Revenge of the Alicorn! (Revised)

For Cesare, the city around him was burning, just as Canterlot had been not so long ago. The light from the flames reaching just barely to his charcoal-black hooves. Though the fires blazed all around him he felt none of their warmth, The cold he had been cursed with since the day his home had burned made him feel like no more than the rotting shambles of an army that was walking around him... Breaking into homes and getting rid of anyone who fought.

"Heh... How ironic... A monster with morals..." He chided with a hollow smile as he saw a small family escaping while being ignored completely by the skeletal beasts that worked their way through the city. He had amassed quite a mixed army, from other alicorns to minotaurs, Griffons that had fallen to his sword, and even a few changelings, although those he had to raise as zombies since they didn't really have a skeletal structure he could work with. He could feel the strain of keeping his army under control, each slain skeleton and zombie increasing his headache as the only sound he really heard through his walk was the oddly loud clack of his hooves against the cobbled road.

The thought flashed across his mind of what it would be like to have a divine spark as his rulers had but he quickly crushed the thought.

"I am a monster... Monsters do not deserve such rewards... I shall slay the griffon king... And then my journey will be over... Maybe in another life I can be a hero, the hero that my country wanted, the hero that they deserve... But for now, I am simply the monster that studied too far into forbidden magics." The frown that seemed to be almost permanently etched into his jaw only deepened as he looked up and saw that he wasn't even halfway to the royal palace of the Griffons. Despite the pitched battle around him, he could only hear his own hooves... and so he let his mind drift back... back to his first date.

~~~~~~{[C]}~~~~~~

Cesare had to keep himself from trotting in place with the nerves his mind was so desperately trying to calm down.

"Calm down Cesare... It's only the princess of the ENTIRE KINGDOM that you are living in AND is the eldest daughter so is the rightful heir to the throne! So OF COURSE you're not going to screw this up..." His wings flared a little nervously as his violet tail twitched back and forth. "Come on stallion! Get it together! She... She's just a mare... and wants to act like just another mare for one night... You have nothing to worry about..."

As much as he tried to rationalize it he couldn't help but start his nervous tic of tapping his forehoof against the stone as he got more and more worked up.

"I hope I didn't make you wait long..."

The violet alicorn's hoof stopped mid-step as his head slowly turned toward the heavenly voice that just spoke to him. "N-no..." HE took a second to clear his throat when he realized that his nervousness had made his voice crack. "...Uh... Not at all Princess Celestia." His attempt to seem more like the mature stallion he was fell through as he heard her chuckle.

"Please Cesare... Just Celestia, we're not out here for anything formal." While he was trying to give a slight nod, his half-stunned mind decided to make it look more like a vertical twitch of his head.

"Absolutely Prin-... Er... Celestia." He says as he holds out his hoof for her. "Let us enjoy ourselves tonight."

They both quickly trot into the simple restaurant smiling like lovestruck foals, moreso Cesare, quickly getting a seat to have a waiter take their order.

A smiling teal alicorn trotted up to them, "What can I get for the lovely couple?" He asks with a grin that gets Cesare to blush a bit more.

"I- I'll have the Summer Salad please." Cesare replies before looking over to the beautiful mare perusing the menu in front of him. He really couldn't help the smile that began to creep onto his face as he watched her eyes slowly travel down the page, scanning each item with only a tiny twitch to show she was reading different sections of the menu.

"Hmm... I think I'll take the Summer Salad as well, but with some extra strawberries please."

The teal waiter nods with a smile, "Of course, It will be out in about ten minutes due to the current number of orders, I do hope that it's not too much of an inconvenience."

Cesare waves a hoof with a smile. "We're fine, just bring a few glasses of water and we'll be good."

~~~~~~{[C]}~~~~~~

A small sting across his left foreleg brought Cesare out of his memories, the armor spells he had taken great pains to memorize and master only managed to deflect the crossbow bolt and hadn't managed to stop it. With a scowl Cesare aimed his horn at the offending griffon archer and sent out a small bead of fire. It crossed the distance between them in a matter of seconds and didn't give the griffon any time to get away from the explosion, incinerating the poor soldier before he could even feel the pain.

As he felt the warm liquid trickle down his fetlock Cesare looked at the cut, much like one would a curious specimen under a microscope. With a small ring from his horn he had managed to disinfect the wound but he did not close it, wanting each scratch to be a reminder that he was as mortal as everyone else...

"...I am not a deity... I am not incorruptible... I feel pain... And I will make the Griffon Empire feel that same pain."