Author's Note

I'm going to be blunt before you read the chapter.

The entire perspective of this complete cliché of the perfect man is completely false. As hard as that is to believe, it really is.

I was hoping to do an April Fool's thing by having this chapter up to detail a little more of what life is like for Marcus and the kind of person he is.

Hopefully this will eliminate the common perspective of a regular world with a perfect man having a perfect princess.

And I hope to have you wondering what it's like for him.

Anyway, enjoy.

Chapter 7

"I just know this is going to be a pain in the ass."

Celestia smiled at the man adjusting his jacket before making the trip in town. She had informed her fellow princesses of the situation and requested that none of them attempt to follow in the dreadful winter or sneak into his car. Sadly for her, the word 'car' was as far as Twilight and Cadance got before their minds went blank from all the confusion that a car is. While Celestia had to give detail of the vehicle and its purpose, Luna decided to wake up and take it upon herself to search the house and see if there was anything interesting about Marcus. The awkwardness of seeing her sister show possessiveness for the human was nearly forgotten as she immersed herself into mystifying technology known as Television.

"It will be a good experience for everypony, and I will the chance to see how much your society has rebuilt itself in the last two years."

Rebuilt was all Twilight needed to hear as she watched her mentor nuzzle the frustrated man with love and joy, something she found to be strange since there was never a significant other in Celestia's life. Turning, the Princess of Magic found Marcus returning the favor with some apprehension. She watched with a careful eye as he stuff a brown object into his back pocket and another in the inside pocket of his jacket. This would not have been an abnormal thing if there was not a small engraving on the second fold of leather. That could only mean he was part of some group, but what was the question, and it ate at her while Cadance joined Luna in seeing what was on television.

"What was that you just put in your jacket?" Twilight pointed at him. She was never this curious before, but that man's strange behavior was throwing her way off.

"Oh that is just a bill fold I use for my identification. If I don't have it with me when I go into town, then I can't get in and buy groceries." Said Marcus as he glanced at Celestia for support.

"Identification," Twilight said with a tilt of her head before turning her focus to the princess. Confused and nervous, Twilight made her approach to the alicorn until she was in wings reach and looked up to her. "For what?"

"Don't you worry about that." Marcus chuckled, though a bit forcefully.

Celestia leaned down to her student and nuzzled her lovingly as the foals waited with some anticipation. "It is nothing to worry about. Our society is very different from human's. Just relax and enjoy the time you have while I go with him to see what this world is like."

"But what if they aren't friendly?" Twilight inquired. "This is a new world and we don't know what it is like out there."

"Twilight, you have nothing to worry about. Celestia is not going to get hurt because she will be in disguise." Marcus reassured before leaning down to pet her. It was a surprise to the pony, but there was power behind his fingers when they scratched her ears. "I'll admit that most humans would not be friendly since magic is a myth here and animals don't talk, but they won't find out." He took a breath and shrugged his shoulders, skepticism in his behavior. "Sure, we have poor judgment, but everyone is focused on rebuilding human society. So don't worry so much and have a good time while you're here."

"That doesn't help," Twilight said bemusedly as Marcus scooped into his arms a certain unicorn that was pawing his leg for attention.

Marcus was going to need time getting use to being a father, again. But first and foremost, before his trip with Celestia, he had to find some means of entertainment for the young alicorn to, hopefully, take her mind off of the dangers she has in her head. Scratching his head in deep thought, he pondered the activities that may keep Twilight occupied as he walked around the living room with Sombra hanging onto his neck.

He looked from Luna and Cadance sitting quietly on the couch to the news channel ending for the afternoon. He was in deeper thinking before that spark of an idea came to him and he approached the television. Being in front of the large screen irked Luna and Cadance, for they were locked onto that channel with the biggest set of eyes. If they were any bigger they might pop.

"I've got just the thing," Marcus chirped as he opened the twin doors beneath the stand and pressed a slim button. Next thing the mares know is the button makes a beeping sound as he takes the remote and changes the channel input.

"What is that!?" Twilight jumped back in panic as she watched the device bring up a blue screen with colorful squares and what appeared to be titles on them.

Two small devices were pulled out of the stand and set in Marcus' other arm as he closed the doors. A warm smile escaped the man as he returned to Twilight and handed her one of the devices, pressing a small button to turn it on.

"Try some of human technology. Play some of the games I have downloaded on my PS4." He told her.

"But I don't know how to work this." She protested while Marcus made his way to the door with Celestia and the fillies behind him.

He did not look over his shoulder to see if she was trying. "Just use the left analog stick to scroll through the games listed. Press the blue 'X' button to select it. After that, start a new game and follow the tutorial."

Luna and Cadance murmured in shock as the purple mare did her best. Only bad part of it was she had multitasked with levitation in a few months, so pressing buttons and moving sticks was going to be a challenge.

Once the Solar Princess made her way into the garage, Marcus shut the door behind him and locked it, but not before Twilight said out of frustration, "Somepony just get me a book!"

"She's not going to do something reckless like destroy my PS4, is she?" Marcus asked as he unlocked his truck. He proceeded to set each foal in the backseat as he watched the princess eye it with apprehension. He wasn't sure, but something in his gut told him that she may have a problem getting back in the vehicle.

With a shake of her head, Celestia stepped away from the truck. "Twilight is many things, but destructive is not one of them."

"Okay," he shut the door after lifting Chrysalis into the backseat, her and her 'siblings' gazing through the window.

He approached as Celestia began to have second thoughts and put his hand on the back of her neck to comfort her. "Hey, are you sure you want to do this? You look a little uneasy."

"I'm fine, I just don't have good memory of riding in this contraption." Celestia smiled, though it was a bit forced.

"You have no memory of riding in my truck," he laughed as he pat her neck. That made her blush. "You were unconscious when I got you in it."

Marcus ran his hand across her neck, soothing her anxiety—much to Celestia's surprise— and opening her door, her mechanical chariot awaiting.

The imposing alicorn locked eyes with her human, the latter having her handsome man with her who was quite the gentleman by leading her inside.

"I'll be right next to you the entire time." Marcus assured, though even his behavior turned on a dime. He seemed to have lost all manner of teasing and flirting. "It really is not as scary as you think it is," he smoothed over, helping her take the first step inside and attempting for the first time, to help her get comfortable. It was very difficult thought, seeing the mare finally take her seat seemed impossible, that if he was not hallucinating where he was at right now, he would have sworn that she was turning a new shade of red as he leaned around her.

"Okay, this is going to take more time than it did with those three. . ." he admitted, taking the liberty in fastening her seatbelt. She bit her lip and nervously shuffled her forelegs to block her private area from his view.

I hope he doesn't to— she stopped abruptly as her cutie mark was firmly grasped by the man. She was forced bite down on her tongue and resist the urge to moan while he moved her left leg a little so the seatbelt would lock in place. If he had paid any attention to Celestia's reaction he would see that she was a very sensitive pony.

We just got to see eachother again, but it feels so good when he touches me. Why?

"Do we have everyone?" Marcus asked rhetorically, playfully smacking the mare's cutie mark before closing the door, not even checking to see if she was alright. He stepped into the driver's side and started the engine while she gave him a mischievous smile, her magic coating the seat to remove the musk. He was very lucky that the princess found him to be adorable.

His eyes widened at the odd feeling of going into town with three ponies that will be in disguise, though it felt no different than driving her the first time. . . because he was now happy to have some time with her. He laughed out of giddiness and looked at her while his hand worked on the remote to the garage door.

"What's with that smile?" he asked while she unfolded her wings and brushed his cheek with one.

"Just mull on that I will be getting back at you." She stated curtly, smacking his cheek lightly. Not waiting for him to get his ducks in a row, she tapped on the dashboard and leaned into the backrest, leaving the human to confused as to what she meant. "Onward in this machine, my dear."

Marcus quickly shrugged of the confusion and began his drive. "Into town we go."

Venturing to the nearest town through the snowy roads was a big ordeal, frustrating this time entirely to Marcus. The foals had been flabbergasted the world outside of Marcus' house being a large blanket of white, though every time they got close to the windows, they would hit their heads when he drove over a bump in the road. The uncomfortable sound of hearing the engine roar was gradually reduced over time when they realized it was not going to hurt them and even more so with Celestia holding onto the handle above her head. Although there was no need to worry, she was very nervous and worried that getting stuck in the snow might bring complications. Such more humans or predators that prowl in the winter. As such, she decided to hold onto Marcus rather than the handle, because being serious, he was more comforting than it.

"So, when are you going to tell Twilight, Cadance and Luna the truth?" Celestia asked as the two hugged one another in arm and wing. Other than getting a serious glare from her human, he paid not much attention to the subject, which she was not fine with. He was not supposed to leave her in silence on dangerous matters like that, even when they were talking through scrolls.

"I'll tell them in a couple of weeks," he replied, taking a good look to his left of a large wall coming close to merging with the road, but it stopped inches away and he looked up to see if snow was sticking at the top. Naturally, to remain oblivious to the wall, he would pretend to ignore it. When he heard the foals gasp, he tightened his arm around Celestia and looked to her for help, both knowing curiosity cannot be resisted.

"What's that big thing?" Nightmare Moon asked.

Unexpectedly his stomach lurched at that question. "That's the sanctuary wall for our society. It's to keep us safe from the outside world." He couldn't help the regret or the horror so stark in his eyes when he looked at Nightmare Moon through the mirror. He did not bother to try.

Celestia tightened her wing around him, nudging his shoulder with her chin. "Do not think about it too much. You put it all behind you."

The wind tore the atmosphere from them. As a very young foal with no idea what wind is like, Sombra snuck out of his seatbelt and scooted between Celestia and Marcus for security. Having two fillies and two disgruntled adults did not faze the colt as he hid not in the human, but the princess. He shrank down into the alicorn's underbelly, into the warmth of her body, so terrified to hear the blistering winds and watch the man struggle to keep the truck straight.

Sombra whined when a gust hit the truck, and he dug deeper into the mare as she looked down at him in shock. Whatever Discord did to the unicorn had more impact than he let on. The thing Celestia didn't yet understand—and perhaps Marcus either—he was without knowledge of magic—the foal was relying on her to protect him. He should cling to Marcus and never let him go, so this trip into town would be terrifying enough to draw him closer to the man.

"Maybe the reformation was more successful than we think;" Marcus inquired, eyeing the scared colt while he nestled deep in the shadow of her form. "There are some animal cases where a newborn comes into the world without a mother to take care of them, so they latch onto the first female they see. Sometimes they will observe for a few minutes and latch onto the strongest."

Celestia was a little disturbed of that, he had to have seen Luna first. This did not sit well with her. She hadn't thought of being the strongest mare in the group. She was so used to portraying a very relaxed mare she hadn't considered that some ponies took her for a mighty being.

She didn't add anything to his statement or refuse Sombra her care. She was a little happy about it. Plus there was no ill intention in her observation. She closed her eyes and willed herself to lean down and nuzzle the frightened pony.

"It's alright little one," she cooed. "It is just the wind, and your . . . father will get us where we need to go—" she looked up to Marcus— "Safely."

"We'll be fine so long as I keep us steady on the road and you do your magic."

*

The look in Marcus' eyes just now tore the alicorn away from the colt. At least she was aware that his behavior had meaning behind it and a reason for him to be that way. The blizzard was starting to open up, the wall separating from the road, shadows looming high above them the closer they got. She could almost feel the tension in her human.

"We're here," he told Celestia as he eased his driving and pulled out the wallet in his jacket. "Do your spell while we still have snow blocking everyone's eyes."

Marcus did not pay attention as she worked her magic on the foals first and then herself. A lemon yellow aura engulfed the foals and her for a moment while he removed a secondary form of identification to go with his driver's license. Why he had to prepare forms of identification for the trip Celestia was not sure, but if what he told her in the past was true, then she was about to have serious insight about broken civilization.

The spell wore off, and she was without breath for a moment. "The illusion is finished. Nopony other than you will see past the spell."

Marcus nodded in gratitude, but was totally nervous. They had made it through the blizzard to the front gate, but the situation had depleted his energy. Having three foals show up at his doorstep and four princesses magically appear had taken all he had, which in turn had weakened his mental state a little. He would have to try harder to keep the façade and not set off any suspicions, but he could not be in any more danger with lying and try to get the worst of those jobs hanging on the bulletin board on the other side of the gate.

He stopped with inches between the front of his truck and the guardrail. The sound of footsteps took his breath as he connected fully with Celestia and the foals. He had hoped himself prepared—after all, he knew what to expect and had leverage on his side—but there was no good way to explain having passengers should he be questioned. He let the fear burn through him in an effort to acclimate himself.

"Okay, listen up," he turned to Chrysalis and Nightmare Moon in the back. "A guard is going to come by and ask for my identification and who you all are. Just let me do the talking, and don't freak out when he uses his scanner on you."

"What is a scanner?" Celestia asked while a man in uniform approached, with a shotgun in hand. She heard everything from Marcus the variety of guns, and it brought flashbacks of him using one to protect her.

"It's something they use to see if you're infected, so don't worry." Marcus replied.

That made her curious. Why would there need to be a process for entry and then be allowed inside an area that holds necessities?

"I'm going to be blunt with you, Celestia. Security has been uptight for the last two months because the number of survivors is decreasing. We're getting more infected than regulars, and everyone is starting to wonder if there will be an outbreak within the wall."

Marcus did not wait for her reply. He lowered his window before the guard could tap on the glass. The men that stood on posts with military rifles had their crosshairs on him and the princess. No new greeting had come from the guard standing at his door with his gloved hand open, but the ones that were on the ground, those who new Marcus, did wave at him before their commander could see it happen. Celestia didn't know what to do other than appear as a human girl holding what appeared to be a baby with a serious dislike of the wind. Trusting her human to keep them safe, she fought the urge to manipulate the guard's mind.

"A little chilly out here, isn't it?" Marcus asked in a monotone.

The guard responded with attitude the same as the weather, as cold as he was, almost as if he was not alive.

"Just a precaution, but state your name and business here." The man replied, his voice tuned behind the mask. He looked up to Celestia and the 'baby' in her arms. If he was not wearing his mask right now, they would have seen how shocked he was by how beautiful the woman is next to Marcus. He then turned Chrysalis and Nightmare Moon. "I also need to know about those four, but not from you. I need to hear it from her."

"Right," Marcus nodded with some reluctance. "Marcus Vegora. Retired runner from the Pillaging Team in 1-A."

"Yeah, you're uncle is Jackson Vegora." The guard nodded. "Told me all about why you quit the job." He turned to Celestia and pointed at her. "I don't know you, so I need to know why you're with Mr.Vegora."

"My name is Tia Del Sol, and these are my. . . children." Celestia said calmly, with a silver tongue. She found herself smiling at the guard as she leaned into her 'caretaker', hoping that he would buy her white lie. "Marcus is my. . .significant other, and we are here to purchase groceries, mainly diapers for the little one."

"The boy in your arms and those two in the back," he replied coldly. "Are they your kids?"

"Yes, they are his." Celestia chirped, which threw off the guard a little. "But I do hope to replace the mother that left this lovely family for a different male."

Marcus winced a little and turned to the princess with a shaky stare. The guard then turned his gaze towards the man taking back his cards. "Yes, I suppose Mr. Vegora deserves someone in his life after the last ran that went south on him."

Marcus knew this moment would come. He had hoped it would come much later. Pressing his lips together he hung his head in shame, even though he didn't have any fault in the incident. Celestia was quick to notice this and began to worry while the guard took it upon himself to lean in and pat him on the back.

"Hey, don't dwell on that day. You did what anyone would have done." He infused absolute compassion into his voice. He believed Marcus did the humane thing and had no reason to feel guilty for it. He would have said that, but did not have justification.

"Anyway," he retreated then reached behind his back, removing a small device that glowed a sickly green. "You'll be free to go as soon as you pass the scanner." He raised it to Marcus first. "Just look at me and we'll have this done in a minute."

It was silent at that point. Celestia and foals found themselves under quick surveillance, sitting perfectly still in the green light as it flashed between each of them and threw up a loud beep seconds after. After it passed her last, she stared up at the security overhead. The men gently moved across the towers, setting their guns down as soon as the man in scanning them gave a thumbs up.

"Okay then," he said in more enthusiastic tone. In spite of the change in his voice, Celestia knew he sounded hollow. She'd only felt such emptiness from others throughout her years. "You're free to go in and get what you need." He ordered the guardrail to be raised with a command of his hand movement. "Have a nice time in Lazarus and stay out of trouble."

Marcus, in spite of his conscience, and pain towards the past, couldn't help the extra speed he put into his entrance as the guard's inconsideration. He was very unhappy as the guardrail shut behind him. So many people watched with little as he made his way down the first street. He hated the look Celestia was giving him. He hated everything in that expression she wore.

Concern.

"You really were telling me the truth," she said seriously before shaking her head in disbelief. "I. . .You. . .When did your people resort to a place such as this?"

Marcus was not one to keep secrets from the princess. Reluctantly, he said, "When the first outbreak happened."