Chapter 4

“But how do you plan to get back?” The therapist sat nervously in his chair as Odio paced around the room

“Well some could say I am already there” he smirked as he walked behind the therapist “Lurking around and waiting for the opportunity to put my new plan to good use” He walked over to the sofa and collapsed onto his back, head on a large cushion

The therapist sighed as her looked outside and watched the flashing blue lights from the police car suddenly stop “So what is this new plan?” he glared at the smug boy’s smirk

“To get some power back… hatred to be exact” He rolled his eyes over to the therapist “And what gets more hate than war?”

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“How about Grayson?” Dave scratched his head as he looked at the colt in Celestia’s hooves “He is grey and he is a son”

Celestia shook her head “It doesn’t seem right” She rubbed her nose against the colt’s chest causing it to giggle loudly “What about… Sky Light?” she sighed as Dave shook his head

“Oh I know!” Dave grinned happily “Barry!”

Luna burst out laughing at the suggestion “Barry sounds nothing like a royal name!” She wiped a tear from her eye “You might as well call him Dirt Digger!”

Celestia rolled her eyes as she rested her head on Dave’s shoulder “I guess that Barry is a human name” She rose her eyes to see Dave nod gently “Well I suppose we could give him a human name… his father is human after all”

Dave scratched behind the grey colt’s ear and its head craned around to pull the finger into his mouth and began to attempt chewing it. When that failed he wrapped his short hooves around Dave’s hand and hugged it

Luna continued to go “Aww” Every time the newborn colt did something new. Except when he got over excited and threw up into the dark princess’ mane. She spent well over an hour cleaning herself before returning

“Argh why is this so difficult?” Dave groaned as he moved away from the bed and leaned back in a chair. The colt panicked as its father left his view and began flapping his wings wildly. Celestia failed to catch him as he flew into the air and dive-bombed towards Dave, wrapping his hooves around his neck

“AWW!” Luna almost fainted as Dave hugged the colt back and she began to bounce on the spot “I don’t care what anypony says, I am foalsitting the life outta that!”

Dave raised an eyebrow “Have you learned to speak different since I left?” Dave chuckled as Luna frowned at him “Oh I am terribly sorry your majesty” He playfully teased

Luna was about to respond before Celestia held a hoof up “If you both start arguing I will send you both to the moon until you sort it out” She nervously giggled under the sudden glares she received but the tension was broken as the newborn let out a loud yawn

“Aww” Luna smiled again whilst Dave rolled his eyes

Dave handed the colt back to Celestia before standing up, his trench coat was closed, hiding his dignity “So what could we call him?” Dave scratched his head in wonder “Something cool, something royal… I managed to name a dragon but not my own son, how the hell did I manage that?”

Luna gasped, “That reminds me” She beamed at Dave “Adamas is stopping by in a few days as part of his time off!”

“Adamas?” Dave’s face lit up “How has he been?” His eyes narrowed as Luna’s smile turned into a suppressed giggle “And what do you mean time off?”

Celestia answered for her little sister “Adamas set up an embassy dedicated to bringing peace to all life” She grinned slightly as Luna began to laugh “He has a female companion that ordered him to take a day off after the… zebra incident”

Dave rose an eyebrow “Zebra incident?” a smile came to his face “What happened?” his eyes shifted to Luna as she calmed down

“Adamas went to meet a pair of rivalling zebra tribes that have been fighting for decades” Luna giggled into her hooves before continuing “These zebra’s have never seen diamonds or a dragon capable of flight, so when he showed up in his indestructible glory they began to worship him!”

Dave burst out laughing “Adamas being worshipped by zebra’s?” He laughed as he wiped a tear from his eye “I would have loved to hear all the rhymes about how much better he is than them”

Celestia nodded before her face became neutral again “But of course he stopped it when they brought in the sacrifice” she sighed before looking down to where her child previously rested “Where is the baby?” She asked in a shocked tone

Dave scanned the room, only the dividing curtains at the other side of the room stopped him from seeing everything “I have no idea” He replied in a growlingly concerned tone

“BWWWAAAA!” The colt cheered as he popped out of Celestia’s mane and grabbed her horn, bottom half still submerged in Celestia’s flowing mane as he snuggled against the white horn

“AWWWWW!” Luna literally fell down from the amount of cuteness being fired her way. She rolled on the floor before pushing her self back up into a seat “I have got to play hide and seek!”

Dave scratched his chin “He err… just appeared from nowhere” an idea crossed his mind as Celestia gained a smile of her own “Houdini!” He cheered but only gained in losing Celestia’s smile “Fine what is your idea?”

“I was thinking… Noxporta” Celestia looked up and saw the colt attempting to chew her horn. She looked back at the indecisive human “We could call him Nox for short”

Dave scratched his chin “Nox… Nox” he mumbled in thought

“Who’s there?” Luna managed to sneak in before Dave could continue. She shied away as Dave gave her an unimpressed look

Dave turned back to the colt “Damn I wish I had Google translate” He groaned “Then I could type in random words until I got something cool” He shrugged “But Nox sounds good, and we can yell his full name when he is in trouble”

Celestia smiled as Dave removed the colt from her flowing mane. His wings flapping until he was against his father’s chest. He looked back at his mother before snuggling against Dave and letting out a loud yawn

“Aww” Luna sighed again but her calm face changed when Dave walked over to her and held the baby close. Dave did not have to say anything as he indicated to the colt in his arms “Are you sure?”

Celestia nodded “Of course, you are just as much a part of his life as we are” She smiled as Luna held out her hooves and allowed Dave to pass him over. Luna failed to hold back a squeak as Nox rubbed against her chest

Dave smiled as he watched Luna nuzzle Nox, the colt responded by grabbing her nose and trying to bite it. The human smiled as the room fell into a comfortable silence. Except for a bleep coming from behind the dividing curtain on the other side of the room

“Hey” Dave looked over with a frown “What’s behind there?” He pointed to the curtains causing Celestia and Luna to exchanged worried looks. He stood up to go and inspect the strange noise but was stopped by Celestia’s hoof

“Wait, why don’t we take Nox to go see Twilight Sparkle and the others?” Her smile wavered as Dave looked back to the curtains. She sighed as she let Dave walk over to the curtains, his footsteps barely louder than the sound of a heartbeat monitor

As Dave reached the white curtain he stopped, his eyes wondered over to Celestia and Luna. Their sympathetic faces only made his heart tug sharply as he pulled back the curtain and saw the unicorn

Strong Shield lay on the bed, his black fur and greying mane were barely visible against the various tubes and wires that travelled from various machines into a hole in his side. Dave collapsed by the ex-guard’s bedside and dropped his head into his hands

Dave struggled to keep his breaths normal as he looked at the unicorn’s face. His trademark scar over his left eye was still the first thing Dave noticed as he looked over the still figure of the pony

“How long?” Dave growled “How long has he been like this?” His eyes shot to the two princesses as they avoided his gaze

Celestia finally worked up the courage to respond, “Ever since you left,” She sighed “That wound he took protecting you was… different”

Dave climbed to his feet and glared at the machinery “This was my fault, if only I had the damn courage to fight Odio I could have…” He was cut off as Nurse Redheart returned beside him

“You are his only family, even if it is through adoption” The white mare looked up “I have kept him stabilized for months now” She placed a reassuring hoof on Dave’s arm “But it can’t go on, it isn’t fair keeping him like this”

Dave finally broke into tears as he dropped to his knees “No, I won’t kill him” He took a few breaths to calm down before glaring at the nurse “How do we help him get better?”

“That is what the problem is Dave” Luna sighed “The wound was enchanted so that the pony inflicted is keeping up a spell that prevents healing” She cradled Nox in her hooves before passing him back to Celestia “He is killing himself unless he wakes up”

“And the only way that will happen is if we turn off the machines” Nurse Redheart sighed “He would have mere moments to remove the enchantment” Her eyes looked over the patient and the machines before moving back to Dave “Don’t let him suffer”

Dave looked at the mares around the room before finally looking at his son in Celestia’s hooves “Great… this day just got a whole lot worse” He sighed as he looked at the machines and saw a red button beneath a plastic flap

His fingers reached out and lifted the flap. His eyes moved over to Strong Shield as his finger rested against the button. Luna and Celestia huddled around Nox as Dave took a final deep breath and pressed the button

Nurse Redheart shuddered as all the equipment went silent and Strong Shield’s body shook. His eye cracked open and swirled towards Dave before coming still. Dave held firm as he looked into Strong Shield’s motionless eye

“I’m sorry dad” Dave sighed as he leaned forwards and hugged the unicorn “You would have made a strange and wonderful grandfather” He rested his head against Strong Shield’s mane as he felt the body beneath him relax

Dave began to pull away but was sent flying as a pair of black hooves bucked him in the throat “Strange my flank!” Strong Shield groaned as he held the wound in his side “And you didn’t have to suffocate me!”

“Dad!” Dave ignored the pain in his throat as he hugged the unicorn again “You had me terrified for a minute” He pulled back as he saw the unimpressed eye “So we are back to emotionless eh?”

“Emotions are an exploitable weakness” His eye moved over when a grey colt jumped onto his lap “And who is this?” His eye widened as he saw the wings and horn

Dave chuckled as he rubbed the colt’s mane “This is Nox! Your grandson… kinda” The unicorn rolled his eye as he accepted a hug from the baby alicorn

“AWWWWWWW!”