novo became much quieter to allow me to rest. And before long, I drifted from being awake to restfully dreaming without knowing when one ended and the other began.

There was a strange surreal feeling to see the star-studded skies of the dream realm as I stood in that cloudy nexus. It was the middle of the day, and yet it felt like I was standing in the middle of the night. A quiet ethereal breeze blew through the cloudy vale as I looked around me. I was alone. Or was I? "Luna? Nightmare Moon? Am I late?"

"No, not really." Luna's voice spoke from behind me. When I turned, I saw her standing before me while a portal stood open beside here with Nightmare Moon and Celestia stepping through it. Luna then glanced at her sisters as the portal closed and said, "Are we all present? Good. Then we can begin."

"Just to confirm, we're facing off against a capable opponent like Xemnas from last time, right?" I asked while not really sure who I felt would make for a decent opponent from my memories. There were so many to choose from that I could not narrow it down without a suggestion.

"You mean that one who was a little too aware of the situation? Yes, something like that." Celestia replied as we stood in the nexus with hardly any passing dreaming minds floating by. It makes you wonder about those who are surely asleep in other time zones. "So, who will it be this time?"

"That's a...good question. What're we supposed to face? Something out of science fiction? Something from a more fantastical element?" I asked while truly unable to pin down any familiar fictional faces in my head. At least none that would be a fitting opponent for a magical knight.

"It would be best if we face something that is not too far removed from the likes we will duel in the coming weeks. Plate armor. Swords and shields. Everything you are most familiar with." Nightmare Moon replied as her horn was coated by her dark blue magic aura. "If you're still uncertain, perhaps I can dredge up something specific... Something...you remember most vividly. One that has a special place in your memory."

"Um... You sure that's a good idea?" I asked while not sure what exactly to make of this offer. She lifted her head high while Luna and Celestia also had gazes of uncertainty in their eyes. Something that I had a particularly vivid memory of? What could it be?

"Do not fear. You are not the only one who will be participating here. We too must train ourselves for the trials ahead... Hmm... What's this one? Seems...promising... You hold a certain wariness of this one..." Nightmare Moon muttered before the nexus around us began to give way as a new environment began to take form. Moments later, we all stood in a stone city under the cover of night that would not have been out of place maybe five centuries ago. At least on Earth. "Hm... A fitting location. Looks like something out of that empire at the height of its power."

"And it looks like there is already conflict underway here..." Luna muttered in unease. Indeed, much of the area around us showed signs of damage and structural collapse. As if we were witnessing the immediate aftermath of a siege during a war. Fire had broken out in a few of these stone buildings with toppled pillars casting stone bricks along the ground. Luna then cast us a look of alarm and said, "We are in danger. We should arm ourselves."

A flash of magic light later, all three of my royal companions were clad in their suits of barding while I was clad in my suit of enchanted winged armor with the Lunar Shield affixed to my left arm. Celestia then said, "What are we expecting to find out here? Just rogue warriors? It looks like whatever happened has already come and gone."

"I'm really not in the mood to face off against several normal human warriors... Wouldn't something more...unique be a... Wait..." I muttered before freezing as a sound reached my ears. Then again. Over and over. It was distant, but it was a sound I was all too familiar with. A sound that I often heard from myself whenever walking around in my own armor. But it was not coming from me this time. The clanking of metal sabatons. And the tread...sounded quite heavy. "Something's close... You hear that?"

"That... Footsteps... Sounds like there's...just one." Celestia muttered as we all turned away from each other to mind our blind spots. Something was nearby. But how close? I approached a towering stone statue depicting a bearded human swordsman with blade held high and shield on its other arm. My eyes scanned the burning architecture before me among the many stones littering the stairs leading up and away from the town square we found ourselves in. A place wide and open enough to serve as a small battlefield. Not seeing anything that could be a cause for alarm, I turned away to scan the opposite end of the area. But it was right around then that the armored footsteps stopped. And Celestia shrieked as she looked my way. "James...! Get away!"

Acting on instinct, I flapped my armor's wings to propel myself forward while turning myself around. And as I did, I heard a thunderous crash as something smashed right through the statue I had just been standing before in a brazen attempt to get to me. I landed before the royal sisters as we all faced the source of the sound we had heard. But once the dust and debris settled to revealed who had lashed out at me... I stood aghast, recognizing a hulking warrior I was all too intimately familiar with. "No... No, not this guy...!"

"That arm... That sword... What sort of abomination is this creature?!" Nightmare Moon shouted in disgust as we beheld the unholy warrior before us. This hulking behemoth of a knight, clad in imposing azure plate armor with the unmistakable pattern of an unblinking eye emblazoned upon the chest. A human face gazed back at us from the gap in the helmet for his eyes, but the eyes themselves... Shining so brightly with a hellishly red glow. The helmet itself was of an ominous design, twin winged crests that brought to mind the wings of demons and gargoyles stood tall at the sides while a pronounced spike protruded from the brow while glowing a hot orange. A long flowing crimson plume hung down from the back of the helmet that could have easily been mistaken for the swordsman's actual hair. The human side of the warrior ended there as my gaze wandered to his hulking right arm. Not so much an arm as much as it was a grotesque malformed oversized claw ending in only three massive digits. The hard corrupted flesh, looking more like bone than anything else, even slightly encrusted over the right edges of the warrior's cuirass. Hot glowing energy flowed through invisible veins like lava flows, ending in a particularly bright spot on the back of that massive hand almost like a beating heart. But in the warrior's relatively normal left hand... A mighty unholy blade I could never forget.

The massive sword in the azure marauder's left hand... Easily as long as its wielder and impossibly wide with a sharp metal edge on one side that ended in a pronounced triangular tip. A hefty backsword specifically designed to cleave more than anything else. But the rest of it... Everything that did not consist of that metal edge was composed entirely of flesh and sinew, even right down to the hilt and ending in a sharp curve that no doubt hid a pointed bone. And around where one would normally find the crossguard, an unholy blinking yellow eye gazed at us on each side of the blade as it occasionally blinked. The sword was alive. And the warrior was its thrall. Only two words escaped my lips. "Soul Edge..."

"Soul Edge...? And... That sword... It's...looking at us... James, what have your memories wrought?!" Luna shouted in a combination of confusion and unnerved curiosity. They were all disturbed by what they were beholding. The azure nightmare before us looked like something out of the most twisted fantasies any warrior could ever imagine. And I could scarcely believe that I was standing before this monstrous abomination myself.

"To think I once put this guy down on paper... This is what we're dealing with tonight?" I mumbled as I felt unsure if I could ever hope to stand against this undying evil sword and its host. How much did I even remember about it? Such a blade would be impossible for even the mightiest warrior to heft, let alone swing quickly enough in a fight. But I knew. The inhuman might of that warrior was honed specifically to wield that massive blade with frightful speed. And that hulking misshapen right arm no doubt served as a counterbalance for the sword's impressive weight. We were in for hell.

As the glowing eyes of the azure nightmare glanced back and forth at us, he finally raised his hulking right arm and pointed one of its clawed fingers at us. He spoke with his voice distorted and twisted by the evil sword's malfestation. "Your souls shine with a peculiar radiance. It leaves me...curious."

"Our souls...? What about them?" Celestia asked with a most unsettled gaze in her eyes. The three royal sisters all took a few steps back as they sensed the unholy animosity of this twisted harbinger of death. Even I was extremely tempted to back away, though I only barely resisted while keeping the Lunar Shield ready. Celestia then turned to me and demanded, "James, what is that?! What is he?!"

"The Azure Knight... Wielder of Soul Edge..." I retorted while knowing we would not be allowed to escape. Now that the evil sword had set its haunting blinking eye upon us, an attack was imminent. It would not allow us to escape easily, nor was escape what we were there for. Despite this, I was dreading the incoming clash.

"My name precedes me, it would seem... You are familiar with the Sword of Ruin." The Azure Knight declared while his distorted voice spoke with a...barely concealed hint of excitement. "That will make this interesting. Whatever you are, I am eager to sample souls of such exotic origins."

"Sample...our souls...?! What are you, demon?!" Nightmare Moon shouted as she tried to maintain her own imposing presence, though it paled in comparison to this literal embodiment of bloodshed. She was outclassed.

With a sudden snap of his wrist, the Azure Knight pointed its sword at us while showing no signs of being unbalanced or slowed down by its immense weight. The eye on each side was opened wide, showing twisted joy where its unseen face would surely be grinning with a perverted show of glee. "Surrender your souls to me! I thirst!"

We all recoiled as the warrior swung its sword to the side and charged us. But barely three steps forward, it roared in frustration as its charge was suddenly halted. The Azure Knight's entire form was coated in a layer of dark blue billowing magic. He groaned in confusion and frustration as he struggled to move at all. "What sorcery is this?!"

Nightmare Moon. She had her head lowered with her magic aura surging around her horn. Using the levitation spell to forcefully hold the Azure Knight in place. And he was quick to notice. "You... This is your doing, wench! No matter..."

To our horror, the Azure Knight groaned as it very slowly strained itself to bring its armored right foot forward. Quivering and grunting, the hulking marauder began to take step after slow and agonizing step towards the Princess of Dreams with its colossal right hand reaching out to her. "You can slow its approach...but you cannot stop the Nightmare!"

"I can't..... I can't hold it! Sisters, be quick! Summon the blade!" Nightmare Moon called out as she strained to slow the Azure Knight's approach. It was just too strong... What sort of raw physical might would be needed to resist the kind of magical output a member of the royal family is capable of?!

Before I even could try to piece Nightmare Moon's words together, I felt the Lunar Shield detach from my arm before I could even draw the Celestial Sword. As I turned to look at the sword and shield with each beginning to shine with gold and blue glows, Celestia and Luna turned to me with their horns coated in their respective magic auras. Luna spoke first as she said, "The size of that sword is preposterous, but I'm not going to question it. Though it would be foolish to try and block a swing with that much force behind it. The impact would surely break your arm."

"Then what would you suggest...?!" I asked while feeling a maddening tension settle over the area as the Azure Knight steadily and painstakingly approached Nightmare Moon. All she could do was back away with a barely contained look of fear in her eyes. Its hulking deformed hand remained open while reaching out to her, ready to crush her head in its grasp at the first opportunity it could seize.

"The only alternative is to match its might with an equally mighty blade. I just hope you're not too rusty!" Celestia exclaimed as the glow around my weapons completely engulfed them. They suddenly rose high above us as that shine began to let out a high-pitched din before...something fell from the glow while equally coated in ethereal energies. The sound of a metal blade striking stone was heard as it struck the street before me. And yet...it was distinctly nostalgic to me. I had seen the two of them do this before.

It was right around this point that the Azure Knight drew too close for comfort and compelled Nightmare Moon to use her levitation magic to hurl him backwards and away from us. He grunted in irritation now that significant distance had been put between us, but his glowing eyes then fell upon the fading glow of the sword before us. "What's this...? No, it is not..."

The form was familiar. And the memory came back to me. I had seen this mighty blade before me only once before. A sword that was easily as tall as myself, its white edge glowing brightly while the flat middle of the blade was as black as the night sky with glimmering stars lining its length. The crossguard had grown to be more fitting for sword of that size with the crescent moon of Luna's cutie mark emblazoned over Celestia's sun. A familiar greatsword that matched Soul Edge in length, even if not in mass and width. I reached out to the exceptionally long hilt as I asked, "This one... What even is this thing? You used it before the first time we ever did this sort of thing in my dreams. Does it have a name?"

"Another time, James. Just take up your sword and be ready." Celestia spoke with an utmost seriousness to her voice. I did not complain. I yanked the sword from the ground as I found its size to be surprisingly light in the grasp of my enchanted gauntlets. My left hand held the long hilt just above the pommel as I tried to find the right balance for this massive sword.

"So...even you wield such a sword as he did..." The Azure Knight spoke as if it seemed to recognize something about the type of sword I was holding or even just my general stance. The demonic warrior readied itself, sword reaching back at its side while still grasped in just its left hand while holding its gargantuan malformed right hand up in a menacing curling grasp. "Now I am most intrigued. Prove the glory of your souls to me! I'm still parched!"

The Azure Knight charged as my three royal friends jumped back to give us some room. We were as well armored as we could be, yet even our armor would not likely offer much protection to a direct strike. I had to react quickly as the tip of Soul Edge's blade dragged along the stone street with sparks flying. I flapped my wings to propel myself backward as the Azure Knight swung its massive sword upwards in a circular slash to try and gut me from below. No momentum was lost after making a full circular rotation as he soon came charging in at me again. I tried to lash out at this time with a swing of my own sword with Soul Edge coming in for a strike to match my own.

Even with Soul Edge being far heftier and heavier than my own, our blades clashed with equal force as we found ourselves thrown back from each other by the impact. The Azure Knight grunted in shock while I too was surprised that the mighty sword in my hands could match the force of such a heavy impact. As we regained our balance, Soul Edge's eye gazed at me with a look of horrifying realization. I took a deep breath before holding my sword out in front of me. I knew for a fact that while Soul Edge was the heavier sword, mine was sharper. "I just need one good stroke. Just one..."

"Then struggle as hard as you can!" The unholy knight roared as he made a sudden sliding stride forward. I tried to bring my blade down for a cleaving chop, but his massive clawed hand suddenly batted the entirely blade away while clocked in hellfire! Before I could even try to steady myself, that massive hand snatched me right off my feet and held me off the ground with its hardened digits grasping me around my entire cuirass. It was...horrifying. Being held helpless off the ground in the grasp of a warrior that was still around my height. And he was not even struggling to hold me up!

"James! No, unhand him!" Celestia shrieked as the three royal sisters moved in to try and find an opening. But there was not much they could do while I was held captive. And I could not find enough leverage to lash out with my own sword. But I was finally released as in less than a second, the Azure Knight lifted his hand to generate some upward momentum to keep me elevated as he opened his hand wide to release his grasp on me. But this was only to create an opening for yet another attack as he suddenly closed his digits into a fist to suddenly generate a spherical explosion of evil scarlet energy right into me! My armor's magical resistance held up well enough, but...I still felt it. That foul evil force...

"You're mine!" Nightmare Moon roared as she unleashed a bolt of magical lightning into the Azure Knight once I had landed on my back. He let out a roar as the blast of electrical magic exploded into him and pushed him far across the street. And just before he could even try to regain his footing, pillars of magic ice jutted up from the ground around him and locked his entire body in a prison of frigid spikes. He barely had enough room to even move his arms while securely locked away even as his azure armor scraped against the magical ice. "There! James, finish him!"

"Fine! Just...gimme a minute here!" I groaned as I started to struggle to my feet. That blast still hit me harder than I thought it would, but I could now deal the final blow. Even magic ice of that magnitude would not hold up to my sword. I could cleave through it and the Azure Knight with ease.

"I think not...!" I heard the distorted voice of the Azure Knight growl as he tried to hunch forward as much as he could. Seconds later, he let out a shout while throwing his head back as another spherical explosion of that evil energy burst out from around his entire body and obliterated his icy prison into countless shimmering frigid shards. He then cast his glowing gaze at the Princess of Dreams and declared, "You shall be first, wench!"

"Do not mistake me for easy prey, demon!" Nightmare Moon shouted as she conjured up an entire field of thick ice spikes from the stone street between her and our enemy. A hulking brute like him would not be able to maneuver easily around such obstacles. Certainly not with a sword of that size.

Much to our horror, that was not how it went at all. With almost inhuman roars, the Azure Knight swung its mighty blade and effortlessly shattered each and every pillar of enchanted ice in his way with disturbing ferocity. And his sights were set exclusively on Nightmare Moon while the pillars at the edge of the field made it difficult for us to readily intervene. As Nightmare Moon slowly backed away as arcs of electrical magic surged around her horn, the Azure Knight roared while continuing to cleave its way through every frigid obstacle to get to her. "I thirst! I THIIIRRRST!!!"

Nightmare Moon flinched as shards of her own icy obstructions got launched her way when the last of the ice pillars between her and our enemy were obliterated. But just as she was about to launch a mighty blast of magic lightning into him, the Azure Knight lashed out with unexpected speed. He brought his left hand forward, jamming the fleshy pommel of Soul Edge into her snout. This stunned Nightmare Moon just enough to give the Azure Knight time to lift its colossal right hand high and smash it into her armored head to slam her entire body right into the floor.

The sight of this azure butcher towering over Nightmare Moon instilled fear in us all. She was stunned and helpless, that mighty blunt blow managing to rattle her head in a way a blade never could. But the Azure Knight then took a couple of steps back. And I soon saw why. Soul Edge was suddenly wreathed in flames as he raised the evil sword high above his head. I panicked, reaching out in futility as I called out, "No... No no no no no!"

Before any of us could try to intervene, the Azure Knight brought his sword down. Hard. The stone street below Nightmare Moon buckled as the massive blade cut as much as it smashed. And for just an instant, there was an explosion of liquid red as Nightmare Moon's armor did next to nothing to protect her. But not even a second after the carnage was unleashed, all that liquid red flying through the air vanished in a flash of light. As too did Nightmare Moon's corpse. It was as if she had never been there at all.

"Sister... Sister?!" Luna shrieked as she saw her fellow sister of the night be utterly butchered before no doubt waking up from this dream after an untimely death. Even though such a wound was fleeting and had no lasting consequences... We still saw her die. And brutally so. And it was only then that the true ruthless evil of Soul Edge became known to us. It would slaughter us all if we got careless.

"Hm...?! Where... Where is it?!" The Azure Knight roared in frustration, Soul Edge's blade still stained with lingering bits of crimson blood. Instead of sounding proud of its kill, it looked and sounded confused. "I barely even tasted it! Where is that wench's soul?!"

Celestia spoke out with a slightly quivering voice, still rattled over what she had just witnessed. What a hellish way to die... "You... You will get no such thing here. You're only here for us to destroy!"

"Absurd! Your souls are mine to devour! And I will have them!" The Azure Knight roared before he charged at me while I could barely even manage a proper stance. And before I could even do anything, I felt the sharpened tip of that massive blade plunge right into my breastplate in a sudden and swift rising stab. I was swept right off the ground as fear took hold, my armor holding up just well enough to keep the blade from pushing deep enough to cause any sort of a puncture wound under my underlying bodysuit. But I still felt so helpless even right up to the point where he suddenly swung his sword down and dislodged me, flinging me right into the pavement. "I thirst! I hunger! More! Perish before me!"

"Never!" Luna shouted as a thick spire of ice suddenly shot up from the ground from a pool of icy mist and slammed its tip directly into the Azure Knight's breastplate. Such a blow would usually be fatal to most warriors, even those clad in such tough plate armor, but all this blow did was knock the Azure Knight right off his feet and send him tumbling quite a ways back. Luna then turned to me and called out, "Quickly! End him!"

"Got it!" I rushed in with sword ready as soon as I had steadied myself and was back on my feet. All I needed was one good swing and I would cleave this azure butcher in two. My enchanted greaves carried me forward at speeds that surely even our enemy was shocked by. He had barely even gotten to his knees by the time I reached him and was about to bring my sword right down on him. "Go to hell!"

"Not before you." The Azure Knight growled as my sword struck. But much to my shock, it barely even cut into his cuirass next to his neck before I suddenly met some solid resistance. And right as my blade was stopped the evil knight was coated in an increasingly hellish glow as I only then saw what was coming. "Feel...hate!"

He threw his arms back as yet another spherical wave of evil crimson energy exploded from his body, but much more forcefully than before. I was launched clear across the arena and into a stone wall. Such a brutal counterattack... Celestia was quick to fire off a few bursts of fire magic as I narrowly managed to avoid falling with my feet propping me up against the wall, desperately trying to catch my breath. The Azure Knight barely made any effort in trying to evade or block Celestia's fiery assault. Such means of attack were useless against one whose very being is tied to hellfire.

As I watched, Celestia and Luna attacked as one. Even though it seemed that Celestia had figured out that fire was not helping, she still summoned pillars of flames to at least try and obscure the Azure Knight's vision. Luna summoned shards of ice into the air and sent them flying down into our enemy as he held Soul Edge before him in an attempt to block most of them. Even though the wide blade was mostly made of flesh, the sharp ice shards failed to pierce it. Only the sharpest of blades could hope to wound the sword itself. Although it was at least wise enough to keep its eyes closed in the meantime.

Knowing my armor had nothing to fear in regards to getting accidentally struck by their royal magic, I steadied my nerves and rushed in with my sword ready. Perhaps with the Azure Knight distracted by these magical assaults, I could slip in and use my momentum from my approaching charge to cleave through him in one swing. But just when I thought I was about to get close enough without him realizing that I was approaching, I was given a rude awakening as I was reminded that the glowing eyes of the Azure Knight were not the only ones that could see me.

During a brief lull in Luna's icy assault, the eye of Soul Edge opened and gazed right at me. Without even really looking to see me as well, the Azure Knight turned and swung his mighty sword right at me and struck hard into the side of my cuirass. It was not even a full swing. More along the lines of a swat to smack me aside. But the sound of metal being rended did reach my ears before I could fall to my side. With such a massive dent in the side of my cuirass, I struggled to push myself up only to suddenly collapse as searing pain flood the side of my body. Even trying to pull myself up hurt unbelievably badly. It only then occurred to me exactly what kind of damage that massive blade had inflicted upon me even through my armor. "He... He broke my ribs...!"

Luna was quick to react as she rushed to my side while Celestia unleashed a massive burst of her magical energy to push the Azure Knight away. With a flash of her magic, I found that the pain faded and my armor restored to pristine condition. But I still groaned to myself. What was I thinking?! Only the most superhuman of warriors could hope to even try to fight on equal footing against that thing! We were completely outmatched! And just to hammer this home further, the Azure Knight pushed its way around another burst of magic from Celestia and rushed its way over to me. With my pain gone, I struggled to get to my feet to at least try and lash out with an impaling strike. But once again, we could not predict the inhuman finesse of this unholy warrior.

Luna at least tried to repel the Azure Knight with a bolt of magic lightning to give me more time to get on my feet. And yet this time, he merely muscled his way through it in sheer desperation to get to me! His massive right hand lashed out with a punch right at my middle, striking with a clank as the force knocked the wind out of me. All the while, the Azure Knight roared in frustration, "Why will you not break?!"

Before Luna could intervene further and I could recover, the Azure Knight brought Soul Edge's hilt down into my back right below the neck to further unbalance me and snatched me up in his grotesque right hand, lifting me high as I was forced to look right down into those hellish glowing eyes. "Suffer... Scream!"

With a turn of his body, the Azure Knight hurled me right into the pavement with such force that I flopped and rolled along for a moment in a clattering mess. Celestia rushed to my side as Luna unleashed a constant stream of magic lightning right into the Azure Knight from very close range. Only by now, she was well within striking range. And Celestia and I could only look on as our enemy turned to face the Princess of the Night. "You're next!"

"You will never have... No!" Luna shrieked as she was suddenly tripped up by a low sweeping slap from the azure butcher's deformed right hand. He then stomped down on her with his heavy metal boots, pinning her before reaching down and tearing her barding from her body with one great yank of its massive hand. As if ready to butcher a crab. Thankfully, this gave Luna enough time to get herself to safety with the use of a teleportation spell as the Azure Knight was left confused over where his next victim had gone. Luna stood beside us as Celestia lifted me to my feet with levitation. "This warrior is not merely terrifying... It's outright demoralizing as well..."

"Vexing little creature..." The Azure Knight turned to face us, Luna's armor still clutched in his right hand even while her helmet remained upon her head. With frightening strength, the barding was bent and crushed loudly in its grasp like an empty soda can. Luna visibly cringed as she saw exactly what could have happened to her had she not retreated when she did. The ruined barding was dropped to the stone floor with a clatter, the Azure Knight how beginning to hiss with seething frustration. "The harder you struggle, the stronger I thirst... I grow weary with this farce!"

We did not expect what came next. The Azure Knight had set his sights on Luna and would not be deterred. Before we could even muster a defense, he charged at us and swung Soul Edge in a manner that resulted in the wide flat side of its fleshy form to literally slap Celestia and I away while it went right over Luna's head. I was barely able to look ahead in time to see Luna snatched up in the Azure Knight's hulking right hand before being flung skyward in a tumble that left her unable to break out and fly with her own wings. And when Luna came back down... Oh god, all that red... With one mighty swing, Soul Edge cleaved right through her at the middle. Her two halves did vanish a few seconds later in a flash of light after being forced into waking up from this dream, but still...

Just seeing that shook me... First Nightmare Moon and now even Luna had been butchered with one cleaving stroke of that vile sword. But if I was left stunned by what I had seen while the eye of Soul Edge looked utterly enthralled by the layer of blood coating its edge, Celestia utterly screamed with a wail. "LUNAAAAAA!!!"

Dream or not, Celestia had just witnessed her own little sister be brutally murdered. Thoroughly bisected with one mighty slice. That is not something one can see in even a hypothetical situation and not feel something. But her grief was lost on the Azure Knight, who once again growled is confusion. "Again... Just a taste... Why do they vanish upon meeting their demise?!"

"You... You... How could you..." Celestia wept in horror and grief, her mane and tail starting to transition from their usual beautiful aurora patterns into the form of flickering flames. I began to step away as I could see her very armor beginning to melt from her body in masses of glowing liquid metal. "You... You're mine... YOU'RE MINE, DEMON!!!"

I jumped back. Celestia's rage had finally been stirred. With her sisters gone, it was just her. And Soul Edge's hellfire was about to meet the scorching wrath of the sun herself. As if having become an avatar of flame itself, Celestia launched herself at the Azure Knight and nearly bowled him right over when he managed to hold up Soul Edge in a defensive stance. He managed to deflect her charge just enough to push her past him before she suddenly shot up into the air and dove back down, stomping into the floor and unleashing a surging wave of flame in all directions.

This was a side of Celestia I had rarely seen, if at all. I knew better than to try and approach while she was like this. Roaring at this unexpected challenge, the Azure Knight lashed out with Soul Edge as the evil sword was wreathed in flames. It was a clash of fire against fire, Celestia's bursts of flame doing little to even singe the monstrous knight while his mighty blade glanced off of barriers that Celestia would raise with every incoming swing.

No matter how swift the Azure Knight was with those mighty sword swings, Celestia was always too quick in conjuring a defense. But we once again underestimated the cunning of the Sword of Ruin. As if it had anticipated another one of its mighty swings being deflected by yet another barrier, the Azure Knight lunged forward right after another failed strike just as Celestia lowered the magic barrier to fire another burst of scorching magic at her foe. Its massive right hand scooped her up like nothing and chucked her clear across the arena in a manner that seemed more fueled by frustration than anything if she ended up going completely out of range. Celestia only barely managed to land on her hooves and only barely took to the air right as a large chunk of stone debris was hurled right at her. "Enough of this... I'm done with you!"

I looked up as Celestia hovered high above the arena we found ourselves in, her horn surging with flames that were too pale and bright to be mere fire. She was finally breaking out her deadly solar magic to end this fight as quickly as possible. I stood ready with a barrier of my own raised just in case it triggered a localized solar flare. But when she unleashed it...

The Azure Knight made no attempt to evade or even counter the scorching beam of celestial fire being launched at it. Instead, it hunkered forward as a thin veil of that evil energy coated its grotesque body. The same ability it had used to repel my cleaving slash just a short while earlier. And the longer it held up to Celestia's spell, the brighter that hellish veil became. Finally, the Azure Knight let out a distorted bestial roar as it threw its arms back, unleashing a massive circular shockwave that tore through the ground and lifted clouds and chunks of stone and debris. I did all I could to brace my barrier before I too was swept off the ground.

In a matter of seconds, the air became still as the dust began to settle. I had managed to land on my feet, but the area around me... If it had looked like it had been ravaged by war when we first saw it, by then it appeared to have been struck hard by a far more natural cataclysm. The section of the street we were in was ruined entirely. Fallen pillars, stones from the street itself cast everywhere... Only the tall walls behind us remained intact. And lying before it while looking like she had been thoroughly pummeled by debris was Celestia. She was in pain... Bruised and battered with her mane and tail having regained their prior aurora patterns.

The Azure Knight wheezed with a hiss as it seemed to have momentarily taken a moment to catch its breath. And it then began to approach to reap Celestia's soul. With no one else around and seeing that Celestia was down for the count, I stood before her with sword raised to hold the Azure Knight at bay. I had nothing to say, but I knew I had to use everything at my disposal if I was going to get in a killing blow.

"You still dare to raise your sword to me? Your soul better be worth all this trouble, wretched human!" The Azure Knight growled as it readied itself to lash out with a mighty slash while my mighty sword met its edge with a clang of metal. Once again, my much lighter sword managed to match the amount of force behind that of Soul Edge. But I knew it would not last. I kept my magic in my gauntlets focused at all times, ready to have any manner of magic ready should my sword not line up for an intercepting strike.

It was practically a dance by then. Our blades clashed, my magic pushing or deflecting the Azure Knight's sword away from me if I was left open. But I was too anxious... I was far too focused on defense after such a demoralizing ordeal up until that point to really commit to a full assault. All I could do was try and lash out to try and capitalize on a misstep by my enemy. My nerves were on fire. How long could I last until the Azure Knight got the opportunity it needed to put me down?

As if to answer this question, something occurred neither of us expected. A massive bolt of blue lightning shot down from the sky and exploded into the Azure Knight, startling me into jumping back as he wretched in agony! As the hulking demonic knight staggered from this divine strike from the heavens, a familiar voice called out from nearby. "You will not be rid of us so easily, demon!"

Celestia was suddenly coated by a brief flash of magic light. Her wounds were gone. Even her gilded armor had been restored to her bare body. We both looked to he distant ravaged wall to see the armored forms of Nightmare Moon and Luna standing atop it. Had they forced themselves to fall back to sleep in order to return to this dream? Regardless, Celestia scrambled to stand as she called out in almost delirious tearful relief, "Luna...! Nightmare Moon...?!"

"We're fine, sister! I'm sorry you had to see that!" Luna called out as the two sisters of the night spread their wings and swooped down to their sister while remaining behind me. Although Luna then said, "But still... What kind of nightmare could you conjure up that could do...that to us, James?!"

"The weird thing is...I never actually got to see him pull off something that extreme before." I retorted rather meekly, both emotionally strained by then on top of just being relieved to see them alive and well.

"How... I slew you both! Stained the ground with your blood! How do you still live?!" The Azure Knight roared in utter confusion. Although it then hissed with a sigh as it said, "Gah... No matter. Your souls remain intact! This time, I will feast!"

"No. You will not." Nightmare Moon declared coolly before casting her magic to hold the Azure Knight's limbs in place. It noticed and struggled, starting to slowly step forward as it once again proved too strong for her to hold. The Princess of Dreams then glanced at me and said, "James, this clash has gone on long enough. Conventional tactics will not suffice against this monster. Finish it!"

"Fine... I'm sick of this guy too." I grunted as I steadied my nerves with sword raised. By this point, I felt I had indeed gotten enough practice in for one session. But just as I was about to lunge even with the Azure Knight still forcing its way through Nightmare Moon's magic to painstakingly march towards us, I had to consider what would happen. That monster had already repelled us more than once with that counterattack. Those explosions of evil energy... If I telegraphed myself too much on my approach, especially when so vulnerable while being restrained, I would just get blown away and the royal sisters behind me would likely get tripped up too.

I carefully and quickly considered my options while the Azure Knight was still a safe distance away. If a sweeping slash would give him enough time to ready himself to retaliate, perhaps a much more sudden strike would work. A swift stab. And I took into account the speeds I could reach with the use of my enchanted greaves. The Azure Knight had not yet seen just how fast I could sprint. And that was when I made my move. "Gotcha this time!"

I charged at speeds no human warrior could hope to reach as I readied the great blade in my hands. The Azure Knight was understandably startled as he let out a grunt of shock to see me rapidly closing the distance. As I brought my sword forward, he hastily raised Soul Edge before him to try and block the incoming piercing stab with its wide fleshy blade. And when I thrust my sword forward...

I knew that the fleshy form of Soul Edge was tougher than it seemed. It could stand up to even the sharpest of steel blades. But when I brought my sword forward, the mighty glowing blade plunged right through that evil blade and then through the Azure Knight itself. But the sudden growl of agony from that hulking night was not the only cry of pain I heard. An inhuman hiss rang out through air as the yellow eye embedded in that unholy sword quivered in shock and pain. The sword was shrieking at us!

"It's done..." I heard Luna say with a sigh of relief. I too was both surprised yet relieved that I had finally finished this mess with only one strike. Both Soul Edge and its wielder were grievously wounded as they were both run through on my blade. An impalement wound of that magnitude would surely be fatal. I stepped back and pulled my sword free with their blood dripping from the glowing edges of its blade while the Azure Knight dropped to one knee and struggled to prop himself up with its massive twisted right hand. While the blood oozing from the newly formed slit in his cuirass was a familiar crimson hue, the blood dripping from the gash in Soul Edge's side was much darker and gave off trails of noxious steam. No matter how mighty the Azure Knight was, there was no surviving a wound like that. He did not have long.

"How... What sort of blade...can pierce me with...such ease..." The unholy warrior before us groaned while managing to look up at me. It suddenly reached out for me, but immediately had to place its hand back on the ground to keep itself steady. Even should Soul Edge survive, its host body was undoubtedly dying. "So near... So close... I could have...had your souls... Such exquisite luster they possess..."

"You will have no such thing, demon." Nightmare Moon declared boldly as she gaze down at our enemy. She sighed with a long snort, the deed done and over with. "I have never seen a warrior such as you. And I am most fortunate such a monster does not exist in our world..."

Celestia stepped up beside me and gently rested her head against the side of my helmet, prompting me to lift my armored hand and gently cup the other side of her head. "You performed well... I think we're done here."

"No... Not yet... Not when...I am so close..." The Azure Knight groaned in defiance as it once more tried to stand and failed. But as its massive claws dug into the ravaged earth at its feet, I saw the eyes of Soul Edge close. And then... A great crack formed on its cuirass. One that oozed a fiery orange light. "Not yet... Not yet! I refuse!"

"What the devil... It's not finish?!" Luna yelped as she stepped back. More and more cracks began to line the azure armor of the evil warrior before us. And even the blood spilling from its wound began to glow as if it had become molten stone. Not only that, but the world around us... Wavering and distorting... Not quite like the dream was about to end, but... Luna could see the world around us twisting and distorting as she asked, "Nightmare Moon, what is this?! The dream realm is breaking?!"

"No, the walls of this dream still hold! But the world itself... Is this your doing, monster?!" The Princess of Dreams shouted as the distortions became more violent, twisting, bending, and cracking as if something was trying to drag that place into...somewhere else. But it was then that it hit me. And I was gripped with dread.

"No... No, you're not... No way!" I yelled before raising my sword high and bringing it down hard onto the Azure Knight. I knew what was coming and I had to stop it! But upon striking, I froze. The blade was being held back by a thin veil of Soul Edge's evil energy. One that became more opaque with every passing second. I desperately tried to cleave through it, striking again and again with the barrier rippling with each blow. "Not good... Not good... Not this! Not the Night Terror!"

"The what?!" Celestia shouted before she and her sisters also began to bombard the Azure Knight with bolts of their mightiest magic. But nothing got through. The cracks on the azure armor became more numerous, spilling scorching hellish light forward as even the flesh on Soul Edge began to crack to let that fiery glow spill forth. It was only when a veil of hellfire engulfed the Azure Knight did we jump back. We could not stop it. We knew it by then. "James, how is it doing this?! What else could it have to throw at us?!"

"This is really happening... I almost forgot about this..." I said with a harsh breath as I dreaded having to face what was about to emerge. The Azure Knight began to rise to its feet, the many cracks in its armor and body looking like it could just explode at any second even as the distorting world looked like it could swallow us all at any time. We were in for hell.

"I will...have what is rightfully mine! Even if I must drag us into the depths of the Astral Chaos! The Azure Nightmare will sleep...and the scarlet Night Terror will awaken!" The demon roared at us before raising its burning malformed right hand high as the world's barriers finally began to collapse, the fiery glow shining from its burning body and sword becoming almost too bright to look at. As if to further signify what was about to happen, two massive wings composed entirely of flames ruptured from teh backside of the Azure Knight's cuirass that rivaled those of my own armor if not outright surpassing them in wingspan. They spread wide, the unholy warrior shouting in exhilaration. "Blood... Darkness... COME UNTO ME!!!"

What followed was... I am not even sure of how to describe it. A wave of sorts, but not quite an explosion. We were all swept off our feet as that hellish glow became so bright that nothing but white filled our vision. No one us dared to speak as silence filled our ears, though our feet and hooves felt solid ground beneath us. And then, our vision returned as we beheld where we had been dragged to. Celestia spoke first as she whispered, "By my father's moon..."

The place around us... No longer among the realm mortals could call home. A large chunk of stone lined with tiles of indeterminate origin or design was beneath us. As for what was around us... A vast expanse of a nebulous void stood around us. Walls of cryptic text wavered like the aurora borealis for miles while lines of debris floated in lines like asteroid belts. In one direction was a massive spherical aberration that glowed with a cool and calming pale blue light. But in the other direction, another such anomaly gazed right back while shrouded in the hellish fiery glow that we had seen Soul Edge enshrouded with. One of order. One of chaos. And we were set smack dab in the middle of them.

And then... Our eyes fell upon where the Azure Knight had once stood. A surging fire was now all that remained of where the azure marauder once stood, but those massive flaming wings still remained. Affixed to something within that wall of fire. The royal sisters looked on wariness, but I breathed deeply as I knew what was about to step forth from the flames. An entity I was deeply familiar with, yet consumed by obscurity. "To think I would end up facing this myself..... I wonder if I'll do better than Ashton did..."

Heavy footsteps began to approach from the flames as the flickering strands of fire started to fade. And the creature that stood before us now... If the Azure Knight was a terror of a hulking warrior, then this entity was an utter giant of a menace. Taller and with much more mass taking up the space before us, the entity did not show any traces of its prior corrupted human host. There was no armor remaining upon it. Just a tough scarlet hide with spines jutting from the shoulder blades. A pair of large fleshy tassets hung by its hips as if to serve as a form of natural armor while a rigid tail of sorts extended a short distance from the spine. The head bore the general shape of the Azure Knight's helmet, but the face... There were no lips. Its mouth was frozen in a sneer with its teeth on constant display while a fair of furious glowing yellow eyes were set into its misshapen skull. Veins coating its arms and chest constantly pulsed with a fiery energy that all connected back to a glowing core of sorts in the center of its chest. Pulsing like a beating heart. But most disturbingly of all, its hulking arms did not end in hands. Instead, what served as hands were clawed gaping maws lined with fangs. And in the left maw's fanged clutches...

Soul Edge... The eyes were gone. And while the sword may have matched mine in length before, it was now even longer than ever. So massive that even the mightiest of human warriors could not hope to even lift it. And even then, it did not even remotely resemble its prior form. A long sharpened edge still lined only one side, but the rest of it was now a hardened fleshy mass that matched that of its wielder with a long horn of sorts serving as a knuckle guard. But at least Soul Edge previously looked like a proper, if misshapen, sword. This one...looked like a living creature in its own right. Clenched fangs lined the entire length of the sword that looked like it could suddenly snap open at any time and slam shut on fresh prey to feast. The demon and the sword were now one in the same. Extensions of each other. While a warrior's cunning still likely lurked behind those unblinking glowing beacons, any true sentience was gone. Nothing but pure unfettered chaos and destruction in a tangible form.

"What twisted mind could dream up an abomination like this... I can barely comprehend what I'm seeing. Is that sword...alive? Will it seek to devour us?" Nightmare Moon muttered in quiet horror as this towering winged hulk of a demon stood before us in an almost dissonant calm while the ethereal winds of this strange realm blew through the air. As if it was savoring this moment before unleashing hell upon us.

"Stay back...!" Luna yelped as she cast her magic on the towering monster to try and keep it pinned in place. But with minimal effort, it began to trudge forward while showing hardly any response to Luna's magical restraints. "I... I can't hold it!"

"Together! Quickly!" Celestia shouted before she and Nightmare Moon also used their magic to try and hold the hulking Night Terror in place. But even then, with the three most powerful mares in all of Equestria combining their magical output, it was only slowed down as much as the Azure Knight was with only one of them trying to hold it back. "This is... What is it?! What kind of power does this demon have?!"

While I was uneasy about facing one of the most diabolical entities I had ever seen in any form of fiction, I was actually less intimidated by this thing than I was against the far more vicious and intelligent Azure Knight. The Night Terror was just a beast. A beast that had Soul Edge's memories fueling its frenzy in battle, but still a beast. I had one type of edge over this monster. And within the vast expanses of the Astral Chaos, I was finally able to fight to the best of my ability. I then pointed the long glowing blade of my unnamed sword at the hulking terror before us and said, "It's OK... I think we can take this one."

"I suppose you would know everything this thing can do, wouldn't you? Very well then..." Nightmare Moon retorted as she and her sisters jumped back with their magical restraints fading. The sudden loss of resistance caused the Night Terror to stagger for a second while letting out a bestial grunt. "Are you ready, sisters?"

"About as ready we could ever be." Luna muttered as she and her sisters stood together. Armored and ready for the imminent clash. They looked uneasy, but surely knew that with no architecture to get in the way, they had the entire sky to use to their advantage.

"James, you lead. We shall assist from a safe distance. We've already seen how well we would do if that thing manages to close the gap..." Celestia spoke while they all stood by the sidelines upon the floating slab of earth in that expansive void. The Night Terror did not charge. It merely stared us down as its teeth parted to let out a very low guttural growl. It then assumed a familiar stance. Turned sideways while gazing at me, sword reaching back. The Azure Knight's will was still in there somewhere. No doubt instilling a type of warrior's pride onto its ultimate form.

I kept my sword to my left as the tension simmered. This was the climax. Nothing else remained beyond the Night Terror. And we were on its home turf. It was time to see exactly what Soul Edge at its zenith was truly capable of. "Last time, it was Ashton who took you out. My turn."

Our moves were practically in sync. As I swung my sword to the right, the Night Terror brought its horrifying sword up in a rising slash to its right. And when the two blades struck... We were all blown away in a massive shockwave of power that utterly obliterated the very platform we had been standing on. Such power the two of us were packing... Only now we could truly fight beyond the limits we had been always been held back by.

I plummeted through the abyss for a moment before managing to break out into a glide, ascending and soaring through the air as I tried to find everyone. I saw the three royal sisters soaring far away from me as well, their ethereal manes and tails making them all too easy to spot. But as I suddenly glanced down, I saw the hulking form of the Night Terror shooting up through the air in a rising spiral with its massive fiery wings carrying it along. For being so massive and undoubtedly heavy, it was deceptively graceful in the air.

The Night Terror came out of its rising spiral and began to hover in the air. I assumed it was tracking my movements as I could tell it was facing my direction while those massive wings of flames flapped to keep its hulking frame suspended in the air. A field of rocky debris, some of it looking likes chunks and fragments of stone housing from several hundred years ago, floated around the scarlet demon. But I soon noticed a bright light forming in front of its face. "Crap... Should've seen this coming!"

I flapped my armor's wings hard to create a burst of speed as I rushed through the air. I knew what was coming. The Night Terror unleashed a massive wave of violet energy from its maw as it shot through the air. Even when it missed me, the concentrated beam of raw power continued to fly and follow me, trying to catch me in its line of fire as every chunk of floating stone debris was utterly pulverized into dust as the wave blasted through them. I had to dive and rise whenever it tried to pass through me as I was certain my armor would not last long against power like that. But by then, I was pumped. I was ready for this challenge.

The wave of energy suddenly ceased after a moment and I was quick to see why. The three royal sisters were circling the Night Terror while bombarding it with magical bursts. But this did not go on for long. After only several seconds of tanking many shots, the Night Terror curled into a fetal position for an instant before throwing its limbs outward with a defiant roar as an utterly colossal spherical wave of bright energy exploded out from it. The three royal sisters were sent tumbling through the air even while the field of debris around the source of the explosion was pulverized and sent scattering in all directions like a bomb had gone off in an asteroid field. With surprising speed, the Night Terror dove through the air and set its sights on the bright white glow of my sword's own blade. But I did not retreat. I adjusted course and came swooping in with sword ready. "You're mine now!"

The Night Terror shrieked with a roar as it brought its arms and sword in close, its body going into a fiery spiral while even generating sparks of lightning around its body. Knowing better than to let it ram right into me, I banked to one side to allow it to pass and made a wide swooping turn to try and pursue my enemy. The Night Terror came out of its spin and shot up through the air with surprising speed and grace before coming right back for me.

Swooping and spiraling, we passed each other again and again while trying to land a cleaving strike. Shockwaves rang out with every clang of our swords clashing. There was just too much power behind each swing. We finally began to fly along while spiraling around each other, almost as if locked in a dance of sorts as the edges of our swords glanced off of each other. At one point, I tried to create some distance as the demon pursued me. I used levitation magic to fling a large chunk of rocky debris at the creature and provoked a roar of pain as it collided hard with the chunk. This hardly seemed to slow it down, let alone damage it, and the Night Terror only roared in defiance as it used its massive fanged sword to smash its way through any other solid projectiles I threw at it. As bestial as it seemed, this creature could still learn new tricks and recognize patterns while adapting to them.

I tried to keep my eye on the beast as it started to close in on me. Its massive flaming wings generated even more lift and speed than my own armor's could. However, I was caught by surprise as a sudden hissing shriek caught my ear, but it did not come from the Night Terror. Instead, its own grotesque sword had split in two down the middle, the two halves having spread wide open with its fangs bared.

There are no words to describe how unnerving it is to see a sword, no matter how monstrous, split its blade in half to reveal a long gaping maw that is ready to feast upon you. I anticipated it, yet was still too disturbed to even try to go anywhere near that thing. I quickly retreated out of range as the Night Terror thrust its hungry sword at me only for its massively long jaws to snap shut with a frightfully loud clap. I dreaded the thought of how much pressure per square inch jaws of that length were packing. I doubt even my armor would hold up to it very well.

I expected the Night Terror to chase me for another attempt to let its living sword try to chomp me. But when it dove at me while I was ready to lash out with my sword, it instead closed the gap in a manner I did not expect and brought its massive clawed right arm forward to grab me. I felt the four claws on its appendage curl over my entire cuirass as the fanged mouth in its palm even closed its jaws onto my hardened breastplate. I could even hear the fangs scraping against the metal as it tried to bite into me. With too little time to even try to land a kick on the Night Terror, I was flung away through the air and right into a large chunk of rocky debris. It really knocked the wind out of me as I went tumbling through the air to clumsily land on another large yet flat chunk of terrain floating in the void. It was much larger than the last one we clashed on, leading me to suspect it might endure another proper duel. "Tch... This is getting crazy... Fine, come get some!"

I readied myself as the Night Terror landed before me with a heavy crash, its sturdy feet leaving shallow craters where it fell. It snarled loudly at me with that perpetual sneer still displayed upon its face. It came charging in with an impressively swift stride while I did the same. Our blades clashed hard, sending out shockwaves that blew away bits and pieces of the arena we found ourselves on. I made a conscious effort to try and lash out directly at the demonic form of Soul Edge as I knew my swings could match it in force. This beast swung with so much speed and power and its sword was so much longer than my own that I knew I could not let myself slip. After one particularly disruptive swing that sent the two of us staggering back, I managed to lash out with a quick stab. My aim was not perfect as my sword's long glowing blade sank into the side of its bulky torso, glowing molten blood spilling forth like a lava flow. The Night Terror hissed in pain, but hardly seemed fazed otherwise.

"Only a decisive blow will... Ack!" I started to mutter before I suddenly yelped in fright as Soul Edge's fanged jaws once again snapped open before stabbing forward and clamping securely over the greaves coating my right leg. I was suddenly yanked right off my feet as the Night Terror flung its sword up high and brought me down hard into the ground on the other side. I was brought down in a way that I ended up on my back, resulting in my armor's wings providing some cushioning, but it still left me thoroughly stunned for a moment. The Night Terror did not miss out on the opportunity it had given itself. It stepped forward as its sword released me from its fanged clutches and brought its foot down right onto my chest for an earthshaking stomp.

I could feel the rocky ground under me partially vibrate itself into gravel with how much force was hammered right into my cuirass. Something broke in my chest. It was the only thing I could think of to explain the burning pain radiating through my torso. I strained my neck to look down at myself as the Night Terror lifted its foot from my breastplate. I winced not just in pain, but also how deep the massive dent went into me. Even without cracking my armor, that dent must have gone well past my ribcage. This was it. I did not have the strength to even try and push myself up. And the Night Terror knew this too as it lifted its sword as high as it could with the new vertical distance between us to plunge its sword's tip right through my weakened breastplate.

I thought for sure that this was the end. That this clash in my dreams could not end in victory. Not against this juggernaut. I resigned myself to awakening upon suffering one final blow. At east until I was abruptly reminded that I was not alone in this duel. Two bolts of magic lightning slammed into the Night Terror and pushed it away before I was engulfed in a sudden flash. All pain was gone and my armor had be restored to pristine condition. Luna suddenly peered over the edge of the shallow crater and asked, "Are you well?!"

"I... Wow, I completely forgot about you!" I retorted as I pushed myself up without once letting go of my sword's long hilt. When I looked ahead, I saw the Night Terror firing off a volley of yellow beams of destructive energy that Celestia was desperately trying to deflect with a large magic barrier. Nightmare Moon helped me to my feet with levitation as I muttered, "I honestly forgot how much of a nightmare this thing is... Especially when there are no restrictions in how it can fight."

"I concur! The previous three dream duels we experienced were one thing, but this... There are no words! It is simply too powerful!" Nightmare Moon spoke with a fusion of frustration and unease as the Night Terror smashed the hulking twisted form of Soul Edge into Celestia's barrier over and over with frightful speed. She was struggling to keep the wall up. Any other warrior would have been dead several times over by that point. "Confound this demon... At this rate, I would suggest we all partake in this thing's demise... I fear single combat will not get us anywhere."

"Good enough for me!" I spoke in eagerness as I rose to my feet and steadied myself. By this point, I was willing to try anything. I raised my sword high as I channeled the fiery solar magic in my right gauntlet into my sword as its long blade was engulfed in white hot celestial flames. Soul Edge may be powered by hellfire, but perhaps the scorching heat of the sun itself would be enough to overcome it.

The Night Terror quickly tired of Celestia's resistance and propelled itself up into the air before it unleashed a bombardment of those rapid-fire bursts of energy beams. A multitude of small explosions burst around us while narrowly avoiding a direct hit. Now frustrated and eager to get this over with, I flung myself skyward at the Night Terror with a flap of my armor's wings. "Back me up here! I'm going in!"

The royal sisters wasted no time in pulling their weight. While the Night Terror did see me coming, several spears of magic ice suddenly formed in the air and slammed into the beast from several directions. The piercing strikes were enough to interrupt an counterattack, but did not leave the demon entirely open. As if in a panic, it went into another fetal position before again unleashing a mighty spherical wave of energy to repel me. While not as massive as the last time, it still blew me away and forced me to make a hasty landing. But during the brief lull following this counterattack, I saw Celestia's golden yellow magic glow engulf the Night Terror before the hulking demon sot straight down out of the air and was slammed into the hardened floor before us. "Quickly! Now!"

The impact with the floor did stun it, but the Night Terror quickly rose to its feet while jamming the tip of its long demonic blade into the ground for some leverage. It glare at us with its unblinking yellow eyes, snarling with a hiss. However, the massive form of Soul Edge itself was suddenly yanked out of the ground by a blue magic aura coating its fleshing and fanged form before it was forced to point directly at us. The Night Terror tried to stand its ground, seemingly pulling back with its arm in confusion, while the two halves of the sword were forced to gradually open. Two different blue magic auras coated the two halves of the swords jaws, one dark than the other, as it was forced to open wide. Luna then called out to me, "Do it now! Cleave it down the middle!"

"Down the... Right, got it!" I called back as I readied my mighty blade. With a flap of my wings, I hurled myself forward. The Night Terror shrieked with a roar even as its own sword screamed in what sounded like horror. And when I flew past it, I swung my sword as it cleaved right between the two fanged jaws of Soul Edge and split the entire thing in twain. The fiery solar magic responded in kind as the two halves of the living sword ignited with a dying scream. The Night Terror lost its grip on its other half, the burning form of Soul Edge now engulfed in the white flames of the sun itself. But as we looked on, the Night Terror still stood even as Soul Edge itself fell silent as it was burned away to nothing.

I felt a new tension as the Night Terror turned to look at me. Its glowing yellow eyes were still blank, but I could feel a glare filled with nothing but vindictive hatred fall upon me. It then hit me. The evil sword itself was no longer a master controlling a puppet on strings. It and the Night Terror truly were the same creature. Destroying the weapon did nothing to harm its wielder. And the wielder was still very much alive and extremely dangerous.

I realized all too late that the fight was not over. I tried to bring my sword's crossguard into the demon before me to try and create an opening, but its massive clawed fist slammed into me to knock me right off my feet. Before I could even hit the ground, the fanged maw set into its right palm took hold of my foot before the Night Terror started to slam me all over the place and into the floor like a rag doll. Utterly helpless and thoroughly disoriented, I was then hurled into the air as the Night Terror roared before unleashing a flurry of explosive energy beams into my armored form. I was juggled and tossed trough the air as my armor's plating began to crack and fracture. As I fell, I saw an explosion of white fire engulf the Night Terror before it could try to pursue me as an unseen force gently lowered me back to the ground. In yet another flash, my armor was restored as my senses settled. Nightmare Moon's voice then spoke beside me, "Is there no stopping this demon? Even with the loss of its sword, it still struggles on..."

"Maybe... The core..." I muttered as I was starting to run out of ideas. Celestia was stepping back to us even as the Night Terror snarled loudly. By then, its entire hulking form was coated in the scorching white flames of the Princess of the Dawn's destructive solar magic. And yet, it did not seem to be in much pain. Its tough armored hide almost seemed to be immune. And with the entire beast now thoroughly engulfed in flames, it was all the more menacing while wreathed in flames. By then, I only had one idea left as I readied my sword for one last desperate strike. "Hold it down! If this doesn't work, I'm outta ideas!"

"You heard him! All of you, restrain it!" Luna shouted as all three of the royal sisters cast their levitation magic upon the Night Terror for no other purpose than to try and prevent any movement. As soon as I saw the hulking beast stall, I charged. The embodiment of catastrophe itself growled and hissed as it very slowly lumbered towards me while not anticipating this sudden resistance. Even its massive fiery wings refused to spread outward to take to the skies. "Do it! End this terror!"

Without a word, I rushed forward and lashed out with a hard stab. The Night Terror could not mount a defense in time as the long glowing blade of my sword plunged right into the glowing core upon the burning demon's chest. Once sunk as far as it could go, I desperately tried to dump as much magical force into the sword to serve as a conduit. Fire. Ice. Lightning. Solar energies. I just wanted to get this over with!

The magical energies I dumped into the Night Terror's body were of such magnitude that the magic started to rupture out of its still burning body. The demon threw its head back as it began to spasm and screech in utter agony. Its own evil energies began to spark around it as if struggling to stabilize its body. But I jumped back in a sense of anxiousness and relief. I was sure that the demon was locked in its death throes. But was this truly it?

The Night Terror began to let out agonized shriek after roar as it flailed its massive arms about, my sword still impaled through its body. Its wings began to lift it into the air as it still screamed in agony. Then, once high above us, it let out one last roar as it exploded in a massive flash of fire that expanded far through the void around us. Even after the embers began to fall with nothing left behind, the Night Terror's final call was still carried far on the ethereal winds of the Astral Chaos.

We all looked up in caution. Was this truly the end? Had we triumphed? Was there one last trick up its sleeve? It was only after maybe another thirty seconds of watching and listening for any signs of trouble that we all let out a collective sigh of relief and just dropped to the floor. Celestia wheezed in exhaustion and delight as she muttered, "I never...want to see...that thing ever again..."

"Yeah, sorry... I honestly forgot just how much of a beast the Night Terror is..." I groaned while lying right on my back with my armor's wings providing a cushy mattress to rest on. "But man... Now we've got some serious bragging rights..."

"At least this is one Night Terror we will not be waking up from while screaming." Nightmare Moon spoke with a chuckle. But she too let out a long sigh of precious relief. "Even so... Let us all be glad such an abomination only exists in the realm of fiction."

"I second that notion, sister." Luna added as we all just laid sprawled out around each other. The deed was done. The battle was over. All that was left was to just wake back up.

But as a moment went by, I noticed that a profound white glow was still being emanated from nearby. When I lifted me head to look ahead of me, I saw it. That same mighty sword that had been impaled through the Night Terror's torso was now standing tall with its blade plunged into the ground before me. Its white edge glowed gently while the many tiny stars that lined the blackened center of its blade twinkled faintly. I had seen this sword only once before. And it certainly was not the Celestial Sword anymore. I turned my gaze towards the royal sisters and asked, "That sword... I take it the Celestial Sword and Lunar Shield can become that thing in the real world as well? And is that thing why you've sometimes had me train with greatswords?"

"Another time, James. The time is not yet right for you to take up that particular sword." Celestia replied with an uncharacteristically serious tone. I knew better than to pursue the topic further, by my eyes still focused on the mighty sword before me. The familiar white edge glowing brightly while a blackened night sky lay set over the middle of its long blade. There was a story to this sword. A story I was likely not yet ready to hear. Not that I minded. The combination of sword and shield had served me well thus far and I did not see a need to swap out to a sword of greater size and power at the cost of my shield's unbreakable defenses. But I still continued to behold the beautiful sword before me. Even as the world around us began to waver and ripple. Celestia was quick to notice and asked, "This again... Is this realm beginning to collapse or cast us out?"

"No, sister. It is simply a sign that this dream is ending." Luna replied knowingly without any sign of alarm. And the dream could not have picked a better time to end.

"Huh? Already? Feels like it's a bit soon, doesn't it?" I asked while under the impression that not much time had passed at all. Even if we had no time to actually pay such a thing any mind while fighting for our lives.

Nightmare Moon let out an amused snort as she lifted her head. "Have you forgotten? This was meant to be a brief nap. Not a full night's sleep. I am sure it is only the mid afternoon by now."

"Oh, right... Guess that would..." I started to say as my vision was engulfed in white while my ears were filled with a muffled din. And as I came to, I found myself resting on a familiar bed with a familiar beautiful hippogriff queen resting by me while I was still covered by her wing. She set a book down before our eyes met. "Um... How long was I out?"

"Only a couple of hours, honey." Novo replied sweetly before placing a kiss upon my forehead. "You stirred a lot in your sleep. I'm guessing it got kind of intense in there, hm?"

"Heh... You have no idea... Definitely a clash to write home about... And I really should tonight." I replied while still hardly able to believe just who and what the royal sisters and I ended up facing. What a nightmare... Not a series of sights I want to see more than once.

"At least this handsome knight triumphed in the end, right?" Novo said with a chuckle as she pulled me into a warm and feathery embrace. "Sounds like that tea did the trick. Maybe you and I should have a little dream duel sometime too."

"Just so you can poke me to death without killing me? Nah, I'd rather take on someone I can actually stand a chance against." I retorted with an amused smirk while Novo could only snicker. I knew I would never be a true match for her without resorting to trickier tactics.

"Awww, you're no fun, honey. You're turning down a night with your queen? In that case..." Novo muttered teasingly before pushing herself up and lying right down on me with her beautiful soft body pinning me to the bed. She smirked down at me and said, "I'm just gonna have to punish you. You're not going anywhere until I say so."

"Heh, the queen always calls the shots, right?" I asked with a crooked grimace on my lips. She had me very thoroughly pinned under her. I could feel herself applying pressure with her entire body to make it difficult for me to wiggle out from under her. But she was never rough. And I think she was just using an excuse to spend some more time with me. I gazed up at her while she gazed down at me, her hand soon caressing my cheek with one finger. I could not hide my feelings in this moment of playful intimacy. I gazed up at my beloved and whispered, "I love you."

Novo's already happy gaze softened further. She brought both hands to my face and gently cupped my cheeks. Her voice was deep and soulful, but so very tender. "I love you too, baby."

What started as a playful form of punishment very quickly turned into series of loving cuddles and kisses. We rolled around on the bed in each other's arms. Our arms held us together. Our tongues danced with her beak embracing my face. Our voices sang in a quiet little duet of moans and sighs. It was...just magical. We were so madly in love... She was my queen. And I was her king. This was a love that was meant to be.

I should have left the room to report back to the royal sisters or something to that effect. But I could not leave Novo's side. My heart craved her. And whenever I did try to halfheartedly leave the bed, she would drag me back down onto it. We whispered so many sweet little things to each other. More than I can write here. How many times did we say we loved each other? It was like we were already married and were on our honeymoon...

Much to our chagrin, there was a knock at the door after a while. And the voice behind it spoke with a familiar accent. "Your majesty? We are finishing preparations to depart. The Alabaster will be taking to the sky in an hour."

"Oh, right... Thank you, admiral. Carry on." Novo called out from the bed as the faint sounds of Seaspray's footsteps became more distant. The beautiful queen sighed beside me before looking at me. "Right, I forgot to mention it... We've been requested to use the Alabaster to transport certain supplies for a little while. Sounds like they've prepared a huge shipment of revised suits of armor for the boys ready in Canterlot and they need every able ship to get them out here. And any other good stuff that might be useful out here."

"Hey, that's fine. You're helping keep our fighters alive out here." I replied softly while sure that the Alabaster would not be gone for more than a couple of days. Although I was still disappointed to know Novo would be gone before long. I brought my hand to hers, curling my fingers around it. "I'll miss you..."

"I know, honey... Just..." Novo whispered somberly before moving my hand down her side. I froze as she rested it upon her belly, that somber gaze becoming much more hopeful. "Just don't forget about who might be there too."

My skin tingled in a fusion of anxiety and excitement. I remembered what happened the previous night... A mistake or a blessing? But I knew it was entirely possible that what happened that night bore fruit. Novo's hand released mine, but my hand did not leave the side of her feathery belly. I whispered to her, "Please let me know what the results are..."

"You'll be the first to know, baby. I'll have an answer by the time I get back." My beloved cooed to me as she reached out and placed kiss after kiss upon my cheek. When I turned my head to look at her, our brows met as we gazed into each other's eyes. She smiled beautifully as she whispered, "I'm just so ready to have a family again, honey. Our little ones will be just as loving as their daddy."

"Novo, you're flattering me so hard... But..." I muttered in some embarrassment. She really was laying down the compliments heavy by then. And I was thrilled at the thought of being a father to precious little hippogriff children. Such sweet little angels... Although I did return the favor while gazing into her eyes. "They'll be just as beautiful as their mother too."

"Ooh, good comeback, baby. But I must correct you. Nobody's more gorgeous than this queen MILF right here and you know it." Novo retorted with a smug smirk on her beak. We laughed together even as we cuddled together. God, we were just so happy... So good for each other. Novo then whispered, "But I just can't wait, James... I wanna be a mother again... Its been too long since I last held my baby in my arms while daddy holds me in his..."

Such a beautiful thought... Even if it was too soon to really start discussing it and that there was the possibly that nothing would come of our coupling last night, it was still a lovely goal to strive for when the time was right. It was fine to entertain our hearts' desires for a bit. There was no denying how in love we were by then. But as I thought about the concept of the two of us having precious little sons and daughters in our future, my thoughts went to someone I had all but forgotten about. Novo's firstborn. "Wait... What about Skystar? Isn't she your kid too?"

Novo chuckled as she rolled her eyes, almost as if she was expecting me to bring her first daughter up. "Oh, James... Being a mother to a grown mare is a completely different experience than being a mother to a precious little foal. The dynamics just don't compare. Don't get me wrong. I do love my girl, but...she's all grown up, honey. And I want to start fresh with the man I love."

"But...will she be all right with that? With us starting a family together?" I asked with a hint of worry coming over me. I did not want to cause any unneeded tension with what little family Novo still had from her prior marriage. And I certainly did not want Skystar to resent me.

"Are you getting cold feet, honey?" Novo asked in an almost joking tone. She rubbed her hand over mine, her eyes never looking away from me. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not expecting my girl to ever start calling you her daddy. I mean she's more than ten times your age, I'm sure. But she likes you. You did a good thing for her when you visited. That ambassador thing you suggested? She's actually settling into it pretty well and we're expecting her to be ready early next year."

"She is...? That whole ambassador role I suggested is paying off? Huh... Glad to hear it." I muttered upon realizing I had all but forgotten about that bit of information.

"Mmhm, and she's glad you suggested it. Come to think of it, I feel kinda dumb I didn't think of it myself." Novo mumbled with a slight chuckle of humility. "But really, dear. Don't worry about Skystar. She knows you're a friend of the family. And if we end up having kids, I'm sure she'll warm up to our little ones. I'm sure Skystar would make a fine big sister."

"I hope you're right, Novo. Skystar is a good mare and I don't want her to think I'm trying to push her out of your life. She's a good friend." I retorted while still recalling her daughter's concern when she noticed the building feelings of romance between the two of us. And it was then that I remembered a sacred request I had received from her. "That's right... She had a request for me. She told me to never hurt you. And to always be good to you."

"Aww, she said that? Then I've got some good news for you." Novo cooed as her hand cupped my face. "You've been very good to me, honey. And don't worry. You haven't hurt me. Just keep being a good friend to my girl while you're at it. I know she likes you and is glad that you're a friend of the family."

I smiled sheepishly. The worst of my fears had passed. With nothing else to say for the moment, I leaned forward and took Novo into my arms for a warm embrace. She did the same and churred beautifully as we fell back to he bed together. But even though I knew it was much too soon to start making plans to have children, there was one little question in my head. "Novo... What exactly are baby hippogriffs like?"

"Mmhmhmhm, you wanna know? Because I can tell you." She laughed softly as her fingers stroked themselves through my hair. "They really are such sweet little angels. They like to stay close to their mama and papa when they're really young. Like most baby birds. They just like to be happy, so they never get mean. I mean at worst they can be a little cheeky, but they're never malicious. Really, they're the sweetest little babies you will ever see."

"Oh man, they really do sound precious. Like all those little kids I saw, but even more ridiculously adorable. Anything else you can tell me? Do they behave like baby ponies?" I asked while now liking the idea of holding a little fluffy hippogriff child all the more. I am sure little Gladesong would adore having a hippogriff brother or sister to play with.

"Hmmm... What else is there..." Novo muttered as her eyes wandered in thought. "Well... Oh right. They're entertaining little things too. In fact, you could even say they have a lot in common with parrots with how flexible their voices can be. They can tweet, squawk, and coo like just about any bird you can think of. And the best part? When they get upset, they don't cry. They chirp. Like little baby chicks calling for mama. Trust me, you'll know when they're not happy and want you to hold them."

"Now that's cute. They chirp incessantly like baby chicks when they're sad? That actually sounds a lot easier on the ears than your average baby's wailing." I retorted while Novo got quite a laugh out of that observation. The two of us once more held each other as my thoughts wandered. I tried to picture such a little newborn hippogriff colt. Tweeting and whistling like a baby parrot. And then chirping repeatedly while holding up his little hands to me. My embrace tightened around Novo as I imagined squeezing that little fluffy boy in a tight fatherly hug. I could not deny it to myself. I wanted to be a father to such precious little hippogriff children. And so I whispered, "I...really want to have a family with you someday, dear..."

"Someday, my love... Someday..." Novo whispered wistfully before we gazed longingly into each other's eyes. Our eyes narrowed before my lips and her beak parted. We sighed as we once again partook in a heavenly kiss. Her beak held my cheeks as her tongue reached out to mine. They danced in a sacred tango, our voices humming a song to serenade their dance. And when the dance ended, Novo cooed to me with a loving smile. "I can taste that tea on you still, baby..."

"Let me know if you want some next time... It'll knock you right out." I retorted with a calm chuckle. Our embrace tightened as we just laid there with each other. It was like a dream... There is no other woman like Novo in the world. And I knew I was beyond lucky to have her in my life. She was mine. And I was hers. And we would never let go of each other.

My hand found its way to hers before our fingers slid between each others'. Our fingers curled inward to take hold in a lover's grasp. We gazed into each other's eyes without a word. Such a wonderful smile and endearing gaze set into those beautiful eyes... But as I smiled back, Novo took notice of something on my finger. Her finger rubbed up against my wedding ring. The ring that Fluttershy put on my finger at our wedding. She adjusted her grip to place two fingers on the rounded edges of the ring, rotating it back and forth on my finger. "Your wife is one lucky girl... But she's not the only lady this ring is being worn for anymore, is she?"

I was unsure of what to even say. But Novo cupped my face with her other hand while her fingers still idly turned my ring back and forth on my finger. Her tone was soft and sincere. I would even say she almost sounded vulnerable. That deep soulful voice then whispered, "I know this is the ring that's paired with the one your mare back home is surely wearing, but please... Wear it for me too. For Celestia. And for little miss Rarity. And for every other lucky lady who finds a place in your life like we have. You really just have that much love to give, I'm convinced of it by now. We'll be your family, honey. If you'll have us."

I brought my other hand to my cheek and placed it over Novo's hand. I shuddered with a haggard breath as I squinted my eyes shut. Those words touched me right in the heart. "Thank you... I'll...try to be worthy of you all... I...just want to have a family with you all."

With her hands occupied with mine, Novo reached out an embraced me with the only upper limbs she still had free. Her massive feathery wings draped themselves over me as I was held in her ever-loving embrace. She placed a kiss upon my lips as she too whispered with an unsteady voice. "You're more than worthy, my love... Just...don't cry, all right? I don't...want to see my sugar bear in tears..."

I broke. I released my grasp on my beloved's hands and threw my arms around her as I wept quietly. The sacred desires of my heart coupled with the knowledge of Novo's eminent departure aboard the Alabaster was too much for me to handle. I was so happy with her out on the Empty Plains. I was not ready to see her go. "I love you... I don't want to see you go..."

"I... I don't want to go either, honey... But...it'll just be a few days, right? Just a...few days..." Novo whispered before her embrace tightened as well. That beautiful voice whimpered with a quiet sob as I felt her own tears trickle down the side of my neck. "It's still a few days too many... Oh god, I'm gonna miss you, baby... I love you so much... I just wanna stay with you forever..."

We could not bear the thought. We tested ourselves. Traveled far across the land to be reunited. And now we finally knew how much we cherished each other. Any significant time apart was too long. We needed each other. And we could not stop holding each other even as our tears continued to flow.

I do not even know how much time passed before I detected movement very near the door. I clung tightly to Novo, so sure that it was almost time for her royal cruiser to depart. And yet, the person outside the door just stood there in silence. Almost as if sincerely hesitant to knock and interrupt us. Did they know what was happening inside Novo's private chambers?

Eventually, there was a knock. But it was soft with an uneven rhythm. And the voice that spoke... It was that of Seaspray, but he spoke with a hint of caution. "Your majesty...? I regret to inform you that the Alabaster will be disembarking in ten minutes. If you have any guests with you, I must insist that they depart."

Neither of us said a word. Instead, Novo and I held each other as tightly as possible. Almost in defiance of Seaspray's words. He did not even say anything before I heard him beginning to step away. With great reluctance, the two of us rose from the bed and made our way out of her bedroom and down the hall. We stayed close to each other at all times. And once we were up on the deck, we saw the sun to the west. It was starting to dip a bit low in the sky to herald the coming of sunset. Several hippogriff crewmen were making their rounds atop the Alabaster's deck to prepare it for departure, but we hardly minded. We remained rooted to he spot as we beheld the beginnings of the sunset.

Novo lifted her hand from the floor and took hold of mine while my fingers closed over hers. We turned our heads to gaze into each other's eyes. She very clearly did not want to leave. We had only been reunited just the previous day, and now we had to part ways. Even if just for a few days. But it was still too long a wait for either of us. And so I whispered, "I love you."

Novo leaned forward as she too whispered, "I love you."

We could not resist. Novo put her arms and wings around me as I embraced her as tightly as I could. We did not move from that spot. As if hoping that if we did not move and held each other, nothing would happen and we would not have to part ways. But as the minutes ticked by, a bell rang somewhere towards the ship's stern. No doubt a signal that departure was nigh. With a sigh of reluctance, we released each other from the embrace as Novo looked at me with a gaze of profound unhappiness that no doubt mirrored my own. Her usual smug sassiness gone, she spoke quietly. "When I get back, I want you in my room right away. Just so I can hold you for a while."

"I'd love to... Hurry back soon, all right?" I replied while Novo promptly nodded. My lips met her beak for one last little kiss. And with a vaguely unsteady gait, Novo made her way back towards the entrance at the stern to descend below deck. All the while, she looked like she was on the verge of bursting into tears.

I let out a pained sigh once that beautiful creature disappeared from sight. I was so in love... And I missed her dearly. I begrudgingly turned to the starboard side of the ship to make my exit atop the gangplank. And as I did, I found someone standing in my way. Seaspray, still clad in his gorgeous shimmering armor, stood before me. He said nothing as our eyes met. I only then realized what had likely happened. Had he seen us embrace? Had he seen Novo and I share one parting kiss?

Momentarily distracted from my heartache, I stammered quietly while trying to find a greeting to offer. But to my surprise, Seaspray smiled warmly and brought a hand to his iridescent peytral. What happened next caught me by surprise. He bowed to me. "It would seem that her royal majesty is considering crowning herself a new king."

"Admiral, I... You don't understand. I'm not cut out for... I mean she and I..." I muttered and stuttered while not prepared to be confronted over such a thing. Let alone from the one who commands Capricorn Island's branch of the royal guard.

"No, no, you need not say a word, Sir James. I've seen enough to have a firm enough grasp of what is happening here." He retorted gracefully before lifting his head to look at me once more. "And before you ask, I am sworn to secrecy unless my queen decrees otherwise. If anyone asks, I saw nothing."

I stood puzzled before the admiral. He...had no issues with what we saw? "You...don't have a problem with what you saw?"

"She has chosen you to be hers. Who am I to say who our queen should choose to be her king? If she loves you, then I will never be able to convince her otherwise. That is just how we hippogriffs are. We do not second guess our hearts. And if she of all people has fallen in love... Well, I pity the poor fool who dares object." Seaspray explained calmly while even chuckling at the notion. He then said, "Although I must suggest that you depart immediately. We will be back shortly, but I understand you are still needed here for the moment."

"Right... Will you be leaving too?" I asked as I pondered if Seaspray's position requires him to essentially serve as a bodyguard for Novo when she is outside her home's boundaries.

Seaspray nodded and said, "I shall. My men will remain here with the rest of your troops, but my presence with her majesty is required at all other times during peacetime. But now that you mention that... Is there anything you wish to request of me?"

I did not hesitate to provide a response. "Please... Keep her safe."

"I shall protect her with my life." Seaspray replied with another graceful bow. I nodded in thanks as I began to step past him, but he then spoke most kindly to me. "Do have a pleasant evening. I look forward to seeing you again, Sir James."

"Thank you, admiral... Have a safe flight." I muttered as I glanced back at the noble admiral. With a heavy heart, I descended the gangplank and turned back to watch as the Alabaster's propellers affixed to the stern began to buzz. I soon saw the airship beginning to ascend with its anchors lifted. I reflexively raised my hand, unable to stop myself from reaching out to the airship. Novo was leaving. And I wanted to be with her.

I watched as that elegant airship soared to the west in the company of two other armed airships that no doubt were serving as escorts. With many of the Alabaster's archers now stationed at the encampment, it was now very lightly defended. Not that there was much to fear out on the Empty Plains, but it still did my heart good to know that Novo was in good hands. But she was not in my hands anymore. And I so very dearly wanted to hold her. With the time of day getting late, I shuffled along through the camp to return to the command center for the night. I was not in the mood to converse with anyone.

Dinner at the command center was mostly once again a pot of soup with bits of veggies on the side, but was also a succulent hot and sour soup that really kicked my appetite up into high gear. I was lacking in appetite when I got there, so I was not expecting to eat as much as I did that evening. My mood wavered back and forth between the postpartum melancholy of having to say goodbye to Novo and the quiet pleasure of being in the company of good friends. Especially after such a wild clash in the depths of our shared dreams.

Celestia was very doting to her sisters that even. Offering to bring them seconds when their bowls were empty and making sure they got the seats they preferred. She was probably still reeling after seeing the two of them get utterly slaughtered by the Azure Knight during that dream. Even I can scarcely believe how overwhelming such a warrior was against the likes of them. Let alone how.....graphic its means of dispatching its enemies were. Ugh, I did everything I could to push that memory out of my head. The fleeting nature of death in the dream realm did little to dull the impact of such a sight.

The sun was well on its way in sinking over the western horizon by the time we all had our fill. Exhausted in more ways than one as my mood once again began to drop, I made my way up into my private quarters to spend the rest of my evening in quiet solitude while typing down my recollection of today. Though after an hour or so, I received an unwelcome distraction as I heard a knock on the window beside my bed. "Ugh, who is it now..."

For once, I really did not want to be disturbed. But I still went over to the window to at least peek through the curtains. But I was not expecting who I saw on the other side. "Yo, James. Now a good time?"

Gilda. And she had a guitar case by her side. Remembering how pleasant the music she created was the last time she stopped by for a jam session, I decided I could use some relaxing guitar solos. I then lifted the window open and stepped back. "Sure, you can chill in here. Make yourself at home."

I noticed that Gilda was out of uniform once she had crawled through my window while dragging the guitar case in with her. Once I had closed the window, she positioned a spare stool in the corner of the room to get herself set up. Although she then said, "I saw you earlier, but you looked like you were down in the dumps... Thought I should wait before bugging you over a jam session tonight."

"It's cool... I was just... I miss her. We had to say goodbye when she had to leave this evening." I replied before taking a seat at my typewriter and continuing on with my entry for the day.

"Who? You mean that... Oh... Right... The queen. Yeah, I saw that big seagull airship flying away before I saw you." Gilda said with a softening tone while she started to tune the guitar in her hands. "You two... You're really good for each other, huh?"

"We're in love, Gilda... And there's no one else like her in the world... I miss her bad already..." I retorted as I paused in my typing. I gazed at the ceiling, my thoughts going out to the beautiful hippogriff queen my heart was aching for.

"Sorry to hear that... She looked like she really digs you too." Gilda muttered before she seemed to eye the stack of paper I had set at the edge of the desk. I think she knew what I was doing and asked, "Hey, uh... Mind if I look through those?"

"If you want, sure." I replied while not minding anyone reading what I had written at the time. Gilda stepped forward and took the stack of paper that had been written at the time and relaxed on the bed behind me while I continued to tap away on the typewriter.

Minutes went by with little sound being made other than the gentle flapping of paper and the clicking of the typewriter below my fingers. Although I soon heard Gilda speak softly. "Oh man... You two really had a nice time at her place, huh? The way she talks to you... Are you sure you're not married to her?"

"We're not... But we wish we were." I replied with utter sincerity. I let out a sigh as I once more thought back to the time we spent together before I took that rather adventurous nap. Novo always knows how to make me feel special. Although I eventually felt a pair of arms wrap around me along with the soft embrace of a pair of eagle wings. I then asked as I felt something rest upon my shoulder, "Gilda...?"

"You're such a sweet guy... If that's how you really feel about the women in your life... Man, any girl who ends up with you must be the luckiest girl in the world." Gilda whispered into my ear as she held me. I all but went limp in that tender embrace. I never knew she had it in her. She almost sounded like she was holding back tears. "And reading all that... It's given me some inspiration. You sit right there and I'll get some tunes going."

"Thanks, Gilda... You're sweet." I muttered before she released me from her grasp. I was too focused on my writing at the time to pay much mind to anyone or anything else around me. I wanted to document this day.

A moment went by before the gentle strumming of an acoustic guitar filled the air. The longer that music went on, the harder it was to focus. I eventually paused and looked over at Gilda as she sat on the stool, guitar in her hands as her talons plucked and slid along the strings. The tempo coming from the instrument... It almost sounded like a love song.

I eventually closed my eyes and allowed my mind to wander. Letting the music guide me. Again, my thoughts went to Novo. She was the one most readily on my mind. God, I just wanted to hold her. I kiss her and whisper such sweet and loving things to her. I wanted to tell her how proud I was that she had chosen me to be her king. But other faces came to mind too. My beloved Celestia. And she was so nearby too. My beautiful Rarity, whose beauty was matched by so few other women. And my wife... My dear Fluttershy. In that instant, I realized how much I missed her. I had to catch myself as I gasped with a quiet sob, hand rising to my face to wipe away my building tears. I did not want to cry in front of a guest.

I held my face to hide my tears as Gilda played along. But when the song finally came to a close, I heard the soft steps of a feline before feeling her hand on my shoulder. "You OK there?"

"Yeah... Just... That was beautiful... Thank you." I muttered while sniffling quietly, my hands trying to wipe my tears away. I saw Gilda gazing at me with a look of concern. "Sorry... I must look pathetic to someone like you... I'm some sort of warrior everyone here is looking up to, right? And now I'm crying over a song..."

"Shut it." Gilda said sternly before she grabbed me by the arm and dragged me up out of my seat. The griffon hen practically threw me onto the bed before bounding up onto it and pinning me under her. Although I was alarmed at first, I soon found my hair being gently stroked by her talons as they raked themselves through my hair and lightly along my scalp. She then all but whispered to me, "Don't you start giving me that. Go ahead and cry if you have to. You're lucky. You have people who love you so much waiting to see you come home. I bet they miss you as much as you miss them. Why's that something to not get weepy over?"

I did not expect this. Not from someone like Gilda. My hand rested upon her wrist. I knew we were on good terms, but this was still a surprise. She then whispered to me, "Let me hold you this time, all right? So you don't feel so down. A sweet guy like you deserves to be cherished."

Gilda lifted me up just enough to hold me in an embrace. So domineering and direct, but so tender about it too. I felt the fluffy feathers lining her head rub up against the side of my face. Her hands planted themselves against my back and side, her impressive wings wrapping around me. "You're...so sweet, Gilda..."

"I guess even spicy girls can be a bit sweet, huh?" She said with a bit of a purr to her voice. But as she began to legitimately purr, I felt her hands reach lower and hook themselves under my shirt. She then said while starting to pull it up, "Lemme do something for you. Dunno why, but you feel like you ran a mile."

I suppose the tension of that dream fight still carried over into the real world due to its sheer lucidity. She was not wrong. I did feel more tired than I should have been for having not done much that day. Regardless, I lifted my arms to allow my shirt to be pulled over my head before Gilda pushed me to my back and helped me role over. "Just gonna try and loosen up a few spots up here, all right?"

"You know how to give massages?" I asked while not expecting someone like Gilda to possess such a skill. And she knew what she was doing as I felt her firm palms press into my shoulder blades. "Um... Careful with the sharp stuff there..."

"No worries. I'll mind the claws." She replied as I felt her furry feline body pressing against my lower body. Her hands went to work, her firmer avian flesh lining her hands being ideal for applying pressure to sore spots. She was good. Not exactly a professional, but she did have a grasp of what she was doing as she pushed and kneaded my upper back and shoulders. "Yeah, I kinda do. It helps when you have actual hands. Not a whole lot of folks in Equestria can say that."

"Yeah, good point... Griffons, hippogriffs, dragons, harpies... Minotaurs too... Can't think of anything else off the top of my head who have hands..." I mumbled with my arms at my sides and my head on a pillow. My thoughts went back to the last time I saw Gilda and her wingmen earlier that day. "You all started training with tiny crossbows today, right? How'd that go?"

"You saw that, huh? Yeah, now we're getting more into what I signed up for. Those things don't fly very far before they drop, but those little bolts pack a kick. Can't wait to see how they'll perform with the real deal." Gilda spoke with a satisfied tone to her voice. But as a moment of silence went by while her hands went to work on me, I heard her eventually speak softly. And the words sounded very familiar. "Knowing I could not and should not refuse an invitation from that wonderful woman, I promptly made my way up the gangplank and was quickly embraced in her glorious wings. I too put my arms around my beloved, as our heads rested against each other... Man... Do you really love them that much?"

I knew those words. I wrote them myself. I glanced to my side and saw the same pages of my journal that Gilda had asked to read earlier. I felt embarrassed that she had witnessed the true colors of my heart without any sort of filter. With some hesitation, I said, "Yeah... I mean... Everyone has inhibitions when they talk to each other, but...there's no restrictions to what you can write down... I don't hide what I think or feel in my writings..."

What followed next was entirely unexpected. I felt the firm kiss of a flexible beak upon my ear. Gilda's voice then whispered to me, "You're a real gem... I hope you and your ladies will have plenty of happy times when this whole mess is over."

"Thank you..." I muttered quietly as her voice softened further than ever before. Before long, Gilda rolled me over and rested atop me again with her hands now applying pressure to the sides of my neck. Although I suspected that she did so just so she and I could look at each other. I could not resist the urge to reach up and rub my hand along her shoulder and feel the smooth feline fur lining her body.

"I envy them..." Gilda muttered forlornly while she looked down at me. "They're so lucky to have someone like you... Someone who really does love them and doesn't try to pick favorites... I wonder if I'll ever find someone like you someday..."

I could find no words to say to that. I could not even look at her. I wanted to say something to soothe her, but I could not think of anything at all. Gilda eventually just lost focus and stopped massaging me entirely. I looked away. I knew she was upset to some degree. But her hands then came to my face and tender cradled it, forcing me to look up at her. With a look of insecurity in her golden eyes, she asked, "Do you...think there might be something for us down the road?"

I gazed into those gently illuminated yellow eyes with my hand still on her shoulder. I felt for that poor griffon hen. She had it rough for a long time. And I do not believe I have ever gone from being so wary of someone to genuinely being fond of them in such a short timeframe. She was much kinder than she had ever let on before. And she was beautiful. Very beautiful. Oozing with tough girl charm that thinly hid a layer of warm sweetness. A very desirable woman. I then whispered an answer to her. "I think...just maybe..."

"You think there's a chance, huh?" Gilda said with a rather relieved sigh. Her firm hands gently kneaded my cheeks as she whispered, "I won't count my chicks before they hatch, but...I'll hold you to that. And...I'll always have your back. All right?"

"All right... Thank you. You're...good to me, Gilda." I muttered back while equally unsure of what the future could possibly hold for us. But I knew for certain I did not want us to go our separate ways when this was all over. "I...want to see you again after this war ends... I don't want to say goodbye forever."

"You'll see me again. I'll come find you like we promised. I know where Ponyville is." She replied as my hands reached for her feathery head while her hands continued to hold mine. My fingers slid through her plumage as her feathers fluffed up. "Oooooh... That's different... Mmmm, what do you call that?"

"Oh, right... I never gave you scritches before." I said while almost empted to chuckle. It would seem that griffons enjoy those precious caresses as much as hippogriffs and harpies do. I almost expected her to churr like they do, but the sound I heard from her was very different. The rumbling melody of a feline purring. With the melancholy fading, I gave her a simple compliment. "Sounds like the pretty kitty likes scritches."

"Rrrrrr... This pretty kitty likes it, all right..." Gilda purred as I saw her glorious golden brown wings spread wide. Her eyes peeked open as she smiled at me. "I... Heh... I wanna look pretty for you..."

"You're not just pretty, Gilda. You're beautiful." I replied with utter sincerity. She truly was beautiful in spite of everything I had heard about her and all of my prior expectations.

She then let out a much lower purr as she asked, "Am I sexy too?"

This gave me pause. My fingers froze as my eyes glanced from side to side in uncertainty. Gilda too realized what she had just said and froze with a look of uter shock on her face, her great wings very suddenly folding against her body. "Oh man, I... What was that just now? Sheesh, I shouldn't be saying stuff like that..."

An awkward tension had settled over the room. Neither of us could bring ourselves to look at each other. But I still forced myself to speak. "Do you...still want an answer?"

I looked at Gilda out of the corner of my eye while she did the same. Her golden eye soon stared directly ahead at nothing at all. And then she nodded without a word. And so I said, "Yes... You are sexy. Sleek... Gorgeous. Feline and avian traits all coming together to create a...truly beautiful creature."

"Dang it... Do you ever let up on the... I..." Gilda growled as I was sure she was clenching her teeth beyond her beak. She then suddenly turned to me with her hands reaching out to me. "Sorry!"

"Sorry? For wha... Huh?! Gilda! What are mmph?!" I yelped as she all but lunged at me. Next thing I knew, her hand was on the back of my head as her other arm scooped me towards her and... Her beak. Opened wide and clamped over my face with her eyes squinted shut. She... She was kissing me. Her slender tongue slipping past my lips and caressing my own tongue. I was stunned. I had no idea what to even make of the situation. But...I liked it.

It was brief. Not even ten seconds. But...such a powerful kiss. Gilda soon pulled her head back with a gasp, her beak stammering out apologies. "I'm so sorry...! I... I just... I dunno! I... I... I just don't know what's wrong with me!"

"Gilda! Gilda, hey... Hey..." I said while equally flustered over what had just happened. Her arms still remained around me, so I put mine around her to try and provide a comforting embrace. "Easy... There's nothing wrong with you... It's OK..."

"Right... Right, I... Oh man, I just don't really know why I..." Gilda muttered hastily before her words trailed off into silence. She just sat there while we held each other, her head resting on my shoulder. But she then finally found the words she was looking for. "You...really make me feel like something special. Like...I actually matter. That someone...has faith in me again."

"I do. I...really do, Gilda. I...believe in you. Because you're a good friend." I whispered back to her as I suspected we should probably say good night to each other by then. But i was not about to tell her to leave. Not even after that. She was free to stay until she was ready to depart on her terms.

"Thanks... I... I really should be going now. It's getting late and... Sorry about that." She said softly with a tone I had rarely heard out of her. That tough girl charm was entirely gone. It was easily the most insecure I had ever seen her.

"Sure... You can stop by anytime. I enjoyed your song." I said while Gilda packed up her guitar while I gathered up the journal pages she had been reading earlier. Once she was on my bed and lifting the window open, I said my farewell. "Have a good night, Gilda. It was nice having you over."

She looked back at me and hesitated in her words as well. For a second, I thought she was going to rush out the window with that guitar case in hand. Instead, she managed to show me a very shy smile as she said, "You too... Have a good one, handsome."

With that, she was gone. And I immediately sat myself down at my typewriter and continued to document my day. My heart was finally distracted enough from Novo to not think about her too much, so Gilda certainly managed to succeed in providing something else to direct my attention to. Now I had absolutely no idea what to think of her. It would probably be best to avoid each other for a day and let our minds think this all out...

Thankfully, I received another distraction before long. There was a knocking at my door barely ten minutes later. Not sure if I should be flattered or annoyed, I stepped over to see who was out there. "Guess I'm popular today..."

Without even bothering to ask who was out there, I pulled the door open. And a very pleasant surprise was waiting for me on the other side. "Good evening, darling. Do you have room for a visitor tonight?"

"Rarity...!" I retorted in surprise as I had all but forgotten about her at the moment. I backed up to let her in and promptly embraced my beautiful lover. "Of course you're welcome at my place... You staying the night?"

"If you would have me, my love. It's...rather lonely in my tent right now. I think Twilight is pulling an all-nighter at the lab, so I'm all by my lonesome for the night..." Rarity explained with her arms around me. But she then looked me in the eyes while batting her gorgeous eyelashes. "Unless my prince would have me for the evening."

"Your prince would never deny your company." I said in return while placing a kiss upon her nose and eliciting a giggle from the beautiful fashionista. I stepped aside as I allowed her in before locking the door. It was late and a curfew was likely in effect at the time. Now it was just us for the night. "I'm really glad you came when you did. I was...feeling lonely too and wanted someone to hold tonight."

"Oh, darling... Was your heart aching for someone to love? Then you are most fortunate that your lady sought you out tonight." Rarity replied with flirtatious flair as she removed her saddlebags from her sides. She then flashed me a most amorous gaze as she said, "Then I shall not dare depart until morning. We have much to catch up on."

"Thank you... Really, I'm glad to have you here tonight." I said before stepping over to Rarity and lifting her into my arms before setting her upon my bed. It was still too soon for us to sleep, but I just wanted to hold her for a while. "I love you... No one can ever replace you, dear."

"And there is not another man in the world I could ever see taking your place, my love." Rarity whispered as we shared a kiss with her hoof resting in my hand. Her bracelet was gone. No doubt left back at home for the sake of keeping it safe from the rigors of the battlefield. It would be a shame if she lost it out there on the Empty Plains. It was at that moment that Rarity used her levitation magic to bring her saddlebags up to the bed. "Although I hope you don't mind... I brought some things along to help make myself at home. A few necessities, if you will."

What I did not expect was for a book to be lifted from one of those bags. It seemed to be a storybook, of all things. "You like to do some reading on the side?"

"I may not be quite as scholarly as Twilight, but I do enjoy a good story as much as the next pony. And one of my lifelong favorite tales is included in this one." Rarity replied as we both got comfortable on the bed. The book was then propped open as Rarity's magic flipped through the pages. "I was meaning to share with you this story too. The tale of Mistmane."

"Mistmane? Can't say I've heard of that one before... It's not a local story?" I asked with no recollection of such a name being in my memory.

"No, not at all. This tale hails from far to the east. Well beyond the Empty Plains. I hear the unicorns out there even have distinctly curved horns to set them apart from us western folk." Rarity replied as that little detail struck a chord with me. Unicorns with curved horns... Had I seen one such unicorn before? I was getting a powerful case of deja vu. But just as I was trying to scan my memory for an identity, Rarity settled on a page. "Here we are. The legend of Mistmane."

"That's...!" I stuttered as i got a good look at the illustrations that were provided with the text. The styling was archaic and foreign, but I recognized who was being displayed immediatey. A tall and slender unicorn mare, coat and horn of a very pale orchid hue. And that long and seemingly billowing mane and tail of emerald greens... There was no mistaking it. It was her. That phantom I encountered in that earthen cave! "That...is Mistmane?!"

"Why do you sound so surprised, darling? You've seen her somewhere before?" Rarity asked while understandably confused over my sudden shift in tone.

"Yes, I've seen her! I mean... No, I've met her! In person! Out on the Empty Plains!" I explained while a bit rattled that I had most likely encoutnered an actual ghost. "I took a tumble down a badly eroded rabbit hole or something and twisted my ankle real bad. And when I followed the tunnel, I came out into an earthen cave filled with flora and...she was there. Coated in an ethereal glow. She used some sort of magic to control plants and used their natural properties to heal me. And then she...vanished. And I'm sure it was the same mare on this page."

Rarity listened in silence with her beautiful azure eyes opened wide. She then looked down at the page and said, "If what you say is true... Then the legends towards the end of the tale were not an exaggeration..."

"You mean...someone suspected she's...still out there?" I asked while being completely in the dark about the nature of the person depicted in the book. "Maybe...you should just tell me the story first."

"Yes, quite... Now then..." Rarity replied before we both turned our gazes to the book's pages while she began to narrate. "Long ago in the distant eastern lands, Mistmane was an aspiring and talented alchemist. She was as beautiful as she was kind, beloved by many. And she was dearly missed when she departed her home to enroll in the finest magical academy of the east. In time, she received word that her dearest friend, Sable Spirit, had been crowned empress. She could hardly wait to finish her studies and return home to catch up on lost time with her prestigious friend. But..."

Rarity then turned the page as the illustrations, as archaic as they were, did a decent job of depicting what the prose was conveying to us. "Upon her return, Mistmane was devastated to find that her home had rotted into dilapidation. Only the royal palace remained spotless and beautiful, the citizens commanded by their empress to dedicate all their effort into maintaining and polishing her palace while their village steadily crumbled around them. And anything that was beautiful had been hoarded by the empress herself. This was not at all like what Mistmane remembered of her friend and she marched off for the palace to understand the situation."

I listened without a word. And the empress that was Sable Spirit certainly looked the part. Clad in a sable robe, lending herself an air of nobility while also conveying a sort of ominous nature. But the face... I know that the most ancient styles of art left something to be desired in the grand scheme of things, but something seemed off about her face. Sable Spirit looked...old. Too old for someone who should have been in the same age group as Mistmane herself. "She...aged prematurely?"

"Perhaps... It's not entirely clear exactly what happened that caused Sable Spirit to look that way. Maybe it was only skin deep, but as you can see, Sable Spirit sought beauty. From everything and everyone. Jealousy had taken hold of her years ago. Mistmane had always been blessed with beauty and everyone adored her. They longed for her dearly after her departure for only the finest magic academy in the land. But alas, beauty does not dictate success. And Sable Spirit failed to understand this as she claimed everything she desired. Even the throne was not truly hers at all." Rarity explained with such an air of tragic flair to her voice, lending the tale even more emotional weight.

What followed on the next pages was something even I was impressed by. The two eastern unicorns summoning magical serpent apparitions to do battle. One of a malevolent red and the other of a soothing aquatic blue. The next illustration showed Mistmane's form standing alone before a spherical mass of roots or vines that no doubt held Sable Spirit within. Yet another link to that phantom I saw and her affinity for controlling nature itself. "With her profound magical prowess, Mistmane overpowered Sable Spirit in a duel and successfully bested her. But there was no denying the damage her own influence had done. Beauty is not everything. And she had never taught anyone that. There was much to do to bring life back to her village and the lands around it."

The next set of pages showed Mistmane standing before a flower that stood out among the drab and gray surroundings. And beside it was the same thing, but now with the village around her vibrant and alive with color. But Mistmane herself... She now looked just as old and frail as Sable Spirit had before. Her vibrant colors had dimmed... "Beauty is often a sign of life. And so she poured all she had into the land to restore itself to what it had once been. Even Sable Spirit herself was restored to what she had once been. Deeply moved by such a sacrifice, she strove to be worthy of the throne and to be worthy of her dear friend's mercy..."

"She... She didn't sacrifice her beauty..." I muttered as the gravity of the situation hit me. I placed a finger upon Mistmane's frail and clearly elderly form. I felt a lone tear form at the edge of my vision. "She sacrificed her youth."

Rarity nodded in solemn silence. "Her life was short, but most fulfilling. She dedicated the remainder of her days to spreading beauty as far as she could and educating those around her of beauty's true nature. And Sable Spirit herself saw to it that her friend's memory would live on forever in a tale passed down through the ages. And yet... To this day, some believe that Mistmane never truly left this world. That even now, she wanders far and wide to see beauty spread. As a spirit of nature's splendor. The most enduring types of beauty there is."

My beloved then looked at me and said with a wink, "It would seem that you personally confirmed that legend."

"Huh... So I did... Never thought I would bump into anyone out there... Let alone the spirit of a legend." I said while wiping that one tear from my eye. I suppose if anyone with ties to nature's splendor was going to be anywhere, it would be the long undisturbed Empty Plains. For as sordid as the history behind this land is, it is indeed rich in natural beauty. Perhaps Mistmane herself is to thank for that.

Rarity let out a sigh as she closed the book, the story over. "This story has always been such an inspiration for me. And that's why it has always been my favorite. I only wish I could have been there when you found her. If I cold meet her once..."

"An inspiration? No wonder you're so beautiful." I retorted in an attempt to add some wit. As Rarity glanced over at me with an agreeing smirk, I cupped her face and ran a finger along her long and glamorous eyelashes. "When it comes to unicorns, almost no one can match you... Or these lovely lashes."

"Mmmmmhmhmhm, they're all natural now. And all because you gave me a push in the right direction." Rarity whispered lovingly to me before her lips found their way to mine. After a brief kiss, she gazed lovingly into my eyes. "No more artificiality for me, darling. Not when everything I already have is already of the highest quality."

"That's what I've always wanted to hear, dear." I whispered as I held and caressed my beautiful beloved. No matter what my heart felt when it came to anyone else, I was deeply in love with beautiful Rarity. But as the moments went by with the two of us cuddling and kissing on the bed, I asked quietly, "What now, m'lady?"

Rarity grinned in delight as she asked, "Would you care to join me in the shower this evening, my love?"

I was more than happy to oblige and it was definitely getting late. It was time to prepare for bed. I stepped into the bathroom with Rarity, but was in for quite a surprise. Sitting on the toilet seat was the very same comic book Spike had sent me earlier that day. I suppose Luna had placed it right there so it would be impossible to miss and I could read it while having some time to myself while in the bathroom. Rarity, not being as fluent in pop culture as Spike and myself, looked over the comic book and said, "Ohohoho, what's this? You brought something along to read to pass the time?"

"Actually, that's the newest issue. Spike just happened to send me a copy today. I haven't gotten around to reading it just yet, but I will before long." I replied before taking it in hand and setting it out of the way atop the toilet's water tank. "Maybe you'd like to join me in that world? You do make for a hot Radiance."

"Oh my, I wouldn't mind donning that glorious attire once more. Although I must pass on it. I'd rather not get myself involved in any action that isn't related to the war effort. Don't want to wear myself out unless needed, yes?" Rarity replied with quite a focus on being pragmatic at such a time. I started to undress as she opened the shower stall and reached for the handles. "Hmmm... A bit cramped in here. But...that means we'll be all the closer, won't we?"

I have to confess I was getting a bit giddy by that point. It felt like it had been too long since Rarity and I had an opportunity to engage in any significant degree of intimacy. And once we were both in the shower with her long curly indigo mane and tail becoming heavy with water, I found that there was relatively little room to maneuver. Not that we minded. Rarity had so little room to move that I had her back pressed against the wall while I was down on one knee. We gazed lovingly into each other's eyes as she asked with a smile, "Oh my, seems we just can't get away from each other in here."

"But why would we want to?" I whispered back as I brought my lips to hers. We held each other in our arms, cooing and moaning in bliss as we kissed. Our tongues danced, our hands and hooves roamed. We were in love and I was so happy to have been reminded of that. Regardless of my feelings for Novo or anyone else, my love for Rarity remained powerful. I suppose it is true the mind can only focus on so much at one time. I have had Novo on my mind mostly for the past day or so. But now that I was with Rarity, all my attention was being focused on her. There was no shame to be had in wondering over if it was wrong to temporarily not have someone I love so much on my mind. It is simply a case-by-case basis.

We wanted each other so badly... Rarity was practically beckoning me to do as I pleased with her while we remained in our shared embrace. And so I did. My hand slid down her slender moist belly even as water cascaded over us. And once they drifted low enough, my fingers caressed and pinched along her soft teats. I felt my beloved shudder in my arms as she cooed, "Oooooh... Yes... There, my love... Mmmm, they're all yours..."

"You really do have a lovely set of teats, dear." I whispered to her as I placed sweet little kisses along her neck as Rarity lifted her chin high in ecstasy. She gasped and moaned delicately, leaving her beautiful body at my mercy. My fingers rubbed along her teats. My other hand groped and grasped at her finely curved flank even as my palm pressed against her sensitive cutie mark. "God, you are just so beautiful... So lovely..."

"Beauty...is nothing...without one to admire it... And...mmmmm, no one admires me the way you do, my love..." Rarity whispered as her hoof caressed my cheek. I could smell her... That feminine scent mixing with the steam that flooded the room. While I gazed into those beautiful azure eyes, she gazed back at me with such a look of need. "My prince... No more... Take me. Your lady needs you."

"And your prince wants you so much..." I whispered to her as I helped Rarity turn around. She looked over her shoulder with such a lustful smile, hooves planted against the wall with her long flowing indigo mane soaked to the roots. She swayed her elegant mare hips sensually with her winking vulva declaring her intentions. I was on my knees as I held her shapely rump, feeling along those perfect feminine curves with her body shuddering in bliss with every caress of the three blue diamonds on each flank. I whispered directly into her ear, "Oh my god, you are just so sexy..."

"Oh goodness, so lewd... But you make me want to be sexy for you." Rarity giggled as she pushed her rump back against me. My hardening shaft rubbed up between her needy lips as she pleaded most adorably, "Ooooh... Put it in me, darling... Mama neeeeds...!"

"Not yet, you're not." I whispered whimsically as I took hold of that curvy rump and pushed myself in to the hilt. I then groaned in need as I gasped, "Mmmm! Mmph, but someday... Right?"

"Ooooh! Oh yes, darling... Mmm, someday, my love! Oh, how I wish I was in heat right this moment...!" Rarity groaned in delight as she looked up at nothing in particular. She sounded and looked absolutely starved for my affections. As I was for hers. It felt so wonderful to be doing this with her again. To be making love to easily one of the most beloved mares in my life. With my hand resting upon her chest and the other upon her belly, I embraced my beloved as I began to make slow deep thrusts into her needy body. "Mmm... Ah... Yes, my love... Mmm, make me feel sexy... I want to be sexy for my darling husband..."

I kissed sweetly along her ear and gave it a tender nibble, easing the two of us into this loving tempo. As far as we were concerned, we were already husband and wife. No different between me and Fluttershy. But with the knowledge that it was not official and never could be without dire consequences, I whispered words into her ear that I knew would tickle her heart. "Oh, my love... Will you marry me?"

"Yes... Yes, a thousand times, yes! Let me be your wife, my beloved James!" My beloved gasped as she remained in my arms. She closed her eyes as the pleasure became too much for her. "Be my husband... Please... Marry me, James...!"

"I do, Rarity... Oh god, I love you..." I whispered to the mare who was truly my secret wife. Even if the world would never know, she was my bride. I loved her so much... And I always will. And I showed her my love as my hips slapped wetly against her soaked and finely furred flanks.

"Ooooh darling... Let me...remind you...of how much I love you... Those sacred words I said..." Rarity whimpered as she turned her head to gaze back at me. "I want...to be your wife. I...mmmm...want...to have...your children... Oh goodness, yes... I want...to...ah! To...grow old with you... And I...oh, my love... I...want to...walk...alongside you into the...eternity that lies beyond this...ah...mortal coil... Forever, my love... Let me be yours forever..."

"Forever, Rarity... Forever..." I whispered back to her as I managed to place my lips upon hers. Her words sang to me. I had heard them once before. Such a bold yet heartfelt declaration to make. I was proud to be in love with her and to know that she loved me just as much.

"Yes, my love... Forever... I just know that no matter how many decades past, I'll never stop being beautiful for you... Forever... My love for you...will never die!" Rarity declared yet again as my embrace only tightened. My hand upon her belly pressed into her soft middle, over her womb. She cooed tenderly as she whispered, "Ooooh... So empty... I want it too, my love... Oh, James... Our children will be beautiful, will they not?"

"Just as beautiful as their mother..." I groaned as I began to thrust with increasing intensity. How I wanted to have a family with Rarity... And I just know Fluttershy would insist on being the godmother to any foal we have. Those two have always been such good friends... A family with those two wonderful beautiful mares... I could already imagine our children getting along with each other as brothers and sisters from different mothers, but of the same single family. They would understand. We would find a way to make it all work out.

Rarity did not hesitate to compliment my praise. She whispered to me, "Mmmm, and just as loving as their father... Oh darling, I can hardly wait for that day..."

As we made love, I thought back to some precious words I heard from Novo. Words that really sang to me. As I could feel a stirring in my loins, I leaned forward and whispered those words into my lover's ears. "Rarity... Good daddies always finish inside, right?"

My words were music to her ears. With the burning in my loins growing hotter by the second and Rarity's scent growing headier with her climax nearing, she practically shouted at me with head held high. "Yes... Yes, daddy! Please... Always...inside! Fill mama with...your creamy love!"

And so I did. Clinging to her in desperation, I groaned and gasped her name aloud as I thrust into her in frenzied motions. Moments later, I pushed as deep as I can as it hit. My human seed bursting forth with unexpected force as Rarity quivered in my grasp. She would have likely slumped to the floor had I not been holding her up. It was...bliss... My wife and I making love together after much too long since the last time.

With the torrent of my seed slowing to a trickle in a matter of seconds, I wheezed and sighed as Rarity did the same. With the afterglow setting in, she looked back at me and whimpered, "I love you, my dear husband..."

"And I love you, m'lady... My...wonderful wife..." I sighed before our lips came together for another kiss. Such a wonderful woman. So many stallions must have surely fanaticized over someone of such grace and beauty. But how many could say they loved her and appreciated her for more than just what was on the surface? I wanted to make her happy... And I know my efforts were not in vain. And I was so sure we had a wonderful future in store for us.

We almost forgot what we were in the shower for in the first place. With the hot water supply already partially diminished, we made an earnest effort to help clean each other with what time we had left. And the water was starting to get a bit tepid by the time we shut it off. With the air still filled with a musky veil of steam, we embraced once more as Rarity said, "Go ahead and get ready for bed, dear. I will be out shortly."

"All right then. Don't keep your prince waiting." I retorted with a kiss to her cheek. With a towel around my waist, I stepped out of the bathroom and noticed that Rarity's saddlebags were resting by the door on my way out. Once I was dry and clad in a pair of dry boxers, I took a seat on the bed and started looking through the book Rarity had brought. I was mostly just skimming, but one story came up that sounded a bit embellished the more I looked at it. Something about a squad of pegasi guardsmen from before the founding of Hearths Warming Eve picking a fight with the Dragon Lord himself. "This sounds like a stretch... Who goes out of their way to provoke an attack from the dragon ruler on his home turf? Misguided bravado, I swear... I bet these idiots didn't make it to 30..."

It was right around then that I heard the door to the bathroom open. And it was then that I saw why she was taking longer than me to get out of there. Rarity had taken the time to roll her mane and tail around some curlers to regain their usual spiraling flair as they dried. "So sorry to keep you waiting, dear. Just had to...set a few things for the night."

"Well, those gorgeous indigo curls never go out of style on you for a reason." I replied while setting the book aside. I then reached for a flickering candlestick nearby and blew it out to cast calming darkness throughout the room. Only bits of moonlight were shining through the curtains over the only two windows in my room. I then pulled down the covers for us and took Rarity's hoof to help her up. "I'm glad you're here tonight... I've missed you."

"I can't wait for this war to be over and done with so we can all go home. I miss dear little Gladesong and Fluttershy... We're just not a family when we're apart for so long." Rarity said wistfully as I too sighed at the thought of what my wife and daughters were up to back home. I was amazed with just how much I missed them by then. But as long as I had Rarity and the rest of my dearest friends around me, the wait to get back home would be much more bearable.

"Yeah... Let's just try and stay focused... We'll get home eventually." I replied as I got comfortable under the blankets with Rarity tucked in on my right. The two of us shared one last little kiss as I said, "Sweet dreams, love..."

"Sweetest dreams for you, my prince." My beloved whispered back to me as her hoof rested in my hand. With her comforting presence soothing me even more, I quickly drifted off to sleep.

When morning came, Rarity saw herself out quite quickly. More than likely due to worries that her presence in my room overnight was in violation of something. But I never heard anyone confront her over coming down the stairs, so I guess nothing was wrong so long as I did not object to anyone being there with me. But after bringing up a delicious omelet and a side of waffles for breakfast, Luna stuck her head into my room while I enjoyed my meal by the side of my bed. "Ah, James! I meant to ask you... Did you happen to locate the comic book Spike sent you?"

"Yeah, you left it on the toilet seat, right? How was it? Is it worth a read?" I asked while just about done with my meal by then.

"Well, if you wish to avoid spoilers..." Luna said while starting to smirk unevenly. "I have to say that...it was a very enticing experience. Very impactful debuts of characters that will surely have a profound affect on the plot in due time. You are in for an enjoyable experience, my friend."

"In that case, I'll get around to reading that pretty soon. Thanks for the recommendation." I replied while not having any doubts about the content of that new issue. Luna then took my dirty dishes away so I could get back to documenting recent events in this new entry.

I think by now that things have settled into a routine of sorts. We are still far from ready to advance, but progress in terms of preparations are steady. I think I will just take things as they come for a few days and wait a while before I sit down and type out another new entry. For now, I think I will check in on Sky Beak and see how training our newest archers are going. Until next time then.