Chapter 231 Repercussions

Chapter 231 Repercussions

Perspective: Luna

I feel a bright light burn my pupils through my eyelids for a moment. I grumble in response. It happens again, prompting me to attempt to open my eyes. Something is wrapped around my eyes, stopping me from doing so. I try to move, but the rest of my body is being restrained. In a panic, I start to fight to get free.

"Please remain calm, scans are nearly complete," a metallic voice tells me, pausing me.

"Who are you? Where are you?" I ask quickly, trying to calm my breath.

"I am Doc, medical droid-"

"Where am I?"

"You are in the Topaz Hall medical center. You were in an explosion. You are being scanned for any internal damages. Please remain calm, confusion is normal after events like this. You are safe." I try to calm myself, but being tied down isn't helping any. I hear a few mechanical instruments move around before they finally click. A moment later, the restraints loosen and I remove them with my magic quickly.

The bright hospital lights blind me for a second, but a few blinks later I take in my surroundings. The medical ward is exactly like I remember it from Miles's memories; light green walls, rows of beds with mechanical arms to the sides, and bright lights. In the back of the room I see a familiar brown form laying on one of the beds. He has several machines around him, but I can tell that it's Frank Moose. Why he's here, I can only guess. I drop down to my hooves and realize that I'm back in my pony form.

"Please proceed with caution." I jump slightly from the bot behind me. He's a standard medical bot. The tools on his left are retracting into their slots. "Though you show no signs of internal damage, stress and high activity is ill-advised."

"Um... okay." He just stands there, waiting for something to happen. I guess I can just ask something or walk away. "What happened?"

"You were in an explosion."

"I know that part, but... what caused the explosion?"

"Only theories exist, would you like to hear?"

"Yes."

"Your soul had grown to tremendous levels prior to your marking. When marked, the energy within forced its way out. Your transformation was caused due to your irregular soul form. The explosion may have caused the energy within to shift in direction, causing you to transform."

"The... energy within... If I were to shift it again, do you think I'd transform?" I ask, getting slightly hopeful.

"I do not think, I am a machine. But, with the evidence present, it is likely that a transformation would occur. Further research is required, though. I do not advise any further explosions, as you are needed to restart the human population." Of course he brings that up, creeps.

"Right, how would I change the flow of my energy though?"

"A shift may occur if you were to bring a certain amount of force to either your head or chest region. This is ill advised though, as it may lead to further injury." I groan from that. There has to be another way to change forms.

"Why does hitting your head even do that?" I ask out of irritation.

"Based off the theories of Miles Eremita, your mind, your heart, and your soul are in a constant state of give and take. The energy flows from one point to another. Causing a shift in one area will cause a disturbance in this flow. With your irregular soul, this may explain the shifting in forms. This is only a theory, but his research is still ongoing." Hmm... that does make sense. I remember Twilight talking about how the energy within ponies and humans are different. But why is that the only way to change it? Unless-

SLAM

"LUNA!" I jump a bit when the doors slam open. Blueblood comes running in as several bots chase after him, attempting to apprehend him. He makes it about halfway before the bots get the jump on him though, tackling him to the ground and pinning him down. "QUEEN LUNA! WE HAVE TO LEAVE!"

"This is a medical facility. You are not permitted here," Doc tells him calmly, stepping toward the commotion.

"Release him... please." They release him almost immediately. Blueblood jumps to his hooves and approaches me quickly, brushing his mane back with a hoof. "What is-"

"Miles is on his way here! We have to leave!" I stare at him for a second before the gravity of the situation hits me. I nod to him and start to trot towards the door, charging my horn to teleport. Just before I actually cast the spell though, he walks through the doorway. He doesn't have his helmet on, so I make perfect eye contact with him. The rest of his armor looks as if it's been melting off of him though, along with several bullet marks.

We both stand here and stare at each other, both lost for words. Where do we even start? I can't tell him why I was here, not now at least. Telling him now would only complicate things. We've been trying to draw a line between him and his other form, me telling him I can change as well would only make matters worse. He's a worrier. A silent worrier that would use this as an excuse to spend even more time away from home to fight and-

"Why is Blueblood here?" Miles finally asks, breaking my train of thought. "Also, why were you admitted to the E.R.? Or, better yet, why did you blow up a building?"

"Um... I... you see, the thing is-"

"Stop. I know that tone of voice. No lying, what happened?"

"I was not going to lie!"

"Luna..." He stares down at me, crossing his arms as he waits for my answer. I wasn't going to lie! I just wasn't going to tell him the whole truth. That's how he does it!

"I... okay, fine. The truth. I was-"

"My lady, are you sure this is the best time and place for this?" Blueblood asks, eyeing the bots.

"It is. The truth is that I went to a strip club with Applejack to chase down an auditor. There has been an investigation made against Terradisia that has closed all trade with your people. It could cost the Apple family everything if nothing happens. We didn't get a chance to talk to him though, as the ponies there wouldn't let us. We made a friend there and...well... I had a few too many glasses of wine. I... was in no state to be near Tempestive... Blueblood saw this and escorted me here until I cleared my head. He was in Ponyville on business and... I'm sorry Miles." I lower my head a bit, avoiding his gaze. He's being rather stoic about this, putting me on edge slightly. It doesn't help that I'm trying to hide something from him.

"... why here?" he asks after a moment of silence. "Why not go to the Apples or... anywhere else that was closer? Why Topaz?"

"I... I-"

"It was the drink speaking," Blueblood chimes in, stepping forward. "She was not in a stable mindset and wanted to come here for... incomprehensible reasons. I came along to make sure she was safe." Miles stares at him for a second before looking back to me.

"The explosion?" he asks simply.

"I... found a Virgum de Marcus. I guess...putting too much magic into it was a bad idea." The room goes quiet again. Nopony makes any movements. Even my breaths are coming out silently. Miles brings a hand to his chin as he thinks to himself.

"Are you hurt?" he asks quietly.

"They already checked me and I'm fine."

"Okay. Good... let's take this up somewhere a bit more private. Bot, take Blueblood back to the Topaz transit entrance. I'll be in touch later. Follow me, Luna," he turns and walks out of the room. I look to Blueblood for a moment before mouthing my thanks to him. He simply bows his head and follows the bots out. I take a deep breath and walk after Miles, keeping my head held high. I'm not a little filly. I shouldn't let anypony make me feel this way... even when it's mostly my fault.

I follow him to a mico platform where we teleport to what looks like a locker room. It's a long hall with tall metal lockers making the aisles. Between them are long stone benches. I don't ask or say anything. I want to let him speak first, hear what he has to say. He goes to one of the lockers where he begins to unclasp his armor, having a bit of difficulty doing so. Is he injured? He gets his left bracers off and lets them drop to the ground, sighing contently afterwards.

"I'm sorry for putting you on the spot there. That was unfair of me to do," he says quietly before starting the next bracers.

"It's... okay. I understand that it might have been a lot to take in. What happened to your armor?" He gets the second set off and lets it drop loudly. I use my magic to do the chest piece quickly, gasping when I see his back. There are a few large, dark bruises on his lower back and shoulders. He turns around and shows me the one taking up the left of his chest. "Miles! What happened!" I light my horn and start to heal him, seeing the bruises slowly begin to shrink in size.

"We- unf, assaulted an Unfamiliar settlement. They were- sss, resilient." He takes a seat on the bench, putting his hands on his knees as he waits for me to finish. I bring my hooves to his back and start to check his ribs, making sure they're still in one piece.

"A settlement... you attacked civilians?" I ask quietly, almost dropping my spell. I... don't believe it. He wouldn't do that.

"Heh, with how they fought, that was no civilian settlement." He's trying to make light of this, but it's not working. I bring a hoof over to his cheek where I force him to look at me. He stares back into my eyes as I let my worry through. He simply closes his eyes and leans into my hoof, letting out a long breath. "What would you have me do?"

"Miles... you're better than that-"

"Not when it comes to them. Never when it comes to them."

"Miles." I drop my spell, about halfway through, and force him to look back at me. "You have to be better than that. Genocide is not the answer-"

"I spoke with their leader," he cuts me off, catching me off guard. "Kileh. I spoke with him, even made a bet. He thinks the griffins will win the war. He believes that whoever wins this war will lead to a new world order. He knows I'm backing the Equestrians-"

"Miles-"

"Whoever wins the war, wins the planet. That's what he said, between us and them. Winner takes all. They probably already have plans to kill you and Celestia. Cadance, Twilight... Tempestive-"

"Miles-" I try to be firmer, but he continues anyway.

"The goblins are invading the Southern Badlands, the griffins are mobilizing for war, and no one - no one - is taking any of this seriously! They sided with my people’s sworn enemies and try to pin the war on me! They want me to be the scapegoat! They make the moves towards war, and I take the blame! If they really want, I could just invade them today! Why am I the only one to take on these responsibilities!? Why am I th-"

SMACK

I bring my hoof back and bring it across his face again.

SMACK

I choke as tears start to fall down my cheeks.

SMACK

He doesn't say anything. He doesn't do anything. He just sits there and lets me hit him. A few tears roll down his face and he grasps the bench tightly, but he doesn't do anything.

SMACK

"Stop... just stop," I beg him, breaking down further. "I tried to help you, I wanted to help you. And you pushed me away. You just... you just wouldn't let me help you."

"Luna... I can't let you-"

"Why!?" I yell, stepping away from him. "Do you think I'm weak? That I can't stomach the pain?"

"It's not like that!" Miles yells back, standing to face me.

"Then what is it? Hm? Am I just your trophy wife to keep safe at home? Am I incapable of being of use beyond your cock sleeve!?"

"You are not a trophy Luna. You are my wife!"

"Then treat me like it and talk to me!" I yell, stomping a hoof down. The lights around us flicker as my magic begins to rise in power. But neither of us back down.

"Luna... I... I'm not strong enough... I can't... I..."

"Strong enough? You made the Elements of Harmony! You destroyed Discord! You destroy ships with a single blow of your weapons! You are a Spartan! You are the strongest of them all-"

"AND I CAN'T PROTECT YOU!" he screams at the top of his lungs, pausing me. "I CAN DO ALL OF THOSE THINGS BECAUSE I STAND ALONE WHEN I DO THEM! I can't keep my eyes everywhere, Luna. If... if something happened to you... and I could have done something... I... I don't know if I could go on-"

"Miles, we have a son! You would go on! You would have too! It's not just me-"

"Who else could I trust to watch over him, Luna? We let Celestia have him for an hour and he nearly killed someone. I'm not worried about losing Tempestive because I know you would never let that happen. You and I, we'd die before we'd let something happen to him. But you... I can't... it's not the same, Luna. Out there, fighting... I need something worth coming back to. If I lose that... what am I fighting for?"

"And what about me? Am I supposed to just accept that you're the one who has to go out and fight? Haven't you ever thought that I'd be just as devastated as you if I lost you?" He drops to the bench and buries his face in his hands, trying to control his breathing.

"It's like you said. I have the strength to keep fighting-"

"You're one man, Miles! Look at you! I'm amazed you were even standing, let alone walking around! You can't keep doing things like this! It's going to destroy you!" I rush over to him and bring my hooves to his hands, holding them tightly as I try to think of what else I can say. "Miles... please!"

"... if I don't, then who?" he asks quietly.

"Storm-"

"Storm isn't ready to lead yet. And the others won't follow him as they do with me."

"Then... lead from here-"

"I can't. Luna, I can't do that. Look, I'm sorry. I really am! But this is how it has to be-"

"No! I refuse to believe that! There has to be another way! There has to be a solution that... that..." I go silent when an idea pops in my head. It's a last ditch effort, but it's the only one that could work. "Get me pregnant."

"... what?" he asks in astonishment, looking up at me.

"Get me pregnant. That'll put you on paternity leave and give us time to think of a solution. You could still lead, but you'll be home. Miles," I bring his hands together and hold them to my chest, looking earnestly into his confused eyes. "Please, get me pregnant. Please."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Luna... avoiding the problem isn't going to fix it." I feel my heart give out when he refuses.

"It could work! We could make it work, Miles! We just... we just need a little more time. Please, Miles." I begin to cry deeply as I try to hold onto his hands. There has to be a way for this to work. He just has to let me help him. "We can't go on the way things are... I can't... we..."

"Are... are you suggesting... what I think you are?" He tries to look me in the eyes, but I avoid his gaze quickly. He yanks his hands back and stands up, seething with rage. "Don't you dare do that."

"What choice have you given me?" I demand, standing to glare back at him.

"Threatening to end our marriage! Is that really what you think would fix this?" he demands, yelling. I flare my wings when he takes a step forward, both of our rage spilling over.

"I wouldn't have to if you'd just let me help you-"

"I CAN'T LET YOU DO THAT! THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!"

"IT IS NOT GOING TO BE THE SAME EITHER MILES! IT CAN'T! I WON'T LET IT!" He grips his hair and walks past me, lost for words in his anger. I let out a scream of frustration and begin to kick the locker behind me. I kick and I kick and I kick until I feel the metal door meet the interior wall, and then I kick it again.

Everything falls silent as we both begin to wind down. I close my eyes and count to ten. It's an old habit I would do back when I was trying to fight off the thoughts from Nightmare Moon. I haven't had to use these since then. I thought I never would.

"Luna." I ignore him as I try to force myself past five, but my tears won't let me. "Luna... we just fought."

"I... I know." I sniffle out my response. Six! I can do this, just keep it together. I'm in control...

"We never fight." I let the room stay silent. Se... sev... He can think it over himself all he wants. That's what he does! Seven! "Luna... I'm sorry-"

"Sorry isn't going to cut it!" I yell back at him. Eight! "Things have to change, Miles! Our family cannot go on like this! Tempestive needs his father, and phone calls aren't going to cut it! And whether you like it or not, I'm a part of this nation too! I have every right to be a part of it!"

"Luna..." He's going to fold, he always folds! He'll say something and walk out of the room! That's what he does! He deludes himself with the idea that he's 'protecting' me! He's not protecting me. He's stifling me. Nine! "You're right."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"You're right Luna. I... I let my fears get the best of me. I'm afraid, Luna. I know what's out there and I can't stop it. I may have all of this power, but I can't guarantee your safety. Or anyone's for that matter. Look what happened to Frank. I step away for a little bit and he lost his leg. I'm not ready for you to be in that kind of danger, Luna. Let alone Tempestive. But... you're right. I can't keep you locked away at home... and I need to be there for our son too... I'm sorry." Ten.

I turn to face him and make eye contact with him. We stare at each other for a moment before we rush into each other's arms. I don't know how we're going to fix this, but we're going to do it together. No more fighting, no more secrets...

"Miles." I say quietly, getting him to hum back into my mane. "I have something to tell you, something really big. No one is in danger, but... it's very big news. I-"

BEEEP BEEEEP BEEEEP

A loud alarm sounds off before I could finish what I wanted to say. Miles jumps to his feet and rushes to his locker. He has to use his magic to rip the dented metal off before grabbing his radio and yelling something into it. The sirens stop, but I don't hear what was said over the radio.

"What was that, Miles?" I ask him. He grips the sides of the locker and leans forward, paler than ever. "Miles?"

"Order 22, enemies on surface," he tells me quietly.

“What does that mean? Miles?” I ask him as he just stands there in a daze. I step forward to try to shake him out of it, but he runs off before I could. Slightly confused, I chase after him. He makes it to a mico platform where he teleports away. After all of that, he leaves me behind anyway! Did nothing I said get to him?

Flash

I look back to the station and stare at Miles as he stands there, breathing deeply. We keep eye contact, waiting for something to happen. He steps off the platform and kneels before me, grabbing my hoof in his hand.

“It’s not going to be safe out there,” he tells me quietly, rubbing my hoof with his thumb.

“I know that.”

“You could die… just like your father did,” he looks away for a moment, gripping my more tightly. “I can’t stop that from happening, Luna. I have no control over that. Is this what you really want?”

“... Miles.” I bring my hoof out from his grasp and up to his chin. I force him to look up to me and bring my hoof around to his cheek. He nuzzles himself into my hoof, closing his eyes with a deep breath. “My father stood before you. Let me stand beside you.”

“There’s no going back,” he warns me. “You can’t undo what happens here, and you certainly can’t hide from it. Are you absolutely sure you are prepared for this?” I lean forward and press my forehead against his, gripping the back of his neck lightly. He mimics me and we just sit there for a moment, resolving ourselves for what might occur.

“As long as we’re together, we can face anything. Let’s do this Miles.” He looks up to me and nods before rising fully. He steps aside and motions for me to take the teleporter. I take one last breath before I step onto it. He is right about one thing: there is no going back from this.

Flash